SOTOZEN.COM > Actividade > Past Reports / News > Special events > Preliminary Memorial Ceremony for the 650th Anniversary of Daihonzan Sojiji's second abbot, Gasan Joseki Zenji (Inglês) > Report: Preliminary Memorial Ceremony for the 650th Anniversary of Daihonzan Sojiji's second abbot, Gasan Joseki Zenji in North America was held. (Inglês)

Report: Preliminary Memorial Ceremony for the 650th Anniversary of Daihonzan Sojiji's second abbot, Gasan Joseki Zenji in North America was held. (Inglês)

A Preliminary Memorial Ceremony for the 650th Anniversary of Daihonzan Sojiji's second abbot, Gasan Joseki Zenji, was held in North America on the Saturday, May 31st and Sunday, June 1st at Zenshuji in Los Angeles, U.S.A.

On May 31st, the conference organized by Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office, which was scheduled together with this Preliminary Memorial ceremony, was held at Zenshuji. In the conference, Prof. William Bodiford (University of California, Los Angeles) lectured on "Gasan Zenji and Expansion of Soto school". All participants were deeply interested to the lecture and recalled the virtue of Gasan Zenji who dedicated his effort to the development of Soto school.

30 monks and nuns from all over the North America, and 100 members of temples and Zen centers participated in the ceremony. And Rev. Eiitsu Suzuki, Rear hall (Godo) Roshi of Daihonzan Sojiji, and Rev. Hoei Murase, Director of General Affairs Division of Daionki office at Daihonzan Sojiji, came to this ceremony, bringing the Gasan Zenji's memorial tablet from Sojiji.

The Special Decoction-offering Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on the 31st was officiated by Rev. Daigaku Rumme, Director of Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office, and held solemnly.

On the June 1st, from 9:00 a.m. "Zendeko", drum (taiko) group in Zenshuji, performed the drums in the main hall as the Opening Performance. Everyone enjoyed the powerful sound very much.

At 10:00 a.m. Rev. Hoei Murase gave the Dharma talk on the life of Gasan Zenji. At the end of the talk, he said, "we must deeply reflect on the ways we have transmitted the teachings to the present, acknowledging the causal relations that have supported us in this undertaking under difficult circumstances, and we must consider how we may transmit them with our whole bodies and hearts into the future, even as we face growing fears of social confusion and spiritual insecurity." Then, he told us how important it is for us to transmit the teachings to the future.

The Preliminary Memorial Ceremony from 11:00 a.m. was officiated by Rev. Ryukan Sunakoshi, Director of the Publications Division. While everyone was quietly watching over the ceremony, the officiant passed the offerings to the altar sincerely and made the eighteen prostrations, and the Hymns of the admiration for Daihonzan Sojiji's second abbot, Gasan Joseki Zenji, was sung by the members of Baika group in Zenshuji. After that, the officiant burned incense on the handled censer, and then the rector (Ino) read aloud the statement to admire Gasan Zenji's virtue. During his voice echoing throughout the main hall, everyone naturally put their hands together and bow their head quietly. After the ceremony, the officiant read the message from Rev. Koichi Sasaki, the President of Soto school. Rev. Eiitsu Suzuki, the representative of Daihonzan Sojiji and the Daionki Office, announced that everybody is welcome to visit Sojiji on the day of the main Memorial Ceremony next year.

At the end, Ceremony for all the ancestors of the members of Zenshuji was held and officiated by Rev. Gengo Akiba, a former director of Soto Zen Buddhism North America Office. All ceremonies were practiced in smoothly.