Received Financial Blessings to Purchase a New Home for Easier Hosting of Okō

In summary:

Previously, our Buddhist altar room was on the third floor, which was inconvenient due to the steep stairs.
Motivated by the desire to move to a house where Okō (a Buddhist service at home) could be easily held, we dedicated ourselves to financial contributions to the temple to accumulate more merit and found the ideal property.
With financial blessings, we successfully purchased the ideal new home and pledged to continue supporting the temple until the mortgage is paid off at the age of 80.

The Previous Home’s Inconveniences

I would like to share the blessings we received when we purchased a new home in June 2021.

Previously, we lived in an old, narrow, steel-framed row house that we bought when we got married 35 years ago. Although it was old and narrow, we loved it because my brother had remodeled it for us. The only problem was that the room with our Buddhist altar was on the third floor. This room was the most comfortable in the house, being breezy in summer and warm in winter. However, during Okō, visitors had to climb stairs almost like a ladder. After we had our daughter five years into our marriage, our belongings increased, making preparations for Okō more difficult. We seriously started considering moving to a house where we could place the Buddhist altar on the first floor.

Finding the Ideal Home Through Financial Contributions

I recalled the teaching from a priest, “If you want to live in a spacious house, first make the Gokaidan (HBS Buddhist altar), where the Buddha resides, splendid.” Remembering this, we received a large Gokaidan from a fellow believer in our parish. However, the talk of moving didn’t progress, and we laughed, thinking, “Even the Buddha seems to like the third-floor room.”

Besides the layout for Okō, funding was a significant issue. We still had a mortgage on our previous house, and taking on more debt in my 50s could turn our lives into a constant struggle to pay off the mortgage, hindering our support for the temple. With the hope of finding the ideal home, we committed more to financial contributions to the temple. We started with the Honzan Hatsutōmyōryō (the first money offering of the year to the HBS head temple) and participated in various temple fundraisers, especially increasing our annual contributions to the Gohōkai (the primary financial support for the temple) as a couple.

Soon, we received blessings! While our income didn’t increase, we benefited from yearly lower mortgage interest rates, phone bills, and payroll deductions. Eventually, we found our current home. It is a 40-year-old reinforced concrete house with a perfect layout for hosting Okō, including two adjoining Japanese-style rooms on the first floor with a sink and toilet. The house is spacious and located near our previous home, so our daughter didn’t have to change schools. Despite its high price, it was ideal.

Successfully Purchasing the Ideal New Home with Financial Blessings

Fortunately, the house owner agreed to our desired price. The new mortgage interest rate was also remarkably low, making the monthly payments manageable. We also sold our previous home for a higher price than expected, allowing us to clear the remaining debt. Although I now have a mortgage until I’m 80, I see this as a blessing from the Buddha, encouraging me to stay healthy and dedicated to work and temple support until then.

After moving, we immediately requested our priest to hold a thanksgiving Okō with the chief priest and the ex-chief priest. Our family is committed to maintaining this home as a place where the Odaimoku, handed down by Jōgyō Bodhisattva, can be spread and serve the world.