In summary:
Through a Connection with a Believer from Seifu-ji Temple Met at the PTA, I Started Visiting the Temple
Since October 1, 2019, I have been visiting Seifuji with my mother. The catalyst was meeting a believer from Seifu-ji Temple at the PTA of my child’s junior high school. She kindly listened to my concerns about the passing of my father and other worries I had.
A few days later, this believer came to my home with a priest from Seifuji. As they talked to me about the faith, I felt a strong desire to practice faith at Seifuji. Even after I started visiting the temple, I continued to have various worries. However, every time I was troubled, the priest and the believer visited my home, and we chanted the Odaimoku together in front of the Gohonzon. Chanting the Odaimoku together filled me with an inexplicable sense of peace and lightened my heart. Also, attending the Okō services and listening to the priest’s sermons made me aware of my shortcomings, which I found very enlightening.
Even When My Mother Collapsed from a Cerebral Hemorrhage, We Received Blessings One After Another
On January 3, 2021, while spending New Year’s Day with my mother and daughter, my mother suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was hospitalized. At 87 years old, the doctors estimated it would take three months for the brain thrombosis to clear. Although I was dismayed, considering the increasing number of COVID-19 patients, I realized that her hospital admission itself was a great blessing, as her age might have made acceptance difficult had it been later. Remarkably, within less than a week, the brain thrombosis had almost disappeared, astonishing the doctors, which I also recognized as a blessing.
During my mother’s hospitalization, she had no appetite, and finding a transfer hospital was proving difficult. During this anxious time, the priest and believers from Seifuji decided to perform a week-long Ojogyō (Chanting and praying together for someone’s special wish) at the temple’s main hall for my mother. Despite the second coronavirus state of emergency, many believers prayed for my mother daily.
On the second day of the Ojogyō, we received unexpected news from a nearby rehabilitation hospital where my mother had previously been treated, saying, “We can accept her as early as tomorrow!” This development was so surprising that even the caseworker asked if we had any connections. Thanks to the Ojogyō, everything started to proceed smoothly.
Regarding my mother’s lack of appetite, we were warned that prolonged feeding through a nasal tube could eventually lead to a gastrostomy. Just two days after hearing this, my mother expressed a desire to try eating on her own, and she soon began to eat almost all of her three meals a day. I was moved to tears, feeling that this, too, was the Buddha’s blessing.
Now, I Am Filled with Gratitude and Want to Continue Visiting Seifu-ji Temple
Since I started practicing faith, there have been many challenges, but each time, by chanting the Odaimoku and relying on the Buddha, I have felt unmistakably guided in the right direction.
What I can do is to chant “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” with gratitude. From now on, while learning various things from the priests and believers, I want to continue visiting Seifuji. Thank you very much.
