Happy New Year!
Thank you very much for joining us to welcome in the New Year. Thank you also very much as always, for your prayers & support given KC_CHI during this past year. May each & every one of you enjoy a happy, healthy & prosperous New Year — 2015!
During my trip to Japan this past November to honor Rev. Soichiro Otsubo's divine virtue I realized the weakest point of my journey of faith. It feels as though it could come to be fatal to my faith. I have a tendency to do things half heartedly. I discovered I've often enjoyed divine blessings before without pursuing the depths of Kami's heart proper. During my stay at KC Airaku Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo; current head-minister of the church, also pointed out this weak point of mine through his astute observation.
Rev. Katsuhiko's father, Rev. Soichiro Otsubo gave his speeches about the essence of our founder's faith every morning & evening & at any time he had an opportunity, for more than 30 years. Among them 8813 speeches are now recorded by DVD. Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo told me about these 8813 speeches. Then he also told me that there were around 1700 of these speeches in which his father talked specifically about the peaceful & joyful heart. He asked me to listen to these speeches carefully, with total concentration this time & deepen my understanding of what a peaceful & joyful heart really means.
Rev. Soichiro Otsubo pursued this essence of our founder's faith throughout his whole life. Ultimately he discovered the significant importance of WaGa Kokoro, 'peace & joy within our heart'. Peace & joy in one's heart is the essential foundation for human happiness. Rev. Otsubo clarified this importance about WaGa Kokoro in three points.
• The first is what WaGa Kokoro, peaceful & joyful heart is.
• The second is the necessities of WaGa Kokoro for human life.
• The third is how to develop it in our daily life.
As my resolution for this New Year, I would like to deepen these three important points by sincerely listening to internalize Rev. Otsubo's speeches one by one & then put them into practice in my daily life. My heart is already filled with awesome anticipation of keeping these challenges in body, mind & spirit from this day forward
It is in this spirit, I wrote the following poem as a resolution for every moment of the coming New Year; 2015:
Oh Divine Parent!
Pursuing the peace & joy,
Which You teach to us,
I would like to embrace the
Whole world with this Divine Faith.
親様の み教え給ふ
和賀心 求めて
いよよ 道ぞ開かん
"A brand New Year starts.
Pursuing ultimately
Peace & joy of heart,
I'd like to open that Way
Through Kami's great dignity."
今年はも いよよ究めん
和賀心
神の威徳に 道は開けん
Beginning this first day of the brand new year 2015, let us deepen our understanding of the true nature of peaceful, joyful hearts & together let us help each other to develop our faith more & more perfectly in the coming 365 days. May this Konko Church of Chicago be filled with the peaceful & joyful hearts to welcome all who enter here. May this spot on our miraculous earth become a place where Divinity & Humanity will meet together in prayer, rejoice together in gratitude & delight together in mutual satisfaction.
Thank you!