2023年1月

謹んで新春のお慶びを申し上げます

お釈迦さまは、智慧によってこの世界の真実を見抜かれました。そして、苦しみ悩む人々を目覚めさせるために、すべてのものは互いに関係し合って存在しており（縁起）、一瞬もとどまることなく変化している（無常）から、なにものにも執（とら）われてはならない（無我）、というおさとりの真実を説かれました。

しかし、私たちはこのことを聞かされていながら、自己に執われ、自他をわけ、対立し、争い、悩み、苦しみから逃れることができません。

念仏者の人生は、いかに世の荒波に翻弄されようとも、阿弥陀さまのおさとりの心のなかにあります。だからこそ、念仏者はそれぞれの場で、阿弥陀さまのみ教えに生かされる悦びを、そして他人（ひと）の喜び・悲しみを自らの喜び・悲しみとする阿弥陀さまの温かいお心を、少しでも伝えさせていただく身に育てられるのです。

新型コロナウイルス感染症は未だに収束を見ず、さまざまな不安を抱えながらの生活が続きます。阿弥陀さまのお心をいただいて、自他ともに心安らぐ社会となるよう、日々精進させていただきましょう。

(本願寺HPより)

January 2023 Issue

Hope the New Year will be happy and wonderful for your family

Buddha discovered the truth of the world and in order to save and enlighten the people suffering in this world, he taught that all things are related to each other (engi), everything is constantly changing (mujo), and we must not be hung up on anything (muga).
Mujo: 　impermanence: Everything in the world is constantly changing and nothing stays the same.
Muga: 　Non self: There is no such thing as an unchanging solitary being that exists on its own .
Engi:　　All things affect each other, live and die, and constantly change.

We have been taught these three basic principles of Buddhism, but are caught up with ourselves, have unnecessary confrontations with others, and can not escape from worries and suffering.
Buddha teaches us that in our human world, so many things do not go according to our plan.
As stated before, the starting point of Buddhism is "Everything is pain"to know that things do not go according to plan.
Why are there sufferings?
In Buddhism, we think it is because all things are impermanent and that all things lack inherent identity.
If we take the world having correctly understood these concepts, we do not have to react happily or unhappily to every phenomenon and can be at peace.
Buddha said if we can understand these, we can be released from the heavy suffering.
This is the nirvana serenity that we aim for. The state of satori to be a Buddha.
We Buddhists are taught the joys of being supported in our lives, the benevolent heart of Buddha who took our joys and sadness as his own and to spread the teachings.
Covid 19 pandemic is still going. We are made to live with numerous worries in our lives.
Let us value Buddha's heart and to do what we can to create a peaceful society for all.