491 to 500

No. 491
“Faith is an awakening that leads us, through ageing and illness, to the realisation that our body is a gift and our mind totally ignorant.” Head Priest.

老病を通して、身は頂きもの、心は愚か者と目覚めるのが信心。    (住職の言)
No. 492
“Since earliest childhood my mother would always tell me that, though asking a question might be a temporary source of embarrassment, not doing so was a permanent source of shame. The wisdom of those words of hers now echoes in my mind.” Woman living at the Renseidojo.

「聞くは一時の恥、聞かぬは末代の恥」と、小さい頃より母から聞かされていました。今、しみじみと心底に響いてまいります。    (錬成道場止住のご婦人)
No. 493
“The fact I came to renounce the world and enter a taya house within the Samgha was the working of the Great Love and Compassion that illuminated my own personal karma and led me to bow down before it, ensuring I became thereby one with the nembutsu.” Priest living at the Seiwa Taya.

僧伽に疏開し、多屋に入れて頂いたことは、己の業を照らし出して頂き、そしてその業に頭を下げてお念佛にならせて頂く為のお慈悲であったと、分からせて頂きました。 (清和多屋止住の僧分の言)
No. 494
“His Eminence Jung-woo, the Head Monk of Guryong Temple in Seoul, has stated that life after sixty is a preparation for our journey to the Pure Land. Now that I have entered a taya house my life is starting in the true sense.” Dharma friend half a year after his retirement.

韓国の頂宇猊下は、六十歳からはお浄土への旅の準備期間と言われた。多屋に入り、いよいよ本当の人生が始まる私であった。    (リタイヤ半年の一同行)
No. 495
“If I cannot work joyfully in the Samgha, where everyone understands and supports me, how can I hope to make any meaningful contribution to society?” Young Dharma friend at Futsukaichi.

自分のすべてを解って下さり、たすけて頂いている僧伽で、喜びをもってはたらく事が出来なくて、何で社会で真のはたらきができようか……。    (地元青年の言)
No. 496
“I have now had the chance to visit the temple along with my son. Looking back, even if my heart suddenly stopped beating, I would have no regrets.” Dharma friend who had come on a visit with his son after recovering from illness.

今回、息子と一緒に正行寺様にお参りできた。今、心臓が止まっても、思い残す事はない。    (病を克服して、親子で御礼に参詣されたあるお同行の言)
No. 497
“Knowledge only ever becomes such once it has been assimilated by the mind of the learner and actually shows in their character.” (From The Bushido by Inazo Nitobe)

知識は之を学ぶ者の心に同化せられ、その品性に現れる時に於てのみ、真の知識となる。    (新渡戸稲造の「武士道」より)
No. 498
“My whole being is shot through with the words, ‘Decisive attainment [of faith] implies decision and decision always carries responsibility. One who does not take responsibility has no faith’.” Dharma friend living at the Seiwa Taya.

『決定とは決断であり、決断には必ず責任が伴う。責任のないものに信仰はない』とのお言葉が常に我が身を貫いて頂きます。   (清和多屋止住の同行)
No. 499
“The teaching of Buddhism is simple; what is difficult is to listen to it with sincerity.” His Eminence Koken Otani.

佛教は、教えはシンプルだが、聞くのは難しい。    (光見御法主台下の御言葉)
No. 500
“What I have encountered during the course of this Summer Training Assembly is not Buddhism as it is but Buddhism in the actual process of development.” Words of thanks from a representative of those participating in the Summer Training Assembly.

今回の錬成会では、ただ在る佛教ではなく、興ってくる佛教を感じました。    (台下への錬成生代表の御礼)