Dharma Talks

Good morning, everyone!

I am glad to see you this morning.

Today, we are observing Eitaikyo or Perpetual Memorial Service. Eitaikyo is a program to register the deceased in a special registry and to pray for them once a year as long as this temple exists. The registry includes the legal name, Buddhist name and date of death of each deceased person. This program is for those who can't expect anyone to taken care of their religious needs after their death such as, a couple without a child like us or a couple with a child of different faith. Actually, there were many applicants who had children with the same faith but wished to be prayed for at this temple. There were also many people who applied for the program while they were alive. Therefore, the register shows many applicants without Buddhist name and date of death.

Eitaikyo started in 1991. 461 individuals and 1 group are on the register. The register reveals that some applied for his/her parents while others applied for a family member such as a brother, sister or other relatives. Some applied for himself or herself.

The group list that is preserved at this temple includes names of the Japanese navy soldiers who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 during the Attack on Pearl Harbor. A retired Japanese soldier made the list and wanted it to be kept in Hawaii. He visited many Buddhist temples, but they refused his request because they were afraid of negative feelings in this community. Only one temple said OK to him and it was this Nichiren Mission of Hawaii. Bishop Kyotsu Hori took decisive measure at that time. We used to have a memorial service for the all victims of the Attack on Pearl Harbor with retired US navy officers, representatives from the US Seventh Feet and retired Japanese navy officers at this temple every year because of the list. After many years, when the Japanese visitors could no longer come because of their age, Bishop Joyo Ogawa decided to register the victims as a group on our register and pray for them.

As you know, I came to Hawaii 20 years ago. The Eitaikyo program started the previous year. That is why I knew many of the deceased on the register. When I read each name during the service, their faces crossed my mind. When I reviewed the register a few days ago, I noticed that I had to add the Buddhist names and dates of death for those who passed away since the last Eitaikyo. While rubbing down an ink-stick to make Sumi ink, I recalled many memories about them. Of course, I don't know some of the names on the register. However, we ministers can imagine what kind of person he or she was through their Buddhist names.

It is said that we have two deaths. One is physical death. Another is death in memory. If someone is living in our memories, he/she never dies, however, when we forget him or her, that is a time of death. In that sense, Eitaikyo is a service to recall them in our memory today. Memories of each person come back to life in our minds. 461 people are still living in me. That is very important to me.

To be honest, it is hard to read all of 461 individual names and 1 group, but it is very important. It must be hard for you to listen to them also. I read each name with gratitude and hope that we will have more names on the registry and they will receive our prayer every year. I hope they are living not only in my mind but also in your minds.