Paradise On Earth Service

Reverend Tetsuo Watanabe, President

June 15, 2004

Congratulations on the occasion of the Paradise On Earth Service. I

hope that everyone is fine today. I am grateful to Great God and Meishusama that I have officiated this recognition day with you all.
First, I would like to introduce the members of the pilgrimages from
overseas here with us today.
38 members all the way from Angola, Africa.
1 member from Mozambique.
1 member from South Africa.
5 members from our neighbor Korea.
22 members from the United States of America.
20 members from Brazil.
Totaling 87 members from 6 countries. Lets welcome them with a
big applause. Thank you.
We had a testimonial by Ms. Namiko Yamada from Kamakura-Zushi
Johrei center, Honbu Kyoku (district). I would like to express my sincere
thanks to Ms. Yamada.
I would like to share good news with you all!
Sandai-sama turned out happily her 77th birthday on June 4. I know
its rather rude to talk about a womans age but she is really fine. She is
visiting us here today to enjoy Sangetsu Flower Arrangements. Id
appreciate if you could welcome her with me today.
As you know very well that Paradise On Earth Service is held in
memory of the Divine Revelation that the daylight age was beginning to
dawn in the spiritual realm after a period of 3,000 years of darkness at Mt.
Nokogiri on June 15, 1931 and in honor of the completion of the Hakone
ShinsenKyo Sacred Grounds, a prototype of paradise on earth, established
on June 15, 1953. And it is exceedingly important for us members of Johrei
organizations.
As offered one of the poems today,
The great power
Of Messiahs salvation
Long been waited
By the people of the world,
Has at last been manifested.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Temporary Celebration
of the Birth of Messiah held by Meishu-sama on June 15, 1954. I would
like to convey Kyoshu-samas message for this significant grand service.
He gives us a very important guidance, which will be our future guiding
principle.

Message given by Kyoshu-sama

What do you think about Kyoshu-samas message? I have read it
several times when received from Kyoshu-sama yesterday. I dont think I
have understood the points completely but I think I have to at least talk to
you what I have grasped.
We have received a theme that we try to do our best to be a
person with the perfect image of God reflecting on Meishu-sama. What do
you think of a person with the perfect image of God? Meishu-sama
showed the point about it concretely in the teaching that was published
May 30 1949.
God is, as illustrate with reference to human, a person with the
perfect image. I say, therefore, that one is free to elevate one and to
approach the level of divinity depends on ones efforts. The ultimate
objective of religion is to assist human to become as nearly as possible the
perfect image through step-by-step efforts. Then, what I mean by the
person with the perfect image of God is a person who takes the truth, what
Gods Will is for ones body as its bones and life is for ones existence as
its fresh.
One holds a shakable faith at any given corruption and
temptation, has always mind-set like the blue sky and the deep green sea.
Others have words and deeds that are not biased but flexible and
adaptable, and do things according to the circumstances. One should
practice discipline, hate negligence, love others, make others comfortable
when met people, not to be in a hurry, try to impress others favorably, is
usually kind and humble, pray for others happiness, have a faith that try
every possible way and leave the results in Gods Hands.
Although it may sound a little difficult, I would like to grasp the
spirit of it by reading it with care. The teaching is printed on the bulletin
Shinsei with a Message given by Kyoshu-sama.
I read this teaching many times. Each time, I found myself not
practicing it well enough and I feel sorry about it.
By the way, I would like to ask you a question. Can you see your
eyelashes? We cant usually see them except those with outstanding false
eyelashes. It is because they are too close to the eyes for us to see them.
Just like this, sometimes we dont notice our bad habits or shortcomings
within us at all, though people around us know them well.
The first step to be a person with the perfect image and likeness of
God is to look inside your own heart as it is. It is easy to say, but it is very
hard to put it into practice. The more we know what Meishu-sama is like,
the more we realize how imperfect we are. We often feel like turning our
eyes away from ourselves who are imperfect. It is so hard for us to accept
our actual state that we need a lot of courage to do so.
Regarding it, we often receive guidance from Kyoshu-sama. Though
you find many your faults or shortcomings while you devote and dedicate
yourself to Meishu-sama, you dont have to be disappointed or pessimistic
at all. It is because it is by seeing our own shadows that we can recognize
that we are illuminated. The darker the shadows are, the more intense the

light is. Just like this, noticing our own shadow, or our shortcomings
definitely means that Meishu-sama is illuminating us with His great love of
light.
When you deeply realize Meishu-samas love and light is the one
just as the love given to children by parents, you can truly commit yourself
to Meishu-sama with the thought, Please use us as your instrument as
you wish though we are so imperfect. By repeating to commit ourselves
and to surrender to Meishu-sama, we can cultivate faith to devote and
dedicate ourselves to Him and we are allowed to connect with Him
spiritually. When we are filled with true happiness and gratitude that is
given through this commitment, it creates tremendously strong vibration,
stronger than any great speech, which transmits to people around us and
we are allowed to experience extraordinary expansion. I believe that this
rhythm is in accordance with the rhythm of the daylight age.
A few days ago, I asked Kyoshu-sama to attend Meishu-samas
Birthday Service. He was glad to accept it. Lets commit ourselves to the
divine work with bright and positive minds, looking forward to December
23rd, as is showed in Meishu-samas poem;
Joyously, we are building
Paradise on Earth,
Taking what is good,
And rejecting what is bad,
Releasing ourselves from all undue concerns.
Thank you very much. May God bless you.