Kosen-rufu Shodai
Date: 4 October 2025 (Sat)
Time: 5pm
Date: 5 October 2025 (Sun)
Time: 10am
What is kosen-rufu?
The objectives of our faith are to attain Buddhahood in our position as common mortals and to transform the saha world into the entity of the Mystic Law, the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light, through embracing and practising the Three Great Secret Laws of Nichiren Daishonin. Our efforts in steadily advancing towards these objectives represent the attainment of enlightenment.
As more and more people aspire to attain Buddhahood not only in Japan but in every corner of the world, the Buddha land will naturally take form. This process is called Kosen-rufu. As we ceaselessly progress towards attaining this objective, we can establish the life condition of limitless joy within our lives.
Extracted from “The Great Objective of Kosenrufu (World Peace)”, A Lesson from the Sermon Rock, Sermons & Homilies (Part 2), Nichiren Shoshu Monthly February 1995, Kaimyo Magazine Issue 24
Oeshiki Ceremony
Date: 10 October 2025 (Fri)
Time: 7 pm
Date: 11 October 2025 (Sat)
Time: 5 pm
Date: 12 October 2025（Sun）
Time: 10 am
Significance of the Oeshiki Ceremony
October 13th marks the anniversary of Nichiren Daishonin’s entry into nirvana. The ceremony of offering gratitude to Nichiren Daishonin on this occasion is called the Oeshiki. For the society at large, the anniversary of the passing of great individuals and sages is usually honoured with memorial services, in which people fondly remember and praise the deceased. However, the significance of the Oeshiki Ceremony in Nichiren Shoshu is completely different and its meaning truly profound.
The prose section of the Life Span (Juryō; sixteenth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains the following passage:
“When living beings hear these words, they are certain to realise how difficult it is to encounter the Buddha. In their minds they will harbour a longing and will thirst to gaze upon the Buddha, and then they will work to plant good roots. Therefore, the Tathagata, though in truth he does not enter extinction, speaks of passing into extinction.” (Hokekyo, p. 434)
The verse section of the same chapter states the following:
“In order to save living beings, as an expedient means, I appear to enter nirvana but in truth I do not pass into extinction.” (Hokekyo, p. 439)
Although the Buddha’s life is eternal, he appears to enter into nirvana in order to cause all people to overcome their idle nature and nurture their seeking spirit, so that he can lead all of them to enlightenment. In the same way, Nichiren Daishonin’s entry into nirvana is characterised by extinction that actually is not extinction. It is the manifestation of the aspect of non-extinction within extinction.
In Nichiren Shoshu, the Oeshiki Ceremony is an expression of gratitude to Nichiren Daishonin on the day of his passing, when he manifested his extinction that actually was not his extinction. It is the ceremony that celebrates the advent of the True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin in the Latter Day of the Law, who constantly resides in this saha world to preach the Law and to teach all mankind.
Extracted from “Oeshiki Ceremony, 5 October 2020”, Rev Shingaku Kato, Kaimyo Magazine Issue 106
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