Sambujo

by Rev. Mas Kodani - Los Angeles Senshin Buddhist Temple

SAMBUJO
Vol. XLVIIII, No. 1


AKEMASHITE OMEDETO - HAPPY NEW YEAR

2545 B.E. (Buddhist Era) - From the Parinirvana (death of the Buddha)

2003 C.E. (Common Era) - From the birth of Christ

Heisei Jugonen - 15th year of the Heisei Emperor’s Reign


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Senshin Temple will begin the year with its New Years Day Service on January 1st from 9:30am. As has been the custom for the past few years, our first service of the year begins with the Sambujo or “The Three Respectful Invitations”. This is an ancient chant taken from the Hojisan of Zendo Daishi, the fifth of the Seven Eminent Priests of Jodoshinshu tradition. The translation is as follows:

We respectfully call upon the Tathagata Amida to enter this Dojo
as we joyfully scatter flowers of welcome.
We respectfully call upon the Tathagata Shakamuni to enter this Dojo
as we joyfully scatter flowers of welcome.
We respectfully call upon the Tathagatas of the Ten Directions to enter this Dojo
as we joyfully scatter flowers of welcome.

Dojo was the original term for a Buddhist temple, literally meaning “the place where the Dharma is cultivated”. Later, the term tera replaced the term dojo and the latter term was used to mean a place of practice, especially for martial arts. Tathagata means come from Thusness, and refers to all those forms and names which manifest the formless and nameless Ultimate Reality. When the section as we joyfully scatter flowers of welcome paper flower petals are scattered. The Sambuj_ is the ritual enactment of opening ourselves to all the manifestations of Ultimate Reality which call us to awaken to it. We thus begin the year by inviting all the manifestations of the ineffable Truth into this Dojo Temple and into our Dojo-body, so that we may lead more true and therefore meaningful and joyful lives.

Each person participating in the New Years Day Service will be given 9 flower petals. Three petals are scattered at each of three recitations at the point San - scatter of “Sangeraku - as we joyfully scatter flowers of
welcome”.

On the night of New Years Eve, we will have our Joya-e or Last Night of the Year gathering at 6:30pm. The Juseige, the most basic and most frequently chanted Gatha, is chanted for the last time that year. Following this short service, we retire to the Social Hall for a pot luck gathering and this year will show video tapes of past temple activities. Everyone is cordially invited.

Gassho,
Senshin Temple

Rev. Mas