The New Year’s meeting of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters was held in the Assembly Hall following the evening service on January 4. The meeting was attended by 648 participants, including resident officials of Church Headquarters, head ministers of directly supervised churches, superintendents of dioceses, members of the Assembly, committee members of Tenrikyo associations, and heads of Tenrikyo facilities. At the meeting, Successor-Designate Daisuke Nakayama delivered the New Year’s address on behalf of the Shinbashira.
Rev. Nakayama began by offering his New Year’s greetings and expressing his appreciation to those gathered for their efforts in the previous year.
Touching upon the ultimate goal for followers of the path, he said, “It is important for those of us who are here today to first orient our minds toward our shared goal and make a concerted effort to promote our daily activities, while doing our utmost to fulfill our respective roles and responsibilities, so that we can make progress, however limited, in moving toward the goal.” He then expressed his hope that, throughout this year, all concerned would work together in high spirits to conduct activities aimed at helping achieve the common goal.
As for the Shinbashira’s condition, he noted, “The Shinbashira was discharged from Ikoi-no-Ie Hospital at the end of last year and is currently recuperating at his residence.”
Prior to his address, Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Zensuke Nakata offered New Year’s greetings to him on behalf of the congregation.
In reference to the physical disorder being shown on the Shinbashira, the core of the path, Rev. Nakata said that it highlighted our shortcomings in pondering and implementation. He stated, “As we pray for the Shinbashira to recover even a day sooner, we intend to lead our life of faith with our utmost sincerity.”
He went on to say that there were many people around us who were suffering from physical and personal problems, thus presenting us with many opportunities to work as Yoboku in the modern world. “Facing the present social situation squarely, we will put our hearts into everything we do in salvation work,” he said.
In regard to our stance of mind in following the path this year, he said, “Based on our reflections upon the way we have led our lives until now, we are determined to do our very utmost . . . to spiritedly follow the path at the forefront—without losing sight of the Divine Model of Oyasama—so that the entire Tenrikyo community can implement the Joyous Life and single-hearted salvation in unity of mind in the course of daily life.”