January 2012

President Offers New Year's Greeting at Dawn on New Year's Day

The first worship services of the year were held on January 1 in the Great Sacred Hall in Tokyo as well at all Dharma centers throughout Japan. Some 13,000 members gathered for the service at 6 a.m. in the Great Sacred Hall. It opened with sutra recitation led by President-designate Kosho Niwano, and President Nichiko Niwano offered vows for the New Year before the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. He emphasized the importance of Buddhists' taking refuge in the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. In his New Year's greetings, President Niwano encouraged members to celebrate the New Year with renewed self-examination. After the service, he paid homage at the Precious Stupa of the One Vehicle with a New Year's offering of spiced sake.

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