February 2009

Annual Midwinter Religious Training Ends

From January 20 to February 3 annual Midwinter Religious Training was held in the Great Sacred Hall and Dharma Centers throughout Japan.

Under the theme "Enhancement of Youth Education" adopted last year, the Dharma Centers trained youth members in sutra recitation and application of the sutra's teachings in daily life.

In Toyama Prefecture, every evening beginning at 7 o'clock from January 25 to February 1, the Takaoka Dharma Center trained primary school pupils to recite the sutra loudly and clearly. This is the third year of the center's program of enhancing young members' religious practice. One young participant said, "I always feel refreshed after loudly chanting the sutra."

At the Fukushima Dharma Center in Fukushima Prefecture, 21 members, mainly of the Students Group, explained what they had learned from the sutra, for the benefit of other participants in the training sessions. At the Shinagawa Dharma Center in Tokyo, the sutra chanting leaders shared their hopes and goals for the year with fellow members.

Since this period of special training comes at the coldest time of the year, and parts of northern Japan had heavy snow, members of the Akita Dharma Center in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan held all of their training sessions indoors, not only at the center but in members' houses. The Koshigaya Dharma Center in Saitama Prefecture and Hamada Dharma Center in Shimane Prefecture provided hot food and drink for participants.

February 3, 2009

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