Sangha
Buddhist community. One of the Three Treasures - Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
Rev. Shogen Kumakura
646-251-9078
Past Events in New York
On August 26, 2007 the New York Temple held a memorial service for those who were affected by the tragic events of 9/11. Below are some pictures and the poster from the event.
Rev. Kumakura has been praying since the towers came down. His wish is to cultivate peace in the world.
The Altar before the ceremony. The yellow Omandala Gohonzon (object of veneration) is a calligraphic depiction of the Eternal Buddha and his pure land written in Kanji characters. The Toba to the right of the Altar have the names of the victums of 9/11/2001. Two large Toba were written for the memorial, one in Japanese (right) and the other in English (left). The location is Battery Park facing toward the World Trade Center. The monument is a statue which once stood at ground zero. It was damaged as the towers fell, but was not destroyed. It stands here in Battery Park as a reminder and in memory of that day. An eternal flame burns before the monument.
A list of the names. An example of one of the Toba written by Rev. Kumakura. At the top is Odaimoku (Namu Myoho Renge Kyo) written in styleized Kanji characters. It means Honor to the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. The persons name is written in roman characters below the Odaimoku with a prayer for them to find enlightenment and peace.
Over 3000 Toba were handmade by Rev. Kumakura.
Nichiren Order of North America Ministers from Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Kentucky and New York. Two special guests from Japan also participated in the ceremony: Rev. Tabata and Rev. Mochida.
