〈 Kaigen kuyo 〉

 We performed the consecrating ceremony of a Buddhist statue of "the permanence rest-in-peace pagoda" which we made newly. The name of the Buddha statue is Jizo Bosatsu (Jizo Bodhisattva) that is the Principal image of Taikeiji. I had the parishioners advocate "the hymn of praise for Jizo Bosatsu in Japanese" that is one of the Buddhist pilgrim's hymns in this ceremony of the last incense-burner, and it became a very solemn ceremony. I was praised by the parishioners. They said "I felt like my heart being cleansed" or "it was the first attendance in such a ceremony for me, and I could know the splendor of the ceremony of the temple".
 But I was asked by many parishioners, "By the way, what is 'Kaigen kuyo' - the consecrating ceremony?" I realized lack of explanation.
 Japanese dictionary Koujien says "Kaigen refers to enshrining a Buddha statue or Buddhist painting newly made in a temple or hall to welcome the spirit." Generally we call it "Syo-ire" that means to let souls and spirits get into the statue. By this ceremony the lump of the tree or the lump of the stone become the Buddha statue which was full of the soul. On December of the last year it was completed and most of the visitors who came here stopped in front of the statue and put hands together. They talked about impressions that the statue looked beautiful and it looked gentle". Jizo Bosatsu is generally said to be "the Buddha which protects children". They said the face of this Jizo Bosatsu was really gentle.
 "Kaigen"("kai" means to open and "gen" means eyes) means "to write eyes on the statue and invite the Buddha's soul when you made a statue". We call writing eyes on the statue "Tengen". I had the chief priest of Eisenji temple that was the main temple write eyes by a brush.
 "Eitai-kuyo" means that the chief priest holds a service on behalf of the bereaved for a long term". It is natural that the bereaved hold ancestors memorial service, but the chief priest performs it out of necessity when the bereaved cannot hold a service by various reasons.

 
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