More News from Germany
>
> Another update from Rev. Tarabini:
>
> Good evening all, (Il testo in italiano e' dopo
> l'inglese)
>
> I have spoken with Rev. Takeuchi of Myokenkakuji Temple
> in Osaka, the
> master of Rev, Steffens and co-founder of Daiseionji
> Temple in Germany
> and have some updates of the situation of the temple
> fire.
>
> I received a phone call this evening from Rev. Mochida
> this evening
> regarding the shocking news. Yes it is true, the temple
> did burn down
> and after the initial police investigation, the police
> say that with
> over 90% certainty it appears to be deliberately set, in
> other words arson.
>
> As soon as I heard the news, I telephoned all the shamis
> in Europe and
> sent out another set of e-mails to announce the news,
> while asking
> everyone to start chanting for the German members, the
> temple and its
> early reconstruction. Everyone, as myself, was left
> standing in utter
> disbelief and shock. Some started to heavily cry over the
> phone. It was,
> as Shami Shoko Milesi of Rome correctly stated, the site
> of Nichiren
> Shu's first ordination of four western novices on the
> European
> continent, was held at Daiseionji held on Nichiren
> Daishonin's birthday,
> 16th February 2002.
>
> Then the worldwide Daimoku chain started getting put into
> motion. The
> Rissho Kessha temple members chanted the Odaimoku until
> 9pm, members all
> over Italy stopped what they were doing and sat down in
> front the altars
> to pray for Germany. One Italian member was driving on
> the expressway
> when he heard the news over his mobile telephone. He
> immediately pulled
> over to the side of the road, and started chanting the
> Odaimoku in his
> automobile. Followers of other Nichiren schools also
> began offering
> their Odaimoku and prayers, as fellow members of the
> overall Buddhist
> community, for Daiseionji. The Nichiren Shu temple
> members in England
> immediately gathered at the London temple to start
> chanting the
> Odaimoku. We all felt as though our own temple had been
> taken from us in
> an arson's fire. We had heard that the resident priests
> and others were
> safe, but the temple had been completely destroyed. Our
> hearts and tears
> went out to the German believers and the Chief Priest,
> Rev. Shokei
> Steffens.
>
> At 9pm, just as we chanted the final Daimoku, I began
> receiving
> telephone calls from a number of other priests,
> culminating in a call
> from Rev. Takeuchi from Myokenkakuji Temple in Osaka. He
> explained to me
> in full what had happened, and I would like to convey
> that story to you
> now--
>
> The fire actually happened about 10 days ago. We only
> found out today.
> It happened in the very early hours of the morning (about
> 4-4,30 am)
> while the resident assistant priest, Rev. Morioka and the
> office
> manager, were asleep in their rooms over the main
> sanctuary. Someone
> entered the temple building and set a fire in the rear of
> the sanctuary.
> Being that the temple is constructed of wood, and solid
> glass windows,
> no air could get into the hall. The fire spread
> throughout the entire
> sanctuary very quickly, and the fire department said that
> the
> temperature went up to 1,300 degrees, centigrade. It
> quickly blackened
> all of the wood pillars and ceiling. But as the
> temperature rose, an
> explosion occurred and the windows were broken. This
> allowed more oxygen
> to enter the sanctuary and the fire roared. Up until this
> point Rev.
> Morioka and Mr. Zumbrodt (I'm sorry if I have mispelled
> your name) were
> still asleep, but were luckily awakened by the blast.
> Otherwise, they
> would have perished in the fire.
>
> They ran down stairs and outside. By this time the fire
> department had
> arrived. Rev. Morioka struggled to get into the sanctuary
> to save the
> large Mandala Gohonzon. However, the police and fire
> department held him
> back and would not allow him to re-enter. As Rev.
> Steffens arrived on
> the scene, he heartily appologized to her for not having
> been able to
> rescue the Gohonzon. However, as the smoke cleared they
> saw the full
> damage of the sanctuary. All the furniture and sanctuary
> were destroyed,
> as well as the altar. However only one thing remained
> standing
> untouched.... the Mandala Gohonzon, even though the
> altar, furnishings
> and furniture all around it were completely destroyed.
> There was one
> other Mandala Gohonzon in the temple, inscribed by the
> High Priest of
> Nichiren Shu, Fuji Nikko. It also remained unscathed.
> Yesterday, Rev.
> Takeuchi went to the Head Temple to report the incident
> to the High
> Priest. When he heard the news, he began to cry. But in
> the end, he
> encouraged Rev. Takeuchi -- do your best to reconstruct
> the temple!
>
> Such a miracle at the end of a very tragic story! But the
> story does not
> end here. When the temple was first erected, we heard
> that many people
> opposed the construction of a Buddhist temple in the
> middle of a
> Christian community. They laboured to halt the temple
> construction. But
> little by little, as Rev. Steffens worked to teach the
> townspeople about
> Buddhism, the people changed their minds and the temple
> was finally
> opened two years ago. This week, a special festival was
> to have taken
> place at the temple that was organized by the temple and
> the
> townspeople, and City Hall. However, seeing the damage
> of the town's
> only Buddhist temple, the town's people are now asking to
> help to
> re-erect it. Even the City Hall is offering to help out.
> They have all
> worked to now announce that together, they will re-erect
> the temple and
> have it ready for re-opening and re-dedication in late
> October... in
> other words, within three months.
>
> Besides the two miracles of safely of the temple staff
> and the
> miraculously spared Mandala Gohonzons, another miracle
> occurred - the
> coming together of a Christian and Buddhist community to
> re-erect its
> Buddhist temple, Nichiren Shu Daiseionji.
>
> Let's remember always that we are sons and daughters of
> the Buddha and
> conduct ourselves with the same patience, understanding
> and compassion
> as our Master. Feel no ill feelings towards anyone nor
> grudges. The
> Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin were faced with numerous
> hardships, often
> risking their very lives to be able to bring us our
> Buddhist faith
> today. They did not seek revenge nor harbour ill feelings
> towards
> anyone. Let us live our lives with the same fortitude and
> benevolence,
> and every time we are met with difficulty, never forsake
> our faith for a
> single moment, as we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves
> off and then get
> moving again.
>
> Finally, let's continue to offer our prayers and support
> to Daiseionji
> to help it to be quickly re-erected. May it become and
> even stronger and
> brighter beacon of hope and peace for all of Europe.
> Together we will
> again celebrate with our German brothers and sisters of
> the Dharma, the
> joy of our faith and Kosenrufu in Europe.

Gassho,
Rev. Shoryo Tarabini

Listen to the Buddha's heart, heal the world
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo



=====
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