I am hoping that everyone is staying healthy and safe despite this pandemic that has changed the lives of so many people. As the death tolls increase worldwide, we continue to worry about the second wave of COVID-19. Everyone is left in a state of confusion, not knowing how much longer we will have to stay within the confines of our home or practice social distancing.
No one can predict when a natural disaster or pandemic will occur. While very different from the current COVID-19 situation, I was recently reminded of a story of a person affected by Typhoon Vera (also known as Isewan Typhoon) that struck Japan in September 1959. This is known to be one of the deadliest typhoons to have hit Japan, causing 5,238 deaths. During the early years of my training as a minister, I visited various temples in the countryside with my master. During one of those visits in 1968, my master and I were talking with the head minister of the temple when we saw an individual approaching us, beating a Japanese hand drum and chanting the odaimoku. We could tell from afar that the individual was not a minister, though it was apparent that he was on a pilgrimage on foot (angya). We waited for him to finish chanting the odaimoku and the head minister offered him tea, as he joined us for a conversation. We asked him why he was on this pilgrimage, to which he replied that he had lost his whole family when Typhoon Vera struck Japan almost 10 years prior. At the time, he was lost in his ways and did not know what to do. That was when he received a Japanese hand drum from the head minister of his temple, who suggested that he go on this pilgrimage across Japan to pray for his family members that he lost.
Because of this individual, the spirits of his family members who passed away as a result of Typhoon Vera were properly prayed for and could peacefully leave this human realm. However, with Typhoon Vera, there were also situations where all the family members passed away with no individual remaining to pray and guide the+ spirits after death. We are unfortunately seeing the same situation with COVID-19. As we currently pray for the end of this pandemic and for all the individuals whose lives have been affected by this coronavirus, I am hoping that you will also take the time to pray for these spirits as well.
I hope that all of you will remain hopeful that this will one day all pass. I look forward to seeing you once this suspension of public gatherings ends and we can start our Sunday services again.
Ven. Kenjo Igarashi
May/June 2020