REPORT OF REV. IMAFUKU’S VISIT TO TOGO DISTRICT FROM
FROM 28th JUNE TO 1st JULY 2018
In order to help Togo District to achieve its shakubulu target, Rev.Imafuku planned a visit to Togo with Koto, Dr. Kwame Boamah, from 28th June to 1st July 2018. The target for Togo district this year was 174 and 83 was already achieved. So, it remained 91 to be achieved for this year’s shakubuku target.
Rev. Imafuku and Koto were welcomed at Aflao border around 12:30 pm by the District Leader, Mr Etekpo Koffi and his Assistant Mr. Ayena Messan. After the immigration formalities, they were taken to Congo Embassy to apply for Congolese visa.
According to the program, Rev. Imafuku held meetings in the following Sub-districts, starting from Adidogome, Tsevie, Atakpame, Afagnan and a general meeting in Lome at the centre.
As scheduled, Rev. Imafuku held the first meeting at Adidogome sub-district (in Lome), on Thursday 28th at 5.30pm. After one hour Shodai followed by Gongyo, Rev. Imafuku gave his lecture on the topic “Good Friends and Evil Friends”. After the lecture, he answered following questions:
- Should we force our children to practice?
- As Nichiren Shoshu members, do we have evil friends in our life?
- According to the lecture, can we see Shobo’s persecution as the result of Nichiren Daishonin’s Karma?
- If you insult someone, what will be your karma in the future?
- Can we change our karma in one lifetime?
- If the Gohonzon is our best friend, that is mean Buddhists worship a human being?
- What is Buddhism?
- Apart from the basic Buddhist practices, are there any other precepts to observe to progress in life?
- What is the Latter Day of the Law? Is it link to the Christian concept of the last days?
The meeting ended around 8.15pm with the participation of 72 members and 14 guests.
The next day, on Friday 29th June, the delegation left Lomé at 7:00 Am to Tsévié (a town at 35km from Lome), where Rev. held his second meeting. The meeting started at 9:00 a.m. with 30 minutes Shodai followed by Gongyo and Gojukai ceremony, and 7 people received the gojukai. The title of reverend’s lecture is “The Difference between Repentance as Taught in Christianity and its counterpart in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism”.
For further explanation, Rev. answered two questions:
- Suppose that you were Christian before, do you have to suffer the effects of the bad things you did in the pass, since you have become a Buddhist now?
The meeting ended at 10.45am with 25 participants including 1 guest. Then Rev. Imafuku and the delegation left for Atakpame (167km from Lome)
The meeting at Atakpame started at 5:30 pm and ended at 8:10 pm, with the attendance of 78 members and 20 guests.
After 30 minutes shodai followed by Gongyo, 13 new members received Gojukai and a member had Gohonzon. The total number of attendance is 98.
Rev.Imafuku treated the same topic “The Difference between Repentance as Taught in Christianity and its counterpart in Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.” After the lecture Rev Imafuku provided answers to the following questions:
- According to Christianity, Jesus Christ was the savior and did good things. However, he could not meet Buddhism. How will his fate be in his next life?
- Why Buddhism did not come early to Africa? Or was it because those who brought other religions to Africa didn’t know Buddhism?
- Was Buddha born, as we human beings?
- What is the meaning of Nam Myoho RengeKyo?
- When doing shakubuku, I often get angry at slanderous words and behaviors regarding the True Law. Is this wrong attitude? If yes, what can I do to improve my behavior?
- We have been taught that the practice ofBuddhism would make us happy. Sometimes when we repeat the same thing to those we are trying to do shakubuku, they happen to ask us a question regarding our low social conditions whether we are happy with Buddhism. I would like you to explain to us happiness as taught in Buddhism, so that we can easily convince them.
- Buddhists deny the existence of God. Then who created this world and human beings?
- Suppose that you did shakubuku to someone and he started practicing correctly. But, someone else succeeded in making him give up his faith. How can we understand that?
- Is there any relation between human beings and their environment? How can we understand it in Buddhism?
The next morning, on Saturday 30th June, the delegation left Atakpame at 6.20 am to Afagnan where the 4th meeting was held at Hotel Millenium . The meeting started at 9:15am with almost 1h shodai followed by Gongyo and Gojukai. Rev. used the same lecture “The difference between repentance as taught in Christianity and its counterpart in Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism“.
Members actually showed their seeking mind spirit through asking the following questions:
- Christianity teaches that life comes from God. What does Buddhism say about?
- Can we compare God to the Buddha?
- I wish I met this religion earlier. I would like the Priest to pray for us.
- I have been sick for four years. When looking at me, you may think I am pregnant. However, it is not the case. It is due to the sickness. Can I recover with the Buddhist practice?
- When we are travelling, how can we keep on practicing without the Gohonzon?
- When practicing in front of the Gohonzon, are we supposed to close our eyes?
- What is the meaning of Nam Myoho Renge Kyo?
- Why Buddhism was not propagated earlier in Africa?
- It is written in a Gosho that a widow shaved her hair and dressed in black. Can we compare to African traditional way of paying respectto a dead husband?
- Can a Buddhist take part in the funeral of a family member who belonged to another religion?
- How and when did the universe appear?
- Did Buddhism exist before Christianity?
- Should we be drinking the water we use to serve the Gohonzon as a special one to improve our health?
After the question and answer session, the meeting closed with additional Gojukai. The total number of Gojukai was 37. The attendance was 157 with 18 guests.
The delegation left Afagnan for Lome around 1:20 pm, in preparation for the leaders meeting in Lome in the evening.
In accordance with the program, Togo all leaders meeting started at 6 pm with 30 minutes Shodai and Gongyo. Reverend lectured on “roles and responsibilities of leaders in Nichiren Shoshu”. His teaching was focused on the following points:
- leaders should be the tow of the Hokkeko activity
- leaders should talk to members in a friendly way
- leaders should be the center of unity
- leaders should have the same mind with the Chief Priest
- leaders should have an indomitable spirit
The meeting ended at 8.20 pm with the attendance of 29 leaders.
The general meeting which is the last on Reverend’s visit, started at 9 am, at the meeting center in Lome, with one hour Shodai followed by Gongyo, Gojukai ceremony and Gohonzon acceptance.
Rev. started his lecture on the same topic he treated in Tsevie, Atakpame and Afagna. After the lecture, he answered many questions:
- Can we consider congenital disease as our karma?
- The True Law was revealed by Nichiren about 800 years ago. Those who lived before Nichiren, which Law did they slander to endure sufferings?
- Am I to be blamed if I still utter God’s name when speaking, like “oh my God!”
- What is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo? How do we pratice?
- What is the difference between SGI and Nichiren Shoshu?
- I no more see myself practicing in my dreams as I used to. What does it mean?
- In the light of the theory of the 10 Worlds, what is our state of life when sleeping?
- Something queer happened. A mad man was killed and all his body parts scattered into pieces. In my opinion, being mad is already an effect of a bad karma. Is that not enough for that person to be mad and still be killed with the body parts scattered into pieces?
The meeting was so interesting that, we have to put a stop to the endless question and answers session, to allow Rev. and Koto to depart Lome to Accra early. The meeting ended with an encouragement from Koto and a word from the District leader of Togo. There was 39 Gojukai, 3 Gohonzon acceptance, 31 guests. The attendance was 357.
In summary during Reverend recent visit, 5 meetings were held with the attendance of 630 including 86 guests, 96 Gojukai and 4 Gohonzon acceptance.
After evening Gongyo, Rev. Imafuku, Koto Dr. Boamah congratulated Togo members for their efforts and invited them to keep on maintaining the spirit of Itai Doshin. After refreshment, Chief Priest and koto were accompanied to Aflao border for their departure.
By Togo Assistant Leader
AYENA MESSAN
