The Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church was founded by five Japanese families in 1931. If you exclude the years when all of Sacramento’s Japanese immigrant and Japanese American residents were locked away in distant camps during World War II, the church has been in existence continuously since then. Eleven priests served the congregation before Rev. Kenjo Igarashi took over the position in 1989. In all that time, no one has ever held a Shodaigyo service at the church. That is until yesterday.

Rev. Igarashi didn’t offer an explanation of why he chose the July 3 service to introduce Shodaigyo to the congregation. A woman behind me at the service said, “I’ve been attending services here since I was a child and I’ve never heard of this service.” I believe I was the only one in the audience, other than perhaps Rev. Igarashi’s wife, who actually knew what to expect.

The service did not follow the program developed by Enkyoji Buddhist Network or the Shodai Gyo guide included in the Liturgy of Nichiren Shu offered by the Nichiren Buddhist International Center.

One could describe Rev. Igarashi’s Shodaigyo service as a simplified introduction. First the congregation was invited to give incense offerings. After everyone was seated, Rev. Igarashi stood before the altar and said a prayer. He then took a seat facing the congregation and explained the proper hand position for Joshingyo, the first of two periods of silent meditation.

At the conclusion of Joshingyo, Rev. Igarashi had everyone put their hands in gassho and lightly close their eyes. He then began to slowly chant Daimoku, increasing the speed and eventually slowing down.

After chanting, Rev. Igarashi explained that the purpose of the second silent meditation period, Jinshingyo, was to explore our past lives.

When Jinshingyo was concluded, Rev. Igarashi returned to stand before the altar and offered a closing prayer.

After the prayer, Rev. Igarashi offered a sermon in which he explained that chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the equivalent of chanting the entire Lotus Sutra. He also pointed out that there was a time when Shodaigyo was not an approved Nichiren Shu practice. He had participated in Shodaigyo in this unofficial period. He recalled chanting for an hour or two hours during which the pace of chanting would start slow and speed up and slow and then speed up again, creating waves of Daimoku.

I have no idea whether we’ll ever have another Shodaigyo service at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church. Rev. Igarashi is in Chicago next Sunday and in Long Beach the following Sunday. The fourth Sunday in July is the annual Obon service and the fifth Sunday will be a Kaji Kito Service.

Shodaigyo was an unexpected treat.