Yesterday I posted about Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin’s memorial services. I had wanted to include the program from the sangha memorial but had misplaced my copy. Davie Endo Byden-Oakes has sent me another copy and so I have an opportunity to include it now.

Davie opened with these prepared remarks:

Hello everyone and thank you for your presence on this special day.

To say goodbye to Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin who accompanied many of us on the steep path of the Dharma so that a sweet rain of ambrosia soothes our respective karmas and helps us taste the flavour of the Sutra of the Lotus.

Because of his discretion many of us did not know that he was among the first non-Japanese practitioners of Nichiren Shu to be ordained Shami and then Priest. This is how Ryusho was, modest and following in the footsteps of our founder the great Bodhisattva Nichiren Shonin and the eternal Buddha Shakyamuni.

Thank you and goodbye Sesnei Ryusho Kansho Jeffus Shonin.

As with all of Ryusho’s recent services, it was held in both English and French, with Alice and sometimes Béatrice tasked with helping translate English to French for those attendees who cannot speak both.

Hocine offered a French translation of Davie’s introduction and then the service began using the Ryusho’s sangha Dharma book.

Invocation – English Alice
Invocation – French Hocine

Verses for Opening the Sutra – English John
Verses for Opening the Sutra – French Béatrice

Lotus Sutra Chapter 2 – Shindoku Neil
Lotus Sutra Chapter 16 – Shindoku John

Nichiren’s Words – English Neil
Letter to Niike
“How swiftly the days pass! It makes us realize how few are the
years we have left. Friends enjoy the cherry blossoms together
on spring mornings, and then they are gone, carried away like
the blossoms by the winds of impermanence, leaving nothing
but their names. Although the blossoms have scattered, the
cherry trees will bloom again with the coming of the spring, but
when will those people be reborn?”

Nichiren’s Words – French Alice
Lettre à Nikko
Avec quelle rapidité les jours s’enfuient-ils ! En les voyant ainsi
passer, nous comprenons la brièveté des années qu’il nous reste
à vivre. Les amis avec qui, par les matinées de printemps, nous
goûtions la joie d’admirer les cerisiers en fleur, ne sont plus. Les
vents de l’impermanence les ont emportés, comme des pétales,
ne laissant derrière eux que leurs noms. Même si les pétales des
fleurs se sont éparpillées, les cerisiers refleuriront au printemps
prochain, mais quand renaîtront ces êtres qui ne sont plus?

Odaimoku Chanting Davie
(Please offer incense while chanting)
Namu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo
南無妙法蓮華経

Difficulty of Retaining the Sutra – English Vittoria
Difficulty of Retaining the Sutra – French Juan

Prayer Davie
Four Great Vows – Shindoku Hocine
Final Words
Anyone present would like to say a few words?