Rev Oku Kyokai Sensei - a friend of Amidaji has passed away

With Rev Oku Kyokai in 2004  

 Rev Oku Kyokai of Zuikoji temple in Osaka passed away last night at  85   years old.

  First time I met him in 2004 (I was 27 ) when I visited   Japan for the second time. He found about me on internet and invited   me at his   temple on his expanse where he offered me accommodation   for three   weeks. He greeted me warmly and kindly helped me to visit   mount   Koyasan as well as various religious sites in the Kansai area.   We held   religious services together at his temple and in the houses of people from his parish. I remember fondly how I recited Nembutsu, Sambutsuge and Juseige in a tiny Japanese house for a big family with parents, grandparents, children and a dog, all gathered together in front of their obutsudan (home altar).

Rev Oku Kyokai teaching me how
to wear a complicated ceremonia robe

Oku Kyokai Sensei has always been a friend of my Dharma activities. I visited him again in 2011 on the occasion of Shinran’s 750th Memorial and stayed at his place. The big scroll with Amida (2015) you see in this article and the statue from the main altar in the Amidado (Amida Hall) of Amidaji temple as well as various ritual objects from the main altar were kindly offered by him. In 2015 and 2021 we met again when he visited me at Amidaji and gifted me two beautiful robes and kesas.

I am now on the road but when I return to Amidaji I will hold a proper religious service for him. I also intend to make a memorial plaque in his honor in the courtyard of the temple.

With Rev Oku Kyokai
and the big scroll with
Amida Buddha 
offered by him in 2015

 

Thank you, dear Oku Sensei, for your support! You will always be remembered   here, at Amidaji.
 Sincere condolences to all his friends and relatives who loved him.
  Namo Amida Bu 

A religious service with Oku Kyokai Sensei
and Atena Ozawa in front of the statue and ritual
implements donated by him