On March 28, this year\u2019s Students\u2019 Spring Pilgrimage to Jiba, cosponsored by the Students Association and the Students Advisory Committee, was held in the Home of the Parent under the slogan \u201cLet us nurture ourselves to become Yoboku who will lead the next generation.\u201d <\/p>\n
Honored by the presence of Mrs. Harue Nakayama, Successor-Designate Daisuke Nakayama, and his wife, Nobue Nakayama, the convention was attended by 2,314 high school and college students from all parts of the country. Following a moment of prayer and the singing of the Yorozuyo, Students Association Chairperson Ena Oiwa made opening remarks. Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Zensuke Nakata then took the podium to read a message from the Shinbashira.<\/p>\n
In his message, the Shinbashira mentioned that it is important to remember and be grateful for the blessings of God the Parent that we receive daily and make a point of implementing the teachings in the spirit of hinokishin. He went on to say: \u201cFirst of all, you need to honestly and straightforwardly accept the teachings and implement what you learn from them day by day, even though that effort may appear relatively insignificant. As you sow seeds of sincerity in this manner, you can gradually cultivate your conviction of faith that is single-hearted with God.\u201d The Shinbashira then pointed out that all of us in the Tenrikyo community are currently making layer upon layer of efforts to achieve spiritual growth\u2014for which we set aside the \u201cthree years, one thousand days\u201d period leading up to the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama\u2014and asked the audience to consider how they can make spiritual growth as they lead their lives as Tenrikyo students. He concluded his message by saying, \u201cI hope that you will work diligently for spiritual construction, using the occurrences you encounter in your daily lives as resources for growing spiritually, and that you will live your student lives in a way that will allow you to show Oyasama a new level of spiritual growth on Her anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was followed by two speeches given by association members who spoke about their joy of faith based on their experiences. Ryunosuke Nakadai\u2014who had been appointed to serve as the association chairperson starting on April 1\u2014then made a pledge on behalf of all association members. The event ended with the singing of the convention\u2019s theme song, \u201cKibo no Hana<\/em>\u201d (Flowers of Hope).\u201d For the first time in four years, the bright voices of the students of the path echoed in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters.<\/p>\n After the convention, the students had the opportunity to deepen their friendships and cultivate their faith by participating in various activities organized by their respective directly supervised churches.<\/p>\n Also, prior to the start of the convention, a special Besseki registration desk was set up in the Besseki Lecture Hall exclusively for the students of the path, making it possible for 231 students, including 37 first-timers, to attend the Besseki lectures.<\/p>\n On the previous day, the convention participants engaged in corridor-cleaning hinokishin<\/em> in the Sanctuary Corridor and enjoyed entertainment events and attractions held on both sides of the area to the south of the Main Sanctuary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On March 28, this year\u2019s Students\u2019 Spring Pilgrimage to Jiba, cosponsored by the Students Association and the Students Advisory Committee, was held in the Home of the Parent under the slogan \u201cLet us nurture ourselves to become Yoboku who will lead the next generation.\u201d Honored by the presence of Mrs.\u2026<\/p>\n