Okusama
| (Tohon Newsletter Vol.1_No.4) By Mr. Ronnie Seldin Living in New York, U.S.A., Hon New York Fukyo-sho of Soryo Branch Church (For this article I have decided to send a short essay which I submitted for a book on Masako Takahashi, the recently deceased wife of the head of SORYO BUN-KYOKAI, my Ri no Oya- Rev. Sadatsugu Takahashi. It will be included in a Japanese translation of a book of essays on Okusama, but this is the only chance that I will get to present this simple essay in English. This essay is very simple and pure, because that was the way of Okusama. She was of a pure heart, and her smile, and laugh could light up a room. Rev. Takahashi was often chided for his constant reference to her as, "My beautiful wife", in his speeches, but she truly was a human being of rare beauty, both external and internal.) Although her smile greeted me for the 26 years that I was fortunate enough to know her, ...this essay isn't about that. Although she always , to the end , had that wonderful smile and laugh that was infectious that everyone who knew her will always remember, ...this essay isn't about that. Although she was always busy, but made you feel that she had enough time to care about you, and that you were , oh so special to her, and that she would take all the time in the world to care for you personally, ...this essay isn't about that. This essay is about my new KYOFUKU. I have been returning to O-Jiba every year since 1980 with a group of people, thanks to the kindness of Rev. Sadatsugu Takahashi and all of the members of Soryo Bun-Kyokai. They are truly my spiritual family and teachers. I have endeavored to perform ASA-OTSUTOME whenever I am at Soryo, and every year Okusama would say,"Oh Ronnie-San.Kawai so ni, Kyofuku wa mijikai, desu ne?" For you see, all of Soryo's Kyofuku were not made for someone the size of me, who is Sumotori -size !! So, finally, when I found out that Okusama was sick, I quickened my efforts to have my "double-size" custom-made, Kyofuku made in Tenri. Although I had not seen Okusama for 2 years, due to her illness, on the day that I received the new Kyofuku, I hung it up in my room in Soryo to please Okusama. How beautiful it was, how splendid !! It seemed to shine radiantly. I spoke to the new Kyofuku, I prayed to the new Kyofuku, and I cried to the new Kyofuku after I put it on. I could feel the warmth of Okusama's Haha-gokoro surround me. Kaicho-San, in his extreme wisdom and big-heartedness, allowed me to perform O-SAZUKE in the hospital on OKUSAMA. I told her of the new Kyofuku and performed O-SAZUKE, full of emotion, as I am now writing this. Okusama left for DENAOSHI less than 2 weeks after that, after having the blessing of being to spend some time , as KAMI-SAMA planned it, with her first grandchild. And I still have Okusama with me, especially at the times that I put on my Kyofuku. At those times, I can feel her parental warmth. Return to the top of the page. |
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