Every month at Myosenji Buddhist Temple, the Oko Ceremony is conducted. In Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, the ceremony is held to repay our debt of gratitude for the profound benefit of the Three Treasures: Nichiren Daishonin (the Buddha), the Dai-Gohonzon (the Law) and Nikko Shonin and successive High Priests (the Priesthood).
The ceremony begins with an offering of traditional foods to the Three Treasures and is then followed by the recitation of the Hoben and Juryo chapters of the Lotus Sutra. After chanting, the Chief Priest gives a lecture. The concept of acknowledging and repaying debts of gratitude, which is the basic spirit of the Oko Ceremony, is essential to a correct understanding of True Buddhism and our own lives.
