Special Contribution Drive Will Be Enforced in December

The 750th anniversary of Nichiren Daishonin's submission of the Rissho Ankoku Ron ("Establishment of the Legitimate Teaching for the Protection of the Country") will be in 2009. Nichiren Shoshu is using this anniversary to announce certain goals: doubling their membership, a major pilgrimage to the head temple, various construction at the head temple, and several publishing projects. Also, in the name of this anniversary, they are going to ask for special contributions over the next three years, starting with the first one this December.

Specifically, Nichiren Shoshu's target is to collect 77 million dollars from Hokkeko members and 20 million dollars from priests, for a total of 97 million dollars.

In response, Hokkeko members are saying "Every year, Nichiren Shoshu collects monetary donations, but the amount keeps reaching new heights every year." In addition, some local priests (for example, at Kofuku-ji temple in Hiroshima) are encouraging Hokkeko members to make bigger donations, saying "make every effort to support the inheritance of the light of the Law, even spending your entire family property."

(Excerpted and translated based on Taiseki-ji Tanshin #406, dated November 7th, 2006)