For this purpose the Innerself
Development process uses a tool called Sokaimyo (or
an ancestral plaque). It is inscribed with symbolic
characters representing our maternal and paternal
ancestry. Since most of the things contained in our
sub-conscious aspects come from all our ancestors,
their representation in the form of the ancestral
plaque directs our attention towards recognition of
their legacy, which is within us. It thereby serves
as a channel through which our thoughts access the
sub-conscious levels of our mind.
Once in the sub-conscious levels of
our being we need to see what it contains. For this
we use a book called the Lotus Sutra or rather its
abridged version, the Blue Sutra to illuminate our
mind. The Blue Sutra is used particularly for this
purpose because of the unique way it functions.
Among the various works, which contain Shakyamuni’s ideas and teachings, the
Lotus Sutra is said to be the most practical and comprehensive text that
contains his ultimate message. Since the way of self understanding differs from
person to person, as do realizations each individual achieves, there can be an
innumerable number of realizations for all different kinds of people. Even for
the same person, there can be different realizations every moment. The same
Lotus Sutra motivates all these various discoveries, which is why it is
sometimes described as the “sutra of immeasurable meaning.”.
The practice of Ancestor Remembrance
involves the recitation of the Blue (Lotus) Sutra’s
text aloud, in the presence of the ancestral plaque
or the Sokaimyo, rather than read silently. It is
recited aloud so that the words of the recited text
can penetrate our mind and stimulate us to seek our
own inner knowledge of the Sutra’s teaching. In
other words, the sounds and image of the recited
text impel us to reflect upon and learn about
ourselves. The sounds of the recited text also
reverberate all the way to the inner sub-conscious.
Once there, they act as a catalyst to bring
insights and realizations about the contents into
the light of consciousness and awareness. We can
identify which attitudes, inclinations, and
tensions are hindering us and should be overcome,
and which ones we need to promote for our
improvement.
