| |
|
|
Today, the Shakaden serves as a meeting hall
and social centre for Reiyukai members and the
local community. It is a special building
where people can come and share the
philosophies of Reiyukai.
In addition to the main meeting hall, the
Shakaden complex contains one smaller meeting
hall, nine conference rooms, a cafeteria, a
book shop, a nursery, and a medical centre.
These facilities are used for activities
ranging from study groups to calligraphy
classes.
The Main Hall of the Shakaden is the largest
meeting hall of Reiyukai, a hall where each of
the major branches hold their yearly
gatherings. |
|
In addition, the main hall is
open every day, as a quiet place where members
can come during spare moments in their daily
schedule. At the front of the hall is a wide
stage with a raised platform on which flowers,
fruit and rice cakes are offered in
celebration of like and in consideration of
our ancestors. In the cabinet behind this
there are five scrolls and over one hundred
registers of the names of deceased Reiyukai
members who have contributed to the
development of the organization and
non-members who have made a substantial
contribution to society during their lives. |
Shakaden Hall |
Above and behind the stage stands an eight
metre high statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. Master
sculptor Seiko Sawada spent six years creating
the figure, carving it in one piece from a
single log of thousand-year-old camphor wood.
The figure of Shakyamuni stands in a separate
structure within the walls of the Shakaden,
supported by three pillars extending to the
bedrock below. The statue is usually enclosed
in a temperature and humidity controlled
chamber which preserves the camphor wood.
During gatherings in the main hall, the doors
of the chamber are opened, revealing the
figure of Shakyamuni. Gatherings are usually
held on the 9th and 18th of each month, these
two days commemorating the passing of
Reiyukai's two founders, whose statues stand
at each side of the stage.
Above and behind the stage stands an eight
metre high statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. Master
sculptor Seiko Sawada spent six years creating
the figure, carving it in one piece from a
single log of thousand-year-old camphor wood. |
The figure of Shakyamuni stands in a separate structure
within the walls of the Shakaden, supported by
three pillars extending to the bedrock below.
The statue is usually enclosed in a
temperature and humidity controlled chamber
which preserves the camphor wood. During
gatherings in the main hall, the doors of the
chamber are opened, revealing the figure of
Shakyamuni. Gatherings are usually held on the
9th and 18th of each month, these two days
commemorating the passing of Reiyukai's two
founders, whose statues stand at each side of
the stage. |
 |
Directly below
the Main Hall is an open space where people
can relax, enjoy each other's company, or
participate in the entertainment occasionally
provided by festivals or concerts. This space,
called the Plaza, can accommodate over 1,000
people and is used by both Reiyukai and the
people living in the neighborhood around the
Shakaden.
The Shakaden Plaza can also be used by those
in the neighborhood as a place of refuge in
the event of an earthquake or other natural
disaster. Beneath is an underground water tank
containing 400 tons of emergency drinking
water, water that is also available to the
Tokyo fire department for use in fighting
fires in the neighbourhood of the Shakaden
|
|
|
|
