Her Holiness’ inspirational message for 2026

Warmest wishes to everyone in this New Year, which marks our sangha’s 90th year and the 120th anniversary of Master Shinjo’s birth. 2026 will be the Year of the Fire Horse in the East Asian zodiac. The element of fire, associated with the sun’s life-giving warmth, embodies the energy that shapes all things, while the horse represents fire at its zenith—vigorous, soaring, and a symbol of prosperity.

My father Master Shinjo was born in a fire-horse year, so this year will also mark the 120th anniversary of his birth. The end of a second 60-year astrological cycle since a person’s birth is a milestone that Japanese tradition honors with great reverence. To give voice to his hopes for the eternal future, Master Shinjo penned the following verse:

With the sacred ones, I have journeyed to shape this garden of shinnyo,¹
aspiring to bring about boundless awakening for eternity.

So this year as we look forward to honoring Master Shinjo’s life with our own efforts, I hope we can work together to accomplish the following two endeavors: (1) to act for others’ well-being with loving care and (2) to anchor our faith in our place of spiritual refuge.

Today, our world faces unprecedented crises as conflicts, disasters, and the scourge of disease continue to threaten lives and undermine our safety. On a New Year’s Day in the early postwar years of Japan, my mother Master Tomoji perceived a vision of Eleven-Faced Bodhisattva Kannon and the message, “Kannon appears wherever needed to bring comfort and aid.” Hearing the cries of a world yearning for relief, she embodied the bodhisattva’s² loving care in every aspect of her life, living out the Mahayana spirit of placing the needs of others before her own.

May we move from seeking our own benefit to acting for the well-being of others, and from division to unity—this was Master Shinjo’s enduring wish. Our charitable foundations were established with his vision as their guiding principle, and have continued to expand their contributions across the diverse fields of healthcare, education, social welfare, and culture. At the heart of these efforts lies the sacred bodhisattva aspiration of Shinjo and Tomoji—that all humanity, all life on earth, and the entire cosmos will attain spiritual liberation and awakening. We may bring this vision to reality through the small, steady steps we take each day. I invite us all to keep up our humble practices within society itself as our place of spiritual training.

“Faith” points to sincerity, free from falsehood or pretense. In our sangha’s early days, when our founding masters steadfastly pursued their spiritual calling despite their poverty, Master Shinjo’s mother, Yoshie, would bring vegetables from their hometown to support them. Hearing the sound of the ritual bell during daily chants at Shinchoji, she once said, “The tone is so beautiful. I can feel the sincerity of your faith, and it moves me to tears. I reckon even birds high in the sky would pause to rest their wings and listen for a spell.”

May we, as committed disciples, similarly become a grateful bell of awakening in our daily lives. May we embody the spirit expressed in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, where it says, “Sentient beings shall take my dharma body³ as their place of refuge.” In reverence to what offers us spiritual refuge, may we entrust ourselves wholeheartedly in the Three Practices of guiding, giving, and sharing our time in service of others.

Since ancient times, horses have been indispensable for trade and agriculture, serving as trusted partners to humankind. In ceremonial rites, they were revered as vehicles for divine spirits, adorned with sacred paper streamers on their saddles, and led the way in formal processions. In this commemorative year honoring Master Shinjo—whose name means “true vehicle” that leads to shinnyo—may we carry our hopes upon this vehicle and proceed forward toward the joyous fulfillment of our sacred spiritual home.

1. A Japanese word that refers to the wisdom and loving compassion that pervades the universe and is also inherent within us. For more definitions like this, visit our FAQ and Glossary.

2. A Sanskrit word that refers to someone who walks the path of awakening not just for themselves but for the sake of all beings. For more definitions like this, visit our FAQ and Glossary.

3. The “dharma body” refers to the profound, personal understanding of the nature of things within an awakened being and the teachings through which that understanding is shared with others.