Regular meetings known as London Eza are planned to take place every two months. Every Summer London Eza is held incorporating the annual ceremony to pray for world peace and reconciliation.
Buddhist Ceremony to Pray for Peace and Reconciliation
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Invitation to the London Eza
It is with very great pleasure that I write today to invite you to the 146th London Eza, to be held at Three Wheels at 1:30 pm on Sunday 1st September 2019.
Every summer now for the past twenty-two years, we have been holding, as the focus of our August Eza, a very special ceremony to pray for World Peace and the reconciliation of Japanese and British veterans of the Burma Campaign from the last world war. This Eza has also regularly included a further service for the soldiers and civilians of different nationalities who lost their lives either in Burma or another country during the Second World War. These services will be conducted by Christian and Buddhist ministers of various denominations, including Father Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield Cathedral, and his friend, Father Thomas Plant. Buddhist ministers will include representatives from Myanmar Buddhist organisations as well as from the Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, Nipponzan Myōhōji, Shōbō-an Zen Centre, Fairlight Zen Buddhist Temple, Chomon House and Three Wheels.
On 8 December last year, we were all immeasurably saddened by the very sudden and unexpected loss of yet another loyal friend, my own wife Hiroko, who for the past twenty-two years had put so much energy and dedication into helping us pray for world peace and reconciliation. On the day of the London Eza we will also be holding the first memorial service for her, the second memorial service for the late Mr Bill Smyly and the third memorial service for the late Mr Thomas Bruine. All those involved in this reconciliation movement have without exception done their utmost to realise peace and reconciliation right up to the end of their lives.
And now this reconciliation movement itself, it gives me great joy to inform you, has been recognised by the Japanese government. As a result our new Emperor has been kind enough to confer on me as your representative the decoration known as the ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays’. This award is really yours, my friends. I am just a servant of the Sangha. Let’s celebrate this special occasion and share this great honour in company with all our friends, those still living today and those who have gone before us. Indeed this decoration is a gift for everyone from all those involved and at the same time from Amida Buddha himself.
I have of course sent an invitation to the Japanese Embassy, always so supportive of “reconciliation movements”, to send their own representatives as usual. Mr Jun Miura, Political Minister, accompanied by several other diplomats from the Embassy, has graciously consented to preface the meeting with a talk of his own.
I greatly look forward to welcoming you all on this special occasion.
Humbly and respectfully
Kemmyo Taira Sato
Time: 1:30 p.m. 1st September (Sunday) 2019
Place: Three Wheels, 55 Carbery Avenue, London W3 9AB