The 9th Australia Group of Tenri Uni. Yoboku Association

The 9th Australia Group of Tenri Uni. Yoboku Association

For 18 days from the 6th to 23rd of August, six students (leader; Mr Yoshimasa Miura) of Australia Group of Tenri University Yoboku Association visited Australia for the ninth consecutive year and stayed at the Oceania Centre. They played an active role in conveying the teachings of Oyasama to as many people as possible from the local communities in Brisbane by engaging not only in door-to-door missionary work, but also in such various activities as cultural exchanges at local schools including primary, secondary and university, a nursing home and homestay, etc.

The Association has a long history as a religious club of Tenri University. Since 1953, they have conducted missionary work at various places throughout Japan every summer, making use of the long summer vacation. This summer they did missionary activities in Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan from 6th to 11th August. The Association also looked overseas over 30 years ago, organised overseas mission groups, and conducted missionary activities mainly in Hong Kong until eight years ago. The Australia Group was first organised in 1999 and this group became the ninth group to visit us. Again, this group sincerely dedicated themselves to spreading the teachings of Oyasama to the local communities in Brisbane. They completed the whole schedule of their activities on the 23rd August and left for Jiba.

The following is a report on their main schedule and activities.

This time the group consisted of six students (four girls & two boys) the same as the group in the previous years. Especially at each exchange venue, the students wore different clothes including Judo uniform, Yukata, Gal style (a contemporary young girls fashion), etc. so that people in Australia could easily know part of the Japanese culture. As to the door-to-door missionary work, they engaged in it five times during their stay. All of them engaged in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings as well as administering the Sazuke in high spirits, through which they experienced joy and wonderfulness in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings, and enhanced the willingness of missionary work in future.

As to the atmosphere of this years group as a whole, on the other hand, we had found it not active and positive enough since their arrival. Their programs and performances at exchanges were also not well-organised or well-prepared. It seemed that it was due to lack of communication among the group members. More importantly, it was for lack of unity among them. Therefore, we felt that it was far away from unity of mind. Through a members illness, however, the group started to be united gradually, and the programs at exchanges also got better little by little. Then, toward the end of their stay in Australia, we found that they finally could unite their hearts as a group.

In this way, this years group had various problems. However, it is important for the members to consider how to utilise what they learned and experienced through the activities in Australia, and also how to keep in touch with people both whom they met and who took care of them during their stay for their future path.

Finally, we earnestly hope that the Yoboku Associations Australia Group, which has just completed its ninth tour, will plan more fruitful activities and take a continuous and steady step each time in future and, thus will be a great power in the prosperity of the path in Australia as well as in world salvation.

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