厳かな 僧侶の葬儀に 心打たれる

　午前中、私の菩提寺の住職の葬儀に行ってきました。会葬者には僧侶がたくさん弔問に訪れていたことから、驚いたことに、読経が始まると、恰も合唱の如く会場いっぱいに読経が響き渡ります。それと共に、近年は女性の僧侶もいることから１オクターブ高い声の読経も響き合い、今までに聴いたことがない素晴らしく芸術的な、宗教的な響きでした。日本であるのに、何か外国の儀式に出合った感じです。

　一方、以前にはなかったことですが、折角、葬儀会場に来たのに、葬儀に参加せず、焼香だけで済ませて帰る人がかなりいました。葬儀では友人や喪主の挨拶を聴いて、故人の生前の人柄を偲ぶことはとても大切に思います。焼香だけで帰る仕来りはおそらく、コロナ感染を防ぐため、近年より行われ始めたのでしょう。

　次は恥ずかしいことですが、暫く葬儀に出なかったことから、今までの礼服が着にくくなりました。太ったのです。特にズボンがきつくてベルトが締まりません。葬儀の時間は迫るし「さあ、大変！」本当に慌てました。しかし、今後はもうそれ程、葬儀に参列しないと思うので仕立て直しはしないつもりです。もしかして、参列してもらう立場になるでしょうか。いやいや未だ当分早い。

Dear my overseas friends

　In the morning today, I went to the funeral ceremony of the chief priest of my family temple. Many priests visited as the mourners to pay their respects, so surprisingly, when the sutras began, they resounded throughout the hall like a chorus. At the same time, since there are female priests in recent years, sutra chanting in an octave higher voice echoed together, so that it was a marvelous, artistic and religious sound that I had never heard before. Even though it's Japan, I felt like I've encountered some kind of foreign ritual.

　On the other hand, although it had never happened before, there were quite a few people who came to the funeral hall, but didn't participate in the funeral ceremony, then they left after just burning the incense. At funerals, it is very important and meaning for us to listen to the greetings of friends and the chief mourner in order to remember the personality of the individual who lived. Going home with only burning incense without participating the ceremony probably started in recent years to prevent corona infection, I guess.

　Next, it's embarrassing, since I haven't attended funerals for a while, it's become difficult for me to wear formal black clothes. I got fat. Especially my trousers are tight so that I can't tighten my belt. The time for the funeral was approaching and I was in a hurry. However, I think that I don't attend funerals much from now on, so I'm not going to remake it. Perhaps I will be in a position to be participated by mourners. No, it's still early.

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