Celebrating 50 Years of Sincerity By Gary Omori Roshi
Martial arts class at Farrington High School.
The year 2022 marks the 50th year since our Founders Omori Sogen and Tanouye Tenshin established Chozen-ji back in 1972. Today we have a beautiful Daihonzan to do shugyo in at the back of Kalihi Valley.
To get to this point, many personal sacrifices were made by Tanouye Rotaishi and his students. Tanouye Rotaishi cashed in his State retirement and life insurance policy to fund the building of the Dojo. He always spoke of the principle of majime or sincerity and described it as unwavering commitment. He expected this of students. You had to give it your all and could not quit. The shame of quitting after being recommended by your martial arts teacher would be unbearable. Tanouye Rotaishi's example led about ten of the earliest members to take a second mortgage on their homes to secure the land for the Dojo.
Before 3565 Kailhi Street, the training was first at the Kukui Plaza, then Farrington High, and then Kokea Street. Those who trained in those earlier years would form Tanouye Rotaishi’s cadre of teachers who would mete out an intense form of Zen and martial arts training.
I began training 45 years ago in 1977. The teachers were strict, disciplined and definitely had that strong positive energy, or kiai. During both regular training and sesshin, they would push us to our physical and mental limits, having us swing the bokuto 1,000 times and carry each other on our backs doing the Hojo walk. These teachers tested our sincerity and in the process developed our character. There were many times, especially during sesshin, when I would ask myself what I was doing here. So, when Sayama Roshi told me to do sesshin this past July, I thought, “You’re nuts. No way can I do it.” But he insisted saying that he would have regret if I didn’t do it. So, eventually I agreed, and while accommodations were made for me given my age and physical condition, I can attest that I was still pushed to transcend my self-imposed limitations. Without any prompting, I signed up for this year’s winter sesshin. There is nothing more valuable for me to do with the time I have left.
One night in the early days of my training, Tanouye Rotaishi pulled me out of the class and took me up the hill that was being prepared to put up the enso. He told me to notice that this area had this blue light which seemed to be emanating from the earth and around us. He stretched out his arms and the light shone brightly on him. He then told me, “This is Kozen no Ki or the light of the universe. Now we know that we are doing the right thing and moving in the right direction.”
Omori Sogen and Kanemaru Sotetsu at the Kokea Street Dojo.
When I started, everyone was martial artists, many of high rank and most of the students were in their twenties or thirties. It was a unique group pulled together by Tanouye Rotaishi’s genius in the martial arts. Today a group much more diverse in age, physical condition, careers, and background are training. I teach a class on Practical Zen for Seniors. There’s a new kitchen, and new residences are being developed across the street. About 30 people have been coming up to help on workdays during the COVID pandemic and the grounds look great. Recently we had a great Art Show. Over 50 years, Chozen-ji has naturally changed, but the light still shines, and I am so happy with the way things are going.
There are so many people working so hard to make Chozen-ji thrive that I cannot name them all, but I feel I must acknowledge some: Archbishop Richard Lim, Colbert Matsumoto, Abbot Sayama Daian, Riji President Michael Kangen, Wayne Honda, Norma Wong, Cristina Moon, Dick Teshima, Yumiko Sayama, and all the live-ins and volunteers.
Also just like in the old days, the Dojo is serving as a meeting place for the community to find common ground and support initiatives for the betterment of Hawaii, like the construction of a 20-acre farm village with the houseless community, Puuhonua O Waianae.
For me training at Chozen-ji develops the ability to be happy irrespective of what is occurring in the world. Being happy creates the positive energy to help us reach our ultimate goal of Daihonzan Chozen-ji as written by Tanouye Rotaishi, “Banse no Tame ni Taihei o Hiraku.” (Open the way for peace for generations.) May we continue to train and benefit others in the spirit of our predecessors who gave us so much.