Think About the Meaning of Unchanged

The year 2026 has officially begun. Adding a new number after 25 brings with it a sense of freshness—almost like breathing in new air. According to the traditional calendar, this is the Year of the horse, a symbol often associated with vitality, movement, and independence. At the same time, this year marks the passing of a quarter of the 21st century. When I think back twenty-five years ago, I had just entered elementary school. At that time, I could not have imagined who I would become or where life would lead me. The passage of time reminds us that life unfolds in ways far beyond our expectations.

 New Year Traditions in Japanese Religion

The custom of welcoming the New Year has deep roots in Japanese religious culture, particularly in Shinto. The New Year is associated with renewal, purification, and beginning again. Many people visit Buddhist temples on New Year’s Eve to strike the Dharma bell, letting go of past burdens, and then visit Shinto shrines on New Year’s Day to greet the deities and pray for good fortune. Having grown up in a Jōdo Shinshū temple family, I did not visit Shinto shrines until relatively recently. I had never prayed to Shinto deities or purchased charms. And yet, I have always been drawn to the atmosphere of the New Year itself—the feeling that something new may begin, that a new chapter of life might quietly open.

This annual return of the New Year is something we often take for granted. However, I recently encountered a Shinto tradition that invites deeper reflection.

In Japan, the Ise Shrine, dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, has followed a remarkable practice for over a thousand years. Every twenty years the entire shrine complex is rebuilt from the ground up, each time in exactly the same form. This ritual, known as Shikinen Sengū, reflects Shinto’s emphasis on freshness and renewal. Yet paradoxically, it has also been described as “the perpetuation of sameness.”

Meaning of “Unchanged”

Through this ritual, what is honored is not change for its own sake, but continuity through change. The form remains the same, even as the materials are renewed. In this way, the tradition expresses a deep respect for what remains unchanged amid the passage of time.

As we accumulate years, it becomes harder to feel that sense of freshness. At times, the New Year may feel like nothing more than another number added to our lives. Yet perhaps this is not simply loss. With age, we gain instead stability, perspective, and grounding. This is a natural part of growing older.

At the same time, the world around us is changing at an unprecedented speed. Technological shifts—such as the rapid rise of artificial intelligence—are transforming the nature of work. Familiar names and institutions disappear or change. What once felt stable can suddenly feel unfamiliar. Change continues, whether we are ready or not.

Buddhist Perspective on Stability

Life is neither linear nor static. Everything moves, sways, and transforms. In such a world, we cannot rely solely on external conditions for peace or certainty. Instead, we are invited to return to what we already carry within us. Our relationships with family and friends remain close at hand. And our spiritual grounding serves as a mirror, quietly reminding us of what we are truly seeking. Peace is not found on the surface of life, but in its depth.

As we begin this new year, may we encounter that unchanging peace through the guidance and compassion of Amida Buddha.

In Gassho, Namu Amida Butsu