Dharma World

March-April 2002, Volume 29

March-April 2002, Volume 29(PDF)

Celebration of the Anniversary of Shakyamuni’s Birth

Reflections

Ridding Ourselves of the Defilements by Nikkyo Niwano

This essay is part of an ongoing series of translations from a recent volume of inspirational writings by the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai. Dharma World will continue to publish these essays because of their permanent value as guidance for the practice of one’s faith in daily life.

Nikkyo Niwano, the late founder of the Buddhist association Rissho Kosei-kai, was an honorary president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) and was honorary chairman of Shinshuren (Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan) at the time of his death in October 1999.

Removing the Framework of Ego by Nichiko Niwano

Self-attachment or egocentricity means seeing and thinking about things in reverse order, being bound to a rigid way of thinking. It is a sign of an impoverished spirit.

Nichiko Niwano is president of Rissho Kosei-kai and the Niwano Peace Foundation, a president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), and vice-chairman of Shinshuren (Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan).

Essays

Women in War and Peace: Victims but Not Negotiators? by Azza Karam

Despite many years of suffering, the women of Afghanistan only became “visible” after world media focused on the plight of their nation as a whole. The common understanding is that war is a man’s game.

Azza Karam joined the World Conference on Religion and Peace as director of its Women’s Program in 2000. An Egyptian national, she obtained her Ph.D. cum laude from the University of Amsterdam. She has lectured widely in international forums on political Islam, democratization, and international gender issues. Her publications include Women, Islamisms and the State: Contemporary Feminisms in Egypt (1998) and Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers (Edited, 1998).

Winning the “Ghost War” by Joseph Grange

An American philosopher warns that the heightened emotions of the “war on terrorism” can lead to serious delusions. It is time, he says, that people seek to take control of events.

Joseph Grange is professor of philosophy at the University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, U.S.A. He completed his Ph.D. at Fordham University and is a leader in the field of comparative philosophy. He is the author of a number of books, among which are two volumes, Nature: An Environmental Cosmology and The City: An Urban Cosmology, both published by the State University of New York Press.

The Case for Religion by Jamshed K. Fozdar

Today, if the past and present vilify religion because of . . . sects and creeds–of “the many” where there should be one . . . –religion vindicates itself by answering that its “vilifiers” search their hearts and history.

Jamshed K. Fozdar is a consultant in the field of telecommunications and a member of the Professional Engineers Board of Singapore. Until recently he served as the honorary secretary of the Inter-Religious Organization of Singapore. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP).

The Social and Ethical Meaning of Shinran’s Teaching for Our Time by Myoshin-Friedrich Fenzl

An Austrian Buddhist leader says it is now time to reconsider critically the attitude of Buddhism toward modern society.

Myoshin-Friedrich Fenzl, leader of the Jodo-Shin movement in Austria, is the founder and deputy chairman of the Buddhist Society of Salzburg, which promotes a variety of Buddhist and interreligious activities, including meditation sessions, lectures, video performances, annual Buddhist festivals, religious education for children and youth, and hospital chaplaincy.

Interview

Everyone Has an Equal Right to Education

Last December, during a three-day session of the NGO Conference in Tokyo on the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, representatives of twenty-seven Afghan NGOs discussed with members of Japanese NGOs longterm comprehensive plans for post- conflict recovery and reconstruction of that country. Palwasha Hassan participated in the meeting representing the Afghan Women’s Educational Center (AWEC), an Islamabad-based NGO established in 1991, that promotes women’s education, protection of women’s rights, medical care, and income generation for women. Ms. Hassan is the director of the AWEC-affiliated Center for Street Children and Women in Peshawar, Pakistan. During an interview with Dharma World and reporters for the Japanese mass media, she described her hopes for creating better opportunities for education, particularly for women and children, to ensure enduring social reconstruction efforts at the hands of the Afghans themselves.

Buddhist Living

Let Me Shine in Life for Family and Friends by Noriko Uchida

A woman who has faced the ordeal of surgery and chemotherapy to halt her cancer has learned to be grateful for being given life–and to stop blaming others.

Noriko Uchida is a member of the Saitama Branch of Rissho Kosei-kai.

Buddhist Sculpture

A Fierce Pair of Goblins by Takeshi Kuno

The carver of one of these early Kamakura period statues was the great Koben, but the sculptor of the other remains unknown. Regardless, together they are superb and lively examples of the sculpture of their time.

Takeshi Kuno, formerly a director of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Property, is now director-general of the Institute of Buddhist Art Research in Tokyo.

Gotama Buddha (53)

Gotama Crosses the Ganges by Hajime Nakamura

People strive to move beyond the difficulties of life and cross to the other side, but there are various methods for reaching the ideal realm.

The late Hajime Nakamura, an authority on Indian philosophy, was president of the Eastern Institute in Tokyo and a professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo at the time of his death in October 1999. This series is a translation of Gotama Buddha, vol. 2, Tokyo, Shunjusha, 1992.

The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Commentary (63)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 4: Faith Discernment (4) by Nikkyo Niwano

This is the sixty-third installment of a detailed commentary on the Threefold Lotus Sutra by the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano.

Dharma World

  1. Spring 2024, Volume 51

    Knowing Contentment

  2. Autumn 2023, Volume 50

    Religion and the Family

  3. Spring 2023, Volume 50

    Religion’s Role in Peacebuilding

  4. Autumn 2022, Volume 49

    Religion and Happiness

  5. Spring 2022, Volume 49

    The Impact of Cyberspace on a Variety of Religious Traditions and Practices

  6. Autumn 2021, Volume 48

    Religion's Potential for Advancing Sustainable Development

  7. Spring 2021, Volume 48

    What Is Prayer?

  8. Autumn 2020, Volume 47

    Religion’s Role in Building an Inclusive Society

  9. Spring 2020, Volume 47

    Violence in Buddhism

  10. Autumn 2019, Volume 46

    Manga, Anime, and Contemporary Religion

  11. Spring 2019, Volume 46

    Is Emptiness the Goal?

  12. July-December 2018, Volume 45

    The Buddhahood of Plants and Trees: The Environment and Buddha-Nature

  13. January-June 2018, Volume 45

    Buddhism’s One Vehicle in a World of Many Religions

  14. July-December 2017, Volume 44

    Religions Tackling Extremism

  15. January-June 2017, Volume 44

    Religion and Animals

  16. October-December 2016, Volume 43

    Features: Listening

  17. July-September 2016, Volume 43

    Contemporary Ideas about Karma

  18. April-June 2016, Volume 43

    Buddhism and Food

  19. January-March 2016, Volume 43

    Dual Religious Identity: Can One Practice Two Religions?

  20. October-December 2015, Volume 42

    The Modern Significance of Meditative Practices in Religions

  21. July-September 2015, Volume 42

    Religious Rituals and Their Meaning for Today

  22. April-June 2015, Volume 42

    Religion's Contributions to Society

  23. January-March 2015, Volume 42

    Cultivating Hearts That Welcome the Other

  24. October-December 2014, Volume 41

    Buddhism and Language

  25. July-September 2014, Volume 41

    Life After Death

  26. April-June 2014, Volume 41

    Building an East Asian Community: Roles of Religions

  27. January-March 2014, Volume 41

    Aging Societies and Religion

  28. October-December 2013, Volume 40

    Nuclear Power and Contemporary Religion

  29. July-September 2013, Volume 40

    Where Does the Buddha Live Now?

  30. April-June 2013, Volume 40

    Modern Meanings of Festivals

  31. January-March 2013, Volume 40

    Transforming Greed

  32. October-December 2012, Volume 39

    Religions Coping with Prejudice

  33. July-September 2012, Volume 39

    The Significance of Religious Communities

  34. April-June 2012, Volume 39

    Buddhist Teachings on Spiritual Liberation

  35. January-March 2012, Volume 39

    The Meaning of Modern Pilgrimage

  36. October-December 2011, Volume 38

    The Evolution of Funerals in Japan

  37. July-September 2011, Volume 38

    Buddhism in North America

  38. April-June 2011, Volume 38

    Religion and the Power of Women

  39. January-March 2011, Volume 38

    What Is True Wealth?

  40. October-December 2010, Volume 37

    Dialogue Draws Religions Closer

  41. July-September 2010, Volume 37

    Tackling the Question "What Is the Lotus Sutra?"

  42. April-June 2010, Volume 37

    Religion's Role in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

  43. January-March 2010, Volume 37

    Help in Overcoming Alienation

  44. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Prayer

  45. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Media

  46. April-June 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Health

  47. January-March 2009, Volume 36

    The Changing Forms of the Family and the Role of Religion

  48. October-December 2008, Volume 35

    The Meaning of Giving in the Contemporary World

  49. July-September 2008, Volume 35

    Buddhism in the Face of Environmental Crisis

  50. April-June 2008, Volume 35

    The Many Forms of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin

  51. January-March 2008, Volume 35

    Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

  52. October-December 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Bioethics

  53. July-September 2007, Volume 34

    Respect for Ancestors

  54. April-June 2007, Volume 34

    Self-Examination and Peace Work

  55. January-March 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Social Responsibility: Boddhisattva Practice Today

  56. October-December 2006, Volume 33

    Buddishm in Dialogue

  57. July-September 2006, Volume 33

    Religions Working for Peace

  58. April-June 2006, Volume 33

    Creating the World of the One Vehicle: The Centennial of the Birth of Rev. Nikkyo Niwano

  59. January-February 2006, Volume 33

    The Human Condition and Religion: A Global Future?

  60. November-December 2005, Volume 32

    Remembering Hiroshima

  61. September-October 2005, Volume 32

    Spirituality and Development

  62. July-August 2005, Volume 32

    Women in Contemporary Japanese Religion and Society

  63. May-June 2005, Volume 32

    Rissho Kosei-kai 67th

  64. March-April 2005, Volume 32

    "Thousand Buddhas," Sanbanggulsa Temple, South Korea

  65. January-February 2005, Volume 32

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  66. November-December 2004, Volume 31

    Peace Building Through Multi-Religious Cooperation

  67. September-October 2004, Volume 31

    The Increasing Importance of Dialogue and Cooperation

  68. July-August 2004, Volume 31

    Paths to Reconciliation

  69. May-June 2004, Volume 31

    Religion in Crisis

  70. March-April 2004, Volume 31

    Spiritual Friendship

  71. January-February 2004, Volume 31

    Resolving Conflict

  72. November-December 2003, Volume 30

    Dividing Good From Evil

  73. September-October 2003, Volume 30

    Common Truths: Cooperation Among Religions

  74. July-August 2003, Volume 30

    Niwano Peace Foundation

  75. May-June 2003, Volume 30

    Religionists United in Prayer for Peace

  76. March-April 2003, Volume 30

    Life is Larger Than Globalization

  77. January-February 2003, Volume 30

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  78. November-December 2002, Volume 29

    Roundtable Disscussion at the World Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom

  79. September-October 2002, Volume 29

    Sixth Assembly of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

  80. July-August 2002, Volume 29

    The Most Reverend Samuel Ruiz Garcia, Recipient of the 19th Niwano Peace Prize

  81. May-June 2002, Volume 29

    National Treasure Tapestry Illustrating Shakyamuni Sermon to the Faithful

  82. March-April 2002, Volume 29

    Celebration of the Anniversary of Shakyamuni's Birth

  83. January-February 2002, Volume 29

    Religious Delegates Gather in New York for WCRP Symposium

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