Dharma World

March-April 2003, Volume 30

March-April 2003, Volume 30(PDF)

Life is Larger Than Globalization

Reflections

How You Act Reveals Your Past, Present, and Future by Nikkyo Niwano

This essay is part of a continuing series of translations from a volume of inspirational writings by the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai. Dharma World will continue to publish these essays because of their lasting 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.

The Virtue of Humility by Nichiko Niwano

When we realize what a blessing our life is and the impulse to thanksgiving arises within us, we become able to accept everything that occurs around us as a blessing.

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).

Interviews

Life Is Larger Than Globalization

An Interview with IARF President Eimert van Herwijnen

Eimert van Herwijnen, president of the International Association for Religious Freedom, one of the oldest international interreligious organizations in the world, visited Japan in October 2002 to deliver a lecture on globalization and corporate responsibility at Nagoya University of Commerce and Business. Dharma World spoke with him in Tokyo about the confrontation between modernization and traditional values.

Eimert van Herwijnen is an active member of the Remonstrant Church, a small, nondogmatic Christian denomination founded in 1619, and served on its board for interchurch aid. After retiring from the Royal Dutch/Shell Group in 1985, he joined the board of the Dutch Industrial Mission. In 1989 he was elected to the board of the Remonstrant Church and served as its chairman from 1993 to 1997. He has been a member of the IARF’s Dutch chapter since 1993 and helped organize and lead IARF conferences in Germany, in 1994, 1995, and 1998, and in the Netherlands in 1997. He was elected to the International Council of IARF and has been its president since 1999.

How God Is Present in Other Cultures

An Interview with Catholic Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia

The Most Rev. Samuel Ruiz Garcia, emeritus bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico, has been engaged in elevating the social standing of indigenous communities in Mexico and elsewhere in Central and South America for more than forty years. Last year he received the 19th Niwano Peace Prize for his distinguished contribution based on religious spirit. Dharma World interviewed him in May last year, when he visited Japan to receive the award.

The Vatican Promotes Knowledge of Islam by Eva Ruth Palmieri

Fr. Justo Lacunzabalda, chairman of the Vatican’s Pontifical Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, speaks eloquently on the need to improve and foster dialogue between Christianity and Islam based upon mutual understanding and respect.

Eva Ruth Palmieri worked for the Embassy of Israel to the Vatican for several years and has a deep personal interest in interreligious dialogue.

Essays

Buddhists Engaged in Social Development by Phra Paisal Visalo

A small number of Theravada Buddhist monks in Thailand actively concern themselves with social and human development in their country. The author of this article, a socially engaged monk from northeastern Thailand, addressed Japanese Buddhists during a symposium entitled “Buddhism, NGOs, and Civil Society” in Tokyo in July 2002. This article is adapted from the translation of his speech.

Ven. Phra Paisal Visalo is the abbot of Wat Pasukato in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. He was involved in student activism and human-rights protection before entering the monkhood in 1983. He is the cofounder of Sekiyadhamma, a network of socially engaged monks all over the country. In addition to writing and editing books on the environment and Buddhism, he holds training courses on nonviolence and meditation.

Democracy and Monasticism by George A. Sioris

Buddhist and Western monastic communities were governed by a set of rules that were both democratic and authoritarian at the same time. Here the delicate balance between these two seemingly opposing ideas is examined in the light of how well the system worked for the monastic orders East and West.

George A. Sioris is the former ambassador of Greece to India, Thailand, and Japan and president emeritus of the Asiatic Society of Japan. He received an honorary doctorate in the humanities from Adamson University in Manila. He is affiliated with several universities and academic institutions in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. He is also a contributing advisor to the Japan Times. This essay is a slightly adapted portion of one of his most recent works, Monastic Discipline: Vinaya and Orthodox Monasticism–An Attempt at Comparison (Chiang Mai: The Knowledge Center, 2002).

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra

One Great Cloud and Many Kinds of Plants by Gene Reeves

Just as a cloud drops rain upon all plants, and the sun and moon shed light upon all things, so is the One Vehicle for all beings. We are all nourished by it and in turn can nourish others–and thus become like buddhas ourselves.

Gene Reeves, former dean of the Meadville/Lombard Theological School, University of Chicago, recently retired from teaching at the University of Tsukuba, where he taught Buddhism and American studies. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Emory University. He is currently doing research, teaching, and writing on the Lotus Sutra at Rissho Kosei-kai in Tokyo.

Buddhist Living

How Being Grateful Changed My Life by Yukiko Hicks

A Japanese member of Rissho Kosei-kai now living in the United States addressed the twentieth anniversary meeting of the New York Branch on October 27, 2002. This is a slightly edited version of her talk, in which she described the strength her faith has given her.

Gotama Buddha (59)

The Great Earthquake by Hajime Nakamura

As he neared the end of his existence, Sakyamuni Buddha sat beneath a tree in Capala and renounced the rest of his life, resolving to enter nirvana. When he did so, the earth trembled, shook, and quaked mightily; at the same time, his very renunciation lengthened his life span a little more.

The late Dr. 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 ongoing series is a translation of Gotama Buddha, vol. 2, Tokyo, Shunjusha, 1992.

Buddhist Sculpture

The Cosmic Buddha Seated in a Three-Dimensional Mandala by Takeshi Kuno

In 823, Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect, was granted the temple Toji, where he established in the lecture hall a three-dimensional mandala by arranging twenty-one Buddhist sculptures. The central image is a fifteenth-century carving of the Cosmic Buddha, Vairocana.

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

The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Commentary (69)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 6: Prediction (2) by Nikkyo Niwano

This is the sixty-ninth 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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