Dharma World

January-February 2004, Volume 31

January-February 2004, Volume 31(PDF)

Resolving Conflict

Conference Report

Religious Figures Play Vital Roles in Resolving Conflict Situations by Jiho Sargent

Jiho Sargent moved from California to Japan in 1978 and entered the Soto priesthood a year later. Now an assistant priest at Taisoji, a neighborhood temple in Tokyo, she is also the author of Asking About Zen (New York: Weatherhill, 2001).

Essays

Ending Religious Violence by Robert Traer

There are many throughout the world who look to the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures for justification for their own violence, which they wage in the name of God. But what they fail to recognize is that it is their own thirst for justice that guarantees God’s e violence, and that the responsibility to put an end to religious violence is our own.

Robert Traer teaches ethics at Dominican University in San Rafael, California, and led the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) from 1990 to 2000. He is the author of Faith in Human Rights: Support in Religious Traditions for a Global Struggle (1991), Quest for Truth: Critical Reflections on Interfaith Cooperation (1999), and Faith, Belief, and Religion (2001). Dr. Traer is retired from the Christian ministry, but offers Bible study and commentary at (http://christian-bible.com/).

The Updating of the Vinaya by George A. Sioris

A conclusion is growing in some circles that the time has come to adapt the traditional rules of Buddhist discipline to the needs of the modern world. This article examines the concept of “rules” both Eastern and Western in order to help Buddhism renew itself yet keep its traditions.

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).

Reflections

Making Our Deeds Agree with Our Words 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 Joy of Faith by Nichiko Niwano

Meeting the Buddha through the medium of his teaching and emulating him is essential for cultivating the field of the heart and mind.

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).

Interview

Theology and Dialogue in the Arena of History

An interview with Roman Catholic theologian Rosino Gibellini

Rosino Gibellini is the author of La teologia del XX secolo (The Theology of the Twentieth Century), Frontiers of Theology in Latin America, and The Liberation Theology Debate, among other works on the figures and movements in contemporary theology. He is a director of Queriniana, publisher of the Italian edition of the Roman Catholic journal Concilium. In a recent interview with Dharma World, Dr. Gibellini described his encounter with Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, which prompted his pursuit of Catholic-Buddhist dialogue, and discussed prospects for Christian theology in the world in the twenty-first century.

Buddhist Sculpture

A Wish-Fulfilling Kannon Beloved by Local Villagers by Takeshi Kuno

In the mountains of Niigata is a wonderful statue depicting the Wish-Fulfilling Kannon that was carved by the eighteenth-century itinerant priest and master sculptor Mokujiki Myoman.

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 Stories of the Lotus Sutra

Ananda and Rahula by Gene Reeves

All of the Buddha’s closest disciples were the first, or greatest, at doing something. Ananda was first in “listening,” and it is due to his memory that we have the sutras. Rahula was first in “quietly doing good.” If we follow their example and be the best we can be, we can help to bring about world peace and human happiness.

Gene Reeves is currently studying, teaching, and writing on Buddhism in Tokyo. A consultant and teacher at Rissho Kosei-kai, he was recently a research fellow at Rikkyo University and prior to that retired from the University of Tsukuba. Before coming to Japan in 1989, Dr. Reeves was the dean of Meadville/Lombard Theological School and professorial lecturer in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

Buddhist Living

Meeting the Buddha through Experience by Yasuhiro Inoue

A man who took inordinate pride in himself for starting a successful advertising agency learned humility in a painful way when business began to fail. This article is based on the speech he made in the Great Sacred Hall in September 2000.

Yasuhiro Inoue is a member of the Tsuchiura Branch of Rissho Kosei-kai.

Gotama Buddha (64)

All Things Are Impermanent by Hajime Nakamura

In this world, everything that has a beginning, even the life of the Buddha, must also have an end. No sooner did the dying Buddha lie down then the sala trees burst into blossoms that then fell upon his body. The devas gathered around him then realized that “All things that have been made are impermanent.”

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).

The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Commentary (74)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 7: The Parable of the Magic City (5) by Nikkyo Niwano

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

Dharma World

  1. Autumn 2023, Volume 50

    Religion and the Family

  2. Spring 2023, Volume 50

    Religion’s Role in Peacebuilding

  3. Autumn 2022, Volume 49

    Religion and Happiness

  4. Spring 2022, Volume 49

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

  5. Autumn 2021, Volume 48

    Religion's Potential for Advancing Sustainable Development

  6. Spring 2021, Volume 48

    What Is Prayer?

  7. Autumn 2020, Volume 47

    Religion’s Role in Building an Inclusive Society

  8. Spring 2020, Volume 47

    Violence in Buddhism

  9. Autumn 2019, Volume 46

    Manga, Anime, and Contemporary Religion

  10. Spring 2019, Volume 46

    Is Emptiness the Goal?

  11. July-December 2018, Volume 45

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

  12. January-June 2018, Volume 45

    Buddhism’s One Vehicle in a World of Many Religions

  13. July-December 2017, Volume 44

    Religions Tackling Extremism

  14. January-June 2017, Volume 44

    Religion and Animals

  15. October-December 2016, Volume 43

    Features: Listening

  16. July-September 2016, Volume 43

    Contemporary Ideas about Karma

  17. April-June 2016, Volume 43

    Buddhism and Food

  18. January-March 2016, Volume 43

    Dual Religious Identity: Can One Practice Two Religions?

  19. October-December 2015, Volume 42

    The Modern Significance of Meditative Practices in Religions

  20. July-September 2015, Volume 42

    Religious Rituals and Their Meaning for Today

  21. April-June 2015, Volume 42

    Religion's Contributions to Society

  22. January-March 2015, Volume 42

    Cultivating Hearts That Welcome the Other

  23. October-December 2014, Volume 41

    Buddhism and Language

  24. July-September 2014, Volume 41

    Life After Death

  25. April-June 2014, Volume 41

    Building an East Asian Community: Roles of Religions

  26. January-March 2014, Volume 41

    Aging Societies and Religion

  27. October-December 2013, Volume 40

    Nuclear Power and Contemporary Religion

  28. July-September 2013, Volume 40

    Where Does the Buddha Live Now?

  29. April-June 2013, Volume 40

    Modern Meanings of Festivals

  30. January-March 2013, Volume 40

    Transforming Greed

  31. October-December 2012, Volume 39

    Religions Coping with Prejudice

  32. July-September 2012, Volume 39

    The Significance of Religious Communities

  33. April-June 2012, Volume 39

    Buddhist Teachings on Spiritual Liberation

  34. January-March 2012, Volume 39

    The Meaning of Modern Pilgrimage

  35. October-December 2011, Volume 38

    The Evolution of Funerals in Japan

  36. July-September 2011, Volume 38

    Buddhism in North America

  37. April-June 2011, Volume 38

    Religion and the Power of Women

  38. January-March 2011, Volume 38

    What Is True Wealth?

  39. October-December 2010, Volume 37

    Dialogue Draws Religions Closer

  40. July-September 2010, Volume 37

    Tackling the Question "What Is the Lotus Sutra?"

  41. April-June 2010, Volume 37

    Religion's Role in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

  42. January-March 2010, Volume 37

    Help in Overcoming Alienation

  43. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Prayer

  44. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Media

  45. April-June 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Health

  46. January-March 2009, Volume 36

    The Changing Forms of the Family and the Role of Religion

  47. October-December 2008, Volume 35

    The Meaning of Giving in the Contemporary World

  48. July-September 2008, Volume 35

    Buddhism in the Face of Environmental Crisis

  49. April-June 2008, Volume 35

    The Many Forms of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin

  50. January-March 2008, Volume 35

    Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

  51. October-December 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Bioethics

  52. July-September 2007, Volume 34

    Respect for Ancestors

  53. April-June 2007, Volume 34

    Self-Examination and Peace Work

  54. January-March 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Social Responsibility: Boddhisattva Practice Today

  55. October-December 2006, Volume 33

    Buddishm in Dialogue

  56. July-September 2006, Volume 33

    Religions Working for Peace

  57. April-June 2006, Volume 33

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

  58. January-February 2006, Volume 33

    The Human Condition and Religion: A Global Future?

  59. November-December 2005, Volume 32

    Remembering Hiroshima

  60. September-October 2005, Volume 32

    Spirituality and Development

  61. July-August 2005, Volume 32

    Women in Contemporary Japanese Religion and Society

  62. May-June 2005, Volume 32

    Rissho Kosei-kai 67th

  63. March-April 2005, Volume 32

    "Thousand Buddhas," Sanbanggulsa Temple, South Korea

  64. January-February 2005, Volume 32

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  65. November-December 2004, Volume 31

    Peace Building Through Multi-Religious Cooperation

  66. September-October 2004, Volume 31

    The Increasing Importance of Dialogue and Cooperation

  67. July-August 2004, Volume 31

    Paths to Reconciliation

  68. May-June 2004, Volume 31

    Religion in Crisis

  69. March-April 2004, Volume 31

    Spiritual Friendship

  70. January-February 2004, Volume 31

    Resolving Conflict

  71. November-December 2003, Volume 30

    Dividing Good From Evil

  72. September-October 2003, Volume 30

    Common Truths: Cooperation Among Religions

  73. July-August 2003, Volume 30

    Niwano Peace Foundation

  74. May-June 2003, Volume 30

    Religionists United in Prayer for Peace

  75. March-April 2003, Volume 30

    Life is Larger Than Globalization

  76. January-February 2003, Volume 30

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  77. November-December 2002, Volume 29

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

  78. September-October 2002, Volume 29

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

  79. July-August 2002, Volume 29

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

  80. May-June 2002, Volume 29

    National Treasure Tapestry Illustrating Shakyamuni Sermon to the Faithful

  81. March-April 2002, Volume 29

    Celebration of the Anniversary of Shakyamuni's Birth

  82. January-February 2002, Volume 29

    Religious Delegates Gather in New York for WCRP Symposium

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