Dharma World

March-April 2005, Volume 32

March-April 2005, Volume 32(PDF)

“Thousand Buddhas,” Sanbanggulsa Temple, South Korea

From the Advisor’s Desk

Heeding the Voices in Our Hearts by Kinzo Takemura

Reflections

Striving and Good Habits by Nichiko Niwano

“All phenomena are constantly changing. Strive to practice my teachings diligently.” These are said to have been Shakyamuni Buddha’s last words. They indicate that recognizing impermanence and striving to advance spiritually are the keys to the practice of Buddhism. The following is a translation of a recent interview with Rev. Nichiko Niwano that originally appeared in Rissho Kosei-kai’s Japanese periodical Yakushin.

Nichiko Niwano is president of Rissho Kosei-kai and the Niwano Peace Foundation, a president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), and chairman of the Japanese Association of Religious Organizations.

The Role of Faith in a Moral Life 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 daily faith.

Nikkyo Niwano, the late founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, was an honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for 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 Stories of the Lotus Sutra

Bodhisattvas of the Earth by Gene Reeves

Chapter 15 tells of the enormous number of bodhisattvas who sprang up out of the earth, whom the Buddha explains he himself has been teaching and leading from the most remote past.

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. 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.

Essays

Buddhist Ecological Ideas and Practices by Wei Dedong

Buddhism itself is not ecology, but it contains extremely profound ecological ideas and practices. Their philosophical basis can be found in the teaching of “dependent origination.”

Wei Dedong is an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, specializing in Buddhist philosophy and the sociology of religion. His major works include Fojiao Weishi Zhexue Yaoyi (The Essence of Yogacara Philosophy) and Fojiao De Shengtai Guan (The Ecological View of Buddhism).

God and the Garden by Kenneth J. Dale

In this essay, the author shares some of his musings and discoveries regarding the questions: Who is God? What is God? Where is God? How do we talk about God?

Kenneth J. Dale retired in Claremont, California in 1996, after spending forty-five years as a missionary and professor at the Japan Lutheran College and Seminary in Mitaka, Tokyo. He founded and directed the Personal Growth and Counseling Center of that college. He is the author of Circle of Harmony and A Seeker’s Journal: Questioning Tradition–Strengthening Faith.

Meditation and Compassion in Action by Bhikkhu Sanghasena

We must make meditation and compassion part of our daily lives, like our breathing. True compassion, true love is to serve others, to share all good things with others, to share the pain and sufferings of all fellow beings.

Bhikkhu Sanghasena, born in Ladakh, India, received full ordination under Ven. Acharya Buddharakhita Maha Thera, founder-president of the Mahabodhi Society Bangalore. He founded the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre at Leh, Ladakh, to promote meditation and compassion.

Gotama Buddha (71)

The Historicity of Gotama Buddha by Hajime Nakamura

Buddhists in southern Asia and those in northern Asia disagree on the most likely dates for the Buddha’s birth and death. Scholars around the world still debate the issue, but seem agreed that he usually displayed warm affection for his followers.

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 Living

Coming Home by Carol J. Ewer

An American member of Rissho Kosei-kai describes how her introduction to Buddhist teachings and experience in hoza counseling sessions allowed her to confront the truth about her life.

Carol J. Ewer is a member of Rissho Kosei-kai of Oklahoma.

Small Trips of Self-Discovery by by Etsu Sakamoto, Hiroe Terauchi, and Satoe Takahashi

Three members of Rissho Kosei-kai relate how their lives have changed through their participation in training sessions at the seminar house in Ome, a western suburb of Tokyo. Within the beauty of nature, various programs–sutra chanting, hoza, lectures on the Lotus Sutra, as well as forest conservation work–were conducted during the two- or three-day sessions. Since the Ome Seminar House was established in 1966, a large number of members, including many youths, have visited it, making friends with fellow participants, discovering their inner selves, and confirming the joy of having faith.

The Threefold Lotus Sutra: A Modern Commentary (81)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law

Chapter 9: Prediction of the Destiny of Arhats, Training and Trained by Nikkyo Niwano

This is the eighty-first 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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