Dharma World

May-June 2002, Volume 29

May-June 2002, Volume 29(PDF)

National Treasure Tapestry Illustrating Shakymuni Sermon to the Faithful

Reflections

Doing What Is Appropriate 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.

Tips for Honing Selflessness by Nichiko Niwano

In our daily lives, we usually exchange greetings with others without giving them any thought; but in making the effort to communicate directly from the heart, we can strip away the trappings of the ego and develop pure selflessness.

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

We Must Be Prepared to Share by Robert Edward Green

A retired American minister reminds us that governments will often claim a religious basis for their conflicts, but the roots of the problem lie in the poverty affecting much of the world’s population.

Robert Edward Green is minister emeritus of the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Stockton, California. He retired in 1996 after thirty-five years in the active ministry and twenty-two years as minister of the Stockton church. He now serves as president of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of California and Hawaii.

Religion and the State by I. Loganathan

In all human history the name of India’s great Emperor Ashoka, who reigned ca. 265–238 b.c.e., stands almost alone as a monarch who was so greatly influenced by the Buddha’s teachings that he adopted them not only in his own life but also in the benevolent way he ruled his people.

I. Loganathan is president of the Buddhist Society of India and of the Gautama Buddhist School, Karnataka State, India.

The Mandate of Dialogue: Practical Proposals by Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki

Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki is the Ingraham Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology in California, teaching in the areas of process theology, feminist theology, and Christian doctrine. Author of many books and articles, among which is a forthcoming book entitled, Divinity and Diversity: A Christian Affirmation of Religious Pluralism.

Interview

A Pioneer in Reducing Prejudice

As if in response to what many see as the most basic need for world peace in our lifetimes, Eva Ruth Palmieri interviewed a multicultural teacher of intercultural relations who practices what he preaches: “Only by overcoming one’s own prejudices can a person live successfully.”

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

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra

The Enchanting World of the Lotus Sutra (1) by Gene Reeves

This article represents the first installment in a new series of essays devoted to stories in the Lotus Sutra. Written by an American researcher on Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra, it offers fresh insights into how we can incorporate the teachings found in the sutra’s dramatic stories in our daily lives.

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

Buddhist Living

Warm Spring Sunlight at the End of the Tunnel by Katsue Ishii

The story of a mother’s struggle to understand why her son refuses to go to school and why she has so much trouble dealing with it, through which she also learns how she can be a better mother, and how she can give others their freedom by giving them love.

Katsue Ishii is a member of the Toshima Branch of Rissho Kosei-kai in Tokyo.

Buddhist Sculpture

A Powerful Pair of Benevolent Kings by Takeshi Kuno

These masterworks of the Kamakura period (1185–1333), believed carved by the sculptor Jokei, still serve as guardians of the deities on the altar of the Saikondo at the temple Kofuku-ji in Nara.

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 (54)

Gotama Goes to Vesali by Hajime Nakamura

At the age of 80, Sakyamuni Buddha set forth on his ゙nal journey, during which he visited the prosperous city of Vesali, where he and his disciples stayed in the mango grove of the courtesan Ambapali. After hearing his teachings on mindfulness, she invited him and his entourage to a meal at her home, and later donated her grove to the Buddhist Sangha.

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 (64)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 5: The Parable of the Herbs (1) by Nikkyo Niwano

This is the sixty-forth 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 2024, Volume 51

    Rites for the Departed

  2. Spring 2024, Volume 51

    Knowing Contentment

  3. Autumn 2023, Volume 50

    Religion and the Family

  4. Spring 2023, Volume 50

    Religion’s Role in Peacebuilding

  5. Autumn 2022, Volume 49

    Religion and Happiness

  6. Spring 2022, Volume 49

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

  7. Autumn 2021, Volume 48

    Religion's Potential for Advancing Sustainable Development

  8. Spring 2021, Volume 48

    What Is Prayer?

  9. Autumn 2020, Volume 47

    Religion’s Role in Building an Inclusive Society

  10. Spring 2020, Volume 47

    Violence in Buddhism

  11. Autumn 2019, Volume 46

    Manga, Anime, and Contemporary Religion

  12. Spring 2019, Volume 46

    Is Emptiness the Goal?

  13. July-December 2018, Volume 45

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

  14. January-June 2018, Volume 45

    Buddhism’s One Vehicle in a World of Many Religions

  15. July-December 2017, Volume 44

    Religions Tackling Extremism

  16. January-June 2017, Volume 44

    Religion and Animals

  17. October-December 2016, Volume 43

    Features: Listening

  18. July-September 2016, Volume 43

    Contemporary Ideas about Karma

  19. April-June 2016, Volume 43

    Buddhism and Food

  20. January-March 2016, Volume 43

    Dual Religious Identity: Can One Practice Two Religions?

  21. October-December 2015, Volume 42

    The Modern Significance of Meditative Practices in Religions

  22. July-September 2015, Volume 42

    Religious Rituals and Their Meaning for Today

  23. April-June 2015, Volume 42

    Religion's Contributions to Society

  24. January-March 2015, Volume 42

    Cultivating Hearts That Welcome the Other

  25. October-December 2014, Volume 41

    Buddhism and Language

  26. July-September 2014, Volume 41

    Life After Death

  27. April-June 2014, Volume 41

    Building an East Asian Community: Roles of Religions

  28. January-March 2014, Volume 41

    Aging Societies and Religion

  29. October-December 2013, Volume 40

    Nuclear Power and Contemporary Religion

  30. July-September 2013, Volume 40

    Where Does the Buddha Live Now?

  31. April-June 2013, Volume 40

    Modern Meanings of Festivals

  32. January-March 2013, Volume 40

    Transforming Greed

  33. October-December 2012, Volume 39

    Religions Coping with Prejudice

  34. July-September 2012, Volume 39

    The Significance of Religious Communities

  35. April-June 2012, Volume 39

    Buddhist Teachings on Spiritual Liberation

  36. January-March 2012, Volume 39

    The Meaning of Modern Pilgrimage

  37. October-December 2011, Volume 38

    The Evolution of Funerals in Japan

  38. July-September 2011, Volume 38

    Buddhism in North America

  39. April-June 2011, Volume 38

    Religion and the Power of Women

  40. January-March 2011, Volume 38

    What Is True Wealth?

  41. October-December 2010, Volume 37

    Dialogue Draws Religions Closer

  42. July-September 2010, Volume 37

    Tackling the Question "What Is the Lotus Sutra?"

  43. April-June 2010, Volume 37

    Religion's Role in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

  44. January-March 2010, Volume 37

    Help in Overcoming Alienation

  45. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Prayer

  46. July-September 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Media

  47. April-June 2009, Volume 36

    Religion and Health

  48. January-March 2009, Volume 36

    The Changing Forms of the Family and the Role of Religion

  49. October-December 2008, Volume 35

    The Meaning of Giving in the Contemporary World

  50. July-September 2008, Volume 35

    Buddhism in the Face of Environmental Crisis

  51. April-June 2008, Volume 35

    The Many Forms of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin

  52. January-March 2008, Volume 35

    Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

  53. October-December 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Bioethics

  54. July-September 2007, Volume 34

    Respect for Ancestors

  55. April-June 2007, Volume 34

    Self-Examination and Peace Work

  56. January-March 2007, Volume 34

    Buddhism and Social Responsibility: Boddhisattva Practice Today

  57. October-December 2006, Volume 33

    Buddishm in Dialogue

  58. July-September 2006, Volume 33

    Religions Working for Peace

  59. April-June 2006, Volume 33

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

  60. January-February 2006, Volume 33

    The Human Condition and Religion: A Global Future?

  61. November-December 2005, Volume 32

    Remembering Hiroshima

  62. September-October 2005, Volume 32

    Spirituality and Development

  63. July-August 2005, Volume 32

    Women in Contemporary Japanese Religion and Society

  64. May-June 2005, Volume 32

    Rissho Kosei-kai 67th

  65. March-April 2005, Volume 32

    "Thousand Buddhas," Sanbanggulsa Temple, South Korea

  66. January-February 2005, Volume 32

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  67. November-December 2004, Volume 31

    Peace Building Through Multi-Religious Cooperation

  68. September-October 2004, Volume 31

    The Increasing Importance of Dialogue and Cooperation

  69. July-August 2004, Volume 31

    Paths to Reconciliation

  70. May-June 2004, Volume 31

    Religion in Crisis

  71. March-April 2004, Volume 31

    Spiritual Friendship

  72. January-February 2004, Volume 31

    Resolving Conflict

  73. November-December 2003, Volume 30

    Dividing Good From Evil

  74. September-October 2003, Volume 30

    Common Truths: Cooperation Among Religions

  75. July-August 2003, Volume 30

    Niwano Peace Foundation

  76. May-June 2003, Volume 30

    Religionists United in Prayer for Peace

  77. March-April 2003, Volume 30

    Life is Larger Than Globalization

  78. January-February 2003, Volume 30

    Emerging Forms of Spirituality

  79. November-December 2002, Volume 29

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

  80. September-October 2002, Volume 29

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

  81. July-August 2002, Volume 29

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

  82. May-June 2002, Volume 29

    National Treasure Tapestry Illustrating Shakyamuni Sermon to the Faithful

  83. March-April 2002, Volume 29

    Celebration of the Anniversary of Shakyamuni's Birth

  84. January-February 2002, Volume 29

    Religious Delegates Gather in New York for WCRP Symposium

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