Dharma World

September-October 2003, Volume 30

September-October 2003, Volume 30(PDF)

Common Truths: Cooperation Among Religions

Reflections

Speaking the Dharma 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.

A Pliant Heart and Mind by Nichiko Niwano

Patience is a quality that helps us make our way through this world in which we live.

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

The Fascination of Buddhism by Raimundo Panikkar

The Buddha’s Middle Path is neither mundane nor religious, as “religion” was understood in his time. It is the path of balance, of harmony, of impartiality, of serenity.

Raimundo Panikkar is professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Born in Spain to Catholic and Hindu parents, he is an authority on the dialogue between Christianity and Asian religions. Dr. Panikkar’s books include The Cosmotheandric Experience (Orbis, 1993) and The Intrareligious Dialogue (Paulist, 1978). He is also a consultant to UNESCO on interreligious dialogue. He has won Spain’s Premio Espiritualidad, as well as Italy’s prestigious Nonino Prize, which recognized his lifelong “academic and spiritual contributions.”

In Search of Our Common Truth by Jehangir Sarosh

The author describes his passionate belief that it is the major responsibility of religions to be the means of bringing forth peace, reconciliation, and harmony.

Jehangir Sarosh is moderator of the World Conference on Religion and Peace–Europe (WCRP/Europe) and a member of the Executive Committee of the World Congress of Faiths (WCF). He also serves as vice chair of the Week of Prayer for World Peace and is an Executive Committee member of the Interfaith Network of Great Britain. He has been nominated as interfaith representative of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (the principal body of the Zoroastrian community in Europe).

Dialogue and Cooperation among Religions by Gianfranco Rossi

All types of differences among us should be seen as sources of humanity’s wealth. Those who disagree with us are not our enemies–they are actually our co-workers in the search for peace.

Gianfranco Rossi has been an activist for religious freedom since 1954. Since 1981, he has cooperated with the United Nations in Geneva, by intervening in favor of religious freedom at the UN Commission on Human Rights. Dr. Rossi has also discussed problems concerning this fundamental freedom with government representatives in Geneva and in many countries, adding contributions to some important solutions.

Interview

The Power of Prayer Is Greater Than We Can Imagine

An interview with Priscilla Elworthy

In May this year, the 20th Niwano Peace Prize was awarded to Dr. Priscilla Elworthy, founder and director of the Oxford Research Group (ORG). The ORG is a nongovernmental organization in the United Kingdom that studies nuclear issues and is a well-known authority on nuclear disarmament and peace strategies. One of the particular characteristics of the ORG is the adherence of Dr. Elworthy and many of its members to the pacifist beliefs of the Religious Society of Friends. Dharma World interviewed her on May 6, when she visited Japan with her colleague, Rosie Houldsworth, to receive the award.

Symposium Address

What Can People Do to Stop War? by Priscilla Elworthy

This is the text of the keynote address, by the recipient of the 20th Niwano Peace Prize, delivered at the Kyoto Symposium of the Niwano Peace Foundation, held on the theme “Citizens Working for Global Security” on May 10.

The Stories of the Lotus Sutra

A Fantastic Castle by Gene Reeves

The goal of the Buddha Dharma is not a static achievement, a place where one can rest permanently. It is a way of life and a never-ending challenge.

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 head of Meadville/Lombard Theological School and professorial lecturer in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

Buddhist Living

Meeting Adversity with a Calm Heart by Kim Tae Hee

On May 26, 2002, a Rissho Kosei-kai member in South Korea spoke to the organization’s Busan chapter about the personal difficulties that at last led her to gratefully accept the Buddha’s teachings.

Kim Tae Hee is a member of the Busan chapter of Rissho Kosei-kai of Korea.

Buddhist Sculpture

Shakyamuni Holding a Lotus Flower by Takeshi Kuno

At a small temple in southwestern Tokyo are found exquisite statues of Shakyamuni, Maha-Kashyapa, and Ananda carved by the sculptor Genkei, together with statues of over five hundred arhats.

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.

Gotama Buddha (62)

The Buddha Suffers from Food Poisoning by Hajime Nakamura

The blacksmith Cunda served Sakyamuni a dish that made him extremely ill and eventually would lead to his death. But whether the sukara-maddava he ate was “tender pork” or “poisonous mushrooms” remains unclear.

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 (72)

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law
Chapter 7: The Parable of the Magic City (3) by Nikkyo Niwano

This is the seventy-second 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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