February 2010
President Niwano Lectures at Thai University
In Thailand, President Nichiko Niwano was welcomed on February 5 at the College of Religious Studies, Mahidol University, at its Salaya Campus in Nakhorn Prathom. He gave a lecture to 300 students and Buddhist monks.
The other guests from Rissho Kosei-kai were Mrs. Nichiko Niwano; Rev. Yuji Numata, director of the Dharma Missions Bureau; Rev. Kotaro Suzuki, director of Rissho Kosei-kai International, and Rev. Munehiro Niwano, dean of Rissho Kosei-kai Gakurin Seminary.
President Niwano lectured at the invitation of the dean, Dr. Pinit Ratanakul, who since 2001 has promoted intrareligious dialogue between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists and cultural exchanges with Japanese religious organizations including Rissho Kosei-kai, as one of the college's academic programs.
President Niwano gave his lecture after the opening address by the university's president, Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, who is also a royal physician. President Niwnao spoke of the preciousness of life according to the Buddhist world view, and people's dependence on one another for survival. He criticized Thailand's emphasis on economic growth. He said the lives of all people are sustained by their interconnectedness with one another, that everyone needs to eat to stay alive, and that we are all part of the universe.
During their visit to the university, President and Mrs. Nichiko Niwano also had a meeting with Dr. Sakolsatayadorn and Dr. Ratanakul, and they were joined by Rev. Numata, Rev. Suzuki, and Rev. Munehiro Niwano.
Dr. Sakolsatayadorn explained that the university aims to develop graduates who not only achieve academic excellence but also serve others out of respect for the preciousness of life. Dr. Ratanakul said he makes the most of Dharma World, the English quarterly published by Kosei Publishing Company in Tokyo, to inform students about the teachings of Rissho Kosei-kai's founder, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, and of President Niwano, and the organization's peace activities.
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