by Masuo Nezu

These are personal reminiscences about the late founder Rev. Nikkyo Niwano from his former chief secretary, Masuo Nezu, now in retirement. During his years of service, the writer accompanied Rev. Niwano on dissemination tours, interreligious cooperation activities, and peace promotion work, both in Japan and overseas. This series recalls not only heartwarming episodes from the founder's everyday life, but also the spiritual insights derived from his words and deeds.

10

Great Joy

On January 19, 1958, during the Rissho Kosei-kai period of "The Age of Manifestation of the Truth," Rev. Niwano gives a Dharma talk with the Threefold Lotus Sutra in his hand to members gathered in the organization's Kofu Church in Nagano Prefecture.

While disseminating the Lotus Sutra and working for peace in the world through interreligious cooperation, Founder Niwano often quoted the sutra in his sermons and addresses. I once made a list of the passages that he frequently quoted. There were many--both those directed at members of Rissho Kosei-kai and those primarily intended for other listeners--that he hoped would help them understand the idea expressed in the sutra for interreligious cooperation and efforts toward world peace.

The one which he used most frequently in teaching members included the closing words of chapter 2, "Skillful Means."

What Rev. Niwano said was, of course, in Japanese. In the English translation by Dr. Gene Reeves, former dean of the Meadville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago and recently retired from teaching at Japan's University of Tsukuba, the text reads,

"Your hearts should be filled with great joy,
For you know that you too will become Buddhas."

Dr. Reeves also has been doing research, teaching, and writing on the Lotus Sutra.

What Rev. Niwano emphasized to members was daikangi, meaning "great joy," in practicing the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. He often said, "Those who always think and say happily, arigatai, arigatai, meaning 'I want to show gratitude,' will become happier and happier."

A Foundation for Interreligious Cooperation

Rev. Niwano taught that the reason why Rissho Kosei-kai supports interreligious cooperation is found in two teachings of the Lotus Sutra: kaisan ken'itsu--"opening up the three vehicles and revealing the one," from chapter 2, and shiho joju, "four conditions for having a world in which [the] Buddha will want to appear," or "the four steps for enabling people to live in peace," found in chapter 28, "Encouragement of Universal Sage Bodhisattva."

It may be more appropriate to speak here, however, about what Rev. Niwano taught us was the fundamental idea behind Rissho Kosei-kai's interest in religious cooperation.

He said, "For us whose religious faith is rooted in the Lotus Sutra, the Truth of the universe is one. Various religions are only diverse manifestations of that Truth. Therefore, our conviction should be that all religions stem from one root, and we should take it for granted that religious cooperation is necessary."

The term bankyo dokon, "all religions have the same root" or "all religions spring from the same source," was often used by Founder Niwano when he spoke of religious cooperation.