by Masuo Nezu

In many cases Rev. Niwano's guidance began with name interpretation as a skillful means. Together with Mrs. Naganuma, he did michibiki, guidance work, for many personal acquaintances, as well as for others. One of Rev. Niwano's regular milk customers suffered from a long-standing health problem which necessitated occasional hospital treatment. The man joined Rissho Kosei-kai with his younger brother, and gradually it became unnecessary for him to undergo hospital stays. One day, a police officer whose duty area included Mrs. Naganuma's house, came by on an off-duty day with his mother and joined the new organization.

It is said that in those days, Rev. Niwano and Mrs. Naganuma led almost everyone they encountered into the faith, beginning with their neighbors. In the midst of a busy dissemination campaign, while also conducting their regular business, it certainly must have been difficult to guide the members. Later, Mrs. Nagnuma was known to almost everyone as "Myoko-sensei" (sensei meaning teacher).

For instance, the last day of the year was also Rev. Niwano's busiest. He had to collect the payments owed to him for that month and deliver two days' supply of milk, including an extra bottle for New Year's Day. Once, on the very last day of the year, a member passed away and it was necessary to hold the funeral on that same day. Rev. Niwano, immediately after hearing of the death, rushed to the man's house and conducted the funeral--leading the sutra recitation and doing all else that was necessary. He had no time to dress formally, so he just put his sash, Buddhist prayer beads, and copy of the Lotus Sutra into the drawer of his milk cart, and after the funeral resumed the day's milk deliveries.

"The Gods Were in High Spirits"

On April 5, 1939, founding members of Rissho Kosei-kai took a commemorative photo near Mrs. Naganuma's house. They marched from there to the headquarters on the second floor of the house where Rev. Niwano (third from left in front row) lived, while chanting the o-daimoku as part of the invocation ceremony for the banner of the mandala.

From time to time during his overseas "peace pilgrimage" trips, Rev. Niwano looked back on the founding days and shared the following memorable stories with me.

"During the founding days, miraculous things occurred one after another. Good results and evidence of divine activity appeared frequently so that members grew happier and happier. As they were grateful for this, they made more of an effort to practice the Way. Myoko-sensei and I tried as hard as we could. Members who themselves had been helped also tried as hard as they could to help others. Chapter 11 of the Lotus Sutra, 'The Sight of the Treasure Stupa,' reads, 'This Sutra is so difficult to grasp that if anyone embraces it even for a short time, I will be pleased, and so will all the Buddhas.' It was just like these words of the sutra in those days. We could really feel that the Buddha was pleased and that 'all the Buddhas' were protecting us, day after day. It was as though the heavenly deities were in high spirits.

"As it was difficult for us to use automobiles then, I used a bicycle, taking Myoko-sensei on the back of the bicycle to visit various places. On cold winter days, her legs became so chilled that after getting off she was unable to walk for several minutes.

"In the midst of such busy days, we unexpectedly had a couple of free hours. 'We haven't seen either a movie or a play for years; let's go to a movie,' I said. But this time was quite different from all those when we went by bicycle together to do dissemination or enshrinement of the focus of devotion at a member's house. On this day we were caught by a police officer and scolded, since two people riding on one bicycle was against the rules. We apologized profusely, and went home without going to the movie."

This series of articles was originally published in Japanese in 2000 under the title Kaiso Zuimonki: Egao no Ushirosugata.