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.

14

The Dharma Is of Supreme Importance

On November 8, 1941, Rev. Niwano (left) and Mrs. Naganuma held a ground-breaking ceremony for the first headquarters of Rissho Kosei-kai in Tokyo. The ceremony was simple because of the government's rationing policy even before the start of the Pacific War.

This is the story of Rissho Kosei-kai's first independent structure. On November 5, 1941, it was proposed to the members of the organization that a training hall be built. This was shortly before the outbreak of the Pacific War. A divine revelation had come to Founder Niwano: "Make haste to prepare construction materials. Otherwise, it will be impossible to build." All the members therefore hastened to the task.

Only three days later, on November 8, the foundation work and land purification rite took place. Volunteer efforts got the ground-breaking under way, but collecting the construction cost was another matter. Though there were a few large donations, many members could only make offerings of five or ten yen--and that by extraordinary effort, managing to save out of their meager incomes.

On December 8, carpenters and other building workers began their task. Some of the items needed for construction, such as cement, were already being rationed by the national government. Rev. Niwano later recalled the difficulties involved. Hurrying to collect the needed cement, he would borrow from others who had already received their supply--promising to replace their cement when he received his own share. That took longer than anticipated, however, and he found himself repeatedly having to apologize for the delays in making the replacements.

On December 20, a ceremony was held to mark the completion of the structure's framework. By the time the very first Rissho Kosei-kai facility was completed, it was already well into the next year--May 7, 1942.

"During the founding period, we refrained from having even a cup of tea when we visited homes for dissemination work or for members' guidance," Rev. Niwano later remembered. In those days of strict discipline, the very first 'training hall'--only 25 tsubo (less than 100 square yards) in size--was finished with member donations of merely 16,000 yen. I then decided to concentrate all of my energies only for disseminating the Dharma, and thus I quit my regular work."