by Masuo Nezu

When he visited Japan in 1995 on the occasion of events commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II, "Learning from History: Toward a New Era," Dr. von Weizsacker spoke of the importance of the contribution to the world that nations without large armies could make.

In 1989, acceptance lectures for the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion were delivered by the two recipients of that year at a public ceremony convened in Fumon Hall at Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters in Tokyo. That year, in order to make the prize and its purpose better known in Asia, the Foundation decided to hold the public ceremony in Japan, and requested Rissho Kosei-kai to host it. This was ten years after the award of the same prize to Founder Niwano.

One of the recipients in 1989 was the Very Rev. Lord MacLeod, a Scottish Christian minister. The other was Dr. Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker, the elder brother of President von Weizsacker and a world-renowned physicist and philosopher. The elder brother's major field was natural science, while that of the younger brother was politics. Their main lines of work were different but both were deeply committed to religion and very earnest in their peace activities, which were widely known not only in Germany, but also elsewhere in Europe.

It was on the occasion of a conversation for the September 1989 issue of the monthly Rissho Kosei-kai magazine Kosei that Rev. Niwano met for the first time with the elder brother before he delivered the acceptance speech of the prize. When the editor showed the latter a copy of the organization's newspaper from 1969 in which photograph of his younger brother appeared together with an accompanying article, Dr. Carl Friedrich pointed his finger at the photograph of Dr. Richard and said to Rev. Niwano impishly with a laugh, "I know this person very well."

On June 9, 1989, after his acceptance lecture in Tokyo for the Templeton Prize, Rev. Niwano paid a visit to hold a dialogue session with Dr. Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker at his hotel room.

Rev. Niwano responded, "Your younger brother is continuing his excellent work as president. You two are a remarkable pair of brothers."

Their talk began with humor and smiles, ranged over various topics such as the interreligious cooperation of the WCRP and WCC, as well as science and religion.

A large audience of people from many fields heard the acceptance speeches of the recipients delivered in Fumon Hall. At the reception which followed, held in the Second Group Pilgrimage Hall, Founder Niwano, President and Mrs. Nichiko Niwano and their eldest daughter, Kosho, all attended together. It became an occasion for happy conversation with Dr. von Weizsacker, Sir John and Lady Templeton, and many other dignitaries taking part.

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