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.

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It has been said that "life lies in meals," which probably is a Chinese proverb. Enjoying his meals with gratitude, Founder Niwano appreciated mealtimes in various ways. Here are some episodes concerning his meals.

"I'm proud of the family who invited you"

On June 18, 1978, Rev. Nikkyo Niwano (second from right) delivered a greeting at a luncheon to delegations from member states of the United Nations during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament at its headquarters in New York.

First, I would like to tell you an episode that occurred when he was abroad, in the early 1970s in New York, while attending an international meeting of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP). Founder Niwano, along with two of us, his aides, was invited to a Thanksgiving Day feast by a religious American family. The time at which we were scheduled to arrive at their home was a little too late for lunch and a little too early for dinner. We wondered what we should do about lunch. If we had lunch as usual before going, we might not be able to enjoy the feast properly, which would be impolite to the host family, we felt. If we didn't eat then, however, we might be very hungry by the time the meal was served. "How about ordering one sandwich and sharing it among the three of us," someone suggested. Portions in America are much larger than is usual in Japan. So it was agreed to share a sandwich.

We went down to the coffee shop in the hotel where we were staying. I explained frankly to the middle-aged waitress what we were thinking--three adult men ordering one item for all of them together. We wondered what her response would be. Somewhat curious, we looked at her expression. With her hands on her hips she nodded, and then with a smile said, "As an American, I am proud of the family who invited you Japanese gentlemen to dinner." And she went on, "OK, one sandwich! Enjoy it, and take your time!" She said this in a cheerful voice.

Our host family for Thanksgiving was most hospitable. Still, the words and the smile of the coffee shop waitress also were one memorable aspect of our visit to the United States.

Enjoying Good Local Foods

Because of his busy travel schedule, Rev. Niwano sometimes ordered breakfast from room service in the hotels where we were staying. We ordered it for a proper time following the regular morning sutra recitation. This meant avoiding a waste of time, and also a waste of food as we ordered slightly fewer portions than the number of people who would be eating, because the amount of food served in the U.S. seemed a little too much. Sometimes we even skipped a meal. On the other hand, this kind of breakfast gave us time before the day's activities to go out for a walk in a nearby park, bringing a few small pieces of bread to feed the squirrels or pigeons. Some of the pictures taken by the photographer who accompanied us later appeared in Rissho Kosei-kai publications.

When he invited guests to lunch or dinner, Rev. Niwano took sufficient time to enjoy the meal and the conversation that also often was substantial. This deepened mutual understanding and friendship, and helped to promote joint activities.

From time to time he was asked what he liked to eat. To that question, Rev. Niwano used to respond, "I enjoy eating anything that is a local specialty, whatever it may be." He did not talk about his own likes and dislikes. Rather he was always considerate of others and asked them to choose what they liked.

When traveling overseas, if he thought that other Japanese religious leaders in the party would be longing for Japanese food, he made arrangements for them to eat at a Japanese restaurant. Drinking sake together, they enjoyed talking about religion, peace, and related topics. Similarly, on domestic tours when young staff-members were accompanying him, he ordered meat dishes that he knew they would like. He sometimes told them with a smile, "When I was a boy, from time to time I took part in contests to see who could eat the most rice cakes stuffed with bean jam. And I never lost!" Thus Founder Niwano created a relaxed atmosphere in which they did not have to feel uneasy but could enjoy their meal.

In the postwar reconstruction period of the late 1940s, special meals were provided after important events at Rissho Kosei-kai to show appreciation to those who had worked on the event. On the tatami straw mats of the Second Training Hall's main floor were many rows of long boards serving as makeshift tables, on which many plates were placed. Those plates held a variety of foods, including steamed sweet potatoes, Japanese oden, and other simple home-cooked dishes, to be enjoyed along with sake. All the meals were prepared by Cofounder Myoko Naganuma and women leaders of the organization with heartfelt gratitude.

At a still vigorous age, Rev. Niwano would sometimes become engrossed in conversation during such meals and after a while refer to his dreams for Rissho Kosei-kai. He even sometimes stood up and with enthusiastic gestures made a fervent speech.