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.

3

You Must Be Cold

Among the many stories told about Founder Niwano are some touching ones that demonstrate his warm feelings for children. The following was related by a senior staff member at a monthly morning meeting of the Rissho Kosei-kai staff at its headquarters in Tokyo.

Koko Shirafuji (right) poses for a commemorative photo with Founder Nikkyo Niwano (left) after his dissemination tour of the northeastern district of Japan, seen at the Morioka City gymnasium in Iwate Prefecture on April 11, 1965.

"It is snowing this morning and when it snows, I always remember what happened when Founder Niwano visited the city of Morioka in northern Japan for a dissemination tour in the 1960s. There was no air-conditioning or heating in the city gymnasium where the event was held, so on that day it was very cold there. On behalf of the church members attending the event, a small girl wearing a sleeveless one-piece dress, Koko Shirafuji, presented a bouquet to Rev. Niwano. After the program, he asked the people near him where the little girl was--'Would someone bring her here, please?' Though they searched for her, they could not find her for a while. Finally she was found near the rear entrance of the huge hall. She was with her parents. When Rev. Niwano saw her for the second time, he took her up in his arms and rubbed her hands, saying tenderly, 'You must be cold, it is chilly in here.'

"The girl's parents were living separately at that time for some reason. 'Since our daughter is to play an important role today, please come with us,' the wife said to her husband. Thus the father and mother attended the rally together. After observing Rev. Niwano warmly comfort his daughter, the father later apologized to his wife and admitted that he had been the cause of their domestic trouble. The couple's relationship returned to normal and they resumed an ordinary family life with their daughter. Whenever it snows, I remember this incident just as if it happened yesterday."

This occurred in 1965. There is a sequel to it.

The little girl, who had been seven years old when she presented the bouquet, grew up, graduated from a university, became a teacher in an elementary school, and married. Her husband's mother was the head of a Rissho Kosei-kai chapter. Some years later, the grown-up girl quit her teaching job and became seriously devoted to various religious duties in Rissho Kosei-kai.

"When I was a child," she said, "I didn't realize how important Rev. Niwano's comforting of me was, and how the role of presenting a bouquet to him was connected to the happiness of my parents being reunited. Instead, I even complained to my mother about her going to the church so often and leaving me at home alone. However, every day now I feel that I want to practice the teaching."

Now she has been given the position of chapter head and goes to her local church every day, leaving home early in the morning. Her own two children are already older than she was when she presented the bouquet to Founder Niwano.

It's a Good Thing Someone Was Helped

When Rev. Niwano addressed the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament in New York in 1978, an airline strike made it impossible for him to fly back to Japan right away. He thought this was a good opportunity presented by the Buddha to visit Rissho Kosei-kai churches on the U.S. Pacific coast, and so he flew to San Francisco, and then to Los Angeles. It was a great joy for the members there to welcome their revered teacher so unexpectedly.

On his last evening before returning to Japan, Rev. Niwano took the minister of the Los Angeles church to a Japanese restaurant for dinner and conversation. The young waitress who served their food came into the private dining room from time to time. She took a good look at the face of Rev. Niwano and asked, "Aren't you the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai?" She was so happy to meet him so unexpectedly that she could not keep silent. She told Rev. Niwano that she was a member of the organization who was originally from the island of Kyushu in southern Japan but now lived in the United States, that previously she had been in the training program in Ome organized by the headquarters Youth Division, and now she was working in the restaurant, and so on and so on.

Rev. Niwano listened with a warm smile and gave her appropriate advice about various things, and then said, pointing to the minister sitting beside him, "When you have a day off, come to the church nearest here. This is the minister." With bright eyes, the young woman said, "Yes, I will and I'll call my mother in Japan tonight. I'm sure she will be overjoyed to hear of our meeting!"

In the car on the way back to his hotel, Rev. Niwano said, "It's a good thing that this evening, too, someone was helped."