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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On April 5, 1964, on a Rissho Kosei-kai memorial day, the inaugural ceremony for the Great Sacred Hall was observed. Many members from throughout Japan filled the precincts of the organization's new Tokyo headquarters.

After being under construction for eight years, Rissho Kosei-kai's Great Sacred Hall in Tokyo was finally completed in 1964. In his first sermon at the start of that year, Founder Niwano reminded members gathered in what is now known as the Former Main Worship Hall that the event which all had so eagerly awaited would soon take place. He proclaimed to the members, "This is the year in which Rissho Kosei-kai of Japan establishes the foundation of itself as a world organization."

On March 4, 1964, the enshrinement ceremony for the image of the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni as Rissho Kosei-kai's focus of devotion was held on the fourth floor of the new hall. After the ceremony, as he stood in a quiet corner of the new building, the founder was heard to say, "As I look out over this magnificent edifice, my heart is full."

On May 15 of that year he shared his joy with all the members at a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the hall, saying to them, "What a tremendous effort from all of you it has taken to make this day possible." Some members who were housewives on limited budgets, for example, had managed to save a few Japanese yen a day out of their household expenses as an offering, and newspaper delivery boys had contributed a hundred yen each month from their small incomes toward the construction costs. Finally having attained this great goal through the wholehearted efforts of the membership gave all the assurance that each and every one had played an important role.

Twenty years after the hall's completion, the 25th Triennial Congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) was held there, as well as at other facilities of Rissho Kosei-kai in Tokyo. That congress in July 1984 was the very first ever held in Asia. Its theme was "The Religious Path to Peace: Eastern Initiative and Western Response." This was a precedent-setting theme in the history of the IARF, where the trend had long been toward "Western initiative and Eastern response."

Many innovative programs were initiated by Rissho Kosei-kai for the congress, such as hoza group counseling sessions, short visits to the homes of members of Rissho Kosei-kai and other Japanese religious organizations, "Experience Japan" programs for participants from overseas, and study seminars to promote mutual understanding.