by Masuo Nezu

On July 29, 1984, with the solemn sound of the pipe organ reverberating within the Great Sacred Hall, officers of the IARF led by Rev. Nikkyo Niwano, then its president, proceeded to the stage of the hall to attend the special service for the association's 25th Triennial Congress.

One highlight of the congress was the worship service called "the Congress Service" held at the Great Sacred Hall, in which some 800 participants from various faiths gathered to pray and rededicate themselves to their common purpose--world peace. According to Rissho Kosei-kai ritual, a passage from the Lotus Sutra was chanted as a "Prayer to the Eternal," by the attending Buddhists who were led by Rev. Nichiko Niwano as officiator. In addition, hymns and choral interludes were sung and devotions were offered by Hindu, Christian, Shinto, Islamic, and Sikh representatives, all in their respective languages. Rev. Nikkyo Niwano delivered an address entitled "Today's Perspective on Our Religious Mission."

For this large gathering, 7,000 leaders representing Rissho Kosei-kai churches throughout Japan filled the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors of the Great Sacred Hall and observed the entire service. Afterward, several commented on how deeply touched they were by it. "Those world religious leaders entering the hall appeared to be the manifestation of the true spirit of the Lotus Sutra's teaching," one member observed. Another member noted, "The group photograph of all the participants reminded me of the kokue, one of the great assemblies described in the sutra. The foreign representatives seemed to be 'buddhas emanating from all directions.' I genuinely felt that people from all over the world were appreciating and sharing the true Dharma."

One leader recognized the congress as testimony to a divine revelation. "I joined Rissho Kosei-kai in 1945," she commented. "When I first came to the headquarters, Cofounder Myoko Naganuma said, 'In the future, the truth and spirit of the Lotus Sutra will spread over all the world through Rissho Kosei-kai's efforts. Bearing that in mind, practice the sutra's teachings and devote yourself to helping others.' That was soon after Japan's defeat in World War II, and much of Tokyo was still in ruins. Rissho Kosei-kai headquarters was then just one very small house. That the Lotus Sutra would spread throughout the world because of this small Japanese religious group was unbelievable. I even thought I might not have understood what she meant. However, seeing this congress with my own eyes, I am thrilled to think that her words have come true and that I was able to see it in my own lifetime. It is beyond description."

Many years have now passed. The range of visitors to the Great Sacred Hall has become truly international. In addition to the visits by Japanese members, many foreign residents of Japan come to the building to take part in various events, such as the Buddhist Flower Festival on April 8, celebrating Shakyamuni's birth. Those seats in the main hall once occupied by the overseas delegates to that IARF congress are now filled by Rissho Kosei-kai members not only from Japan, but also from Asia, North and South America, Europe, and Oceania, either as individuals or as part of group pilgrimages.

On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of Rissho Kosei-kai on March 5, 1998, many guests from overseas took part in a ritual offering of lighted candles on a special platform in the Great Sacred Hall. They included the members of the Governing Board of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, as well as the four senior leaders of the Islamic, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Jewish communities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, demonstrating solidarity after the long years of civil war in the former Yugoslavia.

It deserves pointing out here that in an interview conducted by a major Japanese newspaper with Rev. Nichiko Niwano on November 15, 1991, when he succeeded to the presidency of Rissho Kosei-kai in the ceremony of the Inheritance of the Lamp of the Law in the Great Sacred Hall, he cited the motto "Think Globally, Act Locally." These are words he has held in high esteem since he first heard them while participating in a conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on January 9, 1991. Rev. Niwano had spoken as a representative of a nongovernmental organization at the Amendment Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, Outer Space and Under Water.

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