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Kojun Handa
Tendai Buddhist Denomination, Japan
It is a quite responsibility for me to give a speech at this gathering. In order for me to re-recognize the significance of this meeting, I have traced its process up to now. First of all, the sixteenth Mt. Hiei Religious Summit, which had started in 1986, was held at Enryakuji Temple at Mt. Hiei on August 4th of this year, and we had an opportunity to have a series of dialogues and prayers with each religious representative. This summit succeeds to Day of Prayer for World Peace at Assisi, which was called by His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and The Most Venerable Etai Yamada of the Tendai school of Buddhism (hereafter referred to as Tendai) who initiated this summit said, �Searching for human happiness is the common goal to any religion. Therefore, no one can say that another belief is wrong. The goal (of all religions) is happiness of humanity, this point and this point only� The Most Reverend Nikkyo Niwano, the founder of Rissho Kosei-kai, was the one to urge this idea. He was invited to the Second Vatican Council in 1965 and was inspired by words of His Holiness Pope Paul VI in Declaration to Save All Human Beings; �What Buddhism and Christianity are aiming at is same. By aiming toward the common objective, Peace of Humanity, religious cooperation will be possible.� In 1970, Rev. Niwano organized the Kyoto Congress in Japan for each clergy to debate the religious cooperation in a definite manner. That was the beginning (of the interfaith meeting in Japan). Regarding �Religious Cooperation,� the new important phrase at Vatican Conference, Cardinal Seiichi Shirayanagi, who is the chairman of Catholic Bishops� Conference of Japan, praised the Pope�s word as follows; � Cultures change each generation. If a religion does not change the method of its expression, it will be out of date and will not be able to capture people�s heart. �. Truth will not change, but we should be able to change the method of how to express the truth.� If people are distant from one another, we can create misunderstanding and antagonism/hostility. On the other hand, if we meet and talk, then we will create understanding. The Most Reverend Kosho Ohtani of Honganji Temple of Jodo, who was a representative of Japanese Buddhism, gave a speech at the opening ceremony of the Kyoto Congress. He said, �Japan is the first nation which suffered the damage of Atomic Bomb in the world and also the nation with a Peace Constitution, which rejects any offensive war potential. From these two points, I believe Japan is worthy of being a country to host this conference.� He also mentioned that it was not a religion but religious people who turned their backs to the cause of peace and suggested the need of reflect on this issue. From that point on, each clergy agreed with the idea that the main subject of dialogue should be human happiness, which is possible only by eliminating wars and searching for peace. In Buddhism, the worst tragedy in people�s life is the bloodshed due to a war because Buddhism is the teaching of a wish for everyone�s happiness. Therefore, in Buddhism, the most important precept is that one should not kill any living beings. In the Suttanipata from a collection of sutras of Southern Buddhism, it teaches us 1) not to kill living things, 2) not to be killed by others, and 3) not to permit others to kill. As for teaching of non-violence in Buddhism, it teaches us in the Dharmapada that we can not end the hatred by revenge, but can end it by detaching oneself from it. In its Chinese translation, it is also emphasize by the saying � throw bows and arrows and swords in your mind�. When you look around the current situation, it is no longer the level of bows and arrows. It is such sad situations that people are running around to develop nuclear weapons. In the Vyakarana of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha makes a prediction that everyone can equally attain Buddhahood, which means everyone can be awakened and attain enlightenment. From this point, you can say that Buddhism is a teaching with a futuristic intention. You will also understand that the most important responsibility that we were given is to do our best toward the right goal. Some may say that the nature of religion is non-inclusive in its approach; therefore what we are saying is an illusion. Due to the development of transportation and the speed of spreading information, we can easily realize we are comrades who share the same place called the Earth. It has become easy to encounter people with various religious backgrounds. What is important is that we should not reject the other�s value, but find a way to communicate each other. This gathering is a result of our need to communicate with one another; this will be an affirmation of Vyakarana, the predictions of Shakyamuni Buddha. Let us rediscover that prayer is something that we can hold in common beyond our cultural differences, do our best for the world and exert ourselves for others by keeping wisdom and compassion as our driving force. Let us search for eternal peace and tranquility without war. The Most Venerable Etai Yamada, the 253rd spiritual head of Tendai, once explained that this Religious Summit is like the �Jeweled City� created on the long way to the ultimate realization of world peace. He used the parable of the transformed city in (Chapter 7 of) the Lotus Sutra. The Jeweled City is a temporary resting place on the road to the ultimate goal. It was created by magical powers when people became exhausted during a long journey. Once people recovered from their exhaustion, the jeweled city faded away so they could resume their journey to the real jeweled city. With a great care of Buddha�s heart-mind, he used this metaphor for World Peace as the �Jeweled City.� Why don�t we do our best until we achieve our goal by making this �gathering and dialogue� as our reliable Jeweled City? Moreover, Japanese people have a responsibility to appeal to the world about the horror of the Atomic Bomb, as an only nation that experienced the tragedy of a nuclear bomb. Recently I went to Hiroshima for the Peace Prayer. Even now, the wounds are still prominent in people�s hearts. It is necessary for clergy from the world�s religions to be united and appeal to the elimination of nuclear weapons. I would like to conclude my speech by declaring my determination to work toward peace. Thank you very much for your attention.
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