January–February 2006, Volume 33
The Human Condition and Religion: A Global Future?

The Global Crisis and Human Hubris
by Tsuneya Wakimoto
Toward a “Civilization of Life”
by Minoru Sanada
The root cause of all the serious problems facing our age resides in the loss of the essential view of life derived from the religiosity that is unique to human beings.
From Private Profit to Public Good
by Hiromasa Mase
Companies and religious organizations are both members of society. Both must place greater emphasis on activities that contribute to society as a whole.
Ancient Promises Cannot Be Ignored
by C. W. Nicol
The essence of truly religious people lies in how they react and respond to other lives, both human and other.
Japanese Religion and Culture
Shugendo and Women
by Gaynor Sekimori
The prohibition of women from sacred sites, the norm until 1872, remains in place in a small number of locations. There are still strong reminders that the relationship of women with Shugendo remains contested.
Reflections
Mere Ordinary People
by Nichiko Niwano
Live Each Day as if It Were Your Whole Life
by Yusai Sakai
What you do with all your might today will influence tomorrow. Tomorrow there will be an entirely new self. What happens from now on is immaterial-just live today to the fullest.
The Lotus Sutra and World Peace
by Nikkyo Niwano
Essays
Finding Meaning in Life
by Manuel Amoros
Our lives are an irreplaceable blessing granted to us by the grace of God. Thus we must always maintain an affirmative attitude toward life.
Agape and Bodhisattva Ideal in Shusaku Endo’s Silence
by Elizabeth Cameron Galbraith
The famous novelist, a practicing Roman Catholic, portrayed his own interior conflict between his Christian self and his Japanese self, pondering the rejection of his foreign faith.
Using Our Talents and Abilities for Others
by Hachiro Kitagawa
Our skills truly shine when we utilize them to bring peace of mind, joy, and salvation to other people.
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra
Seen with Joy by All the Living
by Gene Reeves
The author believes that the Lotus Sutra does not actually teach that we should burn ourselves or our body parts. Suicide would go against the teachings of the sutra as a whole as well as the Buddha’s precept against killing.
Conference Report
The Anniversary of Nostra Aetate: Reanimating Buddhist-Christian Relations
by Eva Ruth Palmieri
Buddhist Living
To Walk Beside Those Who Need Me
The faith of this member of Rissho Kosei-kai had helped her in the midst of personal trials, but she has now learned how to be of service to others simply by being there when they need her.