July–August 2002, Volume 29
The Most Reverend Samuel Ruiz Garcia, Recipient of the 19th Niwano Peace Prize
Reflections
Our Goals Have No Time Limit
by Nikkyo Niwano
Do No Evil, Do Only Good
by Nichiko Niwano
The I Ching tells us that “The superior man never slackens in perfecting the self,” repeating what the Dhammapada identifies as the essence of Buddhism: “To do no evil, / To do only good, / To purify the mind.”
Niwano Peace Prize
The Poor Are Creators of History
by Samuel Ruiz Garcia
The Niwano Peace Prize, an annual award that honors individuals and groups that have contributed significantly to peace in the spirit of religion, was presented this year to the Most Reverend Samuel Ruiz Garcia, Emeritus Bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Bishop Ruiz has been engaged in elevating the social standing of indigenous communities in Mexico and elsewhere in Central and South America for more than forty years. The official presentation ceremony was held in Tokyo on May 9, in which 200 people took part and congratulated the recipient. Following is the text of the acceptance address by Bishop Ruiz.
Essays
Religious Freedom and Human Flourishing
by Andrew C. Clark & Zarrin T. Caldwell
Two leaders from the IARF examine its statement of purpose–“To work for freedom of religion because it enables our search for enlightenment to flourish”–and discuss what “to flourish” really means.
Religion: A Force for Harmony or Hatred?
by Harold Kasimow
A noted American scholar of religion suggests that a new understanding of the world’s sacred texts is essential to lead to accurate knowledge about religions and to dialogue between them.
Buddhism and Work
by Damien Keown
Work is such an integral part of lives that even Shakyamuni exhorted his disciples to “strive diligently.” Here a British author/educator shows how today’s idea of “decent work” is in harmony with that teaching.
The Spirit of the Buddha by Wahei Tatematsu
A popular Japanese writer takes a look at the world around him and is reminded by nature of Shakyamuni’s last admonition to his disciples to “always endeavor to practice diligently.” This essay is based on a text of a speech delivered in the Fukushima Branch of Rissho Kosei-kai on December 2, 2001.
The Stories of the Lotus Sutra
The EnchantingWorld of the Lotus Sutra (2)
by Gene Reeves
This article represents the second installment in a new series of essays devoted to stories in the Lotus Sutra. Written by an American researcher on Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra, it offers fresh insights into how we can incorporate the teachings found in the sutra’s dramatic stories in our daily lives.
Buddhist Living
The Strength to Live Through Repentance
by Hiroaki Ito
Hamamatsu Branch member Hiroaki Ito, shocked to hear his brother say, “I have always hated my elder brother,” tells how hearing it gave him a change of heart that changed his life.
Hiroaki Ito is a member of the Hamamatsu Branch of Rissho Kosei-kai in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Buddhist Sculpture
A 1,000-Armed Kannon of the Kamakura Period
by Takeshi Kuno
The Thousand-Armed Kannon of Sanjusangendo is very important, not only as a representative example of Tankei’s work, but also as a great masterpiece of Japanese sculpture.
Gotama Buddha (55)
Licchavi Nobles Visit Gotama
by Hajime Nakamura
The wealthy Licchavi nobles of Vesali met Ambapali on the road and tried to buy from her the right to be the first to invite Shakyamuni to dinner–only to learn that their riches could not buy everything.
