Spring 2023, Volume 50
Features
Religion’s Role in Peacebuilding
The basic aims of Dharma World are to espouse a viewpoint emphasizing the dignity of human life, consider the application of religious principles and practices in resolving the predicaments that arise in the daily lives of individuals, and ponder the contribution that the world’s faiths can make in coping with the great challenges that face humanity today.
We mourn the precious lives lost in the war in Ukraine and all other contemporary conflicts, and thus call for an end to dealing with disputes through violence and pray for the settlement of all international and interethnic disputes through discussions and negotiations.
We firmly believe that people of all the world’s faiths and creeds must join in cooperation to help bring about lasting world peace and human happiness, and we hope that our Spring 2023 issue will make a contribution to this aim.
The Conciliatory Power of Religion
by Kyoichi Sugino
Peace and Reconciliation: Value, Practice, and Finding Meaning in Life
by A. Elga Joan Sarapung
My optimistic hope is that all of God’s creation throughout the world can live in safety, prosperity, and peace.
Religion and Peacebuilding: Reflections of an Amateur Peacebuilder
by Suphatmet Yunyasit
Religion can become a key driver for constructive change in the twenty first century
The Role of Spirituality and Faith in a Divided World
by Harsha Navaratne
As engaged Buddhists, we have a greater responsibility to actively reach out, network, and mobilize people in every community.
The Concept of Religion and the Challenges of World Peace
by Michael Berman
“Religion” and “world peace” [are often] put in the same sentence, despite religions frequently contributing to warfare.
Niwano Peace Prize
The Fortieth Niwano Peace Prize Awarded to Mr. Rajagopal P. V. of India
The Niwano Peace Foundation announced the selection of Mr. Rajagopal P. V. of India as the 2023 recipient of the Niwano Peace Prize, in recognition of his lifelong work in the service of justice and peace through nonviolent methods, and his commitment to care for the environment. The reason for selection issued by Dr. Flaminia Giovanelli, chair of the Niwano Peace Prize Committee, follows.
Reflections
The Body and the Mind Are Deeply Connected
by Nichiko Niwano
Essay
What Is Esoteric Buddhism?
by Michihiko Komine
Esoteric Buddhism undertakes religious practice to attain enlightenment, aiming at achieving buddhahood in this very lifetime.
Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhism
Is the Universe Compassionate?
by Dominick Scarangello
I am sometimes asked how exactly a universal law can be compassionate. Doesn’t Buddhism hold that, as we can see in the world around us, good causes lead to good results, and bad causes lead to bad results? The assertion that universal law is somehow compassionate would seem to be illogical and erroneous. This is the question we’ll explore this time.
