Opening Remarks
Tomohiko Naya, President of Byakko Shinko Kai
To all of you who have gathered here from throughout Japan and various parts of the world, welcome to the Symphony of Peace Prayers. My deepest gratitude goes out to the prayer leaders, distinguished guests, and all participants for taking time from your busy schedules to be present here today.
This year, we are extremely pleased to be holding the tenth annual Symphony of Peace Prayers ceremony. As this year marks a turning point for the SOPP, we are extremely grateful for the strong support that all of you have given to this event.
Today, our heartfelt prayers for the peace of humanity will connect with the prayers of like-minded people who are holding gatherings in all parts the world, and the energy of love, harmony, and peace will resonate across the globe, reaching all life on earth.
When we take part in the Symphony of Peace Prayers, our consciousness naturally calls forth a world of great harmony. In this way, we are building a current toward a new era—an era in which people of all different faiths will manifest the prayerful heart that resides in their true nature, and will join together in prayers for the peace and happiness of all humanity.
Throughout the world, we find that important fields such as government, finance, education, and many others are lacking a bright vision for the future. Those who are spiritually-minded feel strongly how indispensable the power of prayer is for turning the tide of this uncertain state of affairs. It is my hope that people around the world who believe in the power of prayer will find that today’s prayer symphony gives them encouragement and strength to depict a sound vision for the future.
And beyond that, I hope that in bringing people together through prayer, the SOPP will call forth, as soon as possible, an era in which all the people of the world transcend religious boundaries and place great value on the spirit of prayer, taking this spirit into their respective fields. In your program booklets, you will find messages of support from many pioneering individuals who are already doing just that.
Once again, I am deeply grateful to all of you for your support in making today’s SOPP ceremony a reality. Thank you.
Masami Saionji, Chairperson of Byakko Shinko Kai
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you who have gathered here today, not only from Japan but from around the world. As a result of your support, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Symphony of Peace Prayers.
The aim of the SOPP is to offer and experience prayers for peace from various faith traditions and religions with one united heart. Still to this day, religious discord and conflict in the world have not dissipated. The interfaith peace prayers we offer here at Fuji Sanctuary will generate energies of love, peace, and happiness, to reach those regions of the world torn by poverty and conflict.
When people of pure heart and mind gather simultaneously under the common purpose of uplifting humanity and creating world peace, we are able to manifest a tremendous global effect. When people with similar intentions increase in number from one to two and from ten to a hundred, the power of prayer begins to expand, allowing people the world over to catch the vibrations of our prayers. The world is then embraced in the light of divine rebirth as more and more people awaken to their inner divinity.
We are very grateful that, since the very first SOPP in 2005, support for this event has grown and spread around the world. Beginning in 2008, the SOPP became a worldwide event. And today, I have heard that there are 92 SOPP-related events taking place in 49 countries, with many thousands of people celebrating with us today.
In February of 2013, we were fortunate enough to present the SOPP as part of an event called United for a Culture of Peace through Interfaith Harmony, which took place in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations in New York. I was told that it was truly unprecedented to have such a prayer event in the General Assembly Hall. A sense of joy and happiness touched and embraced the hearts of all participants as prayer leaders from various faith traditions offered their beautiful symphony of prayers.
Next year, in collaboration with Dr. Ervin Laszlo, Chairman of the Club of Budapest, we are planning to present the Fuji Declaration. We will invite leaders from around the world in the fields of politics, science, economics, the arts, and education, to discuss their visions of a world and social system rooted in divine consciousness. The outcome of these discussions will be shared at the 2015 SOPP.
In order for world peace to manifest, each member of humanity must experience a rebirth of their inner divinity. There is no greater joy than to engage in interfaith prayers together today, generating a great movement forward.
I have learned that this event is being broadcast live on the internet at this very moment. In closing, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our friends the world over who are joining us in offering their prayers for peace. May peace prevail on Earth.