Opening
At 11am Japan time on May 18, the live-stream SOPP broadcast opened with beautiful images of nature and a collage of images from past SOPP ceremonies, with the opening title set against an image of a spinning planet Earth in space. Participants were then welcomed by Byakko Deputy Chairperson Yuka Saionji, after which Byakko President Tomohiko Naya and Chairperson Masami Saionji gave their opening remarks.
Yuka Saionji
Hello, and welcome to the 21st Symphony of Peace Prayers. We are so grateful and blessed to mark the 20th anniversary this year, and we hope to continue for another 20 years, to create this beautiful Symphony of Peace Prayers with peace-minded people from all over the world, like you. We are so thankful that you are joining us today.
This year’s SOPP theme is the Japanese word ‘musubi.’ ‘Musubi’ means ‘connection,’ ‘promise,’ or ‘tying the knots.’ In this world, where everything is uncertain and we don’t know what is going to happen next—whether regarding the economy, politics, or environmental pollution—right now, more than ever, we need to cultivate peace within each and every one of us, from the inside. In order to create that peace, we believe in the connection with the vertical and the horizontal. The vertical is the connection between ourselves and ‘Something Great,’ and the horizontal is our connection with all other living things.
Whether we are in a moment of crisis or not, it’s so important to have these connections, and to be able to connect right away, vertically and horizontally, in order to create peace from within. We hope that this year, with our theme of ‘musubi,’ we will be able to create more connections—more deep ties—with prayer, with religious belief, with nature, and with all living things.
For this year’s SOPP, we have asked the religious leaders who visited Japan last year, for Unity Earth’s Japan Peace Week, to lead this year’s prayers, and we were so grateful that all of them said yes. We also have a deep connection with the Japanese prayer leaders this year. In this way, one connection leads to another, and to a beautiful future, and we hope to create a beautiful future with you, where this symphony is played all over the world. Thank you very much.
Welcoming address
Tomohiko Naya, President of Byakko Shinko Kai
The Symphony of Peace Prayers, which has welcomed the participation of many people from all over Japan and around the world, is now being held for the 21st time, thanks to your continued support and goodwill. On this occasion as well, I would like to express my deep gratitude and sincere appreciation to all of you who are joining us through YouTube and gathering together with the booklet in hand.
The Symphony of Peace Prayers is held with the vision that, just as an orchestra creates a magnificent harmony through instruments of various tones, the prayers from different religions, when offered together, can become a unified resonance—a beautiful symphony of peace that gently envelops the Earth. All of us gathered here today have continued the SOPP journey while remembering the essential nature of prayer—that the peace prayers of various religions are, in their essence, meant to harmonize and resonate with one another.
Now, we are standing at the threshold of a new era—an era in which each individual human being can live in a peaceful and harmonious world by focusing on the divine spark within themselves and others. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the launching of the Fuji Declaration, and I feel that this milestone is encouraging humanity to take a step toward its next era. The year 2025, I believe, could be called the beginning of a journey where all of humanity walks together along this new path.
The various kinds of discrimination and divisions in our world lead not only to religious conflicts—they also escalate into issues between nations and affect our relationship with the natural world, contributing to environmental destruction. When we consider that it is the responsibility of humanity to guide this world toward a future of harmony and integration, I believe that participating in the SOPP becomes a truly essential role for us during the present era.
Our new theme this year, ‘Musubi’ (sacred connection), reminds us that the Earth, great nature, and humanity are all deeply interconnected. It affirms that the aim of the SOPP is to send forth the resonance of great harmony to this unified whole. In this richly diverse world, we are beginning to remember the truth that all beings, despite their differences, are inherently in harmony—and that every being is sacred.
The Symphony of Peace Prayers will surely continue to expand as a gathering where our prayers for peace resonate with the divine spark shining deep within our hearts, creating a beautiful symphony across our diverse world.
For today’s SOPP, religious leaders from various traditions will be guiding us in prayers for peace, offering their invaluable cooperation through video messages. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all of them for lending their precious support.
And true to its name, Symphony of Peace Prayers, it is our heartfelt wish that the world peace prayers we offer in today’s ceremony will transcend all differences—differences in religion, ethnicity, worldview, and values—and resonate across the entire globe. We are confident that the sacred prayers for peace arising from each participant’s divine spark will become a driving force in creating the world of tomorrow.
In closing, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation to all our prayer colleagues, who have supported the realization of the SOPP, both spiritually and practically, throughout the year. With this, I offer my welcoming remarks.
Welcoming Address
Masami Saionji, Chairperson of Byakko Shinko Kai
Hello, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with you today. Thank you very much for joining in the 21st Symphony of Peace Prayers.
The SOPP is, itself, a culture of peace, created by the hearts of each participant, and it is the very resonance of peace. Here, all those who perform, who participate, and who offer their support in both material and spiritual ways, respect each other’s differences and offer prayers of gratitude to all nations and great nature. I hope that the SOPP, as a culture of peace, will continue to spread more widely across the world.
The theme of this year’s SOPP is ‘Musubi.’ For the creation of each person’s divinity, both the vertical and the horizontal axis must flow fluidly and be connected from both directions.
The ‘musubi’ of the vertical axis is “increasing connections with those who live feeling the love from Heaven.” For example, at the SOPP we have always engaged in prayers that transcend religious differences, connecting vertically. By praying together at Fuji Sanctuary, we have united vertically, overcoming differences. In this way, the vertical connections through various religions have become quite natural in the SOPP. From now on, we must expand these vertical connections into various fields around the world—fields such as law, education, the arts, and medicine. We must think and act in a state of connection with Heaven. This momentum will be unleashed from Fuji Sanctuary and the SOPP.
The ‘musubi’ of the horizontal axis signifies that “all of humanity is equal, divine, and mutually sustained.” Differences in nationality, skin color, wealth, and ways of living are entirely irrelevant. If we remove the borders between countries, humanity is one. Until that era arrives, and until an awakening occurs, wars will never cease. Furthermore, when we expand our perspective and view life as a whole—humans, animals, and nature—all life is one, and there is no difference. It is now time to remove the various boundaries that we have created through our concepts. Beyond the removal of these boundaries lies the truth that everything is inherently divine. This is the ‘musubi’ of the horizontal axis.
From Japan, we will truly bring peace to the world. Each and every human being will be united through our divine spark, both vertically and horizontally. From this, I hope to continue creating the flow of divine creation together with all of you. Thank you for listening.