Offering Gratitude and Messages of Peace

Continuing with the ceremony, Yuka Saionji addressed the participants:

Now, we will have a few moments of silence. And in that silence, we would like to give gratitude for all the prayers that we have offered from each religion and belief, and for all the prayers that have been sent to each country and region of the world.

Just like this wadaiko, that frequency, that rhythm, that harmony is being sent to all places on earth—to people who need it, to places that need it. Please know that the energy of our prayers is being sent out right now.

At the same time, let us feel that vibration and frequency deep within ourselves, and feel the musubi—that connection with the world, in oneness, at this moment. Thank you.

Following these moments of silence, the prayer leaders and Ms. Harada were invited back to the stage to offer their comments and messages. Some of the prayer leaders also offered more extensive comments after the ceremony.

Mr. Krishnan Unnikrishnan

Thank you so much. It’s been such an honor and blessing to be here on this sacred land with everyone. Our energies and vibrations coming together. I’m honored to participate in such a blessed gathering. I was thinking earlier about how traditions can be used by power to exclude and to separate, but here, we are honoring the traditions by having them be inclusive and welcoming everyone, bringing us together in harmony and diversity through all the different traditions. It is my wish that we continue to practice this together as we move forward in the world today. Thank you.

Post-ceremony comments:

In my prayer, I expressed my hope that the barriers between people may be removed, and that we may be guided by wisdom, light, and unconditional love. I also prayed for the realization of inner peace within ourselves, peace among people, and ultimately, a universal peace that embraces all existence.

While offering my prayer, I felt a special energy at Fuji Sanctuary. In the Vedas, the sacred scriptures foundational to Hinduism, the earth, the sun, and mountains are often regarded as living beings. To me, Mount Fuji is also a living, breathing presence, and I felt its light and energy as a blessing upon this gathering. I believe that this is something anyone can experience, regardless of religion or nationality. When we open our hearts to the beauty of nature, we become connected with something greater than ourselves. Perhaps the reason Mount Fuji draws so many people is that it possesses a power that cannot be fully expressed in words.

Fuji Sanctuary is truly a magical place for me. Yet it is not the kind of magic found in fantasy; rather, it is a profound mystery that one feels naturally simply by walking through this sacred place. I sensed that there is a special power here—one that opens people’s hearts and brings meaningful encounters, insights, and awakenings.

 

Mr. Masahiko Dobashi

It is a great joy that a gathering to pray for world peace, transcending religious denominations, is being held here at the foot of Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak. During the rehearsal yesterday, I had the opportunity to tour all of Fuji Sanctuary for the first time. I walked about 4,000 steps through the site, which covers an area of about 33 hectares, and was deeply moved by its splendor and grandeur. I am truly delighted that people are gathering at this sacred site to offer their prayers, and that this gathering is taking place. I look forward to your continued support in the future.

Mr. Shinjo Nohara

Post-ceremony comments:

I offer my heartfelt gratitude for being granted this precious connection at such an important turning point. “I am merely the one giving the commands; please, each and every one of you, stand at the center of the universe and pray”—these words came out naturally as I stood on the stage.

All the great sages throughout history have equally transcended the stages of Shu, Ha, and Ri to attain the single-minded state of infinitely great compassion and great mercy. At first, I wondered, “Why is that?” But now, I see it differently. Whether it be good or evil, suffering or joy—it is none other than we ourselves who are constantly allowed to stand at the “center of the universe” through the workings of great compassion and great mercy. I came to realize that we were merely surprised by the sheer magnitude of that power and arbitrarily labeled as “unreasonable” the things we had unconsciously created in what seemed like an endless stream.

I felt that the significance of praying for world peace here at Fuji Sanctuary lies in each and every one of us awakening to the true essence of our original selves and returning to the great source. At this SOPP event, we used the Japanese taiko drums to stir up the resonance of that source and, through our prayers for world peace, deepened it infinitely—it was a moment of the resonant light of great harmony.

For me personally, it was a truly irreplaceable experience. I also talked to my wife, Yuisho, who had been chanting the Heart Sutra for two and a half hours in Shimane, praying in front of the four octagonal Peace Poles, and continuously ringing the Bell of Peace. She told me it was such a mysterious religious experience for her that she preferred not to go into details, but she did say: “At the beginning and end of the prayer, as well as at key moments, gusts of wind like pillars of light blew, filling my mind and body with light and strength. It was a moment that flew by in the blink of an eye, and it was my first time having such an experience. I am simply filled with gratitude.”

Finally, the idea that each of us “stands at the center of the universe to pray” may, of course, be outside the realm of common sense in the wider world. However, I believe that it is precisely there—in the Shu-Ha-Ri process of breaking free from old conventions and the shells of our own thoughts, as presented to us this time by Yuka Sensei—that we are now being tested. I believe that this awareness of being the center itself becomes the resonance and power that naturally emits the true light illuminating the universe, and that this is the very path by which each of us becomes a being of great compassion and great mercy. I humbly express my deepest gratitude for having been granted this connection on the path of supreme prayer. Thank you very much.

 

Mr. Mark N. Zion

It’s a great pleasure and honor to be part of this today, and I want to thank the Saionji family for their hard work over many decades in making this possible. And to all of the staff that work day and night—maybe sleeping very little last night—I appreciate their effort, and we can thank them for making this possible. Yesterday, we went to the room where the mandalas are kept here at Fuji Sanctuary, and we saw all the mandalas that were bundled up. It was a vision, I think, for all of us, to see the energy that is put into it—the energy for peace and for love in the world—and we have no idea how this translates into the universe, the positive energy that we have stored here.

I’ve been to many SOPP ceremonies over the years, and I’m reminded of a story from Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who was an 18th century mystic. He wrote in stories and parables, and one story was about a king who found out that all of the wheat for the people that year was contaminated by mold, and as a result, everyone who ate it would become temporarily insane, pulled away from their true identity. And so, the prime minister asked the king what they should do—maybe the king could eat some other wheat? And the king said no, let’s eat the contaminated wheat, and then put a dot on everyone’s forehead. And when we see each other, we can realize our true identity. I think this is what the SOPP means to me and so many of us—that in our everyday life, we forget our true identity. And seeing each other, we see the dot on the forehead, and we realize who we really are. Thank you.

 

Mrs. Sabiha Iqbal

Greetings, everybody. We are very thankful to be here with you all today. I’m extremely thankful to my sister Maki, whom it’s been a pleasure to meet over the last year. I’m enjoying her friendship, and the extension of this friendship is all of you, and I’m very thankful for that. We’re living, at the moment, in very dangerous times, and coming here to Fuji Sanctuary and attending this event today has been a really moving and humbling experience for me. It reminds me that there are people who are striving for peace, and are praying, just like me. I see myself in you, and I hope you also see a part of yourself in me, too. In the world today, it’s so easy to be divided, but actually, we have far more in common than we do that is different.

As I work in a university and I spend time with students, I always remind them that it’s really important to get to know one another, and that actually, it’s as easy as A, B, C and D. A is for ‘ask, ask questions, get to know one another.’ B is for ‘build bridges between one another.’ And C is to ‘celebrate any differences that you think you might have,’ and finally D is ‘do that over and over again.’ Getting to know one another is something that we are invited to do every single day of our lives, and I hope that more and more of us continue to do that, just like you are doing that today. We all have a responsibility—all of us, each and every one of us—to spread the message of peace. And through prayer, I hope that we will be able to do that. As humanity, we are capable of uniting. As we heard earlier today in the speeches, we are more than capable of loving one another and showing compassion. I think it’s been quite some time that Byakko Shinko Kai has perhaps been in the shadows, and I really hope that it has its time to shine in the near future, God willing. Thank you very much once again for being here, and for having us.

 

Mr. Aijaz Ahmad Dar

I am very thankful to Allah, and thankful to all of you for inviting us to Japan. The people of Japan are very kind and caring, and so humble. This is our first visit to Japan, and after meeting you all, I believe the people of Japan will be the champions of peace. Japan will be the champion of peace. Japan will be the champion of peace! Our message is love for all, hatred for none. Love for all, hatred for none. Thank you.

 

His Excellency Francisco Escalante Molina

First of all, I would like to say thank you to the organizers of this gathering to pray for peace. As an ambassador, I have been in different ceremonies and meetings to pray for peace in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and other parts of Japan. But what I feel is that here, peace really has an international value. Here we pray for each country, as we can see from all the flags around us.

I just want to say this: peace belongs to each one of us. Peace is not an idea. Peace is something concrete that we—each one of us—must work for. We cannot wait for other people to work for peace. We have to work for peace in our hearts, peace in our families, and peace in our communities. This is a common task for all humanity. Peace is one of the most important universal values for everybody, because where there is peace, there is progress. There is life. So, please keep yourself always praying for peace. Always! Because that task will never cease. Our duty to pray for peace will never be finished. So, please keep praying for peace.

Ms. Yoshiko Harada

Post-ceremony comments:

As I performed today, I did not play the drum with any particular wish or intention in mind. Rather, I felt as though I had emptied myself and was simply surrendering to the sound. It felt as if there was nothing there, yet everything was fulfilled. With that sensation, I received the sounds coming from the universe and played as if to give voice to them. All that remained was gratitude and joy. Perhaps this was similar to the very first vibration of the universe—one that had not yet become sound—the vibration that rumbles deep within the drum. When the performance finally ended, I felt once again that it was a miracle to have been given this opportunity to be here and to meet all of you.

During the performance, I felt a deep sense of oneness with everyone in the audience. I could sense that you were listening with all your hearts, and as I received your heartbeats and thoughts, it felt as if we were playing the drum together. Through the vibrations of the drum, I felt as though the entire venue was connected as one.

I was also deeply moved by the sight of everyone reciting words of prayer for peace, and my heart trembled at the thought of the noble role you played and the power of those prayers. I am truly grateful that we were able to share such a wonderful time together.