Praying with the Religions of the World

Praying with the Religions of the World

Byakko Vice-Chairperson Maki Saionji then introduced the first core program of the SOPP, Praying with the Religions of the World. This unique program brings together prayer leaders from different faiths and spiritual traditions to lead participants in prayers for peace from their own traditions, in a powerful show of interfaith harmony and unity.

“This year’s theme is ‘Musubi,’ representing our deep bond and sacred connection,” Maki announced. “Each religious leader will share a message. In each of their messages, you will find deep wisdom that helps us to stay connected to our divine spark while respecting and living in harmony with the diversity of living beings on earth.”

Prayer leaders from six world religions offered messages and peace prayers, followed by a message and prayer from Byakko Chairperson Masami Saionji. Each prayer leader recorded their message and prayer in advance, in their place of worship or at home. They first offered a prayer on their own, followed by an additional short prayer for all participants to pray together. Participants were invited to join in the last part of each prayer using the subtitles on screen.

Rev. Deborah Moldow (Christianity—Protestant)
Interfaith Minister (United States)

Message

Greetings, beloved peacemakers of Byakko Shinko Kai in Japan and around the world! The prayer ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ has lived like a light in my heart for more than thirty years now. So, I am delighted to offer a Christian perspective at today’s Symphony of Peace Prayers.

As an ordained Interfaith Minister, I have studied many religious traditions, finding the wisdom each one has to offer. As you may know, the word ‘musubi’ that is our theme today means ‘tying together.’ And the word ‘religion’ itself comes from the Latin word ‘religio,’ giving it the similar meaning of ‘to tie back’ or ‘to bind.’ So what are our religious traditions and musubi binding us to? I believe it is to the great mystery that is often known as God.

What I find special about Christianity is that it offers us God in human form in the person of Jesus, also called the Prince of Peace. Jesus is a personal form of God, different from the almighty Creator God of Judaism. Jesus can be a brother, a friend, a comfort and support. But there is much more. For Jesus is also a role model who can inspire each of us to bring forth the truth of our own divinity. And the base of that role model is what Jesus himself said: “I and my Father are One.” Imagine if we could live every day of our lives from that truth!

Yet there is even more! For Jesus, who performed many miracles and healings, said (according to John 14:12), “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” This affirms the divine spark within each of us that allows us to express our innate divinity, as equal children of God.

Now I would like to share a prayer for peace from Pope Francis.

Prayed by Rev. Moldow in English

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words ‘division,’ ‘hatred,’ and ‘war’ be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be ‘brother,’ and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen. 

Prayed by all participants in English

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace. (repeated three times)
(Romans 15:13)

 

Mr. Gil Ron-Shama (Judaism)
Musician and director of international peace-seeking projects (Israel)

Message

Shalom, everybody. Salam Alaikum.

These days are days of trouble and war in the Middle East, and I want to send, from here, a message of peace. You know, the differences between us human beings, this is the potential of our beauty. Each culture, and inherited customs, inherited religion, the different languages—this is a reason to come together, to get closer, to live in harmony and peace. We have tools for that—music and prayers and dance. I wish and I send from here, from my heart, intention for unity among all nations, to purify our heart and to find the beauty within each other. May peace prevail on Earth.

I want to say a prayer in Hebrew—my ancestors’ language, a very ancient language. This prayer is a priest’s blessing for peace in the universe.

Prayed by Mr. Ron-Shama in Hebrew and English

God will bless you and watch your path. God will light His face to you. God will shelter you within His heart and give you peace.
May the Lords, the Gods of heaven, teach us the path to peace. 

Prayed by all participants in Hebrew and Arabic

Peace, Peace, Peace
Peace be upon you,
Peace be upon you
Peace be upon you

 

Ms. Salima Maxine Adelstein, M.Ed., D.D. (Islam)
Co-President of the Marifa Foundation and the University of Sufism, United States

Message

Hi, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be with all of you, and I thank God for this opportunity to know the family that is putting this together, and for my visit to Fuji Sanctuary last year. May God continue to bless this family and the work they do. And may we continue to pray, ‘May peace prevail on Earth.’

I start my message to you today in the name of God, the most merciful, most compassionate—Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim. In my tradition, all human beings come from one source—from a ‘rahma,’ a womb of one love. Our holy scripture says: “Oh, you people, Be conscious of who created you from one breath.”

This is a breath of compassion, of love, of mercy. Our Lord, our sustainer, sent every nation a messenger. Over 124 messengers to everyone, everywhere, making no differences and no separations. That message is one of peace, of love, of mercy, of justice, of freedom, and beauty.

From the vertical, we seek our guidance, our light, our unconditional love from the Most High. We gain our strength and support from God—from the Divine—and then we cleanse and purify our own hearts of any places of separation, of hurt, of anger, so that we can carry these divine qualities—so we can want for our brothers and sisters what we want for ourselves.

Which brings us to the horizontal manifestation of the vertical source of unity. Our hearts are like mirrors that sometimes can get rusty through the trials and tribulations of our daily lives. It’s through our spiritual practices that we wash and purify, seek forgiveness for the mistakes that we make, allow our hearts to be cleansed through God’s love and mercy, and allow ourselves to reflect the beauty of our light and our love, so we can share that with each other and see the beauty and the love within each other—that spark of divinity that Fuji Sanctuary talks about. So, we share and care for one another.

Our holy book (the Quran) says, “We were created in different tribes and nations to know each other…” Think about that—to know each other. Not to fight with each other, not to argue with each other, but to know each other. My prayer is that we know each other.

And the rest of this [quote] is: “…and the best of those are the ones who do good works.” So let us continue to do good works—good works for the world, good works for our heart, and good works for each other. Thank you.

My prayer is a prayer that’s known as the Light Prayer. Please take a moment to put your hand on your heart. Feel the deep love, the deep beauty, that divine spark within you—the light that you carry that got placed inside your heart. This prayer is a powerful reminder of the importance of seeking guidance and enlightenment in all aspects of our lives. May it take all your worries and fears, and may it fill your heart with peace and love.

Prayed by Ms. Adelstein in English

Oh Allah, I pray. Please place light in our heart. And upon our tongue, light. And within our ears, light. Light in our sight. Place light in our right hand, and light in our left hand. And light above us, and light beneath us. Light in front of us, and light behind us. Light in our bones, and light in our blood. O Lord, increase the light within us. Bestow upon us light. And illuminate us with wisdom and guidance. Make this light shine out to the world, bringing peace and love and beauty to all. Amen.

Prayed by all participants in Arabic and English

Oh Allah You are the Peace
And from You comes the Peace
Give us Peace
Blessed art Thou the most High
O Lord of majesty and bounty.
(prayed three times: the first time for ourselves and our family, the second time for our community and nation, and the third time for our world)

 

Rev. Suzue (Shintoism)
Associate Priest at Ono Hachiman Shrine (Japan)

Message

Hello everyone, my name is Suzue. I would like to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the SOPP for the first time.

I serve as Associate Priest at Ono Hachiman Shrine. Having grown up in a shrine environment from a young age, I naturally absorbed the traditional Japanese way of life—our ancestral customs, the connections we hold with those who came before us, the relationship between nature and humanity, and a deep sense of gratitude for the invisible world.

I have engaged in composing and singing songs for over twenty years as a singer. For me, singing is prayer. Prayer becomes song. Song is prayer itself. Although it may be unexpected, may I offer you a song before we begin our prayer?

The song is titled “Nakaima” (The Eternal Present). ‘Nakaima’ refers to the present moment that exists within the flow of past, present, and future. It is the ‘now’ where the vertical and horizontal axes meet—the life passed down from our ancestors that continues to exist here, and the connections we share with those living in this same era. When our lives overlap—not leaning to the right or left, nor rising or falling—there is only the moment of now, the ‘Nakaima.’ With respect and blessings for each and every life, may we walk a path not of conflict but of coexistence. With this song, I would like to offer a heartfelt prayer for living fully in this present moment, and for peace throughout the world.

Prayed by Rev. Suzue in Japanese

Harae-kotoba (prayer of purification)
Great and Revered Izanagi-no-Okami,
When you purified yourself at the sacred Awa-no-Kihara in Hinata, Tsukushi,
the Great Deities of Purification were born.
I humbly ask for your divine assistance:
If there are any misfortunes, sins, or impurities,
Please cleanse and purify them.
I respectfully ask this, as I stand in awe and reverence.

Nakaima
Music and lyrics by Suzue

Standing in the nakaima, between the past and future,
We accept both the pure and the impure, and move forward without judgment.
(Who’s that standing in back?)
(Crane and turtle rule together.)
By tracing back to our fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers,
We come to know the lives they passed on to us.
Protected by our ancestors and the eight million gods,
None of us are missing, for you are here.
Standing in the nakaima between the past and future,
We strip away our ego, so that only a clear heart remains.
(Who’s that standing in back?)
(Crane and turtle rule together.)
Through countless millennia, time has passed,
And the sacred spirits, bound by the umbilical cord, are treasured.
Protected by our ancestors and the eight million gods,
We live on, continually grateful for this very moment.
Standing in the nakaima between the past and future,
We accept every ‘now,’ and breathe.
Standing in the nakaima between the past and future,
We accept both the pure and the impure, and move forward without judgment.

The Principles of a Life of Reverence for the Divine
Prayed by Rev. Suzue in Japanese

Shinto is the eternal way of the heavens and the earth, and it is the foundation for cultivating noble spirits and establishing peace.
By revering the divine will and following the teachings of our ancestors, we strive to manifest the essence of the way and fulfill our mission to enhance the welfare of humanity.
Here, we proclaim these principles, clarify our direction, and pledge to practice them, with the goal of spreading the great way.

Prayed by all participants in Japanese

To give thanks for the divine grace and the blessings of our ancestors, and to diligently engage in rituals with sincerity, purity, and truth.
To serve for the good of the world and humanity, and to create and strengthen the world as messengers of the divine will.
To receive the great divine heart, fostering harmony and peace, and to pray for the prosperity of the nation and the coexistence and mutual prosperity of the world.

 

Mr. Shinjo Nohara (Buddhism)
Chief Priest of Kaizozan Ryuunji Temple (Japan)

Message

My name is Shinjo Nohara, and I serve as chief priest at Kaizozan Ryuunji Temple. I am deeply grateful to be able to share this precious sacred connection with you once again.

The theme of this year’s SOPP is to reexamine and reconstruct the workings of our vertical and horizontal connections. The vertical axis represents our connection with the Divine, while the horizontal axis signifies our connection with people and all beings.

In recent years, the wars and disasters that continue to spread throughout the world have plunged us into daily unease, seemingly without end. Needless to say, this situation causes deep anxiety in our hearts.

On the other hand, scientific and technological progress has been advancing at a remarkable pace. We may want to believe that such advancements could eventually bring an end to wars and disasters. However, in reality, these crises seem to be expanding more and more. Even nations and peoples who are currently uninvolved may eventually be caught up in these conflicts and tragedies. I feel that we are living at a time when such concerns are only deepening. Indeed, it is difficult for anyone not to feel a sense of anxiety in the current state of the world.

Yet at the same time, I believe that many of you—especially those from Byakko Shinko Kai who lead the SOPP each year, as well as we Buddhist practitioners and true spiritual leaders—may feel certain that there has never been a more profound and far-reaching opportunity to convey the true teachings of divine truth and the way of the Divine.

In other words, it is precisely because everyone is now living with anxiety and earnestly seeking true peace of mind that the time has come for universal truth to be sought and for authentic teachings of the Divine to be shared.

Furthermore, for those living with such deep anxiety, if they truly encounter the universal truth and are touched by the great divine love of the divinities, then wars, disasters, and even the many difficulties that arise from birth, aging, illness, and death will no longer be things to fear. I think that is why we must encounter this truth within the course of our lives.

Here at Ryuunji Temple, four octagonal peace poles stand, inscribed with prayers in 96 languages—languages that are recognized as official in 196 countries around the world. Truly, language is a horizontal bond that connects all beings, and prayer is the vertical power that links all of existence to the infinitely sacred source, transcending both joy and suffering to bring deep and abiding peace.

I believe that this essential teaching of vertical and horizontal interconnectedness is beautifully expressed in the Heart Sutra, which we will be chanting together today. It would be my sincere honor if you would join in this recitation once again. Thank you very much.

Prayed by Mr. Nohara in Sanskrit

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prajna parami ta, clearly saw that all five aggregates are empty and thus relieved all suffering. Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness, emptiness itself form.

Sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness are also like this. Shariputra, all dharmas are marked by emptiness; they neither arise nor cease, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease.

Therefore, given emptiness, there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of sight… no realm of mind consciousness.

There is neither ignorance nor extinction of ignorance; neither old age and death, nor extinction of old age and death; no suffering, no cause, no cessation, no path; no knowledge and no attainment. With nothing to attain, a bodhisattva relies on prajna parami ta, and thus the mind is without hindrance. Without hindrance, there is no fear.

Far beyond all inverted views, one realizes nirvana. All buddhas of past, present, and future rely on prajna paramita and thereby attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, know the prajna paramita as the great miraculous mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra, which removes all suffering and is true, not false. Therefore we proclaim the prajna paramita mantra, the mantra that says: “Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.”

Prayed by all participants in Japanese

Universal Transference of Merit
May this merit extend universally to all, so that we together with all beings realize the Buddha way.

 

Mr. Diego Boanerges Sandoval Torres (Hinduism)
Ecuador

Message

Dear sisters and brothers, warm greetings from the middle of the world—Cayambe, Ecuador. I am Diego Boanerges Sandoval Torres. It is a blessing for me to participate in this great event, the Symphony of Peace Prayers.

Prayer is a sincere conversation with the cosmic that is carried out from the bottom of our heart. Each word said must be embodied by each of our cells, in which devotion to the great being must be expressed with love and humility.

Through prayer, we awaken our Christ consciousness to connect with the Christ consciousness of our creator and become One with Him. This is how the Nazarene Jesus, the Christ, did.

Let us pray with faith, joy, and gratitude for the health and well-being of our loved ones, for material food but above all for spiritual food. Let us pray for the sick, for the neediest, and for those who think they are our enemies, so that the divine spark that lives within them awakens them into the divine light of love.

Now, let me share with you a prayer from the Indian master Paramahansa Yogananda called Prayer for Divine Communion.

Prayed by Mr. Torres in English

Father, Mother, Friend, Beloved God, may Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion, and may I be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts.
Through the portals of my soul, I will bring Thee, O Spirit, to dwell in the temple of my heart.
I will reason, I will will, I will act, but always direct Thou my reason, will, and activity to the right path.
I opened my eyes, and Thou wert within. I closed my eyes, and Thou wert within. Thou art within, and I am Thine.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

 Prayed by all participants in Sanskrit

Om, Om, Om, Om