Closing

In a live address, Masami Saionji expressed her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who took part in this year’s ceremony, and all those who made the event possible:

I am in tears, feeling the connection with all of you from here at Fuji Sanctuary. What makes all this possible is our history—the past and present directors, staff, and all the prayer colleagues of Byakko Shinko Kai. All of you—each one of you—have made it possible to create this video presentation and hold this live stream event today. It couldn’t have happened if not for all of you.

The prayer colleagues of Byakko have dedicated their lives to prayer. They have been offering prayers, expressing gratitude, forming the INs, and more. All of these teachings and tools were given to us in different circumstances. This is such an important movement, in which we have all come together to awaken to our divine essence. And now, the time has come for a new beginning.

I appreciate all of you dearly. Thank you so much for joining us today. You have given me so much power and encouragement. I will be taking this energy around the world with me and spreading it, and I extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for supporting me in this work.

Following this closing address, the message from Nimo Patel and his music video “Prayer” were played once again, for those who might not have seen it before the start of the program. After the video from Nimo, the Saionji family appeared on screen to give final words of thanks:

We have come to the closing of the 16th Symphony of Peace Prayers. We would once again like to thank all of the prayer leaders for leading us in their beautiful prayers. We would like to thank James Twyman and Nimo for their wonderful music. And lastly, we would like to thank everyone who has participated in today’s SOPP through the internet, and to all those around the world who have offered their prayers for peace. Thank you so much.