Opening
The 2024 Symphony of Peace Prayers began at 11am Japan time on May 19. The live-stream broadcast opened with beautiful scenes from around the world, then shifted to a collage of images from past SOPP ceremonies, which all came together to form an image of planet Earth. From there, participants were welcomed by Byakko Deputy Chairperson Yuka Saionji and Vice Chairs Maki Saionji and Rika Saionji, and then heard remarks from Byakko President Tomohiko Naya and Chairperson Masami Saionji.
Yuka Saionji
Welcome to the 20th Symphony of Peace Prayers. I was so deeply moved watching the past twenty years of our history together. It has all been made possible by our prayer colleagues, who believed in this worldview and have created a safe, peaceful space for many others to join in and create this Symphony of Peace Prayers.
We have been praying for world peace—beyond any religion, faith, or belief. We have been sending out peace prayers to each and every country of the world. This is one melody, or sound, but because of so many people who have joined us and worked together to create this SOPP, it really has become a symphony.
Looking back at the twenty years of our history, we are so deeply grateful to all the prayer leaders, to all the guest speakers, to all the artists, and to you who have participated and joined in this beautiful symphony. We hope to share our gratitude in this event today.
Also, we hope to move more and more toward creating a symphony—beyond nations and beyond religion—a symphony that can be shared amongst the whole universe. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Maki Saionji
Twenty years ago, Masami Saionji started the SOPP, a gathering where we connect through peace prayers from various religions. For the past twenty years, we have experienced peace prayers from different religions, led by wonderful prayer leaders.
As a result of this accumulation of prayers, I am now convinced that the vibrations and energy emitted by peace prayers are gentle and sublime. Each religion has different expressions and rituals, and if we focus on these visible aspects, we can easily find differences. However, when we connect with the vibrations and energy behind the prayers, I feel that every prayer has the power to elevate our consciousness, connecting us to our source—our divine spark.
This year again, we have beautiful prayers from various religions around the world. I look forward to connecting with everyone through the prayers of various religions. Thank you very much.
Rika Saionji
Hello, my name is Rika Saionji. Thank you for joining in the 2024 SOPP. As I have been praying for the peace of the world beyond all religious differences, I have come to sense prayers beyond words—prayers that are heard from nature, the spirit of all living creation. I am so thankful for being able to deepen the power of prayer in this era. Thank you so much for participating in our 20th annual SOPP today.
Welcoming address
Tomohiko Naya, President of Byakko Shinko Kai
Thank you very much for joining in today’s Symphony of Peace Prayers (SOPP) from various parts of Japan and the world via YouTube.
This year marks the 20th SOPP since the first event was held in 2005 at the outdoor venue of Fuji Sanctuary. I would like once again to express my deepest gratitude to all the religious and spiritual leaders, guests, members, and other participants who have made their precious prayers resonate throughout the world as a symphony of peace over the past 20 years.
The SOPP, a groundbreaking event in the long history of humankind, has been held in cooperation with global links around the world, centering on Fuji Sanctuary. Year by year the SOPP has been expanding the circle of connections among all who support it, along with many peace-loving religious and spiritual leaders. Now, as we turn our eyes to the world, we can see that the SOPP has truly become a global event.
In today’s world, so many people are forced to live amidst the ravages of war. When I think of the harrowing lives these people are forced to lead, I am reminded that these are not distant events happening in a distant world. Also, the artificial destruction of the natural environment, and the suffering arising from natural disasters and calamities, make us realize that even if we eliminated all wars, that alone would not lead to a truly peaceful world. When I think of the dangers looming over the future of humankind, I am keenly aware that we must go back to the basics and think about a world in which we can live in peace.
The human existence transcends all differences in culture, ethnicity, and religion, and our lives are sustained within great nature as one part of the earthly world. I believe that we are now called upon to mutually recognize and respect each other’s lives while aiming toward true peace. I believe that we are now living in an era in which human beings are starting to remember the essential qualities of love, compassion, and generosity which are condensed within our innate sacred nature—our divine spark.
I believe that “prayer” is what emanates from our sacred divine spark, and today is a wonderful opportunity for us to share a moment in which each of our divine sparks can be fully expressed. I sincerely hope that through the prayers of all religions and spiritual traditions, we will be able to create a symphony of peace-loving prayers that co-resonates with the sacredness within each one of us, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the religious and spiritual leaders who are guiding us and connecting us with the prayers of their faiths.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been praying daily for world peace and supporting this event both spiritually and materially, as well as all those who have expressed their agreement with the SOPP and gathered together today.
I offer my deepest gratitude to each one of you, and I sincerely hope that together, we will create a Symphony of Peace Prayers that will serve as one step forward on the path toward a world in which all lives live together in peace.
Welcoming Address
Masami Saionji, Chairperson of Byakko Shinko Kai
This year marks the 20th Symphony of Peace Prayers. We have reached this milestone thanks to the earnest prayers offered by our members and friends throughout this journey. The collective power of your prayers has created the SOPP for the past 20 years.
We are also deeply grateful to the religious and spiritual leaders who represented their faiths and offered their prayers, the distinguished guests who shared wonderful messages, and the musicians who played beautiful music and sang. Truly, many individuals have made this miracle possible. Each scene flashes before me like a revolving lantern.
Looking back on the early days of the SOPP, at first it was a bit of a challenge to find religious leaders who wished to join in and offer their prayers. And so, from among our membership and their networks, one by one we were gradually able to invite representatives from various faiths and spiritual traditions. I will never forget those precious origins. At that time, many did not have a clear image of what the SOPP was about, or of the underlying significance of gathering religious leaders to offer their prayers together. Even so, they supported the aims of the SOPP and paved the way with us. Whenever I think of those good-hearted individuals my heart overflows with gratitude.
As the years passed, the Symphony of Peace Prayers continued to gain widespread understanding, and more and more ceremonies were held around the world. In 2013, an SOPP was held at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. With each small, steady step, the stream of SOPPs grew into a great creative wave. This is always the case with our work. For example, the movement of peace poles bearing the words ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth,’ carefully planted one by one by peace-loving individuals like yourselves, has by now spread across the globe, with over 200,000 peace poles now standing in a great variety of places. Likewise, thanks to your dedicated efforts, the Symphony of Peace Prayers has steadily blossomed throughout its 20-year history.
Each time a SOPP is held, even in pounding rain or harsh winds, my heart is filled with pride and happiness to see our members seated in the outdoor prayer field, praying the prayers of various faiths. And during the flag ceremony, the sight of the young people serving as flag bearers, entering the field from all directions to the sound of stately music, is unforgettable. Time and time again I have seen our event guests burst into tears upon seeing this noble sight, and many instinctively joined their hands in prayer. I think it was a moment that sparked the natural reawakening of each person’s essential divine nature.
In this way, I have been supported by many members, and I am deeply grateful for it as I have lived up to today.
I believe that after 20 years, this accumulation of SOPP ceremonies has brought us to a new stage. It is the era I have always talked about, where everyone transcends differences in nationality, ethnicity, ideology and religion, and connects with each other by means of their innate divine spark. Now it is time for us to create an era where all superficial divisions vanish, and where we see each other as sacred beings.
No matter what challenges we may face or how disillusioned we may have become with the human race, it is essential to continue seeing and believing in the divine spark within people, and to keep bringing it forth. People who can do this are urgently needed at this time.
It is the strength and love of all the prayer colleagues that enable us to accomplish this. Indeed, each and every prayer colleague—including those who, like me, have entered their elder years—continues to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to prayer and offering at their own homes. Their dedication constantly flashes through my mind like a montage.
I feel certain that the SOPP serves as a workplace for individuals like you to create a new momentum, inspiring countless others and having a profound impact on their hearts. From this sacred land of Fuji Sanctuary, let us continue radiating the light of peace and the sacred divine spark of humanity, now and throughout the future.
And so, let us now begin the 2024 Symphony of Peace Prayers. May peace prevail on Earth.