Please look at the photograph over there.

It shows go-honzon in the center of the altar with portraits on both sides. Rissho Kosei-kai FounderNikkyoNiwano is on the left and Cofounder Myoko Naganuma is on the right.

September 10th is Mrs. Naganuma's memorial day. It has been 47 years since she died and there are few people today who knew her. As one of those few, I want to tell you about her. Mrs. Naganuma was known to everyone as "Myoko-sensei".

There are several characteristics in her great life and the practice of the Dharma. I will introduce you briefly to them in turn.
First, it is generally said that her life was really "a life of compassion",
Jihi no shogai.

She was very compassionate person. The profundity of her thoughtfulness toward others was quite exceptional. It ranged from children in kindergarten to elderly people in homes for aged. Every year at Christmas, she visited several homes of aged and presented gifts one by one to many lonely aged people, understanding their thinking.

She lost her baby soon after its birth and never had another child of her own. After she gained knowledge of the Lotus Sutra, she directed her affection to the children of the Dharma? all members of the Sangha.

Founder Niwano once reminisced:

"Myoko-sensei was always thinking of others and devoted herself fully to the faith. She thought of nothing but the Dharma."

The Second characteristic of her life was her devotion? with her whole self? to the Buddha's teaching.

Myoko-sensei was guided to the Lotus Sutra by Founder Niwano in 1935. When Rissho Kosei-kai was founded, Founder Niwano was in his thirties and Myoko-sensei was already well over forty. They traveled everywhere on guidance work.

Myoko-sensei was a short woman who usually wore Japanese kimono and the wooden clogs called geta. When their destination was far, the Founder would give her a ride on the luggage carrier of his bicycle. A day of visiting might cover more than 30 houses with spiritual guidance offered to some 20-odd people.

Founder Niwano once recalled:

“If a full day of walking and cycling in the cold wind had exhausted me, how much more tiring must it have been for a woman seventeen years my senior.

“Her legs were so chilled and numbed by the cold that for a short while she could neither stand nor walk. After a time had passed, she rose and, with a smile that a mother might give her child, said she was better and apologized for having detained me".

The third characteristic of her life was that Myoko-sensei was interfaith oriented.

Let me briefly tell you about Myoko-sensei's upbringing.

She was born in 1889 as the sixth daughter of Asajiro Naganuma, who came from an old family in Saitama Prefecture. When she was 6, her mother passed away. Her childhood was difficult, particularly when her father suffered financial reverses and lost their large home and most of his other property.

The whole family had to move into a nearby temple for some time. The chief priest of the temple taught her as a child to respect her ancestors.

The message sank in? deeply.

Myoko-sensei later guided that chief priest to the Lotus Sutra and brought him into Rissho Kosei-kai. Among her older sisters was one who followed the Tenrikyo faith for many years. Yet when she was about to die, it is said that she asked Myoko-sensei, "Please recite the Lotus Sutra. Soothe my soul with the Lotus Sutra."

Decades later, top leaders of Tenrikyo visited Founder Niwano at Daiseido, the Great Sacred Hall in Tokyo. They asked then Chief Director Naganuma about Myoko-sensei's Tenrikyo faith in her early days.

Tenrikyo is a sectarian Shinto Group with which Rissho Kosei-kai has very friendly relations for several decades, through such religious cooperative efforts as WCRP-- the World Conference of Religion for Peace.

The fourth characteristic of Myoko-sensei's life was Divine Revelation.

When Rev. Niwano was traveling in many countries for activities related to WCRP, he would from time to time reflect on the co-founder.

One such recollection was about a divine revelation which had come to her that "The truth and spirit of the Lotus Sutra will spread over all the world through Rissho Kosei-kai's efforts."

As many of you know, 20 years ago the World Congress of IARF -- the International Association for Religious Freedom -- was held here at Rissho Kosei-kai Headquarter.

During the program, there was a Prayer Service for World Peace and 800 leaders of various religions, including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Shinto, Islamic and Shikh from many countries, entered the main hall of Daiseido led by Founder Niwano.

The Lotus Sutra was chanted as a "Prayer for Eternal" and devotions were offered by representatives of each religion in their own languages.

Seven thousand leaders of all Rissho Kosei-kai churches in Japan filled other floors of the huge hall to watch the service.

They all were excited and many said later: "Founder Niwano led the world"

“All foreign participants looked as the Bodhisattvas who spring up from the ground,"

After returning home, Mrs. Nozaki, a local diocese head, told me on the phone in excitement:

“In 1945, soon after World War Two was over, Tokyo was in ruins because of bombing. In a tiny headquarters, where I went from my home in Ibaragi for the first time, Myoko-sensei told us about the divine revelation.

“It was quite unbelievable. I even thought she was insane. Four decades later, I was able to see with my own eyes, in my lifetime, that what Myoko-sensei said was not false.This deep emotion is beyond description."

For the last 10 years Rissho Kosei-kai has annually sponsored International Conferences on Lotus Sutra .

“When we began," Dr. Gene Reeves says, "very little attention was being given to the Lotus Sutra in America, either by those teaching Buddhism in colleges and universities or by theologians interested in Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

“Our little conferences have contributed to changing that situation. This was evident, for example, when I participated in the Parliament of the World Religions held in South Africa in 1999. Nine thousand religious leaders and scholars attended.

“On one panel, four of the five people participating brought the Lotus Sutra into their presentations in one way or another. All four had participated in one of our international conferences."

It seems, we, IBC, are also on the road to achieve the goal of the revelation.

The fifth characteristic of her life was that Myoko-sensei dispensed her severe guidance with compassion.

Myoko-sensei used to say, "Use harsh words when you must, but then buy the person a cup of sake."

What she meant was, "Encourage people even when you're criticizing them." In her own life she was forever considerate, even when her words had to be severe.

Many times she admonished leaders of the organization for their poor attitudes. Because of her gentle and generous manner, however, they responded by pledging greater determination and diligence to the Dharma.

Rev. Niwano said, "There aren't many like Myoko-sensei: Who else can teach so much good by scolding?" Her generosity was not always accompanied by strong words. Early on, when she was working as a vendor of roasted sweet potatoes, she would sometimes delight a young laborer who would regularly come into her shop by saying, "After sweating so much you need a glass of water."

Then he would be more delighted still when he put the glass to his lips; it would be sake! She loved to bring a smile to the face of others. It was an expression of her appreciation.

Rev. Niwano has said, "After she entered the religious life, needless to say such perceptiveness found its true fulfillment."

I saw Myoko-sensei last in February, 1957, when she made her very last dissemination tour to Fuji church.

It was a fine day. Mount Fuji stood clear behind the church building.

After her sermon was over, she came out and I took a photograph because I was covering the news as a reporter of the Kosei Newspaper.

It shows Myoko-sensei with the look quite that ofｃompassionate mother.

This photograph has been enlarged to 6 feet high and 4 feet wide and placed at the main entrance of the Great Sacred Hall on the day of memorial service for many years. I was very happy to see that. I was given so much precious guidance by Myoko-sensei. This photograph may be a small reward for all her help.

For further information about Myoko-sensei, I refer you to Lifetime beginner, the autobiography of Founder Niwano; My father, My teacher, by President NichikoNiwano, and Reminiscences of Founder Nikkyo Niwano by me.

They are available in English either on books published by Kosei Publishing Co. and /or installed on the Web at the Rissho Kosei-kai home page.

Thank you very much, it has been a pleasure talking about a great leader I knew.