Nikkyo Niwano (庭野日敬: Niwano Nikkyō) (1906 - 1999) was the founder and first president of the Japanese Buddhist religious movement, Risshō Kōsei Kai.
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Born on November 15, 1906 to farmers, Nikkyo had a humble life in a small town. Later in his youth he moved to Tokyo to work and it was here that he began to study several different religions. During his studies he attended a sermon on the Lotus Sutra and he became a Buddhist. Daniel Montgomery quotes Dharma World,(December 1980,4):
"It was because of the guidance of my teacher Sukenobu Arai, that I became fond of the Sutra, threw myself into it, and made it part of me. Until then I had gone from one religion to another; each had its power to save, but they were like coarse nets through which many fish could slip. The ecstacy of discovering this made me want to shout and sing and dance for joy"[1]
Mr. Niwano and Mrs. Myoko Naganuma founded a Buddhist lay movement, which they called, Risshō Kōsei Kai in 1938. The purpose of the group was to help people through charitable work, the Buddha's teachings and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Nikkyo traveled the world visiting many religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II. He attended numerous religious and cultural conferences and gathers, some which include the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace and the 6th WCRP in Italy. He presided over the WCRP alongside Pope John Paul II. He resigned as President in November 1991 and was succeeded by his eldest son.
In 1979 he was awarded the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion. In 1992 he was made a Knight Commander with the Silver Star of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by the Vatican. In 1993 Mr. Niwano was awarded the Interfaith Medallion from the International Council of Christians and Jews. Fire in the Lotus (a Book by Daniel Montgomery) quotes that "no Buddhist leader in the World has become more widely known or showered with honours than him." [1]
Nikkyo Niwano died on October 4, 1999. While many people around the world regard him with the highest respect, some criticized the large fortune that he left behind as a sign of him being un-Buddhist. However, in general he is regarded by most as a good man.
| Preceded by none |
President of Rissho Kosei-kai March 5, 1938–November 15, 1991 |
Succeeded by Nichiko Niwano |
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   | Biography of Nikkyo Niwano - Biography of the Late Founder Nikkyo Niwano |
| | Obit of leader - Buddhist icon left 3 billion yen estate | The Japan Times Online |
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