Nikkyo Niwano - Nikkyo Niwano

A religious leader and the first president of Rissho Kosei-kai. His former name was Shikazo, and his art name was Etsusen. He was the second son of farmer Jukichi Niwano of Suganuma, Tokamachi, Nakauonuma-gun, Niigata Prefecture (now Tokamachi City). During his childhood, his grandfather and his elementary school principal taught him to be a person who would benefit others and to respect the gods and Buddhas, which he followed unconditionally. He became interested in religious things from around the age of 23, and after learning about the Rokuyo (six days), the Seven Gods, name studies, and immovable faith, he visited Arai Sukenobu, the branch chief of Reiyu-kai, when his second daughter became ill, and joined the organization on the same day. He studied the Lotus Sutra under Arai. In 1938 (Showa 13), he founded the Dai Nippon Rissho Kosei-kai (now Rissho Kosei-kai) with Naganuma Myoko. As chairman, he was always at the forefront of missionary work, and in 1965 (Showa 40), he met with Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council. After that, he played an active role as a leader of the World Conference of Religions for Peace to realize world peace based on the mission of spreading the Lotus Sutra. At the United Nations Special General Assembly on Disarmament, he appealed for the abolition of nuclear weapons as a representative of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In 1979, he was awarded the Templeton Prize, known as the "Nobel Prize of the religious world." In 1991 (Heisei 3), he handed over the position of chairman to his eldest son, Nichiko (1938- ), and became the "founder."

[Hiroyuki Oshima June 19, 2018]

"Rissho Kosei-kai, ed., 'Niwano Nikko Sermon Collection,' 8 volumes (1978-1983, Kosei Publishing)" ▽ "Niwano Nikko, 'My Resume,' (1982, Nihon Keizai Shimbun)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宗教家、立正佼成会(りっしょうこうせいかい)初代会長。旧名鹿蔵(しかぞう)、画号越仙。新潟県中魚沼郡十日町大字菅沼(すがぬま)（現、十日町市）の農業庭野重吉(じゅうきち)の次男。幼少年期に祖父と小学校長より「人様のためになる人間になれ」「神仏を敬(うやま)え」と教えられ無条件で守る。23歳ころから宗教的なものに興味を抱き、六曜(ろくよう)・七神、姓名学、不動信仰を経て、次女の病が機縁で霊友会支部長新井助信(あらいすけのぶ)を訪ね即日入会した。同氏に師事し『法華経(ほけきょう)』を学ぶ。1938年（昭和13）長沼妙佼(ながぬまみょうこう)と「大日本立正交成会」（現、立正佼成会）を創立。会長としてつねに布教の先頭にたち、1965年（昭和40）第二バチカン公会議で教皇パウルス6世と会見、以後『法華経』弘法(ぐほう)の使命に基づく世界平和実現のため「世界宗教者平和会議」の主導者として活躍した。国連軍縮特別総会では、非政府組織（NGO）の代表として核兵器廃絶を訴えた。1979年「宗教界のノーベル賞」といわれるテンプルトン賞受賞。1991年（平成3）、会長位を長男の日鑛(にちこう)（1938―　）に譲り、「開祖」となった。

［大島宏之　2018年6月19日］

『立正佼成会編『庭野日敬法話選集』全8巻（1978～1983・佼成出版社）』▽『庭野日敬著『私の履歴書』（1982・日本経済新聞社）』

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