child strikes the a large, Japanese bell with a wooden mallet

A child rings the kansho at Hawaii Betsuin while minister’s assistant and service emcee Dexter Mar looks on. Photo by Ruth Tokumi.

On August 9, 2014, the Betsuin hosted the annual peace walk to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The event included a meditative walk around the temple campus with participants carrying lanterns. Each walker rang the kansho (temple bell) once, sending out an expression of peace, before reentering the main temple hall for the close of the service.

Aspiration and Reflection for Peace Walk 2014

The service included an aspiration by Bishop Eric Matsumoto. With the Bishop’s permission, we are including his remarks here as text so more are able to read and benefit from his words and selected quotations.

Bishop Eric Matsumoto

Bishop Eric Matsumoto, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii

Immeasurable Life and Infinite Light/Amida, as we gather for our Annual Peace Walk, on this 9th Day of August 2014, in the year of Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii’s 125th Anniversary, illumine our hearts and minds with Wisdom and Compassion.

As the UNESCO Preamble states: “…since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed; That ignorance of each other’s ways and lives… suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world… have all too often broken into war….”

Tonight, illumine us all, so we may be guided by an All-Inclusive Wisdom and All-Embracing Compassion which goes beyond each of our egos, whether it be our individual egos, our national egos, our religious egos and even our ego as humankind. Let us realize the interdependent nature of all life and all existence as shared by the metaphor of Indra’s Net and message of our friend the Two Headed Bird found in the Altar. Truly, we are all interconnected and interrelated and we each have a profound effect on one another. May we have mutual respect and appreciation of each other.

This year, we are fortunate to have the interfaith community join us to share in and express, this aspiration for world peace. It is the sincere hope of all participants of this Walk that it will bring more awareness, to more people, about world peace not only here in Hawaii, but throughout the world. Further, we realize that world peace begins with each one of us.

It is said:

  • “It is important for us put an eye of awareness into each of our thoughts.”
  • “Real peace must be based on insight and understanding, and for this we must practice deep reflection-looking deeply into each act and each thought of our daily lives.”
  • “With mindfulness-the practice of peace-we can begin by working to transform the wars in ourselves.”
  • “To prevent war, to prevent the next crisis, we must begin right now. When a war or crisis has begun, it is already too late.”
  • “If we nourish mindfulness every day and water the seeds of peace in ourselves and those around us, we have a good chance to prevent the next war and to defuse the next crisis.”
  • “If we work for peace out of anger, we will never succeed. Peace is not an end. It can never come about through non-peaceful means.”
  • “We have to listen to everyone, especially those we consider our enemies. When we show our capacity of listening and understanding, the other person will also listen to us…This is the beginning of healing.”
  • “You may think that the way to change the world is to elect a new president, but a government is only a reflection of society, which is a reflection of our own consciousness. To create fundamental change, we, the members of society, have to transform ourselves. If we want real peace, we have to demonstrate our love and understanding…”.

(From “Ahimsa: The Path of Harmlessness” by Venerable Thich Nhat Hahn.)

And so this evening, in the spirit of oneness, we gathered make our small attempt to nurture peace and harmony in ourselves and the world by participating in this Peace Walk in the spirit of the Buddhist monks who walked in the movie, “Gate” with the aspiration of world peace for all people of the world. We begin our Walk reflecting on the words of “The Golden Chain of Love” and the Metta Sutta.

May all life be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. All life, whether weak or strong, in high or middle or low realms of existence, small or great, visible or invisible, near or far, born or to be born. May all life be happy. Let none deceive another nor despise any life in any state; Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another. Even as a mother at the risk of her life watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all life, suffusing love over the entire world, above, below, and all around without limit; so let us cultivate an infinite goodwill toward the whole world.

Namo Amida Butsu/Entrusting in the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Infinite Light

A video slide show of the event by Ruth Tokumi with photos by Ruth and Rev. Tomo Hojo: