Nichiko Niwano

Nichiko Niwano
Rev. Niwano and Mrs. Niwano in 2008
Born	March 20, 1938 Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	President of Rissho Kosei-kai
Known for	Leader of Rissho Kosei-kai
Term	November 15, 1991-Present
Predecessor	Nikkyo Niwano
Successor	Kosho Niwano designated successor
Religion	Buddhist
Spouse	Ayako Kakeba Niwano (married 1967)
Children	4 daughters
Parents	Nikkyo Niwano (father) Sai Niwano (mother)

Nichiko Niwano (born 1938) is the eldest son of Risshō Kōsei Kai founder Nikkyo Niwano, and the current President of Risshō Kōsei Kai.

Early life

Nichiko was born on March 20, 1938 to Nikkyo Niwano and his wife Naoko, just a few weeks after his father had founded Risshō Kōsei Kai. In 1958 Nichiko was enrolled in the Faculty of Buddhist Studies at Rissho University. In 1960 he was named the successor to his father. After Nichiko graduated from the university's Graduate School in 1968, he was appointed head of the Dissemination Department and president of the Risshō Kōsei Kai seminary.^[1] In 1967 he married Ayako Kakeba. They have four daughters.

Presidency

In 1960 Nichiko was chosen to succeed his father as president. He did so on his father's 85th birthday, November 15, 1991. Since his inauguration he has overseen the expansion of Risshō Kōsei Kai. He travels to various Risshō Kōsei Kai centers, within Japan and in other nations, delivering lectures and sermons. Nichiko Niwano has written several books, including My Father, My Teacher (1989), The Inward Path (1990), and Modern Meditations (1991). He continued his father's legacy of interfaith work, and is currently serving as President of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, and as Chairman of Shinshuren.^[1] He regularly attends interfaith gatherings.

Quotes

• "Self-obsessed, filled with desire, driven by ego needs, we lose sight of the most beautiful things in life."
• "We tend to judge others on the basis of prejudice, emotion, or self-interest."
• "Modern society demands quick results, which diminishes our ability to persevere and to tolerate hardship."
• "Excessive reliance on modern conveniences makes people less tolerant of delays or difficulties. Patience is a virtue we should strive to acquire."
• "We are not born into this world through our own efforts. Our parents are the direct cause of our birth. If we pursue the matter further, we realize that we have received life through the supreme activity of the fundamental power of the universe. Nevertheless, we tend to think we have come as far as we have in life through our own efforts. As long as we are convinced of that, it is difficult for us to feel humble; but such thinking is shallow and lazy."
• "We are grateful for everything--for each day we live, for life itself. There is no greater privilege than being born human. Unfortunately, we usually forget this."
• "The first principle of Buddhism is to revere with a warm heart and a flexible mind all things that have life. For that, it is essential to recognize the truth of transience." Thus he teaches members that they should become aware of the value and wonder of life.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://rk-world.org/presidentniwano.aspx

External links

• Official Site of Risshō Kōsei Kai
• Profile of President Nichiko Niwano
• Variant Profile of President Nichiko Niwano, with other photos

Buddhist titles
Preceded by Nikkyo Niwano	2nd President of Rissho Kosei-kai November 15, 1991–Current	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Myoko Naganuma	2nd Vice President of Rissho Kosei-kai 1960–1991	Succeeded by Kosho Niwano

Persondata
Name	Niwano, Nichiko
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 20, 1938
Place of birth	Japan
Date of death
Place of death