The Japan Times PUBDATE: 12/20/20010 PAGE: 4 C M Y K OUTPUT TIME: 16:35:41

12/20/1910 / / PT JTE/PG 4/ED 1

4 THE JAPAN TIMES MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2010 (3)

Agon Shu One Peace Live

Agon Shu, Maya traditionunite with spiritual festivalDifferent religious cultures come together to pray for world peaceIt is hard to think of two religioustraditions as different as Agon ShuBuddhism and the ancient spirituality ofCentral America’s Maya people. Butdespite being separated by distance,history and language, they share a deepawareness of and reverence for theeternal sacred truths that all faiths hold incommon. And Agon Shu believers andfollowers of the Maya spiritual traditionare also united in their fervent desire forworld peace.

To express their common hope forpeace in this troubled world and to leadthe people of the Earth in a prayer for anend to war and strife, Rev. SeiyuKiriyama, the founder and president ofAgon Shu, and Maya Grand ElderAlejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj presidedover a unique and historic ceremony inKyoto on Nov. 7 that blended elements ofboth religious traditions.

The ceremony, called the One PeaceLive Aura Festival, was attended bythousands of Agon Shu members, a Mayadelegation from Guatemala and guestsfrom Japan and overseas in anamphitheater in the wooded hills east ofKyoto, where Agon Shu has its maintemple. Joining them in their prayer forglobal peace were people all over theworld, who were able to watch theceremony live via a streaming Internetbroadcast.

The word ‘‘aura’’ in the name of theevent refers to the spiritual lightemanating from those who walk andreach the Buddhist path of liberation. TheNov. 7 ceremony was the second AuraFestival for world peace held by AgonShu. The first took place in 1984 and sawHis Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama joinRev. Kiriyama in a historic ceremony atTokyo’s Budokan hall.

VisionsBoth Rev. Kiriyama and Don Alejandroreceived visions in the past that a timewould come when humanity would reacha critical crossroads, with one pathleading to destruction and another

leading to the fulfillment of humanity’sgreater destiny. The Maya spiritualtradition prophesizes that the currentworld era, which has lasted some 5,000years, will end soon, to be replaced by anew era. The prophecy says it’s up to us asmembers of the human race to ensure thisnew era is one of peace and harmony.Rev. Kiriyama and Don Alejandro sharethe goal of helping humanity choosewisely and mindfully in the critical stageof world history we are now entering.Their hope was that by holding the OnePeace festival together the two auras ofBuddhism and the Maya spiritualtradition would combine to create a singlemiracle: a new era of peace on Earth.

For those who aren’t familiar with thegroup, Agon Shu is a Buddhistorganization that provides spiritual aidand comfort to the souls of the departedand to help the living progress on the pathto self-realization in accordance withBuddhist precepts and beliefs. Theorganization is based on the AgamaSutras, which are the most ancient andthe only Buddhist teachings directly bythe Buddha, and it is from them Agon Shuderives its name.

Agon Shu was founded in 1978 by Rev.Kiriyama, who had spent several yearslooking for the ultimate truth with nosuccess. He finally realized that heneeded to get back to the source ofBuddhism and it dawned on him that theAgama Sutras, which tells of practices toachieve enlightenment as the Buddha haddone, were what he was looking for.

Today, Agon Shu is a community ofBuddhist followers with 73 institutes inJapan, 35 ordained priests, and nearly400,000 followers in Japan and thousandsmore overseas. In Buddhist terms, AgonShu’s believers and their spiritual leaderscomprise a community called a‘‘sangha,’’ which is one of the three mainelements found in all forms of Buddhism.The other two are the Buddha and thedharma. In the Agon Shu Buddhist faith,the Lord Buddha is the ultimate object ofworship. The dharma comprises theteachings and discipline or trainingmethods of the Buddha. In its teachingsand rituals, Agon Shu draws on the bestelements from Mahayana, Theravadaand Tibetan Buddhism, as well asincorporating elements from otherspiritual traditions such as Japan’sindigenous Shinto religion and Taoismfrom China, while centering on thetraining methods taught in the AgamaSutras. In contrast to Agon Shu’s annual‘‘Hoshi Matsuri’’ Fire Festival events,which feature two ‘‘gomadan’’ pyres, theOne Peace ceremony included just one,much smaller ‘‘gomadan’’ on one side ofthe amphitheater’s central enclosure,and a Maya circle several meters indiameter in which four small pyres ofsticks and other material had beenprepared. Behind the ‘‘gomadan’’ werecolorful images of Buddhas and a specialcanopied seat for Rev. Kiriyama, while alarge photo of a Maya pyramid formedthe backdrop for the Maya circle.

Colorful performanceThe ceremony began under a brightautumn sky with a lively and colorfulperformance by a troupe of dancers andmusicians from Sri Lanka. As three maledrummers pounded out a relentlesslyhypnotic beat, a female vocalist sang ahauntingly beautiful melody whileholding a tray of ritual offerings. Fourfemale dancers performed a slow andelegant dance, and then four flashilyattired male dancers entered the centralstage area and amazed the crowd with a

spectacular display of acrobatics,including a series of standing back-flipsthat caused jaws to drop in the audience.

A message from Sri Lankan PrimeMinister D.M. Jayaratne was thendisplayed on the big video screen behindthe ‘‘gomadan’’ pyre and the Maya circle:

‘‘I consider it a great privilege to issue afelicitation message on the invaluableoffering performed by Chief Monk ofJapan’s Agon Shu Nikaya Rev. SeiyuKiriyama together with Tribe Leader ofGuatemala for the promotion of worldpeace.

‘‘On behalf of the government of SriLanka, I wish Rev. Seiyu Kiriyamaexcellent health and hope he will be ableto spread the sacred Dhamma of LordBuddha and be able to build a harmonioussociety throughout the world.’’

Among the various messages ofsupport for the cause of world peace sentto the festival was one from Yigal Amedi,head of the Israeli Center of LocalGovernment Studies, Ramar GanCollege, Jerusalem, and former actingmayor of Jerusalem:

‘‘ ‘Seek peace and pursue it,’ says theJewish commandment from the Bible.Seek, meaning want it with all your heart.Pursue, means you need to work hard inorder to achieve it and endow it to others.I wish to convey my deepestcongratulations to Agon Shu for thisspecial occasion — One Peace Live.

‘‘My heart and the heart of my Israelifriends are filled with joy and pride beingpart of the Agon Shu family. I pray that

we can strengthen our connections andthat we shall be able to contribute ourmodest efforts to strive for world peace.Thank you from the bottom of ourhearts.’’

The international theme continued as agroup of musicians and dancers from theHimalayan nation of Bhutan took thestage. In contrast to the lively Sri Lankanperformance, the Bhutanese danced in astately and restrained style, as the gentlestrains of a flute, a hammer dulcimer anda traditional seven-stringed ‘‘dramyin’’lute. Gembo Dorji, of the CentralMonastic Body of Bhutan, also sent amessage wishing the festival success:

‘‘I would like to felicitate all patrons,members and participants attending theAura Festival of Agon-Maya FireCeremony scheduled on 7th Nov. 2010. Iwould also like to pay my respects to Rev.Seiyu Kiriyama and Hon. Grand ElderDon Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj forpresiding over this grand ceremony,destined to bring world peace and fostergood relationships between religiousorganizations.’’

Dragon dancersThe pace of the ceremony picked up againwith a rousing performance by a troupe of‘‘Ja-odori’’ dragon dancers fromNagasaki. Amid the vapors of dry ice andthe sound of clashing cymbals and gongs,the dancers paraded their dragon aroundthe stage. Adding to the excitement wasthe sharp, sudden sound of explodingfirecrackers.

After a video that profiled Rev.Kiriyama and highlighted his search forthe ultimate truth and the history of AgonShu, three members of the Mayadelegation blew long, low notes on ritualconch shells. They were answered byAgon Shu members blowing on their ownconch shells, in a unique exchange ofsounds from different religioustraditions, which symbolized theircommon sense of spirituality. Next was abrief musical interlude featuring theethereal New Age sounds by a group ledby Hiroki Okano, a Japanese composer,instrumentalist and producer.

All of this was a prelude to the entranceof several Agon Shu devotees carryingRev. Kiriyama on a wooden palanquin onthe stage. They were followed by thebrightly costumed Maya delegation, ledby Don Alejandro, who wore aspectacular headdress made of peacockfeathers.

He carried the Maya Staff of Authority,which is said to have the power of unifyingpeople’s souls and energy. In the Mayacalendar, Nov. 7 was 9 Kan, which has theenergy of Kulkulkan the FeatheredSerpent, making it a particularly goodday to fulfill the ceremony’s purpose.

Humanity’s futureRev. Kiriyama then delivered a speech inwhich he explained his vision ofhumanity’s future and the choices weface:

‘‘Some ethnic groups in the world saythat the human race is on the verge ofextinction. Some say that mankind will bewiped out by water and fire.

‘‘But I don’t think so. The human racewill not be extinguished. I believe humanswill continue to exist. There is only oneethnic group with the same idea. They arethe Maya people. That’s why I support theMaya people.

‘‘We are here to pray and celebrate oursurvival.’’

Don Alejandro then gave a speech inwhich he thanked Rev. Kiriyama andAgon Shu for making the day’s eventspossible. He also stressed the need forpeople of all faiths to join hands togetherin a prayer for peace as the world findsitself on the cusp of a new era in history.His speech was accompanied by a gentlemelody played on a large marimba anddrums.

‘‘To the spirits of heaven, earth, thisground filled with wisdom and water. Weare here to carry out our crucial mission.We are always following the way ourancestors have walked.

‘‘There are two paths in front of us. Oneleads to destruction and ruin. The otherway is the path followed by our ancestors.On the path, we respect our nature andpursue coexistence with it. The Earth isour mother and we are her children. Whydon’t we take the way to live together withnature without polluting the preciousEarth?

‘‘We, the Maya people, have come heretoday to become united with you allthrough the ritual of fire to be performednow. I believe in the eternal prosperity ofBuddhism, to which you belong, and theMaya people.’’

Don Alejandro then walked over towhere Rev. Kiriyama was sitting andembraced and shook hands with him. TheMaya spiritual leader then returned to hiscircle and paced around it in a uniquehalf-walking, half-hopping dance.

The eerie, hauntingly beautiful soundof ‘‘gagaku’’ ancient Japanese courtmusic suddenly filled the air and two

beautifully dressed Agon Shu dancersperformed a solemn ‘‘bugaku’’ dance tothe sound of ancient Japanese ‘‘gagaku’’court music. As the dancers entrancedthe audience, Rev. Kiriyama moved to hisspecial Lion’s Seat chair under a clothcanopy.

Prayers for peaceThis was followed by the lighting of AgonShu’s ‘‘gomadan’’ pyre. Agon Shumembers threw into the leaping flames‘‘gomagi’’ votive wooden tablets, ontowhich believers had inscribed theirnames and prayers for peace. Other AgonShu members then began chanting sutrasvigorously to the beat of ‘‘taiko’’ drums.

As Agon Shu’s fire rites reached acrescendo of activity, with flames leapingskyward from the ‘‘gomadan,’’ the Mayacelebrants stood at the edge of the circlearound their four pyres, waiting for themost auspicious moment to set themalight. Brandishing a long torch, DonAlejandro lit candles in the center of eachpyre, which represented the four basicelements of the world. The Maya thenknelt in front of the four pyres as theygradually merged into a single blaze. Assome celebrants carefully tended theflames, others threw flower petals ofmany colors into the audience frombaskets they carried around their waists.

‘‘It’s very spectacular,’’ said Americanlawyer Matt Digby. ‘‘I’m very impressedby their (the Maya’s) rituals. And themusic is wonderful. It’s a unique andinteresting combination of faiths andrituals.’’

The Agon Shu and Maya pyres burningin tandem was an apt symbol of thecoming together of the two spiritualtraditions’ auras. To cement the tiesbetween the two faiths, Rev. Kiriyamaand Don Alejandro signed the JointDeclaration for World Peace by theLiving Maya and Agon Shu:

‘‘Friends, once again humanity hasreached a fork in the road, a time ofcritical choice. Which way do we choose?The blocked and crumbling road ofmaterial civilization? Or, the road ofspirituality and wisdom, leading to abright and shining future?

‘‘Humankind, right now, for each andevery one of you, the most essential thingis to awaken your innate spirituality, andthus enable the wisdom of divine beingsand the insight of the Buddha to realize

Peace on Earth.‘‘Friends, now is the time to rouse your

spirit! Then, with greater insight, we canopen the path to a bright and promising21st century.’’

Work of the spiritAsked how Agon Shu and representativesof the Maya spiritual tradition came intocontact, Don Alejandro’s wife, ElizabethAraujo, said simply, ‘‘It’s the work of thespirit.’’

Araujo added: ‘‘You see the bigaudience here — it’s a full house. And theyhave all come here looking for strength

and spirituality, and that’s proof thatthere is a big call for people to worktogether for world peace. The essence (ofAgon Shu and the Maya tradition) is thesame.’’

The ceremony ended on a happy,celebratory note as the performers fromSri Lanka and Bhutan, as well as othersattending the festival, joined the Maya ina circle dance around the pyre. It was awonderful and literally heartwarmingillustration of how people of differentfaiths and backgrounds are comingtogether at the dawn of a new era in theplanet’s history.

Joining hands: Rev. Kiriyama and Don Alejandro sign the Joint Declaration for World Peace by the Living Maya and Agon Shu,cementing the ties between the two faiths.

Alight: Maya Grand Elder Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj, with the Maya Staff ofAuthority, lights four Maya pyres representing the four basic elements of the world.

In unison: Flames leap skyward from Agon Shu’s ‘‘gomadan’’ pyre while Agon Shu members chant sutras to the beat of ‘‘taiko’’drums at the One Peace Live Aura Festival, jointly held by Agon Shu and a Maya delegation from Guatemala, in Kyoto inNovember.

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Reverence: Rev. Seiyu Kiriyama, the founder and president of Agon Shu, watchesthe ceremony from his special Lion’s Seat chair under a cloth canopy.