Agon Shu's Goals
Kiriyama Kancho has been working tirelessly towards world peace.
At the age of three, he experienced the Great Kanto Earthquake and witnessed Koreans being murdered. The devastating shock from these events greatly affected his character and ideology. Likewise, he witnessed the Pacific War and personally experienced the tragedies war brings.
Kiriyama Kancho profoundly wishes for world peace more than anything else.
In April 1977, he held the Buddhist service in Palau for the victims and those who perished in the Pacific War. In May 1984, he held the “Aura Festival and Great Service and Prayer for World Peace” at Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo, together with the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. In June 1986, Kiriyama Kancho and the Agon Shu delegation went to China on a Japan-China friendship mission to hold a prayer for world peace in the city of Harbin with Chinese religious authorities. In April 1985, Kiriyama Kancho and the Agon Shu delegation visited the Vatican. He was granted a special audience with Pope John Paul II and held a joint prayer service with Catholics. In February 1988, Agon Shu invited His Eminence, Dr. Abdel Moneim El Nemr, to Kyoto for an Islam-Buddhist forum on world peace. As you can see, these events took place because of an ardent wish of Kiriyama Kancho and Agon Shu for world peace.
Kiriyama Kancho believes that true world peace must be promoted with a religion as its core.
You may then ask, “What kind of religion do we need now?”
He believes that a religion that simply preaches love (Christianity) and compassion (Buddhism) and appeals to people’s emotions cannot save the society in the future. It has to be a religion of wisdom that promotes people’s intelligence in order to save the earth from proceeding into disaster. Love, compassion and wisdom; these three elements as one will save the human race. That is what he truly believes.
April 1977
Kiriyama Kancho conducts a service in Palau for the victims and those who perished in the Pacific War.
May 1977
A service was held in Okinawa for those who perished in the war.
May 1984
The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and Kiriyama Kancho at the “Aura Festival and Great Service and Prayer for World Peace” at Nippon Budokan hall in Tokyo.
1986
Kiriyama Kancho and the Agon Shu delegation go to China on a Japan-China friendship mission to hold a prayer for world peace in the city of Harbin with Chinese religious authorities.
April 1985
Kiriyama Kancho meets with Pope John Paul II. He holds a joint prayer service at a Catholic church.
February 1988 Agon Shu invites His Eminence, Dr. Abdel Moneim El Nemr, to Kyoto for an Islam-Buddhist forum on world peace.