Rissho Kosei-Kai

Rissho Kosei-Kai (Engaged Buddhist Community), was founded in 1938 and now has a membership of six million. Its name means "Society for Righteousness and Friendship," and emphasizes both the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and everyday practice of those teachings.  As a lay organization, its members are not officially ordained monks and nuns, but are devoted to application of the teachings in their everyday lives. 

Though mainly a Japanese organization, Rissho Kosei-Kai has offices in Hawaii, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, as well as Sao Paulo, Brazil and Taipei, Taiwan.  The New York office actively works with Religions for Peace-USA.   

Rissho Kosei-Kai was founded by Nikkyo Niwano and Myokyo Naganuma.  Both were active in social services, such as disaster relief and peace activities.  Reverend Niwano is the founder of the Niwano Peace Prize, awarded by a committee consisting of Buddhists and other religious leaders.  Rev. Niwano was also one of the few non-Christian observers at the Second Vatican Council.  Unsurprisingly, Rissho Kosei-Kai is famed for its open-mindedness and emphasis on interreligious dialogue.  As Rev. Niwano put it, "All life springs from the same source, the universal truth. Thus all people belong to one family, transcending ethnic, religious, and national boundaries."  

A strong history of cooperation with other religious groups, NGOs, and the United Nations have always been a part Rissho Kosei-Kai’s activities.  It has brought together communities in Japan through the Brighter Society Movement of the 1960s, promoted the Donate A Meal campaign since 1974, and in 1978 established the Niwano Peace Foundation.  Rissho Kosei-Kai is also a part of the International Association for Religious Freedom, the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace, as well as the World Conference on Religion and Peace.  In fact, Rev. Nichiko Niwano, current leader of Rissho Kosei-Kai and Nikkyo Niwano’s son, is President of WCRP/Japan.