Creating a Compassionate and Vegetarian Global Village

Japan

By the Tokyo News Group (Originally in Japanese)

In order to share Master’s compassionate message of Alternative Living with more people, the Tokyo Center participated in the National Vegetarian Week in Tokyo and Kyoto in September of Golden Year 3 (2006).

 

Kyoto Peace and Vegetarian Culture Festival

The National Vegetarian Week — covering events in Kyoto and Tokyo — was first launched in 2003 by the Japanese Vegetarian Society. On September 3 this year, fellow initiates from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka participated in the Kyoto Peace and Vegetarian Culture Festival 2006. Here, we prepared and sold vegetarian delicacies on site, and distributed Alternative Living fans and flyers as well.

High temperatures made the Alternative Living fans all the more popular among visitors, who created a beautiful scene of dancing butterflies as their fans waved and fluttered through the air together. Visitors were drawn to our stall, with its offerings of vegetable steamed buns, soybean milk tea, and fortune cookies. Among the guests was the owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Wakayama Prefecture. She had been deeply touched after reading the Alternative Living flyer in a Kyoto vegetarian restaurant, from which she took a stack to be distributed in her own outlet. After enquiring about our group and Alternative Living promotional activities, she was so profoundly moved that she asked to join our future activities. She also wanted to purchase Alternative Living fans and T-shirts and display Alternative Living flyers in her restaurant.

On the second day of the event, we distributed many Alternative Living flyers at the Kyoto railway station, on busy streets, and in residential areas.

Tokyo Vegetarian Week Festival

Apart from the Kyoto event, the Tokyo Center also placed Alternative Living flyers, fans, document folders, and Master’s sample booklets in an exhibition hall at the United Nations University for free collection. We participated in the two-day Tokyo International Vegetarian Culture Fair 2006 held at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo’s largest and most famous outdoor venue.

At our display booth in United Nations University, a guest left this message in the visitors’ book: “Although I have started on the vegetarian diet, I have been worried whether I can persist or not. The Alternative Living leaflet has given me great encouragement. It has strengthened my determination to continue down this path despite numerous worldly temptations.” Many people who had read Master’s message at the university were delighted to see us at the Vegetarian Culture Festival in Yoyogi Park.

A mother carrying a one-year-old infant paced up and down the aisle in front of our booth before stopping to share her concerns with fellow initiates. She said she had switched to a vegetarian diet after giving birth to her baby, but feared that it might result in insufficient nutrition and unhealthy growth for her child, whom she was breastfeeding. Fellow initiates’ advice on the nutritious content of vegetarian food erased her doubts and fears. In a lottery with prizes provided by exhibitors, this mother won an Alternative Living T-shirt designed by Master. After receiving the prize, she looked totally different from the person we first met. The blissful smile on her face was a true reflection of Master’s love.

Among members at our exhibition booth, the most eye-catching was Toki, a vegan cat who was rescued and adopted by an initiate-couple. Toki has lustrous fur, a round body, as well as a mild and gentle demeanor that emanated a peaceful aura and won him pats and hugs from people. It was an ideal picture of how humans and animals should live together in great harmony.

One of the exhibitors at the event, the Vegan Healing Café, was run by Mr. Orihara Akihiro, a racing car driver with twenty years’ experience and a dedicated advocate of vegetarianism. He was also the spokesman of an anti-fur group in Japan. In his speech, he said, “Because I have chosen the vegetarian diet, my physical strength, concentration power, and stamina have improved greatly. The diet is good for my racing career. I decided to participate in this event in hopes of erasing misconceptions that a vegetables-only diet might bring weakness. I recommend the vegetarian diet for everyone; it is a choice that will lead to victory.” At his vegetarian restaurant, which is a favorite eating place among fellow initiates, we have placed Alternative Living flyers for customers to take freely.

After the Vegetarian Culture Festival had ended, fellow initiates met at his restaurant for dinner. A waiter introduced himself as a rock-and-roll singer. Each time he sang on the street or at clubs, he said, he would carry Alternative Living flyers and distribute them to the audience. He had even gone as far as Hiroshima and Nagasaki to distribute the flyers. He said when he read the message the first time, he was immediately and deeply touched. He had been wanting to express his gratitude to us because he too was a vegetarian. We were touched by his humility, gentleness, and enthusiasm. Master’s love, conveyed through the Alternative Living flyers, has truly influenced people in all walks of life in Japanese society.

During the festival, many Korean brother and sister initiates came to Japan to distribute Alternative Living flyers and other items alongside local initiates. Initiates manning our exhibition booth came from six countries. A wide variety of exhibits were on display, including Alternative Living T-shirts, hats, fans, and document folders, which attracted the attention of the event hosts. “Guests interested in the vegetarian diet and meditation, please visit the exhibition booth of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association!” As this announcement blared out repeatedly, Master’s holy name reverberated throughout the venue again and again, each time showering Her divine blessing on the guests!

Epilogue:

In addition to the above activities, Tokyo initiates have distributed Alternative Living flyers at events that drew large crowds, such as fireworks displays and temple fairs. They recently published the Alternative Living message in the Stars and Stripes, an English newspaper with a circulation of 60,000 consisting mainly of American expatriates and military personnel posted in Guam, Korea, Japan, and other Pacific countries. This is a very effective way to share Master’s message with Americans living outside the United States.

This time, a team of nine Korean initiates had crossed borders to extend their support. In addition to helping out at the scorching hot venue, they brought their own equipment to take videos and photos for us. They received Korean visitors to our booth, offering them Korean sample booklets and acting as interpreters. Although the weather turned cold and wet in the three days following the event, the Korean initiates energetically combed the busy streets and residential areas distributing flyers. The Tokyo initiates were touched by their zeal and sincerity.

We will continue to exchange ideas with fellow initiates in other countries. We will also cooperate and exchange information with people eager to advocate vegetarianism, and conceive better ways to promote the vegetarian lifestyle.

As Korean Alternative Living activities had been stabilized in a strong sense, Korean initiates thought of helping nearby countries, such as Japan. From September 9 to 13, Golden Year 3 (2006), nine initiates went to Tokyo to spread the Alternative Living message.

They specially printed T-shirts with the words “Veggie & Peace” in English, Japanese and Korean and wore them while distributing the flyers. They also made 5,000 document holders which had the Alternative Living message printed on it in Japanese. They distributed about 12,000 Alternative Living items, such as flyers, folders and fans during their short visit.

From September 9 till 10, they participated in Tokyo’s Vegetarian Week in Yoyogi Park where they spread the Alternative Living message to visitors. Afterwards they went to subway stations, shopping districts and other crowded places to continue with their distribution.

On the last night of their stay in Japan, the Japanese initiates arranged a party for their Korean friends with lots of food. They sang songs and danced. Some Japanese sisters tried on the Korean traditional dress and looked exactly like the Koreans. They then took pictures of the happy group together. With Master’s limitless love, the people from two different countries became a big loving family.

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