Dennis Banks once referred to Fujii as "that grand old man." That he was. I first met monks and nuns from Nipponzan Myhoji in 1976, when a group were a part of the Continental Walk for Disarmament and Social Justice. They walked with us across the country, joining the beat of their drums and their prayers with our call for peace and justice.
In 1977, I joined them in Japan as their guest. I spent some time working on various projects, including construction and restoration of peace pagodas -- stupas dedicated to peace. I was also part of a small group from the United States that walked from Tokyo to Hiroshima.
I have stayed in contact with the Order off and on, in various ways. We walked for peace and justice together on the Longest Walk for Native American survival, and I helped organize local support when members of the walked across this country in 1982 in support of Nichidatsu Fujii's message stressing the urgency of peace and justice: "The Time Has Come." I have joined their prayers outside of nuclear power plants and in support of Native American rights. I have been fortunate to attend the opening ceremonies for the two peace pagodas that have been built in the United States and to provide some support work for other walks.
Despite their important role in the Japanese peace movement and internationally, the Order has been little understood. I have not only seen a Texas sheriff worry about the sound of the Nipponzan Myohoji drums, but heard peace activists concerned about it as well. Yet, to the Order, it is simple. It is just Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo.
This site, then, is a reflection of what they have given to me. It is not officially connected with Nipponzan Myohoji and I am not a member of any group affiliated with them. But I bow deeply out of gratitude and hope that other pagodas will rise (anyone with suitable land in Northern California is welcome contact me) and the walks will continue. In this day, the vision of peace is needed more than ever.
Arnold Erickson
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