An Address by Ms. Hiroko Koyama President of Shinji Shumeikai Crestone Anniversary Speech May 15, 2005

  Good morning. It is a great pleasure to be with you today to celebrate the third anniversary of the Shumei International Institute. I am grateful that our activity with the community has increased steadily and am glad to see that we are building an additional complex to accommodate the flow of people.
Between March 30 and April 7, 17 students and 3 chaperones from the Crestone Charter School visited Japan for their school trip. Shumei offered a home stay program for them and the host families took them to Kyoto, Nara, and Nagoya for sightseeing. The students visited Kishima Island and experienced Shumei Natural Agriculture at our farm. Shumei members were very excited to receive them, and I hope Crestone students were able to learn more about Shumei.

Since the opening of the Crestone Center, 2 youth from Shumei have come every 3 months to visit Crestone. They have been working as volunteers in this sacred site surrounded by the grandeur of nature. It has been a wonderful experience for them to meet the Center’s visitors, to give Jyorei, to hear the Taiko performance and work in nature.
One of the most critical needs today is to communicate and build relationships with people of other races, creeds and cultures. Perhaps this is the most important factor for a peaceful future. It is something that Shumei is very committed to, and it is what the late Pope will be remembered for. During his 26 years as Pope, John Paul II was committed to working for peace not only amongst his 1 billion Roman Catholics but also amongst all humankind. His life taught us that no matter how deep our differences, our capacity to love and care for each other can bind us together.

I learned of an episode from a newspaper article about John Paul II. In May of 1981, a Turkish man named Ali Agca attempted to assassinate John Paul II. For this, Ali is serving life imprisonment. A journalist interviewed him in prison in November of 1996. Ali became involved in a political movement during college and joined an extreme right wing organization. He spoke to the journalist about John Paul II and his life in prison, but he never revealed the country that hired him to kill the Pope nor the reason. He said that because of a promise he had made to John Paul II, he could not reveal the reason.
After his injury healed, John Paul II visited the prison to meet with Ali, and they spent a long time talking. The content of the conversation was never released, but the Vatican spokesman said at the time that the Pope forgave Ali’s sin. A photograph of John Paul II and Ali deep in conversation, head to head with only a sheet of glass separating them, became a symbol of reconciliation and forgiveness between Catholics and Muslims. 3 years after this incident, the Pope called to gather religious leaders from around the world to Assisi, Italy for dialogue.

After learning of the passing of John Paul II, Ali released a message through his attorney indicating his deep sorrow. The new Pope, Benedict 16, has indicated that he will continue the dialogue among different religions, in the effort to follow his predecessor’s footsteps.
The founder of Shumei, Meishusama said:
“Different religions, different schools, different sects, sectarian struggle – these are leftovers from a by-gone age. Shumei wishes to bring harmony to all mankind and to make the whole world into one family. Because we believe in this kind of pacifism, we recognize people of all religions as our colleagues and will link hands with them in mutual amity as we go onward.”
Meishusama explored the values that are common to all cultures, and he believed that by emphasizing these values we could build unity among the different peoples. One of these values is the pursuit of happiness and wellbeing.

One of Meishusama’s teachings says:
“Every human being wishes to be happy. Even if you have satisfied all the conditions required to be happy such as wealth and peace, if you are not healthy it is not a true happiness. Health is the most important factor for being happy.”
“When you talk about health, you have to understand the ultimate truth about being healthy. To be healthy means to live in harmony with nature and to respect nature.”
Meishusama conducted extensive research on agricultural methods of growing rice, wheat, soy bean, and various vegetables in order to develop an agricultural practices that would yield the most productive and beneficial results for nourishing the human body, mind and spirit. He personally worked in the field with a shovel, being covered with dirt from head to toe. From this research, he developed Natural Agriculture and started promoting the practice earnestly after the World War II.

With Natural Agriculture, the soil is cultivated in its natural state without the addition of foreign elements. No artificial or organic manure is added. The soil provides better nutrition for plants without the addition of fertilizers. This approach not only eliminates the fertilizer cost but leads to crops that are healthier, stay fresher and better tasting than those produced by conventional agriculture methods. These crops have less pest problems and withstand harsh natural condition. Insect problems are caused by use of fertilizers. Use of fertilizers weakens its power and destroys its balance, leading to crop disease and insect damage. Use of pesticides and insecticides only worsen the problem of infestation. Soil left to its own devices is full of nutrition. Adding fertilizer prohibits the soil’s natural energy from being transferred to the plants. Properly cared for with plenty of sun and water, the soil provides better nutrition for plants. The principle of Natural Agriculture is an over-riding respect and concern for nature. Nature can teach us. We may use natural compost such as leaves and grasses to encourage local materials and to keep the soil moist. Similarly, we respect seeds for their natural purity and collect homegrown seed.
With Shumei Natural Agriculture, we grow crops with love and care and harvest them with gratitude. This gratitude is passed on to the consumers, who cook them and eat them. The farmer/consumer relationship is a vital link. When this link is activated, much healthier and wholesome mode of living exists in the community.

The harmful effect of conventional agriculture on nature and our lives is becoming apparent. Farming without any use of fertilizer and pesticides, and promoting a healthy condition for the soil and crops, can lead not only to a safer environment but also to a lifestyle that promotes respect and concern for nature.

Shumei is promoting Natural Agriculture to share this principle across all religions and countries. We believe that a lifestyle based on respect and concern for nature is an universal approach that is now necessary for a healthier environment.

Last year we received NGO Special Consultative Status with the United Nations and supported a Pan Asian Youth Leadership Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, organized by the United Nations Development Programme. At that Summit, one of the youth participants, Barbara Hachipuka from Zambia, visited Kishima Island as part of the Youth Summit home stay program. She was very inspired by our Natural Agriculture practice in Kishima and asked Shumei to bring Natural Agriculture to Zambia. She believed that Natural Agriculture would help restore the condition of farms in her homeland. I am happy to report to you that Natural Agriculture has been introduced to local farmers, and they have just planted seeds for the season.

In the tropical climate of Philippine, we have started Natural Agriculture in Iba, Zambales. This became possible through an interfaith ceremony where our Shumei member was introduced to another NGO, who has been working on the Total Rural Development project to revitalize the community of Iba. They were also impressed by Natural Agriculture. We signed the partnership with them and were provided 2.5 acres of land for Natural Agriculture within their Total Rural Development land of 60 acres. We had great success in producing various crops this past season, and the owners of the TRD have told us that they would like to expand the Natural Agriculture farm further.

In Steinfurth, Germany, we are leasing land from a woman named Mrs. Loew, who has been operating an organic rose garden for over 40 years. We have produced various tasty crops this past year that were very popular at the farmers market. We are providing our crops for local school lunches as well.
In the United States, we have secured Natural Agriculture farms on the East coast, West Coast and here in Crestone, which represents a mountain region. Here in Crestone, beginning last year, we started experimental farming with the least amount of water usage so that we could adapt to very dry land. Volunteers from the community also helped us. I am looking forward to seeing the outcome of this new experiment.

On the East coast, at Catskill Mountain in New York, Peter Finn, who is the CEO of Ruder Finn, an international public relations firm, has been working on community development based on the theme of Agriculture and Art. It has been 5 years since he converted to Natural Agriculture from Organic Farming. Now his farm is producing many beautiful Natural Agriculture crops. His goal is to turn his Natural Agriculture farm into one of the most beautiful farms in America, and to make it a place where people from the New York City area and beyond want to visit. A few weeks ago, in April, 31 students from a high school in the Bronx, NY, visited their farm on a field trip. They listened to a presentation by Peter and our Shumei farm manager about Natural Agriculture and sustainable living. They visited the farm, observed the crops in the green house and collected seeds. They were also provided a vegetarian lunch. This was a new experience for them. Some of them had not eaten such healthy food before, and they commented on this. They were used to potato chips and fast foods. What we learned from this field visit is that we really need to improve our youth’s diet.

On the West coast, we secured land in Santa Cruz where the moderate climate of Northern California is ideal for farming. I am looking forward to see its progress.

In Alberta, Canada, we have been producing wheat and now we are in a process of establishing a way to provide more wheat to American consumers. Wheat is a staple food for western people, so I hope more people can enjoy our wheat in the form of bread or other types of food.
“Healthy soil makes healthy food, healthy food makes healthy people,” J.I. Rodale of Rodale Institute, who has been promoting organic agriculture for decades, exchanged letters with Meishusama, who shared the same spirit, and they promised to work together for healthy society. Shumei wishes to work as a partner with like-minded organizations and expand the circle of cooperation. We look forward to expanding our work, especially in Natural Agriculture, in the year ahead. This is a time of growth for Shumei, and we want all of our members and friends to share in the possibilities that await us.
Thank you all for coming today.

back