EUROPE LEADERS’ WORKSHOP
Study of the Teaching that All Religions Emanate from One Universal God,and the Sundial Way of Life
The 18th Europe Leaders’ Workshop was held at a youth hostel in Neustatt in southwestern Germany from March 14 to 16. Thirty-six leaders from all over Europe studied the Truth. The breakdown of the attendees was: 24 from Germany, 5 from France, 4 from England, 2 from Austria, and 1 from Switzerland.
Rev. Shigeru Kutsuma (Ordained Minister, Section Chief of Public Relations and Editing Section, Publication and Public Relations Department) was dispatched from the International Headquarters. He provided guidance with Rev. Yuji Otsuka (Ordained Minister stationed in Europe). They lectured in Japanese with German and Portuguese interpretations.
Leaders gathered from each region in Europe
Rev. Kutsuma gave lectures: “The Philosophy that All Religions Emanate from One Universal God, and World Peace,” “Islam As Seen From Seicho-No-Ie’s Point of View,” “Man Is a Child of God and Sinless,” and “Let’s Spread the Light of Love to the World” (closing lecture). He also guided a Q&A session. Rev. Otsuka lectured on “The Sundial Way of Life,” “An Explanation and Practice of Shinsokan,” “The Mission of Seicho-No-Ie Regional Lectures and Propagators,” and “Shinsokan for Mutual Prayer,” and guided a Q&A session.
Rev. Kutsuma lectured on the fundamental teachings, “All religions emanate from one universal God,” “Only God-Created perfect world exists,” and “All phenomena are manifestations of only mind,” by showing summaries of main points in German and Japanese on the screen. He explained the similarities between Islam and Seicho-No-Ie, problems of fundamentalism, and the role of the International Peace by Faith Movement.
Rev. Otsuka also used PC images. He introduced leaders’ activities in different parts of Europe and talked about the wonderfulness of the sundial way of life, the importance of lecturers’ activities and environmental protection. The program and the other material such as the “Seicho-No-Ie Articles of Faith,” were prepared in German, Portuguese and Japanese. They were well received.
In the past, Japanese followers always served as the chairman of the management committee, but this time Mr. Norbert Fischer (a Director of Seicho-No-Ie Germany Readers’ Meeting) acted as the committee chairman for the first time.
Rev. Otsuka remarked,
“Of all the workshops I guided since taking up the assignment in Europe, this Workshop turned out to be the most Seicho-No-Ie-like event that was filled with love and cheerfulness.”
Comments from the attendees included: “Considering the political situation in today’s Europe, the lecture on Islam was impressive”; and “The lecturer’s testimonial gave me a real sense of the Truth.”
Rev. Kutsuma remarked,
“Thanks to the enthusiasm of Rev. Otsuka and the leaders, we could have a joyous Workshop. I look forward to the further growth of the Enlightenment Movement in many parts of Europe.”