Start in 2011 to Realize Society that Coexists with Nature
Mt. Yatsugatake filled with a fresh atmosphere—Seicho-No-Ie has purchased an approximately 70,000-square-meter property on the southern slope of Mt. Yatsugatake (1,310-1,370 m above sea level) in January of last year as the site to build the “Office in the Forest” and is currently preparing to build an office. In the middle of this month, a ground breaking ceremony will be held and the land clearing will begin. The Seicho-No-Ie International Headquarters is scheduled to move to this site by March 2013.
Seicho-No-Ie aims to spread the Truth to the entire world and at the same time create a model society in which people live in harmony with the natural environment, while sustaining a modern way of life.
The “Office in the Forest,” which is a concrete measure to realize that goal, will be a two-story wooden structure made from locally-available wood. The plan is to protect bio-diversity in and around the wooded surrounding and, in order to reduce CO2 emissions, limit the use of fossil fuel and use renewable natural energy, such as sunlight as well as electric cars in transporting employees. The Office will strive at Zero Carbon for the entire operations from the beginning.
The cause of today’s environmental problem is anthrocentrism and the desire-driven way of life, which resulted in the destruction of nature by continually depriving from nature, even though man loved nature. In order for man to abandon these desires and coexist with nature, it is necessary that we live the Sundial Way of Life that appreciates the blessings already accorded to us and extend Buddha’s Four Immeasurable Minds of loving kindness, compassion, joy and non-attachment not only to man but also to nature. The “Office in the Forest” is the place where the employees of the Seicho-No-Ie International Headquarters actually practice such a way of life.
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, states as follows in his book, Mori no Naka e Iku (We Will Move to the Forest, published by Seicho-No-Ie in 2010): “The fact that we set up our office in the forest may be like throwing a stone in the wide sea. However, since human beings are not foolish, there are people who listen to that ‘sound’ and also want to throw stones. If those people increase, it may be possible to create an ‘island.’” (p.41) The President thus expresses his expectations for the possibility of our Movement.
Let’s move forward this year with pride as a pioneer for creating a model society that coexists with nature.