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Seicho-No-Ie News

Trees Growing Tall One and a Half Years after Tree Planting at Amazonia Spiritual Training Center

At the Amazonia Spiritual Training Center in Venavides, Para in the North of Brazil, a total of about 1,100 trees have been planted on its premise by the participants of various events since June of last year. The trees are growing well and are a source of joy to visiting followers and the participants of events.

The tree planting began before the completion of the Spiritual Training Center in May of this year as a part of the programs at Truth Realization Seminars and Spiritual Training Seminars. Mr. Masakazu Shimizu, the then head of the Para Missionary Branch and currently a director of the Brazil Missionary Headquarters, commented, “Of the donated 134-hectare land, 10 hectares had already been cleared. So that portion was used to build a building and a parking lot and the rest was to be used for tree planting. Our goal was to build ‘A Spiritual Training Center in the forest.’”

The first tree planting held as part of the program of an event took place at the time of a Japanese-language One-Day Truth Realization Seminar of June 28 of last year. About 500 trees of five kinds, including “Ipe,” which are suited to the Amazon’s vegetation environment, were planted by the 407 attendees.

Subsequently, trees were planted every time an event was held. They plan to plant additional 1,000 trees in 2012.

The “Ipe” seedling, which Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie; and Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie White Dove Association, planted at the time of their visit right after the August 2009 Seicho-No-Ie Special Conference for World Peace, is growing well despite the fact it was planted in the dry season, a difficult time for the seedling to grow. Right now it has grown to 4 meters tall.

Mr. Shimizu remarked, “The participants of the tree planting are concerned about the condition of the trees they planted. The fact that the trees are growing better than expected owes to their prayers and thoughts of love. At present, trees have been planted only on the 0.7-hectare land. It will take 20-30 years for them to turn to a forest. I feel that by continuing the tree planting, the followers’ awareness will improve and it will contribute to solving the environmental problem.”