Seicho-No-Ie's new Propagation and Environmental Policy has been established.
April 16. 2024
As a member of a global society
Religious Juridical Person, “Seicho-No-Ie,” Propagation and Environmental Policy
Basic Awareness
Since its founding in 1930, Seicho-No-Ie, based on the teaching that we should be “grateful to everything in the universe,” has propagated among all humankind the truth that “every human being is a child of God,” and has spread a way of life that reveres all things as God’s life, as Buddha’s life. Meanwhile, human beings have never ceased their quest for peace while experiencing world wars and a cold war, and have also achieved economic development while the population grew rapidly.
However, for more than 90 years since the founding, human beings have been rushing the pursuit of happiness with a mindset and a way of living that gives no heed to other living beings nor the natural environment. This has caused them to engage in mass consumption of energy and resources as well as emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases and other toxic substances, which resulted in a serious degradation of the global natural environment. Then, as global warming is reaching the point of no return, the resulting climate change leads to a higher frequency of disasters around the world. This is causing a decrease in food production, a continual increase in refugees and immigrants, and a rise of political and economic xenophobia, which is leading to political unrest in many countries. These are serious problems that are influencing the next generations as well.
In this situation, what we, human beings, need to do is not to think of nature as a separate entity from us that we can exploit. We need to be thankful for nature’s blessings, revere the mountains, rivers, grass, trees, minerals, energy, and everything else as manifestations of God’s life, of Buddha’s life, and have a religious mindset of “living together” with them. Seicho-No-Ie believes that the key to solving many of the current global scale problems is putting into practice a way of life based on that religious mindset.
Seicho-No-Ie, along with spreading this religious mindset to the world, will develop a way of life “that grows with nature” as a modern interpretation of a religious life. And, in addition to contributing to mitigating global warming and preserving the global environment through all its activities, Seicho-No-Ie will also expand the relief and support given to our fellow human beings who are struggling due to the effects of disastrous events such as climate change or natural disasters, including earthquakes and tsunamis.
Action Guideline
1. Practicing awareness-raising activities
We will educate and raise awareness of all our staff members that the teachings of our religious organization are the basis for loving all of humanity and all living beings, and will carry on work and activities that take into consideration the dignity and freedom of the “others,” including the environment. Also, through our propagation activities, we will encourage a way of life that contributes to reducing poverty, hunger, and distrust among fellow human beings, and improves global environmental problems, while also increasing, among many people, the mutual dignity and trust as well as the feeling of oneness between nature and human beings.
2. Attention to natural ecosystems and traditional cultures.
We, in developing various missionary and social activities in Japan and abroad, will have a religious mindset that “reveres everything, including all plants, animals, and minerals, as manifestations of God, of Buddha” as our base and pay attention to the effects on the natural ecosystems as well as the local traditions and cultures that were built on said ecosystems. We will also endeavor to protect the welfare of local people, the local flora, fauna, fungi, and preserve the rich nature.
3. Reduction of environmental impact
We will aim to contribute to reducing the degradation of people’s livelihood caused by global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the pollution of air, water, and soil, and other instances of environmental destruction and climate change. As part of that objective, we will recognize the value of developing technologies that advance the use of natural clean energy, and of pushing even harder for the improvement of local people’s livelihood. For that reason, we will make active efforts to install more equipment to harness solar, water, wind, and other natural sources of energy, engage in reforestation and other environmental measures such as introducing low-emission vehicles. On top of that, for the same reason, we will proactively endeavor to maintain and advance local traditions and cultures that respect the natural ecosystem.
4. Waste reduction, recycling promotion
We will aim to generate less waste and reduce the amount of our final waste. As part of that effort, if there are any lessons to be learned from traditional cultures or skills, we will actively study and make use of them. We will make the most of what we have, reuse items that are still usable even if old, and recycle as much as possible what cannot be used anymore. This is the teaching of “being grateful to everything” in practice, and also an effort to preserve local cultures, traditions, and skills.
5. Saving resources, promoting energy conservation
For the sake of a sustainable development, we must reduce the usage of fossil fuel, energy, and resources that has the potential of being depleted. For that goal, it is necessary that we internalize in our hearts the value of the joy we feel from “being in harmony with nature” instead of “dominating nature.” Besides studying a way of thinking that the resources and energy are also manifestations of God, of Buddha, we will develop a way of life that discovers the joy of being in close relation with the natural world, which is often seen as “inconvenient” or “bothersome”. Then we will make an effort to avoid using energy and resources in excess by relying on “self-control” and “self-discipline.”
6. Promoting ethical choices and green procurement
When procuring goods and services, we will make the choice by taking into consideration the mitigation of ethical and environmental issues, such as ingredients that are locally produced and in season, goods and services that follow fair trade principles, take into consideration animal welfare, and do not use child labor.
7. Compliance with ethical and environmental legislation and other social rules
We will obey rules such as environmental legislation, ordinances, and local agreements. We will also meet compliance requirements, including management of working hours, suitable information management, and thorough observance of the internal rules and regulations. We will obey any ethical and environmental-related rules we have agreed to accept.
8. Developing and improving our ethical environmental management system
We will strive to enhance and continually improve our ethical operations and our global environment conservation activities by developing and improving our ethical environmental management system and having each department set and review their own objectives and goals.
9. Dissemination and public disclosure
Staff members will be able to access the Propagation and Environmental Policy through the staff-only website and other means. It will also be available on the internet, so it can be accessed externally.
Publication: October 11, 2000.
Revision (Action Guideline): December 5, 2001.
Revision (Basic Awareness and Action Guideline): April 3, 2024.
Tatsufumi Yukishima
Chairperson and CEO
Religious Juridical Person, “Seicho-No-Ie”