Prologue
“The Flame of Hope” Resounding Through the Streets of India
１ The First Religious Unification in Human History
September 2023.
I was in Nagpur, a sacred site of Indian Buddhism.
I had come to give a Dharma talk and to lead a workshop
where participants would experience The Flame of Hope Chant.
The Flame of Hope Chant is an experiment—
a practice of reciting mantras from various religions
to the same melody.
It was something unprecedented in human history.
“What on earth will happen?”
I couldn’t help feeling a little anxious.
Among the participants were Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains—
a true melting pot of faiths.
Union with the Great Spirit of the Universe
After completing the Ki (energy) exercises,
the time for the sacred chant had finally come.
I spoke to the gathering at the beginning:
“From this moment, we will enter a learning experience—
a practice of uniting with the Great Spirit of the Universe.
The Great Spirit is known by many names,
yet its essence is one.
Every mantra of every faith
is a path leading towards that same source.
Today, let us go beyond religion itself
and chant all these mantras together as one.”
When Prayers Become One
Groups of four were formed:
one person lay down while the other three gathered around.
Each began to chant their own mantra—
different words, yet carried by the same melody—
praying for one another’s happiness.
Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs—
each voicing a different mantra,
yet together they entered a quiet meditation
within a single, beautiful harmony.
In that moment, I felt it—
Humanity has just transcended religion.
We are now entering an age
in which humankind rises beyond the karma of religion.
That day, I truly witnessed the dawn of that new era.
＊Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (Sanskrit: Nāgārjuna) lived around the 2nd–3rd century CE and brought Mahayana Buddhism to its full development.
２ The Healing Chant Echoes in the Land of Nāgārjuna
The next morning, we gathered at a Buddhist temple
for a Dharma talk and workshop.
“This city of Nagpur,” I began,
“is *the land associated with Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna,
the great master who developed Mahāyāna Buddhism.”
After saying this, I looked around the hall and asked,
“Is there anyone here who feels pain somewhere in their body?”
Almost everyone raised their hands.
The Land of Pain, the Song of Prayer
My chest tightened.
The Aryan invasion… the caste system—
such histories have engraved deep pain
into the hearts and bodies of the people.
The people of this land carry
the suffering of countless generations.
So I said,
“Now, through the Flame of Hope Chant,
let us see how that pain may begin to change—
and experience it together.”
The Circle of Prayer
Again, groups of four were formed.
One person lay down,
while the other three asked where that person felt pain,
and prayed—
visualizing the form of the Buddha upon that place.
“ *Namo Maha Buddha.”
The mantra of Indian Buddhism
was chanted to the melody of the Flame of Hope.
＊"Namo Mahā Buddha" means "I take refuge in the great Buddha.
The Descent of Light
Silently, I welcomed the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, and the deities.
People prayed, sang, and joined their voices together,
their melody filled the hall with beauty and devotion.
Then—
I felt it: countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and divine beings
had descended among us.
Soon, the work of salvation for the spirits began,
and the forces of darkness were purified.
The entire hall was transformed
into a field of sacred light.
The Healing of Pain
After the chanting came to an end, I asked,
“How is your pain now?”
Everyone smiled and answered,
“It feels lighter.”
The hall was filled with a gentle light—
and a deep sense of relief and peace.
