A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhiststupa: a monument to inspire peace, designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most, though not all, peace pagodas built since World War II have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii (1885–1985), a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Buddhist Order. Fujii was greatly inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence. In 1947, he began constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to world peace.[1] The first was inaugurated at Kumamoto in 1954.
Peace Pagodas were built as a symbol of peace in Japanese cities, including Hiroshima and Nagasakiwhere atomic bombs took the lives of over 150,000 people, almost all of whom were civilian, at the end of World War II. By 2000, eighty Peace Pagodas had been built around the world in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
The Nipponzan-Myōhōji monks of the New England Peace Pagoda were awarded the Courage of Conscience award 5 June 1998 in Sherborn, Massachusetts.[2]
Asia
Bangladesh
Comilla
World Peace Pagoda Analayo in Comilla
World Peace Pagoda Analayo (23°25′32″N91°08′04″E / 23.425505°N 91.134444°E / 23.425505; 91.134444 (World Peace Pagoda Analayo)) is located at the premises of New Salban Vihara, Comilla. It is the first Thai architecture Pagoda in Bangladesh and which was designed by Thai architect. The 100 feet tall Pagoda is rich in Thai artistic beauty both inside and outside. A 30 feet Standing Buddha image installed in front of the pagoda is a symbol of compassion and kindness. It is inaugurated in 2017.
Founder: Venerable Sugato Bhikkhu by the support of his spiritual teacher Most Venerable Phrathep Mongkolyarn chief abbot of Wat Phutthabucha, Bangkok, Thailand with his Thai devotees.
A traditional Japanese garden has been constructed in the area around the stupa. The garden is a joint project by the Fujii Guruji Vishwa Shanti Stupa Committee and the Delhi Development Authority.
The Shanti Stupa in Ladakh was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monks, headed by Head monk Nakamura, with the help of local people. The Shanti Stupa holds the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14th Dalai Lama himself It is situated at a hilltop in Changspa village providing a bird's eye view of Leh town and the surrounding mountain peaks. The 14th and current Dalai Lama inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in August 1985.[5]
Vishwa Shanti stupa was a dream of Nichidatsu Fujii. It is beside Gitai Mandir. It is a large stupa of white color. Statues of Buddha are mounted on the stupa, facing in four directions. It also has a small Japanese Buddhist temple with a large park. There is a temple near the stupa where prayers are done for universal peace.
This Peace Pagoda (Stupa) was built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji monks in 1959 halfway up Mount Moiwa (43°01′49″N141°19′51″E / 43.030385°N 141.330728°E / 43.030385; 141.330728 (Sapporo Peace Pagoda)). It was built to commemorate peace after World War II and can be seen from almost anywhere in Sapporo. It contains some of the ashes of the Buddha that were presented to the Emperor of Japan by Prime Minister Nehru in 1954. Later, another part of these were presented to Mikhail Gorbachev by the famous Nipponzan-Myōhōji monk, Junsei Terasawa.
Korea
Jeju Island
The Stupa is built in Jeju Island on the site where Venerable Masters Bowoo (d. 1565) and Jiahn (d. 1729) died. They gave their lives for Buddhism. The Stupa is the centre of many activities for the propagation of world peace and the unification of Korea. One such activity is the Lotus Sutra writing movement, and on 15 August each year people come and place hand-written copies of the Lotus Sutra into the Pagoda. This stupa is not associated with Nipponzan-Myōhōji.
Balanced on a narrow ridge high above Phewa Tal, the brilliant-white Shanti Stupa in Pokhara is a massive Buddhist stupa which was constructed by Buddhist monks from the Japanese Nipponzan Myōhōji organisation. Besides being an impressive sight in itself, the shrine is a vantage point which has views of the Annapurna range and Pokhara city. The shining golden statue depicts the Buddha in the posture he assumed when he was born.
Peace Pagoda is an enormous shrine, recently restored to become one of the most prominent landmarks in Walapane. In addition Peace pagoda is located on a top of a mountain providing adorable views of a mountain range to the visitors. With many opportunities for tourists whom are eager to cycling and walking among the sites, this is a quite relaxing getaway from the busy life patterns.
Created by the Kingdom of Nepal for the 1988 World Exposition, Brisbane's World Expo '88, the Brisbane Nepal Peace Pagoda is now a permanent commemorative structure of the Expo. It is located at the transformed Expo site, South Bank Parklands.[12]
The three-story Pagoda was constructed of 80 tons of art-carved Nepalese Terai timbers and assembled on the Expo site for the World Expo´88. It was relocated to its new riverfront location at the conclusion of the Expo for the opening of the Parklands in 1992. It now features commemorative displays of the Expo and is a place for quiet and reflection. There is a Peace Bell, and a Peace Post in the Pagoda garden. The Peace Pagoda in Brisbane was built by German architect Jochen Reier[citation needed] and architect Dean Ricker[citation needed] for the World EXPO´88 on behalf of the Kingdom of Nepal. Reier also constructed the Peace Pagoda in Munich, Germany, for the IGA ´83 and the World EXPO´90 Peace Pagoda in Osaka, Japan. This Pagoda is not associated with Nipponzan.
Europe
Munich, Germany
The Peace Pagoda in Munich's Westpark was built by German architect Jochen Reier (APAC) on behalf of the Kingdom of Nepal in 1982-1983. The temple was constructed with 80 tons of precious Sissam timber (rose wood) logged in the Terai (lowlands of Nepal) and was then carved by hand with intricate patterns. Over 300 Nepalese artisans in the Kathmandu area helped to build it. The Kingdom of Nepal was awarded with the gold medal for best nation building of the IGA´83 in Munich. Today the Peace Pagoda is part of Munich's Westpark because thousands of citizens and visitors helped to keep the "Asian Essemble" – and especially this Nepalese Shiva Pagoda – as a constantly remaining symbol of World Peace.[13]
Vienna, Austria
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On 26 June 1998, the Dhamma Talaka Pagoda was dedicated in the Ladywood district of Birmingham. The Burmese monk and scholar, Aggamahapandita Rewata Dhamma, was the prime mover behind the planning of the pagoda and the new monastic complex that developed on the same grounds. Enshrined above its dome are Buddha relics once belonging to the Burmese royal family. The building therefore serves as a pilgrimage site and a focus for the Burmese community in Britain.
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