H O P E
Ryokyu Endo
"The world will not change
until people begin to feel responsible
for each other's happiness."
Helen Keller
Introduction
Ryokyu Endo
For one who feels the pain of others’ suffering,
a world where people are not cherished is—simply, sorrowful.
That sorrow compels the heart to seek awakening.
That pain gives rise to the wish to change the world.
And—even if there is only one such person,
as long as they exist,
there is still hope in this world.
Introduction
“ You may say I’m a dreamer,
but I’m not the only one.”
—John Lennon, Imagine
Eternal Flame of Hope
Birth place of Buddha (Lumbini /Nepal)
Birthplace of Jesus
(Bethlehem / Palestine — (Scheduled)
“Ryokyu san is my dear friend.
Unfortunately , he dreams everyday .
And like a fisherman he hooks people like me. (laughter )”
Tushar Gandhi (The great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi)
I believe….
I am not the only one
who shares the dream
that humanity can be united
by a spirit of altruism.
“We light the “Flame of Hope” from Hiroshima
and let us pray for the world.”
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
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“My special greeting goes to the members of the “Flame of Hope” pilgrimage as they seek to promote reconciliation and peace… ”
Pope Leo XIV
Just imagine for a moment.
Sacred flames burning across the world—
fires that have been passed down through time,
carrying prayers from generation to generation.
The flames of the world,
be merged together.
If all those flames were united as one,
where human beings put prayers
together with harmony.
And it was installed to burn eternally
at holy places across the earth.…
Would it not become a symbol of unification of all human beings?
Would it not become a hope for all people?
In 2014 I visited a nine-year-old boy in Palestine,
who had just lost both his legs in an airstrike on Gaza.
I could do nothing but hold him in my arms and weep.
In that moment, a prayer was carved deep into my heart:
“May no child ever have to suffer like this.
May all humanity be united in a spirit of altruism.”
From that deep heartfelt wish, a flame was born.
I am not the only one who shares the dream
Since 2019, he has launched
the “Flame of Hope” initiative,a movement dedicated
to uniting humanity’s altruistic prayers into a single flame.
He continues to call on global leaders
and ordinary citizens alike,
expanding this movement across the world.
＜Photo＞
● The grandson of President Harry Truman (third from the left)
● The great-grandson of former Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō (center)
● The great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi (third from the right)
● The grandson of Amon Göth, a Nazi officer (second from the left)
● The granddaughter of Auschwitz survivor Ester Solkiewicz (far left)
He has traveled to fifteen countries,
offering Tao Shiatsu and Buddhist workshops,
giving lectures, performing music,
and passionately conducting
various humanitarian activities—
bringing healing and hope
to countless people around the world.
He is also deeply committed to supporting
impoverished and conflict-affected regions,
and founded the NPO Earth Caravan
to carry out humanitarian activities.
In addition, he holds a black belt in Aikido
and has even created a game called “Ninja Hope,”
showcasing his activities for innovation across multiple fields.
He also leads the “Flame of Hope” band Aminadabu,
performing at festivals and venues worldwide,
including the renowned Glastonbury Festival in the UK.
As a musician,
he has released seven albums on major labels,
with his music broadcast on radio and television
both in Japan and abroad.
Born in Tokyo and raised in New York,
he now serves as the head priest of Wadaji Temple.
He has published eight books
on Eastern medicine—especially Tao Shiatsu.
These works have been translated
into six or seven languages
and are widely read around the world.
Profile
By the way—
after reading my profile above,
you might have gotten the impression
that I’ve always walked a “life of light.”
But the reality is completely the opposite.
My life was covered in mud,
again and again lost in darkness and despair,
but kept searching for the light with tears—
Ever since I can remember—
since I was three years old—
life has been a place
to endure pain.
It was always that way.
To live was to bear suffering—
in body and in mind.
From the age of ten to thirteen,
I lived in New York City.
I delivered newspapers before dawn,
when the streets were frozen and silent.
Even when I was sick,
I rode through the icy dark,
my breath white in the winter air.
Under the elevated tracks,
in that dim delivery office smelling of ink and dust,
I sometimes met the children of immigrants—
kids like me,
trying to find warmth
in a city that never seemed to notice us.
Destroying My Own Body to Forget the Pain of Living
Two years after returning to Japan,
I entered high school.
It was the kind of school
for the sons of privilege.
I was utterly out of place.
And every morning,
pressed into the crowded train,
I despaired of the world I saw.
At sixteen,
life meant enduring
the urge to die.
So I began destroying my own body,
trying to forget the pain of living.
I cut my wrists,
overdosed on pills—
until my body was falling apart.
I dropped out of two schools,
ran away from home,
and eventually became homeless.
Day Three of Fasting
The World Disappeared in the Light
Then, one day,
something happened.
While performing music,
the whole world dissolved into light.
It happened twice.
I had no faith,
no interest in religion—
yet suddenly I wondered,
“Is enlightenment something like this?”
That single moment
changed the direction of my life.
The will to die
turned into the wish for peace.
I began to meditate in nature,
chanting the Heart Sutra beneath open skies,
seeking solace
in trees, wind, and water.
Eventually, by chance,
I found a Buddhist practice center.
They practiced Nembutsu and the Heart Sutra
for two hours, four times a week.
Without knowing why,
I attended every practice.
Three months later—
for the first time in my life—
I slept peacefully.
I was eighteen.
And I realized
I had never truly slept before.
The Experience that Saved My Whole Existence
Three years passed.
During that time,
I experienced the presence
of the Great Spirit of the Universe—
and received the unification of Great Love.
I learned how to rescue unsaved spirits,
and discovered that human beings
possess invisible bodies.
Those experiences—
they saved
my whole existence.
The “Homework” from the Great Spirit
Since then,the purpose of my life has changed,
to share the Love of the Great Spirit of the Universe with others.
That is the only reason I became a monk.
To systemise the spiritual method born from my own experience
and to share with others—
that was the homework I was given.
The boy who had endured endless suffering
devoted his entire life to fulfil that homework.
Its culmination is the series—
“The Flame of Hope, Light the path of enlightenment“
A Single Ray of Light in the Depth of Despair
We now embark on the journey of the 'Flame of Hope' series.
Welcome to
Galaxy Railways!