Praying for Others (Jan. 2026)

 Praying for Others (from the New Year’s Day broadcast of RSK Sanyo Radio’s program Celebrating the New Year)

Kurozumi Munemichi, the Seventh Chief Patriarch

January 2026

Happy New Year. I sincerely pray for your happiness and safety throughout this year.

This year’s Celebrating the New Year is titled “Praying for Others.”

It may be said that this is my duty, but as the Chief Patriarch of Kurozumikyō, I begin each day with Nippai 日拝 or sunrise worship and pray many times daily “for others.” Through the prayer for “the divine prosperity of Amaterasu Ōmikami, the Parent Goddess of all existence,” I pray for “the flourishing of all life,” “peace and harmony in the world,” and “the happiness of all humankind.” In particular, I earnestly pray for those who, burdened by illness or suffering, have requested the Chief Patriarch’s special prayers, that they may receive the “blessing of the Sun,” regain their natural vitality, and be restored.

It is often assumed that I pray only when a request is made. Of course, if a single prayer were to bring about miraculous results, that would be wonderful. Yet the prayer offered upon request is only the “first step.” Alongside the protective talisman (kin’en 禁厭) that worshippers take home, another kin’en is placed before the divine altar as a “continuous prayer.” I, together with all clergy who serve before the altar, and the worshippers themselves whenever they join their hands in prayer, continue to pray without ceasing.

Following the example of Munetada, our Divine Founder, we uphold “Let us pray for others” as a guiding principle of daily practice. We call upon everyone not only to pray for themselves and their families, but also for those around them who are ill, troubled, or suffering.

For example, when we see reports from an area struck by a major disaster, everyone naturally prays: “May the situation be resolved quickly, may the damage be contained, and may rescue and recovery proceed without delay…”

In the same way, when we support an athlete, performer, or actor—what people nowadays call our oshi 推し (favorite)—we cannot help but pray for their success. Of course, victims of disaster and our personal favorites should not be spoken of in the same breath. Yet whether we are moved by sorrow and suffering, encouraging someone facing trials, or sharing in their smiles and tears, this act of praying for others is something anyone can do naturally.

And in truth, such prayer not only helps those we pray for—it also deeply nourishes and enriches the heart of the one who prays. In that sense, it is also, quietly, a prayer for oneself.

It is much the same as volunteering.   Helping and supporting those in need is, of course, meant to be a pure act of service for others. Yet anyone who has volunteered knows that it is also, in a very real sense, for oneself.

You may expect at least a word of thanks, and when you actually receive heartfelt gratitude, the experience is deeply moving—something beyond price. Even though you spend your time, money, and effort (your sweat) for the sake of others, you find yourself wondering, “What is this fulfilling feeling I’m experiencing?” Through such moments, you gain experiences that cannot be found elsewhere, and before long, many discover that volunteering has become their very purpose in life.

It is precisely because putting oneself aside to serve others—especially those in urgent need—is also an act that enriches the self that people in the past taught the proverb: “Kindness is never only for others.”

I was astonished to hear experts predict that, since “words are living things,” the mistaken interpretation of the proverb “Kindness does not benefit others, so it is better not to show it” will eventually be listed in dictionaries as “also correct,” simply because the majority now understand it that way.

At the same time, when I heard the opinion that “Perhaps the reason more people interpret it as ‘better not to show kindness’ is because they feel the current ‘correct meaning’—that showing kindness to others will eventually return to oneself—sounds calculating and insincere,” I could not help but nod in agreement.

That is why I continue to speak on public broadcasts with an even stronger sense of mission: to be a messenger of the true meaning. Namely, “Showing kindness to others is not only for their sake, but immediately for one’s own as well.” This is the real sense of the proverb: “Kindness is never only for others.”

One of last year’s most talked-about television programs was Anpan, which portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Yanase Takashi—the manga artist who created Anpan-man, a “not-so-strong hero” who gives away his own face to feed the hungry, even at the cost of his own strength. In his later years, Yanase spoke of wanting to popularize the idea of “yorokobase-gokko”—a playful practice of making one another happy. Learning this, I was struck by how true it was to Yanase’s spirit: he clearly understood the truth that “those who give are themselves given to.”

This truth is often explained through a familiar parable: “When you try to scoop water toward yourself from a basin, it slips away to the sides. But when you push the water outward, it flows back toward you.” That is the principle of “giving is the way to be given.”

In ordinary society we speak of “give and take,” but in reality it is “give and be given.” My father, the previous Chief Patriarch, taught: “A person becomes truly human by serving others.” He would even say with humor: “Why not suffer a small loss, and gain virtue—human virtue—in return?”

As the Chief Patriarch of Kurozumikyō, a religious leader, I have always reminded myself to live by the principle of “action grounded in prayer, and prayer expressed through action.” It may sound lofty, but for the reasons I have shared before, it is also my source of joy. To be able to make a life’s work of something that serves others and at the same time nourishes my own spirit is truly a blessing. And the more naturally I feel, “Let me devote myself sincerely to prayer and service for the sake of others,” the more grateful I become.

Once again, I sincerely pray for peace in the world, for your health and happiness in the year ahead, and for the stability of heaven and earth. Thank you very much.

Last year, on this program, I spoke under the theme “Living Better.” In connection with that, I would like to say this: many people today are searching for a sense of inner fulfillment, expressed in words like “mindfulness,” “well-being,” or simply “living well” and “living better.” To them especially, I wish to share the joy that comes from praying for others.

Once again, I sincerely pray for peace in the world, for your health and happiness in the year ahead, and for the stability of heaven and earth. Thank you very much.

*RSK Sanyo Broadcasting Radio first went on air in Okayama in 1953. Since then, every New Year’s Day broadcast has opened with the traditional “First Voice” greeting. This began with the Fifth Chief Patriarch of Kurozumikyō, who offered the message “Celebrating the New Year.” In 1974, the Sixth Chief Patriarch continued this tradition, and since 2018 it has been carried on by the present Chief Patriarch.

The original Japanese version: 人のために祈る