The Birth of the Flame of Hope Chant
Transform negative past
and create a positive future
There was a reason why I took Jana, a 13-year-old Palestinian girl, to the Vatican to have an audience with Pope Francis. I wanted Christians all over the world to stand up against the occupation of Palestine.
At that time, we (the members of the NPO Earth Caravan) were carrying the “Embers of the atomic bomb” with us. It has been burning since August 6, 1945, when the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Jana asked the Pope.
“Holy father , will you blow out the flame so that there will be no more Nagasaki and no more Hiroshima ?”
Without much hesitation, Pope Francis gently blew out the fire.
We brought the “Embers of the Atomic Bomb” to the Vatican because we had been pilgrimaging around the globe every year with it.We always started in Nagasaki and ended in Palestine.
Not only that but over the past five years, we have held charity events in a total of 74 cities in 13 countries.
When I saw the lantern, after the flame from the embers of the atomic bomb had been blown out, I thought to myself.
From now on, I want to create a flame that brings a positive future full of hope.
By the way, “Nirvana" in Buddhism means wisdom and peace by “blowing out the fire of negative desires”.
Therefore, my wish was to create the fire that was befitting to the Buddha's final wish which is,
“Be yourself as a light (torch). Let the Dharma be your light (torch)”
Then, how can we create a common light (torch), a common flame where all humanity can pray together transcending religion, race and borders?
What about uniting Holy & historical fires from all over the world?
The Flame of Hope is the Unification of 16 Precious Flames of the World
Peace Flame of Hiroshima
Peace Flame of Hiroshima
Japan
This fire was lit on August 1,1964 as a symbol of the anti-nuclear wish and the vow to "keep burning until the day nuclear weapons disappear from this Planet". This fire is the unification of "religious fires" (12 Buddhist schools across Japan), "industrial fires" (factories that have recovered from the bombing across Japan), and the "sacred fire of Kukai" at Yayama, Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Mount Misen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount Misen
Embers of the Atomic bomb Hoshino, Japan
Embers of the Atomic bomb Hoshino Village, Japan
This fire was collected from Hiroshima by Tatsuo Yamamoto, several days after the nuclear bomb was dropped, when he entered the city to look for his uncle. He found some smouldering embers at the basement of his uncle's house and put into a pocket warmer (Kairo) as a memory of this tragedy and brought it back to Hoshino Village in Yame City.
HOSHINOMURA
https://www.hoshinofurusato.jp/en/
Peace Light of Bethlehem Nativity Church
Peace Light of Bethlehem Nativity Church/ Palestine
The fire burning in the Cathedral, (Church of the Nativity) in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born, and which is carried and lit around the world every year at Christmas time.
Church of the Nativity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church of the Nativity
Flame of Commitment from Olympia to Nagasaki
Flame of Commitment from Olympia to Nagasaki
This flame was brought from Olympia, Greece and has been lit since 1987 as a symbol of the pledge that "Nagasaki shall remain the last city on Earth to experience nuclear devastation, that nuclear war shall never again be waged,...
Nagasaki City HP
https://www.city.nagasaki.lg.jp/top/ p023573.html
Eternal Flame at Yad Vashem Jerusalem
Eternal Flame at Yad Vashem Jerusalem
This fire is burning near the ossuary containing the ashes of the victims of the Holocaust (Jewish Holocaust) in the Memorial Hall of the Israel National Memorial hall.
Official HP
https://www.yadvashem.org/
Eternal Flame Martin Luther King Center, USA
Martin Luther King Jr's eternal fire
The fire is permanently lit at the centre of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement for the elimination of discrimination against African Americans. Dr. King led his fight based on Gandhi's "nonviolent principles". The fire symbolises his dream of a "Beloved Community." and vision of "a world that brings justice, peace, and equality to all mankind".
The King Center Official HP
https://thekingcenter.org/
Light of the Grotto of apparition Lourdes, France
Lights of Lourdes
France
This fire has been burning since February 11,1858 in the grotto where the Fountain of Lourdes is, which famous for miraculous healing and where It is said that the young girl Bernadette experienced the presence of the Virgin Mary.
A Flame, a Presence
https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/a flame a presence/
Lourdes apparitions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lourdes apparitions
Kukal's Sacred Flame 1200 years Miyajima, Japan
Spiritual Flame of Kukai Miyajima-Island, Hiroshima, Japan
This fire has been burning since 1200 years ago when Great Master Kukai practised asceticism on Miyajima Island. Now it is lit in the Daisho-in Temple's Reika-DO.eihi-Do Hall, and is also called the "unquenchable fire."
DAISHO-IN HP
https://daisho-in.com/index.html
Eternal Flame of Mahatma Gandhi Raj Ghat, Delhi
Mahatma Gandhi's memorial fire Rajghat/ New Delhi, India
This fire symbolises the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent search for peace and is burning at the park where the leader of India's independence was assassinated and his body cremated in 1948.
Mahatma Gandhi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma Gandhi
Freedom Fire Wageningen The Netherlands
Fire of Freedom (Fire of Liberation) Wageningen / The Netherlands
A symbol of freedom and peace, it commemorates the liberation of the Netherlands at the end of World War II. Every year on May 5th, marathon teams from all over the Netherlands run from midnight to morning. The following day, the fire is lit at liberation commemorative festivals held in various locations.
Wageningen City Official HP
https://www.wageningen.nl/english/
450 year old Flame Hongan-ji, Japan
Eternal Flame of Hongan-ji
Kyoto, Japan
The flame which has been burning for 450 years in the Goeido Hall of Nishi Honganji Temple, the headquarter temple of the Honganji school of Jodo Shinshu.
Nishi Hongan-ji
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishi Hongan-ji
Peace Flame of Assisi, Italy
Peace Light of Assisi
Italy
The flame that is burning at the church of Francesco where Saint Francis of Assisi, one of the patron saints of Italy was born and died. Francesco lived a life of love and poverty based on the principle of "naked to follow the naked Christ".
Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica of Saint Francis of_Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis of Assisi
Peace Flame, Nepal Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace
The Eternal Peace Flame of Buddha Lumbini Nepal
As a symbol of harmony and peace for all humankind this fire has been burning since 2006 at Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha.
The Eternal Peace Flame of Lumbini
https://visitnepalweb.com/place/the eternal peace flame of lumbini/
Lumbini
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbini
Holy Easter Fire from Jerusalem brought to Bet Jimal
The Light of Transfiguration of Jesus Jerusalem
This fire symbolises the time when Jesus appeared to his disciples illuminated with white light while talking with Moses and Elijah, prophets of the Old Testament. This has been burning in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for 1,200 years.
Transfiguration of Jesus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Transfiguration of Jesus
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Eternal Flame of Dr. Ambedkar Mumbai
Eternal Flame of Dr. Ambedkar
India
Although born into a family at the lowest level of the caste system (Dalits), he became the first Minister of Justice of independent India and drafted the Constitution. To break the caste system, he converted to Buddhism along with about 500,000 people who followed him, thus he is also known as the father of Indian Buddhism.
B. R. Ambedkar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B. R. Ambedkar
Flame of Glastonbury England
Glastonbury Peace Flame
England
This flame was produced at the Glastonbury Festival (one of the biggest music festivals in the world / attended by 250,000 people) in June, 2024, the unification of the "Embers of Hiroshima Atomic Bomb", "Bridget's Fire," "New Fire of Mexico" and the Flame of Hope.
Glastonbury Festival
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury Festival
Worldwide Social Leaders who have endorsed the Flame of Hope
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
His Holiness Pope Francis
Ven. Eikan Mizutani
Chief priest of Shinshoj Temple
Bhimrao Ambedekar
Buddhist Society
Shurai Sasai
Leader of Buddhism India
Khaled Omran Alameri
Ambassador of UAE to Japan
Rabbi Arik Ascherman
Jewish rabbi
Sikyong Tsering
President Exilo Government Tibet
Sugata Bose
The grandnephew of Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose
Arun Gandhi
Grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
Tushar Arun Gandhi
Great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
Robert Francis Kennedy Jr.
Yukio Hatoyama
Former Prime Minister of Japan
Emily Eavis
Organisers of the Glastonbury Festival
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, USA
Tomihisa Taue
Former mayor of Nagasaki, Japan
At that time, I also heard beautiful melodies in my heart.
And then my image and the beautiful melodies finally became the Flame of Hope Chant
where people can pray together even though their religion or beliefs may be different.
"If we sing and play in harmony together, the world is beautiful.
Even though we have different names for God."
This is how the Flame of Hope and it's Chant was born on this Planet.