Southern Humboldt Life and Times
Humboldt/Mendocino California Weekly Newspaper
Tuesday, March 19, 1996
Global Peace Walk Benefit at Mateel
By Dalia Roddy
On Friday, March 29, the Mateel will open their doors at 6 p.m.
for a gala evening of food and music. Tickets are $10 at the
door and the proceeds will be used to help fund Reverend
Yusen Yamato's participation in an upcoming Global Peace Walk.
Reverend Yusen Yamato was born in Japan. At the age of 12, he
entered a Buddhist monastery where he lived for the next eight
years. Upon leaving the monastery, he joined a Zen Buddhist
temple as a master disciple. He studied under his master for
three years, and, when his master died, Reverend Yamato left
the temple and began a life of pilgrimage.
Over the years, he traveled extensively, visiting temples and
churches and involving himself with a broad spectrum of religions.
His mission was to carry forth a message, one which had been
passed down for 700 years, linked with an ancient Shinto prophecy.
The prophecy details world events and points to the time
when global peace will become an essential ingredient
for global survival. The message is: That time is now.
"All over the world," Rev. Yamato said, "there is fighting
for land and life. One government's logic doesn't work.
We must get our house in order and look beyond it to
protect the globe."
According to Rev. Yamato, part of the Shinto prophecy
entailed finding the red-skinned people. It said that
there would be the white, the black, and the yellow,
but that the prophecy could not be fulfilled until the
red was found. For hundreds of years, monks had been
searching for the red, not knowing who they were, or
where they could be found.
Rev. Yamato came to America in 1975, searching for
the red-skinned people and carrying his message.
In 1976, he encountered the Hopi tribe and found
that an ancient Hopi prophecy closely detailed
some aspects of the Shinto prophecy.
In the next 20 years, Rev. Yamato worked with many
Native American spiritual leaders, helping to develop
special international relationships with His Holiness
the Dalai Lama. He has participated in several peace
walks, introducing the interfaith peace pole ceremony
as a symbol of unity and peace.
Five years ago, Rev. Yamato came to Humboldt County
and initiated a Tree of Life Ceremony in the Sinkyone
area. At that time, he and many others planted 2,700
redwood trees, symbols of peace.
In 1991, the Reverend Participated in the Sunrise Ceremony
in Central Park in New York. At 4 a.m., 15,000 people
gathered together in the park to celebrate their message
of peace, hundreds of monks among them. With Rev.
Yamato was Hopi Elder Thomas Banyacya .
According to the Reverend, part of the prophecy said
that three times the fellowship of the red would knock
on the western gate.
Together, the Reverend, Hopi Elder Thomas Banyacya,
and many others approached the United Nations.
According to the Reverend, they were met at the
gate by the United Nations Secretary who had the
official papers accepting Thomas Banyacya into
the U.N. It was the fourth knock.
The purpose of the Global Peace Walk, according to
an organizational handout, is to "bring out Global Peace
Now as a prayer by all of humanity and to foster the
development of a Spiritual United Nations to affect
Global Peace Now by establishing, with The Peace Pole
Ceremony, Global Peace Zones across the country and
around the world. After the Earth Day Peace Pole
Ceremony in Taos, New Mexico (April 20, 1995), the
Mayor declared Taos the first Global Peace Zone
pursuant to this campaign."
Reverend Yamato is working to declare Humboldt
County a Global Peace Zone. His message is,
"Someday, all human beings must recognize that
The Globe is our house and our altar. Someday,
all human beings must pray 'Global Peace Now!'
to protect our land and life."
Reverend Yamato will be at the Mateel on March 29.
He encourages anyone wishing to join him on his trip
to Taos and the subsequent Global Peace Walk to
Santa Fe, to do so.
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