Great Construction

Record of Oral Teachings, Issue 25
September 15, 1953

August 26, 1953

     The first letter from Miss Higuchi since she went to Los Angeles has arrived, so I will have it read.
(Reading of “Letters from America, Number Six,” Eikô, Issue 223, September 9, 1953)
     The Mrs. Akiko Watanabe mentioned in the letter is the person I talked about the other day, the lady to whom a focal point was sent by mail, who was healed, and who afterwards told enough people about her experiences that she was able to get an introductory class together.
     And also, what is called “the old member” is a member that Mr. Adachi made in the beginning of last year.
     It appears that God Works Miracles will be published next month. I think this is a wonderful thing. What I am working on right now is Book of Medical Science Revolution, and this is a book that I have put the most energy into so far. I am writing thoroughly about the criminal evil of medical science, so I am writing in rather severe terms, but I am writing so there will be no corner untouched. There should be no room for anyone to attack, but it is all right if they do attack. In any event, I think it will be quite an enlightening book. I did not much care for the preface I had written, so I have rewritten it, and I am sure this one will be all right.
(Reading of essay “Preface,” The Book of Medical Science Revolution)
     The next section is called “Current Medical Theory,” and I intend it to be an important essay. I will have it read next time or sometime soon. The next essay to be read is also one I intend to include in The Book of Medical Science Revolution. The contents are of what you all know, but I have changed a little bit my way of writing.
(Reading of essay, “The Lump of Toxins That Is a Human Being,” Eikô, Issue 226, September 16, 1953)
     Changing the subject, I would like to talk about Nature Farming. There is a lot of superstition about compost. It seems people think they have to do something with the soil, and the idea of fertilizing remains in the deep recesses of their heads. This way of thinking comes into play with compost. But actually, compost should not be used either. The soil is all right by itself. Exactly as I have previously written, soil itself is fertilizer, so anything that obstructs or blocks the soil will not do. Compost also blocks the soil, so it will not do. Compost can be used when the soil is hard and the roots of plants find it difficult to spread out. Compost is used so that the soil does not harden. But even in this case, the compost should be decomposed as much as possible and no fibrous material remains. Material that has halfway become soil itself should be used. But because is used solid material that has leaves still with veins or leaves that have just fallen from the trees, the reports about cultivated fields that use such material are not that good. Therefore, in places where the soil does not harden (the soil will not harden in soil that has been cultivated over a long period), it is best not to use compost. One place compost can be used is, for example, with rooted vegetables, such as daikon, Greater Burdock, and carrots, a bed of leaves and grasses that are not so decomposed can be prepared more than a foot below the earth. Results will be good because the bed will become very warm. That is the way compost should be utilized. In other instances, compost should be mixed with soil. When compost is mixed with soil, it should be decomposed as much as possible. One more factor is dried earth. Earth dries because it is exposed to daylight. In such cases, if compost is spread over the earth so that moisture will be retained, even in rain, the soil will keep its moisture and will not dry out after rain. The rainwater will not flow away but soak into the earth. In the case of the roots of fruit trees, it is a good idea to use compost. This will retain moisture longer. It is in order to keep the soil from drying out. In such a way, it is all right to use compost as long as the reason for doing so is well thought out and applied appropriately. It is a mistake to think of compost as fertilizer and use it, believing that compost will act as fertilizer.
     Next, from the point of view of faith, the most essential aspect is that when described briefly, heaven could be said to be a world of affinity, a world of suitability, of correspondence. All things and all matters must correspond, must be suitable, must have affinity. Being suitable, corresponding, having affinity means standing to reason. When viewed in this way, for human beings to ingest medicines is not suitable. Ingesting medicines does not stand to reason. That is because medicines consist of plants grasses, leaves, or minerals that have been powderized, or else, as in penicillin, taken from sphagnum, what in Japan is called “water mosses”―I recently wrote about this―sphagnum was created by God as food for fishes. Sphagnum was made for fishes such as fresh-water fish and sweetfish to eat, so it is a mistake for human beings to usurp moss as a food for themselves. In any event, illness concerns the life of human beings, so there is no way that the leaves of trees or grasses have the power to save human life. These items may have the power to destroy human life. That is because they are poisons. There is no reason that there should be in such things the power to save lives. There is no reason that the power to save should not be something above human beings. Above human beings, there is nothing but God. In other words, ingesting medicines does not stand to reason. Since something that does not stand to reason is being done, it boggles the mind as to what to call the contemporary human being. It is beyond stupidity. It is as if “stupid human beings don’t die, neither are they cured.” And in this way, those who ingest poisons die too soon.
     This can also apply to the realm of faith. According to the household and according to the individual human being, the sacred scroll should correspond appropriately, have appropriate affinity. Recently there was an incident that was a bit dangerous involving a member, but matters turned out all right thanks to a blessing from God. This incident occurred because there was something that should not have been. When the details of the situation were made clear, it was found that a sacred scroll that should not have been dedicated, one that did not correspond appropriately to the person involved or to the household had been dedicated. So, it is a mistake to dedicate even a Great Tathagata of Divine Light scroll in a small household or one that is not qualified. That is because the scroll will not respond appropriately. In sub-branch churches, in a minister’s home, or even in a regular member’s home―as long as it is rather a grand building and family―it is permissible to dedicate one. All matters must have affinity and respond accordingly. I once painted a picture of Kannon. The image was not painted from a side view, it was painted facing forward and sitting cross-legged; it was a rather large painting. It was reported to me as damaged by the rain. I thought this peculiar and asked about the conditions. It had been hung in a small farmhouse. The only big item in the home was this oversized scroll. It would not respond to the situation. This is something that actually happened. In all matters must things have an appropriate affinity. Responding appropriately means standing to reason. In all things, and matters, things and matters must suit each other. Corresponding to each other, suiting each other, means standing to reason. When things and matters suit each other, there are no mistakes. Names and naming are the same. Someone may think it all right to name something or someone with a very “good” name, and when such is done, rather, matters do not proceed well. The “name” (na) “loses” (make). The Japanese word for “lazy person,” that is, namake mono may very well come from this concept. Once before, I thought it sufficient to name something with a good name, and I provided a good name, and the result was not good. In that case, it does not do to have a name too good. The name has to suit the bearer, that is, name and named must correspond. This applies not only for the names of human beings. The Chinese ideogram for “heaven” is often used in company or association names, but such usage is not good. The name is too good, too high a level. I have had experience with such a situation. When I was a member of Omoto, I used a very good name. I thought it was a very good name, but the results turned out as you all know. It could be said that for such results to happen, such kind of a name was used, but in any case, the name was too good. So, when people and things are given names, it is good not use names that are too good.
     It is for matters such as this that in all things and matters, it will not do to forget suitability, correspondence, affinity. Whether in a person’s deeds or in a person’s life, when income is suitable, the person’s station is suitable, position is suitable, when all of these factors are in a perfect fit, all things and matters will go smoothly. Therefore, if you think something is a bit peculiar, when you consider whether everything is suitable, whether all parts correspond to each other, you will realize what is wrong. Because being suitable means standing to reason, the expression used since olden days written in the ideogram for “one’s status” followed by the ideograms for “correspondence” to mean “within one’s means” is very apt. So, in deeds, circumstances, place, opposite number, in all kinds of things you should try not to become not suitable, not to not correspond. A word used often is that written in the Chinese ideogram for “hit” followed by that for “fly” with the meaning of “extraordinary” or “fantastic.” There is no way that “extraordinary” or “fantastic” [also meaning “risky” and “reckless] things will go well. Japan’s Great East Asian War and related events were great recklessness. In any case, an attempt was made that did not correspond to Japan’s power. Even though Japan did not have the appropriate national strength, it invaded East Asia, and in the end, tried to advance as far as Manchuria, so it was reckless and was not suitable. What Hitler did was also reckless. Fighting on one front with England while fighting on another front with the Soviet Union was in retrospect like shaking a fist, so it was recklessness of the tallest order. Such is the case, so although we see individuals who like to surprise others, to astonish them, such behavior will just not do. Therefore, it is best to do that which is probable or likely. You could say that I am doing and planning various large projects, but I am careful never to plan something sudden and unexpected that takes the breath of people away. As was just read in the letter from the U.S., missionary work will start on the U.S. mainland, and it seems to be very reckless, but with the power and strength received from God, and when circumstances in the U.S. are considered, all factors are suitable, they correspond. As there is nothing out of place, no differences, matters will of course go smoothly. In such a case, what is to be done should be done, so Miss Higuchi will go by herself, and as was just read, in one place, will begin work on a small scale. There is no failure in this way of doing things. There is no having to go back and restart, so everything goes steadily. Therefore, when are observed the various projects I am involved with, such as paradises on earth, even when I do surprising things, I pay attention to small details, and without forgetting order and correspondence, affinity, I get on with business. So, in this way matters proceed in an extremely steady manner, and as there is no doing things over, it is quick. Even with planning new sub-branches, I don’t do things like make big plans, but as order is slowly followed, and things are done suitably, plans go well. If you want to make something bigger, it will not become bigger, so by not thinking of making things bigger, it is best to think so that things do not get any smaller. I often say to those starting out in business that they should not try to make a lot of money, that they will never make any mistakes as long as they try not to lose any money. What this means is to not think of success but to think of not failing. Those who have had the experience of difficulties and trials often say this. It is all right to think of doing things well, of succeeding, but these things should only be thought of lightly, and what should be thought of strongly is of not failing, not to have to do things over again. If you think in this way, there is no failure. This point seems like something rather insignificant, but it is fundamental. So you have to think about what you will do, how you will get out of it if you fail. As for myself, in my younger days, I did make a lot of money, and at that time, if I had thought in the way just described, I would have really made a lot of money, but at that time, all I thought of was making money. In the case of Japan’s war, if what would be done when faced with defeat had been thought about, it would have been better, but there was no such thought, and since all there was was the dream of winning, Japan met with such a bitter fate. For these reasons, when you consider the law of correspondence or affinity, and how you would handle things if things do not go well and you fail, you will conversely, succeed and things will go well for you. This principle goes for religion and it goes for philosophy. So, results become reversed. So, in the beginning, I told my followers to not be conspicuous, to not let our work get that well known throughout society at large, but it became well known all at once. In such a way, it is a small thing, but it is a tremendous difference in terms of results and in terms of the future. What the law of suitability, of correspondence, of affinity means is that you have to become an individual who is suitable, who has affinity with human beings. Since everything must be suitable, must correspond, it is most essential that you take it to heart to try to be suitable to, to correspond with, to have affinity for all matters and things. Then again, there are times when this concept appropriately applies in the case of healing. I have already taken too much time, so I will talk about this next time, but simply put, even though an illness may only be a purification of medicinal toxins, other things to consider so that healing will proceed smoothly are: Why did the purification process start in this person? Where are the causes of the condition that is appearing now? Other factors are environment―do the other members of the family approve of Johrei, or are they interfering? When all such factors are not out of place, it means that matters should go well. That is because all factors are suitable. That healing does not take place with Johrei but the condition does immediately improve when prayers are made to God is because Johrei is overly depended upon. To forget God, the essential root, and emphasize Johrei, the branch, is to be out of kilter. On this point as well, when is considered in what way will something stand to reason, in what way is something suitable, matters will proceed rather easily, will go well.

Pages 50-57
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