reference

Record of Instructions, Issue 21,
June 15, 1953


    June 1, 1953

Meishu-sama: Recently, an item appeared in a Nagoya newspaper. Ifve only seen the headlines and havenft read the article yet, but it appears someone has died of a serious condition without having been seen by a doctor. This happens occasionally, but this article was run with big headlines.
     Purification will get much stronger from now on and one thing you all should keep in mind is that there will be those who heal faster and, by the same token, there will be those who die faster. There will be those people who have been given up by all those around them, who get well. There will be those who still seem to be all right, who will just fall over and die. The negative forces have become desperate and will aim to make a big issue out of the most insignificant incidents. If the ill person recovers, the negative forces will pull back, but even if the slightest thing occurs to interfere with a personfs life, the negative forces will rise up and make a big fuss. All of you should be mindful of this possibility in your Johrei work.
Question: The article was written about Mie Prefecture. I did not channel Johrei to the person, but the article was written as if I had. The personfs father and brothers are members. The older brother was preparing to get a sacred focal point and had come to the church when the younger brother had to go out on a ship. The ship had a collision and the younger brother, who was the captain, was injured in the back. The whole crew were going to take their captain to the doctor, but the captain refused and convinced his crewmates to take him go home. The elder brother had had a terrible experience with a doctor and was saved by Johrei. The local minister continued to channel Johrei, and the family members channeled Johrei as well. I heard that the condition was not improving, so I told him to go see a doctor. After the younger brother died, a doctor was called but didnft come right away, so they asked another doctor to come. I understand that that is when the first doctor brought in the police.
Meishu-sama: This all seems very strange to occur just from a back injury.
Question: As I heard it, the younger brother was not able to urinate at all. He previously had suffered from urethritis and inflammation of the bladder.
Meishu-sama: But still, this should not have happened from just a back injury. Is the person who channeled Johrei to this patient here today?
Question: Two of them channeled but neither of them is here today.
Meishu-sama: In light of what happened, ever more should they be here today. They should come and ask why that person died. I do not understand why they did not come today. These people should stop being ministers. Shouldnft these two ministers come and ask why this person died? Thatfs the most important thing. I am at a loss as to understand why these two did not come today. It is only just a little while ago that I talked about how faith has to stand to reason, how faith should not depart from logic. Since I stressed that point so strongly, donft you think they arenft being reasonable not to come and ask why this person died? There is nothing more beyond reason than this. Relieve these two persons of their duties for a while. And let them realize their own responsibility in this matter. When they realize the mistake theyfve made, they will come and apologize. If they donft do so, I really canft have such irresponsible people being ministers and advertising the church. When did you find out about this incident?
Question: On the twenty-seventh.
Meishu-sama: Did you ask the persons who channeled Johrei any questions about the incident?
Question: They didnft come and report.
Meishu-sama: You should have called them to come and report. And then, you should have brought them here today and the situation should have been explained in detail to me. This is a very serious problem. You yourself want to know what happened, right? In that case, youfre irresponsible, as well. This is an outright case of matters not standing to reason. God will be very strict with people who do not pay attention and who are not serious about serving God. God will become even stricter as time advances. There is nothing unreasonable, not a thing that does not stand to reason about this. It is human beings who do not stand to reason. Human beings are duly warned when they do not stand to reason. Medical science will slowly get pushed into a corner and so will become desperate. Those involved with medical science will seek out and squeeze us on our shortcomings. We cannot afford to be lax. We need to be prepared to act according to reason no matter what happens. Was there anyone opposed to the church in the family?
Question: No one was opposed.
Meish-sama: Who went to the police? 
Question: The doctor brought them.
Meishu-sama: An autopsy had to be performed because the patient died without being diagnosed by a doctor. Thatfs only natural. It is the law. It is only natural that the doctor would call the police. Was the brotherfs condition very serious before death?
Question: I understand that he was not able to eliminate any urine at all.
Meishu-sama: If that was the case, shouldnft the doctor have been called at once? It was a big mistake not to call the doctor right away. No wonder the newspaper made a big fuss about it. What should happen is that the person whose carelessness caused this incident, the person who was in charge of channeling Johrei, should come here at once and apologize. It is beyond understanding why these people do not come here even though they know there is a meeting today. People like that should quit being ministers. No telling how much influence an incident like this will have since it appeared in the newspapers. There is no way to know how much the mistakes these people caused is going to interfere with Godfs work. Normally, they would realize their responsibility and want to come as soon as possible to apologize. That they do not come shows they have no faith at all. Theirs is a pseudo-faith. Now this is something you should be telling your ministers, but I donft know whether you realize it or not. Probably you donft realize it, but it is really too much that you have left your home to come here today without realizing it. I have cautioned members in talks and in the church periodicals recently, but an incident like this happens because the members donft read the teachings enough nor do they take to heart what I say. As World Messianity grows, it will be more closely watched by society. A line in Omotofs prophetic writings says, gAct and feel as if you were inside a circle of men with drawn swords.h Politicians talk about being inside glass walls, but we are in a situation more precarious than that behind a glass wall. If you are inside a circle of men with drawn swords, you could be killed the instant you are careless. You should have the attitude that you could be killed any moment you are not careful. This incident is a kind of warning, simply not for the persons involved, but an example to teach everyone. Just a little while ago, I said that faith must be rational, that it must stand to reason, and to not call a doctor with a patient in such a dangerous, serious condition is incredible, does not stand to reason. Things would have been all right if those involved had acted according to reason. That such a thing becomes an issue and appears in the newspaper is really going to have a bad influence. It is impossible to know how much this will interfere with the divine light program. A hundred good things will be rubbed out in a day. Such an article in the newspaper is certain to cause waves. That such incidents have a bad influence is very readily seen in the change of the numbers of those who join the church. There is no reason to urge sick people whose lives are not in danger to go to a doctor, but people in a perilous condition should be handled delicately with more than usual caution. No matter how hard you are working to help others, if such an incident as this occurs, it wipes out all our successes so far. There is not much else one can do to hurt the work. Such an incident will not occur around a person whose first thought would be, gI have committed a terrible mistake. I must go and apologize as soon as possible.h The fact that this incident happened and the fact that they did not come today shows how mixed up these people are. Also, the fact that I have to caution you, Mr. Watanabe, in this way shows that you have been remiss in teaching and in cautioning those under you about the relationship between Johrei and medical science. This incident is a warning for you from God. And, at the same time, since there are others like these two in your group the incident is a good lesson for you to teach others. So, your sin will have a good consequence and will be erased. Since all occurs according to the law of affinity, this will stand to reason. I am sure every one is very eager not to cause any more problems, so you will all work to be sure everything will be proceed smoothly.
     In this regard, we really have to be careful. This does not seem to pertain to the people in this incident, but in the case where there is even one family member opposed to the church, we really have to proceed with caution. Most of the problems we have had have occurred because there was someone against the church in the family. In many of these cases, a family member urges the ill person to see a doctor, who doesnft and subsequently dies. The person who urged the sick person to seek medical treatment is convinced the person died because the advice was not followed and blames the church, informing the local newspapers and police and so forth. So, in the case of a family where someone is opposed to the church, the member should see a doctor. If this is done, there wonft be a legal or social problem if a mistake is made. These people must be seen by a doctor. In the case of the younger brother of this incident, the family were all members so it seems like there should be no problem, but the people working with the younger brother must have been the ones to raise the issue.
Question: The crewmen of his boat really made a fuss.
Meishu-sama: So, in such a case, you should do as they urge. How much time passed from the time he injured his back till he died?
Question: About five days.
Meishu-sama: So there was more than enough time to have had a doctor in. After injuring his back, he had internal hemorrhaging which overflowed to areas below the back and hardened. The blood solidified in the urinary tract below the bladder. I am sure the person channeling Johrei gave Johrei only to the back. That was misdirected.
Question: I understand he channeled Johrei to the back and to the back of the head.
Meishu-sama: That was misdirected.
Question: The back was twisted, so he could not aim his channeling to the vital spot. He could not even channel from the side or the back.
Meishu-sama: So, they couldnft even straighten out the injured back? The patient couldnft even sleep on his side?
Question: A band was wrapped around his body.
Meishu-sama: If the patient was that bad, all the more to seek medical treatment.
Question: I told the ministers that the man should be taken to a doctor.
Meishu-sama: It is not enough to just say they should be taken to a doctor. The man should actually be taken to a doctor. It does not matter whether the sick person gives his approval or not. Someone should actually call the doctor. It does not matter afterwards whether the sick person likes it or not. So, this case was mistaken in many ways. You have to know how to distinguish between when you should refuse a doctor and when you should not refuse a doctor. It is really too much that these two instances were confused. Who was the person in charge of channeling Johrei?
Question: Hata from the Kuwana Branch
Meishu-sama: Who is the head of that branch?
Question: Kofei Mizutani.
Meishu-sama: Is Mizutani here today?
Question: No.
Meishu-sama: This will not do. When did this incident start?
Question: On the twenty-seventh.
Meishu-sama: How many newspapers was the incident reported in?
Question: In the Mainichi and Chûnichi.
Meishu-sama: Wasnft there another incident in one of your churches?
Question: The other incident happened at the Senshin Church in Gifu. Before the patient could go to the doctor, he died. Another incident that appeared together in the paper was about a patient who became mentally ill while staying at a ministerfs home. The patient was taken to a doctor and there was no problem but it was reported in a newspaper article.
Meishu-sama: Still, there must have been something else. Something does not come from nothing. In which group did the first incident start?
Question: The Senshin Society. I am very sorry. It involved a thirteen-year-old child. I do not know the child personally, but the mother joined the church last year and received many blessings. She had a big purification this year and was very thankful for it. It was reported that the childfs condition was very bad three or four days before death. When I was consulted, the condition seemed to be encephalitis and I told them a doctor must be consulted. I gave them the name of a doctor, but that doctor was sick at that time, and by the time they were able to see another doctor in the neighborhood, the doctor said it was acute purulent encephalitis and that it was too late to do anything. The family next door and another family on the other side of the street from the family of this child are pharmacists, and it seems they were not happy when the mother had been healed by Johrei. I believe it was these two families that raised a fuss and contacted the newspapers when the child died.
Meishu-sama: In that case, the newspaper is at fault and can be sued for defamation of character. We should make a big fuss about mistakes the other side makes. If the newspaper did indeed take up the case of these two families of pharmacists, these families should also be sued. If it turns out that these families did tell the newspapers about this case, then please make sure they get sued as well.
     Now, when did the January incident appear in the newspaper?
Question: On May 29th.
Meishu-sama: What was reported?
Question: That a case of mental illness resulted in death due to relying on prayer.
Meishu-sama: You donft die from mental illness. Was there something else?
Question: The patient had greatly declined physically.
Meishu-sama: Did someone send a letter to the newspaper? If not, there is no way for the newspaper to find about such a thing. You should investigate and find out why the newspaper ran this story.
     Purification will become more severe from now on. Ill persons will weaken faster too. The number of people whom you think might last a little while longer who actually die right away will increase. On the other hand, people will recover faster too. So, we really have to be cautious. Three incidents like this is really too much. It is the worst thing that could happen. This will greatly interfere with the divine light program. It means we are being defeated by the negative forces. Being defeated means that we have lost as much alertness. If we are careful, there is no room for negative forces to enter. If we have the attitude that we are in a circle surrounded by a group of men with drawn swords, then we will be expecting the blades to fall at any minute. This is good medicine for us, though. We have to tighten our vigilance just a bit. Because the divine light program is flexible, ever-changing, from now on we should have the policy of sending as many people as possible to the doctor. This is the only way. If we compare seeing a doctor to causing a problem, causing a problem is far worse. It is far better to have the ill person see a doctor. The first priority should be to not cause a problem. If you even think the situation could be critical or if things donft go as you think they should, then you should have the person seek medical treatment, or otherwise, pull away from the situation. Itfs fine if the illness is cured right away, but if it isnft and things donft go well, you should either call a doctor or withdraw. You should be prepared for the worst and the best. You should handle things so that there is no problem if the person dies and it is all right if he recovers and lives. This is true with everything. Right now, Eisenhower is handling things so that the United States can either go to war or enjoy peace. Englandfs Churchill, however, is more inclined toward peace. This probably cannot be helped since England as a nation has declined so much. It is best to choose the way that allows you to go in either direction. This devious way of doing things is best. A frank way of doing things is stupid. Proceed in devious ways from now on. If you think the patientfs condition exceptional, have him see a doctor. One or two injections is not that much. It wonft hurt that much. The bad effects of a shot will only be temporary. Have a doctor take care of the patient, and think about what to do with the patient afterwards. If the patient wants to continue with the doctor, it cannot be helped, so let him do so, and withdraw. As I always say, it doesnft do to get ahead of oneself and force things. We should not think that we should try to heal someone quickly because it will be good for publicity or will help the work in a certain district. Things may go well for a person who acts like this for a while, but it is God who is doing things, and that kind of attitude does not go well in the end. To think that gIf we heal this person, he will help the work in this area because he has a wide circle of friendsh is a human way of thinking. But the work does not unfold in that way. Rather, the work spreads from people of whom there were no expectations. This being the case, it is important not to rely on a human way of thinking. Godfs way of thinking and the human way of thinking differ completely, so most human thinking goes in the opposite direction. So, if someone just seems to fall into your lap, you should consider it as Godfs order to help that person. You may think it a waste of time to help people who just seem to bump into you, but such persons turn out unexpectedly to perform great functions in the future. It will not do to try to help someone because they are a big shot in the community. This happens far too often. Seen spiritually, from Godfs eyes, famous people are rather unworthy and seemingly unworthy persons are unexpectedly of a high spiritual level, which is like most of the people in the world. So, you should think that it is Godfs command to help those who just seem to fall into your laps, and also that it is Godfs order to not expend a lot of energy on those who do not show immediate interest. When illness is healed quickly and naturally, and people do as they are told to do, that means that the right time has come and that they have been drawn to the work. And, if someone around them says, gGo to a doctor,h it is better for that person to consult a doctor. God is using a non-member to have the patient go to a doctor. God does not use just members in the divine light program but non-members as well. The right interpretation in this case is that God is using the crewmen to have the younger brother go to a doctor. Thinking that gThose people do not know God so they tell people to see a doctorh is unreasonable. People who really donft understand Godfs way and push too hard try to show on the outside how hard they have worked, but the human and Godfs way of thinking differ. That is the difference between daijo and shojo. For human beings, the culmination of faith is when told to look right, to look right, and when told to turn left, to turn left. To persist because gso-and-so told me to do soh means one has not reached the stage where true faith can really be savored. Various people on my staff, even servants, often say I should do certain things in a specific way, and I make it a point to listen exactly to what they have to tell me. I do not discriminate based on the status of the person who gives me advice. God often uses the mouth of a seemingly insignificant person to convey important messages. And, because the negative forces will often possess a so-called famous person in order to spread confusion, the whole process of becoming aware of what one should do is really impossible to describe simply.
     A good example is possession. You may think it unacceptable to be fooled by a possessing spirit, a fox spirit, for example, but not necessarily so. It is all right to appear to be fooled by a fox. A fox spirit will say a lot of things. All you have to say is, gIs that so?h and gI see.h Continuing in such a vein, gWhy is that?h you ask, and the spirit will garrulously respond. In the response, the fox spirit will betray his ignorance. And the fox spirit will apologize. I have experienced this often. It is at times that you think you canft stand to be fooled is rather when you get fooled and irritated. No matter what falsehoods the fox spirit might tell, you should listen attentively. Respond: gI understand.h The fox spirit will eventually make mistakes. This really has to be experienced. Handled in such a way, you will experience no serious problems. Things will result smoothly for all concerned. One must be daijo in such cases. Even if lied to, do not accuse. gI see.h gIs that so?h Listen attentively. But, in your heart, you must understand perfectly. This may seem dishonest, but that is the way it has to be. A salesman comes to visit and thinking he can put something over me says, gThis is so-and-so. It is a fake.h I respond, gWhy, youfre completely correct,h but in my heart I wonder where he thinks hefs coming from. What an idiot this guy must be to think he can put this over on me, I think to myself, but on the surface, I listen to him attentively. And while listening to him, I will hear some gems of wisdom, things that make sense. A wise Chinese person said not to discriminate about what you hear based on the status of the person speaking. There are indeed occasions when a day laborer or a peasant can teach you a valuable lesson. So, you should not distinguish when talking to people. You should try to keep in your head all that is said to you. I am sure you have all had this experience, but kids say some pretty intelligent things. Much in the way Bergson outlined in his philosophy of intuition, children have a good intuitive sense and say some wonderful things. We often see a mother and child quarreling, and more often than not, it is the child who is correct. So, if you look at all your endeavors in this way, you will never cause a problem. In the case of a sick person where one member of the family opposes Johrei, agree with the opposing person and respect the wishes. The opposer will think the minister a rather understanding person. You should tell people, gWe never tell a person not to see a doctor or not to take medicines. That is up to you. But, these are the laws of nature. This is what I have been taught by God. We are taught that medicine is poison. Whether you take medicine or not is up to you.h Each person will listen respectfully. It is all right if they donft see a doctor and donft take medicine, but if they donft consider what you have to say, see a doctor, and take medicine, they will reap what they sow. It is very immature to try to persuade someone not to use medicine. What is important is that people have sincerity and love in their heart. Other than that, just try to be devious as possible. Keep sincerity and love in your heart. If you really want to help people, all else is just a matter of adapting to the circumstances of where you are, of being adaptable. We often see situations where certain policies are specified, where it is said that things have to be done in a certain way, but when this is done, things will fall apart. Rather, one must have versatility and smoothness. It is very difficult for human beings, but they must try to shed the excessive aspects of their individuality. I always say that we usually give in too much to this excessiveness. Discussion dissolves into acrimony. Refraining from expressing your own true feelings is one sort of training. Listening carefully to the lies of another is indeed a trying experience, but being able to learn to do this with patience is one of kind of training. Even if we are misunderstood temporarily or humiliated for a while, this situation will not last long. The other party will eventually feel remorse or understand and come to apologize to you, or, if they truly come to understand, they will come to respect you. gThat person is great. I said some pretty stupid things, but he listened to me carefully. He is quite unflappable.h The person will come to trust you.
     This incident in Mie was the reason for me talking like this. I had not intended to speak on this topic, and it just came out naturally. But this incident is a good learning experience for you all. This failure will in turn perform a good function, and God will turn this failure to good end. Used to good ends in this way, the sin will be removed. So, faith, when thought of in daijo terms, goes smoothly. Because things go smoothly, there is also growth. This is a very profound part of God. Not just God, but society and the whole world works in this most indescribably interesting way. Because human beings do not understand this, they lose their way, suffer, get angry, and think that misdirected things are good. One line in Omotofs prophetic writings goes gThat idiot becomes this serious person; the divine plan has it that this serious person becomes this idiot.h These are quite simple but indescribably profound words. I always say that as people suffer on account of their doctors, they will become resentful. And the more doctors show incompetence at healing illness, our stock will rise. If doctors were able to heal all diseases quickly, that would be the end of it and people would not come to religion. In that instance, we would have no place in which to work. We should greatly appreciate the fact that doctors are so incompetent. When asked, doctors say their goal is to eliminate disease from the world, but if this became so, doctors would lose their livelihood. That is where the daijo and shojo viewpoints differ. The concept of leaving everything in Godfs hands is truth, but human beings also have to do their utmost. It will not do to leave everything in Godfs hands and then not exert your utmost. So, it is necessary to leave the broad issue to God and then exert our utmost on a plan of action. What is important is the distinction of the two elements, to distinguish the vertical and horizontal, the warp and woof. Just because we say that daijo is good does not mean we can do without shojo, but it does mean that shojo should not predominate. Daijo must precede shojo. Although very difficult to maintain, the distinction is indescribable. I often mention how I change clothes sometimes as many as three times a day, finding it too hot, then too cold, and then too hot again. But that is the best climate when one canft decide what the temperature is. Human beings bring their complaints to affairs, their dissatisfaction to things. But whenever they are satisfied, or pleased, progress stops. So, dissatisfaction is necessary. In other words, satisfaction and dissatisfaction oppose each other, so they do not harmonize, but the real way to live is to balance these two elements and use each at the appropriate time. Like driving a car, if you head too far to one side, the car only goes in that direction. People naturally get dissatisfied with certain things, so dissatisfaction is a good thing. From dissatisfaction comes satisfaction, so it is also good. When one is suffering from illness or onefs life is in danger, when one thinks there is nothing to do but die, these are the times when one doesnft care how much money it takes to get better, that one would give away onefs entire fortune to be saved. In such a state of mind, one is healed, and then one doesnft worry about onefs health any more. Here, one becomes ambitious. One starts to think of how to make money or how to get power. Before they know it, people forget how they were happy just to have been helped and they show their drive, their greed. Everyone is like this. I have experienced this myself. Especially at the time of my first illness. Drive at such times is probably to be expected. But we should aim to keep this drive within bounds, in moderation. Some people get so well and forget so that the amount they had planned to give as a donation of appreciation decreases by as much as one-third. It was about examples of this that I wrote and talked about the recurrence of purification. So, moderation is important. If we go too much in one direction, problems occur and things become difficult. Moderation is one level of izunome. I read someplace about Tesshu Yamaoka and his calligraphy of the Chinese ideogram for hodo, or gmoderation.h In small letters he wrote beside it, gAll human affairs rest here.h Very appropriately but simply put. Hodo, or gmoderationh is really a wonderful word. The activity of izunome when expressed in one word is hodo, or moderation. Moderation is like the spring and autumn weather, a balance of warmth and coolness. One good example of moderation is when things lean to neither side and go into the correct place. If we say that person is moderate, or balanced, it is a very favorable thing. But truly balanced persons are rare, with most people inclining to one side or another, which is why they fail and matters donft go smoothly. My talk so far today has been like a sermon, which is very unusual for me, but this kind of talk is often the rule in other faiths and creeds. We donft talk like this very often in World Messianity, but, on the other hand, this kind of talk will keep you from inclining to one side or the other. For that reason I thought it best to speak in this way so far today. The next question, please.
 
Question: Would it be permissible to chant the poems published in the Chijôtengoku magazine in front of the altar?
Meishu-sama: Yes, very much so. They are the same as the gosanka.
Question: Would it be permissible to chant them at morning and evening prayers in the same way as the gosanka?
Meishu-sama: Yes, it would. In that case, you should choose which ones to chant. It is all right to choose those you think would be good for everyone.
Question: Would it be permissible to chant gosanka and read aloud from Shinkô Zatsuwa [Essays on Faith] before and after study seminars?
Question: Yes, it would. Then, during the seminar, you can explain the meaning of the poems and talk about what teaching the poems are conveying. If it helps people, that would be good. And, depending on the circumstances, when people bring up their problems and doubts, it would be helpful to point out relevant sections in the gosanka and that they probably cover the issue in question.
 
Question: Last month, we received Instructions about dedicating a scroll in a two-story farm house. Would it be all right to do so where the second floor is absolutely never used?
Meishu-sama: No, it doesnft matter. If there is nothing on the second floor, it is all right. The problem comes if you store things on the second floor. That would mean that God would be under those stored goods. If people went up there once in a while, it would mean they were trampling on God, which will not do. If there is no situation like that, it would be permissible to dedicate the divine scroll on the first floor. In that case, the second floor is like the area under the roof.
 
Question: As regards the relationship between the Kannon screen and Amida in the family altar, I understand the statue comes in front the screen but that a picture of Amida goes behind the screen. Does that mean the screen can be either way?
Meishu-sama: Yes. That is because Amida is the parent of Kannon, so if the parent turns its back on the child there is no problem. But in terms of spiritual level, Kannon ranks above Amida. In addition, Amida is not active in the physical world. So, it is not a mistake to dedicate Amida as a buddha. Kannon is active in both the physical and spiritual worlds, so there is no problem if Kannon carries the responsibilities for Amida. If the statue of Amida is large, it is still all right for the Kannon to be in front.
Question: If the statue is a little larger, it is all right to put the screen in front?
Meishu-sama: But if the statue is too large, it wonft look right. It will not do to have it not look right. The appropriate size is that which looks just right. Here is something else to be considered. It could be that something does not look all right even though it conforms to reasoning, but this will not do either. Something must conform to reason and also must look good. Human beings can wear just one shirt and expose their chests in the summer, and this is permissible because it is a way to cool off, but it may not look so presentable. So, things must look presentable as well. This is what I mean by moderation.
 
Question: There is a couple who are so much in love that they cannot possibly break up, but the manfs parents oppose the match even though the womanfs parents are in favor. The two families have a very deep relationship. The man has changed parents three times and the woman is adopted. The manfs birth parents oppose the match. The uncle died an unnatural death. In this case, is it permissible to work to try to bring these two together?
Meishu-sama: If they canft be apart, then one shouldnft try to separate them. It is all right to try to bring them together. Too much opposition, however, wonft do either. This kind of situation causes the most problems. Since these arenft your relatives, if your opinion is asked for, you should say that you truly believe the two should be united, but other than that, you should leave everything else to those involved. To worry any further about this is useless.
 

Question: There is a person in Nagoya who moved there from the countryside. He built a house on the site of a house that had previously burned down. Until recently, he had been involved in business, but he has quit his business and is now serving as a minister. On the southwest corner of his lot is a lantern and on top of the lantern is a round stone. The wife says and many members who would otherwise come for Johrei also say that even in the daytime the stone has a human face on it. Their young child of four years says it looks like there is a black cat on the stone. A group leader stays in the house when the minister goes to the church and says that the atmosphere is very uncomfortable around the closet of the room closest to the stone. The minister apparently sees nothing. Is there something wrong with his faith?
Meishu-sama: It isnft an overly big or small stone, is it?
Question: No.
Meishu-sama: Is it a natural stone? It is a mountain lantern, isnft it? Is a divine scroll dedicated in the house?
Question: Yes.
Meishu-sama: In that case, face the stone and pray the Amatsu Norito. It seems that both human spirits and cat spirits possess this stone. They are trying to ask human beings to help save them. So pray the Amatsu Norito. And, at the end, pray, gKakuriyo no ôkami mamori tame sakihae tameh twice as we pray to the ancestors. These spirits will then be helped.
 
Question: There is a house that has still not dedicated a sacred scroll. (the rest omitted)
Meishu-sama: You should not explain all that in such minute detail. When a divine scroll is dedicated, all that will be resolved. You donft have to talk about all those tiresome, insignificant details. Really, it is really beyond understanding why you still donft understand that much.
Question: That is what I told them, but I thought I should at least ask Meishu-sama.
Meishu-sama: It is really beyond understanding why you say such troublesome things. If you say it is dark, dark all the time, the darkness will disappear when the light of the sun comes out. That is all there is to it. The deity called Taishogun is a deity of a high level. You talk about keeping him away, but rather than keep him away, it is good to have him come. Taishogun was the first deity to possess Miki Nakayama, the foundress of the Tenrikyo Church. Taishogun is the elder son of Kunitokotachi-no-mikoto, so he is a deity of high rank. The negative forces fear him, that is why they said to keep him away. It has been the age of evil up to now, so the negative forces feared the deity of the devilfs gate, that is, the northeast direction, most of all. That is why they feared Taishogun. There are many things that all of you have mistaken up to now.
 
Question: A wife who joined the church in 1948 or 1949 has dedicated a sacred scroll and is very enthusiastic, but her husband opposes the faith and she quit coming to the church for awhile. Recently, she has started coming again. Her husband had carelessly taken the scroll down and rolled it up with folds and creases. She has come to beg forgiveness. What should we do with the sacred scroll?
Meishu-sama: How does her husband feel now?
Question: He only says that he will not oppose his wifefs faith.
Meishu-sama: Has he given her permission to dedicate a divine scroll?
Question: Not yet. But the improperly rolled up divine scroll has been carefully rolled up again.
Meishu-sama: In that case, leave it as it is.
 
Question: A person with ministerial rank, Sanai Senmasa, was going to shift the position of the Amida scroll in his Buddhist family altar and knocked over the Kannon screen spilling wax on its face. He apologizes for it. What should we do?
Meishu-sama: How much bigger is the scroll than the screen?
Question: About five times bigger than the screen.
Meishu-sama: The Amida scroll is too large. He dropped the screen and spilled wax on it because permission has not been given to have such a large scroll. He should remove the Amida scroll and dedicate only the Kannon screen. The person who opposes the church or who does not think good things about it is the one to blame the most for this.
Question: There isnft any such person.
Meishu-sama: In that case, good. That is an unusual name. I have heard of the name gSanaih before, but this is the first time to hear the surname, gSenmasa.h
Question: What should we do with the wax on the screenfs face?
Meishu-sama: You should apologize and ask for forgiveness.
Question: We would like to have the Kannon screen repaired.
Meishu-sama: No, you should not have it repaired. When you rededicate a new Kannon screen, explain the circumstances to the old screen, carefully fold up the old one, and keep it in a place where it will not get dirty.
Question: Should the old Kannon screen be placed on the divine scroll altar for purification before being put away?
Meishu-sama: That is not necessary. But it should be done soon. Itfs set up now on the altar, isnft it? What is being done with the Amida scroll?
Question: It is rolled up.
Meishu-sama: In that case, dedicate a new screen, and put the spoiled one away for safekeeping.
 
Question: Stains have gotten on a sacred scroll from a leak in the roof and the paperhanger cannot remove the stains. The member says he wants a new scroll. Should we apologize to the old scroll?
Meishu-sama: You should apologize, roll it up carefully, and put it away in a safe place.
 
Question:
What should we do in the case where the member says he wants to use a more expensive mounting?
Meishu-sama: For most cases, it should be all right. Is the location the same as before?
Question: Yes.
Meishu-sama: Was the mounting paper or cloth before?
Question: Paper.
Meishu-sama: They can change to cloth. In that case, before taking it down, they should pray and explain, gThe frame is tattered so we want to change it to a better one.h
Question: In that case, is it all right to receive a new divine scroll?
Meishu-sama: Yes, it is all right. Put the old one away carefully and if relatives want to pray to it, it can be lent to them.
 
Question: A thirty-five-year-old woman joined in February 1951 and has been working for the church. Since the second of last month, she has mostly been in bed with purification, and has been vomiting a kind of thick goo. She has got small, hard growths on her breasts, solar plexus, and below the chest, some as big as a fingertip, others as small as a soy bean. 
Meishu-sama: Do they hurt when pressed?
Question: Not so much.
Meishu-sama: Does she have a fever?
Question: No, there is no fever. But, sometimes her temperature gets as high as 38 or 39 C. She has only enough appetite to eat half a bowl of rice and her bodily strength is weakening. She gets Johrei two to three times a day but shows no sign of change. Soon after she joined the church, she was possessed briefly by a dragon spirit. Her thirty-two-year-old younger brother is the eldest son of the family and he has joined the church, but his parents are still non-members. They do not strongly oppose the church, but they havenft joined. I have talked to the father after being asked by the woman to do so, but for now, it is hard to say. Is there some relationship between the dragon spirit and this purification? How should we handle this from now on?
Meishu-sama: How much medicine has she taken?
Question: Quite a bit. She has not taken the newer medicines like streptomycin, but she has received about fifteen injections of salvarsan. Other than that, she has received glucose as a nutritional supplement.
Meishu-sama: Ifll talk about this later, but glucose is not good. You may think nothing of it, but glucose and other such things are not good. This is not good at all. Has she seemed to have gotten any better?
Question: To a certain extent.
Meishu-sama: This is a very difficult case. I am sure you have been told to ask me about this case, and tell them my answer. My answer is, gJoin the church if your daughter gets better. Donft even bother to join while she is still not well.h
     Joining a faith and then expecting a healing goes against principle. What should happen is that one is healed and then joins that faith. You know this reasoning, donft you? It is so written in my older books and in my teachings. That is, in the case of life-threatening illnesses, one joins the faith after one has been healed In the case of non-life-threatening diseases, like neuralgia, it is permissible to join the faith before being completely healed. It is a principle that one should be completely healed from a life-threatening condition, when the threat of death is completely gone, that one joins a faith. The person you have described is still in a very ambiguous condition, and it is a mistake to talk to her father of joining the church. So, it is better for them not to join the church at this time. If not, they could say, gwe were told she would get better if we joined the church, but she died. That World Messianity is so half baked.h Even though we do our best, the results are bad. So, you should do as I just said. We do not heal people with faith. Faith is not like a healing machine. The right order is gI am thankful to be healed. I have become strong and healthy, so I want to help others to do the same. I want to join the faith and get the strength to help others.h If that order is disturbed, even if they join the church, it will not be the right order. This is only reasonable. So, joining the church even though one is not healed does not stand to reason. Furthermore, to say, gI will have faith if you heal meh is not right either. That just shows how low you hold God in respect.
 
Question: At a discussion meeting composed of non-members and attended by a minister, there were about ten people in attendance, and they all said they could see in the white background of the four corners of the churchfs badge, the Sunrise Kannon as is depicted on the cover of the Chijôtengoku magazine. Is this because they are on a low spiritual level?
Meishu-sama: This occurred because God wants to expand in that area and so a miracle was shown.
 
Question: Last year on June 1, I reported on the episode of the singing kettle (Record of Instructions, Volume 10, page 25), and at the time you said it was all right to dispose of the pot after a year. How should we dispose if it?
Meishu-sama: You can still use it to cook rice in, canft you?
Question: There are a lot of tokens of appreciation inside.
Meishu-sama: You can dispose of the tokens. And you can explain to the spirit in the pot, gWe have dedicated a divine scroll, so please go back to your original home.h You know that much, though, donft you?
Question: Is it all right to make a food offering and express thanks?
Meishu-sama: It is certainly all right to make it something tasty and chant the Amatsu Norito to it. In the old days, the sound of a kettle singing was the sound of victory in battle, a felicitous occasion, so this is very good.
 
Question: The seal of a Sun Moon calligraphy that is mounted on the edge of a sliding door has been damaged. How should we handle it?
Meishu-sama: Is it something a paperhanger canft fix? Ask him. If he canft fix it, you can get a new one. If it is in a condition that can easily be repaired, it is better if he can repair it. Do you think it can be repaired easily?
Question: In case we get a new one, what should we do with the old one?
Meishu-sama: Fold it up and put it away.

      translated by cynndd