Great Construction

Activity of the Light

     Since it could be said that Kannon personally creates the sacred scrolls I paint, when one is able to encounter the strong light of the sacred scroll, the darkness of one’s home, that is, the cloud, dissolves gradually, and the home becomes brighter. Indeed, it is simple.
     And, when one earnestly prays at this scroll, that prayer reaches Kannon through the scroll. Kannon has billions of followers, so orders are sent immediately to answer the prayer and save the person. Depending on the situation, salvation can be had in a moment. Whether through letters or by way of the figure on the sacred scroll, in accord with Kannon’s will, Kannon’s followers act. It is a very mystical, mysterious process that is difficult to explain in human terms. Even if an explanation were to be made, it would be difficult to understand because human beings are glued to the academic learning and materialistic knowledge that has come down to us today.
     This difficulty is the same as represented in the often-heard remark which goes that there are only one or two individuals in Japan who can understand the principle of Einstein’s theory of relativity.
     The spiritual world is composed of layers, vertical and horizontal, flat planes and bodies. From the infinitely large to the infinitely small, with infinite speed, all is active at infinite extreme; it is not just a matter of first, second, third, or fourth dimension. I believe it is much more difficult to explain than the theory of relativity.
     To understand this, if individuals bathe in the light of Kannon, truly polish their understanding and awareness, and without the need for listening to or reading teachings, become aware, in other words, develop into what Buddhism calls a “great enlightened person,” they can understand aspects of truth. There was the episode when from the calligraphy “great divine economy” that is hanging in Mr. Kanetaka’s home, the ideograms disappeared, starting with the ideogram for “great.” After “great,” then the ideogram for “divine,” and finally the ideogram for “economy” disappeared in that order. Then, they came back, and then disappeared again. This happened over and over again. I am sure you remember this account. These ideograms are alive and move. The ideogram, such as that for “great,” generates in “infinite speed,” and “infinite expansion” and “infinite activity.”
     Thus, in accord with the function of meaning that the ideograms for “great divine economy” possess, activity expands from Tokyo, to Japan, and to the world. The ideograms are spiritually active. That is, inorganic letters transform to organic matter, and a will to act according to the meaning of the ideograms is generated. Nay, it becomes an active agent itself.
     Another account concerns the image of Kannon. The other day, a certain woman was praying in front of the scroll, and she was astonished to distinctly see it blink, move its eyebrows, open its mouth, laugh, and walk. These kinds of phenomena occur countlessly each day. Of course, when speaking of such matters, they will be considered to be just nonsense, so it is difficult to convey it to third parties. Therefore, the true manifestation of Kannon power is something that cannot be imagined with the brains and knowledge of contemporary peoples. Since antiquity, the power of Kannon has also been called mystic power, and to describe that power there is actually no other word than mystic. It is truly occult and mysterious.
     So, in a home, when the “activity of light” starts, the darkness of the home will dissolve away, and the power of evil will weaken.
     When I speak of the weakening of the power of evil, I mean it will weaken in direct proportion, so as evil gradually disappears, good will increase, and thus in a natural manner will a household prosper, and finally it will become paradise. Thus, the fear that evil has for the light is quite overwhelming, and as Mr. Matsuhisa just related, after dedicating Kannon in his home, the bill collectors stopped coming to his house. Of course, they want money, but spirits which are not good attach themselves to the process of debt collection, so the light of Kannon frightens them, and they do not come. Therefore, when Kannon is dedicated in the home, evil persons do not come, rather good people gradually start to come.
     There are many actual examples of this phenomenon. The spirits of demons and other evil beings have a characteristic that dissolves when it comes into contact with strong light. They are so afraid that they cannot approach it. Even in weak light they cower and shrink. For that reason, in order to build a world of divine light, it is sufficient to put logic and theories second, but first of all, it is best to dedicate a divine scroll. In that way, as you pray before it night and day, your soul is illuminated by the light. An individual, no matter how evil or unsavory, will return to the path of good and steadily be saved.
     Another point is that when one home dedicates Kannon and earnestly pursues that faith, it is interesting because not only is that household saved, but without any specific action, the neighbors are gradually saved. When we observe this phenomenon, the limitless vastness of Kannon’s spiritual virtue cannot be expressed in words.
     I am quite sorry to have to speak as if in criticism, but to make matters clear, there is no choice but to touch a little on other religions. I believe it most often the case that religion until now has been one sort of bargaining mechanism. There is a proclivity for followers to wonder why they do not receive benefits or why they suffer so much even though they are so earnest in their faith, but this apprehension arises because the faith itself is impure. This is inevitable and unavoidable, and I do think there are points here where individuals deserve sympathy. Often are the times when followers are told they have sin so they do not recover from illness and that to remove that sin they must follow a certain set of prescriptions. But these pronouncements are only a form of intimidation, conditions for barter, so to speak, and I believe the practice to be unsavory and unsatisfactory. 

“The Construction of a World of Great Divine Light,” World of Divine Light, Issue 3, May 21, 1935
    translated by cynndd