Record of Enlightening Talks, Issue 3
April 9, 1949


January 8, 1949, Saturday

QUESTION: When asking you questions, 1) how should we ask about uncertain points? 2) are we allowed to give our own opinions about matters? In these cases, I am afraid that rude remarks will often be made, so the more we become circumspect in our question, the more difficult it becomes to ask. What should we do in these cases?
MEISHU-SAMA: 1) It is certainly all right to ask sharp, pointed questions! Anything that is permissible in a public meeting. When a question is asked, if the inquirer is not convinced, the answer becomes a deception. Halfway will not do. In all respects, I am a perfectionist. 2) Relating your own opinion is no problem. Even if there may be rudeness, the matter is not rude. Even if you say you are afraid to ask, I canft be of help unless your doubts are answered. Being silent because something is awesome or frightful is not in accord with my will. You should talk about matters just as you would normally speak to others.

QUESTION: What should we do when we find a photograph of you or a reproduction of your calligraphy in any of the mass media?
MEISHU-SAMA: If a member finds them, they can be cut out and used. I have heard that in Osaka, there are those who cut them out for display and worshipc.

QUESTION: Would it be all right to distribute to members that which has been offered on the altar?
MEISHU-SAMA: It is very good to give offerings to members. But, do not hand them out directly from the altar. Take them off the altar and then distribute them, telling the members that gThese are offerings from the altar.h Offerings do not have to be on the altar that long. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough. After presentation and worship, they can be removed right way. The same way you would do on a Buddhist family altar.

QUESTION: Are the theories of Mencius that human nature is inherently good and those of Hsün Tzu that human nature is inherently evil one way of expressing your teachings of the three spirits in human beings?
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, you could say that. But that human nature is good is the way it should be. Because evil is only temporary.

QUESTION: In giving the pronunciation of a personfs name, for example, my name is written in ideograms as glight-boyh and pronounced gteru-hiko,h but some people call me gmitsu-hiko.h In this case, from the perspective of language spirit, how does it work?
MEISHU-SAMA: gTeruh differs from gmitsu.h In gteru,h the activity of language spirit is strong. So, if you want to become a strong person, it is good for you to use gteru.h if you want to become a gentle person, you should use gmitsu.h Either way is all right, or if you think it is all right to be called by either name, just let people use the one they want. I myself have many names. Scholars of old had many names. Particularly scholars of the Tokugawa period had nom de plumes and sobriquets in addition to their own names.

QUESTION: About sexual love and romantic love, 1) I believe sex education should be strengthened and girls should also receive it, but what do you think?
MEISHU-SAMA: I think it is better to not have such education. In society nowadays, many things are being discussed, but it is silly. There is no need for it. It is not needed because up to now we have gotten along very fine without it. Sex is an activity of instinct. Dogs and cats do not have sex education and they know what to do. (laughter) Especially these days, birth control, a real trivial matter, is being discussed, but recently because such issues are getting attention, individuals of some level of culture these days are really pitiful lambs. I will write about birth control in a forth-coming book.

QUESTION: 2) There area lot of magazines dealing with sexual matters. And, because of the housing shortage, there are many parents troubled by sexual matters. What should be done in these cases?
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, this is a problem, but if one has to live in a miserable house that gives rise to sexual problems it is the fault of those persons. So, to suffer from that kind of problem is good purification. It is certainly good to suffer a lot.

QUESTION: What do you think about children reading erotic magazines?
MEISHU-SAMA: If the parents are sound and reliable, it is all right. Thatfs because they are all connected by the spiritual cords. My kids all read these magazines on their own. Just because theyfre erotic magazines, doesnft mean theyfre all bad. There are some of benefit. When I was young I read a lot of them. (laughter)

QUESTION: 3) Should the sexual appetite be considered as sacred or should it be despised as animalistic?
MEISHU-SAMA: Both. Sexual appetite between husband and wife is sacred, but that which has strayed from the path, which is immoral, is beastly, an act of violence, a real beast. Where it differs is that this act creates the sinc. Until my middle age, I had the opportunity for such activities. When I was hanging about in the red-light area, I was friendly with the wife of a certain actor, but I heard a rumor going about that there was more to our relationship, and when I thought about how much this actor would suffer if he heard this rumor, I thought that this would create a tremendous sin, and we did not continue to meet. Another thing, at one time, I employed young women and there were many opportunities for companionship, but when I thought of how temporarily using a young woman as an object of pleasure would make her whole life unhappy\this would be unbearable\and so I didnft commit any mistakes. Even now, I am thankful for these experiences. Making another person unhappy generates sin.

QUESTION: What about in cases where the woman is a widow?
MEISHU-SAMA: Even with a widow, if the man has a wife, she will grieve and suffer...then sin is created. The amount of suffering for the penalty of temporary pleasure is many fold. So even on the level of mere calculation, it doesnft add up.

QUESTION: 4) There are people who despise sexual matters, and because sufficient sexual technique is lacking, cannot taste the joy of a true married life, and die. What about this?
MEISHU-SAMA: Instances like this really differ by the person. But, because this is a public space, there are some matters that shouldnft be discussed in the openc. The biggest cause of this are the areas around the kidneys. Also of sexual frigidity. So, when the toxin is removed from within and around the kidneys, it is as if a sleeping person had awakened.

QUESTION: In that respect, what do you think about sex education?
MEISHU-SAMA: They have nothing to do with each other. There are cases where the cause is toxin around the womb. Since this cause is also the kidneysc.The sexual appetite does not have much to do with whether children can be born. So, there are people with a sexual appetite but no children.

QUESTION: 5) A woman who has repeatedly miscarriaged and experienced still birth even now wants a child but is yet to be blessed with one. What kind of divine implication is there in this?
MEISHU-SAMA: It is God who raises children. God decides whether a child is to be bestowed. But because human beings have done mistaken things to their bodies, things do not go perfectlyc. If we talk about abortions or miscarriages, abortion due to syphilis is extremely rare. In most cases, abortion results from a stiffened abdomen or medicinal toxin there.

QUESTION: 6) In cases where one marries a woman not knowing she is crippled, would divorce be all right?
MEISHU-SAMA: Well, only divorce after discussions have been held and all are in agreement. You didnft know she was crippled?

QUESTION: No, it is a second marriage...
MEISHU-SAMA: Then, you knew it. That is bold and impudent! (laughing) Well, separate after discussing the matter.

QUESTION: 7) In all times and places, depending on the location or the age, there are occasions when it has been customary to have one or more mistresses, concubines, or husbands. Should this be considered right or wrong?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is wrong. What is right in Godfs eyes is one husband, one wife. It is said that in China it is considered good to have as many wives as possible, and thatfs why China does not flourish. But lately in China, the custom has come to be one husband, one wife. Maybe itfs because they have a considerable number of Christians.

QUESTION: There are those who are said to be in a high social position who have mistresses.
MEISHU-SAMA: Nevertheless, they will go to hell. Whether theyfre of high social position or whatever, it makes no difference. Rather, the amount of sin in these ggreath people is great. Particularly with those who educate others with mistaken ideas or when literary authors write and spread some mistaken thought, it is a greater sin than killing one or two human beings.

QUESTION: 8) In the case of a couple, after several years of marriage, still do not have a child, and physically or otherwise, they do not have any problems, until what age is it possible for them to have children?
MEISHU-SAMA: Probably until about the age of forty. As one grows older, the body stiffens, so the birthing process does not proceed smoothly.

QUESTION: 9) When both husband and wife are healthy, until about what age can they have children?
MEISHU-SAMA: Women as old as sixty have become pregnant. Men seventy years old also can do their part. There are times when women who have stopped menstruation still get children.

QUESTION: When it gets to the point that the life span reaches one hundred, I believe the age of marriage will probably change, but what do you think?
MEISHU-SAMA: Quite so. It would probably be all right to marry at one hundred. (laughter) Difference in ages between husband and wife doesnft matter. Even if a 100-year-old man were to marry a 30-ear-old woman (roar of laughter). Last year in Bulgaria, a 156-year-old man who was going to marry his 11th wife, died. However, one elderly lady 120 years old cried and heavily grieved the death of the man. When investigated it was found that the 156-year-old man had long ago been the old ladyfs lover, and because of their parentsf opposition or something, they couldnft marry. Attachment lasts even at 120 ears of age. (laughter) Bulgarians live the longest in the world, and it is said that there are over 3,000 persons over the age of one hundred.

QUESTION: 2) As regards to questions about sexual issues, I would like to get more in depth guidance. Would that be all right?
MEISHU-SAMA: Well, yes. Yes, but since this is a public event, these matters should not be discussed in the open. Perhaps I could teach you in a secret room? I know thoroughly about this problem, so whatever you want to ask is all right.

QUESTION: 3) How should we channel Johrei in cases of hysteria based on a defect or sexual frustration?
MEISHU-SAMA: Well with only this information, it is difficult to knowc. There are lots of people who want to ask about sexual problems of this type. Particularly women. They are embarrassed so they do not ask and they suffer. If there is something you want to ask, write it on a piece of paper put it in an envelope, and submit it. I will write a reply, put it in an envelope, and get it back to you. So that others wonft know. Kind of like black market dealings. (laughter)

QUESTION: If suffering is going to disappear in the daylight age, does that mean that karma will also disappear and the existence of ignorant people who think evil and do evils deeds will not be permitted? Also, in the daylight world, how will the customs of time, place, and occasion be determined?
MEISHU-SAMA: No, not exactly. What will happen is that how evil is exposed will become quicker. Until now, it has taken time for evil to be exposed. It has come to be that evil is not exposed for twenty or thirty years, so people felt they had to commit evil to get ahead. But when it becomes daylight, evil will be exposed right away when it is committed. People are always calculating. If they think people wonft know, they try to commit evil. But that will become impossible. gInstant harm, instant penalty,h that is, when evil is committed, it is immediately penalized. In a recent incident, a cabinet minister was arrested for taking bribes, an instance of purification becoming quicker. Before, cabinet ministers could keep things hidden, but now matters are relentlessly pursuedc. The concept of time, place, occasion will be sorted out naturally. Faith is the same. It will not do to think matters  out in human terms. In the end, it should be half-natural, half-artificial. In this regard, very apt is the saying gDo your humanly best and wait for Heaven.h What human beings have come up with totally on their own will not do. For example, the saying gWhere there is a will, there is a wayh is an outrageous mistake. Those who make great statements like gI have no intention of dying. I will live by my willh usually end up dying (laughter). On the contrary, those who have eradicated an attachment to life and leave matters to the gods and buddhas are usually helped. I was like that when I was in a critical condition due to disease. Sick people really shouldnft have an attachment to life.

QUESTION: Rather than just saying that the various sufferings in life during the age of night were simply because there was suffering during the age of night, would it be all right to think of them as a part of trials by God toward human beings? And that even in the new age, in order for human beings to improve and train themselves, will there exist in ... some kind of form of something like agony or sorrow to lubricate the trials of God, c for example, like broken hearts or unrequited love?
MEISHU-SAMA: There really is no such thing as Godfs trial. Human beings only justify suffering that way. When God wants to do something good or give something good, the container has to be clean. If dirty, it has to be cleaned. That cleaning is suffering. So, that is purification. When the purification is over and the container has become clean, God can give. Thatfs why at times like this, people say, gThat suffering was Godfs test.h ...Now, to talk about the suffering of a broken heart, romantic love is one form of attachment, so, in essence you are consciously forming an attachment and suffering. (laughter) So, therefs nothing difficult about it.

QUESTION: When a person dies, the body is placed with the head on the north side and an edged tool, knife or sword is placed beside the head. Why is this?
MEISHU-SAMA: These procedures are followed to keep away evil spirits. Evil spirits dislike knives and swords and they are placed so that the evil spirits do not approach. But, it is no big deal, so whether they are placed or not is all right. But, as for blades c For example, there are swords created by master swordmakers that have strong spiritual power, and it is good to place these swords there. The reason the head is placed northward is because spiritual energy is strong in the north. Thatfs also why magnets turn toward the north. Then, north is spiritual and south is physical, so the spirit of a dead person will go north. The body is placed so that when the spirit leaves the head, it goes north. I like my head toward the north, so I often sleep that way. I am often told, gThatfs what people do when they are dead, so stop it,h and I laugh and reply, gIf thatfs the case, I wonft die, so itfs all right.h (laughter)

QUESTION: There is a member who still does not understand the path well. Believing in the words of his ancestors about Acala, he has hung a picture of Acala next to the Divine Light Tathagata scroll. How should we handle this?
MEISHU-SAMA: This will not do. Itfs better if the Divine Light Tathagata scroll is not hung. Itfs disrespectful and a waste there, so the scroll shouldnft be dedicated until he understands. No other scrolls should be hung with the Divine Light Tathagatac. And, itfs ok to dedicate the scroll if all in the household want to follow the Divine Light Tathagata, but if any, one or two, are opposed, it should not be dedicated. The Divine Light Tathagata will be sullied.



January 18, 1949, Tuesday

QUESTION: 1) The significance of the nation of Japan. 2) There is a theory that the Rising Sun national flag represents conquest. I would like to ask about the significance of the national flag.
MEISHU-SAMA: About Japan [ideograms: gsun+originh], the sun rises in the east, and Japan is in the Far East, so it can be understood that the sun comes from Japan. Thatfs what the rising sun means. But the symbol of the rising sun is not that old. It was first created by the Shimazu family, rulers of Kagoshima, so it came about just before the Meiji era. The meaning of gconquesth was used during the war to propagandize, based on the legend of Amaterasu Ōkami, that Japan is the root of the sun. It is the nation of the sun, so it is precious. But thatfs not how it really is! If thatfs how it was, then the sun would shine only on Japan which would be in daylight and the rest of the world would be night, right?

QUESTION: When asking God for a favor, is it all right to expect that thinking our prayer in our heart and not saying it out loud is the same as pronouncing the prayer out loud?
MEISHU-SAMA: These are not the same! If I only think of giving you something good to eat, it is neither delicious or anything to you (laughter). It is important to express matters in form. Therefore, it should be expressed in words. Well, I guess itfs better to think it than to not think of it at all.

QUESTION: When we come to the center to pray, it is often that utterances cannot be said aloud if there are many people around.
MEISHU-SAMA: Prayers should be offered in an appropriate way to circumstances. There are people who speak barely audibly in a low voice. That is all right! And then, during Johrei, it is best not to hold thoughts. When you are channeling to a vital point, it is all right to say our thoughts out loud. In desperate situations, though, ask me. In those cases, rather than ideograms or pictures, I who am living have the power. I am the one who actually performs the deed.

QUESTION: I would like to ask about the significance of the beginning of spring [Risshun].
MEISHU-SAMA: The day before the beginning of spring (Setsubun) is usually February 3. That day is the last of winter. Spring starts from February 4, so it is called Beginning of Spring (Risshun). Now, in ancient times, a deity named Kunitokotachi no Mikoto [Country-Continually-Standing-Lord] was put away by public opinion and this was on the night of Setsubun. It is said that the next time he will appear in the world will be on the day of Risshun. This is an Omoto concept, but it is correct. That is because behind Kannon is Country-Continually-Standing-Lordc. So, in the spiritual world,  Country-Continually-Standing-Lord became Yama, judge of the after life, and he was most strict on distinguishing good and evil. This was considered harsh so he metamorphosed in Buddhism as Kannon. That is why Kannon makes no distinction between good and evil, not discriminating, saving all. The gosanka poem [S4-182E] gThat which forgives / All and every sin, and / That which judges / All and every sin is / The God of the universe.h refers to this. God has these two faces. In the words of Saneatsu Mushakoji, there are the words gstrong like God, weak like God,h and thatfs the way it is. God has a very powerful side and also a very weak side.

QUESTION: Why is it that the dreams we have on January 2 are called gfirst dreamsh?
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, this is a good question! I myself think this is strange. It should be the dream you see on NewYearfs Day. Well, I didnft create this expression, soc. [I donft know]. (laughter)

QUESTION: 1) Why is it said that sickness is prevalent in early spring?
MEISHU-SAMA: Well, it is the period when it is easiest for new buds to appear on trees. Thatfs because spring is the time when all rises. As Ifve written in a book [gThe Earth Breathes,h Essays on Faith], the earth breathes, and spring is the time when the earth exhales. What is inside the human body also comes out. But even if it is called sickness, most of the time it is things like boils and such. Boils are just something like moss on the human body.

QUESTION: 2) When we are examine a sick person for the first time, should we tone down the extent of their actual situation in order to give them some comfort, cheer them up?
MEISHU-SAMA: Of course you should. It is no good to say things like, gYou will probably not be healed. So thin and pale. Do you really think you can be helped?h (heavy laughter) In cases like this, it is all right to lie. If, as a result of your lie, they get better, that is sufficient.

QUESTION: 3) How do coated tongues come about?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is something like grime piling up on the skin. Doctors say you will get a coated tongue if your stomach has problems, but that doesnft happen at all. Thatfs why I donft look at sick peoplefs tongues at all.

QUESTION: 4) They say there are people who after eating fish and such, get autotoxemia, and then come down with hives, but why is this so?
MEISHU-SAMA: Calling this autotoxemia is strange. If there were such a thing, people should be getting poisoned from other people as well. This is actually food poisoning. In most cases, it is caused by the red meat of fish which becomes hives. When you get this, you get red splotches which are itchy and feverish. When Johrei is channeled, they can be healed in a day and a night [twenty-four hours]. Real hives are a little different, but doctors confuse the two. Real hives are caused by calcium injections. Doctors donft realize this, so they give calcium injections.

QUESTION: Among members who leave the church, some return their focal points. What would be the right thing to do with returned focal points?
MEISHU-SAMA: The best thing to do is to incinerate them. With scrolls, roll them up, put them a way for awhile, and then give them to someone else.

QUESTION: On ancestor tablets, should the Buddhist posthumous name be written or should it be the personfs name in life?
MEISHU-SAMA: Of course, the Buddhist posthumous names. Names from life will not do. Thatfs because Buddhist posthumous names are their names in the spiritual world.

QUESTION: Why is it said that two six-mat rooms should not be together?
MEISHU-SAMA: Six is the activity of water, so a six-mat room will be a room of water. When two six-mat rooms are joined, water and water overlap, so it is not good. When all is water, fire cannot work. So, you could make one-mat a wooden floor. Or, put the two rooms together to make a twelve-mat room.

QUESTION: What should be done with the thresholds and the fusuma?
MEISHU-SAMA: You can just remove the fusuma. Even if there is a threshold, it doesnft matter, but particularly when the threshold straddles both rooms, you can put a carpet over it.

QUESTION: Why is it said that it is not good to place homes in front of shrines or behind cemeteries?
MEISHU-SAMA: Cemeteries have dead spirits, so near a cemetery, spirits are likely to come. For example, those who have fallen into the world of hungry spirits may come for food. But is is all right if you have a Divine Light Tathagata dedicated in your home. They will be happy because they can bathe in the light and raise their spiritual level, and it also becomes a meritorious deed for them. Commercial establishments that deal with impure commodities should not be in front of shrines. For example, a fishmonger where the intestines and bowels of fish will be laying around will not do. Places where deities go in and out should be kept cleanc.

QUESTION: A person who lives in a house right in front of a shrine has come down with a mental diseasec.
MEISHU-SAMA: Right in front? That wonft do. That kind of mental disease will be very difficult to heal. Thatfs because having the house right in front of the shrine obstructs the deity from coming and going. In those cases, the plot of land should be divided in half and a road made for the deity to pass. Even if human beings can turn corners, deities do not work that way.

QUESTION: What is it that the Amitabha Buddha is in the crown of the one-thousand-headed Kannon that is on the ancestor shrine screen?
MEISHU-SAMA: Amitabha Buddha is the mother of Kannon c It is said that Kannon is the Maitreya of the sun and Amitabha is the Maitreya of the moon, and this means that the moon gives birth to the sun. It is the same as the fact that all men are born from women. So, from this perspective, Amitabha is above, but it cannot be so easily fixed. You cannot say that parents will always be above. For example, when he is the crown prince, he is below the emperor and empress, but once he succeeds to the throne, he becomes of a higher level than his parents, the former emperor and empress.

QUESTION: I ask about the significance of The Three Honorable Amidas, and of, Hosshin, Hōshin, and Ōshin.
MEISHU-SAMA: The Three Honorable Amidas means the three Maitreyas. Hosshin [gLaw Bodyh] is Amida and the activity of Amida is to explain and make clear the Law. Hōshin [gRecompense Bodyh] is Shakyamuni, whose rank is below and who saves all sentient beings and is called Maitreya of the Earth. Ōshin is Kannon who responds to all requests. So, Kannon is constantly changing. Shakyamuni and Amida have the same set characteristics and do not change. But for true assistance, human beings must treat with all of them.

QUESTION: Why is it said that in years of great snowfalls and in years where there is much lightening that there will be plentiful harvests?
MEISHU-SAMA: It is often said that in years of great snowfalls, that insects die and this probably has something to do with plentiful harvests. But actually, what happens is that lots of nitrogen permeates into the ground. Nitrogen is earth spirit and it is constantly, continually being dispersed. It rises upward as far as the air extends then becomes rain, and falls back to earth. This is the snow! A lot of nitrogen goes into the soil where it stays for awhile. It is difficult for it to rise upward c. Nitrogen is the earthfs axis of the spiritual energy of fire. So when snow falls, it is warmc If artificial nitrogen fertilizer is applied, there is too much nitrogen. So, for plants like sweet potatoes, they canft grow. Agricultural specialists use lime and saltpeter when there is too much nitrogen in the soil, but this is useless. They shouldnft use anything to begin with ... It is said that insect pests die when there is lightening. But what does this mean? At the end of summer, clouds in the spiritual world increase, and the increased cloud is purified. Lightening is the physical body of the spirit of fire, in other words, it is the body of the spirit of fire. Cloud in the spiritual world c lumps of toxin are formed here and there. It is something like a rubbish bin. This is what is being purified.

QUESTION: There are some people who really like drinking tea, smoking tobacco and so forth. Just like tengu and dragon spirits who are behind those who drink alcohol, do people like these pursuits because of some kind of possessing spirit?
MEISHU-SAMA: Not really. People like tea because their bodies need it. So, it is quite all right to drink as much as you like. Smoking tobacco is a habit. One kind of habit. But, it is necessary. Smoking improves the brain. So that is why I recommend to people who are not that quick-witted to take tobacco. Thatfs because the smoke stimulates the nose, and makes it easier for air and smoke to go through the nose. The nose and the head or brain are closely connected. When a childfs nose and the area around it are not quite right, the childfs nose will not get that big and it will be misshapen. In these cases, they arenft that quick witted either. With Johrei, their conditions will improve and their noses, get higher.

QUESTION: It is better to just puff on the tobacco and not draw it into the lungs?
MEISHU-SAMA: Thatfs right. Puffing on it, then blowing it out the nose is good.

QUESTION: Since you say as such, the government tobacco monopoly will be very happy.
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, soon they will probably make a bronze statue of me. (strong laughter)

QUESTION: In one of your books I read that a tengu from Mount Kurama possessed Yoshitsune. I wonder if all those who show superhuman ability such as sportsmen or martial arts masters do so because they have a possessing spirit.
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, thatfs right. There are times when swimmers are possessed by the spirit of a dragon and sometimes even of a carp. These are usually animal spirits. [Hironoshin] Furuhashi is probably possessed by a dragon deity.

QUESTION: People often say that those who swim are water sprites [kappa].
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, but water sprites like to play in the water rather than swim in it.

QUESTION: For Natural Cultivation, itfs difficult to obtain the leaves of plants in the fields and paddies that are located on the plains, so what should we do? Also, how should we dispose of human excrement, now that is is not needed?
MEISHU-SAMA: Even if it is a bit far away, you should go to the mountains and gather plants. In the countryside, human excrement can be put in holes dug for that purpose. Near the seaside, it can be cast into the ocean. For making layers of compost, tree leaves are best, but if you want to mix it into the soil, the leaves of plants are best. Thatfs because plant leaves are softer.

QUESTION: I would like to ask about transmen and transwomen.
MEISHU-SAMA: Transmen are men born as women. Transwomen are women who are born as men. You can understand that a person who has been born many times as a woman and who is suddenly born as a male will be a very feminine male. But, being trans is a good thing. When the strong characteristics of the male are mixed with the soft characteristics of the female, it becomes a character that is not one-sided. It is not good that males who are known as ferocious leaders or stern task masters do not have a gentler side. I am a transwoman. For one thing, I have no body hair, and I do have my feminine side. You could call me effeminate. Shakyamuni is a transwoman, and the female side prevailed. That is why he stayed single.

QUESTION: I would like to ask about secondary spirits, particularly, 1) what happens when the human being goes to the spiritual world? 2) when a person is reborn in the physical world, what happens to the relationship with its former secondary spirit?
MEISHU-SAMA: When a person dies and goes to the spiritual world, the secondary spirit separates. There are various patterns. Some separate right away and some take a while. Since the secondary spirit possesses the human body while it is in the physical world to protect it, it is necessary to maintain physiological needs. But since it is not good when the secondary spirit is too strong, the primary spirit must restrain the secondary spirit. When reborn on earth again, there are again various patterns, times when the same secondary spirit possesses, times when the same variety of spirit possesses, and then there are times when an entirely different kind of spirit will possess.

QUESTION: A member has four boys and one girl, and each time one of these children is injured, they present with a wound on their forehead. At present, the eldest, third, and fourth sons have such wounds. I understand that their deceased father had a scar on his forehead. In there some spiritual meaning to the childrenfs scars?
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, there is a meaning to this. Either some one among the ancestors injured someone on the forehead and that grudge remains or else someone among the ancestors acted in some way impertinent to God and that sin remains. In this case, the sin should have become lighter, if the ancestors have apologized c. the same thing is said in physiognomy. The forehead is God, that which is above the eye is superior and that which is below the eye is inferior. Just a little bit above the eyes represents the ancestors. So when there is some kind of relationship with a person who is superior, some kind of change will occur above the eyes.



January 28, 1949, Friday

QUESTION: It is said that marriages which are three or nine years apart are not good matches. What do you think?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is superstition. If you want to put some strong logic behind it, you could say that the gfourh of gfourthh [fourth year] represents unpleasantness or something objectionable. gTenh of gtenthh [tenth year] represents gimpasseh or gblocked,h which some people do not like. In other words, the ideogram for gtenh is the last number. There isnft any other meaning.

QUESTION: I would like to ask about the procedures for weddings in front of a divine altar.
MEISHU-SAMA: I really donft know about that kind of thing. I am sure it will be all right if it proceeds flexibly, adapting when necessary. The prayer used should be the Zengen Sanji.

QUESTION: What about clapping the hands and calling a divine name [Miroku, etc.]
MEISHU-SAMA: Itfs all right to clap. In this case. It is also all right to call a divine name. There are prayers for  wedding ceremonies, so they can be used.

QUESTION: In this case, which divine name should we call?
MEISHU-SAMA: It is good to call out to Izunome Ōkami. Because Izunome means gman and woman.h

QUESTION: In arranging marriages, some people make an issue of lucky years and unlucky years of the prospective partner. What about this?
MEISHU-SAMA: It really doesnft have much meaning at all. A lot of that is superstition. Many couples have had their age and lucky or unlucky years looked at to discern affinity, that such things will tell if there will be much fighting or whether they will stay married till death or part beforehand. But for most cases, nothing can be understood.

QUESTION: For men, the ages of 15, 25, 42, and 61, and for women, the ages of 19, 33, and 39 are considered unlucky years. Is there anything to this?
MEISHU-SAMA: No meaning at all. Well probably because the age of 42 for males can be pronounced shini (gdyingh), it is disliked. And then, for women, the age of 33, which could be pronounced sanzan (gterribleh) could probably be interpreted in a bad way. There is no profound significance. Particularly so for those of faith. First of all, the twelve zodiac signs come from China. They are not completely meaningless, but they donft have much of a meaning. I do not concern myself with these matters at all.

QUESTION: What about marriage with older women?
MEISHU-SAMA: I donft think much of marriages with older women, but this is not an absolute. The issue is whether the two love each other or not.

QUESTION: Is it all right to believe that God determines marriages and to leave it in Godfs hands?
MEISHU-SAMA: You canft leave everything to God! You first have to do what you should. As in the old saying, gDo our humanly best, then wait for heaven, for destiny.h So, it is good to positively love each other, but then again, to love each other too much also causes problems. (laughter)

QUESTION: Should the Miroku Church be considered to be included with the Japan Kannon Church?
MEISHU-SAMA: You canft say either way. Depending upon time and circumstances, there are occasions when it is all right to say it is included, and occasions when it is all right to consider it separate. At this stage, it cannot be determined which. It is a matter of vertical and horizontal. Another point is that another religious organization may be formed. What this means is that they are now conducting activities separately but in the future will become one.

QUESTION: It is troubling when we are asked by members if they are the same.
MEISHU-SAMA: If you are asked if they are the same, it is all right to answer that they are. If asked, gThey are separate, arenft they?h it is ok to say, gYes, they are separate.h (roar of laughter)c Human beings want to say things are one thing or another, but there are some things which donft belong to either.

QUESTION: I would like to ask again about the teaching that prayers should be said out loud.
MEISHU-SAMA: It is good if supplications are made out loud, but if people are around, prayers can be silent, and if no one is about, they can be said aloud. But just thinking about them has less effect. It is all right to be flexible depending on the occasion. Moving your lips just slightly is good.

QUESTION: What should we say in front of the Buddhist family altar?
MEISHU-SAMA: You should call to Kakuriyo Ōkami. You donft need clapping.

QUESTION: Where is it permissible to enshrine your photograph?
MEISHU-SAMA: It is good to enshrine it to the side of the tokonoma. We pray to the middle of the tokonoma where God is enshrined, so there is a hindrance if my photograph is above. So the best place is a far shelf to the side of the tokonoma.

QUESTION: When we perform our greeting prayers, we pray to your photograph first c.
MEISHU-SAMA: Actually that is the right thing to do, but it invites misunderstanding so it would probably be all right to do it after offering a prayer to Kannon.

QUESTION: Until now, a patient who has taken the introductory course suffering from wet pleurisy has had drained about one pint of water-like fluids a month, but since receiving Johrei (about five months), no fluids have been taken, but the abdomen has greatly enlarged. What about this?
MEISHU-SAMA: Removing fluids artificially will not do. As the fluids are drained, they will continue to fill up. Removed once or twice is no problem, but to continue to remove it is useless. Life cannot be guaranteed. From now on, in order to remove the pain, it may be good to remove fluids, but at this point, it is probably hopeless.

QUESTION: In a woman (56) who is suffering from cancer in the cheek holes had been opened in her cheeks and in her mouth from which pus has discharged and she hasnft eaten much. What should be done?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is not cancer. Cheek cancer can be healed, but if it is cheek cancer, there is no reason to open holes. It would be good to give her a liquid diet. She will recover.

QUESTION: Seven years ago, a boy (16) rode off a cliff on his bicycle on a dark night, and drowned, and three years ago, the mother started to feel heaviness in the stomach and had no appetite. Every night at twelve ofclock she would be awoken and visited by the spirit of her dead child (the mother took the course in December). Is there some spiritual relationship between this and the child? And, what should be done about the spirit of the dead child?
MEISHU-SAMA: A Divine Light Tathagata scroll should be dedicated in the home and the mother should sleep in the room where the scroll is hung. This way, she will be naturally healed of the afflictions of the visits from the dead spiritc Usually, there is no relationship between the abdomen and dead spirits. She has probably taken some sort of stomach medicine in the past.

QUESTION: Previously, she drank gennoshōko [Geranium thunbergii].
MEISHU-SAMA: Thatfs it! Thatfs the cause. So Johrei should be channeled amply to the back.

QUESTION: About baldness. 1) Is baldness due to genes? 2) What can you say about the common perception that baldness results from a dulling of the hair cells? 3) Aside from latent baldness, can baldness due to high fever be cured? 4) Is is all right for bald people to wear wigs and toupees? 5) Why is it that baldness occurs less often among women than men?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is ridiculous! We know that as the activity of hair cells dulls, one becomes bald, but the issue is why does that activity dull. In a lot of cases, baldness is genetic, but baldness is not absolutely genetic.
     My father went bald, but I am not bald. People go bald because they have toxin in the head. When this toxin is eliminated, hair increasesc Baldness due to high fever can be curedc. It would be all right to wear a wig.

QUESTION: It seems that when a wig was worn, it got moldy, and the hair that was growing in, stopped growing.
MEISHU-SAMA: That doesnft happen at all. If one were to go bald due to moldiness, actors would all get bald. That person probably used some sort of hair restorer.

QUESTION: He started going bald at the age of fourteen and has used quite a lot of hair restorers.
MEISHU-SAMA: Itfs that hair restorer that is causing his problem! Well, this isnft a school for baldness, so letfs leave it there (roar of laughter)c but we see baldness in a lot of men because baldness is one sign of authority, so that is probably why God does things that way. Use your tact and discretion. (laughter)

QUESTION: Why do people grind their teeth while they sleep?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is the doings of the secondary spirit. In some animals, the mouth is held quite tightly. Cats, horses, cows donft open their mouths, and when the people whom these animal spirits are possessing sleep, these sleeping people are distracted by sleep and the ways of the possessing animal appear, so the mouth becomes quite fixed. When these people join the faith, the power of the secondary spirit weakens.

QUESTION: Why do the buttocks of children have a bluish tinge?
MEISHU-SAMA: There are various theories about why infants have buttocks that are tinged in a bluish color, but this is medicinal toxin coming out in the skin. Medicinal toxin, that is, toxic blood sinks lower and lower. Itfs something like internal hemorrhaging.

QUESTION: What about members of a Buddhist sect who, from their generation, change to another religion?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is not something that can be stated unconditionally. For example, if someone whose family had been a member of the Shingon Sect for a long time were to join another religion, the ancestors probably wouldnft like it, but if it were to some other sect of Buddhism, the differences would not be that great. There is no problem of Buddhists joining the Kannon Church. The ancestors will be saved and their salvation will be obvious. People can join this path and still believe in the religion they have believed in so far. There is no problem at all c. There is a saying about the Nichiren Sect, that one is a member for only one generation. That is because the Lotus Sutra is the flower of Buddhism, so it doesnft last long. The flower blooms gorgeously for one generation. After the petals fall, the plant becomes useless.

QUESTION: Does that mean that the Nichiren sect will not do?
MEISHU-SAMA: No, it doesnft mean that. On the level of an ordinary member, there is no problem...A member of a Buddhist sect would have to think twice about going to be the son-in-law in a Christian household. Nothing wrong with Christians, but they do not enshrine their ancestors. This will not do. Gunpei Yamamuro was quite an admirable individual who did great things for the Salvation Army, but that his household was unfortunate was due to this reason.

QUESTION: What is the spiritual meaning in the difference between families where in one, enshrinement is performed only for males, and others, only for females.
MEISHU-SAMA: This occurs because there are male spiritual lineages and there are female spiritual lineages, and it is these female lineages that adopt sons every generation. This difference has to do with the ancestors, and those on the Dragon Palace lineage are definitely female. There are three female gods called the Sanjoshin which form these lineages. This lineage pertains only to this family, and the members of these families cannot marry into other families. There are not that many of such families.

QUESTION: Is justifiable self-defense a sin?
MEISHU-SAMA: True justifiable self-defense is not a sin. However, if the self-defense goes beyond the bounds of being justifiable or legitimate, it becomes a sin. For example, if the opponent is incapable of continuing the fight but the wronged person keeps on injuring the opponent, this becomes a sin.

QUESTION: What is the meaning of the destruction by fire of the main hall of Hōryū-ji temple?
MEISHU-SAMA: Yes, I knew it. I knew this question had to be asked. There has to be some reason why a magnificent building that has lasted a little over a thousand years should burn downc. Incineration was the right thing. It was inevitable. That is because we have entered the period of the destruction of Buddhism. Long ago Hōryū-ji temple was built by Prince Shōtoku to promote the Buddhist law and became the foundation for Buddhism in Japan. So, as the destruction of Buddhism unfolds, it is only natural that places associated with Buddhism should disappear. The fire at Nihon-ji temple in Chiba Prefecture some ten years ago occurred for the same reasons. Nihon-ji temple is a prototype for the Buddhist world of Japan. At the far side of the temple is a Chinese olive orchard. These are called bodhi trees, the kind under which the Buddha sat when he attained satori. And then, above Nihon-ji is much Buddhist statuary. Shaka [Shakyamuni], Amida [Amitabha], Kannon [Avaokiteshvara], Seishi [Mahasthama-prapta], Fugen [Samantabbadra], Monju [Manjusri], and others. I went there on June 15, 1931, and it was then that I realized that this place is a prototype for Buddhism. Because it started to dawn from that time and place, there were various mysteries that even now I cannot talk about. It was ten years after that Nihon-ji burned down, and at that time I thought that what had had to come had come.

QUESTION: I would like to ask about the value of Buddhist art.
MEISHU-SAMA: Buddhism is the basis for practically all of Japanese art. Aspects of Buddhism also appear in Japanese popular songs, folk songs, and even traditional chants. Noh chants derive from Buddhist sutras, and even the reciting of ancient tales comes from moralizing vignettes. Moralizing vignettes were first employed by Buddhist priests. The origin of Japanese sculpture is Buddhism. So, I think Buddhismfs greatest contribution was in the realm of art. It would be fair to say that Buddhism gave birth to Japanese art.

QUESTION: I think it is very difficult to sympathize with people, but how much should the feeling of sympathy be expressed in deeds?
MEISHU-SAMA: This is not that difficult. All you have to do express in a practical way the sympathy in your heart within the limits of your common sense. But at these times judgment is necessary. There are instances when you must not act even though you sympathize. Some people have to suffer because there is some reason they need to suffer. At these times, rather, you cannot help. Compassion that goes beyond limits can rather, to the contrary, create a lazy person. For example, to give money to a beggar seems like a good thing, but not necessarily. A beggar standing by the road holding an infant may have paid someone quite a bit to borrow that child. (laughter) So, you have to know these things. But, disabled people and soldiers should be helped unconditionally. Particularly pitiful are people who were coerced and thus became disabled for the sake of imperialism. For these reasons, it is good to help peoplec. There is one other type of person which should be helped in some way and that is the individual suffering from disease. In my household, when I am told there is someone suffering, I get up to help even after I have gone to bed.

QUESTION: What about cases where money for thanks for blessings cannot be given?
MEISHU-SAMA: It cannot be helped if there is just no way thanks can be expressed with money, but there are people who can but are stingy and do not. This is of course unsatisfactory.

QUESTION: In the New Testament is the passage, gAnd the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you. Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.h In this passage I do believe that every phrase Jesus says has an important significance. Please explain this passage to me.
MEISHU-SAMA: Well, the high priest asks whether you are the child of God. And Jesus says, it is just as you say. From now on, you all c. The text of the Bible is not clear. The passage can be taken in two ways. The Bible was written by Jesusfs disciples in Hebrew which was then translated into English and then into Japanese, so there are probably places where the translation is not complete c. The person that controls you, this is on the right, so next is the one on the left, therefore the meaning of that after the next of the next of the person of total control is the moon, female activity. The person of total control is Jehovah and it is Jesus who is standing on the right. Jesus descending on a cloud is the descent of the Messiah.

QUESTION: Actually, when we tell Christians about our work, or even non-Christians, if they have read the Bible carefully once, c. in the Bible, it says c
MEISHU-SAMA: They would say false Christs, wouldnft they?

QUESTION: Well, that means that there will be even more serious matters, but I would like to ask if I could receive guidance on how doubts could be cleared up about this point....
MEISHU-SAMA: No. It is no good to try to clear up a doubt. No matter how earnestly you try to explain, they will not understand. The more you talk, the more they will think it is the Anti-Christ, skillful making falsehoods. Yes, until the time comes, there is no use trying c. Another thing is, transportation was difficult and people were quite sparse and scattered, so even to try to save the world, the entire world could not be saved if the savior had actually appeared at that time. Now, however, transportation has developed tremendously and communication between nations can occur rapidly. The world is rapidly becoming one to the extent that there is even a proposal for a World Federation. From what I have just said, you should be able to understand the situation.


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