Great Construction

Record of Oral Teachings, Issue 33
May 15, 1953

April 6, 1954 

     Something interesting happened yesterday. In a talk for the Grand Spring Services the other day, I announced that the Miroku which has been 567 had become 369. And yesterday, the number of those coming to the service was three hundred and sixty-nine persons. Yesterday was the first service day after the Grand Spring Services, so the fact that such a number would actually appear makes one understand the extent God to which does indeed freely work in such matters. God often does this sort of thing, and this episode shows how playful is God. In other words, God is this powerful. God shows the scale of what can be done so easily. So, even in worship, God has decided who is going to worship today and who is going to worship in the following days.
     Then again, I spoke a little of this account the other day. I spoke of the incident in which the spirit of Christ possessed a young woman. I have asked the person involved to write up a report, and it has been completed, so I will have it read here.
(Reading of report)
     There doesn’t seem to be anything mischievous or prankish about this report, so it is truthful. There are various levels of significance in this report, but what I felt the most from it was that what Christ said was frightening and that how he spoke in Biblical terms was very interesting. The Bible was written by Christ’s disciples, but how Christ taught and other things like that that were probably in his manner of expression are apparent. The most interesting thing was that he said, “God that is not God,” and I think this is a very interesting expression. What has been called God to the present day is not really God. It was only God’s deputy, God’s disciple. Something like that. Therefore, Christ did not say he was God. He said he was a child of God. And, in those days, there was a group who called Christ the Savior, the Messiah. They said that finally the awaited Messiah had appeared. But the truth is that he was not the Messiah. And so, that Christ was put on a cross also has the meaning that Christ should not be misunderstood to be the Messiah. And, whether for human beings or for God, but particularly because God is exact and unbiased, it is very painful if matters and affairs are not exact. That is why, as has just been read, it is difficult to praise oneself, so he composed songs about himself and had others sing them. The process is described rather well. I am thinking of using the piece by Handel, “The Messiah,” at the Messianic Hall when it is opened, but I am thinking about writing my own lyrics. There is a tremendous meaning to this. That I write something and everyone recites or sings it is really a falsehood. In other words, that God himself that possesses me is composing the poems and praising himself does not stand to reason. What should really be happening is to have the best and greatest poet and composer create, and then have everyone sing or recite what they created. That is the logical way. Christ asked that a piece be composed along certain lines and the lyrics were made. It is done rather well. The sentiment of praising God is well expressed. I am thinking of having this as the lyrics. As for me, this really helps. This goes for the poems recited at services. I compose these poems, but it is really not right that poems of appreciation at receiving blessings should be written by me. At present, it is as if I am composing the poems on behalf of the members. I compose the poems because there is nothing else to do. What should really be is as I have just said.
     And, in relation to what I just said, recently a certain woman in Kyoto also had the experience of being possessed by Christ and others as well, and it was pretty much the same. Even though Tokyo and Kyoto are so far apart, and the fact that no one has spoken to or knows each other is also interesting, I believe.
     After this, various other spirits have appeared. It is rather interesting. Other things have happened as well, such as dragon spirits from the lakes, ponds and offings of places in Europe and Africa have come to apologize and asked to be used in the divine light program.
     Whether gods or buddhas, all spirits want light most of all. So, as was just read, spirits such as Mohammed are strongly yearning for the light. As well, after that, the dragon spirits and other gods and buddhas that appeared all had the desire to bathe, even if for only a little, in the light. This is because, until now, there was no human being who wielded the light of God. So, those like John have been in hell for some two thousand seven hundred and fifty years. Even Christ, such a person as he, could not be saved. That is because of the light. They were not able to bathe in the light. But now, I have appeared, the spiritual world is becoming brighter, and because they were able to bath in the light, they are saved. Therefore, the logic is simple. In other words, through sins and impurities…however, for such a god to have sins and impurities, sounds peculiar, but that Christ was put on a cross was a sacrifice in atonement for some great sin committed in a previous life. That is why he was put on a cross. He was completely saved by that. Christ had been suffering for a long time, but as he came into contact with the light, the clouds which were the basis of his sin were dissolved and eliminated. Thus he was saved. That is why the light is so longed for, so adored. One more point in this regard is that if sins are not eliminated at this time, they will remain forever. Sins of a light nature will be eliminated when it becomes daylight, but because there are hardly any individuals who have sins only of a light level, all have sins of a serious nature. You here all channel and receive Johrei, so you know that the amount of toxins is neither a tiny amount nor can they be removed in a simple manner. Those with sins of a serious nature will never eliminate them. Individuals must soon be bathed in the light and helped, so all are so anxious and in a hurry. This is because the spiritual world is rapidly becoming daylight. For individuals who know this, it is good, but those who do not know it are indeed to be pitied. An interesting point in this regard, I will have the essay read at the next meeting, is that of the various dragon spirits, there are those who say that their role is destruction and that they are quite keen to perform their role. Even though their role is destruction, they are not evil. They will be cleansing. Cleansing is destruction. Bad things are taken care of by being totally smashed. At the time of the great cleansing that which is on the verge of being broken and that which is of no use will be destroyed and consigned to the rubbish heap. This is the role of these dragon spirits. These dragon spirits say that they have the function to destroy, and so they are going to exert their utmost efforts. When such is considered, the time for destruction has indeed come. It is a mystery how destruction will take place. That which is a major issue in the world right now is the hydrogen bomb. I think the hydrogen bomb will perform a tremendous role. The earth cannot be cleansed without something of that magnitude… So, in order to assist in the great cleansing, one should receive the light and eliminate those impurities. The good fortune of those individuals who become followers of World Messianity is tremendous. This fact also will gradually come to be understood. Therefore, that Christ and Mohammed were saved in the process of channeling Johrei to the lady as just described means they were helped. So, all the spirits demonstrate how tremendous Johrei is.
     Among the correspondence that has recently come from Hawaii, there is an interesting passage so I will have it read.
(Reading of “Letters from Hawaii, Number 18,” Eikô, Issue 257, April 21, 1954)
     This happened about the time when the Introductory Course was held in English. Forty persons took the English course, and among them were ten Caucasians. Of that number is one person who is said will be a strong member in the future.
     That person said that Meishu-sama corresponds to the eighth saint. The “eighth saint” she mentions is a legend that has been around since antiquity. The eighth saint in Buddhism is said to be Shakyamuni, but Shakyamuni is the seventh saint. I imagine Buddhism holds that Shakyamuni to be the eighth saint in order to attach some value to Shakyamuni, but it turns out that this person is correct.
     Now four or five days ago, the Mrs. Grilli about whom I am always talking brought to visit the editor-in-chief, the equivalent to a United States army captain, of the occupation army’s English-language newspaper The Stars and Stripes. I had intended to meet with them for only a little while, but the conversation became interesting, and we went on and on, talking for more than an hour. There was much appreciation expressed of our goals, and it was promised that they would accompany the commander’s wife for a visit. Mrs. Grilli herself became very excited and said she would work very hard for the cause of World Messianity. She also said that to do so, it was necessary to be able to speak Japanese for which she has started studying the language recently. I am sure that very soon this person will be of great help to us. She said that it was not enough that whenever a Rockefeller or a Carnegie comes to Japan to just suggest stopping by here, so, she will invite them to definitely come and see World Messianity’s paradises on earth. That is why I think it is all so intriguing. It appears that she is such an influential person among Americans. She also seems trustworthy. These kinds of Americans are increasing, so I think that it just might be the U.S. that first understands World Messiniaty and I. About this I have written an essay.
(Reading of essay, “Superstition and Non-Superstition,” Eikô, Issue 258, May 26, 1954)
     During the discussion at that time, Mrs. Grilli said, “To collect the amount and quality of the pieces you have in the museum would take at least fifty years.” Then she asked me how long it had actually taken, and I said that I began collecting a little at a time after the war but the actual period of time it took was probably about three years. She was very surprised and just couldn’t believe. She asked what I meant by three years to which I replied that it was nothing less than a miracle, that there was no other way to express it than to say that God had managed it. She said she still couldn’t understand. That is when I told her, “Collecting art means you can’t get pieces without money. I was able to get money as a result of healing people who had been abandoned by doctors or who had conditions that cause death. I was able to raise the money from the offerings of appreciation that these people donated. That is how I was able to buy so many art objects. At that point, Mr. Abe added, “In any case salvation does not proceed on a one-on-one basis as it has so far, but what Meishu-sama writes is put into a packet with which anyone wearing can heal disease. In that way followers can do the same things as Christ,” which surprised Mrs. Grilli greatly. Mrs. Grilli said, “Up to now I have heard speak many great individuals in the world. I have met with them, but I have never heard anyone say such a tremendous thing, of someone, even in history, who says they are like Christ or Shakyamuni, or who says something even close to that. You are the first. I am truly astonished.” Therefore, she said she could not form a critique of such a person. The reason being, she said, was that she would have to be of the same or even higher level than I. But, as human beings are of a lower level, other than to recognize the facts, critique is impossible, “To try to form a critique is a mistake,” she said, and I thought, there’s an American journalist for you. Honestly expressing matters as indeed they are is something that Japanese do not do. Her attitude is indeed good, I think. In such circumstances, Japanese want to add a little something. They either add a little something or make a big fuss. They speak as if they are above what they are talking about. They make fun of me. They look at us in an insulting way, “What is this Mokichi Okada. What is this World Messianity. They are just taking advantage of the times to make a lot of money.” That is why American journalists and Japanese journalists are as different as heaven and earth. The one says, “I am not able to critique someone of that stature,” while the other one not stopping even to consider a critique, says, “He is far below me. Whoever is fooled by such a person must really be an idiot.” The difference from such conceit is tremendous. It is regrettable to say so, but that is why I can only think of talking to Japanese journalists as throwing pearls before swine. It is indeed troubling that the level of Japanese culture is so low. It is only a matter of course that we have so many instances of corruption and incidents of such peculiarity that society is in such confusion.
     At a previous meeting I talked about a child who lost eyesight as a victim in the Nijubashi Incident a little while ago, but the loss of eyesight was caused only by internal hemorrhaging when the blood solidified behind the eyes. If the condition had just been left alone, eyesight would have come back, and with Johrei, it would have been no problem at all. Recently there appeared in the newspaper, the account of someone who had suffered from cataracts for thirteen years and who was healed with surgery, but this is nothing at all. Being able to see is only temporary, and eyesight will be lost again. This condition is also due to solidification behind the eyes, in this case, caused by doctors. That is, with the application of medicines, the back of the eyes hardened and eyesight was lost. In these cases as well, if left alone, eyesight will be regained. Cataracts, in most cases, if left alone, will heal themselves. Johrei makes healing even faster. This has come to be taken as a great topic throughout the world, but the issue made of it is as if children were playing around with toys and the parents were bragging about it. When I say that medical science is a child’s trick, it is the truth. One point covers all, and this is what is shown by the comparison of what Americans say and what Japanese say. When it comes to medical science, however Americans are also playing children’s tricks, but I intend to gradually let all know of this from now on.

Pages 1-13
translated by cynndd