Great Construction
Religion, Education, Politics
Society overflowing with social evils today is a fact on which everyone can agree. One after another abominable deeds occur here and there, and people are at the height of anxiety and unease. The cause of the way the world has become so deserves profound consideration. Without a doubt the responsibility for today’s horrific conditions must be borne by the three institutions of religion, education, and politics. In which case, it is obvious that somewhere in these three lurks a great fallacy. The key to resolving the issue must be to clearly understand the fallacy. Let me put this question up on the examination table.
Starting with religion, apart from Christianity, other existing religions are too far separated in time. Buddhism was born to serve the people of India 2,600 years ago, so there is no way that it could suit the present age no matter how great a person Shakyamuni was or how deep and profound his teachings are, particularly so in present-day Japan. Indians in the age of the Buddha immersed themselves in thousands of volumes of sutras and retreated deep into the forests in order to practice meditation, but for contemporary individuals who are bound to their daily lives and routines, such deeds are impossible. The natural result is that the existing Buddhist sects these days are nothing more than grave keepers. Pitiful is the only word to describe their present state of struggling to maintain the light of the Buddha. Undeniable it is that their only means for trying to preserve their existence is through social welfare projects which fall outside the framework of religion.
Next, I would like to discuss education, and this is also an institution that has very conspicuously run off its tracks. The true purpose of education should be the formation of an excellent human being. In spite of the fact that excellent human beings should be those who strive for the promotion of social welfare and contribute to the advancement of culture with justice as their creed, it is obvious that something should be done when we look at the present situation where there are products of the highest levels of education who commit crimes and spread harm throughout society. That the error of education lies in its tendency toward materialism is something we continually and assertively contend, and the development of a true education which combines the spiritual as well as the material equally is probably not to be expected.
Having said that, as the fallacy contained within education is an error that has persisted for so long, we are well aware that trying to reform education immediately will present great difficulties. An outlook based on spirit means that the actuality of spirit must be made apparent which requires bringing about recognition of the actuality of God. Without such a recognition, the establishment of an educational outlook based on spirit is not possible. Of course, in the past such has been attempted with religion, but that sufficient results in that direction have not been observed is because there was not any religion with the power to do so. In these circumstances has appeared World Messianity that will compel recognition of God and bring science and religion parallel to each other from which will be born a world of eternal peace that will make possible for the first time a paradisial life. No matter how much culture may advance, if that advancement is not accompanied by happiness, it will owe to the sin of having been bewitched by a world of culture that is only materialistic, so humanity must perceive spirit and the actuality of God as soon as possible.
Finally, I want to discuss politics, and this institution is also rather terrible. Here I will only discuss the situation in Japan. Yes, the nation is under foreign sovereignty, but still, the politics are just too impoverished. And because politics is also based on materialism, it is greatly lacking. It is probably safe to say that there is almost no politician who can look ahead to the future of ordinary people. The reason for this is that their souls are clouded and there is no way that a politician can conduct good politics unless it is based on faith. Nevertheless, because existing religions do not have the power, there is no path for solving these problems other than the appearance of a new religion.
Hikari, Issue 24, page 1, August 27, 1949
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translated by cynndd
“Shūkyō, Kyōiku, Seiji” which was originally published on the front page of Hikari, Issue 24, August 27, 1949, and reprinted while Meishu-sama still alive in the essays anthology for ministers Goshinsho: Shūkyō Hen (Divine Writings: Volume on Religion), page 440, March 25, 1954, has appeared in translation. Citation is given below for reference.“Religion, Education, Government,” Foundation of Paradise, 1984, page 435.