Great Construction
I Write Truth
More than a decade ago I started writing, and of course my work centers on matters of faith, but unlike other religious leaders so far, I eschew the stiff, formal, and the naive, exercising care so that those of all stations can understand easily. But when doing so, there is also an issue. This issue involves religious texts, and so whether it is for example that such as the eighty-four thousand sutras of Shakyamuni, the Bible of Christ, the esoteric teaching of Shingon Buddhism, Shinran’s Lamentations of Divergences, Written Lectures by Nichiren, Tenrikyo’s Songs for the Service, or the prophetic writings of Oomoto’s Nao Deguchi, all have what could be called in negative terms, the odor of religion. In positive terms, this could be described as something mystical, understood yet not understood, that seems to provide a sort of fascination. At the same time, however, because elucidating these texts is difficult, they invite various interpretations, so sects and denominations easily form. History well illustrates that the larger the religion, the more conflicts it experiences and the more it divides. For that reason, followers find it difficult to grasp the essentials of the faith, confusion arises, and true peace of mind is difficult to be had.
Because religions have been and are as I describe above, the way teaching was presented could not be harmonized or unified even in just one religion. Rather, the bringing together of all religions could not even be a dream, which is probably why society is in the situation where New Religions increase yearly. Just to look at the situation in Japan, presently the number of New Religions grows proportionately with the increase in population.
But, whatever religion, it has a deity that is worshiped whether it be Jehovah, Deus, Logos, Shang Ti, Supreme Ultimate or Wu-chi, Amaterasu, Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto, Christ, Shakyamuni, Amitabha, or Avaloketshvara, and along with these deities are all sorts of named entities with titles such as So-and-So Mikoto, Such-an-Such Tathagata, and This-and-That Grand Master, all of whom are quite commendable. Aside from the entities of low-level faiths such as fox, tengu, or dragon spirits, when the fundamentals of these deities are traced back to their source, there will be found no basis for argument that fundamentally they are the Creator, the unique and only God. Whatever religion that has appeared to date, all have taken the exclusive view that that their own is the loftiest and greatest, so there is no way that unification could be achieved. Even so, the ultimate ideal of any religion is the same. In other words, the appearance of heaven in this world, a world of perfect bliss, an ideal world, the happiness of all humanity. There is probably not one religion that is opposed to this goal, but in order for such a world to be born, a religion that is able to bring together and unify the world must appear. It must be great and super-religious, a belief that people of the whole world can share.
I do not say that World Messianity is that religion, but the instruction, the teaching of the means possible for constructing, the methods, that is, the master planning and feasibility of such a world is the mission of World Messianity, and as the number of intellectuals among the peoples of each nation who recognize this mission increases, progress will be made step by step toward that goal. Putting it briefly, this project is the embodiment of truth through which all errors will be clarified and corrected and then appear a bright and pure world of divine light. Of course, evil will be expelled from human beings, good which has been oppressed by evil will flourish, and humanity will come to enjoy happiness. Therefore, the very act of imparting truth to humanity in its entirety is fundamental. To which someone may respond, “since antiquity have not many great men taught truth? Why should it be necessary now?” Indeed, this is the problem. Because, if the truth had already been revealed, it would have been embodied, that is, realized, and a heavenly world already existing. Even if not completely realized, at least some progress toward that goal should have been accomplished, but there does not seem to be any sign of such having occurred at all. Indeed, it would be fair to say that on the material level, the world is certainly moving closer to heaven, but on the other level, that of the spirit and the spiritual, there has been no progress. Rather, movement has gone backward. In these circumstances, it is impossible to know when a world paradise will actually appear. At this stage it should be recognized that the very cause of this situation is that what had been believed to be truth was really not truth.
The best way to understand is to look at the reality of the world. In all respects, there is just too much of a gap, of separation from heaven. The greatest anguish of human beings which is sickness and disease shows no sign of decrease and the suffering caused by poverty continues as before. Conflict, whether on an individual level or a national level is as all can see. These conditions are the best evidence that truth is not being represented and expressed. Therefore, since what has been thought to be truth until today is pseudo truth, if it has not been an obstacle to the construction of heaven, it has certainly not been useful. But, the time has come, and God has designated me as the one who should inform all of humanity of truth made clear and distinct. Since that is the reason for the appearance of World Messianity, what I write is that which has been revealed to me by God.
Thus, all of what I have written is truth, and because what I teach exposes the defects of pseudo truth as illuminated by the mirror of truth, not only is made clear the distinction between truth and pseudo truth, this distinction is shown by the facts. These facts are the therapy, the technique of Johrei. This is Nature Cultivation. This is the enhancement of the arts. This is the construction of prototypes for paradise on earth.
As can be understood from what I state above, the project I am now carrying out is, simply speaking, the great process of embodying truth, the great effort of explaining truth through the pen.
Chijōtengoku, Issue 28, page 6, September 25, 1951
translated by cynndd* * *
“Watakushi wa Shinri o Kaku,” first published in the magazine Chijōtengoku, Issue 28, September 25, 1951, was reprinted while Meishu-sama still alive in the essays anthology for ministers Goshinsho: Shūkyō-hen (Divine Writings: Volume on Religion), page 6, March 25, 1954. “Watakushi wa Shinri o Kaku” has appeared in translation. Citation is given below for reference.“I Write the Truth,” Foundation of Paradise, 1984, page 17.