Great Construction

The Road to Zen

     Speaking from a broad sense, religions were born of God’s Love and to lead people to the happy way of life. It is a well known fact that is very difficult to attain happiness by merely trying. Only a relatively few people can attain happiness after a lifetime of effort, and most people suffer from one unhappiness after another. It is very rare that theories taught in schools, teachings and biographies of great men, or books are of help to attain happiness. However elaborate theories may be, reality very often does not agree. Honest people are deemed as simpleminded and if one tries to be dishonest, one may fall in public estimation or be punished by law. Shrewd people make it their philosophy to pretend honest and actually practise dishonesty in secret. People in general are inclined to follow such a philosophy, and usually succeed in life.
     This may be the reason why social vice does not decrease. The more honest one is, the more one is deemed as hide-bound and anachronistic. Many people who too strongly advocate justice, are kept at a respectful distance, and usually lead an unhappy life.
     Against such opposition, I have fought in the cause of justice. This creates the necessity of unusual effort.
     I have experienced the scornful abuse of newspapers, partly because I have commented on social vice without reserve.
     I am very happy that since then the general tendency of thought has pointed favourably to the direction of our cause for justice and hoesty. Our cause for higher social morals remains unmoved in the face of opposition with divine help and our church is endowed with merit.
     I am very happy that the democratic age has come to Japan in which freedom of faith is permitted and fatal persecution can be avoided. So, I am now proceeding step by step towards the realization of Zen (justice, virtue) which is my grand plan, eliminating Aku (injustice, vice).
     The fundamental condition to be happy is Zen (justice, virtue) of course, but one must have the strength to eliminate Aku (injustice, vice) in order to carry out Zen.
     Since olden times there have been many homes which are not free from poverty and successive misfortune, in spite of the earnest devotion to faith by their family members.
     Such a fact gave birth to the conventional misconception that only spiritual salvation is the essential mission of religion. Through World Messianity, one can find material salvation as well as spiritual salvation.

The Glory, Number 009, page 2, October 15, 1955

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“The Road to Zen,” which originally appeared in The Glory, Number 009, October 15, 1955, was reprinted with only one minor revision in Teachings of Meishu and Kyoshu, no date, page 15. Both versions of “The Road to Zen” appear to omit the latter half of the text content of Kounsha o Tsukuru Shūkyō 幸運者を作る宗教 and abridge nearly one fourth of the remaining front text.