Great Construction
The Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World
All probably believe that we live in the most advanced civilization ever, but when the contents of our civilization are investigated, that there are so many defects can be perceived even by looking at any of the daily newspapers which are filled with articles about criminals and unfortunate people. Viewed impartially, it is a fact that the amount of bad news decidedly outnumbers that of the good. Even when are observed the incidents of corruption that have recently become big issues, although the prosecutors have just begun to lay their hands on the cases, it is still not known how far the corruption extends, so what we know at this point is just the tip of the iceberg. How many individuals from the world of politics or from that of finance will most likely be found to be untouched by the corruption when investigation properly starts? It could probably be said there will not be any.
When this issue is given thought, a surprising fact arises. That is, that everyone involved with this case, leaving aside any common persons of a low educational level who might have happened to get mixed up with the affair, are all civilized individuals who have received a higher education. When these circumstances are considered, one would think that as individuals received a higher education and expanded their knowledge, they would have become civilized and aspects such as crime would only decrease, but by looking at the facts of this case, one cannot be but mute in amazement. The whole affair can only be said to be indeed incomprehensible. For which reason, I titled this essay “The Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World,” and probably there is not any one who would disagree with me. How to handle this state of affairs is not a difficult issue at all. It is extremely simple. As I always say, the world has to both awake to how materialistically- oriented is the education we have today and must also create spiritually-oriented education. In plain terms, this means the destruction of the ignorance that believes only in form and does not believe in the formless. The only way to do this is to bring about recognition of the actuality of God through the power of religion.
It is obvious that as such an awareness spreads to the leadership classes as well as to the entire population, is also corrected the nature that believes it can commit crime as long as the actions are not observed by others, so that crime will unable to be committed. It is patently obvious that a bright, good society would come about. However, this simple and clear logic does not seem to be understood, and because strict efforts are made to control crime by creating cages and ropes in the name of laws, human beings are treated as animals. It is only natural that such measures have no effect. In fact, though, even with the cages that are the laws, social order cannot be maintained, and one would think that the cause for this should be perceived. This failure, however, is not perceived at all. Society continues to be a collection of human beings, half-human and half-animal. In this sense, it is rather obvious that materialistically-oriented education cannot remove the barbaric nature of human beings. Therefore, based on the results to the present, education has merely been the development of techniques to paper over the barbaric aspects of human beings. Thus, it could never be discovered in these circumstances the possibility of creating a society of true civilization. In which case, to resolve this problem, there is no other fundamental method than to remove the beastly nature from the souls of human beings.
The method for removing the beastly nature from the soul of a human being is religion, but for some reason, the higher the level of education received, the more religion is come to be disliked. This is probably the greatest defect of the present civilization. The very cause of this defect is the beastly nature that resides at the very heart of human beings which evades and shrinks from religion because evil dislikes good. In that sense, it could be said that modern education creates intellectual evil. The time has come, however, when this situation will no longer be permitted. That is the significance of the appearance of World Messianity which can show the actuality of God and let those results be held in the hand. For which blessing there should be nothing so wonderful in the world, and World Messianity performs this task effortlessly. Because you can grasp divine spirit when you come into contact with World Messianity or stop by any of its branches, it is a miracle. That World Messianity limitlessly continues to manifest miracles is ultimate proof. These miracles are themselves the beginning of the great economy of God to correct our existing lopsided half-civilized, half-barbaric civilization and create a true civilization that includes both pillars of the spiritual and the physical.
Eikô, Issue 256, April 14, 1954
translation by cynndd
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“Hanbunmei Han’yaban no Sekai” has previously appeared in translation. The citations of those appearances are given below.“A Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World,” Foundation of Paradise, 1984, page 32.
“A Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World, Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume Four, 2007, only page 65.