FOUNDATION OF PARADISE

***.　Preface
***.　Introduction
***.　The Beliefs of World Messianity　　（世界救世教教義）

001.　What Is World Messianity　（世界救世教とは何ぞや）〔観音教団とは何ぞや〕
002.　What Is True Salvation?　（真の救いとは何ぞや）
003.　Singularity of World Messianity's Salvation　　（本教救いの特異性）
004.　Birth of the New World　　（新世界の誕生）
005.　A Living Religion　　（生きてる宗教）
006.　A Religion Which Manifests the Reality of God　　（神を見せる宗教）
007.　A Religion That Helps to Develop Fulfilled Individuals　　（幸福者を作る宗教）
008.　"Department Store" Church　　（デパート教）
009.　A Faith That Transcends Religion　　（超宗教）
010.　I Write the Truth　　（私は真理を書く）
011.　Realization of Truth　　（真理の具現）
012.　Truth and Non-Truth　　（真理と非真理）
013.　The Light of Chiye (Wisdom)　　（智慧の光）
014.　Five Kinds of Chiye　　（五智を説く）
015.　The Establishment of Paradise on Earth and the Elimination of Evil　（天国建設と悪の追放）
016.　Semi-Civilized Age　　（半文明時代）
017.　The Material and the Spiritual　　（唯物主義と唯心主義）
018.　A Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World　　（半文明半野蛮の世界）
019.　Materialism Creates Evil　　（唯物主義が悪人を作る）
020.　Science Causes False Beliefs　　（科学が迷信を作る）
021.　Discrepancy between Time and Academic Learning　　（学問のズレ）
022.　Atheism　　（無神論について）
023.　The Turning Point in Civilization　　（新旧文化の交代）
024.　The Creation of True Civilization　　（文化の創造）
025.　Fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Kingdom of Heaven　　（天国予言の具体化）
026.　The Civilization of ⦿ (Su)　　（⦿ (Su)の文化）
027.　Introduction to the Spiritual Aspects of This World and the Next　（霊界叢談序文）
028.　The Unknown World　（未知の世界）
029.　The Power of Nature　（自然力）
030.　The Elements of Fire, Water and Soil　　（火素・水素・土素について）
031.　The Spiritual Cord　　（霊線について）
032.　Man's Three Spirits　　（守護神）
033.　Do God and Other Divine Beings Exist?　　（神仏はあるか）
034.　Do Ghosts Exist?　　（幽霊はあるか）
035.　The Existence of the Spiritual World　　　（霊界の存在）
036.　Description of the Spiritual World　　　（霊界の構成）
037.　The Strata in the Spiritual Realm　　　（霊層界）
038.　The Current Situation of the World and the Spiritual Realm　　（時局と霊界）
039.　Judgment in the Spiritual World 　　（霊界の審判）
040.　The Spiritual World and the Physical Plane　　　（霊界と現界）
041.　The Fall of Evil Spirits 　　（邪神の没落）
042.　The Activities of Evil Spirits　　（邪神活躍）
043.　Communication through Mediums 　（神憑り）
044.　Life and Death　　（生と死）
045.　Various Aspects of Life after Death 　（死後の種々相）
046.　Illness Caused by Spiritual Possession 　（病気と霊）
047.　Mental Disturbances　　　（日本人と精神病）
048.　Disasters 　　（大三災と小三災）
049.　Storms Are Man-Made Disasters 　（低気圧（暴風雨）は人災なり）
050.　Spiritual Explanation of Fires 　　（火災の霊的考察）
051.　How Religion Should Be Viewed　　　（宗教の見方）
052.　Religion and Faith 　　（宗教と信仰）
053.　Apathy toward Religion 　　（宗教不感症）
054.　Faith and Commandments 　（宗教と戒律）
055.　Ascetic Practices 　　（難行苦行）
056.　Shojo Faith 　　（小乗信仰）
057.　Freedom in Faith 　　（自由なる信仰）
058.　Old-Time Religion and Present-Day Religion 　（昔の宗教と今の宗教）
059.　What a New Religion Is 　　（新宗教とは何か）
060.　Newly Opened Stores and Long-Established Stores 　（宗教の新店と老舗）
061.　Religion and Obstruction 　　（宗教と妨害）
062.　Paradise-like Religion and Hell-like Religion　　（天国的宗教と地獄的宗教）
063.　Religions and Their Sects 　　（宗教と分派）
064.　True Religion　　　（真の宗教）
065.　Material Blessings 　　（現当利益）
066.　Religion: A Miracle 　（奇蹟と宗教）
067.　Religion and Miracles　　　　（宗教と奇蹟）
068.　The Real Meaning of a Miracle　　（奇蹟の解剖）
069.　Daijo Religion 　　　（大乗宗教）
070.　A True Daijo Religion 　　（真の大乗宗教）
071.　Religion Should Be Universal 　　（宗教は世界的たれ）
072.　A Progressive Religion　　　　（進歩的宗教）
073.　How Rational Is a Religion? 　　（宗教の合理性）
074.　Peace of Mind　　　（安心立命）
075.　Good and Evil 　　（善と悪）
076.　Atheism Is a False Belief　　　（無神迷信）
077.　Why Is Evil Invariably Exposed? 　　（悪はなぜ暴露するか）
078.　Evil doers Are Fools　　　（愚かなるものよ汝の名は悪人なり）
079.　An Evil Man ls a Sick Man 　　（悪人は病人なり）
080.　How to Eliminate Crimes　　　（犯罪をなくすには）
081.　Conquer Your Own Evil　　　（自分の悪に勝て）
082.　The Truly Strong Person　　　（真の強者）
083.　Japanese Give In Easily 　　（日本人の泣寝入り癖）
084.　Overcome Evil 　　　（悪に勝つ）
085.　Good People, Be Strong　　　（善人よ強くなれ）
086.　How I Thwart Evildoers 　　（悪人をひねる）
087.　Indignation at Injustice　　　（悪に対する憤激）
088.　A Man Can Be Evaluated by His Sense of Righteousness （人間の価値は正義感）
089.　Sense of Righteousness　　（正義感）
090.　The World of Evil 　　（悪の世の中）
091.　Elimination of Evil　　（悪の追放）
092.　The Origin of the Corruption of Officials 　　（汚職の母体）
093.　Cause of Crime in Society　　　（社会悪の根源）
094.　The True cause of Insecurity in Society　　　（社会不安の真因）
095.　Are Evils in Society the Result of Environment? 　（社会悪は環境か否か）
096.　Can crime in Society Be Eliminated?　　　（社会悪は解決できるか）
097.　A Newspaper that Inspires Virtue 　　（善を鼓吹する新聞）
098.　Good People Can Be Successful　　（善人の成功者）
099.　World War III Can Be Prevented 　（第三次世界戦争は免れる事が出切る）
100.　Eradicating Misery　　（悲劇を滅する）
101.　Eliminating Fears 　　（恐怖を除く）
102.　Heroes of Peace 　　（平和の英雄）
103.　Guidelines for the Reconstruction of Japan　　（日本再建の指針）
104.　The Character 主 (Su) 　　（主の字）
105.　New Patriotism　　　（新しい愛国心）
106.　Is Japan Civilized or Uncivilized? 　（日本は文明か野蛮か）
107.　Dependency of Japanese People 　（日本人の依存性）
108.　The Country Governed by Michi (The Way of Truth) 　（道治国）
109.　Religion and Government　　　　　（宗教と政治）
110.　Law and Barbaric Nature of Man　　　（法律と人間の野蛮性）
111.　Lawmaking Body and Law-Erasing Body 　（廃法府と立法府）
112.　Do Not Ignore Mathematical Calculation　　　（算盤を無視するな）
113.　Cause of Poverty　　　　　（貧乏の原因）
114.　My Philosophy on Being in Debt 　（借金談義）
115.　Is It Good or Bad to Borrow Money　　　　（借金是か非か）
116.　Ill-Gotten Money Is Soon Spent 　（悪銭身に吐かず）
117.　Bad Influence of Early Schooling 　（早期教育の弊）
118.　Juvenile Delinquency　　　　（子供の不良化）
119.　The Reasons Great Geniuses Are Born 　（天才児童はどうして出来るか）
120.　Paradise on Earth　　　　（地上天国）
121.　Construction of Miniature Paradises 　（地上天国について）
122.　A Thought on the New Civilization　　　（地上天国の一考察）
123.　The Art of God　　　（神の芸術）
124.　Religion and Art　　　（宗教と芸術　『信仰雑話』）
125.　Religion and Art　　　（宗教と芸術　『救世』61号）
126.　A Religion of Art 　　　（芸術宗教）
127.　The Importance of Art 　　（科学と芸術）
128.　The Mission of Art　　　（芸術の使命）
129.　Paradise Is a World of Art 　　（天国は芸術の世界）
130.　Paradise Is a World of Beauty　　　（天国は美の世界）
131.　Making Art Available to the Public 　　（美術の社会化）
132.　Unique Quality of Japanese Culture　　　（日本文化の特異性）
133.　The Divine Garden of Shinsen-kyo　　　（神仙郷神苑について）
134.　Significance of Constructing the Hakone Art Museum （美術館建設の意義）
135.　The Reason Art Objects Are Drawn to Me 　　（美術品の集まる理由）
136.　The Role of Flowers in Establishing Paradise on Earth （花による天国化運動）
137.　Plants Have Consciousness 　　（植物は生きている）
138.　Three Ways to Be Spiritually Purified　　（歌集「山と水」について）
139.　Happiness　　　　（幸福）
140.　The Secret of Happines　　（幸福の秘訣　『光』29号）
141.　Secret of Good Fortune　　（幸運の秘訣　『栄光』246号）
142.　Preaching Versus Johrei and Happiness　　（御説教─浄霊と幸福）
143.　Destiny, Fate and Freedom 　（運命と自由主義）
144.　Fate Can Be Changed at Will 　（運命は自由に作れる）
145.　Man Can Control His Fate　　　（運命は自由に作られる）
146.　Common Sense in Religion　　（常識）
147.　Faith Means Justice 　　（信仰即正義）
148.　Right Attitude toward Religion　　　（正しき信仰）
149.　Dangers of Spiritual Possession 　　（霊憑りに就いて）
150.　The Right Attitude for Members of This Spiritual Path　　（観音信仰）
151.　The Izunome Principle　　　　（伊都能売の身魂）
152.　Understand God's Will　　　　（御神意を覚れ）
153.　Clouds Formed by Wrongdoings Cause Illness　　　（罪穢と病気）
154.　You Are What You Feel 　　（人間は想念次第）
155.　Mysteriousness of the Spiritual World　　　（霊界の不思議）
156.　Radiation and Aura　　　　　（霊波と霊衣）
157.　God Is Justice　　　　　（神は正なり）
158.　Live with a Daijo Attitude 　　（大乗たれ）
159.　World Messianity and the Great Thoroughfare Principle 　（本教と大道主義）
160.　What I Am 　　（私というもの）
161.　A Living God　　　　（生神様）
162.　My Way of Thinking 　　（私の考え方）
163.　The Philosophy of Intuition 　　（直観の哲学）
164.　Further Thoughts on Bergson　　　（再びベルグソンに就いて）
165.　Pragmatism 　　（プラマチズム）
166.　Pragmatism in Religion　　　　（宗教プラグマチズム）
167.　Johrei through printed Words　　　（活字の浄霊）
168.　The lmportance of Studying the Teachings Regularly　（大いに御教書を読むべし）
169.　Makoto 　　（誠）
170.　A Person with Makoto 　　（誠の有る無し）
171.　Ego and Extreme Attachment 　　（我と執着）
172.　Control Your Ego　　　（我を去る）
173.　Trust in God Versus Bondage 　　（お任せする）
174.　The Exquisite Flavor of Faith　　　（信仰の醍醐味）
175.　Honesty Versus Falsehood 　　（正直と嘘）
176.　"Honesty Does Not Pay" Is Not True　　（正直者が馬鹿を見るとは嘘だ）
177.　A Greedy Person Has No Real Hunger 　　（欲張ったヨクのない人）
178.　False Belief in Telling Lies　　　（嘘吐き迷信）
179.　Self-Control 　　（怒る勿れ）
180.　Overcoming Anger 　　（怒りを克服する）
181.　Do Not Pass Judgment upon Others　　（人を裁く勿れ）
182.　A Form of Conceit 　　（これも慢心）
183.　Do Not Be Judgmental　　　　（裁く勿れ）
184.　Do Not Incur Resentment 　　（憎まれる勿れ）
185.　The Law of Order　　（順序を過まる勿れ）
186.　Do Not Deviate from the Law of Order 　　（順序）
187.　Wait for the Right Time　　　（時期を待て）
188.　Time, the Ruler 　　（時は神様）
189.　The Practice of Humility 　　（下座の行）
190.　The Sun and the Moon　　　（日と月）
191.　The Forging of a Perfect Sword 　　（名刀を作る）
192.　Impasses　　　（行詰り）
193.　What Is Harmony? 　　（調和の理論）
194.　Subjective and Objective Viewpoints　　　（主観と客観）
195.　Skepticism 　　（懐疑）
196.　Deliverance　　　（解脱）
197.　Moderation 　　（程とは）
198.　Contentment and Discontent 　　（満足と不満）
199.　Instinct and Asceticism　　（本能主義と禁欲主義）
200.　Self-Denial　　（禁欲）
201.　Reverse Effect 　　（逆効果の説）
202.　How to Discern Bad from Good　　　（悪人を見分ける方法）
203.　Trustworthiness 　　（信仰は信用なり）
204.　Thoughtfulness and Modesty　　　（優しさと奥床しさ）
205.　A Pleasant Person 　　（感じの良い人）
206.　Reputation and Emotion 　　（評判と感情）
207.　The Joy of Doing Good Deeds 　　（善を楽しむ）
208.　Men of Awareness 　　（物を知るという事）
209.　Be a New Age Person 　　（新人たれ）
210.　Have a World Consciousness 　　（世界人たれ）
211.　Overcoming Timidity and Shyness 　　（人が恐ろしい）
212.　Love　　　　（正愛と邪愛）
213.　Suicide, an Irresponsible Act 　　（自殺者の無責任）
214.　Dreams　　　（夢について）
215.　The Physiognomy of Houses and the Foretelling of Directions 　（家相方位）

　　Supplement　　（補遺）

216.　"The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand" 　（夜の終り近づけり汝等悔改めよ）
217.　What Is the Last Judgment?　　　　　（最後の審判とは）
218.　The Power of Speech　　　　（言霊の偉力未発表）
219.　Climate and Weather 　（気候と天候『信仰雑話』）
220.　World Messianity's Purpose 　（本教の誕生『世界救世教早わかり』）
221.　Divine Spiritual Radiation 　（神霊放射能時代『地上天国』4号）
222.　A Canvas of the World 　（世界画の完成『栄光』75号）
223.　World Messianity and Public Welfare 　（本教と社会事業『栄光』171号）
224.　The Divine Law and the Recurrence of Purification　（信仰の合理性と再浄化『栄光』210号）
225.　God's Power Is Turning the Tide 　（九分九厘と一厘『栄光』138号）

Mokichi Okada (l882-1955), a Japanese philosopher and spiritual leader, founded a religious organization in Japan in 1935. It has spread throughout the world, and his vision for a new civilization has inspired and enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women. We are very happy that Foundation of Paradise, a Compilation of articles written by him, is now translated so that English-speaking people can read and study it, in one volume.
　　The organization started by Okada is now called in Japan Sekai Kyusei Kyo (a spiritual group to help the entire world). In the United States and Canada, it is working under the names of the Church of World Messianity and Johrei Fellowship, with Johrei Centers being established in a number of communities in North America. Other applications of Okada's ideals, such as cultural activities and Nature Farming, are being promoted through the M. Okada Association (M.O.A.).
　　Okada was, and even now is, called by his followers, with respect and affection, Meishu-sama (Enlightened Spiritual Leader). Therefore, in this book we refer to him as Meishu-sama.
　　Meishu-sama wrote the articles at various times for many publications and periodicals of his organization. In compiling them into a single volume, some repetitions have appeared. But we have not deleted them in order to preserve the integrity of each article. Dates of publication are included so the reader may know exactly when they were published.
　　There are a number of articles by Meishu-sama which are not included in the original Japanese book Tengoku no Ishizue (Foundation of Paradise), but were translated into English in the past and have become familiar to many people. We included them in this book as a "Supplement" for the convenience of the readers.
　　Translating an Oriental language into an Occidental one is a very difficult task, because of the vast differences in cultural and historical backgrounds. Prayerfully, we have attempted to interpret Japanese expressions in English so the reader may grasp the true feeling and significance of these articles, and we hope that the result gives a clear idea of the depth of these inspired writings.
　　There are many people, both Japanese and American, who were directly involved in this task, of translating, editing, and publishing these articles; it is impossible to mention all of them here. Among them, however, we would like to mention the name of one person, the Reverend Kiyoko Higuchi, who served in effect as editor in chief for this project, and who was the original translator of the majority of articles included here. From the very beginning to the end, Reverend Higuchi was the primary driving force in pushing this difficult task forward, and her insight and dedication served as an inspiration for all those who were involved in this project. In a way, this book can be said to be a monument for her tireless efforts and devotion for many years.
　　We would also like to express our gratitude to the members of the Translations Committee who met almost every week during the course of several years, reviewed article by article and discussed each one to reach the best possible expression. Many other people read the manuscript and sent in their comments and suggestions, and we express our sincere appreciation to these and all other individuals who helped in one way or another to realize this project, the publication of this book.

There are many approaches to divinity and spirituality. Humanity has groped toward God since its earliest recorded history. During various periods masters and great teachers have appeared, to show the way to a better understanding of God and a wider knowledge of spiritual matters.
　　 The world is in a period of rapid change. Never before has humanity experienced such a critical time as it is experiencing now. It is confronted by innumerable problems in every direction. This is the travail for the birth of the new world. Humanity is standing at the crossroads in the great transitional period between the old era of semi-darkness and the new era of Light. Especially for this moment, we believe, God sent our beloved Meishu-sama, Mokichi Okada, founder of our Divine Light Program.
　　Our religious organization, the Church of World Messianity, is based upon revelations given to Meishu-sama concerning the coming New Age. Our purpose is to bring about the realization of paradise on earth. God is releasing His Direct Light, which was kept in abeyance through the long Age of Night. The Light will transform our world into the Daylight Age and will awaken humanity to spiritual awareness so it may attain this goal. Spiritual awareness is the key to the New Age and spiritual unfoldment is accelerating now, hand in hand with true scientific progress.
　　Meishu-sama revealed that paradise on earth is an ideal world free of disease, poverty and conflict. Jesus prophesied the advent of heaven on earth. Buddha foretold the coming of a perfect world, the Maitreyan Age. Many other teachers and saints of the past made similar predictions. While the time of their fulfillment was never clearly outlined, Meishu-sama revealed that the hour is near at hand for what Jesus called "the end of the world."
　　When this world is transformed into paradise on earth, mankind will be exceedingly happy. In order for the new world to be brought into existence, the old one must be cleansed of all its impurities. God will be the Master-selector and will designate those whom He deems worthy of being the builders of, as well as the dwellers in, this earthly heaven.
　　We must, therefore, do everything possible to perfect ourselves spiritually, mentally and physically' so we may qualify for His Choosing' as well as be competent to aid in the construction of the coming new world. Only in this way can we safely pass through the difficult transitional period we have entered.
　　 Just how can we prepare ourselves for this change? By having the clouds removed from our spiritual bodies; by establishing the proper mental attitudes; by having the shackles removed from our physical bodies.
　　When the clouds fade from the spiritual body, there is a radiant joy that permeates the entire mental and physical being. When the mental processes are rightly focused, the small ego disappears. Selfishness then gives way to selflessness. Hate and fear bow to love, and evil is transmuted into virtue.
　　When disease is eradicated, youth, beauty, charm and poise will prevail. There will be no room for sickness, poverty and conflict.
　　The Church of World Messianity offers a way of bringing about these changes. Meishu-sama, through Divine Guidance, brought us this blessing. He was endowed with the Direct Light which God is releasing for the New Age. Not only could Meishu-sama channel this Divine Light, but he learned how to focus it so all people might also channel it. God intends to save humanity from self-destruction and bring about a new and constructive civilization by working through the individuals comprising it. Each one, therefore, must do his share toward the realization of this plan for life more abundant.
　　The channeling is called Johrei, which is a Japanese word meaning the act of purifying the spiritual body by focusing the Divine Light of God. It is prayer in action. Johrei disperses the clouds on the spiritual body. As it is purified it becomes more radiant, and mental and physical well-being are re-established in accordance with the Divine Pattern.
　　When sufficient numbers of individuals have undergone the necessary changes through receiving as well as channeling the Divine Light of God, when they have begun to work in service to humanity, our world will become a beautiful place. A spiritual civilization of high development and remarkable achievement can then evolve. Humanity will enjoy real health, prosperity and peace in a world where truth, virtue and beauty abound. This, we believe, is the true realization of the New Age.
　　We trust that you will be greatly blessed through the revelations contained in these pages. We know you will feel a desire to read this privileged teaching again and again.

We believe that the Supreme God, the Creator of the Universe, has planned the establishment of paradise on earth from the very beginning of His Creation and through the past ages has been working toward its fulfillment.
　　For this purpose He uses man as His instrument. Everything else in creation has its existence for the benefit of mankind. We believe, therefore, that the past history of humanity has been nothing but the preparatory stage for paradise on earth. For each age, God has sent the necessary individuals and the necessary religions, each with a specific mission to accomplish.
　　Now the world is in such a chaotic condition nobody can tell what is going to happen. For this age, we believe, God entrusted Mokichi Okada with the great mission of helping to purify the world, so God's Plan for the salvation of humanity could be fulfilled.
　　We are determined to do our best to eradicate the three great miseries of mankind-disease, poverty and conflict-and to help to realize an ideal world of eternal peace, a world in which truth, virtue and beauty prevail.

001.　What Is World Messianity?

The aim of the Church of World Messianity is the establishment of a paradise on earth, and for that purpose to help create and promote a spiritual civilization which will develop alongside material civilization.
　　Paradise on earth means a world free from disease, poverty and conflict, a world which has long been the ideal of mankind. The Age of Maitreya proclaimed by the Buddha, the kingdom of heaven prophesied by Jesus Christ, "the ideal world" advocated by Priest Nichiren, and "all mankind equally purified," an ideal declared by the founder of the Tenrikyo Church, all mean the same thing.
　　World Messianity differs from these pronouncements only in terms of time, because they did not specify when such ideals would be realized. I have become aware of the fact that the time is close at hand. This means that the end of Buddhism prophesied by the Buddha and the day of judgment of which Jesus spoke are almost here.
　　It would be extremely fortunate for mankind if a paradise on earth could be established without any major change. The truth is, however, that in order for an ideal world to be realized the cleansing of the present world must first be accomplished, just as an old house must be razed and the site cleared before a new house can be built. There will be a number of parts from the old structure that will still be usable, but this, of course, is for God to decide.
　　We human beings must become useful members of the new world. By doing so we can surmount this great change and pass God's test. This can only be achieved through true faith in God.
　　We must have become individuals who are qualified to live in a world free from disease, poverty and conflict; we should have attained true health, have overcome poverty, and have become truly peace-loving.
　　God will permit those who possess these three qualities to be used as productive instruments in the new world. I firmly believe that man's ideals do not clash with God's Will.
　　The Church of World Messianity is endeavoring to help as many people as possible to understand and follow the teachings so that they may become qualified to live in the New Age world and receive God's total blessings.

002.　What Is True Salvation?

Today' the pet phrase of the critics toward us is, "It is wrong for this church to be engaged in healing, in spite of the fact that it is a religion."
　　When we think deeply about this, we realize that nothing is more illogical. These critics must have a stereotyped idea that religions should offer salvation on a spiritual level alone; that salvation on a material level is not properly within the sphere of a religion; that healing of illness is on a physical level and therefore is not something in which religions are supposed to engage. They seem convinced that offering help on the material level is definitely out of bounds, that the fundamental activity of any religion should be to work only in invisible areas. What they conceive spiritual salvation to be is, in a word, submission. As most religions ordinarily do not have the power to help people materially, they try to teach their members to be resigned to negative situations and thus at least decrease their mental sufferings. This is the general concept most people have had about religions up to now.
　　However, salvation on a spiritual level alone, without any regard for the material side, cannot be a true salvation. We can have real peace of mind only when we believe solutions to problems on the physical level are possible. For instance, when we are hungry we feel easy in our minds if we can trust that somebody is going to bring us food. If we know that nobody is going to bring food, we are tormented by a fear of starvation. We can attain peace of mind about other problems, such as disease or poverty, only when we are aware that anything can be solved through faith in God. In this way' solutions on both the physical and spiritual levels can bring us to a state of true peace of mind.
　　Thus, the most important part of this "salvation on both the spiritual and material levels" should include elimination of disease. Nothing is more important than this. No matter how many worldly goods are stacked up before your eyes, what large amounts of delicious food are piled on your dining table, or how great a position or honor is given to you, everything is meaningless if you are suffering from ill health.
　　In this sense, the first condition for saving mankind must be to help everyone achieve true health. This is the reason World Messianity is striving toward the goal of helping all individuals to be free from disease, of creating a society without any kind of illness.

003.　Singularity of World Messianity's Salvation

The mission of our church is to help all those who are suffering in a state of hell to be raised to a state of heaven and thus change this entire world into a paradise.
　　In order to lead others to heaven, you must first be elevated yourself so you become a resident in heaven; only then can you easily help others up. This is like setting up a ladder that reaches from hell to heaven and holding out a helping hand so others may climb it rung by rung.
　　It is in this area that our church is so different from most other religions; it is almost totally opposite to them. As you know, from ancient times many spiritual leaders were generally content with the lowest conditions of life, wearing coarse clothes and eating poor food. They continually practiced asceticism, and strove to help save others in this hard, hell-like condition. This was like using a ladder incorrectly; that is, those who were trying to help others to be saved were attempting to push them up the rungs, so to speak. You can imagine how much harder it would be to push people up from below than to pull them up from above.
　　In the old days, however, this could not be helped because it was not yet time for heaven to be established on earth. The time was premature, for the spiritual world itself was in a state of night. But, since 1931, the Daylight Age has been advancing in the spiritual realm and it is daily becoming brighter, making it easier for this world to be changed to a paradise.
　　It is not man but God Who does this work, which will advance more and more as time goes on. What man has to do is to act as God wishes. It is God Who plans, supervises and freely uses many human beings at His Will. So, I believe it is correct to say that I am working here as His foreman on this great Project. It is as a part of His great Project that I am now constructing prototypes of paradise on earth, as members well know.
　　It is for this reason that we have certain experiences. For example, a man may appear unexpectedly and tell me that he has a piece of land which he wants to sell in a location to which I have never given thought. So I say to myself, it must be God's Will that I should buy the land. Somehow the amount of money needed to buy it then comes along without my making too much effort. After that, as if to conform to the pattern, the most suitable designer and Contractor and the required material, too, appear without fail. Or, someone may bring a tree for the garden unexpectedly, and there is always just the right place for it. Sometimes scores of trees are brought all at once, and for a while I am at a loss as to what to do with them. But remembering it is God Who is doing this, I begin to have them planted one after the other, carefully keeping an eye on the entire effect. I find they are placed in exactly right quantities, neither too many nor too few, and that not one tree is ever out of place.
　　Each time I have this kind of experience, I cannot but realize clearly that everything is being carried out by God. When it occurs to me that I need a tree or rock of a certain kind for a certain spot in the garden, that very one somehow appears in a day or two. If this is not a miracle, what else can a miracle be?
　　If I keep on writing about these things there will be almost no end to this article. I will write more about them in due time, but I am telling you this much now to make sure you have a clear understanding of the fact that our Work is being carried out by God, not by man, and that He employs human beings according to His Plan.
　　When we think about these things, it becomes very clear that it is God's Will to make a prototype as the first step in His Plan for establishing a worldwide paradise.
　　But making a prototype of paradise is not all. Each individual human being must become the living example of a resident of such a paradise, and the time has now come when all of us can be just that. Not only individuals themselves but their entire families and homes can now become examples of paradise on earth and all of them can lead heaven-like lives. For the first time we are in a position to help the masses who have been suffering in hell so they can be elevated to heavenly levels.
　　This is why I always encourage our members to strive to make as good a life environment for themselves as possible, one free from suffering, because this suits God's Will. I say this because unless they themselves are freed from the three great miseries of disease, poverty and conflict, they cannot truly help others.
　　 Such was an impossibility during the Age of Night. But now that the Daylight Age is advancing, you must know that it is possible. The saha* of suffering, as the Buddha termed it, has come to its end. When all the people of this earth become fully aware of this truth, the rejoicing of mankind will be such as the world has never witnessed before.

004. 　Birth of the New World

Sekai Kyusei Kyo (World Messianity) is not exclusively a religion; religion is only a part of it. Then, what kind of title would be more appropriate for our church? I believe it would be more fitting to call ours a "New World Construction Project." However, since "construction" gives the impression of work being done by a building company, perhaps it would be best to continue calling it Sekai Kyusei Kyo, especially since no better name for it has been suggested.
　　The plan of our church is to help the advancement and expansion of civilization by bringing spiritual science up to the level of present-day material science.
　　As you well know, the scientific side of civilization has made progress with great speed and is still progressing rapidly. The spiritual side of civilization, however, like the tortoise compared to the hare in Aesop's fable, has been lagging far behind－staying almost at the same level it was on thousands of years ago in its primitive stage, having made very little progress since then.
　　The big difference between material and spiritual civilization has developed from this. The result of this imbalance is that material science has become so predominant people everywhere are dazzled by it and have so lost sight of the spiritual side of existence that its significance has been almost completely overlooked. Most individuals have come to believe that material science constitutes all of civilization, worship it as their ruler, and are satisfied to be its slaves. This is the actual state of the world today.
　　Above everything else, think of the fact that the majority of people have placed even their priceless lives completely in the hands of science and feel that they are safe in doing so. In spite of the fact that science cannot guarantee life, they continue to trust it blindly because they do not realize this.
　　God has great compassion for this fallacy and through me is now awakening mankind to the true meaning of life. Through material actions He has revealed that life itself is not material, that it is invisible but very real and it is governed totally by Him. "Material actions" have been those realized through Johrei, when many people who have been pronounced hopelessly ill by medical science have received this spiritual treatment and have had their physical health restored as a manifestation of God's Divine Power. This amply testifies to the truth of my statement.
　　You may have a question in your mind that needs an answer; that is, you may be wondering why a truth pertaining to life, a truth of such tremendous importance, has been so largely unknown. It is quite natural that you would wonder about this. It is my belief that it was necessary for this truth to be kept hidden in order to bring material science forward to a certain point as a part of God's Plan, a condition belonging to the transitional period.
　　Now, God is going to correct the materially overbalanced condition of this world and identify that which belongs to the spiritual as distinct from that which belongs to the material. Both spiritual and material sciences will be brought into balance by His Action and will advance and expand simultaneously. A new world of true civilization will then emerge. In a nutshell, the old order will come to its end and the new order will be born.
　　My work is to aid God in this Plan to give birth to the new world of true civilization.

005. 　A Living Religion

You may wonder what I mean when I say there are living religions and dead religions.
　　A living religion is one which is in close touch with material life and a dead religion is its opposite. Of the numerous religions in existence, those which are perfectly fitted to everyday living are few and far between, though I will not say there are none.
　　As you all know, scientific thinking has made such great advancement since the eighteenth century it has become a major threat to religion, and it is this advancement that has brought about religion's present state of decline. Science has come to control the mind of man almost totally, so much so that today people in general are not satisfied unless the word "science" or "scientific" is included in any statement of fact.
　　It would not be harmful if that were all, but this has caused materialistic ways of thinking to grow, and because of this the lowering of moral standards seems to be without end. The social condition of the entire country has become one of utter confusion. Thus, the actual condition of society today is exactly like a state of hell.
　　Our church has a high respect for history as such, but it is completely free from any attachment to it. We are proceeding with a totally independent policy. As a newborn religion, our church has the blood of youth circulating in its veins.
　　Some of the projects we are engaged in are not only the work of changing and expanding the art of healing and that of farming, but are also involved with pointing out the ways to correct them in all the other areas of civilization, with the ideology of a new-age civilization as a guideline. Our prototypes of paradise on earth, including an art museum which we are building now, are materializations of our ideal. Our aim is to construct our sacred Grounds so they will provide places of rest and of cleansing for those individuals who have become exhausted and have accumulated worldly impurities. Our Sacred Grounds will also elevate the characters of visitors and be effective as purifiers in today's society, which is so full of vulgar amusements.
　　Our plan is to contribute on an individual basis to the betterment of health and financial conditions and to the increase of wholesome thoughts. From a larger viewpoint, our plan is to create a bright and clean world free from all anxieties. I am glad I can say that the true nature of our goal has finally come to be recognized among intelligent people so our church is drawing more favorable public attention. We are working on a small scale now, but when our activities have expanded to a worldwide scale－which is bound to happen－it will be from Japan that a plan will come for establishing an ideal world full of peace and happiness. I dare to say positively that this is no mere dream. Through these things I am sure you can realize that our church is an excellent example of a living religion.

006.　A Religion Which Manifests the Reality of God

When we try to guide unbelievers to faith in God, we often experience complete rejection. Most such individuals say, "It is absolutely impossible for me to believe that any God or gods or other spiritual beings exist. Let them show themselves if they do." Such people seem to think they are highly cultured individuals and they completely refuse to even consider our words, as if to say they will have nothing to do with such superstition. This is the attitude of many Japanese people.
　　This is most evident among so-called intellectuals. We cannot blame them for this when we consider the state of religion in Japan. It is natural that they feel this way, for most religions are too unscientific, with those containing no superstitious elements being few and far between. Thus, the existence of God cannot be manifested in many religions. What they teach is very vague, for they cannot prove for certain that there is a God. This being the situation, I think it is quite understandable that so many people are indifferent toward any kind of faith.
　　World Messianity, however, manifests God's Existence in everyone's eyes. Once a person comes in contact with our church, he is often surprised as he becomes aware God really does exist. The best proof of this is the number of testimonials from our church members. Unfortunately, though some people read or hear such testimonials from our members, they still cannot accept these facts as true. This is because many of them look upon our testimonials through a "distorted" vision, created by the low-level faiths I mentioned above. We cannot blame them for this, although it is very regrettable for some churches, such as ours.
　　Ours is not a religion in the ordinary sense but is a faith which transcends religion, a great Work of Salvation. Many of our members speak of their initial experiences in coming to our church in this way: "When I first came in contact with World Messianity literature, since the teachings were so different from those of other religions and from any theories I had read before, they seemed strange and I could hardly believe them. But though skeptical I decided to receive Johrei anyway, in order to give it a trial. I was immediately struck dumb with amazement, because the individual who was to channel simply held his hand out toward my body. I wondered how I could be helped by such an absurd method when medical science, which had made so much progress, could not help me, and I almost decided I would not go back again. But somehow I felt better the next day, felt my body becoming much lighter. So, even though it was so strange I could hardly believe it, I made up my mind to take at his word the member who had channeled to me and continue receiving for a little while longer, and I allowed him to give me Johrei as he wished. Each day I felt better and better, so rapidly that I was more dazed than happy." This is the gist of what many of those who have experienced Johrei have said.
　　As mentioned above, since there are so many remarkable blessings, unparalleled in other churches, numerous intellectual people on hearing about them are apt to say they are the very reason they think our faith must be nothing but superstition－which is a most absurd logic, contrary to reason. This kind of attitude is a great hindrance to the progress of our work. However, there are also quite a number of individuals who accept the reports of blessings as absolute facts, seek our guidance and join our church, and find their lives improving with every new day.
　　Thus, many miracles are experienced in our church, miracles which have no equal in other churches, and the reality of God is manifested clearly. Even the most stubborn individuals and those who are most deeply infatuated with material civilization will eventually have to accept this truth.

007. 　A Religion That Helps to Develop Fulfilled Individuals

What is the purpose of religion? Primarily, religion was originated by the Love of God for the purpose of guiding unfortunate human beings to the fulfillment of true happiness. It is nothing other than that.
　　As you know, everybody living in this world is doing his best to become happy, but however hard he may try, things do not always work out as he wishes. Those who do attain happiness after striving toward it all of their lives number only a mere fraction of the entire human race. Most people, far from becoming fortunate, experience one unexpected misfortune after another. Thus, the things they have learned－while at school, from general moral standards, from lectures by or the biographies of great men, from reading such subjects in other books－they rarely find useful when they try to put such knowledge into practice. Indeed, we are impressed by he theories, but when we apply them, things do not always follow the lines of those theories. I am sure many of you have realized this fact through experience.
　　To take a familiar example, if you try to live by the principle of honesty you are often regarded as soft-headed or foolish. If you change your policy and employ a little dishonesty you lose the trust of others, and if not extremely careful you may be caught by the law. So, you may be at a loss as to which path to take. Clever people think the best way to get on is to assume the appearance of honesty' to wear an air of complete innocence while acting dishonestly behind others' backs. They believe this is the best philosophy by which to live. It has spread so fast that most people today have become its strong supporters, and the strongest among them become the most successful. No wonder the general public wishes to follow their examples! I believe this is the reason social evils are not decreasing.
　　Because the world is like this, the majority of people have come to believe that honesty does not pay. This is a world in which honest people are considered unadaptable, rather outdated, and those who preach righteousness are usually placed at a distance, shunned. Thus they often become social failures.
　　I constantly advocate the importance of a sense of righteousness against such a world situation, so it is no easy effort I am making. Nonmembers may think it is a silly effort; or, perhaps to them I appear to be a cowardly or eccentric person with no self-interest, like a stereotyped spiritual leader.
　　For this reason, I have often been an object of contempt or ridicule in some newspapers and magazines, and sometimes have been summoned to court. The reason I have been tormented this way, I believe, is that I have boldly written about the shortcomings of the mass media with the motive of fighting social evil. Another reason must be that there is envy toward the church work because of its rapid expansion. As the saying goes, "Tall trees catch much wind."
　　 Notwithstanding such oppression, however, our church has been steadily expanding. It seems this reassuring strength must have changed the attitude of some of our former critics, for we are most happy to say that the severe situation has greatly been lightened and matters are turning in our favor. This is, I believe, because we always stand firm and never waver in the face of any kind of assault, knowing that God is always behind us. The reason I say this is that our church is blessed with the strongest weapon that any religion has ever had.
　　As you study the religions of the past, you can see that there have been two ways, generally speaking, by which spiritual philosophies have been advocated. One is the religious attitude of advancing in the face of any opposition, brandishing righteousness like a weapon. A typical example of this kind was the Nichiren sect. It had to undergo a terribly severe religious persecution because of its attitude. This worked injuriously for the sect, and it did not grow rapidly during the lifetime of the founder. It was only after several hundred years that it began to expand, until it became as you can observe it today. Yet, if those who advocate a philosophy choose only a safe road in fear of persecution, it will take an exceedingly long time for it to expand, if it expands at all, or it will disappear into oblivion. Herein lies the difficulty.
　　Thanks to the change of time, however, now that Japan has become more democratic we have freedom of religion. Our church is greatly blessed, for it is in a far different situation from that which it endured before World War II; that is why we were saved from meeting with fatal religious persecution. In this situation, I am doing my best to carry through my great policy of righteousness, of justice, trying to eliminate evil and to advance toward the goal of complete good in the world.
　　Now, let us proceed to the subject of the fulfillment of man, the focus of my article.
　　The most essential quality with which to bring about true happiness is goodness, of course, but in order to express that goodness at all times there should be sufficient power with which to overcome evil. In the past, there was not enough of this power because the time was premature, and so the followers of popular religions were not blessed with true, total happiness. So, people in general gave up the idea of attaining material happiness, but they retained their longing for spiritual peace. It was to satisfy this longing that Buddhism advocated resignation and spiritual awareness. Christianity encouraged its members to follow the example of Jesus, teaching that through a spirit of redemption they could release all desire for total happiness in this world. Jesus said, "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also," because of his attitude of non-resistance toward evil. Thus, it was because they could not overcome evil that most orthodox religions formulated their practice of negating material blessings. They taught and still teach that religions which focus on material blessings are low-grade, that those which offer spiritual salvation alone are the only high-level philosophies. This is understandable. However, such teachings came into existence as temporary expedients, handy up to a certain time. Let me give a few examples of this point.
　　We often hear of people who have been suffering for a long time and yet are satisfied and happy, they say, because they have been saved spiritually. I believe they are only suppressing their true wish, having resigned themselves to fate. To me, this is a kind of self-deception. If I may state the truth, one can enjoy a feeling of satisfaction from the depths of one's heart only when one is completely released from illness or any other problem on the material level.
　　Also, since olden days there have been families whose members have been sincere devotees of certain religions, yet they have never been blessed with material things and they have been continuously assaulted by misfortunes. It was perhaps as the result of these facts that the mistaken idea has been fostered that spiritual salvation alone is primarily what religion has to offer.
　　 The followers of our teachings receive material blessings as well as spiritual ones; we might say that sometimes the material blessings appear to be the greater. Think of the fact that our church is constructing miniature paradises in more than one place, including even art museums. Think of the fact that all are being built with donations from members, and that these have come through the members' free will, for it is the policy of our church not to collect money through solicitation; we believe every gift should be voluntary. Of course, we need a great amount of money in order to carry out such large-scale projects. That all the necessary funds are gathering at our church in spite of the above-mentioned policy is indeed a miracle. From this fact you can imagine how well supplied our members are. And the donations are not simply one-time gifts but are coming regularly in ever-increasing amounts, so we have never experienced any financial strain.
　　Another thing I would like to mention is the time, the age. In those old days when various religions were founded, it was all right to live by a Shojo* attitude of faith, so it was acceptable or even better for religions and their founders to do things frugally. As a Japanese saying goes, "Spiritual founders spend their lives clad in coarse paper clothes." But we cannot follow that style any more today. Now that everything is becoming worldwide, we must work on an inconceivably big scale if we wish to help save the entire human race. That is, the bigger the scale of our operation becomes, the larger the number of those who are saved will be. When people come to know of the great plan of our church, I am sure all will take a new look at our work.

008. 　"Department Store" Church

In order to explain World Messianity in the easiest way, I might call it a "department store" church. I know this does not sound suitable for a religious organization, but I think the term is the most apt for the nature of our work. I will explain why this is so.
　　As I have always told you, like a large store that includes many kinds of departments our teachings encompass Christianity, Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, general philosophy, science and fine arts. Of all these, some of the teachings we stress most are those on the meaning of illness and its solution, natural farming, and appreciation of all the arts.
　　Since our aim is to serve God in the accomplishment of His great Work of saving the world, as the name of our church indicates, we must extend our hands to help everyone and everything that exists on earth. This means that we must point out the errors in every field of human affairs and offer the highest guidelines for correcting them.
　　It is true that the present civilization has made tremendous progress, but it is also true that it exhibits an amazingly large number of defects. The superficial defects are obvious to everyone, but the deeper, inner shortcomings are more difficult to detect. The only way to make them clear and to correct them is by the Divine Light of God.
　　It is for this reason that we are working to clarify the actual state of the present civilization by applying a spiritual scalpel, as it were, to every field; it is Our purpose to help mankind realize that a better world can be made a reality. By doing this, we believe, we can look forward to the full arrival of an age that has a paradise-like civilization.

009. 　A Faith That Transcends Religion

The goal of our church-the establishment of paradise on earth, a world free from disease, poverty and conflict－probably sounds to most people like a daydream, the idle fancy of fools.
　　It is true that Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand," but he did not say, "I am going to establish the kingdom of heaven." Shakyamuni Buddha said, "The world of Maitreya (an ideal world) will be realized after the end of Buddhism," but he did not say that it was imminent. He said instead that it would be 5 billion, 670 million years－an astronomical figure that is virtually beyond imagination－before this would come to pass. Members of the Jewish faith are praying for the advent of their Messiah, but they do not know when he may appear. There is an old legend in India which prophesies the coming of a savior who will change the world into a better one. There are a number of religious organizations in Japan whose founders prophesied the coming of a world of everlasting peace, happiness and prosperity.
　　We must give considerable thought to the fact that none of these named the time of realization. While we know that each prophecy served its particular purpose very well, not one of the religions involved made any declaration about bringing the perfect world into realization, or offered plans for its materialization. We must understand that this was because the time was premature.
　　Many of today's religions have been set up on the basis of the teachings and acts of the prophets named. Each religion has its own doctrines, forms and methods, established and advocated by its founder according to the characteristics of the race and country in which it started. Every religion has always carried out its work under the Will of the Supreme God, adopting the means necessary and suitable for the current age, region, race, traditions and customs. We owe a great deal to these religions for the magnificent civilization of today's world. Had there not been some kind of faith in each country, the world would have been badly ravaged by the power of dark forces; it might well have been utterly destroyed by now. When we consider these possible realities, we cannot esteem too highly the merits of the spiritual leaders and saints who have appeared throughout the ages.
　　It is true that the tremendous impact of existent religions has thus far prevented the world from being destroyed. However, it is questionable whether their power can continue to be effective in this way in the present perilous age, or in the ages to come. Think of how much people are suffering in misery and hell-like agony! In viewing the current situation, in which the power of these religions is not strong enough to save them from their agony, we can easily understand that it must be very difficult to help all the world to take any great strides toward a heaven-like state. This is clearly seen when we consider the fact that only a limited number of nations are able to enjoy the blessings of the brilliantly advanced material civilization of today. The anguish and suffering mankind faces now stems from the fact that the world is lacking in the spirit of harmony, that too many sacrifices are being made through conflicts.
　　As people observe the world in its present condition, I believe those who are thinking individuals cannot but realize that a powerful Light must appear to dispel the utter darkness, and that the time of its coming should be now; that is, the power of salvation of a faith which transcends religion should be looked for now.
　　In this sense, we are convinced that we have the mission assigned by God to work as a spiritual group which transcends religion itself. Amazing results are being experienced as we are putting our faith into action.

010. 　I Write the Truth

I have been working on the church's teachings for more than ten years; needless to say, all have been centered on the subject of spiritual truth. I have taken great care to write in a simple style, leaving out archaic or moralistic statements so my words can be easily understood by people of all walks of life.
　　Old, orthodox religious teachings are fine, but at best they have a mysterious air which makes the teachings ambiguous and therefore hard for readers to grasp in their true, deeper meanings. Of course, this gives an impression of great value and dignity, but since they contain quite a few parts which are hard to interpret, different individuals may make different explanations of them.
　　This is often the reason such religions have been split into sects and denominations. The larger a religion is, the more easily it can be divided, and this inevitably causes the subsequent smaller groups to fight one another, as history shows. This has made it very difficult for followers of such religions to grasp the essence of their teachings. It has often brought about a wavering in their faith, and many have found it hard to attain firm spiritual conviction and peace of mind.
　　This being the case, it appears that it would be almost impossible to achieve harmony and unification within even one church by following the old methods of teaching, to say nothing of achieving harmony and unification among all in this way. Perhaps this fact is the reason for the appearance of new religions every year. In Japan alone, for example, their number is increasing in ratio to the growth of the population.
　　Every religion has its own object of worship, carrying any one of several names, such as Jehovah, Deus, Logos, Lord, the Boundless, Amaterasu-omikami, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Amitabha, and Kannon (Avalokiteshvara). These are all very high divine beings or buddhas; there is no doubt about that. Also, there are some Japanese religions in which certain kinds of deified animal spirits are worshiped. Aside from these lower types, all other worshiped beings, when traced back to their origins, are found to have come indisputably from the Only One, the Supreme God.
　　Up to now, however, almost every religion has insisted that it was the most spiritual and the only true faith, and there has been an attitude of exclusiveness. This is why the uniting of religions could not possibly have been achieved in the past. And yet, the final goal, the ideal of every religion, is the realization of earthly paradise, a world of eternal happiness. All faiths that have ever existed have unanimously wished for and strived to attain true and everlasting happiness for all humanity; there has never been any religion which has worked toward an opposite goal.
　　In order that such a world may become a reality, however, there must come into being a spiritual movement that can unify all the faiths of the world, one that is so powerful spiritually all of the earth's people will accept and believe its teachings.
　　I am not going to say that such is our Church of World Messianity. However, I will state that it is the mission of our church to teach the way, the method by which a unified world can be established, and to show how such a plan can be drawn up and carried out. As the individuals who come to have true perception of our mission increase in number among the intelligent members of races all over the world, we can make steady progress, step by step, toward our goal. In a nutshell, our work is to impart a realization of Truth through which all the errors of the Old Age will be clearly revealed and corrected, and a world of Light, serene and pure, will become a reality. Then, needless to say, all evil will be eliminated from man's heart, and good, which has been oppressed for so long, will come to the fore so all humanity will come to enjoy true happiness and fulfillment. The first important step toward such a goal is to awaken all the people of the world to Truth for the New Age.
　　The work I am now doing can be said to be a demonstration of Truth in action. I am in the process of moving toward that goal and I am doing my very best to awaken people through my writings and lectures.

011. 　Realization of Truth

A religion's principal objective should be the realization of Truth.
　　What is Truth? It is Nature itself in its pure and unadorned state: The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west; all those born into this world must meet the fate of death someday. As the Buddha taught, "All living things must die; those who meet must part." Every man exists physically by breathing, eating and drinking. These are self-evident facts, but humanity has become so confused I must speak of them.
　　When we look at the abominable conditions－conflict, crime, confusion, disorder－pending every area of society, we cannot help realizing that there exist greater conditions of unhappiness than of happiness. The basic cause of this state of affairs, the ultimate reason, lies in the fact that man has drifted－and continues to drift－away from Truth. Moreover, he remains unaware of this.
　　Why is man so confused? He has lost sight of Truth, partly because he is so involved with the problems of everyday living he has little time to give thought to the matter. To this day, religion itself has been unable to give a clear picture of Truth because its own vision has been too limited. Efforts have been made, of course, but in the main religion has offered pseudo-truths, believing them to be Truth itself. Man would not have drifted into his current depths of distress if religion had been able to offer clear revelation of Truth, and paradise on earth might even have been realized to some degree by now.
　　The time has come, however, when the great love of God will be manifested. God has given me His revelation, has chosen me to explain Truth, and now uses me to bring about its realization. Since my teachings are Truth itself and are being brought forth in a form that is easily understood, if approached with interest and attention, without prejudice, Truth will be vividly realized within the sincere seeker.
　　To give some familiar examples, man is very susceptible to sickness because his way of living has deviated from Nature. For the same reason, he has been unable to eradicate his disease. People complain of bad administration, demoralization of thought, increase of crime. They suffer from tight-money situations, from inflation or deflation. All these are due to man's having deviated from Truth. If he were living in accord with the laws of Nature, as long as his desires continued to be right and good, everything would work out as he wished, for this is the way God created human society. Herein lies the possibility of the realization of paradise on earth that I advocate.
　　Some may think that what I advocate is strange, but it is not strange; it is simple common sense. The more my views are considered farfetched, the more proof there is that the views of society are distorted.
　　God has given man complete freedom of choice. His innate value and dignity lie in this gift, which causes him to differ from animals. He is free to elevate himself and so approach divinity, just as he is free to lower himself to the level of a beast. Under normal conditions, man is at neither extreme but is somewhere between. Furthermore, through his own choice and efforts, man can make this world into a total paradise or an absolute hell. Unless he is completely possessed by an evil spirit, it stands to reason that he prefers paradise. It can therefore be concluded that man's ultimate goal is the establishment of paradise on earth and the realization of Truth is the sole path to this goal.
　　 Since the realization of Truth is the essential mission of religion, I am doing my utmost by teaching Truth through both oral and written words, by living Truth myself, by totally occupying myself each day in efforts to awaken the entire world to Truth.

012. 　Truth and Non-Truth

Since ancient times, "truth" has been talked about a great deal, but not many people seem to have talked about "non-truth," or "pseudo-truth." However, in examining every problem in our daily lives, we should understand that there are differences between truths and pseudo-truths, because these differences seriously affect outcomes. From my viewpoint, people mistake pseudo-truths for truths in many cases, although the general public does not seem to be aware of this fact.
　　There are both truths and pseudo-truths in religion, philosophy, science, art, education and all other fields. Pseudo-truth, in any field, perishes－perhaps in a few years, perhaps in a score of years, or perhaps not for several hundreds of years. But it does perish, while truth is eternal and unchanging. When some new discovery is made, people praise it as a supreme truth, but in many cases it collapses later when another new theory or discovery appears.
　　In the same way, who can be certain that even the religions that are presently considered great might not perish hundreds or thousands of years after their inception? There may be some that will not disappear entirely, with only those parts containing pseudo-truths perishing while those parts which contain truths survive. Pseudo-truths which are not far from real truths will inevitably last longer than those which are a long way from them. Even if nothing survives from a religion, it surely will have played some role in the progress of civilization, so it should not be totally condemned.
　　Essentially, it should be the responsibility of leaders and other wise individuals of the time to distinguish truths from pseudo-truths accurately, but in reality individuals who have such extraordinary discernment are very few in number. Sometimes pseudo-truths can last for a considerable period of time, such as those of despotism and feudalism, which at one time were regarded as containing absolute truths. If we take the most immediate examples, Mussolini's Fascism, Hitler's Nazism, and Tojo's declaration of "the whole world under one roof" lived very short lives. Strangely enough, not many people realized at the time that they would. In this way, a pseudo-truth might at one time be accepted by a whole nation as a real truth so that all its people are willing to fight and even to die for it. The large numbers of those unfortunate individuals who were sacrificed because of such an illusion are still fresh in our memories. Thus, a pseudo-truth can bring about terrible results.
　　We cannot overlook the fact that both truths and pseudo-truths can be found in religions, too. Because they have taught pseudo-truths, many small religions and sects have been born and have then died in a short time, some of them having made seemingly splendid debuts yet surviving for only very brief periods and then leaving no traces of their existence behind them.
　　If a religion teaches truth and has eternal value, even though it may be strongly oppressed at first, it can surely rise and grow to become a great religion, as shown by the history of all the major religions of today.

013. 　The Light of Chiye*(Wisdom)

Many people use the word chiye, wisdom, in a general sense, but there are varying degrees of wisdom, some having depth and some being superficial.
　　Among these, divine wisdom, moral wisdom and human wisdom are on the highest levels. We should strive to reach ever-greater heights of spiritual awareness so we may attain these levels of wisdom.
　　I say this because they can be realized only through belief in God and a sincere spirit of love and dedication. Therefore, if we strive to do everything with moral wisdom as our standard of action, we will succeed in every way and will be able to attain true happiness and fulfillment.
　　In contrast to the above, there are negative kinds of chiye which stem from evil, such as cunning and superficial intelligence and evil chiye. All criminals possess at least one of these kinds of chiye, and the most notable example of this is seen in cases of crimes involving the use of the intellect, such as fraud. In this respect, many of the so-called heroes in history and other apparently successful people of the past exhibited these negative types of chiye on a large scale.
　　 It is interesting to note that all positive chiye is deep, whereas all negative chiye is shallow. The rates of evildoers throughout history testify to this fact. The most ingenious plots, when negative, have contained flaws somewhere, eventually causing the exposure of such individuals and their downfall.
　　For this reason, those who desire permanent, rather than short-lived, success should develop deep wisdom. The stronger, the more sincere love a person has, the deeper is the wisdom which wells up from within him. No one can achieve real, permanent success unless he becomes a person with true faith in God.
　　The basic cause of social problems today is that people in general tend to have negative thoughts and attitudes, exhibiting shallow chiye. This is apparent in all areas of life. Government administrators, for example, are often thinking only of the present and dealing with problems only after they arise. This can be likened to ineffective medical treatments of the symptoms of an illness after the illness has become dangerous.
　　When problems appear, there is always some underlying reason for them; they are not accidental. Unfortunately, with shallow chiye the people involved lack foresight, so they are unable to map out truly effective policies for the future. Life is like a game of chess. An expert player can foresee and plan perhaps five to ten moves ahead and so he always wins, while a poor player invariably loses because at most he can see only two or three moves ahead.
　　We should try to develop positive wisdom, knowing that no real achievements can be made unless we attain the level where true intelligence is at work. And we must realize that the only way to reach this level is by having full faith in God.

014. 　Five Kinds of Chiye

There are five kinds of chiye, which can be divided into the following categories: divine wisdom, mystic wisdom, human wisdom, superficial intelligence, and cunning.
　　Divine wisdom is the highest form. It cannot be attained by ordinary human beings since it is wisdom bestowed directly by God upon those whom He has selected to fulfill specific missions of great importance. There is an ancient saying which illustrates the meaning of divine wisdom in one sentence: "Wisdom acquired through studying and learning is human wisdom, while that attained without learning is divine wisdom."
　　Mystic wisdom, which is also referred to as the power of the wisdom of Kannon, can be interpreted as the wisdom of the Buddha compared to divine wisdom. We may say that divine wisdom is masculine, whereas mystic wisdom is feminine.
　　Human wisdom is found in wise individuals. This is the same as that which in Buddhism is called enlightenment, or spiritual awareness. In this world, however, we can find very few individuals who have attained even this level of wisdom. The minds of people in general are so permeated with negative thinking that they cannot see things in perspective and thus their judgment is inhibited.
　　Learned men, even statesmen, often find it necessary to rack their brains for hours to produce answers to the simplest kinds of problems. If a point at issue is of some import, the number of those surrounding the conference table becomes still greater－at times reaching a score or more－and these people cudgel their brains for days in heated discussions, seeking a solution. All this notwithstanding, they often find it difficult to arrive at any conclusion. This shows that they have lost the power of clear and positive thinking. Given a moment's thought, it becomes clear that no matter what a problem or question may be, there is only one conclusion to be reached, and yet, many heads and a lot of time are usually required to arrive at that one answer.
　　This is a very sad situation. It is plainly due to lack of this human wisdom, which in turn is due to the clouded state of the brains of these individuals. The clouded state of their brains is due to their negative thinking, and negative thinking is the result of a belief in materialism. This in turn stems from the absence of belief in the existence of God.
　　This lack of belief in God may be ascribed to the absence of a religion which has the power to arouse conviction of His Existence. A religion that can truly inspire belief in God is worthy of being called a living religion.
　　Today, people in general are unable to think clearly to such an extent that they make it necessary for me to give a lengthy explanation like this in order to clarify a point. Individuals who possess human wisdom are able to reach a conclusion within a very short time－from a few minutes to half an hour at most－however knotty the problem confronting them may be. I have instructed those who work under me to limit the time for finding a solution to any problem to about thirty minutes. In the event a conclusion cannot be reached within that period, I have told them to suspend the discussion and meet again another day, or come to me for advice.
　　I must point out that I usually arrive at the solution to any problem within a few minutes, no matter how difficult that problem may be. If at times I encounter a problem to which I cannot find the solution rapidly, I do not try to force myself into any hasty conclusion; I leave it alone until later. Then, in due time, the answer comes to me in a flash of inspiration.
　　Now, let me explain superficial intelligence, which is nothing more than a form of shallow wit. With this, an individual may be successful for a while but in the course of time he begets failure or distrust.
　　As for cunning, it is craftiness or evil sagacity found in evil people. Unfortunately, we find these in large numbers throughout the world, even among intellectuals and leaders of society. It is small wonder that civilization shows little sign of improvement! It will only be after this negative chiye is eradicated from all individuals that a truly bright and fine society will be realized.
　　But how can we eliminate cunning? This is a simple matter; we have only to destroy it at its roots. However, nothing other than a religion that has the power to generate true faith in God can achieve this.

015. 　The Establishment of Paradise on Earth and the Elimination of Evil

There is a fundamental requirement for changing this world into a paradise. It is to eliminate evil, which is deeply rooted in the minds of the majority of people.
　　Here is something that is hard to understand. The common sense of people in general tells them to reject evil and to beware coming into contact with it. Since ancient days they have been warned against evil by means of moral standards. Education places primary emphasis on this point. Religious teachings, too, make it their principle to encourage good and resist evil.
　　As we look at the world at large, we see that parents warn their children, husbands and wives warn each other, employers caution their employees, and the law threatens punishment, all to prevent evil. Yet, strange as it may seem, in spite of these efforts there are in actuality incalculably greater numbers of bad people than good people in the world. Strictly speaking, perhaps nine out of ten are bad and hardly one in ten is truly good.
　　Though we speak of bad people sweepingly, there are various degrees of evil: one, evil that is committed deliberately; two, evil that is committed unwittingly; three, evil that is committed under circumstances that are beyond control; and four, evil that is committed in the mistaken belief it is good. Since the first is obvious and needs no explanation, I will refer only to the other three.
　　The second is the most common type. The third is committed by primitives, subnormal or abnormal adults, or mentally retarded children. The fourth evil is the greatest problem, because this kind is committed openly and fervently, with the mistaken idea that good is being accomplished; consequently, its poisonous influence is extensive. I am going to write about this in more detail later. For now, let us consider the world of evil as viewed from the standpoint of good.
　　A survey of the earth shows that the amount of evil is so much greater than the amount of good that ours may well be called a world of evil. Think of the fact that since ancient times there have been innumerable recorded instances of good people being persecuted by wicked people, but not one instance of a wicked individual being harassed by a good individual. Evil people have many supporters, but good people have few, so the wicked successfully evade the law and operate openly while the good often live in fear and trembling. This is the state of our society even now. In this way, the good, who are weak, have always been persecuted by the wicked, who are strong. Democracy is the natural outgrowth of social struggles against this outrageous condition.
　　For hundreds of years, Japan lived under a feudalistic system, producing a predatory society in which the strong preyed upon the weak. Happily, however, through the assistance of foreign powers, it has been transformed into a democratic country. This process may be called not so much a natural growth as a natural consequence. It offers a rare instance in which good has conquered evil. However, when viewed as a whole in the eyes of many people, including myself, it is clear that democracy is not yet firmly rooted and there are many vestiges of feudalism still remaining in Japanese society.
　　Let me write a little about the relationship between evil and Civilization, beginning with the fundamental reason evil has promoted the development of civilization. History shows that in the ancient, barbaric days the strong oppressed the weak, selfishly depriving them of their freedom, and then plundering, torturing and wantonly committing murder among them. As a result, the weak resorted to all sorts of defensive measures. Individually and collectively, they employed all their ingenuity, inventing weapons, building fences and walls, and developing transportation facilities. This greatly helped the advancement of human knowledge.
　　Weaker people made agreements with one another in order to ensure the security of their lives and properties; these were the beginnings of the present international treaties. From the social point of view, rules and regulations were made to bring evil under control and their formulation developed into the present laws. In reality, however, all these measures proved to be inadequate means of obliterating evil from man's nature.
　　From the above we can see how persistently conflict between good and evil has continued right up to the present time. What an unhappy world this has been! As everyone knows, countless good people have become victims of this struggle. It is for the purpose of relieving the sufferings of the good that great religious leaders have appeared from time to time. The weak have always been harassed by the strong and have not had the power to hold them in check. So, what the spiritual leaders have done has been to spiritually relieve the good people's sense of insecurity and to offer hope for the future, while they have reasoned with the wicked people on the law of cause and effect and have done their best to persuade them to repent. This has had some effect, but they have not been able to check or to drastically change the general trend.
　　 During these same periods, some people have been making scientific, material progress in order to prevent or correct disasters stemming from evil; they have tried to achieve their goals through the advancement of material civilization. As a result, civilization has made greater progress and has developed more than might be expected. However, not only has this proved to be useless in the attainment of the original purpose, the prevention of evil, but evil forces have come to make use of advanced science for a display of its brutality on a more and more magnified scale. This has caused wars to become more massive, until at last they have given birth to such a horrible monster as the atomic bomb.
　　Now that the situation has developed to this degree, we may say that war is becoming more and more unacceptable. Plainly speaking, the evil which has helped material civilization to advance is now bringing about an age in which war will soon be a total impossibility. This is indeed an irony. Of course, we can clearly see that at the basis of all this lies God's profound providence. Needless to say, both individuals who stand on the side of spiritual civilization and those who stand on the side of material civilization are longing for an ideal world of peace and happiness.
　　This is only man's ideal, with no apparent prospect of its realization, so many thinking people are driven to skepticism and are at a complete dead end. Some seek answers in religion, while others try to solve the enigma through philosophy. The majority of people are convinced that the solution will be brought about only by the progress of science, but since there is no sure prospect, humanity is left without any answer and continues to suffer.
　　I feel it is time to give a thorough explanation as to what the future of the world will be.
　　If evil is the fundamental cause of man's unhappiness, the question must arise, why did God create it? This question has bothered man's mind through the ages. At last the answer has been revealed to me by God, and I am going to make it known to you.
　　First of all, many people wish to know why evil has been necessary until now. The reason is that material civilization has made progress and has reached its present stage because of the conflict between good and evil. Isn't that unexpected? But this little-dreamed-of reason is really true.
　　In this connection, let us first consider war. Since war is among the greatest disasters of mankind, involving large losses of life, man has been afraid of its breaking out and has exerted his utmost efforts to avert this horror, taxing all his ingenuity. This has contributed to the development of civilization to a great extent. History shows us that once a war is ended all countries involved, whether victorious or defeated, have experienced rapid development.
　　However, if a war should progress to extremes and continue for a long period of time, the countries involved could not help being ruined and their civilization destroyed. God always stops war at a certain point and brings about a peaceful condition. In this manner, war and peace have been occurring alternately up to now. This has been the state of world history.
　　We find the same truth in the condition of society. Criminals and law authorities are always having contests of wits, so to speak. Troubles between individuals are also caused by conflicts between good and evil.
　　I am sure you can see that the efforts man has made toward the solution of these problems have been important elements in the advancement of human knowledge. Thus, once we come to understand the fact that civilization makes progress by means of the conflicts between good and evil, we realize that evil has been necessary until now. We must know, however, that its necessity is not endless; there definitely is a limit to it.
　　I am going to explain this point step by step, but the most important thing to know is the purpose of the Supreme God Who presides over our world. Philosophically, He may be called the Absolute Being, or the Cosmic Will.
　　The end of the world prophesied by Jesus and founders of other religions is nothing other than the end of the world of evil. And what is going to come after that is the ideal world, paradise on earth, in which disease, poverty and conflict will be completely eradicated. It will be a world filled with truth, virtue and beauty, a world of Maitreya as prophesied by the Buddha. There are various other names for this world, but they mean one and the same thing.
　　In order to construct such a wonderful place, adequate preparations are necessary; that is, all conditions must be completed both spiritually and materially, conditions that are sufficient to create a new world. For this purpose, in His Plan God caused material improvement to manifest before spiritual improvement. The reason is that spiritual improvement can be effected instantaneously, whereas material improvement is labored and requires much time.
　　For the purpose of making material civilization progress, God caused man to disregard His Existence and the existence of all spiritual things so man might concentrate his attention on the material. This is how atheism came into being. Atheism was most essential in order for evil to grow and thrive.
　　Gaining power in this way, evil has harassed the good more and more, has continued to fight it until humanity has been driven into the pits of misery. Man has always been in the process of struggling to crawl out of the depths of his agony. This has been a great spurring power for the development of civilization, so such a process, though miserable, could not have been helped.
　　I think you now understand the fundamental significance of good and evil. As I mentioned before, the time has at last come, the time is now, when evil is becoming unnecessary. This is not my personal supposition, but a real situation which presents a serious challenge. Whether everyone believes it or not, it is already becoming obvious to some. One manifestation is the remarkable progress of atomic science. If a war were to start now, it would not be a war in the ordinary sense any more, but a total destruction of everything, the annihilation of humanity. To tell the truth, this indicates that it is time for evil to be placed under total control, so we should be happy about it. Moreover, as a result of this change, the tide will turn and our civilization, which evil forces have utilized to suit their desires, will be under the control of good forces.
　　We are now entering the stage in which paradise on earth is to be established.

016. 　Semi-Civilized Age

Everybody believes that the modern world is one of the most advanced civilizations ever known. In comparison with a barbaric, undeveloped, primitive period it certainly is highly developed. Nobody would be able to deny, however, that its progress is on the material side only and that spiritually it has not outgrown a half-barbaric state as yet.
　　 Actually, since ancient times humanity has poured most of its energies into war. War is the exercise of the greatest kind of violence and its nature is exactly the same as that of a fight between two beasts, who show their fangs and plunge their claws into each other, roaring and biting.
　　There are some peaceable nations whose people are taking various means to avoid wars to the best of their ability. It is not erroneous to say, therefore, that one type of humanity is composed of beastly individuals and the other is made up of humane beings. The two different types, with opposite natures, are constantly working to satisfy their personal desires and wishes. This has been the process of man's past, and it is true of his Present.
　　These two opposite consciousnesses exist in individuals as well as in groups, of course, regardless of their countries' collective mentalities. But by virtue of the laws which prevent violence and maintain order, the criminally inclined are pretty much under control. It is true, however, that good, law-abiding citizens are still oppressed by wicked people and are suffering damage at their hands.
　　Let us take a look at some other aspects. There are great inventions and discoveries, thanks to the progress of science. These sometimes create tragic results and sometimes contribute to the promotion of the welfare of humanity, depending on the intentions of the people who make use of them. At the same time, the friction of the two great conflicting opposites, barbarism and civilization, becomes the cause of wars in which such inventions and discoveries are often misused.
　　When we examine the above from a different angle, we see that belligerent people are generally irreligious, whereas peace-loving individuals are usually religious; hence the great necessity for a sound faith. Accordingly, even though the present age is proudly called one of highly developed culture, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a semi-barbaric, semi-civilized age.
　　In this sense, the present semi-civilization must be raised to the much higher level of total civilization, in which the material and the spiritual are fused. So, the mission of people who are engaged in spiritual work is really great.

017. 　The Material and the Spiritual

The majority of journalists term our religion a superstition, even call it evil. Why is this? Simply, their point of view is different from ours; they are criticizing something that is spiritual from a materialistic point of view.
　　The material viewpoint literally deals with clearly visible existence so anybody can accept it, whereas the spiritual deals with the invisible, which many people are inclined to deny. When these two are superficially compared, the odds are definitely against the spiritual.
　　However, the material deals only with things which are visible and in contact with our five senses, so it can be said to be minor because it is very limited. The spiritual, on the contrary, is boundless in its nature. The difference in scope between these two can be compared to the difference between the limitless universe and the earth with its limited size. For example, the farthest distance our sight can reach from our headquarters in Atami is to Mount Fuji, which is only thirty to forty miles away, whereas human thought, which is invisible, can expand instantaneously to the ends of the earth and even to the limitless spaces beyond it. If we compare the spiritual to an ocean, we can compare the material to a ship floating upon it.
　　As another example, the famous monkey king,* representing the material, ran several thousand miles on the palm of the Buddha, who represented the spiritual, but he was finally defeated. Still other examples are such teachings of the Buddha as, "Everything on earth is vanity," and, "All living things must die; those who meet must part." These express conclusions about the material from the spiritual viewpoint. In Zen Buddhism, the spiritual realization that everything with visible shape must inevitably perish is another example.
　　Since the spiritual is eternal, infinite life, you will understand what a tremendous mistake it is to criticize it from a material point of view. This is like trying to stuff an elephant into a small pot or peering through a reed to gain full view of a ceiling.
　　I wonder how people who believe only in the material will feel after reading this article!

*Monkey king: There is a famous Chinese novel, Hsi Yu Chi (translated into English by Arthur Waley and titled Monkey), usually attributed to Wu Ch'eng-en (circa 1505-1580), which is considered to be one of the greatest novels of Ming-dynasty China. A main figure in this story was called the monkey king. He had a marvelous occult power, with which he did all sorts of mischief. One day he tried to conquer the Buddha, and in his attempt to show off his power he mounted a piece of cloud and flew across the sky with great speed. After several days of night the monkey thought that he had almost reached the end of the world. Suddenly, he saw on the horizon five big pillars towering into the sky. He realized then that he was only flying on the palm of the Buddha, and that he had flown a thousand miles without getting anywhere. Thus the monkey king, who represented the material, found out that he could not possibly conquer the Buddha, who represented the spiritual, and he surrendered to him.

018. 　A Half-Civilized, Half-Barbaric World

People in general probably think that the present-day world is a most civilized one. However, as we study its true substance we find it is full of defects, as we can easily see from the daily newspapers, which are filled with reports of crimes and of other unhappy events involving the human race.
　　Taking an impartial view, we find that there are definitely far more bad things than good things. For example, consider the recent corruption scandal which has developed into such a big issue. Once the prosecuting authorities started investigating, the individuals involved began to be exposed, one after another, and we still do not know how far things will go. This scandal, which has recently been brought to light, must be only the tip of the iceberg that shows above the surface. If this is inquired into in earnest, we do not know how many among the leaders of both political and business circles will retain spotless reputations. Perhaps I should say almost all will reveal some blemishes.
　　Considering this matter deeply, we come upon something which is quite surprising. That is, it might be excusable somehow if they were ignorant individuals, but all those who have been involved in this scandal are men of culture who have received higher educations. We would naturally think that the better education people receive, the more knowledge they acquire and the more civilized they become, the more crime should decrease in frequency. But when we see what has actually happened, we are speechless with astonishment. We should say that this is indeed incomprehensible. It is the reason for the title of this article. Looking at the situation, I don't think anyone would be able to disagree.
　　What should be done, then, to correct this state of affairs? It is not a particularly difficult undertaking; it is, in fact, quite easy. That is, it can be done by awakening people to the importance of spiritual education over materially-based education, the importance of the need to make spiritual education preeminent. To put it more plainly, we can correct this condition by dispelling the false belief in only the visible and the lack of belief in the invisible. The only way to accomplish this is to awaken people to the reality of God by the power of spiritual teachings.
　　When this truth is realized by the leading classes and when this way of thinking spreads among the general public, the mistaken idea that they can commit crimes as long as they are not detected can be corrected, so it will become impossible for anyone to do wrong deeds. It is obvious that the world will then become a happy and good place.
　　But it seems that such a simple truth is not realized by the authorities, and they continue to maintain control by making strict laws that can well be compared to nets or cages. This is the same as treating human beings like wild beasts, so it is natural that such methods are ineffective. In fact, social order is not maintained even with these cages called laws. The authorities should be awakened by this to the fact that the cause must lie somewhere else, but they do not seem to have the slightest inkling of this.
　　Thus, our society remains a collection of half-human, half-beastly beings. In this sense, it is only too clear that man's animalistic nature cannot be eliminated by materialistic education. Judging from the results, the old method of education can be said to be only the technique of concealing man's animalistic nature. Therefore, we cannot even guess when a world of true civilization will be brought about. In order to solve this problem, the only thing to do is to eliminate the animalistic nature from man's spiritual being; there is no other thoroughly effective method.
　　This can be done by religion. But, strangely, in Japan it seems that the more people receive higher education, the more they come to dislike religion. Why is this? It must be due to a great defect in today's civilization. The cause is nothing but the fact that the animalistic nature within man dislikes religion; that is, evil does not like good. So, we may say that modern education is something that produces intellectual evildoers.
　　The time has come, however, for this kind of thing to be permitted to exist no longer. I say this because a new path of Light has appeared, and it can awaken people so they have a sure grip on the reality of God. When I say this, someone may ask, "How can such a marvelous thing be accomplished? It cannot." To tell the truth, it can be done very easily, for as soon as people come into close contact with our church, they can grasp the spiritual Power of God by the miracles they experience. The strongest proof of this is the fact that our church is manifesting wonderful miracles, one after another. I believe this is nothing other than a proof of God's great Plan for correcting the unbalanced condition of the half-civilized, half-barbaric world－a lame civilization－and creating a world of true civilization, in which the material and spiritual sides advance hand in hand, in perfect balance.

019. 　Materialism Creates Evil

This title may sound a little too severe. I cannot help that, however, since it is a true statement.
　　We can say that materialism or atheism is a most dangerous idea from our point of view. Frankly, if we knew for a fact there were no God in this universe, many of us would have gained money by cheating others, would be doing anything we desired without any self-restraint, would be living in the lap of luxury, and would have attained some prominence in the world.
　　However, now that we have been awakened to the Reality of God, we can never do such things. We have no alternative but to live in the right way as much as possible, and to strive to become the kind of individuals who are deeply concerned for the welfare of others. Otherwise, we can never attain our own true happiness and so will not be able to lead lives worth living.
　　This is no mere theory. There have been too many instances in the history of man in which crooked people, even though they have prospered at one period, have eventually fallen. Yet, in spite of such past examples, the majority of people do not seem to realize the truth of the above facts, and society at large is still full of criminals and criminal acts.
　　I believe that atheism, or disbelief in God, is the primary source of criminal deeds, of such heinous crimes as homicide, fraud and burglary, and also of corruption by people of high social status, disturbances on city streets, and innumerable other wrong acts. We may say that atheism is the mother of crime. Therefore, if we intend to totally eliminate wrongdoing from our society, it is obvious that atheism must first be eradicated; there is no alternative.
　　In modern Japan, however, the majority of the intellectuals, the government officials and the educators are apparently obsessed with the illusion that belief in God is a superstition. They are trying to fight crime with such conventional methods as legal controls, education and preaching. No matter how hard they may try, such methods only prove fruitless; daily newspapers tell us how ineffective they are.
　　The above fact shows that advocating faith in God is the only efficient method by which to purify society. It is unfortunate, however, that the majority of the intellectuals in modern Japan are atheists. They even believe that an atheistic point of view is a necessary qualification to be either a member of the intelligentsia or a journalist. Worse still, those who frequently advocate atheism are regarded as progressive.
　　This world will never become a livable and happy place unless the present social trend is reversed and atheists are regarded as passe, while those who believe in God are considered the true intelligentsia who are in the vanguard of this era.

020. 　Science Causes False Beliefs

Like a fool who tries to judge everything by the one fact he knows, journalists in Japan believe and declare that all new religions are superstition and heresy. They write, "So many superstitious and heretical religions have sprung up. They are taking advantage of the aftermath of the war and are seducing the public, whose feelings are in confusion. This is unpardonable." They just say this and never mention the reasons such religions appear; in fact, they make no effort to investigate them. They indiscriminately regard all new religions in the same negative way and hastily draw their conclusions according to hearsay or their own opinionated judgments. I am really appalled at the narrow-mindedness of their thinking.
　　Such being the situation, I strongly feel that as a part of our responsibility it is necessary for us to do everything we can to enlighten such journalists. However, we must not indiscriminately argue with their attitudes. I say this because they look at and express their judgments about everything from their materialistic viewpoints. These form their basic concepts, so they cannot believe in anything that is invisible.
　　If we were in their positions, we would say the same things. However, if we too were to deny all things invisible, what would become of the world? The result of total materialism would be terrible indeed. The affection between human beings, the special love between a man and a woman, the close relationship between parents and children, brothers and sisters would come to be considered advantageous or disadvantageous according to self-interest. This society would then be as cold as a stone prison. Surely even those prejudiced journalists would not wish to live in such a state, so I should say that their method of thinking is incomplete, that it lacks thoroughness.
　　Next, let me give my views on the material side of life. We are often surprised to note that there are quite a number of superstitious beliefs among so-called intellectual people who have received higher educations. I once had the opportunity of examining a chart of the various kinds of false beliefs practiced in different countries of the world, the result of special research made in that field. According to this chart, it had been discovered that Germany, which is supposed to be the country most advanced in scientific education, has the greatest number of false beliefs. So, it should be noted that this research revealed that superstitious beliefs exist in an exact ratio to the degree of the advancement of science.
　　What is the cause of this? My opinion is that highly educated people have had material teachings hammered into their heads too much while in school. Since material education is based on theories, once they are out of school and have become members of the adult society, they find that in reality there are many things which are contrary to what they have been taught. So, most of them are driven to skepticism.
　　 Needless to say, those who have exactly followed the theories they have learned cannot get along well in the world, so the more intelligent ones begin to think. They try to learn a new science, a new sociology. Since they cannot find any school where that kind of science is taught, they begin learning it by themselves. It takes several years at best and sometimes it requires several decades before they are ready to graduate from that kind of "school."
　　This is, as it were, a second education; it is in many ways almost entirely contrary to what they learned in their first schooling. However, the lessons learned this time are more practical and offer more certain results, so when they apply them to life, they find they work. The most outstanding of the students attain the level of what could be called a doctorate in this study, and they become mellow in experience, having tasted both the sweet and bitter of life. By the time they have reached this stage, however, the majority are getting old, so they stop making progress toward a high level of maturity and end their lives in mediocrity.
　　 Though rare, there are some few who have towered high above their fellows in worldly wisdom. Shigeru Yoshida* is a good example. His attitude, which shows no fear or anxiety when he faces any difficult situation or meets with any great figure, and his political ability, which reflects his maturity and experience, are proofs of the level he has attained.
　　From what I have written above, I am sure you fully understand the cause of false beliefs. In a word, when people put into practice the theories they have learned, believing them to be absolute truth, and fail, they are driven to skepticism. It is at this point that such individuals are apt to turn to superstition and heresy. However, we can say that they hardly ever find any religions which can truly offer solutions to their problems. Therefore, we may well say that it is the materialistic theories separated from practical life that are to blame. For this reason, I don't think you can argue if we say it is modern education which creates false beliefs.
　　Last, I would like to touch upon another point. As the journalists say, the world is deluged with superstitions and heresies. This is true, but it is wrong to presume that all those things termed superstitions are really that, for of the many which are thought to be, there must be some which are not, which are in fact genuine truths. So, to state that something is a superstition when it is not is in itself a kind of superstition.
　　We would like to warn you to be careful on this point. It is all right for journalists to openly attack superstitions and heresies, but we would advise them not to jump to any hasty conclusions about something being a superstition, for by doing so they can impede the true progress of civilization.

021. 　Discrepancy between Time and Academic Learning

We speak of academic learning sweepingly, but you must know that there are two kinds: one is a living learning and the other is a dead learning. This may sound odd, so let me explain.
　　Studying just for learning's sake offers a dead kind of education, while studying with the purpose of putting what is learned into actual practice offers a living kind of education. Studying for the sake of the search for truth is quite a different matter; this is a learning that is the most valuable of all.
　　Let me first speak on what academic learning is. In elementary and middle schools and universities, students receive education from their instructors, with textbooks as the vertical facet and practice as the horizontal facet.
　　The modern methods of education have been formed as the result of much study and hard work by many philosophers and scholars of the past; this is how the framework of today's manner of teaching has come into being. Of course, new discoveries have been made and new theories have appeared and some old ones have disappeared or have been replaced. From all of these, the valuable sections have been taken, have survived and accumulated. Others, which were accepted as truths and valued as golden rules for man at the time of discovery, have vanished without any trace when some newer ideas or inventions have appeared. Still others survive and are helping to further the welfare of society. Time itself decides the value of everything.
　　In this sense, even a present theory which is firmly believed to be the absolute truth, to be an everlasting fact, may become extinct. We never know when and where a new one will appear to replace the old. In such a case, as is often seen by examples in the past, the new discovery usually does not fit into the pattern of the already-established theory at all. The less the new theory applies to the old one, the more valuable it should be. In short, if it is extraordinary, different from the old pattern, it should be of greater value. Thus, if an old, established theory becomes extinct, it means a new theory has been born which is better; if something which has been believed to be truth becomes buried in oblivion, it means a superior truth has appeared. In this way ongoing evolution of civilization is made possible.
　　Let me delve into this more deeply. The existing system of education has a certain form which has been made up through long years of experimental processes. But the rapid progress of civilization makes this established system obsolete. I recently heard the president of a big company state: "we find that the knowledge of even a talented university graduate, after he has been more than ten years out of the university, often does not apply when he is dealing with practical problems. This is because the education such an individual has acquired in the past is far removed from the knowledge of today. There is, in a manner of speaking, too big a gap between the time and the learning. I find this to be especially true in the field of technology."
　　You can see, in the instances I have mentioned, that theories are primarily based on standards which have already been established, so unless they continue to advance along with the progress civilization is making, they die out.
　　Let me give another example. Statesmen in general are said to have become poor models; that is, hardly any statesmen can be found today who act with strong will power, foresight, flexibility and tact. Few ministers of state have even one ounce of inner resources. All they can do is strive hard to deal with the urgent problems that confront them. Their thinking has little depth. What makes them like this? I believe it is because most of today's ministers of state are graduates of national universities, and it is hard for them to free themselves from the old theories they have absorbed. They try to make everything work according to theories alone, for they do not know there is such a thing as reason transcending reason. This is like horses and carriages; such statesmen are like those individuals who have learned how to handle the horses and carriages but do not know how to drive the automobiles.
　　Primarily, the purpose of academic learning is to develop man's brain power so some foundation may be created. This can be likened to making the foundation on which a new building is to be erected. Man should put the learning he has acquired to practical use, should help to advance it and to create something new. Learning should advance in concert with ever-advancing civilization, and if it can advance ahead of the progress of civilization and play a guiding role, it may truly be called a living academic learning.

022. 　Atheism

In writing about atheism, it is most natural to deal with this subject from a religious point of view. However, I intend to try to put myself in the position of an atheist and write about the subject without touching upon religion at all.
　　As soon as a baby is born, Nature, through the body of his mother, provides him with an abundance of milk, which is necessary for him to grow. As he develops normally, his teeth appear and his parents then provide him with the necessary food, which he chews with his teeth before swallowing. In this way, the child grows until he becomes an adult.
　　Each kind of food contains its own individual taste and flavor, and since the tongue is provided with gustatory nerves or taste buds, when the child eats with enjoyment he is provided with sufficient nourishment. Of all the pleasures man can enjoy, the act of eating is probably the greatest.
　　As the physical body of a child develops gradually and his intelligence advances through formal education and by other means, he eventually becomes capable of functioning as an adult. At this stage he begins to develop various desires, such as yearnings for knowledge, for competition, for advancement, for superiority. At the same time physical desires, such as yearnings for pleasure and for lovemaking, develop. Thus, reason and emotion become entangled and the adult begins to experience both joys and sorrows and eventually acquires the qualifications of a higher form of physical creature. In this way he develops his life as a member of his society.
　　In the above, I have described roughly the process of a man's growth from his birth to his adulthood. Now, let us turn our attention to Nature. Everything in this universe, including the visible and invisible natural phenomena, is created, nurtured and made to grow by Nature. This is the state of the world as it really is. When a person takes an objective view of all this, when he has a mind free from any preconceived ideas, if he is not apathetic, he will be so impressed by the wonders of Nature that he will not be able to find any proper words with which to describe them.
　　Truly, everything can only be said to be profound and boundlessly exquisite. When a man comes to this point, I believe he cannot but think and wonder who can have created this marvelous universe, for what purpose, and with what kind of idea. Looking up at the sky, we find it seems to be limitless, endless, eternal; we do not know how far it goes. Also, there are so many facts we are not aware of that there is no end to them. The more we think about the universe, the more mysterious and miraculous everything becomes, so much so that we can find no words to adequately describe it. Think of the heavenly bodies, which orbit regularly in their courses; think of days and nights; think of the changes of seasons, which come around without fail; think of how a year is divided on a mathematical basis. All things in the universe are continually evolving and so is civilization, which seems to be endless in its progress and development.
　　These things are all full of mystery. When we also think about when this world was created, whether there is a limiting point to the increase of world population, what the future of the planet will be, whether the world will last forever, we find that everything is veiled in a fog of mystery for we haven't the least idea as to the answers. All things are in silent and perpetual motion, under a definite rule that is without discrepancies or distortions.
　　Be that as it may, however, we have other questions pertaining to the purpose and mission of man's life－how long it will be, whether or not there is life after death, and whether or not there is a spiritual world to which the soul goes and settles down. The more we think about these mysteries, the more confused we become, and none of them can be clearly understood after all. As the Buddha said, "Reality is false, falsehood is real."
　　There is no other way to describe the universe than to say that it is boundless, infinite. Man has struggled for thousands of years trying to uncover its mysteries by every means, especially through science, but he has found only an infinitesimal portion of the truth; the remaining parts are still shrouded in mystery. In fact, man's knowledge about Nature is to the whole truth as a drop of water is to an entire ocean.
　　Here again, if I may use a Buddhist expression, "All is vain." However, man is so egotistical that he speaks of conquering Nature, when he is nothing but a fool who does not know even himself. Consequently, the wisest thing for man to do is to first learn to understand himself and then learn to follow the laws of Nature in order to receive its fullest blessings.
　　While the world is thus filled with mysteries, there is One thing that is certain and that is that there must be a Creator of such a wonderful universe who is presiding over it, using everything in it at will. In speculating as to who the Creator could be, we can only come to the conclusion that It must be the Master of the universe, just as there is the head of a family, or the head of a country. It is the One, X, Who is generally referred to as God. It follows that were it not for God there would be no creation, and therefore there would not be any man, including the atheist himself.
　　Nothing is more evident than this fact. Anyone who does not understand it can only be called an animal in spirit, since an animal does not have will power, ability to think, or intelligence. I think such a person can best be described as "an animal in human form." An excellent proof of this conclusion can easily be drawn by observing the psychology and behavior of criminals, who are products of atheism, for their thinking and conduct are mostly animalistic.
　　I believe it is my mission to help remove the animalistic nature from man and cause him to become a true human being. Since the basic requirement to achieve this end is to eradicate the materialistic way of thinking, this effort may be called the work of reconstructing man.

023. 　The Turning Point in Civilization

The marvelous progress civilization has made and is still making is obvious when compared to the primitive conditions of thousands of years ago. History tells us of the tremendous efforts man put forth to develop civilization until it reached the present stage, struggling against such terrible handicaps as natural disasters, wars, epidemics and other calamities.
　　Behind all these efforts has been the eternal longing for peace and happiness which has always been man's impelling force. As a means to realizing this ideal, man has believed that all he needed to do was to develop the material side of civilization. He has devoted himself heart and soul to this with concentrated thought, for he has believed that material science could bring all the answers to this problem. Each time a new invention has been produced, each time a new discovery has been made, man has magnified and glorified it, thinking it would contribute to the welfare of humanity. He has firmly believed he was steadily coming closer to the realization of his goal. Thus, he has kept on looking forward to the day when his dreams of happiness would come true.
　　Science reached the acme of its progress with the discovery of atomic fission. Such a development should actually have been a great blessing, but quite contrary to man's expectation it has proved to be the most terrible discovery ever made. What man thought would be a path to heaven has turned out, to his horrified surprise, to be a road leading to hell, for it has given him a method of annihilating tens of thousands of lives in the twinkling of an eye. Has there been any event in all of man's long history which was as contrary to his expectations as this? How ironical it is that man, civilized man, is now confronted with the great problem of being freed from this terror, the terror to which he himself has given birth!
　　Actually, however, when we think about it calmly, atomic energy in itself is nothing to be feared. Rather, such a scientific triumph can be a tremendous boon to man's welfare. He is afraid of it because it can be used as a weapon of destruction, but if adapted to peaceful and harmonious purposes it will prove to be a great discovery which will benefit all humanity. It is the evil in man which causes him to utilize it for war, while the good in man causes him to employ it for constructive purposes. The issue, then, revolves about the use Of atomic energy, not its discovery. In this sense, there would be no problem if those who employed nuclear energy were good. But this is something that cannot be resolved that simply, of course.
　　In actuality, the answer would be to transmute the evil in man. Here is where the valuable mission of religion comes in. Through the years religion, moral teachings, education and law have, to a certain degree, rendered services toward that purpose, it is true. In spite of all these, however, the good people seem to be oppressed by evil forces still. The fear that humanity is expressing today of atomic energy being used for destructive purposes testifies to this.
　　Let us consider this more deeply from another angle. Suppose atomic fission should be put to a diabolically destructive use. The inevitable consequence would be the complete obliteration of mankind! Do you believe the Creator of the universe and all things in it, the God Who has caused civilization to progress so far, would allow such a thing to happen?
　　Thinking about it, we come to the conclusion that this must be what Jesus foresaw as "the end of the world." Also, if it had been His only prophecy, this would have meant humanity could do nothing except wait for the time of its utter destruction. But Jesus also predicted the advent of heaven. These two prophecies clearly show what the future portends. They mean that the world as we know it will come to an end but that heaven on earth will then become a reality.
　　 There is one more thing we have to think about. In order to be sure of being saved from the destruction brought about by atomic fission, it is absolutely necessary for man to change his evil qualities so he becomes totally good. What can make it possible for him to do so other than the Power of God?
　　Even though the world is going to be changed from evil to good, there may still be quite a few people who will not repent and mend their ways and who therefore cannot be saved. This will be the period of tribulation which has been referred to so often in Christianity. From this we should realize that the world is standing on the threshold of the turning point from the age of evil to the age of good, from the age of destruction to the age of construction, from the old civilization to the new society. The design of the coming age of new, spiritual civilization has already been prepared, but not by human wisdom or power. God has been working toward the fulfillment of His Plan for eons. This is not only true in a spiritual sense; I see the great change definitely taking place in the material dimension. So, I can say to all the world that this is an absolute certainty.

024. 　The Creation of True Civilization

The name of our church is Sekai Kyusei Kyo in Japanese, the literal translation of which is Church Which Saves the World. This name is not a mistake, since God has caused this Work to appear specifically for the purpose of saving humanity now that "the end of the world" is at hand. However, it may also be called the Church of Creation. Let me explain why this is so.
　　For many centuries, all of humanity has worked assiduously, with unremitting, unified efforts. It is as a result of these efforts that mankind has succeeded in attaining today's amazingly brilliant civilization, so we feel its merits can hardly be extolled enough. Needless to say, the goal has always been happiness. However, we cannot but realize the fact that what man has gained is almost completely contrary to his expectations. I say this because of the discovery of atomic fission, which can instantaneously annihilate millions of human beings. It cannot be described adequately even by such words as "horrible" or "chillingly terrible."
　　The dream of humanity, with true happiness as its goal, has been shattered far beyond imagination. Who on earth could have foreseen that such a horrible disaster would be brought about? I wonder, has there ever been an equally great discrepancy between expectation and result in any other period of history? The time has come for humanity, at least for civilized people, to pinpoint the true cause of this, for unless it is found and the problem solved, the future progress of civilization will have no meaning.
　　However, even atomic fission, which has turned out to be a terrible evil force when used as a weapon for war, can undoubtedly become a wonderful instrument of peace if it is used for the benefit of humanity. For this reason, in point of fact we need not look at the atomic bomb as a serious problem. Rather, the issue is war itself for, after all, there is no problem more in need of solving than the way to eradicate war.
　　It is easy to say this, but as everybody knows only too well, for thousands of years the entire human race has exerted its greatest efforts to be free from the threat of war. In spite of all that, the fact is that not only does it continue to exist, but it has become a greater threat each time new hostilities have broken out. This is probably due in part to the increase of population, but a greater and more menacing reason is the development of weapons, which has reached an extremity with the atom bomb. What else can this very discovery be but a sign that the time is close at hand for war to be erased from the surface of the earth? I believe that "the end of the world" Jesus spoke of must include this meaning.
　　As we contemplate in this manner, we cannot but realize that our existing civilization, which can be said to have been a success in some ways, has made a tremendous mistake, something that can erase all of its merits. When we take this into consideration, we come to the realization that humanity must awaken to the failure of the existing civilization and must set about creating an epoch-making new one. It will be a new start for mankind. What can that creation of a new civilization be? This is a great question for humanity to study today.
　　I believe it is to give answers to this question that World Messianity has appeared. With this important mission entrusted to us by God, our church is now going to achieve the tremendous work of helping Him to construct paradise on earth, in obedience to His Will. As one of the basic conditions for such a world, we are announcing the eradication of disease from mankind and are putting our words into action with marvelous results, as many who have observed them can agree.
　　The true cause of war is sickness. "Sickness" does not mean physical illness alone; there are also mental illness and spiritual illness. In fact, there are many individuals who are mentally ill, though they are not actually insane. I believe that the fundamental solution is to help these mentally sick people by guiding them to a truly wholesome state. Without this action, I believe, to speak of the eradication of war is only the nonsensical talk of fools.

025.　Fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Kingdom of Heaven

I believe that in the Bible there are three especially important prophecies to be noted. These are: a final judgment, the kingdom of heaven at hand, and the second coming of Christ.
　　Of the three, the judgment will be directly performed by God when He is ready, and the second coming of Christ will be manifested by Him in His right time; these two need no explanations. But the second prophecy, that concerning the kingdom of heaven, must be fulfilled through the hand of man. This, of course, means that someday somebody will appear, make the plan and actually achieve the goal.
　　If you can accept the above statement as true, you are no doubt wondering when the right time will be. According to our belief, that time is now and the builder is our group. The materialization has already begun. The prototype of paradise on earth is under construction even now, as we have announced several times in our organizational papers.
　　As I have said, the prophecy made by Jesus will be fulfilled through the work of our organization. I am not trying to boast by stating this, because the Biblical prophecy and its materialization by our church are both part of God's Plan for the establishment of an ideal world, evolved out of His great Love for humanity; He is using some chosen human beings at His Will according to the change of time.
　　In this sense, the project we are advancing now is that which was prophesied 2,000 years ago by Jesus. We believe we are some of those who have been given the mission of bringing that prophecy into realization.

026. 　The Civilization of ⦿(Su)

Let me tell you the meaning of ⦿(pronounced "soo") before going into further explanation of the title. As you see, it is a dot in a circle. If it were just that it might seem to have no specific significance, but I must tell you nothing has a more mystic, profound and great significance than the form ⦿(su).
　　Let me first explain the meaning of the circle. All things in the universe are created in this form. The sun, the moon and the earth are round in shape. The spirit of a human being, when it moves from one place to another, is in the shape of a round ball. Divine spirits also move in circular forms. Though a divine spirit and a human spirit are the same in shape, the one is composed of bright light and the other has an opaque body that is yellowish or whitish in color with little luster. A yellowish being is a male spirit and a whitish one is a female spirit. The former corresponds to the sun and the latter to the moon.
　　As you know, this world is created in the shape of a globe. A globe without a center would be just an empty shell, like a human body without a soul. It is only when a soul enters the body that it becomes a conscious being and is able to be active. A dot in a circle－⦿－symbolizes the completion of a creation. The finishing touch an artist gives to his creation is called in Japanese, "putting the soul in." This means the same thing.
　　In this sense, the age which is now passing has been one that was without this dot, or soul, so to speak. I once called the Old Age one of external civilization, for this emptiness of the inside is manifested in all phases of the old civilization.
　　 Symptomatic treatments for diseases are good examples of the external civilization. Attempts have been made to suppress symptoms such as pain or itching by the injection of medicines to anaesthetize the body, or by the application of ointments or liniments. When fever is high, either cold pads are used or pills are given. These only suppress purification. The sick are temporarily relieved of their discomforts by such methods, it is true, but they do not remove the cause. Consequently, true healing cannot be effected and the former conditions are bound to recur. We may call these only postponements of suffering. The true cause of sickness is on the inside-the dot in the circle. This fact has not yet been perceived by Science.
　　The same can be said of crimes. At present the only method used to prevent further crimes is to give criminals the bad experience of suffering punishment. This too is a symptomatic treatment, the same as that used by medical science. In most cases, once a person commits a crime he often repeats his act. There are some individuals who commit crimes dozens of times. The worst of them spend more of their lives in jail than out in the world. The cause of such a condition also lies in the weakness of the dot in the circle, in the unawakened soul.
　　The same is true of war. When one side has more armaments, the other side will abandon the idea of attacking it for the time being because there is no chance of winning. This is just a method of postponing the battles; the war will start up again inevitably, as history clearly tells us. When we think about these things, we can perceive that civilization up to now has been an empty sphere without the central dot in it.
　　I have often spoken of the ninety-nine percent of evil power versus the last one percent of divine power. When the dot enters the circle, which is the last one percent of divine power, it will turn the tide. In other words, the evil, which has had the ninety-nine percent power, will be overcome by the last one percent power of good. It is like this: Just when the inside of the circle is on the point of being tainted completely by evil, the last one percent power of good will purify the whole thing, making it pure white. In other words, God will put the central dot, the soul, into the civilization which has been an empty shell up to the present. Thus, this old one, which has been just a circle without a dot, will come to life.
This is what I mean by the birth of a new civilization.

027. 　Introduction to the Spiritual Aspects of This World and the Next

The following articles* describe the aspects of the spiritual realm and its relationship to the physical world, which I learned during the past twenty years and more through my spiritual quest and then from the divine revelations I received. I have done my best to convey this knowledge as accurately as possible, and I assure you there are no fabrications or exaggerations of any kind in any part.
　　People extol the advancements of science and of human knowledge today. However, these are nothing more than gains of a material nature; the progress of civilization has real value only when its spiritual side has advanced equally with its material side. The fact that human happiness has not advanced alongside civilization's marvelous achievements in material areas is due, I believe, to its progress being one-sided, as mentioned above. In other words, material civilization has advanced tremendously, while spiritual civilization has been left far behind.
　　For this reason, I would like to help people experience a great awakening to the spiritual aspects of both this world and the next, thus aiding the progress of spiritual civilization. There is a great deal of difficulty in trying to help others understand the existence of spiritual things, since they cannot ordinarily be perceived by man's five senses. However, I firmly believe that my objective can be attained, because I am not going to offer explanations about anything that is imaginary, but will write solely about that which truly does exist.
　　It is quite obvious that only by coming to believe in the spiritual aspects of life will people be able to grasp the principle of true happiness. No matter what spiritual paths they may follow, unless they become deeply aware of the spiritual world and of all other spiritual truths they can never attain real peace of mind.
　　Everyone knows that every human being has to leave this physical world someday, yet very few individuals have acquired much knowledge of life after death. Think of the fact that a person usually lives to be only seventy or eighty years of age. If that were the end of everything, how vain and empty life would be! Many people do feel this way because they are not aware that there is a life after the death of the physical body, that life continues in the spiritual world. When they become truly aware of this knowledge, they will realize that it is not only a joy to live but also a joy to die, and thus they will be able to experience genuine, eternal happiness.

028. 　The Unknown World

The world in which we live and breathe is a material one, and is what could be called the world of first dimension. Death transfers us to the spiritual realm, or the world of second dimension, whose nature is unknown to the human mind.
　　Since the spiritual world is invisible and beyond human conception, it is difficult for people to accept its existence merely through listening to or reading a simple explanation. Still, this world does have a definite existence, so it follows that it must be manifesting itself in some way in the material world.
　　As a matter of fact, it does manifest itself in many forms, both large and small, in all parts of this world and in all aspects of human affairs. Man, however, remains blind and insensitive to the clues. This is because the educational system in our civilization has completely ignored the spiritual aspects of life.
　　It is also due to the fact that the earth has long been in the Age of Night, where man could only see areas illumined by the light of the moon, so to speak. This has been weak in contrast to the midday sun, which instantaneously reveals all things in their entirety.
　　Soon the Age of the Moon will be totally changed into the Age of the Sun, the great Daylight Age, and the "unknown world" will become a "known world" to all. All secrets, all falsities and all mistakes will then be fully exposed in the light.

029. 　The Power of Nature

According to the study I have made, the plane on which we are living and breathing is made up of three major elements: the element of 6re, the element of water, and the element of soil. To date, electromagnetic force, atmosphere, matter, all parts of our universe have been known to us through science and our 6ve senses. What I wish to dwell on now is something that is beyond material science, something that is beyond our physical senses. It is spiritual energy.
　　The words "spirit" and "spiritual energy" are used considerably, but most generally they are limited to the fields of religion and spiritualism. For this reason there has been a tendency on the part of many individuals to look on spirits as mere superstition and to be convinced that denying the existence of spirits is one of the qualifications for being ranked among people of superior intelligence, This is unfortunate, for the truth is that spiritual essence is the very source of the tremendous energy which creates, activates and changes all things in this universe. I call this an invisible force. (As I continue, I am going to refer to the realm known to our five senses as the physical world and to the unknown realm as the spiritual world.)
　　According to the natural laws of existence, all that appears in the physical world first originates in the spiritual world, just as mental thoughts give rise to all physical actions.
　　In the past, material science's approach was to attempt to solve all the problems of life in physical terms. That is why man's much-vaunted progress has not really brought happiness with it. In order for the troubles in the material world to be solved successfully, those in the spiritual realm must be solved first. For this reason, true healing of illness can come only through the healing of spirit by Spirit, for the physical body is a manifestation in the material world of the spiritual body, which belongs to the spiritual realm.
　　As I have explained before, illness is a process of purification of accumulated toxins, or a process of the dissolving of toxins. This means that a toxic area or an affected spot of any kind is simply the outer or surface reflection of the spiritual condition－the accumulation of clouds covering that particular part of the spiritual body－and when the clouds are dispelled the toxins dissolve as a physical manifestation of this spiritual action.
　　The methods of healing up to now have been ineffective in offering genuine and lasting solutions to illness because they have treated physical symptoms alone, which means they have been working on the effect, not the cause.
　　 Since the dispelling of clouds on the spiritual body is the basic method for solving any physical misery, a force or power is needed to do this. The right one is a kind of ray which comes from the Cosmic Spirit, the great Spirit of the Universe, and is channeled through the human body. If you wish to fully grasp this fact, you must give Johrei to others continuously for some time; only then will you come to know thoroughly how it works. Keep in mind as you go on with your reading that what you can get from this article is no more than a general idea about Johrei and about what the spiritual energy can do.
　　Before going into an explanation of what the spiritual body of a human being is like, I must first explain a little about death. When the physical body has become useless through old age, illness, injury or loss of blood, the spiritual body separates itself from the physical body. This is what we call death. The discarded physical body returns to dust and the spiritual body returns to the spiritual world, where it stays until it is ready to reincarnate.
　　As you see by this, the spiritual body is infinite and of primary importance for it has eternal life, while the physical body is finite and of secondary importance, existing only for a single lifetime. Therefore, you must know that the spiritual body, the true being, should be the focal point for dealing with any problem on the human level.
　　It has come to be known by modern science in recent years that not only every living creature but also every vegetable and mineral emits a kind of magnetic force. According to my research, of all these, that emitted by the human body has the highest vibration. This is because a human being is the lord of all living creatures, as even people of ancient times said. The higher a spiritual being is, the less dense, the more pure its vibration is. It becomes proportionately more difficult to detect by mechanical means, which is contrary to the theories of material science and explains why the magnetic radiations of such spiritually low objects as minerals or plants are easier to detect. It is important to understand this. basic principle that the less dense－the more pure－a spiritual vibration is, the greater is its power.
　　Human beings emit a more powerful magnetic force than anything else on earth. However, each person differs from all others in the degree of power, which varies greatly according to the individual level of spiritual awareness. The stronger a person's magnetic force is, the greater is the power of his Johrei.
　　It has been revealed to me that this force can be brought to focus in a specific part of the body so clouds may be dispelled, and also how this can be more intensified so any individual can channel more effectively through a certain specific method, which I call Johrei. If you come to understand this principle and learn how to apply the two methods in proper combination, by accumulating actual experience, you will become a transmitter of increasingly more powerful energy.

030. 　The Elements of Fire, Water and Soil

All things in this universe consist of three fundamental elements. Through the combined energy emanating from these, everything comes into existence and realizes its growth. The three elements are: the energy of the sun, the energy of the moon, and the energy of the earth.
　　 The sun is the source of the element of fire, the moon that of the element of water, and the earth that of the element of soil. Being inseparably combined, the energies of fire, water and soil create currents that now vertically, horizontally, and in all other directions.
　　Let me explain what I mean by the vertical. Between heaven and earth there are the sun, the moon and the earth in vertical order. We can see their positions at the time of the solar eclipse, when the three bodies are in an exact line. The spiritual plane is the plane of fire, with the sun as its center. The atmospheric plane is the plane of water, with the moon as its center. The physical plane is the plane of soil, with the planet earth as its center.
　　When I refer to the horizontal, I mean the earth plane on which we human beings live. This consists of both matter and space. The existence of matter was always known to man through his five senses, but he was not aware of space for a long time; he considered it a void, or vacuum. As civilization made progress, however, man awakened to the existence of atmosphere in this space, which I identify as half-matter. Now, I have found, there is another element in this space which is different from atmosphere, and I refer to it as spiritual energy.
　　There are some beliefs that teach about the spirits of the dead and of the living, and about spiritual phenomena. Also, there are ascetic devotees and mediums, who speak of being in touch with such spirits and who produce these phenomena. Because of the progress of spiritual science in the Western world, research work on spirits and the spiritual realm has made and is making a considerable advancement. There are some reliable books, such as the famous The Survival of Man by Sir Oliver Lodge, and Gone West by J. S. M. Ward. However, these refer to completely different areas from those toward which I have been aiming in my research.
　　The element of matter is soil. All matter come; from soil and returns to soil. The element of water, which is half-matter, comes from the moon and fills this atmosphere. The element of fire, which is sent forth by the sun, is neither matter nor half-matter but non-matter; this is why it was not known up to now.
　　If I may repeat: Soil is matter, water is half-matter, and fire is non-matter. When the elements of these three combine, energy is produced. In scientific terms, they are combined in infinitesimally fine particles which are constantly in motion. This is the actual state of the universe. The fact that there are degrees of temperature and humidity in space which are exactly suited to the existence of man and all other creatures is due to the elements of fire and water uniting in harmonious proportions. If fire were to disappear, leaving only water, everything would immediately be frozen. Conversely, if water were to disappear so that only fire remained, the earth would explode instantaneously and there would be nothing left. The elements of fire and water combine with soil, so soil is energized and thus all things grow.
　　According to the laws of Nature, fire burns vertically and water flows horizontally. Fire flames by the force of water and water flows by the force of fire.
　　These facts also apply to a human being, who has often been said to be a small universe in himself. His heart, lungs and stomach correspond to fire, water and soil respectively. The heart takes in fire, the lungs draw in water, and the stomach takes in soil through food which has been grown in it. Since the heart, lungs and stomach are the organs with which man takes in fire, water and soil, it is understandable that these three are considered among the most important organs of the human anatomy. Up to now it has been thought that the heart is an organ whose function is limited to the pumping of blood－that it sends impure blood to the lungs and absorbs blood which has been purified by oxygen in the lungs. This opinion has been accepted due to the fact that the existence of the element of fire has been completely unknown.
　　The heart draws in the element of fire by pulsation, the lungs draw in the element of water by respiration, and the stomach takes in the element of soil by ingestion of foods which come to it via the mouth and the esophagus.
　　When a person becomes ill, he usually develops fever. At such a time the heart draws in from the spiritual realm more than its usual amount of the element of fire in order to dispel the spiritual clouds, and this action reflects in the physical dissolving of the congested toxins accumulated at the affected part. The pulsation of the heart is its pumping action to absorb the element of fire. The fact that the pulse quickens before the temperature rises means that the absorbing of this element is being accelerated. The chills experienced at that time indicate that in order for the necessary amount of heat to be sent to the purifying area, the amounts sent to the other parts of the body are temporarily reduced. The disappearance of fever indicates the dissolution of the toxins has been completed.
　　As mentioned above, the heart is constantly drawing in the element of are from the spiritual realm, without a moment's rest; this is how the body's temperature is maintained. The lungs are also ceaselessly absorbing the element of water from the atmospheric plane; thus the body's moisture is maintained－not only because of the amount of water taken in through the mouth but also because of the element of water absorbed by the lungs.
　　At death, the temperature of the body drops, the water evaporates and the blood coagulates; then the body begins to dry up. This indicates that at the time of death the spiritual being separates itself from the physical being to reenter the spiritual world. The moisture disappears and the blood coagulates because the element of fire leaves with the spiritual being of the individual. In other words, fire returns to the spiritual plane, water returns to the atmospheric plane, and soil returns to the earth plane.

031. 　The Spiritual Cord

Many people seem to be unfamiliar with the term "spiritual cord," probably because the existence of the cord is not generally known. While the spiritual cord is invisible, being of exceedingly fine texture－finer than atmosphere－its role and influence in all phases of physical life are so great it cannot be lightly regarded. The cord influences the fate of a human being and even of the world's destiny at large. Therefore, it is important for us to know its significance.
　　Before going into detailed explanation, I wish to point out that this concept of the spiritual cord is scientific as well as religious. In the future, it will be a subject of much study, for relativity, cosmic rays, and all matters concerning people individually and society in general are related to the spiritual cord.
　　Let me explain first the relationship of the individual to other individuals through his and their spiritual cords. Suppose we take you, the reader, for example. There are innumerable invisible cords connecting you with the people around you－hundreds, thousands of them. Some are large and some are small, some are positive and some are negative. All exert constant influence on you to a certain degree, causing changes of a vibratory nature. Therefore, it is not too much to say that your very existence is being governed largely by the influence of the spiritual cords.
　　 In personal relationships, the cords usually are strongest between husbands and wives, then between parents and children. After these in diminishing strength are the cords between brothers and sisters, other relatives, friends, and acquaintances. There are exceptions, such as the cords between friends who are spiritually very close. Japanese expressions such as "cords of love" and "to bind the cords of relationship" no doubt originated from someone's recognition of these invisible ties.
　　The spiritual cord is changeable, sometimes growing larger and stronger, sometimes becoming smaller and weaker. When all is harmonious between husband and wife and they are living together happily, the spiritual cord is very large and luminous. If there is discord and quarreling between them, the cord becomes smaller, losing luminosity to a certain extent as it shrinks. The same thing can be said about the spiritual cords connecting parents and children, brothers and sisters, and all others.
　　New cords are formed when new friends are gained or new acquaintances are made. An especially strong spiritual cord is formed when two individuals fall in love, and when that love reaches its greatest degree the cord becomes exceedingly large. Through it alternating currents of sentiment flow strongly between the two lovers. This creates a subtle and happy sensation, and a kind of longing or yearning goes back and forth until the spiritual cord is of the utmost strength and size. It is then that lovers become so close they feel they are indeed one and can no longer be apart. At this point, if relatives, friends or anyone else tries to separate them for any reason, the attempt only draws them closer together.
　　The mutual love of two individuals is analogous to the positive and negative poles of electric power, with the spiritual cord acting as conduit. I was once able to save two girls from committing double suicide over their homosexual relationship, working spiritually to negate the positive electricity. My treatment was totally effective in about a week, the positive individual returning to normal in that period. The negative person also recovered normalcy once the stronger one had done so.
　　The spiritual cords between nonrelatives can be cut or broken, but those between blood relations cannot be severed.
　　There is something special in a parent-child relationship which you should note. Since parents and children are inseparably connected, many of the parents' characteristics are transmitted to their children through the spiritual cords. For this reason, if people expect their children to be good, they must first be good themselves. Some parents admonish their children to be good while they themselves do wrongful things; then they wonder why their words have little or no effect.
　　 Sometimes a seemingly wonderful couple produce a very delinquent child, and we wonder why this happens. Often it is because the apparently fine parents are acting virtuously for ulterior reasons and the excessive clouds on their spiritual bodies are reflecting through the spiritual cords on their offspring.
　　Again, we sometimes find two children of widely different character in the same family, one good and the other bad. There are two possible reasons for this situation. One is connected with the children's previous lives and the other is karmic, a purification of the clouds of the parents.
　　Before going into further detail, I must first explain the principles of reincarnation.
　　Simply stated, after death every human being enters the spiritual world; that is, he is born into the spiritual world. There each one has to go through purification of all the clouds that were accumulated on earth from the negative deeds of various kinds. As a general rule, the individual reincarnates when he has achieved a certain degree of purification and his vibration has been raised.
　　Suppose a person who committed a lot of evil deeds in the previous life changed at the last moment because of the penalties inflicted or for some other reason, had a deep sense of repentance for having done anything negative, and passed over with a strong determination that the next time he incarnated he would be good, would act only in a virtuous way. He would then come back as a good person. So, it is possible that an individual who is virtuous by nature in this lifetime may have been extremely wicked in the previous life.
　　There are many people who do not believe in life after death while they are living here. After death these people cannot easily adjust themselves in the spiritual world and often come back prematurely, in a state of incomplete purification, because of their undue attachment to physical life. They return retaining quite a lot of clouds from their previous lives and they have to go through purification for these clouds. (Any kind of suffering is purification, as you know.) This explains why some individuals are born very good people but lead quite unfortunate lives.
　　Some people are born crippled or deformed. For instance, there are some who enter this life blind, deaf, or handicapped in some other way. They are reincarnations of individuals who died unexpected deaths in their previous lives, such as in accidents, and were born again before they were purified sufficiently, not completely healed of their injuries.
　　Let me write about another situation which is an interesting illustration of reincarnation. Some babies are born with the features of elderly people. This is because they are reincarnations of those who died at quite advanced ages in their previous lives and came back too soon. Their features, however, change and become baby-like within a few months. I am sure anyone who has observed this can easily understand the above explanation.
　　Earlier in this article I mentioned the possible differences between two children of the same family. As I said, one may be good and the other bad. The reason may be that the positive nature of the parents' character may reflect in one child, making him good, while their negative nature may reflect in the other, making him bad.
　　In another instance, in a rich family where the parents have accumulated wealth by dishonest means, one of the children may turn out to be a prodigal son. If so, this is caused by the spirits of the family forebears, who are making one of the children squander the money like water until all of the fortune is gone, knowing the eternal well-being of the family cannot be achieved as long as it possesses the ill-gotten wealth. From the spiritual point of view, therefore, the son chosen to be a prodigal is really playing a wonderful part, for he is saving his family. He is to be sympathized with for the wrong thoughts directed toward him by people who consider him merely a profligate squandering the family fortune.
　　Spiritual cords connect people not only with other living individuals, but also with those who have passed on to the spiritual realm. There are also those which connect human beings with good spirits, divine beings, and those which connect them with evil spirits, dark forces. Working through these cords, the good spirits encourage mankind toward right deeds, while evil spirits tempt mankind toward wicked deeds. Thus, all human beings are continually influenced by either good or evil spirits.
　　Before birth every person is assigned a guardian, who has been purified to a certain degree. In Japan, it is selected from among family members in the spiritual world. This spirit protects the human being in its charge through the spiritual cord. For instance, if an individual is unknowingly approaching danger, his guardian spirit will try to save him by giving him some kind of signal or warning. Suppose a person plans on taking a certain train. He is late for some reason－some obstacle prevents his reaching the station in time to catch it－and he is obliged to take the next one instead. Later, he learns that the train he missed met with a serious accident causing heavy casualties. Such an escape from trouble is due to the activity of the guardian spirit. It can foresee any possible disaster threatening the individual in its charge and it tries to warn him of the danger in advance.
　　The spiritual cords differ in number according to their positions and the activities of individuals. For instance, the head of a family has more cords than the other members; he has cords not only with all members of his family but with all relatives, servants, friends and acquaintances. The president of a business organization has connecting cords with all his employees. A public figure such as a mayor, senator, governor, prime minister, president of a nation or a king has innumerable cords connecting him with the people who are in his charge or whom he represents. The higher his rank, the larger are the number of spiritual cords he has.
　　For this reason, any leader should be a person of noble character. If his spiritual body is clouded, his condition reflects upon those who are connected with him and upon the thoughts of the public at large, and so he has a demoralizing influence on everyone.
　　The head of any government should be a. man of wisdom and high spiritual awareness, one of high character, one who will manage the affairs of his office with good will and integrity. If the general trend of thought in a country becomes corrupt and undisciplined, if criminal activities increase, the administrator is responsible to a large degree. Those in charge of education especially should realize what an important influence they exert upon their students and do their best to cleanse their spiritual bodies, set good examples, and be worthy of being educators.
　　I would like to make a special mention here of those who are engaged in spiritual work. Founders of religious groups or orders, presidents of religious organizations, priests and ministers all have an exceedingly strong influence on members or devotees because they are held in such reverence and are looked up to with so much respect. These individuals should be more conscientious than anyone else. Should they take advantage of their high positions and do something unworthy of their own teachings, their actions not only reflect on all their followers but can even result in the total disintegration of the organization itself. I am sure some of you have seen examples of such situations.
　　There are not only spiritual cords between human beings but those which connect human beings with divine beings. The difference between the cords of divine beings and of human individuals is that those of divine spirits are exceedingly luminous, while those of most individuals tend to be grayish-white, lacking luster, and the cords of wicked people are blackish. The cords of human beings of especially high character are partly luminous.
　　Human beings generally wish to have only good people as their friends. This is because they know that they are influenced in right ways by associating with good people and in wrong ways by associating with bad people. This is due to the vibrations which are conveyed through all the connecting spiritual cords.
　　The primary object of our worship should be the Supreme God. As stated, in the spiritual world there are divine spirits and evil spirits. The spiritual cords which come from divine spirits are luminous. Through worshiping these higher spirits constantly, the spiritual beings of the humans become more and more purified, whereas evil spirits send out negative vibrations, and those people who worship them receive these low vibrations, which make their thoughts bad and cause their lives to become more and more difficult, due to the clouds they create. Everyone should be very careful in his choice of the object of his worship, always remembering that God is the most important of all.
　　Even among the divine spirits there are higher ones and lower ones, and according to their levels there are differences in the degrees of their light. The higher the rank, the more miracles their followers experience because the spiritual cords are luminous.
　　This explains the spiritual cords which connect human beings with divine spirits and with evil spirits, and also those between humans. Now let me say that there are spiritual cords between human beings and inanimate objects which also have influence on our lives, such as the houses we live in and the utensils and tools we use daily. Those articles a person treasures highly are especially strongly connected with the owner, and the more dearly he loves them, the bigger grow the connecting spiritual cords, through which the strong vibrations of the owner are conveyed. This is true of our clothes and personal ornaments, too.
　　I once read in an American magazine of a woman with psychic ability. She could tell from holding an object or article its owner's features, age and even his recent actions. As she gazed at it, she could perceive all these things impressed on it like a photograph. These were the vibrations impressed on the object through the spiritual cords. From this account we can understand how wonderful and subtle the actions of spiritual cords and the vibrations conveyed through them are.
　　Recently, scientists have begun investigating more and more what they call cosmic rays. According to my understanding, these "cosmic rays" are the spiritual cords connecting the earth and the stars. The fact that the earth is kept in equilibrium in space is due to the spiritual cords of the satellites which are drawing it. So, the earth must have an infinite number of spiritual cords－how many thousands, millions, even billions of them nobody can tell－and all these cords penetrate the crust and reach its core.
　　Now, let me refer to the relationship of the earth and the heavenly bodies.
　　These are like counter-mirrors, reflecting each other. There are both bright stars and dark ones. Dark stars are invisible because they have no light. Every year, however, some of them turn into bright ones; thus, bright stars increase in number.
　　Dark stars turn into bright stars because of the solidifying action of matter, which follows one of the natural laws of this universe－that all matter goes through a process of solidification. When the solidifying process reaches its maximum, matter begins to emit light. It is by the same process that the hardest mineral on earth is the diamond, which is the brightest of all gems.
　　At the time the earth was created, there were only a few stars visible in the sky. The number of stars gradually increased in proportion to the population on the earth, because heaven and earth are counter-mirrors. For this reason, stars will continue to increase in infinite numbers－as will the population on earth.
　　When astronomers think they have discovered some new stars, the truth is that they have only found some stars that have been dark but have turned into bright ones and therefore have become visible.
　　Meteors are caused by disintegration, and a meteorite is a segment created in that process.
　　There are all kinds of stars of various sizes－such large ones as Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus and Mercury, and innumerable smaller ones, all of which influence the human beings on earth. The five big stars above mentioned correspond to the world's five leading figures of each age. There are expressions in Japanese in which human beings are called stars metaphorically, such as, "A great star has fallen," meaning a leading figure of the world has died, or "Great stars meet," meaning leading figures of the world meet. It is interesting to think of the meanings behind these expressions.
　　In the West, there was a time when astrology was in great vogue. It was usually practiced by priests, who used it for fortune-telling and also for diagnosing diseases. Chinese divination, too, was based on astrology. There is a spiritual meaning in these practices and therefore it is not without significance that the ancients were interested in the stars.

032. 　Man's Three Spirits

Man is often called a child of God and is also referred to as a temple of God. This is because man's soul－the center of his being－is an individualized part of God which has come to the earth with a mission assigned by Him, as stated before. This is man's primary spirit.
　　 After birth, another spirit－which is of animal nature－enters the body. This is called the secondary spirit. Ordinarily, each human being has one secondary spirit, but sometimes (though very rarely) an individual has two or even three secondary spirits.
　　I know that this is hard for the majority of people living today to accept. probably most of them laugh at such an idea as being ridiculous and let it go at that. However, I have come to grasp the immutable truth through the many experiences I have had along this line as well as through the revelations I have received from God, so it is impossible for me to deny the facts.
　　The primary spirit, since it is divine in nature, is the center of spiritual consciousness, while the secondary spirit is the exact opposite; it is evil in nature and is the source of all negative ideas.
　　There is still another spirit besides the primary and the secondary which is in contact with an individual. This is his guardian spirit. In Japan, it is selected from among his ancestors for the purpose of protecting him when he is born on earth.
　　We sometimes hear of people who have been miraculously saved from some danger or who have received a warning of some kind, perhaps through a precognitive dream or a dash of intuition. These have all been due to guardian spirits. Also, artists who are about to create beautiful works and inventors who are developing new ideas often receive a kind of inspiration. These too have come from guardian spirits.
　　There are many people whose rightful wishes have been realized, who have received wonderful blessings through their faith. These are the work of God, Who is acting through the guardian spirits. There is an expression, "Sincerity moves heaven," or "True love and devotion reach God." This means that God sends His blessings to such trusting individuals through their guardian spirits.

033. 　Do God and Other Divine Beings Exist?

My becoming aware of the existence of Spirit and of spiritual beings led to my revelation from God of wonderful Johrei. Through this, I was awakened to the basic truth that once the spiritual body is purified, the physical body becomes balanced.
　　I believe this will offer a great suggestion to the coming new civilization. Indeed, it will cause a tremendous scientific revolution, for when this truth is applied to any area, not just to the healing of physical ailments, incredible progress will be made toward the welfare of humanity. Not only that; when research of this truth is developed further, we can imagine that the real nature of religion itself will eventually be discovered.
　　 The controversy as to whether or not there is a God has been going on for thousands of years without any settlement, and it is therefore both an old question and a new one.
　　Needless to say, it is natural for those who try to consider spirits from a material viewpoint to be unable to understand God, Who is Spirit, invisible and intangible to the physical senses. Through the spiritual science I advocate, however, everyone will be convinced of the existence of God. Everyone will also have the answers to questions concerning many aspects of the unknown, such as life after death, reincarnation, conditions in the spiritual world (which I call the second world), and spiritual phenomena.
　　I think I should explain first how my way of thinking was changed from my past opinions to my present convictions.
　　When I was young I was an extreme materialist. To show how materialistic I was, until I reached the age of about forty I had never worshiped any divine being. My thinking about this was that the objects of worship in shrines were nothing but mirrors or stones or pieces of paper on which some characters were written, and which were placed in box-like containers that had been made by carpenters or cabinetmakers. Men worshiped these in a reverent manner. How could there be any meaning in them? Nothing could be as silly as this, I thought. Also, the objects of worship in Buddhist temples were pictures of Kannon or Amitabha Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha painted by artists on sheets of paper, or figures of these sculptured in wood, stone or metal. Moreover, these buddhas did not actually exist but were only products of man's imagination; therefore they were still more meaningless. All of it was nothing but idol worship. Such was my cherished opinion.
　　 In those days, too, I read the theory of Rudolf C. Eucken (1846-1926), a German philosopher. It went something like this: Man by nature has an instinct which cannot be satisfied unless he worships something. For this reason, man makes some kind of idol with his own hands, sets it up and worships it and enjoys self-satisfaction. As a proof of this, when people make offerings of appreciation on altars, they place them so they are facing themselves instead of making them face toward the objects of worship.
　　I wholeheartedly agreed with this philosopher's opinion. My thinking affected my concept of other countries, also. As I looked at the actual state of the world, I found that countries with many old churches and temples seemed to be declining, while those with few were achieving tremendous growth. So, it seemed to me that shrines, temples and churches were actually obstacles in the development of any country.
　　In those days, however, I did make monthly donations to the Salvation Army. A Christian pastor called on me once in a while and tried to persuade me to become a Christian. He said to me, "Most of the people who make contributions to the Salvation Army are members of the Christian faith. But you are not one and yet you give. What causes you to do this?" My answer was, "The Salvation Army helps released convicts to reform, thus aiding them to become good citizens. If there were no Salvation Army, one of them might enter my home and steal something. Among other things, the Salvation Army is helping to prevent this, so isn't it only right to be grateful for its help and to do something to assist such a project?"
　　I did several other things similar to this. My way of thinking in those days was that I wanted to do good deeds, but still I would not believe in God or in spiritual beings. I think you understand from the above how strong my conviction was that we should not believe in anything invisible.
　　At that time I was quite successful in business and was at the summit of my prosperity. However, a big setback soon hit me, due to a dishonest employee. To make everything worse, my first wife passed away during that period. Also, I experienced bankruptcy, and had my property attached several times. In these miserable circumstances, I felt as if I had been thrown into a bottomless pit. This led me to what many people in similar conditions seek－religion. I could not help looking for salvation in Shintoism and Buddhism, as many of my fellow countrymen did.
　　Thus, even I was finally awakened to spiritual knowledge, to the reality of God and other divine beings, the existence of the spiritual world, and the continuation of life after death. After this happened, in looking back at my past attitude, I could laugh at my own folly.
　　In this manner my outlook on life changed completely. I came to realize that we human beings are constantly under the care and protection of God and of spiritual beings, and that our lives are quite empty until we become aware of their existence.
　　I was awakened to the fact, too, that offering philosophical and moralistic teachings to people is useless without also helping them to realize the existence of spirits and of the spiritual world.
　　In the above sense, I do hope you will read these articles with an open mind and will become further enlightened concerning spiritual matters.

034. 　Do Ghosts Exist?

Throughout the centuries opinions have been divided as to whether or not ghosts exist, and no definite conclusions have been firmly established at the present time.
　　My own conclusion on this subject is that they do exist. I say this because I know they are real; nobody can deny something that has been proven to him. Shakyamuni Buddha spoke about the existence of hell and of paradise; Dante's Divine Comedy tells about heaven, hell and purgatory. I am convinced these are not absurd hypotheses.
　　What, then, is the spiritual world like? In short, it can be said to be a world of consciousness. Since it is free from all the material obstructions of physical bodies, there is far greater mobility. If a spiritual being wishes to do so, he can go anywhere at a speed much faster than that of an airplane. In Shintoism, when spirits are invoked, the expression is used, "Please come flying across the sky and running over the land, for we invite you to enter this shrine in peace."
　　Spiritual beings can cover a distance of thousands of miles in a few minutes or even a few seconds. Their speed depends on their degree of evolvement. The higher their evolvement, the faster they can move, especially those who have attained the status of divine beings.
　　Divine beings of the highest order can reach places of the greatest distance faster than one ten-thousandth of one second, really instantaneously. Conversely, spiritual beings of the lowest grade need up to an hour to cover distances of two to three thousand miles. The greater the accumulation of clouds on their beings, the heavier they are.
　　I wish also to inform you that spiritual beings can expand or contract at will, according to their consciousness. By standing in close rows, many hundreds of spirits can enter a small ancestral shrine or altar only one foot in width. As they gather there, they strictly maintain their own level, order and attire.
　　The spirits of the deceased are very pleased with the services surviving members give from the heart, but they are not very happy with anything given only for the sake of appearance. In Buddhism, posthumous names are given to the deceased and they are written on little tablets, which are placed on family altars. Spiritual beings are believed to come and enter the tablets when services are held. In Shintoism a small wooden cross is used for each family instead of tablets. A tiny piece of paper, on which the names of the deceased are written, is folded and inserted in a crevice behind the cross. As you hold your memorial services, you must do so with total sincerity and as splendidly as possible, according to your circumstances.
　　Since ancient days there have been reports of apparitions being sighted by some individuals. Most of these have not been gone for a long time. Their spiritual cells are still dense, however, and so they have sometimes been visible to human eyes.
　　As years pass by, the spirits of the deceased gradually become more purified and their cells become less dense so they are less visible to the physical eyes.
　　Spiritual beings can easily go through small openings as tiny as the eye of a needle. This is because they can contract, having discarded the physical bodies that previously obstructed such freedom of movement.
　　Thinking of only these points, it may seem to you that the spiritual world is an ideal place for individuals who love to do as they please, but this is not so, for the spiritual world is maintained by absolute laws which govern all actions there.
　　Let me briefly tell you about the appearance of a spiritual being. As seen in pictures or paintings, the features of a ghost are the same as that individual's physical features looked at the moment of death. This is because it is a newly deceased being. As time passes in the spiritual world, however, the features gradually change, reflecting the inner consciousness exactly. For example, a person with a negative attitude, or one who is always sad, or one who tends to be withdrawn at all times, eventually looks emaciated, tragic, forlorn. A person of brutal nature comes to look just like an animal, while one with a diabolical consciousness begins to wear the expression of a demon. One with any ugly consciousness becomes truly ugly in appearance, and one with a beautiful consciousness comes to show the beauty and nobility of its awareness.
　　While in the physical world an individual can hide his thoughts from others by masking his expression, in the spiritual world all thoughts are totally revealed in time. According to my understanding of the laws there, it takes about one year after passing over before the real state of consciousness of the individual is fully revealed on his face.

035. 　The Existence of the Spiritual World

For what purpose are we sent into this world? We must first have the answer to this question if we are to find happiness and a sense of fulfillment in life.
　　The answer is that God created human beings in order that He might establish an ideal world in fulfillment of His Plan for this earth, and He gives each individual a mission to perform and causes him to work according to His Will. It is for this purpose alone that God caused man to advance the world from its primitive stage to the present brilliant state of civilization, and also caused man's intelligence to develop to its present level.
　　Not only man, the highest form of life, but also all other creatures and all things on this earth are composed of two elements, spirit and body－all creatures, all vegetation, all minerals, all material things. When spirit separates itself from matter, matter ceases to manifest in its current form. Here, I am going to limit my explanation to human beings.
　　When the physical body becomes unable to function due to old age, sickness or loss of blood, the spiritual body leaves it, enters the spiritual world, and begins a new life there. This is true for every individual of every race and nationality all over the world.
　　The famous book, The Survival of Man, written by Sir Oliver Lodge soon after World War I, became a best seller at once. This book contained a collection of spiritual communications, many of which were between Sir Oliver and his son, who served in the European War and was killed on the battlefield in Belgium. At that time, people of different countries vied with each other to secure copies and read them. This caused a sudden wave of enthusiasm for spiritual research, and with it many excellent mediums made their appearance.
　　The well-known Belgian writer of The Blue Bird, the late Maurice Maeterlinck, is said to have had his outlook on life completely changed after he was awakened to the existence of Spirit and of spiritual beings, and he went into earnest research as a student of mysticism.
　　I heard that it was soon after this that the book by J. S. M. Ward of England, Gone West, Was Published and that this helped spiritual research work to become still more popular. Ward's study of the spiritual world was very thorough. Once a week he would sit in a chair and go into a trance for about one hour. At that time, his uncle's spirit would take him to various parts of the spiritual world and show him the true conditions there. His book was a collection of accounts of these experiences. At such times, he wrote, some of his deceased friends and acquaintances also acted as guides and helped to enrich his knowledge of the spiritual world.
　　Gone West is still an interesting book, and it offers much information. I recommend it to you, although there is quite a difference between the spiritual world of the West and that of Japan. Later on, I am going to write in detail with actual examples of these differences.

036. 　Description of the Spiritual World*

There are nine major strata in the spiritual world, three in the upper plane, three in the intermediate plane and three in the lower plane. The primary differences between various strata or planes are those of intensity of light and heat. The highest stratum has the brightest light and greatest heat, the lowest level is pitch-dark and has no heat at all, while the intermediate plane is somewhat similar to the physical world.
　　We find both very happy and fulfilled individuals and extremely unfortunate people in our physical world. They are living in circumstances whose vibrations correspond to those of heaven or of hell in the spiritual world.
　　In the highest area, often called the first heaven, light and heat are extremely intense, so those who live there are almost naked; this is why the most divine beings in old paintings and sculptures are usually unclothed. If a spirit in hell were able to visit this heaven, the moment it arrived it would be dazzled by the strong light, would be unable to bear the heat, and would hurriedly return to its regular place in hell. You can easily understand this situation if you will imagine a person born to a low position suddenly being promoted to a high rank or office; such an abrupt change would make him feel uncomfortable and uneasy, thus causing him suffering instead of pleasure. The light and heat decrease in intensity in the second heaven and still more in the third.
　　In heaven, the highest and the holiest of all is the Supreme God, of course. Then there is a divine being who is in charge of each religious group, besides its founder.
　　Immediately after entering the spiritual world, the spirits of those who have belonged to religions while on earth join those same groups. They are far more fortunate than those who have never been members of any particular religion. Such non-believers have no groups to join and therefore they go around feeling lost, just like aimless wanderers in the physical world.** Since olden days there has been an expression, "to wander without knowing where to go in the intermediate region," which refers to spiritual beings who move about aimlessly in the middle plane. When those who know nothing about the spiritual world and do not believe in life after death pass on, they become like earth's demented cases and remain in that state for some time, for they have no spiritual place in which to settle down.
　　As an example of this, let me tell you a true story. Several years ago, some individuals who were doing spiritual research work were engaged in an experiment with mediums, when the spirit of a writer who was well-known in Japan possessed one of the mediums and began to talk through her. The writer's wife was immediately contacted and asked to come to hear her husband. She did, and confirmed at once that the possessing spirit was indeed her late husband. A number of questions were then put to the entity. The answers, to the listeners' surprise, were vague, almost imbecilic. I believe this was because the writer had passed on with no understanding of spiritual truths.
　　When we think of the fact that someone as distinguished as this famous writer had become the way he was in the spiritual world, we cannot but realize how important it is to have an understanding about spiritual truths and to begin to prepare for life after death while still in the physical world.
　　What kind of place is heaven? Does such a world really exist? Many people think that all descriptions of this are illusionary ideas, born in the brains of people who are in a primitive stage. However, I am firmly convinced that the Christian heaven, and the Buddhist Land of Bliss or Pure Land, are real.
　　Let me tell you an episode I heard about which concerns this subject. A high priest and a man of learning once had an argument about whether or not heaven and hell exist. The high priest said they do and the learned man said they do not. Finally, the priest said, "There is no way to prove the truth but for us to die and find out. Let us solve this problem by death." So, the learned man gave way.
　　This is no laughing matter; what the priest said made sense. But if you can find out what the spiritual world is like while you are still on earth, don't you think it is a most wonderful opportunity?
　　Now, I would like to share various examples of the knowledge I gained through my own experiences.
　　Years ago, I was invited to visit a thirty-year-old woman, the wife of a high executive of a large company, who was seriously ill. Her doctor had pronounced her case hopeless, so her family and relatives begged me to help her. Her home was about twenty-five miles from where I lived and it would have been hard for me to treat her there many times, so I went by car to get her and bring her to my home. Taking into consideration the possibility she might die on the way, I asked her husband to ride with us. As we traveled, I kept an arm around her to brace her and gave Johrei with my free hand. We all arrived at my home safely.
　　Before dawn the next morning I was awakened by the lady's attendant. I immediately got up and went to the room where she lay. As soon as I stood beside her, she seized one of my hands in hers and would not let it go. She said, "I am filled with fear, for I feel that something is going out of my body. Please let me hold on to your hand. I feel very strongly that I am dying. Please call my family together as soon as possible." I telephoned her husband and other relatives at once.
　　In a little over an hour, her immediate family, several of her other relatives and the doctor arrived. By then the sick woman was in a coma and her pulse was very weak. The doctor's diagnosis was that it was only a question of time.
　　The woman, surrounded by her relatives, continued to lie in a coma, but at least she was still breathing. Evening came, and she remained in the same state. Around eight o'clock, however, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked about as if wondering what had happened to her. Then she said, "I have just been to a most beautiful place. It was a garden, with hundreds of varieties of gorgeous flowers in full bloom. There were many beautiful angelic beings, too. Far away, in a distant part of the garden, I saw a noble individual who looked like Kannon, whom I have seen in pictures. He turned toward me and smiled. I was so happy and grateful and struck with awe that I fell on my knees. At this point, I woke up. I feel very refreshed now. I haven't felt so good since before I first became ill."
　　From the next day on she was completely relieved of any pain and she seemed almost healed, with only some weakness still remaining. In about a month's time she recuperated from this weakness also and totally regained her health. After this, she had no more illness. This was the experience of an individual whose spiritual being temporarily left her body, went to heaven, and had her spiritual clouds dispersed by Kannon himself.　　Next, I will tell you about a young woman, around twenty years of age, who had a serious case of tuberculosis. She was healed of this disease once but had a recurrence in about a year's time and finally died. I had her spirit enshrined.
　　This girl had an elder brother who was a drunkard, a lazy man, and indeed the black sheep of the family. One day, a few months after the girl had passed away, while the brother was seated in his room, he saw something like purplish smoke beginning to form in front of and a few feet above his eyes. The "smoke," which proved to be purple clouds, began to descend slowly' and on the clouds he could see his sister standing. When he could perceive her clearly, he realized she was wearing lovely clothing that looked like the ceremonial dress of a court lady. She had a dignified look about her which commanded his respect. Then she spoke, "I have come to advise you to stop drinking. Please abstain for the sake of our family, as well as for your own." After saying this earnestly, she returned to the purple clouds and on them disappeared in the direction of heaven.
　　A few days later, the same thing happened. Then, in a few more days, the girl came to visit her brother for the third time. On this occasion he saw a beautiful bridge that was lacquered with vermilion and had a curbing on it. His sister came down from the purple clouds, crossed the bridge, and said, "This is the third and last time I can secure permission to visit you. So, I will not be seeing you again." Then she once more advised her brother to stop drinking. After that, there were no more visitations. This indicated that the man had only temporarily been made clairvoyant.
　　The above is good example of how a spiritual being who has been raised to heaven comes down to earth to visit a member of the family. An interesting part of the story is that this man had totally disbelieved in spiritual matters and had had no interest in Spirit or in spiritual beings, so he could not have had any subconscious ideas. Thus, we can say that these experiences were not the workings of his imagination. Incidentally, I heard this story from the girl's mother.
　　Next, I will tell you about a case which did not involve a physical illness, but a mental one－or a spiritual condition, as we might term it.
　　A young man a little over twenty years of age was infatuated with a woman who was working in a red-light district. He was so captivated that he was making plans with her to commit double suicide. Miraculously, I was able to save both of them, just on the brink of their putting their plan into action.
　　I could tell what a dangerous condition the young man was in, for I found him carrying in his pocket enough poison for two people. I brought him to my home and immediately examined him by extrasensory means. From this it became clear to me that a low, animalistic spirit had possessed him and was making him act in that way. The session took about twenty minutes, during which time I gave the spirit a strict warning, telling it how wrong it was to do such a thing.
　　Even after the session was over, the young man still sat with his hands together and his eyes closed (the usual position for this type of examination), and he had his head tilted to the left side. It was three or four minutes before he finally opened his eyes, his head still tilted as if mystified. Then he said, "I saw something very strange. There was someone beside me, playing an instrument that looked like a Japanese harp. The sound of the music was so indescribably rich I was enraptured by it. As I looked around, I found I was inside a spacious place that looked like a shrine. At the farthest end there was a night of stairs, at the top of which was a hanging reed screen. Then you appeared in a full court dress of traditional fashion, walked slowly up the steps, and went behind the screen."
　　I said, "How could you know who it was when the figure walked with his back toward you?" To this he answered, "I knew, I am sure it was you." According to his description, I was wearing a crown with a ceremonial-style pendant on it, a blue coat, and scarlet-colored skirt.***
　　This entire experience meant that the young man's spiritual vision had been expanded temporarily and he was shown a part of the spiritual world. He was an employee in a store, did not belong to any church and had no spiritual knowledge of any kind. I think we can therefore trust his words all the more. Incidentally, in the room in which all this happened, on the left side of the place where he was seated there was an altar where a Divine Scroll had been dedicated.
　　I believe the three examples given above help to picture pretty well the interiors of the buildings and the outdoor parts of the higher spiritual realm, and to realize how the spiritual beings who reside there sometimes contact people on earth.
　　Next, I will write about the state of the Buddhist Land of Bliss.
　　The medium with whom I worked at the time was an innocent, unmarried girl eighteen years of age. The spiritual being who came to her was one of her ancestors who had been a warrior killed on a battlefield over two hundred years before. While on earth he had been an ardent member of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, so soon after he had passed over to the spiritual world he had joined the group led by Priest Kobo.****
　　In answer to my inquiry' he said, "When I first arrived, there were several hundred members. But since every year there are more spirits who reincarnate than there are those who come here, the number has decreased to about one hundred. We now live in a spacious temple. We do not have special work to do, so we spend our time with such pastimes as playing the koto (Japanese harp), samisen (Japanese three-stringed instrument), flute and drum, or with such entertainment as the kinds of pleasures we enjoyed while in the physical world－drawing and painting, sculpturing, reading, making calligraphies, playing go (national board game of Japan) and shogi (Japanese chess). Also, once in a while, Priest Kobo himself, or perhaps one of his disciples, gives a sermon, and we look forward more than anything else to listening to either. (I have heard that once in a while priest Kobo visits Shakyamuni Buddha, who resides in the realm higher than this Land of Bliss, the realm which is full of light that is so brilliant it is almost blinding.)
　　"There is a big lake outside the temple. On the lake are floating innumerable lotus leaves, so big that two people can ride on each one. Generally, husbands and wives are seen on them, and they can go anywhere they wish without rowing.
　　"It is always day here; there is no night. The degree of brightness is a little less intense than the bright light of a fine day in the physical world. The rays are of a soft golden hue, and give a very pleasant feeling."
　　I have heard from many spirits who live in the Buddhist Land of Bliss that when they have been there for a long period, they have become tired of it. Since all of their time is devoted entirely to pleasure, they have become bored. Some of them have asked me to help them move to other areas of the higher realms. I have accepted their requests and have assisted quite a number so their spiritual beings have been elevated. The reason for their desire has been that the higher realms of the gods are in a state of greater activity than ever before and the divine beings and other spiritual beings there are busily engaged in doing worthwhile work. Needless to say, this is because the Daylight Age is very close at hand.
　　Now, let me tell you about the lowest division, hell. Of the three subdivisions there, the lowest plane is what is referred to in Shintoism as "the land at the very bottom," in Buddhism as "hell of extreme coldness," and in the West simply as "hell." It is a realm of no light, of total darkness, and a place that is in a completely frozen state. The spirits who have been sent there cannot see a thing for many hundreds of years. They are in a frozen condition, are unable to move at all, in a misery so great it cannot be expressed in words. When I heard of the suffering in this part of hell from a spirit who was finally raised from there, I was struck with dread and compassion. What was written by Dante in his Divine Comedy concerning the Frozen Hell is true.
　　The middle part of hell is divided into various realms of suffering, such as the realm of violence, the realm of beasts, the realm of lust, and the realm of starvation.
　　There are red devils and blue devils who supervise the spirits in this part, just as can be seen in pictures depicting hell. The punishments inflicted by these devils are beatings with iron bars edged with many spikes, and the pain of the beatings is far worse for those being punished than any sufferings they experienced while in their physical bodies. This is because the nerves of the spiritual body have no protection; they are completely exposed.
　　The Burning Hell is a place where the spirits of individuals such as those who died in fires or who committed suicide by throwing themselves into craters of active volcanos must go. I once met a middle-aged man who was afflicted with a kind of fire epilepsy. This is what he told me: He would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night. As he opened his eyes and looked around he would see a fire blazing about thirty or forty feet away. It would move toward him, closer and closer, until he would suddenly be gripped by a seizure. At that moment his whole body would become as hot as fire, then he would lose consciousness. He told me that he was first attacked by this disease the year after the Great Kanto Earthquake, which hit Tokyo and its vicinity in 1923. I am sure that this man's condition was caused by the spirit of one of those individuals who were burned to death in the fire which followed the earthquake.
　　The Realm of Lust is the part of hell where people who had immoral sexual relationships on earth are sent. There is a difference in the degree of suffering according to the degree of immorality.
　　For instance, those who committed double suicide in love affairs, killing themselves in an embracing position, are fastened together so tightly they cannot be separated. The inconvenience and shame they experience make them regret a great deal. Lovers sometimes commit double suicide with the idea that by doing so they can go to heaven and live together in peace and joy, but you can see how far away from the truth their expectations are. We occasionally read in the newspapers reports about twins having been born with some parts of their bodies grown together. A case in point: before being purified enough, a man and woman who had committed double suicide reincarnated as Siamese twins.
　　A perverted affair such as a relationship between a parent and a child or an illicit one between a teacher and a student causes the spirits of those involved to be fastened together in a topsy-turvy manner; that is, when one is standing up, the other is on its head. They experience such tremendous discomfort, pain and shame, they suffer great remorse. In the spiritual world, everything is fair and impartial. From this, you can realize what a big mistake it is for lovers to commit double suicide.
　　Here is another thing you must know. There are some individuals who are wealthy but quite stingy with their money. These people are materially rich but spiritually very poor. When they pass over to the spiritual world they become poverty-stricken and find themselves reduced to dire circumstances, so they greatly repent their past way of living. Conversely, those who may now live at a standard below the middle class but are satisfied with whatever they have, who live with hearts full of gratitude and do good deeds for others, contributing whatever they can for the good of other individuals and of society in general, become wealthy after they pass over to the spiritual world and enjoy total happiness and good fortune there.
　　Let me tell you a few of the reasons wealthy families are sometimes ruined. There are some individuals who are so penurious in monetary matters that they do not give when they should, or do not meet their obligations when they are due. The money they hoard is the same as stolen money, spiritually speaking, so it accumulates reverse interest. Thus, the spiritual amounts of their fortunes become smaller all the time, and, according to the law of the spiritual preceding the physical, they are eventually ruined. Sometimes a family's second generation after its wealthy founder contains either a delinquent or a mentally deficient individual who squanders all the fortune. You can easily see why this happens when you think about the above explanation.
　　As a result of Japan's defeat in World War II, its financial combines were all dissolved. The spiritual cause of this was the same as the above. That is, some of the money they had accumulated should have been distributed among employees and other laborers.
　　Let me give you an idea as to what the proper percentage of profit margin to capital should be. For example, postal savings and bank savings in Japan are usually the safest, so about a 3 percent interest rate at this point is proper; government bonds, which are a little less safe, should offer an interest rate of about 3.5 percent; trust deposits should pay about 3.8 percent; share certificates, which involve some risk, should properly pay a greater interest rate, maybe 4 or 5 percent. When we figure from the above examples, the most logical rate of profit margin for a capitalist would perhaps be from 7 to 8 to lO percent at most.*5 If there is more profit margin than that, the surplus should be distributed among the workers. However, generally speaking, many capitalists think only of satisfying their own avarice, and do their best to gain as much profit as possible. This is why they must often be frightened by labor movements or have bitter experiences with strikes. For capitalists to take more profit than is reasonable means that they are taking the percentage of profit which should rightfully be distributed among employees and that is the same as stealing money that belongs to them.
　　Before the war, many individuals in Japan accumulated this kind of money, formed giant family combines and lived in luxury. Things could not go on in such a way. The money created negative interest, which increased steadily. The time came for that money, plus the negative interest, to be taken away from those individuals. Indeed, they had no one to blame but themselves. If they had come to recognize the spiritual laws in financial matters, they would have started doing exactly the opposite to that which they had been doing. That is, they would have begun distributing the appropriate percentages of profit among their employees and done good deeds by contributing some of their own profits for the welfare of society, and for the good of other individuals. In this way, they could have truly won the respect of the world and then be blessed with lifelong prosperity.
　　Once the spirits have completed the ordeal of the middle level of hell they are raised to its highest level, and they stay there until they are ready to enter the intermediate division of the spiritual world. The assignments they receive in the highest level of hell are something like light labor, accompanied by just a little suffering. Some of the tasks they are given are the carrying of food offerings from the ancestral shrines of families, transmitting of messages and taking care of newly arrived spirits.
　　I would like you to know the facts about food offerings. Spiritual beings need nourishment; without it, they become hungry. In the Orient, their sustenance is provided by the spiritual vibrations of material food.*6 What is different from the physical world is that spiritual beings need very little nourishment, for they are satisfied with a small daily amount. Accordingly, the spiritual vibrations of the food which is ordinarily offered at an average home can feed quite a number of relatives and other loved ones. There is often some left over, so this surplus is given in charity to the spirits in the realm of starvation. When this is done, the elevation of the spirits of the family is expedited.
　　I would like here to explain a little about ancestral altars.
　　The interiors of ancestral altars are constructed to be small replicas of the Buddhist Pure Land of Bliss in the spiritual world so people can invite their ancestors and loved ones to them.*7 In the Land of Bliss there is always plenty of food, and there are all kinds of flowers in full bloom so the air is permeated with their good scent; also beautiful music is constantly played. So, even though an ancestral altar is small, food, Bowers and burning incense are offered as prototypes of paradise.
　　In Buddhist temples, a wooden drum is beaten, cymbals are sounded, and pan pipes (reed instruments) and flageolets (pipes) are played, in order to make music like that heard in the Land of Bliss.
　　Also, Buddhists ring bells when they are offering food to the ancestors, which are signals to them that their sustenance is ready.

*1 Before his revelation, Meishu-sama had thoroughly researched the religious and extrasensory fields in Japan, including clairvoyance, telepathy and various spiritual phenomena.
*2 There are a large number of people today who have quite a lot of spiritual awareness and trust in God but do not belong to any religious organizations. After they pass over to the spiritual world, they join others who have had comparable understanding and faith, according to the law of "like attracts like." So, they are different from those who in the material world have had no faith; they do not feel lost.
*3 In olden days in Japan, part of a man's formal wear in court was a full-length, divided skirt that was scarlet in color.
*4 Priest Kobo (774-835): A Buddhist priest who founded the Shingon sect.
*5 All of these figures were the proper percentages of profit margin at the time Meishu-sama wrote this article.
*6 In the West, it is said that spiritual beings get their sustenance from the ether.
*7 At the time Meishu-sama wrote this, Buddhist ancestral altars were used as models. Since then, however, World Messianity members have their ancestors' shrines built according to a pun developed by the church.

037. 　The Strata in the Spiritual Realm

I have already mentioned that there are three major strata in the spiritual realm, and that each of these is divided into sixty levels, altogether making a total of one hundred and eighty levels. In this chapter, I am going to explain what a close relationship this fact has with the life of a human being.
　　In order for man to experience complete happiness he must, among other things, find the answer to the age-old question of why he came into this world. Unless this question is clearly answered, man cannot live virtuously or enjoy peace of mind to the fullest. Instead, he will waste his precious life like the lotus eaters, without having any significant purpose, without making any changes for the better.
　　Man is born on the physical plane because God has assigned him a definite, individual mission to perform for the fulfillment of His Plan.
　　What is God's Plan? From the very beginning of Creation, He has intended to establish an ideal world－a paradise on earth. Since this will be the fulfillment of His Plan, when we think of the progress of civilization, which seems to have no limit, we can imagine how great the grandeur and beauty of the completed paradise will be. It will probably be beyond human concept.
　　In this sense, the history of the world up to our time has been nothing more than the laying of the foundation, the setting of the stage for the coming New Age.
　　God has endowed each human being with special talents and capabilities so his individual mission can be performed successfully. He has caused each one to be born and reborn countless times, to live again and again in the physical world so he may move forward toward the ultimate goal of perfection. All things and all events－good and evil, peace and war, creation and destruction－are part of the movement toward this goal, a necessary part of evolution.
　　 What kind of time do we live in now? As I explained before, this is what I call the turning point from the Age of Darkness to the Daylight Age, the Age of Enlightenment. The entire world is on the verge of taking decisive steps into the new era. Humanity is now ready to throw off the cloak of barbarism so it may reach the heights of a truly enlightened civilization. When this has been achieved, for the first time on earth chaos, conflict, disease and poverty will be completely eliminated. Needless to say, God has sent us the blessing of Johrei for the purpose of furthering His great Program, and Johrei is of the utmost importance in achieving this part of His Plan. Thus, God's Will is being transmitted to man at all times. Let me explain how this is done.

　　In the spiritual world, there is a counterpart for each individual soul. I refer to this counterpart as yukon. When God wishes to give His orders to a certain individual, He imparts them to the yukon, which in turn transmits them to the primary spirit through the spiritual cord that connects them. It is almost impossible for the average person to make intuitive contact with the yukon, and thereby become aware of God's Will. Only a few individuals whose spiritual bodies have been purified enough to have attained specific degrees of awareness can do so. The majority have too many clouds on their spiritual bodies, obstructing the contact. Moreover, some dark forces often utilize such situations to interrupt the flow. I am sure most of you can recall experiences in which your well thought out plans have gone completely awry, or in which your fortunes have taken unexpected turns for the worse. Haven't many of you felt that events were being directed somehow by invisible hands? Haven't some of you undergone experiences which have changed the entire course of your life?
　　It is the status or position of the yukon in the spiritual realm that determines the mission and the fortune of each individual. The higher the plane on which the yukon dwells, the greater is the mission assigned by God and the more fortunate is that individual. The lower the plane on which the yukon dwells, the more difficult is the person's earthly existence; in the lowest plane, his experience is the worst. The reason is that the higher strata of the spiritual world are part of the heavenly state, which is filled with health, peace, joy and abundance, whereas the lower planes are realms of agony, full of the sufferings of sickness, conflict and poverty.
　　For the above mentioned reason, in order for a human being to achieve true happiness he must first raise his yukon to higher planes. This is made possible through purifying the spiritual body and raising its vibration, for the state of the spiritual body reflects on the yukon, making it either rise or descend according to the amount of clouds. In other words, a spiritual body with a higher vibration has less weight and so it ascends easily, while added clouds make a spiritual body heavier and cause it to sink to lower planes. Therefore, in order for anyone to be purified and have his spiritual vibrations raised, he must live virtuously, constructively, and in service to his fellow man.

038. 　The Current Situation of the World and the Spiritual Realm

The world situation today presents a critical condition on such a large scale that we have never seen its like before in our history. Fear of the outbreak of a third world war must be something that occupies the mind of almost everyone on earth. Since it is a matter which is keenly felt, involving many nations of the world, its influence would also be unprecedentedly great.
　　However, this is only the state of the material world as it is seen by the physical eyes of most people. Since the true cause of all things in the physical world lies in the spiritual realm, unless you become aware of the real state there you can never grasp the true root of any problem here. only when you come to realize this can you have a foretaste of the future and so attain true peace of mind. I am going to write about this.
　　God has always had His Plan to establish a paradise on earth, but in order to achieve this goal He first developed material civilization to a certain degree. For this reason, He made good and evil. It is because of the friction between good and evil that the brilliant material civilization we see today has been accomplished. The world is now on the eve of the birth of an ideal condition－paradise on earth. I have said this many times before, but I must mention it again before I go into the main subject so it will be easily understood by anyone who is reading about it for the first time.
　　Conflict among human beings started in the spiritual realm at the very beginning of their creation. The stronger began to desire sole possession of all the land and of everything on it, and to dominate over all as they wished. In order that they might realize their dreams, they resorted to violence, without distinction between good and evil. This is the same picture we see now.
　　Thus, there has always been unceasing conflict between the strong and the weak; this struggle has helped to advance human knowledge. As population has increased, the scale of conflict has expanded accordingly, until now it has become the size we see today.
　　In the spiritual realm, it was more than two thousand years ago that the plan to gain complete dominance over the world was made. The leader in this plan was one of the most powerful evil beings in the spiritual world. This spirit entered and took possession of a divine being who was in physical incarnation and through it began to try to dominate the world, using all kinds of outrageous means, stopping at nothing to gain its goal, and it seemed to have succeeded for a time. However, it failed at the last moment, just before it had achieved its end. The possessed divine being, having experienced a most severe purification according to the law of cause and effect, repented and returned to normal and became a good divine spirit again.
　　After this, however, the evil spirit could not forsake its ambition and began to possess men of ability in one period after another, and thus tried to realize its ambition of gaining supremacy over the world, but it failed each time. Yet, its bitter experiences have never made it give up its ambition, for even today that evil spirit and others who are its subordinates are still tenaciously making strenuous efforts to achieve their goal.
　　 The majority of those individuals who have been considered heroes and great men of power throughout history have been victims of, and possessed by, such negative spirits. They have been outstanding men in their times, with nothing seeming to be impossible for them, but so many of them have failed ultimately and have been ruined, experiencing sad and miserable endings. Caesar, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler, are good examples of the above. From what I have explained, I think you can imagine the spiritual meaning of the world's situation today.
　　I have always referred to such heroes of the past as leaders of the destroyers of the world. Up to the present time, our world was not a truly civilized one, for man still retained half of his barbaric nature and, spiritually speaking, he committed many sins and accumulated lots of spiritual clouds. Because of this, every once in a while widespread purification has been necessary, and in order to achieve this, people who have done destructive work and caused cleansing actions have been required.
　　By thinking in this vein you will understand that everything happens for a reason, so the appearances of individuals who do the cleaning-up (those usually called heroes by others) have actually been part of God's great Plan. Thus, you will come to know that there is little sense in being indignant at or desperate about the negative situations in the world.

039. 　Judgment in the Spiritual World

A human being is supposed to do his best for the benefit of human society while he is in this world by fulfilling the mission given to him by God. However, most people perceive only the outward appearance of things and therefore repeatedly commit negative acts without realizing they are doing so. For this reason, they form clouds which accumulate on their spiritual bodies. When they pass over and begin their lives in the spiritual realm, the purification of their clouds takes place, in an exact manner.
　　Here I would like to call your attention to the fact that the spiritual worlds of Japan and of the West are different, the characteristics of the one being more vertical in nature and the other being more horizontal in nature. However, both are governed by the same eternal laws. It is for this reason that in Japan especially there are many, many divisions of classes in society, while in the West there are fewer class distinctions and more of a sense of equality. Please keep in mind as you read the rest of the book that my research was on the spiritual world of Japan.
　　As I have frequently mentioned before, there are three subdivisions in the highest division, three in the intermediate, and three in the lowest, which makes a total of nine divisions or planes in the spiritual world. The average person goes to the intermediate plane, but the most virtuous go straight to heaven and the most wicked go straight to hell.
　　As we watch the state of a dying person, we can roughly form an idea as to which level that person is entering. One who is going to heaven, or the Land of Bliss, knows the approximate time of his death and shows no pain or agony at the last moment. He invites his relatives to his side and gives each of them his last words. Then he passes away as if going to sleep, as peacefully as on ordinary occasions. Conversely, a person who is doomed to go to hell experiences great agony at the last moment. One who is going to the intermediate section suffers an ordinary degree of pain at death.
　　We can also tell from the features of a person who has just breathed his last approximately where he is going. One whose spirit is going to heaven has a rosy color, and looks as if he is still alive. One whose spirit is going to hell has a dark, blackish or dark-bluish color, and wears an expression of great agony. A person whose spirit is going to the intermediate realm has an ordinary expression, and his face generally has a yellowish color.
　　When a spirit who is going to the intermediate plane reaches the bank of the River of Life, its attire is examined by a woman in charge. If this is white, the spirit moves on. If the attire has some color, the woman has the spirit change to white garments.
　　As soon as a spirit has crossed the River of Life, the color of its attire is changed. The garments of a spirit who has few clouds remain white, the next fewest become a pale shade of some color. In descending order, these are yellow, red, blue and black, the shade depending on the amount of spiritual clouds. The only exception to these color levels is a spirit whose attire is purple, for that is the color worn by divine beings.
　　Next, the spirit goes to the Judgment Hall, the Court of Justice. Different from a court in the physical world, this one is exact and strictly fair, without any favoritism or miscarriage of justice. At this time, the face of the Chief of Judgment looks different to each individual being, according to its spiritual level. To an evil one, his eyes are fiery, his mouth is open to the ears, names are shooting forth from the tip of his tongue, and he is so fierce-looking the spirit shudders with terror. But to a good individual the Judge's face looks sweet, gentle and dignified, so there is a sense of friendliness emanating from him and a feeling of reverence comes welling up from within the spiritual being.
　　Each spirit is made to stand in front of the great crystalline mirror in which all the actions of the most recent life are reflected, and by which judgment of the weight of wrong deeds is made. Also, a preliminary examination is made according to the records kept in the Hall of Judgment. There are spiritual beings who work as judges in the spiritual world, just as we have judges here on earth, with divine beings of purification supervising all. A sentence is given to each spirit according to the judgment made, sending each either to one of the higher realms or to one of the lower realms. However, even one who has been sentenced to the lowest region is allowed first to enter the intermediate plane, to stay there temporarily so it can receive training, so it may have an opportunity for spiritual growth. If it repents and improves, it is transferred to a higher level than the one to which it was originally sentenced.
　　 Spiritual guidance at this time is given by individuals who were priests or ministers of various religions while on earth and who are appointed to work as guides in the spiritual realm. The period of training on the intermediate plane is from only a few days to as much as thirty years. Those who have not reformed themselves by the end of thirty years must go to one of the lowest regions.
　　When the surviving members of a family give memorial services for a deceased individual with total sincerity, or when they do charitable acts and other good deeds repeatedly, the purification of the deceased is accelerated.
　　In this sense, while it is of course good to be dutiful to one's parents, faithful to one's mate, and kind and loving to other family members while they are in this world, there is a great significance in continuing to be so after they have passed away. Departed spiritual beings are very happy when memorial services are given for them.

040. 　The Spiritual World and the Physical Plane

The object of worship in any religion is God Himself, or Buddha, or some other divine being. Anyone who is interested in religion has to know the relationship of the physical plane with the spiritual world if he wishes to have a full understanding, because God and all other spiritual beings are invisible to physical eyes.
　　To try to grasp the true nature of God or of any divine being through logic or theory alone is like trying to catch a fish in the air. God and all spiritual beings exist; it is impossible to erase their reality by denying it. However, just as it is hard to make a primitive man understand the existence of atmosphere, so is it difficult to convince many people today that there is God, Spirit, and that there are spiritual beings. So, I will write about the construction of the spiritual world and the lives of spiritual beings in as much detail as possible.
　　As I have said before, man is composed of two bodies, the physical and the spiritual. When he dies, his spiritual being immediately leaves the physical body and enters the spiritual world to start a new life. An exceptionally good spirit leaves the body from the forehead and an exceptionally bad spirit leaves from the toes; an average spirit leaves from the navel. In Buddhism, the expression used for dying is "going to be born." From the viewpoint of the spiritual, this experience is a new birth.
　　In entering the spiritual world, a person crosses the River of Life and goes to the Court of Judgment, which is something like the law courts of the physical world.
　　As soon as a spirit crosses the river, the color of its attire changes. The garment of a spirit who has few clouds turns white, the next fewest a very pale shade of some color. In descending order the colors are: yellow, red, blue and black, the shade depending on the amount of spiritual clouds. The only exception is purple, which is the color of the attire of divine beings.
　　At the Judgment Hall, the divine being in charge of purification works as the Chief of Judgment. There are officers under him who examine the newly deceased spirits and decide the reward or punishment according to each one's just deserts. At this point, the most virtuous are sent to heaven, the most wicked are assigned to hell, and the average person is sent to intermediate planes.
　　Most people are sent to the middle levels and there they receive training. The first part of this training is to listen to lectures given by teachers. Those who change for the better are then elevated to higher levels; those who do not change are sent to lower levels. This whole process can take as much as thirty years. The spirits of ministers of various earth-religions are appointed to be teachers.
　　As I have stated before, the spiritual world is composed of three major divisions: the upper, the intermediate and the lower. Each of these is subdivided into three, which makes a total of nine levels or strata.
　　The upper, major division is heaven, the intermediate division is the middle area, and the lower division is hell. The intermediate division is somewhat similar to the physical world.
　　Let me explain plainly the difference between heaven and hell. The higher individuals rise, the more intense they find the light and heat to be, so those who live there are almost naked; this is why the most divine beings in old paintings and sculptures are usually shown unclothed. Conversely, the lower individuals go, the less light and heat they find, so by the time the lowest stratum is reached it is pitch dark, with no light and no heat, in a completely frozen condition. The spirits who experience sufferings there cannot help being repentant, however wicked and atrocious their actions may have been in the past.
　　The above is a brief description of the spiritual world. Many people today may feel in reading this that such an account is sheer nonsense. But I write this on the basis of my spiritual research of over twenty years, on the reports acquired from many spiritual beings who spoke through mediums, and from other sources. I give the explanations which are the pith of what I learned－those facts which were consistently the same, transmitted to me by many spirits. I hope you will read with an open mind. I firmly believe that both the Buddha's teachings of hell and of paradise and Dante's Divine Comedy were not fabricated but are true.
　　We can tell by the expression on the face of an individual who has just passed on approximately where the spirit is going－whether to the upper, the intermediate, or the lower division. If there is no expression of suffering, if the color is fresh and rosy, if he looks like a living person, his spiritual being certainly is entering heaven. If the expression is gloomy or sad, if the color is the usual pale white of a dead person, the spirit is entering the intermediate level. If the expression is one of great agony, if the color is darkish in tone or a bluish black, the spiritual being is sure to be going to the lowest level.
　　The above offers you only basic information on the spiritual world. More of the knowledge of the different aspects I have learned will follow.

041. 　The Fall of Evil Spirits

Almost everyone has heard of Satan, who harassed Jesus, and of Devadatta, who harassed Shakyamuni Buddha.
　　I would like you to know that even today we too are being watched patiently, by devils and evil spirits, for the moments when we are off guard. The interesting part of this is that as the time for the great changeover is becoming more pressing, the evil spirits are growing more desperate. They are now rousing themselves into activity with the fury of lions on the attack.
　　I think you can realize this as you read the accounts in our papers of all the things that are happening, things that obviously show the activities of these evil beings. We can guess that the time of their ruin is near at hand. In other words, this is the time that can be called the eve of the end of the world as we have known it.
　　We speak of evil spirits collectively, but there are many kinds－very powerful ones, intermediate ones, and unimportant ones－of varying power. The more clouded human beings are, the more easily they are contacted by evil spirits, who come through negative spiritual cords and manipulate the human beings as they wish. Thus, the humans begin to do things which impede God's Work, without being aware of what they do.
　　For thousands of years, the dark forces have been acting as they wished, and they are still committing evil deeds, thinking they can continue to do so as in the past because they do not know that the great turning point is coming in the spiritual world. However, now that the changeover is close at hand, even though they are unaware of it, they must be sensing something, for they are full of consternation, which is quite understandable. What dark forces fear most is Light, and as the spiritual day advances, the Light becomes more intense; that is, the age of terror for them is coming. That is because they dwindle as soon as they are exposed to Light, and their power for action is weakened.
　　I may mention in connection with this the fact that in most seances the lights are put out and the room is made quite dark. This is done because it is easier for the spiritual beings who are drawn there to work in the dark. Ordinarily, unless they are quite advanced, spiritual beings cannot work well in bright light.
　　For the above mentioned reason, those who try to disturb or impede the work of our church do so because they are afraid of the Divine Light of the Supreme God. In the spiritual realm of evil, spirits do everything they can to intervene so the Light may be blocked off.

042. 　The Activities of Evil Spirits

It is nothing new to say that all things in the universe are moving and evolving according to the law of the spiritual preceding the physical. Everything originates in the spiritual realm and is reflected on the physical plane. Of course, it takes some time for anything to be manifested on earth, the moment of its appearance depending on its magnitude. Sometimes only a few days, sometimes several years are required to transmit the reflection from the spiritual to the physical.
　　As the New Age advances and the Light increases, the time required for manifestation will become shorter and shorter, and it seems that it has already lessened considerably. Far more than this, it has been revealed to me that the spiritual realm has recently been in a most chaotic state, and the rapidity of its changes has been greater than ever before. All these are definitely signs of the final state of the Age of Darkness.
　　What is most prominent now is the desperate action of evil spirits. The great change in the spiritual realm is a major threat to these spirits, who have been dominating the world for thousands of years of darkness, for they sense this increase of Light and the imminence of their ruin. They are fighting the Light for survival with all the strength and violence at their command.
　　There is one powerful ruler who governs the entire realm of evil. This realm is divided into groups, each with a leader at its head, each with a different role to play. All of these leaders are working most actively with their billions of subordinate evil spirits, so they are unbelievably strong.
　　There is a class system in each group which divides the spirits into higher, intermediate, and lower grades. Each one has its own mission to perform according to grade, and each is working hard so it may accomplish its assignment in as accurate a manner as possible, for all are encouraged by the fact that everyone is raised in rank and awarded according to achievements.
　　The orders come from the leaders and are conveyed by individual evil spirits through the spiritual cords to the secondary spirits in human beings. Each evil spirit that works in this way has been selected to take charge of one specific human being according to his position and power in the physical world. The primary mission of each subordinate evil spirit is to use all means possible to tempt and lead the human being in its charge into committing wrong deeds and then more wrong deeds. We can see this reflected in every way in today's social conditions. That is why the world is truly in a difficult situation.
　　The means used by evil spirits are very clever and often exceedingly brutal. They choose atrocious, violent crimes such as murder, rape, abduction and robbery for lower types of people to commit. For others, they pick crimes like forgery and counterfeiting. Evil spirits are also interested in tempting people to commit moral crimes such as adultery or seduction.
　　Those evil spirits of higher grade approach individuals with sharp minds and tempt them into committing so-called white-collar crimes which require much mental activity, such as fraud, bribery, corruption in official positions, tax evasion, handling of stolen goods, extortion, and illegal business practices. Evil spirits also tempt individuals to engage in immoral sexual activities. Most of these actions are against the law. When such deeds are exposed, their perpetrators are regarded as culprits, because anybody can see that they are wrongdoers. But there are other crimes committed by individuals who do wrong deeds under the guise of good deeds. Since such individuals are found mostly among middle and upper cusses, especially among intellectual people, we must take great caution not to be deceived by anyone in these particular groups.
　　Some possessed individuals present doctrines or isms that appear to be profound, that seem to offer truth, causing others to trust them. But their actions and ways of living behind the scenes are exactly opposite to that which they profess to teach. Since they are usually clever, well educated, and have solid public standing, it is not easy to ascertain whether their doctrines are right or wrong. Such types are often found among prominent figures, such as statesmen and even social critics, whose status is usually rather high and who are therefore looked up to by the public. This is another reason we must be on watch all the time.
　　 The most difficult evil to cope with is that which is committed fervently in the belief that something good is being done, but which is actually bringing negative results. A good example of this are the incidents of May 15, 1932 and February 26, 1936, in which young officers of the Japanese army who wished to alleviate the sufferings of the people attempted to overthrow the "corrupt government." They assassinated several politicians but failed in their two attempts at coups d'etat. To cite extreme instances, there are some prominent individuals who work wholeheartedly for certain causes, believing them to be beneficial and righteous, only to learn their true nature after it is too late. The example of the leaders of the Japanese government who had plunged the country into World War II and who were executed later by order of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East is fresh in our memories.
　　There are many activities in our society which purportedly take place for the good of the people but which have in fact negative effects that go totally unnoticed as such by most people. Those who are involved in them have offered to undertake such work because they firmly believe that what they are working for is based on splendid truths, not being aware that in actuality they are bringing harm to humanity. These individuals are really to be pitied. They are being manipulated by evil forces, though they cannot comprehend this with their intellect, which has been dulled by materialistic concepts.
　　Here let me touch upon highly evolved individuals who tower decisively above everyone else. These are superhuman types, such as founders of religions and great men of learning who have advocated new theories or who have made new discoveries. For their outstanding services these individuals have often become objects of reverence and adoration, sometimes being treated like idols for centuries after their passing.
　　Needless to say, these are wonderful individuals who had no evil thoughts and no self-interests, and who in many cases dedicated their entire lives to their causes with the belief that they were working for the welfare of all humanity. From my point of view, however, although some of the contributions they have made have been beneficial to mankind, some have brought about negative results, so often it is not possible to determine in which way the scales tilt－toward the merits or demerits of their achievements.
　　Of course, these great individuals have knowingly had nothing to do with evil spirits. There have been some, however, whose achievements have been quite useful to the world up to a certain time; then they have become useless, perhaps even harmful. Such results are due to the actions of evil spirits, and we find examples even among scientists, scholars, and spiritual leaders.
　　Some religions that have been fine in the beginning have lost their original zeal, and conflicts and discord have started from within, demoralization has begun to take place; these organizations have then become a liability to society. The same is true with some scientific or academic studies. Some of the discoveries or theories that might have swayed the world at one time have often proved to be wrong and even harmful as time has passed.
　　After all, every event that has ever occurred in this world has been part of God's great Plan, in which good and evil have clashed, and light and darkness, beauty and ugliness have coexisted as necessary processes of evolvement toward the ideal world. We must know that God's profound Providence, impossible for the human mind to understand in its entirety, is in all of these things.

043. 　Communication through Mediums

Since olden days there have been reports of many communications through mediums, and these have been of infinite variety. Today, individuals regarded as men of intelligence in Japan not only call them superstitious and take no heed of them, but even use the words "spiritualism" and "medium" in a derisive manner.
　　According to my research, however, messages through mediums are not merely illusory, though there are differences in them; some are positive (good) and some are negative (bad). If a person only has the power to discern correctly which are which, they can be useful to him in his material existence.
　　Communications through mediums can be categorized into three divisions: messages that come from divine beings (higher, intermediate or lower); expressions from low, animalistic spirits who are pretending they are divine beings; messages from human spirits.
　　Some examples of the first are revelations received by founders of certain religions in Japan, such as Miki Nakayama of the Tenrikyo Church and Nao Deguchi of Omoto. The revelations of some Buddhist priests in olden days, such as Kobo, Nichiren, and Honen, also belong to this group. We see examples of the second in some questionable faiths, and in individuals who open themselves to some low animal spirits. Examples of the third are seen when human spirits, such as family members, try to convey their thoughts to their surviving relatives.
　　If you have the ability to interpret messages correctly, know how to handle them and how to give the right kind of guidance, they should prove to be of great use to you in your helping other individuals and society as a whole. However, we must keep in mind that when anyone involved approaches the phenomena with little or only superficial knowledge concerning such matters, many negative results can follow.
　　In both Europe and America, research work in spiritualistic science is quite popular. There are spiritual research centers in England and in some other countries, and quite a number of reliable sensitives are coming forth. Books produced through automatic writing have been written by worldwide figures. Also, there have been reports of spiritual communications by well known people which are worthy of notice.
　　 However, in the Western world the fact is the same as everywhere else: Those who are interested in spiritual research have to continue their work against the opposition of individuals who are so-called intellectuals and of materialistic scientists, who deny all things spiritual.
　　The best thing in the West is that there is no feudalistic control as there is in Japan; this gives Occidentals much greater freedom. It is a great regret that in Japan no research worthy of attention has been achieved in this field up to the present, due to the oppression of the government and the opposition of the scholars.

044. 　Life and Death

Of all man's experiences, none is more serious than death. Therefore, a positive, not illusionary, explanation concerning death and man's continuing existence should bring great comfort and happiness to those who have not been aware of the truth. I would like to present the results of my own discoveries in spiritual matters in order to let others know of these facts, so they may be enlightened further.
　　The subject of life after death has been seriously studied in the West by such well-known authorities as Sir Oliver Lodge, Maurice Maeterlinck, and J. S. M. Ward, who have produced several excellent books on this subject. In Japan the late Wasaburo Asano was well versed in spiritualism, about which he wrote numerous books. When he passed away several years ago, I felt it was a great loss to everyone, and especially so for me because I was personally acquainted with him.
　　 Before going any further, I want you to know that, for the sake of accuracy, my statements are based on my own experiences and research. The reason for this is that any information pertaining to the spiritual world and spiritual beings is difficult to grasp, for they are invisible and it is easy to fall into dogmatism when writing about them.
　　As stated before, death is the act of separation between the spiritual body and the physical body. When the latter no longer serves any practical purpose, the spiritual body leaves it and returns to the spiritual realm, where it begins a new life.
　　Let me write what the moment of death is like when observed from the spiritual realm. Generally speaking, there are three areas of the physical body from which the spiritual being may leave. They are the forehead, the navel, and the toes. A pure spirit leaves the body from the forehead, an intermediate or average spirit leaves from the navel, and a polluted spirit leaves from the toes. A pure spirit is one who has done many good deeds and has lived virtuously, thus raising his spiritual vibration. A polluted spirit is one who has accumulated many clouds through wrongdoing. An average spirit is one who fits a category between the other two. Thus, the condition at death is determined by the deeds the individual has done while on this earth, according to the law of spiritual affinity.
　　In every part of the world there are some individuals who are clairvoyant, able to perceive psychically. Some time ago I read the experience of one such person, an Occidental nurse. I do not recall the exact details she wrote, but I remember the main points, which went something like this:
　　"One day, while watching a patient who was dying, I saw a white, mistlike substance suddenly begin rising from his forehead. This substance slowly spread out as it rose into the air, grew into something like a large, irregular cloud, then gradually began taking a human form. Several minutes later, it was a perfect likeness of the patient. It stood in an upright position in midair, over the bed, and fixed its gaze on the dead body. It then looked at its relatives, who were clinging to the deceased person in grief. It seemed to want to say something, to let them know it was there. But then it appeared to give up the idea, no doubt realizing it was in a different dimension, for it simply turned about, moved to the window and floated lightly out through it."
　　This is an excellent description of the action which takes place at the moment of death.
　　In Buddhism, the expression used for dying is "going to be born." This is because death is the act of leaving the physical world, and the act of entering the spiritual world is a new birth. In the Japanese language, the time before death is referred to as "the time before birth," for the same reason.
　　When a person passes on to the spiritual world, he lives there for some time, perhaps a few years, perhaps a few decades, perhaps many hundreds of years. After this, he is born into the physical world again. In this way, man's cycle of birth, death and rebirth is repeated many times. "The transmigration of souls" in Buddhism no doubt means the same thing.
　　Now, let me write about the way in which the spiritual world is related to human beings.
　　God gives each person a specific mission to accomplish when he comes into this world. Since all human beings are imperfect, in the course of every person's life, while he is fulfilling his duties, he causes clouds to accumulate on his spiritual body. Whether or not he is aware of them, with the passage of time these clouds cause him to become too sick or simply too old to function. His spiritual body then leaves his physical body and returns to the spiritual world.
　　After entering the spiritual realm, most individuals have clouds for which they must undergo purifications. The amount of clouds of each spiritual being determines the plane he enters and the period of his stay there for purification. Some remain for only a few years or a few decades, but there are some who have to stay for several hundreds of years or even several thousands of years. When a spirit is purified to the required degree, it reincarnates in order to fulfill the specific mission God has given it.
　　This is the usual order, but there are some exceptions. Some people, for instance, reincarnate before they are sufficiently purified. This happens when their attachments to earth life have been so strong at the times of their previous deaths they have been drawn back. They invariably lead unfortunate lives because, having been reborn too soon, they bring back considerable amounts of the clouds they have accumulated in former lives, which must be purified.
　　Some of these individuals are very good people, yet they suffer greatly. The meaning of this is that they engaged in repeated wrongdoings in their former lives but repented during their last moments and passed on to the spiritual world with firm determination not to repeat then same errors. These thought-forms are so strongly impressed on their consciousness and their desire to live virtuously is so great they are reborn prematurely, before they have been sufficiently purified of their clouds. For this reason they have to suffer, at least for a time. They may then suddenly become very fortunate, which signifies that they have been sufficiently cleansed of their clouds through their virtuous deeds.
　　There are many types of fears, or phobias, which people carry from one lifetime to the next. There are some individuals who are afraid of marriage and remain single all their lives. This is chiefly due to extremely unhappy relationships with the opposite sex in the past which left indelible impressions on their spiritual beings at death. When they reincarnate, they bring the fear back with them.
　　Some individuals have a strong, even morbid dislike for or fear of certain species of insects, birds or animals. This is due to their last deaths having been caused by the same kinds of creatures. Those who fear water, fire or high places have died by drowning, burning or falling.
　　There are some phobias about people, too. For example, some individuals are afraid of crowds and will not go any place where large numbers of people are assembled. These were crushed by crowds or mobs in their last lifetimes. Other individuals have a morbid fear of being alone. I used to give Johrei to a man who could not stay at home when all of the other members of the family were out. He was so afraid he would go outside and stand waiting near the street until someone came home. In his previous lifetime he must have suddenly become ill while he was alone and died without being able to summon help.
　　These examples show that we should be prepared before the time comes so we can pass on in peace, free of all fears and undue attachments.
　　Some people are born deformed or crippled due to their having reincarnated before they were sufficiently purified. Suppose someone was killed in a fall from a high place in his last lifetime and had a broken leg or arm as well as fatal injuries. If he comes back prematurely, before all of his injuries are healed in the spiritual realm, he is born deformed or crippled.
　　Premature reincarnation can be caused not only by an undue attachment to earth on the part of the deceased, but also by the too strong attachment of a surviving relative or loved one. A woman who becomes pregnant soon after another child has died is a case in point. Very often, the spirit of the deceased child is drawn back by the mother's overly strong attachment to it. Such an individual very seldom has a happy life.
　　 Some people are born wise and others far less so. The reason lies in the differences in spiritual age, for there are both old and young spiritual beings. Old ones have incarnated on earth many times and have had many experiences, and they have become wise. Young or new ones have not acquired much wisdom because they have had few incarnations on earth. By new spiritual beings I mean those who have been born recently. Reproduction takes place in the spiritual world through thought, and spiritual beings are created continuously.
　　Many people have the experience of meeting total strangers and feeling a closeness with them that is similar to that between family members; in fact, it usually goes even deeper than family relationships. This happens because the so-called strangers were blood relatives or close friends in previous lives. We call this a spiritual relationship or karmic tie.
　　Other individuals come upon places while traveling which seem very familiar and they feel such a deep attachment for them they want to stay there. These are the places in which they once lived or in which they stayed for some time during their previous lives.
　　 In love relationships, we sometimes see a man and a woman suddenly falling in love with each other fervently, almost blindly. This means that they loved one another in some previous lifetime but were never able to experience the fulfillment of that love. In their present lifetime, they are brought together again and their former attraction develops into an explosive love relationship.
　　When people read history books, they are sometimes drawn to or repelled by certain times, events or individuals. They lived in those eras and were related to those particular experiences or persons, so they feel very strong reactions to them in this lifetime.

045. 　Various Aspects of Life after Death

There are various causes for death. Some people pass over to the spiritual world quite suddenly, having been attacked by such lethal things as cerebral hemorrhage, apoplexy, heart failure, or some other unexpected, destructive action.
　　Many people know little or nothing about the spiritual world and tend to believe that such a victim is fortunate in the sense that he passes over without having suffered for a long period of time. This is a grave misconception. The truth is that he is extremely unfortunate, for in most cases he passes without mental preparation for death. So, an individual often does not realize he is dead, even after reaching the spiritual world. Because he finds himself without a physical body, he feels lost and feverishly begins to seek one. Since the spiritual cords connecting relatives still exist after death, such a person tries to acquire a physical body by visiting one of these relatives through their connecting spiritual cords, without realizing what he is doing.

　　In such cases, individuals who are physically debilitated－such as those recuperating from long illnesses, mothers who have just given birth and are in an anemic condition, and especially children－usually become the targets. Often, children are possessed, which is the true cause of infantile paralysis or epilepsy. This is why infantile paralysis many times exhibits symptoms similar to those of apoplexy.
　　Epilepsy produces the same symptoms as those that can be observed in a person who is dying violently. An epileptic seizure in which the victim froths at the mouth indicates that the possessing entity is a spirit whose former physical body died by drowning. An epileptic seizure triggered by the sight of fire is caused by a spirit whose body was burned to death in its previous life. Sleep walking and some mental conditions can be traced to a similar type of invading entity.
　　I would like you to know another significant aspect of unusual deaths. All of the spirits of those who died from violent causes, including murder and accidents, become earthbound for they cannot leave the sites of their deaths for certain periods of time. Generally, they are confined within radiuses of about twenty to two hundred feet. As a result of their extreme solitude, they try to draw companions to them, which is why we often note similar deaths occurring on railroad tracks where a fatal accident happened in the past, or on a river where there was a previous drowning, or on a branch of a tree where a suicide by hanging once took place.
　　These earthbound spirits, in most cases, cannot leave the sites of death for thirty years, but this period can be shortened considerably if proper memorial services are performed. Therefore, memorial services for those who have met with violent deaths should be given from the heart with even greater, more special care than that with which services for others are given.
　　We must remember also that for all spirits, especially those of individuals who committed suicide, the sufferings of the last physical moments persist into the life after death. This is one of the major reasons those who have killed themselves greatly regret having done so afterward; that which follows death is simply an extension of life in the physical world. Thus, if suffering is attendant at death, even a spirit of one who has seemingly been most virtuous goes no higher than the intermediate level, and perhaps even descends to the lowest level.
　　Again, those who lived lonely lives while in this world are also lonely in the spiritual world, and those who were unfortunate here are also unfortunate in the next realm. In certain cases, however, the situation is reversed. Those who accumulated great wealth by causing suffering to others, or by being miserly or by doing wrong deeds, become extremely poor in the spiritual world, and thus they experience great remorse, and those who lived virtuous lives and used their wealth for the welfare of other individuals and of society as a whole enjoy good fortune and happiness in the spiritual world.
　　After entering the spiritual realm, as I said before, the features of those individuals whose physical appearances as good people were only superficial undergo marked changes over a period lasting from several months to one year; their spiritual beings begin to manifest their exact consciousness on their faces in a very precise manner. This is because the spiritual world is one of consciousness where there is no concealment. The features of those with negative thoughts become ugly and those with good thoughts become beautiful.
　　I am sure you now understand how different the spiritual world is from the one we know. The spiritual world is indeed fair and impartial in every respect.
　　Let me tell you about a young man named Yamada, who was one of my employees during the time I was in business. One day he abruptly asked me to excuse him so he could go to Osaka, for something had happened, he said, which obliged him to go there. Since he looked pale and his conduct was hardly normal, I asked him why he wanted to make the trip. He tried to answer me, but his speech was incoherent. I decided to examine him through spiritual means, for at that time I was deeply engrossed in spiritual research.
　　I asked him to sit upright and to close his eyes. As soon as I began giving him a spiritual examination, his features began to express severe pain and he moved about in agony. Then an entity began to answer my questions, to this effect: "I was a friend of Yamada's. I used to work for a firm in Osaka, but I was fired by the managing director, who listened to a groundless story fabricated by a bad person. I was so mortised by this that I committed suicide by taking poison. I thought that death meant total annihilation, but I have discovered with deep regret that, far from it, the suffering after death continues in the spiritual world. Since the managing director is the cause of all this, I have decided to take revenge on him by making my friend Yamada kill him. This is why I have possessed him－to lead him to Osaka."
　　Such were the words addressed to me falteringly and in great agony. As the entity beseeched me to rid it of its anguish, I admonished it for having thought of such an evil act, and then I used a spiritual treatment to relieve it from pain. The entity soon said that the pain was greatly eased, expressed deep gratitude, vowed to me that it would abandon the idea of murder, and departed.
　　Yamada was in trance, completely unconscious, so he did not remember a single word uttered through his mouth. After he regained consciousness, on learning from me what had been said, he expressed great surprise and thanked me over and over for having saved him at the last moment. This certainly shows that a person must never commit suicide, no matter how serious a situation may be.
　　Perhaps most surprising and unexpected to people in general is the result of the double suicide of lovers. They think that by killing themselves they can go straight to heaven and live together in peace and joy. But they must realize how far away from the truth their expectations are.
　　Furthermore, anyone who has indulged in abnormal or immoral acts of sex, such as an incestuous relationship between a parent and a child, or an illicit one between a teacher and a disciple, must endure discomfort and pain beyond description.
　　 Needless to say, priests, ministers or educators who have had immoral relations must go through especially harsh experiences, inasmuch as they have betrayed their missions of living as examples to others.

046. 　Illness Caused by Spiritual Possession

I have explained before that a purifying action dispelling clouds in the spiritual body is reflected in the physical body as an illness. However, you must know also that possession by spiritual beings causes numerous diseases, too. This fact has been stated by quite a number of people since ancient times.
　　Some religions especially attribute almost all of the causes of illness to spiritual possession, but according to my personal research there are the two types of illness I have referred to above: those caused by purifying action and those caused by spiritual possession.
　　I have found that these two are inseparably related. I say this because possession by a spirit occurs when a person becomes extremely toxic physically and clouds have become heavy on the spiritual body. In such a case the spirit enters the clouded area of the spiritual body and takes possession. When the clouds are dispelled through purification, so the spiritual body becomes cleansed; it is then impossible for the possessing spirit to remain, so the person can be healthy spiritually, mentally and physically from that point on.

047. 　Mental Disturbances

Today, people everywhere are talking about the general deterioration of thought, the increase in the crime rate, the inefficiency and corruption in government, and other such major problems. I am writing this article because the roots of these problems are closely related to mental disturbances.
　　Any mental disturbance is due to one of two causes: one is a toxic physical condition and the other is spiritual possession. When I speak of spiritual possession, many people may find my statements hard to believe, because they have been educated solely on a materialistic basis. We fully understand how difficult it must be for most people today to understand the spiritual side of things, for they have been inoculated with the kind of thinking that causes them not to believe in anything that is invisible.
　　Truth is truth, however, no matter how vehemently it may be denied. If people insist on ignoring the existence of anything because it cannot be seen, they should then deny the existence of atmosphere and of thought itself.
　　Let me tell you the reason spiritual possession can cause a human being to become a mental case.
　　There are many people in the world who have stiffness in the neck and around the shoulders; at least all Japanese people do. I say this because through my experiences in helping thousands of them for many years I have found that everyone has had this trouble. On rare occasions, some people have said they did not feel any tension around those areas, but I learned by examining them that this was because their necks and shoulders were full of toxins that were in such a hardened condition they had become insensitive to the discomfort.
　　 If I say that it is this condition around the shoulders that is the true cause of mental disorders, perhaps you will be taken aback by my flat statement. But as you read along, you will become convinced of the truth of what I say.
　　Stiffness around the neck and shoulders compresses the vessels which supply blood to the brain, depriving the forebrain. This creates a serious problem, for blood is a materialized form of spiritual energy. A shortage of blood in the forebrain indicates a shortage of this energy, which should be feeding the brain cells. It is this spiritually weakened condition that is the true cause of mental disorder; it makes an individual vulnerable to the attack of any lower spirit, for it can then enter and possess him.
　　Now, let me analyze the human consciousness. This consists of reason and emotion and will, which transforms into action that which has been decided by reason or emotion. The combination of these three is what I call man's trinity of thought, or consciousness. Spiritual anemia of the forehead produces insomnia. The spiritual energy is already weakened by the anemic condition and sleeplessness weakens it still further. It is at this time that an evil spirit takes advantage of the situation, entering an individual and occupying the forebrain, which is the most important part of the mind, in order to control that person. The intensity of the desire of a low, alien spirit to control a human being is almost unbelievable, for it can then exercise great influence among its fellow spirits.
　　The forebrain is the center of reason, and the hindbrain is the center of emotion. Observe that most members of the white race have rather well-developed foreheads, which indicates strong reasoning power, while most members of the yellow race have foreheads that are comparatively narrow and hindbrains that are more developed, which indicates strong sentiment. Generally speaking, white people tend to be more intellectual, while yellow people tend to be more emotional.
　　There is always conflict between reason and emotion. When reason controls emotion, mistakes are seldom made, but if reason is too strong, an individual is likely to become heartless. On the other hand, if emotion becomes too Strong to be controlled, the individual usually loses mental restraint, and this can be dangerous. In essence, it is important to maintain a harmony, a balance between the two, but man tends to lean more toward one or toward the other, which makes him biased.
　　Once something has been decided by either reason or emotion, it is the will that starts the action regardless of scope. The center of the will is in the abdomen, within the navel area.
　　As mentioned above, it is man's reason that controls emotion so that he may not make mistakes. In other words, it is the law called reason, as it were, which keeps emotion under control, keeps the order of life so man is able to live normally. Therefore, if the power of the law is lost, emotion runs wild and free, goes "off the rail." This state is what is termed mental derangement.
　　When a spirit wishes to possess a person, it invariably tries to enter the frontal brain and occupy a part of it. It knows that this area of judgment is especially strong and therefore if it can conquer this part it can dominate the rest of the individual. By the same token, if the head is well supplied with spiritual energy, the spirit cannot take possession at all.
　　There are varying degrees of spiritual energy, however, and the degree of its strength determines the scope of activity of an evil spirit. For example, if the head is one hundred percent full of spiritual energy, possession is impossible. If the spiritual energy is reduced to ninety percent, the power of the spirit to possess is increased by ten percent. If the spiritual energy is decreased until it becomes less than fifty percent, the power of reason can no longer control emotion, which then has over fifty percent power. At that time the evil spirit can gain complete possession, governing the body at will.
　　As stated before, when the vessels are compressed with hardened toxins, which are manifestations of spiritual clouds, the head is deprived of spiritual energy, which means there is that much room made for any lower spirit to enter and cause negative action. Since almost no one is completely free from toxins and clouds in the neck and shoulders, there are very few people who have a perfect supply of spiritual energy.
　　 Even those who command public respect may have a twenty to thirty percent shortage of spiritual energy. We sometimes wonder why prominent individuals make mistakes or commit negative acts or seem not to understand the simplest things. The reason is that their spiritual energy is weakened.
　　The percentage of spiritual energy does not remain constant, but continually varies. When a person is doing an honorable deed, it indicates that his spiritual energy totals eighty percent or more. When he is having a bad thought or is engaged in a negative act, it indicates that his spiritual energy amounts to sixty percent or less.
　　Very often people become penitent about something they have done. This means their spiritual energy has returned to normal.
　　The spiritual energy in an average individual totals somewhere between sixty and seventy percent, with the possibility of its dropping lower at any time, depending on the current situation. If it plunges below fifty percent, a person may suddenly say or do something abnormal, even commit a really negative act he would ordinarily never consider committing. In Japan, when somebody does something like this, it is often said that he must be under the influence of a devil.
　　Hysteria is in this category, for it is generally caused by an alien spirit which enters the forehead and occupies it when the spiritual energy there has dropped below fifty percent, or when a sudden outburst of jealousy or anger has caused it to temporarily drop below the line. In this state, an individual may scream, talk wildly and behave irrationally. Hysteria does not last long, however, because in such a case the individual's spiritual energy soon returns to its normal level.
　　For this reason, it is important for everyone to maintain spiritual energy at no less than about seventy percent of perfect, because any level below this is dangerous. From the above explanation you will understand why there are so many criminals in our society today.
　　 Because the possessing spirit is animalistic, when the spiritual energy is weakened and drops below the fifty percent level, though the person is a human being in form he becomes an animal mentally. The greatest difference between a human being and an animal is that a person is capable of reflecting on his conduct, while an animal is not. Another difference is that while the only desire an animal has is to satisfy its stomach, man's desires are limitless, so that once an individual loses his spiritual balance and becomes abnormal, and begins to be controlled by his animalistic nature, it is not surprising that he becomes incredibly cruel.
　　As mentioned above, since no one is free from spiritual clouds, no one has one hundred percent perfect spiritual energy. So, there is a possibility of everyone's being influenced by evil spirits. That is, to some extent every individual is spiritually off balance, mentally disturbed. Strictly speaking, it is not too much to say that all human beings are more or less insane.

048. 　Disasters

Since ancient times in Japan, disasters caused by wind, water and fire have been referred to as the three major calamities, and those caused by famine, disease and war have been referred to as the three minor calamities. What, exactly, are these events? I will write on their true, deeper meaning.
　　The real reason for there being storms is that they are activities that purify the area between heaven and earth. Such purification is necessary because of an accumulation of clouds, or impurities, in the spiritual realm. These are blown away by the power of wind and washed away by the power of rain.
　　Spiritual clouds are formed by human thoughts and words. Evil, harmful thoughts－of discontent, hatred, jealousy, resentment, falseness, vengefulness, possessiveness－form clouds and darken the spiritual realm of thought. Malevolently spoken words expressed against Nature such as references to bad weather, or expressions against people such as anger, abuse, condemnation, deceit, censure and complaint, form clouds and dim the spiritual realm of speech.
　　When the accumulation of clouds created through various processes reaches a certain magnitude, a kind of toxin originates which, if left alone, will prove to be harmful to the natural development of human life and welfare. So, a natural purificatory activity begins. This is the way the Cosmic Law operates.
　　As mentioned earlier, the accumulation of clouds in the spiritual realm not only has a negative influence on human health but also affects the health of trees, vegetation, and especially crops, sometimes causing them to fail, and also causing insect pests to proliferate.
　　In recent years, in many districts of Japan, the outbreak of noxious insects causing pine and cedar trees to die has become a big problem. The cause is the same－the increase of clouds in the spiritual realm. Unless human beings grow spiritually so their vibrations are raised, it is hard to stop the propagation of noxious insects. In other words, the wrong attitudes in thought and speech of the Japanese people are causing the pine and cedar trees of their own country to die. We can realize from this how important it is to refrain from negative thoughts, words, and deeds.
　　Not only are there terrible natural disasters but there are also manmade ones, as we all know. The most destructive of these, I believe, is war. I am going to write on my views concerning the cause of war, which may possibly be considered somewhat farfetched. I would like you to read this very carefully, however, with deep concentration.
　　Needless to say, war is a mass conflict. To date, it seems, mankind has preferred conflict to peace. This applies not only to the relationships between nations but also to those within nations, for as we look around we find continual discord in almost every field of human contact－in government, in industry, in associations of every kind. There seems to be a constant secret strife between individuals or groups of individuals, who often criticize or denounce one another.
　　We find conflicts among people with the same trades, within families, and between friends and acquaintances. Indeed, when we think about it, we realize there is almost universal discord among human beings. Even on sidewalks, in the streets, in buses, on streetcars and trains, we frequently notice people arguing with one another. Observing these things, we must realize discord and conflict fill a large part of our lives. Where does this strife-consciousness of human nature come from?
　　Everyone has some clouds on the spiritual body. As explained before, there are two reasons for the forming of these clouds. One is wrong thoughts, words or acts. The other is the introduction of foreign substances into the physical body, making the blood impure and depriving it of its spiritual energy, for, according to the revelations I have received, blood is the materialized form of spirit.
　　Where there is an increase of impure substances in the blood, the spiritual vibration is affected and clouds are formed. These manifest as toxins in the physical body and tend to gather, particularly around the nerve centers, the most active of which are in the areas above the neck. The brain, the eyes, the nose, the mouth and the ears have nerves serving them that function without a moment's rest during the conscious periods, even though the arms and legs are completely relaxed. Consequently, it is only natural that clouds gather most heavily around these nerve centers, manifesting as toxins and causing tension in the neck and shoulders－a complaint common to many people.
　　The accumulation of toxins first solidifies; then, with time, after it has reached a certain level, it dissolves in a reverse action. We call this action natural purification. It is often accompanied by fever, which liquefies the toxins and makes their elimination easier.
　　The natural physical purification commonly called a cold eliminates toxins through perspiration, discharge of nasal mucus, phlegm, and so forth. It is a reflection, or reflex action, which follows the spiritual purification of clouds that have been dispelled.
　　Many individuals experience this purification in a slight form almost continually, but to such a slight degree they scarcely notice it. While they often think they are in a very good condition, they are actually not completely healthy. Careful examination of the head would reveal symptoms of purification in the form of a slight fever, causing some discomfort such as headaches or heaviness, mucus in the eyes, ringing of the ears, pyorrhea in the mouth, stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
　　It is this general feeling of discomfort which creates a problem, for it tends to make people irritable or quick-tempered. It can easily lead to anger that manifests itself in conflict and sometimes leads to a collective action which, under certain circumstances, culminates in war. The only way to eliminate strife-consciousness from mankind is to eliminate this feeling of discomfort.
　　Most individuals have undoubtedly had the experience, when they were not feeling their best, of flaring up at a chance remark which would not have disturbed them in the least had they been well and happy. Let me give you some examples which illustrate this.
　　Some babies are peevish and tend to cry a great deal. This is invariably due to the fact that they have some fever in their heads and stiffness in the shoulders, a manifestation of spiritual clouds. When Johrei is given to these infants the clouds are dispelled and the fever quickly disappears, tension is relieved and crying stops.
　　Children who are quick tempered, disobedient or stubborn also have clouds that are manifesting as fever and tension in the head and around the neck, like the crying babies just mentioned. Johrei easily corrects such conditions and makes the children amiable, obedient and cooperative, and they begin to do better work at school.
　　Quarrels between husbands and wives often have the same cause. Johrei changes them by raising their spiritual vibrations, thus making their homes happier and more harmonious.
　　As you can understand, since the basic cause of conflict is the primary indisposition caused by the accumulation of toxins in the head and around the shoulders and neck, and this in turn is due to clouds on the spiritual body, the only way to solve the physical problem is to eliminate the spiritual condition. This can be done through Johrei, so we believe it is not too much to say that Johrei is the only absolute method through which to eradicate humanity's strife-consciousness.
　　Most of the other problems that bring suffering to humanity, such as destructive ideas and class struggle, have the same cause and are due solely to inner dissatisfaction and complaints of the individuals involved. Also, bad habits and bad conduct, such as alcoholism, immorality, indolence and crime are practiced by some people who seek strong stimulants or excitement as outlets for their restlessness, without knowing the reason they do such things.
　　In every age, materialistic exploiters have taken advantage of these situations, increasing the discontent of the people to the extent of stirring up wars or causing bad social and political upheavals.
　　In order to bring about everlasting peace on earth, each and every individual must first cleanse his own spiritual body and so fill his physical body and mind with a sense of complete health, of total vitality. When this is accomplished, everyone will come to dislike conflict and will become peace loving. There is no doubt about it.

049. 　Storms Are Man-Made Disasters

Since ancient days, some areas have suffered regularly from typhoons, other types of storms and floods. People have considered these to be natural calamities which are inescapable and so have resigned themselves to this fate, as we all know. From our point of view, however, they are not natural calamities but man-made ones. I am going to explain why.
　　In order to alleviate the damages caused by these calamities even a little, scientists are doing their best by advancing the study of meteorology. In Japan, the government is doing all it can, too, spending great amounts of money yearly on equipment and facilities, so progress is being made to some extent. But the anticipated results do not seem to be so easily obtained. In Japan alone, yearly damages from natural disasters amount to stupendous sums of money. Let us take as an example the damage caused by Typhoon Kitty, which visited our country recently.
　　Citing the losses in figures only, the rice crop was decreased by about 10,000,000 bushels; 4,229 houses were demolished or washed away; 144 people were either killed or declared missing; and tens of thousands were hurt. Estimating the loss of food crops, the damages to streets and sea walls and to houses and other facilities, the total monetary cost was something like 87 billion yen (approximately 240 million dollars at that time), so you can see how great the destruction was. When the effects of all the big and small storms assaulting our country several times a year are added up, the material and non-material losses we suffer are beyond counting.
　　 When we consider this state of affairs, even though it may be impossible to eradicate such calamities completely, we should exert every possible effort to keep the suffering from them as small as possible. Of course, there are people in government and members of the general public who are doing their best, resorting to any measure they can think of, in order to accomplish this purpose. However, the budget is not large enough and the facilities are far too insufficient, so anticipated actions are far behind schedule.
　　If this state of affairs continues, it is a matter of course that the same yearly damages must go on. If advancement of the study of meteorology alone is relied on, how can the needs of the present be served? That would be like "waiting one hundred years for the waters in the Yellow River to clear."*
　　In other words, scientific study is on the material or physical level only, which is like trying to discover the interior of something by studying only its exterior. I must say that there can be no absolutely right procedure for solution other than to first grasp the innermost, basic cause and then, only after that, to make plans for the eradication of disasters.
　　You may ask, "Is there really a possibility of discovering the basic cause of calamities, as you say?" I would like you to know that there is.
　　A storm, from our point of view, is a cleansing activity of the space surrounding the earth, that which we call the spiritual realm. The reason it occurs is that even in the spiritual realm impurities are accumulating constantly, the same as they accumulate in the physical world in entire cities and in individual homes. The only difference is that because the spiritual realm is invisible to human eyes, we are not aware of them and of how much they have accumulated.
　　This is one reason they have not been noticed. It is also partly due to the fact that education up to now has been one-sided, has focused only on the material area, with total neglect of any study of the spiritual side. This is the greatest mistake humanity has made, as I have always stated. Unless man awakens to the reality of the spiritual realm and studies it, he can never come to realize the true, basic cause of a storm.
　　As I said above, to awaken people to the existence of the hitherto unknown spiritual realm is the true mission of religion. It seems strange that up to now so many spiritual leaders have apparently been almost completely indifferent to or had lukewarm attitudes toward this point.
　　When impurities accumulate in the spiritual realm, natural purifying action must inevitably occur, according to the laws of Nature; that is, the impurities are blown away by the wind and washed away by the water. This is the reason for a storm. It is the same principle as the cleansing that takes place in our physical lives, and the key to solving its mystery lies in finding out the basic cause of impurities.
　　Impurities are spiritual clouds formed by human thoughts, words and deeds. Evil, harmful thoughts, words and deeds affect the spiritual realm, and as a result clouds are created. Therefore, by the number of big storms and typhoons frequently assaulting various areas of the world in recent years, we can tell how much man's thoughts have deteriorated and how many bad words have been spoken and how many bad deeds have been committed.
　　Is there any way to dispel these clouds? I tell you it is quite simple to do so. It can be done by following a method which is exactly opposite to the one mentioned above; that is, by changing human thoughts to good ones, human words and deeds to good speech and acts. We can only clear the spiritual realm, which has been clouded by evil, with good for goodness emits light and dispels clouds. For instance, the singing of Christian hyms, chanting of Buddhist sutras, and chanting of Shinto prayers are all effective to a certain degree for the cleansing of the spiritual realm, because the words used in all of these are good words that have high vibrations. Were it not for these good words of high vibratory rate, there would be far more clouds accumulating all over the world, causing even greater storms than we experience today.
　　Thus the truth is: Storms are created by man and he suffers from them. Nature truly works in a wonderful way. We are amazed at the manner in which the laws of Nature operate. They follow the same procedure as that which takes place when impurities accumulate in the human body and purification comes in the form of illness.
　　As you can see from the above explanation, the way to prevent destructive storms is for man to recognize and understand this truth and to stop doing evil deeds and begin doing good deeds. This and nothing else will be effective in overcoming these disastrous actions.

050. 　Spiritual Explanation of Fires

How and why does a fire break out? There is usually an obvious physical reason. As we read in the newspapers, a fire is often caused by some thoughtlessness－a match or cigarette carelessly thrown away, a heater dangerously placed, or some similar act. From the point of view of one who is engaged in spiritual work, there is always a spiritual reason behind a fire, too, so it may not be amiss to explain the true cause of such a disaster, which lies in the invisible spiritual realm.
　　As we always say, disease is Nature's action of purifying the body. When an individual's accumulation of spiritual clouds, manifested as toxins in the physical body, has reached a certain point a physical eliminating activity starts, because the toxins are beginning to hinder the proper functioning of the organs. This is purification of the spiritual body, manifesting itself in a cleansing action in the physical body, an action without which health could not be maintained. A purification, therefore, is a great blessing which occurs in accordance with the natural laws established by almighty God.
　　To refer to disease while explaining the meaning of fires may seem odd to you, but I do so because the reasons for disease and fire are one and the same; a fire is a form of purification also.
　　The same holds true for a storm of any type. When the spiritual world becomes overclouded with accumulated impurities from evil thoughts, words and deeds of human beings, it is often purified by means of some kind of storm. The impurities, or clouds, are blown away by the wind, washed away by the water, and then dried by the sun. This is the way in which the spiritual realm－the ether－is purified. Sickness is the purification or cleansing of the human body, while storms are the cleansing of the atmosphere of earth.
　　Buildings must also be purified when their spiritual clouds have accumulated to a certain magnitude. This is accomplished by fires. The clouded conditions of buildings are primarily due to the impure money that was used in constructing them and to the negative thoughts, words and deeds of those who occupy them.
　　Once I met a person with the gift of clairvoyance who told me that, as he was walking along the streets of Tokyo a few years before the great earthquake of 1923, to his psychic eye the streets lined with large buildings and expensive houses looked like dirty roads with broken-down shacks and squalid cottages, and he wondered why this was so. Not long after this the earthquake came, followed by the great fire which devastated Tokyo and its vicinity. lie then understood the meaning of what he had seen, for his clairvoyant vision had materialized into fact.
　　As I always say, it is true that everything taking place in this world first occurs in the spiritual realm. According to the law of the spiritual preceding the physical, the spiritual realm is purified first and then the purification is reflected on the physical plane.
　　In a big are which devastated Atami in 1950, the building being used as our temporary headquarters at that time was surrounded by flames, but it did not burn. Because the building had few spiritual clouds, it was quite natural that it was saved.
　　Materially, we should make every effort to erect as many fireproof buildings as possible. Spiritually, we should try to make our buildings pure; by making this effort, we create a sort of spiritual fireproofing. When all the inhabitants of earth are awakened to this truth and do their parts, our cities will become really fireproof and will never be devastated by flames.
　　You may wonder about some of the buildings in the large cities of the Western nations, which are made of such non-flammable materials it seems they can never be burned, even though many spiritual clouds may accumulate on them. But think about the fact that during World War II many of these "fireproof" structures were destroyed by fires started by bombs. This shows that according to the spiritual principle governing all things, right action takes place regardless of man's ideas.
　　We must realize that the Universal Law of God cannot be violated with impunity in any way at any time.

051. 　How Religion Should Be Viewed

As we examine the way people in general view religion, we find that their viewpoint is often very much out of focus.
　　What I refer to primarily is the position of religion in their lives. Essentially, religion should rank higher than anything else, for philosophy, morality, and science are all lower in importance. Being unaware of this, many people use such terms as "philosophy of religion," which means that they are trying to explain religion through the application of philosophy. This is utterly contrary to the truth, because it is an attempt to interpret by mental means something that is beyond the material world.
　　We must understand that religion, which was created by God, is not the same as philosophy, which was made by man. Religion is also different from morality, which was made by man, too. The primary difference between philosophy and morality is that philosophy is practical wisdom and comes mainly from the Western culture, while morality is a system of ethics and comes mainly from the Eastern culture. Science in its present state is even more material than philosophy or morality and is therefore the farthest away from religion.
　　From the above explanation, I am sure you understand how out of focus is the attitude of Japan's present-day intellectuals toward religion.
　　Let me enlarge on this subject. Philosophy has reached its present level primarily through the synthesizing of man's creative theories, so its value is obviously limited when compared to religion. Ultimately, however, it runs up against a dead end that offers no way out. As proof, an individual who studies philosophy may find that the more he studies it, the deeper he goes into a maze, with doubts bringing on more doubts, so that he cannot reach any definite conclusions. As a result, he tends to become pessimistic, and in an extreme case he may even try to solve everything by committing suicide.
　　Next, let me discuss morality, which has, needless to say, contributed a great deal to human society. However, moral standards were born from the minds of outstanding individuals in the form of rules to correct and improve man's mind, so they cannot drastically influence man's soul. Morality could have been effective in the old days in Japan, but in the present society, where everything is patterned after Western civilization, the morals which came from the old Oriental civilization no longer have the power to make people believe in them. Actually, this is obvious because that kind of morality is steadily on the decline.
　　We often discuss material science, so there is no need to talk about it in great detail here. Many people think that modern civilization means science itself, and that the progress of civilization is nothing other than the progress of science. Yet, it is a question as to how much the happiness of mankind has increased through this action. Looking at the picture clearly, we can realize that unhappiness rather than happiness seems to have increased in ratio with the advancement of science. The actual state of people throughout the world, who constantly live under the threat of atomic war, clearly shows this.
　　Now, let us ask ourselves this question: What is the desire of mankind? With almost no exceptions, the answer must be to attain happiness. Science has progressed and advanced with the hope of increasing the well being of mankind, but to our great disappointment the result is quite contrary to that motive. So our most urgent task should be to study the basic reason for this.
　　As I said previously, if neither philosophy, morality nor science offers a solution to the age-old problem, to what can we turn except religion? Many intellectuals or leaders of society are aware of this point, but in their thinking "religion" means the old, established faiths, so they cannot envision one that has such a power. They cannot even guess when humanity will be able to achieve its dream of genuine happiness, for the outlook of the world today is anything but bright.
　　However, in a world such as this, where people appear to have become totally resigned, a great power of salvation which transcends religion has suddenly appeared. Almost nobody had ever thought of such a faith, so many people find it difficult to accept. But facts cannot be denied or ignored, and once an individual becomes aware of our true work he is thoroughly awakened to Universal Truth, like a blind person who can suddenly see. The joyous reports of such experiences, which all our publications, are the best proofs we can offer.
　　You know, no matter how delicious a food may be, it cannot possibly be tasted simply by listening to an explanation of its qualities or by studying its appearance; you must first put it into your mouth and perceive its flavor. Only then can you truly know it. Only then can anyone know and be satisfied with the indescribably good taste of something never tried before. Therefore, I would suggest to you who want to achieve genuine happiness that you make contact with our church and sample for yourself what it has to offer.

052. 　Religion and Faith

People in general are apt to think that a religion and a faith are one and the same, but they are sometimes two different things. The type of faith which is frequently referred to in Japan is indicated by the old saying, "Even the head of a sardine can work miracles if you have enough trust in it." This is a kind of faith, but it is not a true religion. Thus, while the worshiping of a grotesque wood or stone idol by uncivilized people is an act of faith, it cannot be called an act of religion.
　　In the sense mentioned above, it is understandable that the educated people of Japan pay little attention to idol worship today, for they usually consider it an ignorant practice. However, we cannot say that all religions without idol worship are good, for there are different degrees of beliefs.
　　It is only the religions of higher grade that can truly save man. You may think it strange to hear that these do have grades, or degrees, but this is true of everything; religion is no exception. Since the Supreme God's goodness and influence are the highest and greatest, in a religion which is governed by Him the power of salvation is naturally in ratio, so marvelous miracles are manifested.
　　The many miracles that are being experienced in our church, such as the recovery of individuals who have been pronounced hopelessly ill by medical science, or the hair-breadth escapes of some people from disasters, or the saving of some homes from destruction by fire just as they have seemed lost, are all due solely to this Divine Power.
　　If great numbers of blessings are experienced in a religion, it is obvious that God is indeed working through that religion.

053. 　Apathy toward Religion

From a common-sense point of view, it is certainly a good thing to work for the welfare of the world or to try to help other individuals to become happy, so we should say it is only true human nature to express approval of and have a desire to assist such a work. However, strangely, we encounter many people who are extremely indifferent toward the idea of working to help others. Indeed, there seem to be a surprisingly large number of such individuals. Their real feelings seem to be something like this: "I am not interested in doing good for the world or for others. Such things are a mere waste of time and effort. All that is important is me; it is enough to do what is beneficial to me, for that is the smartest way to live. Otherwise, it is impossible to make much money or to be successful in life." Individuals with such an attitude actually appear to be wiser than others. This is indeed a strange world!
　　People of this nature think in a materialistic, self-centered way even when they are in great predicaments. For instance, when ill they think that all they have to do is to consult doctors; when they have complicated problems they think they can rely on the power of the laws; when subordinates do not obey them they think they have a right to scold them or to make them suffer. Thus, they dismiss such things quite lightly.
　　Also, since their principle is to live only for themselves, they surround themselves with luxuries and have no regard for others, so they are not loved or respected. Those who gather around them do so only for their own interest or profit, and once their luck begins to go against them, the equally selfish ones leave them.
　　Of course, such individuals are constantly assaulted with problems or complaints, until finally everything begins to go wrong and they fail. Even then they often try to retrieve their fortunes by relying on human power, becoming impatient and straining themselves by repeatedly attempting the impossible. This sends them into progressively more adverse circumstances, until they are completely beyond recovery. We observe such examples only too often.
　　Of course, such individuals never give ear to spiritual talk. They scornfully say, "How can there be such things as invisible gods or other spiritual beings? Those are all superstitions which are only in the mind. I myself am a god!" Not only that, they think it is most absurd to spend money or time on such "nonsense." They believe that such a thing as "faith" is either a self-consolation for weak-minded people or a means of killing time for idle men. Thus, they refuse to give any attention to such things.
　　We would call this attitude a serious case of extreme apathy toward faith.

054. 　Faith and Commandments

As there are feudalistic ideas and liberalistic ideas in politics, so are there also two far different ways of thinking in religion. Most religions up to now have been feudalistic. One manifestation of this is that most of them have been regulated by commandments, precepts telling members to do this or not to do that. These are all part of a Shojo* attitude. Our church, instead, has no commandments; it is Daijo,* very liberalistic, very free in every Way.
　　The commandments in religion are similar to the legal regulations in society. I do not think it is right to try to prevent people from doing wrong things solely by the power of such decrees. When a person grows to be a truly he individual, he will not do anything wrong wherever he may be, even if there are no laws or regulations to control him. Such an individual is a true human being.
　　Commandments are laws and regulations in religion. If a follower of a belief cannot act in the right way spiritually without being bound by commandments, it means that the religion he follows is not a true one. However, as long as man is living in a barbaric, uncivilized stage where the level of his intellect is low and he cannot understand the true meaning of religion, the evil in him must necessarily be controlled by commandments.
　　As the above statements make clear, in the new age of highly developed civilization, when man has grown to a level where he can clearly understand God's Will, it will become unnecessary for any religion to impose commandments. We believe that such religion will then have the qualifications which will enable them to help construct a paradise of everlasting peace on earth.

055. 　Ascetic Practices

Since olden times people in general seem to have thought that religion and asceticism are closely related.
　　The practice of asceticism had its origin in Brahmanism in ancient India. I have heard that before Shakyamuni Buddha appeared there, the majority of people believed in Brahmanism. Bodhidharma,* who for nine years sat motionless in meditation facing the wall of a cave, is a good example of a follower of this philosophy.
　　"Arhat" is the name given to the kind of monk who practices religious austerities. As you may have observed in paintings or sculptures, arhats went through extremely severe practices in olden days, such as holding something heavy in one hand while meditating, or sitting without moving in the crotch of a tree. In extreme cases, some arhats or trainees sat in meditation on wooden boards that had many nails driven through them so the sharp points pressed into their flesh; they often meditated in this extremely painful position for one year, two years, sometimes even several years. They believed that by enduring this kind of pain they would be able to attain total spiritual enlightenment or to reach Nirvana.**
　　There is a famous story about Bodhidharma. According to it, while practicing his ascetic pattern one night and looking up at the full moon in the sky, he suddenly felt the rays of the moon penetrating his bosom and permeating his being. In that moment he was awakened to Truth. After nine long years of sitting in meditation, his legs had become completely withered so he was unable to stand. I believe this was the origin of the legend that Bodhidharma did not have any legs at all.
　　I have learned that there are still quite a number of ascetic devotees of Brahmanism in India and that they work impressive miracles. The long medications in forests which the late Tagore had and the tasting which the late Gandhi often practiced must have, I believe, been religious austerities of Brahmanism.
　　At the time Shakyamuni Buddha appeared, the practice of asceticism was in great fashion. Shakyamuni felt such deep compassion for the miserable states of those who were following this practice he could not leave them alone. So he began teaching the reading of sutra, an easier way by which to attain enlightenment without such severe self-denial. It is said that many of the people of India at that time were deeply impressed with his good works and that Shakyamuni Buddha thus became the greatest object of reverence and adoration for those people.
　　In that sense, I think it is going against Buddha's beneficence for followers of Buddhism to practice asceticism. I understand that in Japan, too, there are still a considerable number of ascetic devotees and spiritual leaders who practice Brahmanistic austerities. The members of our faith can attain enlightenment, can come to tread the right path and to accomplish their God-given mission, without having to follow any such ascetic practices.

*Bodhidhrma: The founder of Zen Buddhism, sometimes simply called Dharma. Born in southern India around the fifth century.
**Nirvana: Buddhist term meaning a state of absolute bliss attained through the annihilation of the self or through the liberation of the individual from all passions and desires.

056. 　Shojo Faith

We sometimes hear people criticize religions in the following way: "Properly speaking, individuals who are engaged in spiritual work, such as the heads of churches and high-ranking ministers, should live as frugally as possible. They should be content with coarse clothing and meager meals, should live in humble abodes, and should walk or use public transportation when they have to go out somewhere."
　　It is true that in olden days the founders of religions and other spiritual leaders experienced all kinds of hardships as they tried to spread their teachings. Wearing straw sandals, they went out alone and preached on the streets. Sometimes they slept in the fields, and sometimes they went up into the mountains where they followed such ascetic practices as fasting or standing beneath waterfalls. Some were imprisoned or banished to distant lands. Really, when we read about the hardships these spiritual individuals experienced, we cannot but be moved to tears. After all their efforts, the only thing they could accomplish in their particular lifetimes was to establish their teachings within very limited areas. It was only after several generations that their teachings spread to become nationwide. Compared with today's conveniences, the adverse circumstances they endured all their lives are beyond our imagination.
　　Such circumstances as these have been impressed on the minds of people in general for so long that it is quite understandable that new religions today, when seen through such "colored spectacles," are often misunderstood.
　　This kind of attitude is what we call Shojo. Its origin is very old, for it has come from the Brahmanism of India, which existed before the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. The main goal of this teaching is the attainment of self-realization through the practice of asceticism. It is reported that, though few, there are still fakirs or ascetic devotees of Brahmanism in some parts of India even today. They are said to emit quite strong spiritual power and to work miracles. I think Mahatma Gandhi practiced tasting because he was a follower of Brahmanism when he was young.
　　Let me tell you an interesting story concerning this situation, which led Shakyamuni Buddha to establish 84,000 sutras. As Buddha studied the state of India, where Brahmanism was in vogue, he learned that most people believed they had to practice asceticism in order to attain enlightenment; they thought that was the only way to follow the right spiritual path. The pictures and sculptures of arhats which still exist in many parts of Japan show how these individuals practiced religious austerities, so we can imagine what kind of disciplines they endured. The sight of their suffering was simply too much for Shakyamuni's great, merciful heart. This is why he began to teach sutras as an easier way to attain enlightenment. He said that people could reach the state of enlightenment simply by reciting these sutras over and over. Needless to say, the people of India were overjoyed when they realized this for the first time. They naturally came to hold the Buddha in great reverence and adoration as the most wonderful of all saints. Thus Buddhism spread throughout India. Of all the salvation work achieved by Shakyamuni Buddha, this was his greatest.
　　In this sense, you can see that the Shojo attitude of faith in which asceticism is practiced goes against the Buddha's wish, which was full of mercy. It leans toward Brahmanism, which was the Buddha's object of salvation, so you see how mistaken such an attitude is. I believe Shakyamuni Buddha himself must feel sad in the spiritual realm of Buddhistic paradise when he sees his followers doing such things. You must know how wrong, how anachronistic a Shojo attitude is.
　　When we consider this from a different viewpoint, we see that in spreading a religious philosophy today, because of the developments in transportation and the techniques of publishing, what took many years in olden times can now be accomplished in a single day. So, we should adapt ourselves to the present and utilize all the modern conveniences as much as possible. If religion continued to adhere to the ways of ancient people, it is obvious that its true objective could never be achieved. The greatest proof of this can be seen in the fact that some of the old orthodox religions are separating from the progress of the times.
　　When people study the spiritual activities of our church, those with Shojo views of religion are struck only with wonder, but we cannot expect them to have any deep perception of the true meaning of our work.
　　If that was all there was to it, we would have nothing to object to, but unfortunately there are some individuals who criticize me personally, too, saying that I am living in a palatial residence or that my life style is too luxurious for a spiritual leader.
　　All of our administration is being carried on with donations made by our members. If officials of the church lived according to the standards of those who have a Shojo faith and criticize us, we would have to let food donated by members spoil and simply throw it into trash cans. The various articles donated cannot be sold or returned. Houses are donated by members from the heart, so we cannot help using them. On the contrary, such things make it possible for us to advance the great work of helping to save humanity. When you think about these matters, you realize how mistaken the views of Shojo people are.
　　 Since the ideal of our church is the establishment of a world free from disease, poverty and conflict, all our members who follow the teachings and strive to live in harmony with the laws can grow healthier, can be more blessed with material wealth, and can live with greater and greater harmony and joy.
　　For those who live miserable lives in this hell-like society, such good things are hard even to imagine, so they deny that they are possible. They must think we use such promises as bait to lure the unwary! They may regard the prototypes of paradise on earth which we are now constructing as merely luxurious mansions and gardens.
　　Our aim, however, is to help people get away from their world of suffering once in a while, to invite them to a paradise-like place free from all impurities where they can be bathed in a high spiritual atmosphere full of truth, virtue and beauty. We also wish to help develop highly worthwhile feelings in them while they are permeated with the joy of being surrounded by such an atmosphere.
　　I don't think there is any need to dwell on how important such facilities are for the people of today. Living in the atmosphere of the world as it is, people in general become coarse, the young become degenerate. Indeed, wherever we go we see indications of social evil. In this state of affairs, I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that our prototypes of paradise on earth are oases for people living in Japan today. When they come to truly realize the aim of our work, which is far-reaching and inspiring, they should all express an approval from the heart rather than voicing any adverse criticism.
　　Let me touch upon another important point. It is nothing new to remark on how the recent aggressive war has helped to make the Japanese people generally misunderstood by the rest of the world and how we have come to lose its trust. To recover this trust as soon as possible is the most urgent matter with which we must cope. In this sense we need to have good facilities which will help visitors from other countries to appreciate the natural beauties of Japan as well as the artistic talents characteristic of Japanese people. Now that the numbers of tourists from other countries are increasing more and more, we believe our miniature paradises will be very useful in not only relieving any weariness from their journeys but also in helping them to understand the high level of Japanese culture. I am looking forward to the day of completion of our centers of beauty, for I believe the whole nation will then pay admiring tribute to them.

057. 　Freedom in Faith

We in Japan have had freedom of faith ever since the new constitution was established, so there is no need to discuss it. What I wish to write on here is the freedom in faith itself.
　　There are countless numbers of religions in the world, some large and some quite small. As you know, many claim to be superior to all other religions and thus do everything they can to caution their members against having any contact with other faiths. They say something to the effect that other religions are negative, that members will receive severe punishment from their own deities for contacting other religions, or that if they worship two deities at the same time they will never be saved.
　　 There are some religions which give this kind of warning in an extremely strict manner. There are some ministers who try to stop their members from contacting other churches by uttering fearful admonitions, such as, "If you convert to some other religion, you will be inviting a calamity upon yourself," or, "You will be attacked by a serious disease," or, "You will lose your life!" Some of them may even cause their members to shrink with fear by making such terrible prophecies as, "Your entire family will be exterminated!"
　　These are the same old tricks used in negative religions. From a common sense point of view, such admonitions are nonsensical, too absurd to be taken seriously, but surprisingly, most of the individuals involved are afraid that what they hear may be true and they cannot easily make up their minds. This tendency is found in some quite old and well established religions as well as in some new religions which have recently gained sudden popularity. The latter fact is hard to understand. When we think deeply about it, however, it seems to us that not only is free thinking necessary in the fields of politics and society but in the field of religion as well, where the fetters of feudalism appear to be unbroken as yet.
　　Since such is the state of affairs at present, I would like to stress the importance of freedom in religion. To restrict the individual free will of members for the benefit of their churches is indeed inexcusable. On top of this, to go so far as to use verbal threats as a means of keeping members, as leaders often do, is religious intimidation, which is unpardonable.
　　Let me write as an example something I heard some time ago. A person came to me and said, "I have been a member in good standing and have kept earnest faith in my church for quite a long time. However, there has always been someone in our family who has been sick, and we have never been free from financial problems. So I have gotten tired of having faith in this religion. But whenever I have tried to withdraw from membership, our minister has threatened me with terrible things. I am at a loss as to what to do." So saying, he asked me for advice. I told him, "Such a religion is not good, without a doubt. I advise you to withdraw from it as soon as possible."
　　It seems there are quite a few religions of this kind in the world. Why do they practice such intimidation? One reason must be that they take such measures as a last recourse in attempting to hold on to their members. But there must be still another reason. It has been true since olden days that when a religion has become prosperous there has been a tendency for imitators to appear. Our church has had that kind of experience quite often. Each time such a thing has happened I have said, "When a religion becomes popular a counterfeit is bound to appear, just as it does in the field of cosmetics." I have always laughed, saying that if imitation churches appear, it is a proof that ours has come to be recognized, so we should be happy about it. Something similar seems to have happened in Christianity, although it has taken a different form. Its members are told to take precautions, that a false Messiah or savior will appear in the future. This may be good in a way but it may be bad, too, for when the true savior appears, Christians may regard him as the false Messiah, and as a result there may be quite a number who cannot be saved.
　　Worst of all is the fact that there are so many people who totally believe that the religion they follow is superior to any other religion, and that they dedicate themselves with ardent faith. In such cases, these people are mentally and spiritually helped to some degree, so they are satisfied. This is not right, however, for unless an individual is helped materially as well and comes to live a heaven-like life both spiritually and materially, he cannot be said to have attained true happiness. It seems that there are too many who are unaware of this and believe blindly, so they are not freed from misfortune although they follow their spiritual paths earnestly.
　　I would like to remind you of another point. I think perhaps the reason some religions are afraid of their followers' contacting other faiths is that they have apprehensions about the possibility of there being one that is superior to theirs. This is proof that there is some kind of weakness in these religions. You should be very watchful of this point.
　　I must say that in this area there is perfect freedom in our church. As members well know, I always encourage them to contact any other religion they wish. It is good for members to investigate, for by doing so their knowledge and understanding can be expanded. If as a result they find a teaching which seems to them to be superior to ours, it is perfectly all right for them to convert to that religion; it will not constitute a sin. What pleases God, the true God, is to see a human being helped and his life become happy.

058. 　Old-Time Religion and Present-Day Religion

I am employing a very simple religious form for the purpose of helping to fulfill God's Work of saving humanity. However, there is a big difference between this and the forms followed by religions of the past. Most of the founders of the old religions wore worn-out clothes, ate poor food, lived in discomfort. For the purpose of spiritual training, many of them practiced ascetic austerities, often secluding themselves high up in mountains where they poured water over themselves and concentrated on the reading of sutras. Thus, while their lives were perhaps full of truth and virtue, they lacked beauty. They had almost no interest in fine arts. They experienced miracles to some extent, it is true, but they put primary stress on studying sutras, made much of formalities, attached great importance to rituals and tried to save people through preaching.
　　These were my observations on Buddhism. I concentrated on studying it, leaving Shintoism and Christianity out for the time being, for they are of comparatively recent origin; the missionary work of Christianity started in Japan not too far back in time. Of course, an unorganized form of Shintoism existed before Buddhism was introduced to Japan. However, there are no documentary records or other reliable accounts handed down about it, so I cannot make any comments.
　　What we are doing now is very different from the things the old religions practiced. First of all, our goal is to establish a world completely free from disease, poverty and conflict. We are thus making a bold announcement about establishing paradise on earth, knowing that it may easily be taken for boasting. I believe this alone helps people to understand how different our work is from existing religions. What we are practicing as the first step toward this goal is the rescuing of humanity from suffering of sickness, the greatest misery of mankind. Needless to say, this part of our work is steadily producing good results. Once people become healthy spiritually, mentally and physically, the problems of poverty and conflict are automatically dissolved. With such conviction, all our members are actively working day and night as one unit.
　　As you have seen in the above pronouncement, the realization of paradise on earth is not mere idealism, for miraculous advancements toward our goal are actually being made. Also as a part of God's Plan we have designed prototypes of the highest state of paradise on earth, have chosen places of tremendous scenic beauty in Atami and Hakone, and have laid the groundwork. We are now engaged in the landscaping and construction of the buildings. When these are complete, we will show the people of the world how sublimely beautiful and good the highest heaven is.
　　 Essentially, paradise on earth can also be called a world of art; this is why we put great stress on art in our church. As God's Plan progresses still further, I will gradually present the most unprecedented guidelines for governmental affairs, economy, education and all other fields, on the basis of the revelations I have received and continue to receive. As I do so, you will realize what a great concept our church has.

059. 　What a New Religion Is

I am extremely happy that the words "new religion" have recently become the topic of conversation of people in various quarters of Japanese society. It has also been taken up by newspapers and magazines as a comparatively important subject, which I believe is a very good sign.
　　When we examine the contents of these conversations and articles, however, we find that the word "new" is used simply because certain religions have just been founded. People seem to have almost no interest in the nature of such faiths. It is a matter of great regret that even those who are involved in them sometimes assume a similar attitude.
　　What I mean by this is that even though a religion alleges it is new, it cannot rightly be called such unless its fundamental aspects are truly original. If its present leaders simply follow the doctrine of its founder or quote from writings that were created long ago, modifying these only slightly according to their subjective judgment, it cannot be called "new" in the truest sense. Moreover, if a religion's buildings copy the church's ancient architecture, if its rituals are maintained in the same ancient manner, and if its members are advised to cling to the ancient ways of its founder, that religion is still further behind modern times. Strangely, few individuals raise questions about such phenomena.
　　In this modern age, a religion has to deal with intelligent people of high educational background, so there cannot be many who would accept such an antiquated teaching. This is especially true of young people. We can say that the majority of the members of old established faiths follow those religions according to traditional social customs or simply by force of habit.
　　Members of new faiths are different, for they must have joined because they were seeking something new, and that is good. Still, it seems that even in such religions the number of steadfast members is comparatively small.
　　If the above is true, a religion will have to be theoretically logical and accompanied by obvious practical blessings in order to convince modern people so that they believe in it wholeheartedly. Those who are only pursuing a temporarily fashionable religion cannot remain its members for very long.
　　While today's people cannot be said to be totally without faith, because of their modern sense of evaluation, there are hardly any religions in which they tend to believe. According to my experience, if there is one worth believing in many individuals join it without hesitation. We can safely say that the majority of people are looking for such a religion. However, many of them have not joined one, even though they wish to do so because they have not been able to find any that satisfies their human desires. Because of this, people naturally turn to science, for it quickly and visibly satisfies them. We cannot blame them if they are without faith.
　　There is one problem. People tend to find out eventually that there are puzzles which the science they have so wholeheartedly trusted cannot solve, just as most religions cannot solve them. This leads them to a dilemma in which they have no future prospects. As a result, some intellectuals become agnostic, some lose hope, some become nihilistic or abandon themselves to despair, and some who are well-to-do turn to carnal pleasures. I believe this is the trend of modern society.
　　There is another thing I want to say. It seems that people take it for granted that today there cannot appear any spiritual leaders who are even greater than the historical figures of the past. This sort of fixed notion also is helping modern people to be filled with despair. Some are half resigned, some half abandon reality to study antiquated teachings and philosophies. Indeed, the world of thought is now in great confusion, not seeming to know which way to go.
　　From this darkness has emerged our Sekai Kyusei Kyo (World Messianity). It is boldly pointing out every negative aspect of existing civilization, exposing each error, teaching what a true civilization should be, and materializing its principles step by step. From an unbiased point of view, isn't this a wonder of the twentieth century?
　　The world has been in a dark age until now, relying only on the light of the moon, so to speak. Now the sun has risen, bringing everything unnecessary and harmful very clearly under the light. This is nothing other than the "Light from the East:" which has been referred to since ancient days. With the passage of time, the sun gradually climbs until it reaches its zenith, where it shines upon the entire world. This is the dawn of the Daylight Age.
　　In this sense, the New Age teachings I offer have heretofore been so unknown that some individuals are astounded at them and others misunderstand them. It is no wonder that they are dismayed, for what I advocate concerns the Daylight Age civilization, and it must be quite strange to those who have been accustomed to the Age of Night for so long.
　　Now that the Daylight Age has arrived, however, it is time for God to retain what is necessary out of the Nocturnal Age and to discard what is unnecessary. The light of the sun is sixty times as strong as the light of the moon, so even the physical problems which so far have been regarded as mysterious and insoluble will be easily solved. The daily results of Johrei testify to the above truth.
　　To put it in simpler terms, as the moon loses its light due to the appearance of the brilliant sun, so will there be a great turning of civilization. Our church is undertaking to help in this tremendous action. You will understand how great it is as time goes by.

060.　Newly Opened Stores and Long-Established Stores

As we look closely upon the commercial scene, we observe that there are two kinds of retail stores: those which have just been opened and those which have been long established.
　　As everybody knows, in new stores there is a kind of vigorous, energetic atmosphere, which comes from the desire of the owners for tremendous expansion. However, they have not established credit with the world as yet. From the customers' point of view, there is concern about the quality of the merchandise and the reasonableness of the prices. So they buy with experimental attitudes or only because of urgent need.
　　Conversely, customers have absolute confidence in long-established stores. Their way of thinking is, "The merchandise sold at Such and Such Store on Such and Such Street is always good. We can fully trust in its superiority. It is better to shop at such a store with peace of mind than to shop at a new store with an uncertain state of mind." So they make special trips to buy from the established places, especially when they have to make sizable purchases, even though the stores may be a bit far from their homes. This is indeed due to the reputation these stores have established through the years. So, stores that have just opened must sometimes sacrifice profit in order to draw as many customers as possible from these established stores.
　　This is nothing new; I think everybody knows about this kind of situation in business. It is interesting to note, however, that the same kind of situation exists among religious organizations. In fact, "new stores" in religion have far more difficult situations to cope with than new stores in business. Most people assume these religions are full of superstition or are totally phony. What a sad situation!
　　It is true that there are many such false religions, but I would like readers to realize that there are also genuine ones, though they are comparatively rare. I would also like them to give thought to the fact that all long-established religions were also new in their very beginnings. They have only become well-established as the years have gone by.
　　The "new stores" of religion will eventually become well-established, trustworthy stores if the "commodities" are of good quality and the "prices" are reasonable. So, it is surely a mistake to think that the "new stores" of religion which have just been founded are all false.
　　For this reason, I think those who are in a position to comment on a new religion should first investigate it thoroughly with an impartial attitude before coming to a conclusion as to whether it is good or bad. Only then can they rightfully criticize it in public.

061. 　Religion and Obstruction

Since olden times, religion has always been subject to persecution from the outside world. The most remarkable instance of this was the suffering Jesus experienced. Also outstanding was the conflict between the Buddha and Devadatta. In Japan, the sufferings of such Buddhist priests as Honen, Shinran and Nichiren are commonly known. In more recent years, such religions as Tenrikyo Church, Omoto, and Hito-no-michi have followed the same path. Our church too, no exception to the rule, has been oppressed several times, to the extent of making the front pages of various newspapers. In fact, on this point our church holds first place among new religions. An interesting aspect of this phenomenon is that the more promising and valuable a religion is, the more proportionately severe the obstruction is. Let me write the reason why this is so.
　　It goes without saying that religions are the manifest salvation work of divine spiritual beings. These divine spirits conduct salvation work which is suitable for specific historical periods, places and races, in accordance with the law of the spiritual preceding the physical, following the Will of the Supreme God. Christianity, Buddhism and Islam are the greatest of such salvation works.
　　The basic principle of religion is or should be to teach people to do good deeds and to help convert this world into an earthly paradise. From the human point of view this is wonderful, but from the viewpoint of evil spirits it is totally the opposite.
　　Because the purpose of evil spirits is to make human beings evil also and to create a hell-like society full of suffering, they are constantly fighting divine spirits. This is the real situation in the spiritual world and, since it reflects on the physical world, it causes a hell-like condition here, as you Can see.
　　Of course, minor evil spirits obstruct minor good, and powerful evil spirits obstruct great good. Hence, the leaders of the realm of evil spirits are constantly harassing our organization. The Divine Light being channeled through our church is now so strong, so unprecedented, that it is causing a tremendous panic in the realm of evil spirits. Every detail of this situation is known to me, but members also must know at least a part of it through observing various phenomena, such as spiritual possessions, which, I am sure, are taking place in many localities.
　　The evil spirits which are most active now are the most powerful ones in their entire realm. These leaders, using many of their subordinates, are working hard in a joint venture to obstruct our work
　　The battle between good and evil makes my blood tingle. I will describe it in the future, when the right time comes to do so.
　　No matter how large a scale the rulers of evil spirits operate on to obstruct our work, the Supreme God, Who of course has the greatest spiritual might, is on our side. Even if we appear to lose temporarily, we will win eventually, so there is no need to worry, although we will have to suffer considerably until the war is won. Our church is expanding steadily, as you see, in spite of severe obstructions.
　　 One thing you should be aware of is the unique character of evil spirits. They are astonishingly tenacious, so much so that they are never discouraged, never give up, no matter how many times they may fail. They just come back repeatedly, resorting to one method after another. This fact is beyond human imagination. Their merciless, satanic psychology is also beyond description. They use no other ways because these are the expressions of their basic nature.
　　The most powerful evil spirits select the human beings they wish to possess from among individuals who are of high social status, from among the intelligentsia, or from those in the journalistic field. These people would be terror-stricken if they knew the true state of things, if they were aware that a constant fight goes on between such evil spirits and powerful divine spirits. But there is no way of their knowing these actions are taking place, since they are all happening in the invisible spiritual realm. Thus, human beings, lords of all creation, are being manipulated like so many puppets.
　　Since this is well known to me, I have mixed feelings of concern, interest and enjoyment. It would be hard for anyone to understand this unique feeling, but in God's Plan the war between good and evil being enacted at this time is a great drama full of extreme variety, with shrewdness pitted against sagaciousness, a war such as has never before taken place throughout the ages. "Awesome" is the only word to describe it.
　　In this regard, an important fact we have to take note of is that this earth planet is at its great turning point. In the conflicts between divine and evil spirits that have taken place from ancient days up to the present, a considerable amount of time has been required for the divine spirits to recover from defeats, since the world has been in the nocturnal period until now. But recently, as our members know, the times between defeats and recoveries have become shorter. Because the world is in the process of making its transition into the Daylight Age the power of evil spirits is gradually becoming weaker. So, the recovery periods are shortened and even the defeats work to our advantage, as the facts prove.
　　The incident which took place in May of the year before last* gave our church a seemingly fatal blow, so people in general thought that we would never recover from the damage. But today, only two years later, the construction of the Hakone and Atami miniature paradises is progressing and the church is expanding rapidly. In fact, its growth is beyond anyone's anticipation. One might think that if it had not been for that incident our church would have expanded even more by now. However, this experience simply proves that the Power of God has become much stronger; the time for the great changeover is very near. There is no doubt that our church will inevitably be sought by people everywhere on earth.
　　I fully believe that this much obstruction must be natural, because our mission is the unprecedented undertaking of helping God to save the entire world.

062. 　Paradise-like Religion and Hell-like Religion

Let me write frankly about religions as they are. It is not meant as an insult when I say that almost all religions up to now have been full of suffering. Think of the fact that most of the greatest ones have had to experience many kinds of hardships, having often undergone persecution and many other types of suffering in their early stages. This has been so much the case that people in general have come to believe that persecution is an inevitable accompaniment to religion.
　　Not only religions and their founders, but their followers also have often had to walk such paths of oppression. We find countless records of these in history, among which are some that are so horrible it is almost unbearable to read about them in detail.
　　Jesus, the founder of Christianity, which has spread all over the world, was no exception. It is a well-known story that he was persecuted by the Pharisees and that he closed his life on earth on the cross. We may say that there were few religious leaders in the past who did not follow thorny roads. The only exceptions were Shakyamuni Buddha of India and Prince Shotoku of Japan. This was because both of them came from royal families and were crown princes.
　　Needless to say, all spiritual leaders who founded religions were exceptionally virtuous individuals, far more loving and merciful than other people. With a strong conviction that it was their mission to help save unfortunate humanity they worked solely for man's salvation, sometimes even at the risk of their lives. They were great saints who could be said to be goodness itself. Therefore, the governments and the people of their times should have been grateful for the efforts they made, should have expressed their appreciation, and should have treated them with utmost respect and consideration. But on the contrary, they expressed hatred toward these saintly individuals as if they were leaders of evil spirits, harassed and oppressed them, even took their lives in some cases. Nothing could be more illogical than this.
　　If we are to express a cool and unbiased opinion of the above-mentioned situation, isn't it more than sensible to say that those people who detested such great men of virtue, persecuted them and consigned them to oblivion, were instruments of dark forces?
　　 Basically, human beings belong either to a good or to an evil category; there is no in-between. That is to say, a human being is either one who stands on the side of God or one who stands on the side of evil spirits. Then, it is only logical that those who dislike the idea that God exists, who advocate atheism and are opposed to any worthwhile religion, should be considered instruments of evil spirits.
　　The founders of religions which are now identified as great ones were treated as if they were demons and harassed in the early stages of their work. In spite of these facts, evil forces finally gave in and goodness won, as history tells us. When in the midst of his persecutions Jesus spoke of having triumphed over the world, he meant just that. It was a very significant statement.
　　Most of the founders of established religions in Japan were only recognized as great men many years after their deaths, were enshrined as gods or worshiped in reverence as buddhas. Of course, this was because each one helped his followers to find spiritual happiness and contributed greatly toward the welfare of society. However, there was hardly any religion which won general recognition while the founder was still alive. In fact, persecutions were thought to be inevitable so a gradual tendency developed among followers to rather enjoy the necessity of enduring hardships. 　　Especially in Christianity's history, touching stories have been recorded, stories which tell of some missionaries who, following the example of Jesus, bravely volunteered to go deep into barbaric lands and give of themselves in service at the risk of their lives. These stories are so touching they make me feel like weeping. This is why I believe Christianity has spread more widely, impressed its influence more deeply than other religions. Even in Japan, when you think of what the early Christians had to endure or how the Amakusa Revolt*2 was fought, you can easily imagine how severe that church's experiences were.
　　I have been writing about suffering caused by outside forces which have been beyond human control. There are also quite a few religions, past and present, whose leaders did and do encourage followers to seek suffering of their own volition. Some Christian denominations which believe in strict disciplines, whose members practice asceticism or dedicate their lives to the practice of devotion in monasteries, are of this type. Also, Islam, Taoism and Lamaism*3 of China, Brahmanism of India, and the like are the same; their chief aim in their spiritual seekings is self-denial.
　　Many of the religions in Japan which have existed since olden days are similar to the above in numerous ways, though there are some differences. They have also experienced many persecutions. Shintoism, for one, was severely oppressed by Buddhists in the past, its followers at one time being forced to place a statue of Amitabha Buddha within the Grand Shrine of Ise. Devotees of Shintoism voluntarily went through the hard practices of asceticism. Buddhist priests also experienced hardships of no common order, as many people know. The best known of these was perhaps Nichiren. At the time of the Persecution at Tatsu-no-kuchi,*4 well known in Japanese history, Nichiren was on the point of being executed. At the moment the sword was raised, a great miracle occurred*5 and his life was saved. This was only one episode of many in his hard experiences.
　　In some sects of Buddhism, the priests observe extremely strict regulations, inflicting severe disciplines on themselves and entering into states of total concentration for the purpose of attaining enlightenment. There have always been faiths like this.

　　As I mentioned before, to date almost all religions have been distinguished by suffering, generally speaking; people have believed that suffering is the primary part of religion, that it is a means of cleansing the spiritual being. Thus, they have come to accept suffering as a kind of pleasure, an abnormal attitude in my opinion. Frankly speaking, this has been because there has been a lack of spiritual power in religion, and to supplement this lack some human power has had to be added.
　　In such a world full of hell-like faiths, World Messianity suddenly appeared. Our church is basically different in every way from those others. No, more than that; it is even contrary to them. We reject the practice of asceticism most of all, for it is hell-like; we advocate heaven-like living as a manifestation of true faith. Thus, there is a great difference both in spirit and action between our religion and other religions. Moreover, ours is so large in scope that art and science are included. Also outstanding are our teachings on the way to solve health problems and on a revolutionary farming method. These can be said to be the essence of the salvation of mankind, which should surely open people's eyes.
　　We teach everything that is required for changing hell into heaven, so what can this mean other than that this spiritual work is a manifestation of the Love of God?
　　For this reason, we believe that any faith which advocates ascetic practices is wrong, that a faith which guides its followers to heavenly lives full of happiness and joy is the one that brings true salvation. When this way of thinking and living spreads until the people everywhere in the world begin to live by it, paradise on earth will become a reality.
　　The first step to paradise on earth, which is our goal, must be taken by families. When such families increase in number by the day, by the month, it is obvious that the entire world will inevitably be changed into a paradise.
　　Anyone who comes to understand the true meaning of what I have stated above should applaud our church, speak highly of it, and join us immediately. But the fact is that many people are influenced injuriously by some kind of Shojo belief or by a materialistic way of thinking. This causes them to look at our church with doubt, to misunderstand our true intent.
　　In this way they are deferring the happiness which can be theirs, without realizing it. However, I know the time will come when the real value of our church will be known to all. I am waiting for that time as I work now with all my strength and heart, according to directions from God.

* On May 29, l950, Meishu-sama was taken into custody by the police, due to false charges made by some individuals who resented the growth of the church. He had to remain in jail for three weeks.
*2 A revolt in which the early Japanese Christians fought against the government for their faith, were defeated and executed.
*3 The form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Mongolia.
*4 The name of the old-time execution ground in Kanagawa Prefecture.
*5 A bolt of lightning struck the sword and broke it.

063. 　Religions and Their Sects

Most religions are divided into several sects or denominations. For instance, Christianity has two major divisions, Catholicism and Protestantism, which is divided into many sects and denominations, both old and new. In Japan alone there are six main sects of Buddhism, which are Shinshu, Jodo, Tendai, Shingon, Zen and Nichiren, and each of these is subdivided into many smaller ones, until today there are fifty-eight Buddhist sects. Then, besides Shrine Shinto, the traditional form of Shinto worship, there are thirteen sectarian divisions within Shintoism. The principal ones of these are Taisha, Mitake, Fuso, Misogi, Tenri and Konko.
　　It seems illogical that religions should be split into sects or denominations like this. My opinion is that the cause lies in their teachings, such as those of the Bible of Christianity and the sutras of Buddhism. In both, there are numerous sections that are difficult to understand and parts that appear to contradict still other parts. These have caused many differences of opinion as to their proper interpretations, and probably it is as the natural result of these disagreements that various divisions have been formed.
　　Sectarian Shinto churches are different, for they had no great founders such as those of Christianity and Buddhism. Some of them are based on the Kojiki, the legendary stories of old Japan, or on the Nihon Shoki, the oldest written history of Japan; some have been founded upon charismatic doctrines; and still others have been started with the teachings of their specific founders.
　　In this way, some denominations share the same origin, and these have been divided into such widely varying sects that a lot of discord has tended to arise between them. This is regrettable, because it has had a bad influence upon efforts to help people develop greater love for each other, which is the primary mission of religion. And the primary cause of this has been that the sacred books have been too difficult to understand, as I stated above; this is beyond dispute.
　　It is true that some people feel sacred books are still more sacred and dignified when they are difficult to understand or interpret, and there may be some logic in this. From the viewpoint of a desire to help save all mankind, however, I believe sacred books or religious teachings should be made easy for everyone to comprehend.
　　For this reason I am going to avoid difficult wording and give my teachings in a way which is unique but simple enough for everybody to understand. Also, from now on I am gradually going to give my individual spiritual explanations of government, economy, education, art and other fields, which you may also find unique.

064. 　True Religion

A true religion should, in principle, include the entire world in its scope. That which focuses on only one country, one race or one class of people is not a true religion. A spiritual teaching which sets such a limit will invariably give rise to a tendency toward conflict with other groups.
　　Harmony is a basic requisite in spiritual work, and it should be its essential principle to strive for the eradication of conflict of any kind. Religion abandons its original purpose if there is any turmoil. Unfortunately, we can find many instances of religious conflict in the history of man in both the East and West.
　　A religion with a limited consciousness is called a Shojo faith and a religion which embraces the entire world is called a Daijo faith. Only a religion with a Daijo consciousness is a true religion.

065. 　Material Blessings

I may say without self-praise that our church is characterized by the wonderful material blessings our members experience.
　　Since ancient times, many fine religions have come into being. The influential ones, including Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, the world's three major faiths, still hold their leading positions. Our church has existed for just a short period of time and its expansion has been rather inconspicuous if compared with other, better known religions. Yet, people say that the speed of its development is unprecedented. Our church is thus beginning to draw much attention from the general public. There are quite a few harassments directed against us because of such attentions, but this must be an inevitable action in this transitional period. I am sure it is just a matter of time before the day comes when the true value of our church is recognized through the fair judgment of society.
　　Our fellowship has its tenets and ideals just as other religions have and is doing its best to attain its goals. However, there is a fundamental difference between our church and other established religions. Unless one is able to recognize this difference, it will be impossible to understand the true nature of our church. As everybody knows, most religions have been almost exclusively engaged in spiritual salvation work since their beginning. In World Messianity, members receive a great many material as well as spiritual blessings.
　　Intellectuals usually regard religions that emphasize such blessings as low-grade and so almost totally ignore them. When we think about this deeply enough, we discern the reason. Many religions in Japan can be classified into two major categories: worldly religions and unworldly ones. In the former, the objects of worship are usually animal spirits which have been deified or other deities of lower nature. There is no seeking for spiritual theories or philosophy; there is nothing intelligent in these religions. The only thing followers want from their faith is to receive material benefits in some form. In the eyes of most well educated people, such individuals are foolish and not worthy of any attention. Thus, they take it for granted that the pursuit of material blessings indicates a religious faith of a very low grade.
　　They evaluate as high-level faiths religious forms in which tenets are expressed scholastically and with skillful theorizing in terms of those tenets, without regard for material blessings. Such religions, as a rule, have fairly old histories in which many famous reformers or priests of high virtue have appeared. So, learned individuals tend to make much of such religions and regard them as being on high levels. The outward signs carry the weight here.
　　Let me write a few words of candid criticism about such a tendency. It is true that such religions are worldly, but they are leading the masses much more than one can imagine. People with lower education pay hardly any attention to academic theories. They attend the services of their religion from time to time, pray for material blessings, donate some money, and are perfectly satisfied. It is that simple. But we cannot deny the fact that even such religions have some good influence on people's minds, because they are at least based on the spiritual; that is, they are based on a belief in the invisible. They are certainly more beneficial to society than stubborn materialists are, because at least those who worship some gods would not commit heinous crimes in cold blood.
　　Materialists are people who think that one should not believe in the invisible, asserting that to do so is expressing superstition. The greatest numbers of such individuals are found in the intellectual class in Japan. They, as materialists, believe that religions should only be studied scholastically. They are not satisfied unless religions are theorized and treated as philosophies. From our point of view, when they speak of their religious theories, most of these are obviously skin-deep, extremely superficial. And when they speak negatively of our church, their criticisms are nothing other than slander.
　　In order to really evaluate a religion, to find its true nature, they should go into a study of that religion and analyze its tenets with sharp, discerning eyes. They should evaluate it objectively, discarding their subjective prejudices. The true nature of any religion cannot be judged from outside, for it can only be found within the religion itself. In this sense, those critics should rectify their attitudes to a great degree.
　　When they criticize our organization, they just glance at it from the outside and conclude that it is a very worldly religion because material blessings are stressed in our church. This is an unkind, hasty judgment. As long as they do not change this attitude, even a hundred criticisms expressed by them will be meaningless. If they examine our church with a sincere attitude, they will come to understand that our religion has more than a material side; it is deeply philosophical. It is unprecedented in the history of humanity, for it is more than a religion; it is a way of life. The teachings cover not only spiritual truths, but explain the fields of healing, art, agriculture, education, economics, administration and other important areas of human affairs, giving the highest guidelines in all these.
　　In short, our church turns the principle of a faith into a living reality.

066. 　Religion: a Miracle

lt has been believed since ancient days that religion and miracles are inseparable. This is very true. It may sound like self-praise to say so, but I don't think there has ever before been any religion which has experienced as many miracles as our church.
　　This is so because our church serves only God, the Absolute Being, and our members act as channels of His Divine Light. Many people in Japan believe there are numerous lesser gods and that there is little difference between deities as long as they are called kami(gods), and they have a tendency to worship them indiscriminately. However, you must know that in actuality there are deities on higher, intermediate and lower levels, from the highest to the lowest. Included are the guardian spirits of districts and the animal spirits which have been deified. Let me give an example to illustrate the total Divinity of God, the Creator, Whom our church serves.
　　I don't think it is necessary to explain to you what wonders our Johrei works. Since this fact is now becoming known more and more widely, it is one of the reasons for the church's expansion, as you are aware. In regard to healing through Johrei, the thing that many people wonder about is that in the beginning it works regardless of whether one receives it skeptically, with resistance, or just on a trial basis. In faith healings of the past, people were usually told, "You must believe this. You should have no doubt." It is quite natural for those who have been used to this kind of approach to wonder how Johrei can work at any time without faith. Let me explain the reason.
　　To tell a person to believe before he has experienced any result is to encourage him to deceive himself. Needless to say, this is wrong. It is impractical for anyone to believe something before he has received any proof. Of course, by making an effort to believe because of being told by the healer to do so, the receiver experiences a slightly more successful result from the treatment than there would have been if it had been received with doubt, but that kind of result is not God-given; it is only man-produced, according to the power of the individual's mind. Why is it, then, that such mistaken approaches have been accepted almost automatically? The reason is that many people have been unaware that the object of worship involved does not have enough power to effect any healing and that it is necessary for man to supplement it with his own power.
　　In this sense, the fact that healing is effected in our church, even though an individual receives Johrei skeptically at first, means that God's Power is so strong it is not necessary to attempt to add man's power to supplement it.
　　Let me add another thing. I have often heard ministers or senior members in these groups, whenever they have not seen the results they expected, say by way of excuse, "This is because you do not have a Arm enough faith." Perhaps they think a blessing is something that can be acquired from God solely by human effort rather than something that is bestowed by Him. Primarily, God is all Love and Mercy, so He always answers man's prayers, as long as they are right and good. If man strains himself, if he makes an effort to an excessive degree, God does not respond according to his expectations. Especially such extreme practices as fasting, abstaining from using tea or salt, taking cold water showers in winter, or visiting a Shinto shrine one hundred times and offering a prayer each time are out of harmony with God. This is because God is total Love; lie has no wish to see man suffer.
　　Just think about it. Man is God's child. Is there any parent who wishes his child to suffer? If you have to strain yourself to believe in order to receive blessings, you must know that yours is a faith of lower grade. For example, if some kind of blessing is experienced through an ascetic practice, you are worshiping a deity who is a negative spirit, not the true God.
　　You can understand this is so, because that kind of blessing is only temporary, never lasting. Blessings from the true God are different. If a new member of a religion experiences blessings even though he is skeptical or has no faith of any kind, his blessings prove that the religious object of worship is a deity on a high level.
　　As your own faith grows, you experience fewer mishaps until you reach a level where you begin to have constant peace of mind and so become a truly happy and fortunate individual.

067. 　Religion and Miracles

Throughout the known history of mankind, written records attest to the fact that religion and miracles are inseparably related. If there should be a religion in which no miracles ever occurred, it could not be called a true faith. It is God Who performs miracles; man could never achieve even one by means of his human power. Therefore, a religion without miracles has no reason for existing because it is not in touch with God.
　　However beautiful or elaborate the rituals or formalities of a religion may be, if no miracles are experienced by its followers we may say it has lost its value. In this sense, it stands to reason that the more powerful a religion is, the more miracles its followers experience.
　　A miracle is an overwhelming blessing, so great the individual has not dared to expect it. Through this kind of action, a person is moved to feel his faith welling up from within so strongly that he cannot but join the church, and as a result his hitherto unfortunate life changes to a fortunate one. I believe that a religion such as this is a true one. It is nothing new to say that one personal experience is worth a hundred theories.
　　It is a matter of deep concern that crime has abruptly increased in this country, though that is an inevitable result of Japan's defeat in World War II. Also, the general trend of thought of the younger generation, the driving force of the future, is utterly confused because of the bad influence of unwholesome ideas. When we probe into the true cause of this sad situation we find it to be erroneous education, which has materialism as its golden rule. The problems of demoralization and juvenile delinquency will never be solved until people are awakened to this great error.
　　What, then, should be done to break down this worship of materialism? I believe the most essential action is to make everyone aware of the spiritual meaning of life, as we have always taught. The only way to accomplish this is to awaken one and all through miracles to the reality of God. When something seemingly impossible to achieve by human power has actually occurred, it is generally termed a miracle. If an unbeliever sees a seeming impossibility taking place before his very eyes, something beyond material explanation, his doubt and skepticism vanish. This is why we say, "The essence of religion is miracles" and "Miracles are worked by religion."
　　Therefore, unless we help to awaken all people to the existence of God and help them to learn the spiritual meaning of life through miracles, however hard we may try to establish a peaceful society in Japan or to eradicate its evils, how can the good results we expect be achieved?
　　I don't think that in the long history of mankind humanity has ever encountered or even heard of a religion such as ours, one in which so many miracles have been and are being experienced. At this time, when the world is facing the major transitional period, the aim of our church is to awaken all of the people on earth who have lost spiritual consciousness－to shake up the human minds which are in deep slumber－through the miracle-working Power of God.
　　The One, Omnipotent God, Who has worked under different names and in different forms throughout the long past, is now exercising His All-Powerful Divine Light freely and flexibly, and manifesting more and more miraculous works through World Messianity, in order to advance His Plan for saving the world.

068. 　The Real Meaning of a Miracle

The word "miracle" usually indicates a wondrous event which seems to transcend natural law. It is wrong to deny something that happened because in your opinion it could not have happened. If you think it was a total impossibility, that is nothing but a lack of understanding on your part. This may sound confusing or complicated, so let me explain.
　　The idea of impossibility is in itself an illusion, because it is based on a superficial interpretation of an event which appears unusual to an ordinary concept. Of course, the way of thinking common to society up to the present has been materialistic, so when something has happened which has not seemed to be in accord with most people's ideas of the natural laws, it has struck these materialistic thinkers as unaccountable or miraculous. People have actually seen things happening under their very eyes that are considered humanly impossible, such as some of the experiences of members of our church, and they have called these miracles. Let me give you some examples.
　　One member reported that a child who had fallen from a high cliff had been found to be quite safe and unharmed. Another told of a collision between a bicycle and an automobile, in which the rider had been uninjured and there had been no damage to the bicycle. A man who had missed his train and so had to take the next one found he had escaped possible disaster, for the train he missed had gone off the tracks and overturned. There was another case in which a member had missed a train that later collided with a second train, so he had escaped that disaster. Another member had used Johrei toward a burglar, causing him to run away. Still another had had the experience of having some stolen possessions returned to him. Others reported that the power of Johrei had saved their homes from burning by changing the direction of the wind or by making the fire stop right where it was. Big or small miracles such as these have been and are being experienced by many of our members, and they occur quite often.
　　How can they happen? What can their cause be? I think you are interested in knowing, so I am going to tell you: Their cause lies in the spiritual realm.
　　There are actually two types of miracles, one produced through the person involved, the second coming from other sources.
　　Let me explain the first type. As stated before, every human being has an aura which emanates from the spiritual body. Invisible to the average person, the aura is a whitish, misty light which not only radiates through but envelopes the physical body. Each aura differs in width according to the degree of purity of the individual's spiritual being－the purer the spirit, the wider the aura. An average person's aura is one or two inches wide, that of an individual of great virtue is two or three feet in width, and the aura of a highly evolved soul, such as a divine being, is almost limitless. Conversely, the aura of a person with a clouded spiritual body is narrow and weak.
　　As I have explained before, there is a spiritual reason for escape from accidents. For instance, if an individual has a wide aura, the spirit of an automobile (everything has a spirit) cannot hit him because of the strength of his aura. The physical automobile will thus be turned aside and the individual will be safe. If a person with a wide aura falls from a high place, even though his body strikes against a rock or actually crashes into the ground, his aura will protect him and he will be unharmed, landing gently and safely.
　　Buildings too have auras. If the head of a family occupying a house is a virtuous person who has done a lot of good deeds, the aura of the house is wide. In the event of a fire, the spirit of the flames cannot touch the house because it is protected by its aura. The fact that the temporary headquarters of the Mother Church remained intact in the great fire of Atami can be attributed to the same cause.
　　There are some exceptions when houses owned by good people may be burned to the ground. There is a profound meaning behind these events. while such cases are rare, they are sometimes necessary for the fulfillment of God's Plan.
　　Now, the second type of miracle is caused by spiritual intervention.
　　As explained before, every human being has a guardian spirit－that of a Japanese has been selected from among his deceased family members. It gives special help to the individual in its charge in times of danger, and it sometimes informs him of important future happenings in dreams.
　　Sometimes, for an individual who has a special mission, one of the divine spirits extends help in place of the guardian spirit. For instance, if the individual is riding on a train which is about to collide with another train, a divine spirit may protect him by causing both trains to stop, thereby preventing the crash. A divine spirit knows everything, wherever it may be, even thousands of miles away, and it can reach the spot instantaneously to save the person in danger.
　　As you see, a miracle of either kind does not take place through mere happenstance, but occurs for very good and valid reasons. When you come to understand this fully, you will know miracles are neither unusual nor strange. Since I started on this spiritual path, miracles have become normal events to me, so I feel peculiar when I am not experiencing any. For instance, once in a while I encounter a difficult problem whose solution seems to be prolonged. I then say to myself, "It is time for a miracle to happen," and wait. I am soon blessed with that miracle and the probem is solved. This often happens to me. I am sure those of you who have deep faith and spiritual understanding and who have done a lot of good for others have often had similar experiences.
　　If we think good thoughts, perform good deeds, live virtuously, and constantly make efforts to remove clouds so our auras will expand, we need have no fear of accidents or other misfortunes.
　　Those who have wider auras give a warm feeling to all who come in contact with them and endear all to them. They are the ones who attract others. Naturally, many people gather around them, their work goes smoothly, and they make constant progress.

069. 　Daijo Religion

It is a well known fact that all religions (especially Buddhism) have divisions of both Daijo and of Shojo, but it seems to me that the meaning of these has not been thoroughly understood up to now, so I am going to give my viewpoint.
　　Daijo expresses the pattern of Nature. This includes all the activities of birth and growth of all things in the universe. So, Daijo includes everything, with no exception. In this sense, the Daijo I am explaining is not Daijo, or Mahayana Buddhism. More correctly, it should be called the Daijo Way, a way which includes religion, philosophy, science, government, education, economy and art. War and peace, good and evil are included as well.
　　As we observe the activities of all things in the universe, we find there is one perfect pattern Nature follows, one right way. A person who has come to realize that things go smoothly by following this perfect pattern－the Way of Nature－is worthy of the name of true man. For this reason, if any of us deviate from the Way, we will surely encounter hindrances, and our actions will either be stopped temporarily or completely disrupted. Thus, creation results from acting in accord with the Way, and destruction results from deviating from it. In this manner, the world is repeating the actions of creation and destruction, which are like those of trains or streetcars. They run smoothly when they are on the rails, but once they go off the tracks they come to a stop or even crash.
　　There is reason for everything; nothing happens accidentally. When something is born or created, there is a reason for it, and when something dies or is destroyed, there is also a reason for that. All things occur of necessity. In this sense, in the field of thought if leftism goes to an extreme, it gives birth to rightism, and vice versa. Things never remain one-sided, but always return to a balance in order to proceed along the "track," just as driving an automobile properly keeps it in the middle of its lane. For this reason, all isms－capitalism, socialism, communism, conservatism, progressivism, activism, passivism－are born from necessity and become extinct from necessity.
　　Religions are no exception; they appear for good reasons. However, people usually look at things from their individual points of view and so they are apt to think all beliefs other than their own are heretical. This is because they tend to have limited viewpoints. As the Japanese saying goes, this is "like looking at the sky through the pith of a reed." When God, Who is working for the furthering of His great Plan for the entire earth, looks upon human beings who are fighting with each other over such trivial matters so constantly they have no time to think of anything else, lie must sigh over the pettiness of mankind.
　　All things on earth that prove to be unnecessary for man are weeded out by the natural law of selection, and those which prove to be necessary survive, no matter what man might do in attempts to destroy them. For instance, suppose a new religion or a new philosophy appears. However superstitious or heretical it may seem to human eyes, if it is something that is necessary for mankind it will grow and expand. But if it is not necessary it will disappear in time according to the law of natural selection. So, man should simply allow anything like this to take its course.
　　If a new philosophy offers something that is important and of true value, the more it is oppressed, the more rapidly it will expand. We see the best example of this in Christianity. Think of the success it enjoys today, in spite of the fact that the authorities of the time crucified its founder, Jesus Christ.
　　I strongly feel that modern people should think about their attitudes and how mistaken they are, should think about their narrow views, their shortsightedness on many things.

070. 　A True Daijo Religion

People in general are aware that there are two kinds of religions, those which maintain a Daijo attitude and those which stress a Shojo attitude. However, the opinions most religious leaders and religious scholars express on this point are usually quite ambiguous or inaccurate. We may well say that almost none of them touch upon the essence of the matter. This is the reason I am going to write in detail on this subject.
　　 Before that, however, I want to be certain you are aware of the manner in which all religions operate. Each has its own methods of spreading its teachings and following its rituals and formalities, which are based on those established by its founder, and each is classified accordingly. Buddhism and Christianity, both of which have become worldwide religions, are familiar examples. So are Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan, which have been divided into sects, and which again have been divided into smaller sects according to individual patterns. When we think about these, we can realize there is something basically illogical about them.
　　Let us turn our attention to the true essence of religion. Its value lies in its promotion of the spirit of love, harmony and cooperation between human beings, so that all faiths should share a single goal. Therefore, isn't it true that there should be no differences in the ways and means by which all religions spread their teachings? The fact, however, is that there are so many divisions of thought it is quite natural that man should follow this pattern of diversity, and this must be one of the causes of all the confusion that exists in society today.
　　Moreover, this situation has caused the power of those who stand on the side of good represented by religion to be scattered, making it almost impossible for them to oppose the power of evil forces. You can see this as you observe what is happening all over the world, for so often it is not the power of religion but the power opposing it, that of evil forces, that wins. Of course, God's Power always totals one hundred percent, while the power of evil can only reach ninety-nine percent at most, so God's power ultimately wins over evil, obviously. But the suffering which must be endured by individuals standing on the side of good is of no common order.
　　I myself have had that kind of experience quite often. There have been times when evil forces were so strong and flourishing they were almost in complete control and they constantly kept a sharp watch over the church activities, taking advantage of every unguarded moment to attack the work. I have experienced this so often it makes me feel that the stories of Satan assailing Jesus and of Devadatta assailing the Buddha must be true and that they are working as actively as ever even today.
　　Thinking in this way leads to the conclusion that spiritual work must have a power that is stronger than the power of evil forces. Otherwise, the world can never change into a truly happy place where good prevails. Only when this is realized can all religions be united into one and this entire planet become one world; only then can a world of perfect happiness free from any fear become a reality.
　　This is not an easy goal to attain, but it is not an unreachable one; paradise on earth is in God's Plan and it is already becoming a reality.
　　The most important step to take toward making this a full reality is to discard all Shojo attitudes and become totally Daijo in spirit. In other words, there should appear a movement which includes religion, science, government, economy, art and every other area of material life, yet transcends them all. It should be led by a spiritual giant who is endowed with superhuman power and wisdom, one who can lead everyone toward that goal.

071. 　Religion Should Be Universal

Every religion should be universal. However perfect one may be in other respects, if it is not universal it cannot be called a true faith. I say this because if it is racial or national it will inevitably enter into conflicts with other religions, such as those that are going on in the world today.
　　The reason is that a religion like this tends to boast of its superiority and to look down upon other beliefs, so it cannot maintain harmony with them. Furthermore, it is at times exploited by its government. We see an example of this in the way the Japanese military took full advantage of Shintoism during World War II. We can also observe the same exploitation in accounts of the medieval European crusades.
　　We find quite a few examples in history. In each case, the cause can be traced back to the racial character of some specific religion. At the same time, however, it can also be said that this was more or less inevitable in the past because people did not have our modern transportation facilities, international relations were limited to adjacent areas, and culture was still in its infancy.
　　 Today, we are living in an age where all things are on worldwide and universal scales, so we believe that religion, above all else, should keep pace with the times. It is for this reason that we changed the name of our church, replacing the characters which meant "Japan" with those which mean "world" and calling it Sekai Kyusei Kyo (World Messianity).

072. 　A Progressive Religion

As we study the modern world carefully, we find that in this age of constant progress every material thing is improving, evolving without exception. Strange as it may seem, however, religion, of all fields the most closely connected with humanity, shows almost no progress at all. It seems to have remained unchanged through the centuries, or, it may be more correct to say that it appears to be moving backward.
　　The strongest evidence of this lies in the fact that the old orthodox churches often speak of the need for going back to the right paths or returning to the starting points of their founders. This means that they believe they have strayed from the right ways, so it is necessary for them to go back to the paths they were once on. If this process is continually repeated, there will be no progress in religion, which is contradictory to the progress of civilization. The fact that many of them have lost the power to attract people and are straining to maintain the status quo proves how true this is.
　　It is a fact that almost all religions have experienced persecutions and oppressions, and that the new religions seem to be destined to go through these experiences also. Yet, because of their freshness, they have spread rapidly and there have been some periods of splendid expansion. As time has gone by, however, most of them (except Christianity) have shown a tendency to become stagnant. If this is actually the case, we should find and study the cause.
　　Needless to say, the reason is that they are not moving with the progress of the age. While they have been busy adhering to the teachings of
their founders as their golden rules, they have been left behind by the progress of civilization before they have realized it. As a result, the gaps have become bigger and bigger, until these religions have come to be criticized as being inadequate. Since there is always a cause for everything, I think it is necessary for old established religions to seriously examine themselves and seek that cause, for they cannot forever stand aloof from the changes in the rest of the world.
　　What we stress in our church as vitally important is making everything progressive so we can always be adaptable to the changes of the times. It is because of this that we ignore the religious formalities of orthodox churches as much as government regulations allow and so avoid spending the time and expense necessary for such superfluous formalities. Such expenditures bring no lasting benefits, so I do not believe God considers them necessary.
　　I am sure the mission of true religion should be to improve the lives of modern people and to play the role of guide to them. With this in mind, it is my conviction that only a progressive religion has the power to help save the people of the present world.

073. 　How Rational Is a Religion?

In evaluating a religion and deciding as to whether it is right or wrong, the simplest and surest standard of judgment is to determine whether or not it is rational.
　　In this sense, you must be aware that religions which put emphasis on spiritual phenomena can be dangerous. I do not mean by this that all spiritual phenomena are wrong. Actually, many founders of today's established religions have had experiences with a considerable number of spiritual phenomena. But there are both positive and negative kinds.
　　The best way to make the right judgment is to use common sense as your standard.

074. 　Peace of Mind

The expression "peace of mind" is often used. People in general seem to think that this applies only to the mental and spiritual aspects of life, but that is a big mistake. "Peace of mind" in its truest sense should include the material side, too.
　　Just stop and think! If a person experiences even one of the three misfortunes of disease, poverty and conflict, how can he have true peace of mind? An individual can attain this only when he has enough self-confidence to state, "For the rest of my life I will have no worry of becoming ill, of becoming poor, of causing any conflict." However, being completely free from these three worries must simply be a dream in this present world. I would think that almost no one living today has that much self-confidence and peace of mind.
　　As you see by looking around, nothing seems to go as well as anyone expects; unpleasant things happen one after another; good things rarely come about. Really, this world is like hell itself. First of all, think about our health. There is no way of knowing when we might become ill. A simple cold may not be cured quickly. It may become more complicated; it may even be a sign of some more serious disease, so we cannot take even a simple cold lightly. Germs are everywhere around us, according to medical science, so we don't know when we may be struck by some contagious disease such as tuberculosis. It is for this reason that authorities give us too many detailed instructions regarding health and sanitation, such as: Keep clean; do not eat or drink too much; gargle after returning home; wash hands before meals; be careful about what is eaten; and so forth. If we were to follow all of these admonitions and instructions constantly, modern living would be like trying to make our way through a blizzard of fear.
　　Strife as well as poverty is mainly related to monetary problems, whose basic cause is the unbalanced state of the spiritual and physical beings of the individuals involved. Therefore, unless we maintain sound minds and sound bodies, we cannot have complete peace of mind. People in general may be thinking that this is sheer impossibility, but if it were possible wouldn't that be great news? I hereby assure you positively that it is utterly possible.

075. 　Good and Evil

It is a fact that happiness and unhappiness, peace and war, comedies and tragedies are caused by either good or evil. In this world, good and evil are mixed together in chaotic confusion, and are causing all sorts of situations.
　　Why are there both good people and bad people? I am sure all of you believe there must be some basic reason for the existence of good and evil. I am going to explain this reason, for I believe it is something that is very important for you to know.
　　 Most people have a natural wish to be good, not to be bad. It is quite natural that government, societies and families also desire good, for all know that peace and happiness cannot come out of evil.
　　To make what I am going to say totally understandable, let me define good and evil, dividing people into these two categories. Those who are categorized as "good" are individuals who believe in the invisible, and those who are categorized as "evil" are individuals who do not believe in the invisible. Those with a belief in the invisible are individuals who believe in God and other spiritual beings; that is, they are spiritualistic. Those who do not have any belief in the invisible are individuals who are atheistic and materialistic.
　　When people do good things, they are motivated by love, mercy or a sense of social justice-in a broader sense, by love for mankind. Some do good deeds because they believe in the law of karma; that is, they believe that if they sow virtue they will reap virtue, if they sow evil they will reap evil. Some help others because of a strong feeling of compassion. There are also individuals who do good for others as expressions of gratitude for "the four kinds of blessings," as taught in Buddhism.* To live economically, trying not to waste things, with a sense of gratitude for the bounty of Nature, is also an expression of goodness. To make efforts to give others pleasure; to do things for the welfare and convenience of others; to be kind; to be faithful to one's vocation; to be grateful to God and to express that gratitude in action; to do one's best to live in accord with God's Will are all manifestations of virtue. These are just a few examples of goodness.
　　Next, let me write about the mental attitude of those who do wicked things. They have no belief whatsoever in God or in any other spiritual beings. They don't mind committing any kind of sin or crime for their own profits, as long as they can deceive others. This comes, of course, from their nihilistic thoughts. Deception and imposition are their daily practice. They think nothing of afflicting others, causing harm to society and to humanity in general. In extreme cases, they commit murder.
　　War is mass murder. Some of the so-called heroes of history caused wars in order to satisfy their ambitions for power and for material gain, and when they conquered the weak they acted as though they were truly great, believing that "Might is right." However, a Japanese proverb says, "While man prospers it looks as though he has conquered heaven, but heaven always overcomes man in time." History has shown us that even though such men enjoyed fame and popularity for a while, they almost always met with miserable ends. This was because their motivation was evil.
　　Should it be true that a person could do wicked things without fear of divine retribution if he could pass unnoticed by others, it would be to his advantage and a clever way to live to do as many bad things as he could manage and to surround himself with the utmost comfort and luxury. It is lack of belief in the spiritual world and in life after death that causes such an individual's evil deeds.
　　The fact remains that, without exception, however successful a person may appear to be by following a sinful road, he must be ruined in the long run. In the first place, someone who has done something wicked must lead a life of constant anxiety and strain, living in fear of being caught at any time. He is constantly tormented by guilt and as a result he cannot help but repent in the end. We have heard of quite a number of instances in which some men who have committed crimes have voluntarily given
themselves up, and of some others who have felt great relief after being caught and have even been grateful for the penalties inflicted on them. This is because the God-given souls within them are aware they deserve punishment, for their souls are connected with God by invisible spiritual cords.
　　As stated before, even though a person commits a wicked deed and completely succeeds in deceiving others, he cannot deceive himself. Also, since man is connected with God by a spiritual cord, anything he does is known to God and is indelibly recorded in the spiritual world. This means that it simply does not pay for man to commit evil deeds.
　　There are some people who do not commit wrong deeds only because they think that if they should fail and be discovered they would lose public credit, which would be a great disadvantage to them. This is an attitude of self-preservation. There are also some who, even though they think they could gain a lot through wrongdoing, cannot do anything bad because they simply lack the nerve.
　　Some perform good deeds with the thought that they will win the confidence of others or that they will gain some profit by doing so. These are individuals who are good for utilitarian purposes alone. Some do helpful things for good deeds, which is like a one-sided business transaction, selling of false love in the hope of being repaid with real love. Such "good" men are preferable to wicked people, because they do not seriously afflict others or work mischief on society. However, they cannot be called true men of virtue; they are only good in a spurious sense. In God's Eyes, those individuals who barter kindness in return for kindness are not rated as virtuous in the real sense, for God sees into the very depths of their hearts.
　　We sometimes hear people wonder why so-and-so, who is a good person, can be unfortunate. This individual may be good solely in human eyes, which see only the surface, not penetrating to the depths of his heart. He could be doing good deeds without believing in the invisible, so might also be doing wicked things under circumstances in which he was sure there was no fear of his being found out by others. Such a person can be called dangerous. One who does not believe in God, even though he may seem to be good on the surface, may possibly turn into a wicked individual at any time. Such a person is under the influence of evil forces.
　　People who believe in the invisible－in God and in other spiritual beings－will never be taken in by any clever talk because of their firm belief that even though man can seemingly be deceived, God can never be fooled. For this reason, we should say that only a person who has faith－who believes in the invisible－is qualified to be called a truly good person. Therefore, I believe that the only thing that can save the world from the demoralized state it is in today is true faith in God, and nothing else.
　　Up to the present, laws and regulations have been formed, police departments, courts and prisons have been set up, and authorities have been making every effort to prevent crimes. This is the same as building a cage for wild animals and enclosing them with an iron fence in order to prevent them from injuring man. In other words, criminals are treated not as human beings but as wild beasts. What a pity for those who were born to be precious human beings, to degrade themselves so they are like beasts and end their lives as such!
　　It is an eternal truth that a human being can lower himself to the level of beasts, just as he can elevate himself to divinity. Man is a being who is somewhere between a divine being and a beast. In this sense, I believe that a truly civilized man is one who has freed himself from his lower, animalistic nature; that the progress of civilization means the elevation of human beings from that level to the level of divinity.
　　When I speak of paradise on earth, that is exactly what I mean, that it will be a place where only individuals who have reached such a level reside.

076. 　Atheism Is a False Belief

Recently, the number of articles about cases of corruption among public officials has been increasing in the newspapers and there seems to be no end to them. This leads us to believe that morals in all areas of government must be decaying.
　　The present level of corruption appears to surpass anything we have experienced before. The authorities, apparently aware that they must do something about this, seem to be trying desperately to solve the problem. However, what they can do is limited, as usual. They resort to the customary methods of disciplining, strictly enforcing the regulations concerning ethical standards among all government officials. This is understandable, but it offers only temporary relief, and as long as it does not reach to the root of the problem it is obvious that this same problem will occur again and again.
　　In the same vein, we often hear talk about and public criticisms of the unethical practices of corporate individuals who enjoy the luxury of large expense accounts. such persons reputedly invite government officials to restaurants or clubs and entertain them lavishly in order to influence them and win contracts. This entertainment must involve large sums of money and, naturally, such expenses contribute to the spiraling cost of living. Ultimately, the public has to bear the burden. Giving this a little thought, it becomes obvious that such individuals are making fools of the public. The problem must be solved as soon as possible, but neither the authorities nor responsible members of society can really do anything about it, for they do not understand its true, basic cause.
　　One aspect which does not make any sense at all is that most of the individuals who are the source of this problem have received higher education. It would seem that an education has nothing to do with the elimination of crime. However, people in general tend to believe firmly that a man with a good education does not commit crime. Indeed, they cannot be blamed for thinking this way, since most intellectually inclined individuals would not normally commit acts of violence. The fact is, though, that while such people may not be violent, they are sometimes involved in evading the law by making use of their minds. The results of this are even more serious because, having social prestige, they exercise considerable influence on the public.
　　Why do these individuals commit crimes when they have had such good education? There is a very important reason for this. In spite of their education, there is a great defect in the mentality of such people. Their materialistic ways of thinking lead them to believe that no matter how unjust a deed is, it will come to a successful conclusion as long as it is planned carefully and carried out skillfully so it is not noticed by anyone. But, to their surprise, their actions are often revealed in some unexpected way, and they wonder why. Their thoughts probably go something like this: "I planned and did everything so brilliantly, yet something went wrong and I was exposed. I cannot understand this; why did everything end up this way? I know I did nothing foolish enough to warrant my being caught. It has to be that forces outside my control caused this failure." They then strive to mitigate the outcome, not regretting their actions but rather determined to plan their future courses more cleverly.
　　 Occasionally there may be a somewhat virtuous official who regrets his action and resolves to accept and serve his sentence gracefully. He determines to take this opportunity to begin again and to become a better person. He may sincerely make such a decision, but as time goes by his resolve may weaken so he returns to his former ways. The reason for this is that all such individuals are nonbelievers.
　　The way to solve this problem at its root is faith in God; that is, wrongdoers must first realize the existence of God through faith. I assert that there is no other effective way. Their criminal thinking stems from a disbelief in the existence of God, and from a very naive idea that there is nothing above this earth except the atmosphere. Belief in God is regarded as superstition by such persons, who will not even admit the existence of God or of a higher being of any kind, no matter how much we explain.
　　Since their thinking allows the cultivation of a criminal psychology, it is obvious that eradicating this false belief is the key to solving the problem. The reason they have been taken in by such superstitious ideas is that they have been continuously taught by a materialistic educational system from childhood, and as a result they have become enslaved by the biased idea that materialism reigns supreme.
　　Our mission is to enlighten these people. We must reeducate them spiritually in order to help them to become human beings who are fair, just and honest. Unless people of power and influence awaken to this idea, any other method will only be temporarily effective.
　　One fact which must be established above all else is that although we may be able to deceive a fellow human being, we can never deceive God.

077. 　Why Is Evil Invariably Exposed?

I presume you have a fairly accurate answer to this question, since I wrote in detail about the problem of corruption among public servants in the previous article entitled "Atheism Is a False Belief." In essence, the real cause lies in the mental attitude of people who do evil deeds. It is, of course, atheism that makes such people think their evil deeds can remain unexposed so long as they are not witnessed by anyone. Let me clarify this point.
　　If it were indeed true that evil acts could pass absolutely unnoticed, it would be to the wrongdoers' advantage to do as many wrong things as they could think of for the purpose of making as much money as they possibly could. Needless to say, this is the mental attitude of most individuals who commit evil deeds. In reality, however, no matter how careful they are, their acts are inevitably exposed, sooner or later. Mysterious as this fact may seem, it is nevertheless true. While they may be conscious that this happens to wrongdoers in general, they are still unable to give up their own evil practices. This is because they do not comprehend the true reason evil deeds are exposed and bound to be brought to light.
　　First of all, the most essential truth for everyone to know is that while people may be able to deceive others they cannot deceive themselves. No matter how well they may keep their bad acts hidden from the eyes of others, they cannot conceal them from themselves. This means that their evil deeds have already been exposed, for the perpetrators themselves are conscious of them.
　　A view that is popular among many people today is that every person is a completely independent entity who, having no connection with other human beings as a whole, is a law unto himself. It is considered clever for him to do only that which is convenient and profitable for him. This is generally accepted as the best way of living today.
　　When such a person hears a lecture on morality or on love for others given by someone more experienced than he or by a preacher, he may pretend to be deeply impressed, but his true opinion is that it is sheer nonsense, the mutterings of the weak or the empty prayers of the superstitious. He can see only the material aspects, so he is spiritually empty and of little value as a human being.
　　This is the way too many people think at present. Will their philosophy of life lead them to true happiness in the future? No, it will invariably lead them to misery. Let me explain why.
　　The essential point is that an evil deed is known to the doer himself, even though it may not be known to others. This is vitally important, for there is an awesome place in the spiritual world where all human thoughts are known. This is generally referred to as the Hall of Judgment, which can be likened somewhat to the courts of law of the physical world. Unfortunately, those who are steeped in materialism cannot believe this and stubbornly refuse to accept the Hall's existence when they are told of it. It is this attitude which is the source of evildoing, so if evil is to be eradicated, everyone must be awakened to the truth. I declare that there is absolutely no other effective way.
　　How is it possible for everyone's thoughts, words and deeds to be known in the spiritual world? It is possible because there is a spiritual cord which connects each human being with the Hall of Judgment, and this operates in somewhat the same manner radio waves do. Thus, each and every human thought, word and deed are recorded flawlessly, in the Book of Heaven, and retribution is meted out according to these. Misdeeds are brought to light in a most subtle and ingenious manner and, as a consequence, wrongdoers are punished according to the laws of society in the physical world. Those who do good deeds are rewarded according to those same laws. This is the justice which governs both the spiritual and the material worlds. When the truth is fully understood, no one will ever dare to commit even one wrong deed again. Thus has God made the world most perfectly, most ideally.
　　Since this is an absolute truth, to establish in man's mind an unshakable belief in it is the fundamental solution to evildoing. Unfortunately, however, both the government and the leading classes of our age are often blind to spiritual truths and even believe it is uncivilized to offer the public such information. This is indeed a sad situation. Whenever we try to achieve this end they become wary, regarding us as fanatics. To tell the truth, it is they who are extremists, victims of false beliefs. The fact that despite all their efforts such crimes as bribery are not on the decrease but rather on the increase is ample evidence of this. Their efforts bear no fruit because they are trying to prevent crimes by punishing only the glaring ones after they have been committed, through makeshift methods. It is absurd to expect crimes to be eradicated through enforcement of laws that are full of loopholes and by building barriers which anybody can breach, since they do not get to the heart of the problem. Yet, the leaders regard this as a civilized country of high standards and boast about it. That is indeed infantile and ridiculous! This present age can well be called an age of barbaric civilization.

078. 　Evildoers Are Fools

What is an evil person? Needless to say, he is the opposite of a good person. An evil man thinks nothing of sacrificing others for his own benefit, and there are some who even seem to do so simply for amusement.
　　Let us analyze such individuals. We have often heard evildoers say, "Let us lead short but merry lives." I think they know that "an evil deed becomes known a thousand miles off," as the Japanese saying goes, that they cannot keep their negative acts secret forever. So, they do these things with full knowledge of their negativity and with awareness that they are doomed when discovered.
　　When we speak of wrongdoing, some people may think we refer to the evil committed by rascals in the streets, or of robbers, burglars or murderers, but we are not referring solely to those people. These days, there are some individuals of high status who dare to do evil deeds which seem to be quite dangerous. Since World War II ended, many scandalous things, such as the withholding of necessities for exorbitant profits, illegal sales, tax evasion, and bribery have been reported in the newspapers and magazines.
　　We often wonder on reading these accounts, "Why has such a prominent person committed a deed that is so bad that he has been sent to jail?" Why do such individuals do evil things? They commit such acts, of course, thinking that if they succeed in deceiving others cleverly their deeds will not become known. But far from it, their evil is inevitably exposed. This is because everything in the physical world is witnessed in the spiritual world by God and all the divine beings. This is what I mean when I say repeatedly, "Those who have no faith are dangerous people." Even individuals who have attained considerably high status in the world do not always realize this important fact.
　　Once their acts are exposed and they are proved to be guilty, evildoers lose their standing in society and it takes many years for them to retrieve it, if they ever do; there are some who are obliged to live all the rest of their lives in oblivion. Think about the fact that the losses they incur can amount to many times, maybe twenty or thirty times, more than the gains they have made through dishonest means.
　　During the Meiji era in Japan, there was a notorious burglar, Sadakichi Shimizu, who always went armed. I heard that when he was caught, he reminisced something like this: "I now realize burglary is the worst business for it just does not pay. When I counted all the money I had stolen to date, I found that it amounted to only about half a yen a day." Even during the Meiji era, when prices were extremely low, I am certain that at that rate burglary was not worthwhile.
　　As you see from the above example, such evil deeds do not pay, from the financial as well as from the spiritual standpoint. Moreover, wrongdoers have to live with such anxieties that they cannot sleep in peace until their evil deeds are exposed. Thus, nothing is as senseless as wrongdoing. This is why I say evildoers are fools.

079. 　An Evil Man Is a Sick Man

Probably many who read this title will be puzzled, will not perceive its meaning, because many evil men are healthy-looking. In fact, more such healthy looking persons are found among bad individuals than among good ones. Their seeming health is only an outer appearance, however, for from a spiritual point of view they are very ill.
　　An evil man is one who is possessed by an evil spirit. Once a negative entity enters a body it suppresses the primary spirit, pushes aside the guardian spirit and, to put it simply, takes over most of the person's spiritual body so it can act as the master and do as it wishes. An evil spirit like this is an animal entity, and it causes the possessed individual's behavior pattern to be almost identical to that of a savage beast. This is why cruel and brutal acts that no totally human person could do are often committed in cold blood, even done sometimes solely for amusement. It is hard for normally balanced people to understand how such vicious, merciless deeds can be committed against one human being by another.
　　As explained before, from the early days of his life everyone has a secondary spirit which is animal in nature. While a human being lives on the physical plane, this is necessary; God has caused man to have a secondary spirit because he needs certain physical promptings in order to live in this world.
　　There are two different reasons for a person to become a wrongdoer: one, he becomes possessed by another animalistic spirit besides his permanent secondary spirit; or two, his secondary spirit, which has been with him since his earliest years, becomes too strong and begins to reveal its true animalistic nature. Let me explain how this happens.
　　Clouds accumulate on an individual's spiritual body. When they reach a certain density, an animalistic spirit which is exactly suited to that clouded condition approaches and possesses the individual. When that happens the primary spirit is overcome, so the possessing entity is able to make the individual act just as it wishes. Thus, it is the clouds on the spiritual body that are the true cause of a person's wrongdoings.
　　His blood becomes impure in ratio to the amount of clouds created. This certainly causes a severe purification eventually, some kind of suffering that is in proportion to the nature and amount of the clouds. It may take any one of several forms－an accident, an illness, or some other undesirable event.
　　It is interesting to note that when a very wicked person begins to reflect on his conduct even a little or to show the slightest amount of spirituality (an indication of the awakening of the divine nature within), his evil deeds are then exposed and he is caught by the authorities. This is his purification. There is a Japanese proverb, "While evil prospers, it looks as if it conquers even heaven; but heaven always overcomes in time," which means the same thing. In other words, it is a divine law that when man's spiritual body is clouded over he must undergo purification.
　　As you see from the above, from our point of view the cause of anyone doing wicked things is the heavy accumulation of clouds on his spiritual body; we believe he is definitely a sick person. It goes without saying that the more wicked an individual is, the more intense the process of purification must be, so he must experience great pain or become seriously ill.
　　Man creates clouds on his spiritual body because of a lack of spiritual strength in his primary spirit, a lack of Light. Nothing but true faith in God can help man avoid this experience. When an individual develops faith and focuses his mind on God, God's Light pours into his spiritual being through the connecting spiritual cord. The Light then begins to increase and his spiritual clouds begin to decrease. An animalistic spirit suffers in the Light, so if an alien spirit has been possessing the individual it quickly leaves his body; if his secondary spirit has been too powerful it dwindles in strength. In either case, the individual then becomes unable to do negative things.
　　For this reason, a person without faith in God may be said to be a dangerous individual, for he may become a wrongdoer at any time that he is prompted by some kind of motive. There are many such dangerous people in our society today, as you can understand from the above explanation. This is one of the reasons evil in society is not decreasing. Therefore, however good a person may be at present, as long as he has no faith in God he cannot be a man of virtue in the true sense, but is one who has a latent quality of evil. Truly, a person without faith can never be trusted. The old Japanese saying, "When you encounter a stranger, beware of him for he may turn out to be a robber," must have originally referred to those who had no faith in God.
　　Even this simple principle does not seem to be understood today by most governmental authorities and other leaders in Japan. As a result, they ignore the power of faith and attempt to correct evil by relying solely on laws. I am sure you are aware of how mistaken such an attitude is.

080. 　How to Eliminate Crimes

The worst of the many criminal acts in recent years is the murder of somebody for a small amount of money, committed as casually as if it were a dog being killed. When we think about the type of individual who does this we have no words to say, because his is an extreme act that is outside the area of normal mentality.
　　From a balanced point of view, what a terrible world this is! A murderer not only ignores the suffering of his victim but never thinks about the profound grief the bereaved family must experience. I wonder why that killer seems to have no inkling of the fact that he will be sentenced to death, or at least to life imprisonment. Usually young, he will either die or never be able to live in this world freely, and thus his entire life will be ruined one way or the other. This kind of thought never seems to enter the criminal's mind. It is extremely hard to comprehend the psychology of such a person.
　　The deeds of people of this type are nothing other than acts incited by their sheerly instinctive desires for momentary carnal pleasures. For their very short-lived enjoyment they have to pay ten times or even hundreds of times the price they must have anticipated. However hard we may try we can never regard them as human beings, for they are just like four-fooled animals. The worst of it all is the aforementioned fact that such beastly individuals do not seem to be aware that they may be sentenced to death for committing their crimes.
　　So far there seems to be no way of understanding their motives, but there is a legitimate reason for that. You can perceive it very clearly if you will study them from a spiritual point of view.
　　The answer, as you find in the teachings of our church, is that a human being has three spirits: that is, a primary spirit which comes directly from God, a guardian spirit which is selected from among the ancestral spirits, and a secondary, animalistic spirit which the individual automatically attracts. The primary spirit is the source of an individual's conscience and spiritual consciousness. The guardian spirit is the one which encourages him to do only good things. The secondary spirit is the exclusive source of carnal desires.
　　When the secondary spirit reaches a point of total control over the spiritual being of an individual, the animalistic nature predominates in him so he becomes something like a beast in human form. Once he is a beast he has no feelings of compassion or love whatsoever, but consistently manifests animalistic brutality.
　　This is the basic reason atrocious crimes are committed. Therefore, unless human beings become the kind of individuals who are never slaves of their beastly nature they can be very dangerous, for they can suddenly be overcome by impulsive wicked desires so they commit crimes.
　　What should we do, then, to become immune to such acts? The only way is to rely on the power of faith. The reason faith is necessary is that people have a tendency to allow their beastly natures or secondary spirits to control them. So, the influence of those spirits has to be weakened.
　　To put this in still plainer language, we should make the power of good stronger than that of evil and should place the secondary spirit in the position of a ruled rather than a ruling spirit. I declare that there is absolutely no other solution.
　　First of all, if a person has faith in God, opens his mind and heart to Him, worships Him and prays to Him, the spiritual cord connecting that individual with God is very much strengthened and the Light of God pours into his spiritual being. As the light of his spiritual being becomes more intensified, the strength of his secondary spirit dwindles and its ability to manipulate him weakens. It is for this reason there is incessant fighting going on between good and evil in the mind of man.
　　Therefore, no matter how detailed laws and regulations become, no matter how stringent disciplines become, since these are surface attempts to control criminal acts they can achieve very little, because such methods do not treat the basic cause of evil, although they are better than nothing. This is the reason the condition of today's society as a whole is so deteriorated.
　　I just cannot understand why government officials and educators still do not realize such an obvious fact. They are at a loss as to how to handle the increasing numbers of atrocious crimes and greatly increased juvenile delinquency. What they have finally hit upon in order to handle the situation is nothing more than such old fashioned methods as reviving lessons on ethics in schools and improving educational policies.
　　This is deplorable from our point of view. Although it may sound a little sarcastic to say so, what these people are doing is the same thing as scooping up water with a bamboo basket, then trying to make it more closely meshed after realizing that the water is pouring out through the holes.
　　I would like to present this article to the leaders of Japan as a suggestion.

081. 　Conquer Your Own Evil

Not long ago, I wrote an article entitled "Overcome Evil," in which I said that we should not be defeated by evil people. Here I shall write not of the evil of others, but of that which lurks within our own hearts and minds, and which must be conquered.
　　Good and evil are constantly in struggle within all human beings. In Buddhism this is spoken of as the struggle over worldly passions. Since there is no limit to human desires, whether money, sex, power, fame or complete freedom of will, evil is always pushing its head up. Good tries to push it down by giving warnings or admonitions. Good also tries to encourage the individual by saying, "Help others. Try to make it so that others can become happy."
　　In this way good and evil fight each other endlessly. This is the natural state of a human being, who is the lord of all creation. For this reason, if evil is victorious, crime is perpetuated and gives birth to unhappiness, while if good wins there is happiness. This is all very clear and seems simple enough, but even though he knows it is true, it is hard for man to apply it in his life, especially if he lacks faith. One who believes in God knows this well, so he seldom gives way to evil. Even so, this is not an easy practice.
　　It is the secondary spirit which causes a person to do evil deeds and the guardian spirit which causes him to do good deeds. Above both is the primary spirit, which constantly urges man to be absolutely good. Therefore, man must always strive to strengthen the power of his primary spirit.
　　This is the power which will conquer the root of all evil, so we must always do our very best to make it grow stronger. The only way we can do this is to pray to God and to strengthen our faith in Him. We can attain true happiness in no other way.

082. 　The Truly Strong Person

Today, many people deplore the evils of society and, indeed, it seems there are too many wrongdoers everywhere in the world. As we look back into the history of our church, we find that it has always been harassed by individuals with wicked motives, so much so that it can well be called a history of a struggle with evil.
　　When we analyze the psychology of evildoers, we find that they do not commit evil deeds out of ignorance but with full knowledge of what they are doing. Except for the most atrocious and wicked, most of these people know that they should not commit evil, but they are driven to their deeds because of their desires for money or for other material or physical pleasures, such as drink or women. Once they are on the road of evil, they think they cannot get off it.
　　Such a person knows that crimes are punished by the laws, but he believes he cannot fulfill his desires by honest means so he turns to evil ways, paying careful attention to evading the laws in every way he can and to hiding his evils from the eyes of others. He resorts to lies, to deception, with the greatest skill. As time goes on, he becomes more negative and more skillful, until he is able to deceive almost everyone and thinks nothing of it.
　　Those who are deceived are usually good-natured individuals, and so they easily resign themselves to their losses. Taking advantage of this, the evildoer becomes inclined to commit more bad deeds, and as he becomes more experienced he realizes greater results through his particular methods than by honest means.
　　Once a person reaches this stage, he is bogged down deeper and deeper in the quagmire and seldom if ever renounces his life of shame. This type of evildoer, engaged in intellectual offenses, is usually from the better educated and more privileged classes.
　　However, every person has some kind of bad habit and weakness. There is an ancient saying in Japan, "An individual with few faults has at least seven weaknesses." Even an evildoer knows that his negative deeds inflict pain on others and make them unhappy, and that these evil acts constitute sin. This must cause some kind of guilt-consciousness within him. He also knows that his habitual intemperance causes unnecessary expense, straitening him financially and making trouble for his family. He is also well aware that frequenting red-light districts is not only a waste of money but means risking the danger of virulent diseases, causing unnecessary anxiety to his wife and parents. He knows too that in gambling or betting there is a greater chance of losing money than of winning it. He knows that it is not good to indulge in these things, but he is often unable to refrain from doing them.
　　Most people have at some time had an inner struggle with such negative desires or experiences, and this is the very point I would like to make. If an individual cannot refrain from doing something he knows is wrong, he shows his lack of strength to control himself; his lack of true courage. This courage is one of the most valuable qualities a person can have. I always teach that a human being is capable of reaching divinity by elevating himself spiritually. A person who has a will strong enough to keep away from any wrongdoing once he knows it is wrong, and is never overcome by evil, is one who has reached the level of divinity. This kind of will power is true spiritual strength, true divine power. For the above reason, I think you understand why I say, "Weak one, your name is evildoer."

083. 　Japanese Give In Easily

It is said that no other people of the civilized nations are such weaklings as the Japanese, who readily accept any demand, no matter how unreasonable, when they feel compelled to do so. This is understandable, for as the old saying goes, "You can't fight crying babies or feudal lords," and this feudalistic way of thinking is still strong in Japan.
　　For example, even if people have been harassed by slandering reports of newspapers and magazines, they remain silent from the fear that even more negative things would be written if they incurred the displeasure of these slanderous journalists. Even when they believe a certain proceeding of the government authorities is neither proper nor right, they feel compelled to accept it because they don't know what worse treatment they might be given by the officials once they aroused their displeasure by protesting. Even when they think that a tax assessment by the tax office is unreasonable, they fail to request correction for fear of insulting the officials and being put on their blacklist. When racketeers come to them with the purpose of extorting money from them, they quietly comply with their demands because they don't know what retaliation might result should they refuse or report these criminals to the police. As everybody knows, gang bosses and racketeers, taking advantage of this meek attitude of the people in general, are still rampant in many districts and are harassing many law-abiding citizens.
　　I understand that in the United States, when a person receives unjust treatment or when his civil rights are infringed upon he firmly protests, and demands that justice be done. Only when people are this strong in spirit can social injustice be prevented, fairness be maintained and a truly democratic society be realized.
　　If we are to create such a happy society in Japan, we must make a strong and unrelenting demand for justice and never give in when our civil rights are infringed upon or some other wrong thing is done to us. In other words, good has to defeat evil. Only when this way of thinking is widely accepted and practiced by everyone can true democracy be realized in Japan.

084. 　Overcome Evil

Since ancient days religion has developed on the basis of a principle of non-resistance. Even Jesus, on whose teachings Christianity, the great worldwide religion, was founded, said, "But I say unto you, whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." From this we can realize what a great personification of love Jesus Christ was. Shakyamuni Buddha, also, seems to have taken a non-resistant attitude toward all the persistent interruptions of Devadatta. Perhaps he interpreted them as his spiritual discipline in Buddhism.
　　These two individuals, earth's greatest spiritual teachers, lived in this manner, and we can see clearly that all the many saints and founders of religions who followed in their wakes lived according to the same principles. There was only one Buddhist priest, Nichiren, who was completely different, opposed to this non-resistance principle. His zeal, his fighting spirit seemed to take him to extremes. We can see how strong his conviction on exclusivism was in his famous slogan, which went something like this: "The Jodo sect will send you to hell; Zen Buddhism is the Devil; the Shingon sect will ruin our country; the Risshu sect is a traitor to our nation." We certainly cannot agree with him.
　　We can see how the teachings of the Love of God and the Mercy of Buddha have attracted the hearts of many people, have inspired feelings of reverence and adoration in them. However, if we are to form an opinion based on the results these teachings have produced, it is hard to unconditionally declare the right or wrong of them. I say this because even though it has been over two thousand years since Buddha and Jesus passed over, not only has there been no decrease of evil; rather, there has been an obviously steady increase. The good are still being harassed by the wicked, and honest people are still getting the worst of it. This condition has not changed since olden days; it is as though it has had no connection with the progress of civilization. The only difference we can see today is that because of the other areas of progress, the means by which to commit evil deeds have become much more clever, more devious, though there is no difference in their true essence. The only improvement is in the manner in which justice is administered to criminals, in the fact that there is little extreme violence today. But this improvement may be said to have made the situation more serious than before, depending on the nature of the case.
　　Here we must think deeply about the reason evil has not been eradicated. The true cause is that good gives way to evil. Wrongdoers take advantage of this and try to persecute good people all the time. Above all, those evildoers think that good people are easy to deal with. Perhaps their thinking is that all good people must be very foolish and cowardly, and so they look upon them with contempt. Good people themselves usually believe that they are no match for evildoers, that if they should indiscreetly resist them they might get into some major trouble, that they might even be injured. Thus, they think the best thing to do is to meekly accept whatever injustice might be done to them and let it go at that, concluding that this is much more to their advantage. In this way they resign themselves, so wrongdoers take advantage of such situations more and more, and sharpening their poisonous fangs, as it were, begin to give full play to their wrongdoings, taking every possible care not to be caught by the law. This is the actual state of society today.
　　What I have referred to above is evil that is connected with individuals, but there is another evil which is to be feared still more and that is the misunderstanding of the authorities and also of the news media. I can say how true this is from my own experiences, which I have written about in detail in my booklet, Memoirs of Religious Persecution,* as those who have read it must know. Many law enforcement officials harass common people, freely brandishing the laws like weapons.
　　Since to common people it is unbearable to be accused by those who are abusing the laws when they themselves have done nothing wrong, they naturally wish to make the seeming offenses as light as possible by appealing to their better feelings. Defending lawyers, too, strive not to offend prosecutors, to give favorable impressions, and they advise the defendants to do this also. In preparing written reports, they advise the defendants to use in their petitions words that express appealing, imploring attitudes. We used to believe that all judicial officials respected the laws and gave fair judgments according to those laws, but we have learned through our own experiences how mistaken we were.
　　This may be a little too much to say, but as we watched the officials' way of doing things, we came to learn that unfortunately, besides their concerns about the laws, there are subtly working within them personal emotions and feelings which cause them to seek to protect their own reputations.
　　As for the news media, they do not care whether or not what they have heard is true; they arrogantly write whatever they wish on the basis of their dogmatic judgment. They are only interested in holding the attention of the public. Even though their reports cause trouble or inflict damage, they are not concerned at all. I once heard someone say, "The news media are the tyrants of the twentieth century." It seems to me that this is not too far from the truth. Since they are always speaking about democracy－that is, of how democratic they are－why are they in fact called tyrants? I believe it is because of their awareness that there are no strict regulations concerning their freedom of speech.
　　Some years ago our church was attacked by the press again and again with groundless, false accounts. Because of this, quite a number of people advised us at that time, saying, "When somebody writes a false account it is to any intelligent person's disadvantage to fight against it. It is better for you to let the matter drop, to bear it silently. Especially if you offend a big newspaper, the cruel treatment you would receive would be out of all proportion. It is wisest to bear the calumny and be silent."
　　Each of the above three examples－evil committed by individuals, by authorities, and by the news media－are instances of evil overcoming good. In such matters, the sufferers usually bear the wrongs done to them silently and hold to the policy of non-resistance, putting priority on their own well-being; they do not want to place themselves in any further disadvantageous positions.
　　This is why bad people become more and more dominant, causing it to seem there is no end to what they can get away with. If this state continues, our precious laws lose their power and then－as always－it is the common people who become victims. This is indeed a poor social condition.
　　In such a state there is no sign as to when this world will change into one where good people can live in peace. It certainly appears to be a discouraging situation. This is why I advise you that even we who are engaged in spiritual work, and are therefore supposed to follow a policy of non-resistance, should not allow good to give way to evil, that no one who surrenders to evil can be called a truly good person; he is nothing but a coward.
　　Evil individuals particularly discriminate against people who are engaged in spiritual work. They look upon spiritual workers with contempt, thinking they stand on the principle of non-resistance so that however harsh any treatment of them may be it will not cause trouble to the guilty ones. Herein lies the weakness of spiritual workers, or it may be more correct to say that herein lies the reason that spiritual workers are generally considered weak people. We must get rid of this satanic concept by all means; we must fight against evil with all our might.
　　I think some of you remember one time when major newspapers were making terrible attacks on our church and we were not afraid but fought them through our own periodicals. In this same manner, no matter what strong power our opponents use in an effort to crush us, our principle is to fight and to keep on fighting until they begin to reflect on themselves and change their attitudes. We believe this is exactly what God wishes us to do. It is best to make them realize that since they can never outdo good, it is wiser to stop committing evil deeds and to start doing good ones. I believe this is the way a living religion should be practiced.
　　When we apply this to a bigger issue we can better perceive the point. Think of what the United States of America is doing. That country is making every effort to help other countries, because it thinks that world peace will never become a reality until aggressor nations come to realize that they can never permanently conquer others by evil means and that they must abandon their aggressive policies. America's actions are based on the same principle as the above.
　　I have constantly lived with this principle all my life, and I will continue with my conviction that I should never give way to injustice. Let me give you another example.
　　I have been involved in a contentious case regarding a land ownership problem in which I am the defendant. You may be surprised to hear that it has been a very long time－fourteen years－since this litigation started, and yet it still has not been resolved! The papers relating to it are now so numerous that they would reach a height of more than one foot if stacked up. Each time a new judge takes over he has to go through all of these papers, and every new one flinches at the task; he often advises me to settle the matter out of court, but I have never weakened. Since it is my principle to fight against injustice, making my personal advantage secondary, I will not compromise; I will not settle until my opponent realizes he is wrong and so offers fair and right conditions. Then, of course, I will immediately and willingly consent to his terms.
　　I have dwelt on this subject at great length, so let me bring it to a conclusion. Since the primary objective of religion is to condemn evil and encourage virtue, we should never allow ourselves to be overcome by evil, which decreases in power in proportion to the victory of good over it. Every time we withstand it, it contributes to the betterment of society. In this Lay paradise on earth will ultimately become a reality.

*Memoirs of Religious Persecution was published on October 30, 1950. This work was an account of Meishu-sama's experiences in being arrested because of some groundless rumors and ill-willed reports. It tells of the harassment, trial and imprisonment he had to undergo during the months of May and June 1950.

085. 　Good People, Be Strong

When we carefully study the state of the world at large, we cannot but notice that wicked people are having everything their own way, and we see how much good people are oppressed and are suffering. I wish to write on the basic cause of this condition.
　　Since ancient days it has been believed by almost everyone that, generally speaking, good people are weak and bad people are strong, and because of this belief wicked people have been able to dominate all the more. Of course, in the olden days the laws and regulations were not as complete as they are today, nor was there any system for controlling violence, so good people could do nothing against the abuses of the wicked and bore them silently.
　　In this state of affairs, the stronger and the more reckless individuals exercised greater influence over the others. Among the warrior classes there were some wicked ones who abused the power of the sword, and the common people could do nothing in their fear. There have been innumerable events which have been recorded in history and also some which have been handed down as legends, illustrating the huge differences between those days and the present.
　　Of course, after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 in Japan, a new age of civilization and enlightenment started, laws and regulations began to grow more complete, and society in general began to condemn and resist violence. Unfortunately, however, because of the nature of the Japanese, violence still has not been totally eradicated. Especially up to the end of World War II, militarists, ultra-nationalists and the like sometimes used some form of violence as a last resort.
　　We must admit that since World War II, because the military caste has been abolished and the ultra-nationalists have been put under almost total control, society has become much brighter than before. However, wicked people today have cleverly begun to resort to means other than force. Needless to say, their purpose in harassing the good is the acquisition of money. The means they use are blackmail tactics applied in legal ways. They resort to threats so they might not be caught by the law, with only a shade of difference.
　　What I am referring to are the blackmailers and harassers of whom I have often written. I am involved in several lawsuits with such individuals, which I have not mentioned before in our papers. These people abuse laws and regulations through lies and fabrications in order to gain their desires. And the sad part of it is that most of them are from the upper classes. You can tell how true this is from the fact that for the past several decades I have never been completely free from lawsuits. The reason is that I have adhered to a certain principle for many, many years. Let me explain what that principle is.
　　I have always believed that good people should not be overcome by wicked ones, because I believe that the virtuous who are stronger than the wicked are truly virtuous. It is a fact that evil people are dominant only because good people give way to them. I believe this is the major reason social evils have not been eradicated by now. It is for this reason that bad people take advantage of situations and sharpen their claws to torment the good still more. Especially good examples are so-called white-collar crimes.
　　Another reason good people usually give way when they are harassed by bad people and resign themselves to their situations, even though they know they could sue or make complaints, is that they are afraid of retaliation. Also, lawsuits involve lots of expenses and require many complicated proceedings, so they think it would be foolish to take steps that might not pay. There are many such instances.
　　The legal cases I am involved in usually require a long time to settle. Those wicked tormenters think lightly of me, believing that even though I have resorted to law, since I am a so-called "good man" I will soon give up. However, because of the principle I mentioned above I cannot surrender but must continue to fight until I win. The longest lawsuit has been going on for eleven years, and it is still undecided.
　　 Herein lies the reason that the so-called ringleaders of gangs are seldom eradicated or that the scandals of officials are seldom corrected. Even though they want to stand up in defiance of the unrighteous, people in general resign themselves because they are afraid. It is a well-known fact that this attitude is one of the causes of corruption in government officials.
　　I have given various examples of weakness in good people. In a nutshell, the cause of social evil lies in the fact that many individuals are weak. These are not truly good people. They are in fact cowards; they lack the spirit of indignation over evil. I call them good only in a passive sense. They may be virtuous in that they do not have the courage to commit evil, but what is the use of having such "virtuous" individuals increase in number? They are the kinds of cowards who let evildoers reign supreme in order to insure their own safety.
　　Let me put this in still plainer language. If all evildoers would begin to think, "I cannot overcome virtuous people; I did not realize that good people are so strong; I cannot outdo them; however hard I may try, it is no use; I truly think it is far better to give up being an evildoer and become virtuous myself," social evils would then be sure to decrease sharply and the world would soon become a bright and happy place in which to live.
　　Let us assume that you accept the above proposal. No matter how earnestly you, a good individual, wish to see this idea realized, however, it is impossible to make it a reality by the power of one person alone. Then what will be an effective way to put it into practice? My suggestion would be for you and all good people to get together, become united and form a league. Its name could be something like League to Eliminate All Evildoing.
　　I advocate this plan, because I believe it is the most effective way by which to improve the present state of society.

086. 　How I Thwart Evildoers

Many of the people who read this title may feel it is a very strange one, but I have decided to use it because I believe it is the most appropriate for the subject matter. Let me explain what it means.
　　 In my life I have met quite a number of wicked individuals who have tried to impose upon me or to play tricks on me. Probably because I am a spiritual leader and to them look virtuous (I not only look that way; I am virtuous!) and as innocent as a saint they make light of me, thinking I can easily be cheated. Such individuals are clever in their evil sagacity, and they often approach me with some really negative design in mind.
　　Among them there are some of quite high status who are aggressive and brazen. They are the ones who face me boldly from the beginning, holding me in contempt. When I am placed in a position in which I must deal with this type I first pretend I am easily deceived, behaving as they think I should, and then, I quietly consider countermeasures.
　　When I say countermeasures, I do not mean that I scheme anything unusual; I behave in a quite ordinary fashion and look earnest. The evil ones fail to read my mind and, elated with their seeming success, try to deceive me. However, I am aware of what they are aiming at, so I continue to guard myself while letting them do whatever they like. They then try various approaches. But things do not work out as they have planned, and I begin to think it is high time for them to give up. However, they are usually quite persistent still. They seem to be of the opinion, "This fool, Okada, should have given way by now; it is time for him to at least offer a compromise."
　　So thinking, they seem to wait for me to make the next move. However, since I remain cool and serene, without going in the direction they wish me to, they don't know what to do. Having used up all their "campaign funds," things turn and begin to be more and more unfavorable for them. The more impatient they are, the worse the situation becomes for them, until at last they give up. This has often happened.
　　 Sometimes I have to deal with some wily old scoundrels who approach me by clever means for the purpose of coaxing money from me. They devise various stratagems and persist in harassing me. Perhaps the reason they approach me is that they are thinking in this way: "This church has a lot of money. Its spiritual leader is like a living god to the members and he must be ignorant about worldly matters so he will eventually give us a considerable sum. He will probably think that even if he loses the money, it will be too much trouble to take us into court." (The schemers are sure I will not resort to lawsuits.)
　　Contrary to their conclusions, I am well aware of their intentions and I often outwit their designs, using a backhanded move, so to speak. Thus they have their expectations defeated and are driven to their wits' end. After all, they are finding their efforts coming to nothing. What a pity! Well, actually, I don't feel sorry for them at all.
　　When I write in this way, you may be surprised to find Meishu-sama being that merciless, being unlike your concept of a spiritual teacher. However, my feelings are just and right from God's viewpoint. Primarily, it is God's Will to always help good individuals but never to overlook the wicked in the least. This is the reason I often tell you that you must overcome evil.
　　There is an expression commonly used which goes, "He is a tough bird to cook." Ordinarily, this has a negative connotation. Another saying is, "That is a good man, but good for nothing." From these it sounds as if an evildoer is usually a tough guy. To tell the truth, however, I believe I am two or three times as tough as the tough bird of the above saying. That is the way a truly virtuous man should be, for unless he is wilier than evildoers he cannot help change the world of evil to one of virtue.
　　For the reason mentioned above, I have made it my policy to thwart all evildoers, one after another, without exception. I do this because I fully believe that it is what a true spiritual leader should do.

087. 　Indignation at Injustice

As we carefully observe the world today, we find that people in general do not seem to feel nearly enough indignation over injustice. For instance, few individuals become as perturbed as they should be when they hear of a good person being victimized by a bad person.
　　 Perhaps they think that however indignant they may become about evil, it will not change the situation; that they should not bother if it has nothing to do with their own interests; that it is enough for them to be worrying about the things that directly concern them; that they already have enough problems of their own to worry about in this hard world. They seem to believe it is best to avoid any involvement in the sufferings and troubles of others, apparently considering this the intelligent thing to do. The majority of people think that such an attitude is an indication of the wisdom of these individuals, which they believe has been acquired by vast experience in the ways of the world. Many even have a high respect for those who display such indifference and often try to follow their examples.
　　People speak of poor government administration and of corrupt practices among politicians and public officials. News articles are written about the scandals committed by leaders of society. The rate of crime is rising rapidly and the cases of juvenile delinquency have become so great that they cannot be ignored any longer if we are to be concerned about the future of our country.
　　The feudalistic way of thinking of government officials in Japan has not changed at all. Also, because of the misconceptions of democracy, the relationships between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and of teachers and pupils seem to have lost their previous warmth. The levying of taxes is overly severe. People nowadays speak of the importance of democracy, which sounds good, but Japanese democracy seems to be in name only, for actually the common people are still suffering under the pressure of bureaucratic government.
　　Indeed, there are such countless numbers and varieties of unpleasant problems there is no end to them. All of these stem from a lack of social sense of justice to some degree, but I believe the basic cause is the excessive number of so-called clever and experienced people with worldly wisdom. As we give deeper thought to this matter, we find ample reasons society in general has become like this.
　　 Young people have a strong sense of justice, as we can observe in almost any period of history. Usually they feel indignation at injustice and do not hesitate to express it. Their attitudes change, however, once they complete school and become members of adult society. Most of them are surprised to discover the rest of the world is not at all what they had thought it would be. As they acquire more and more worldly experiences, they undergo a change in outlook. They discover that expressions of indiscriminate excitement and outbursts of indignation over injustice only expose them to being misunderstood, perhaps causing them to be shunned or repulsed by their superiors, which can impede their success in life. Accordingly, in time they relegate their honest attitudes to far corners of their minds, and begin to behave solely in a socially acceptable manner for their own interests. They then receive the approval of society as having learned the general art of living.
　　Such attitudes are not entirely wrong, but if such individuals increase too much in number our social structure is apt to weaken, so more decadence begins to pervade it, and more and more criminals and misfits are produced.
　　I feel from my long experience that the most unmistakable way by which to determine the worth of a person is by observing the amount of indignation he feels toward evil, for the greater his indignation is, the stronger backbone and the more reliable character he has.
　　Indignation alone is not enough, however, because it often leads to dangerous actions. For instance, young people who are overly enthused can commit rash acts, causing trouble to others and even threatening public peace and order. It is necessary to use intelligence. If you feel indignation you should keep it deep within, give the matter thorough consideration, avoid any reckless kind of action. You should do what you believe to be right and good for other individuals and for society in general in an open and aboveboard manner.
　　Since my younger days I have had a strong sense of justice and have had an extraordinary feeling of abhorrence toward the injustices of the world. I have felt indignation whenever I have seen or heard of this kind of wrong, so much so that I have had to make great efforts to control that feeling.
　　Of course, this kind of self-control is not easy to practice, but it can be made less difficult if it is accepted as a kind of spiritual discipline. Indeed, much spiritual polishing and growth can be achieved through this practice of self-control. Even today, my tendency to feel indignation toward injustice has not changed, but I simply endure it, accepting it as a kind of discipline given to me by God.
　　Ideally speaking, you will not be of real use to the world if you are a person who does not feel indignation toward injustice. But it is the manner in which you express that indignation which requires consideration. You should take great care not to pass beyond the bounds of common sense even slightly and cause others trouble. You should always act sensibly, keeping the spirit of love and friendship in your heart, and go forward with God's Will as your own will.

088. 　A Man Can Be Evaluate by His Sense of Righteousness

I believe the surest way to evaluate an individual is by learning how much or how little sense of righteousness he has. We must measure him as to whether or not we can accept that he will never do anything bad, that he is so trustworthy that we can safely leave him in charge of anything. This is the most accurate way of learning about his character. I don't believe there is any better.
　　A sense of righteousness is, as it were, the backbone of a human being. A person who has little sense of righteousness is like a jellyfish－he has no backbone; he is undependable, so we cannot feel safe.
　　In dealing with anyone, therefore, you should first find out whether what he proposes is right or wrong. If you discover that it is not right, you should unflinchingly resist it with moral strength. If you live in the world with this principle, even though you may temporarily experience difficulty, in the long run everything will go in the direction you wish, so you need not have any anxiety.
　　At any rate, we find there are too many negative people these days who may deceive us when we are off guard, utilize us for their benefit, badly mistreat us, and make us suffer. Truly, we cannot be too careful in this world. Weak-spirited people constantly live in fear for this reason; they lack a firm sense of righteousness.
　　For your information, let me give you a positive proof of this from my long experience in life. While I was engaged in business, before I became a spiritual leader, I had the unhappy experience many times of being deceived or treated badly by wicked people. Fortunately, however, I was born with an unusually strong sense of righteousness, so I fought against whatever bitter experience I might be having, disregarding any personal interest. I did all I could to express the principle of righteousness in my own actions. Of course, I was sometimes placed in a very disadvantageous position because of this, but it always proved to be only temporary because things invariably improved, and the other party eventually gave up. As a result, then, I not only recovered any losses I had suffered at first, but gained more profit than the amounts I had expected.
　　I have always been involved with three or four law cases at a time, including some which are still going on at present. There was a period during which I was in very straitened circumstances. One person in particular with whom I had to deal did everything he could think of to harass me with all the strength of his money and high social status. But in the long run things turned out to my advantage, and my adversary finally had to give in.
　　Let me write about some of the other experiences I have had along this line. When I was in the wholesale notions and accessories business, I created some items and took out patents on them in nine countries besides Japan. When I placed them on the market, every one became a big success. This led to a special agreement with the Mitsukoshi Department Store,* and they became the fashions of the time.
　　The Association of Sundries Dealers contacted me with a selfish proposition. They wished me to sell one of two available designs to the union and to let Mitsukoshi have only one. I did not consent to this proposal, because if I had done so it would have meant betraying the trust of Mitsukoshi. The retail dealers of the entire city of Tokyo, trusting to the numerical strength of their united members, staged a boycott against my store in an attempt to force me to comply with their demands. But I did not yield under this pressure, although it caused me grave financial embarrassment. I resisted the boycott steadfastly and after two long years the union finally gave up and came to an agreement with me, so the problem was solved.
　　I had another interesting experience. This time it was Mitsukoshi which made an unreasonable demand on me in our dealings. So, I protested, stating that I would have nothing more to do with that store. The executives－powerful as they were－were surprised at my firm attitude, because up to that time wholesale dealers had always swallowed even their most unreasonable demands. The executives said they had never met a dealer with such bold resistance. And since they could not but recognize the rightness of my stand, they made the concessions I requested and that problem was solved in my favor.
　　Later, after I became a spiritual leader, the path I had chosen to tread really became full of ups and downs, as described in the series called Jikan Sosho.** Time and again I moved through extremely precarious situations. In those difficult days in Japan it was the policy of the authorities n suppress all new religions, and there was no way to escape them because it was a period of military dictatorship. We had a very hard time indeed. However, now that the military caste has been disbanded, we can see the proof of righteousness having won.
　　From these experiences you can see that even though we still have to endure a world in which evil is rampant and good often seems to be beaten, if good will only persist with patience it is sure to win in the end.
　　After all, in whatever situations we may find ourselves, it is best and most pleasant to keep on the right path, at all times doing things openly and honestly without fear. This is what we should be able to do. People with that kind of character can be the pillars of the world and strongholds against social evil. It is through the strength of such individuals that a wholesome society can be developed, for God always stands by those who are righteous and just.

089. 　Sense of Righteousness

A sense of righteousness, or justice, is so common a subject that you may think it is hardly necessary to discuss it. However, since this matter-of-course subject is surprisingly neglected today, I feel I should write further on it.
　　I say this because, as we look around and observe all aspects of the world, we find that in every phase of life, self-interest is all that the majority of people are concerned with, so much so that it is not too wrong to say there is little sense of righteousness apparent in anyone. Therefore, if someone should mention a sense of justice he would not only be considered an antiquated individual but would be looked upon with contempt.
　　 People may think they can get along very well living with this attitude, but contrary to their expectations, they often meet with failures and mishaps, and experience hardships repeatedly. Yet, the truth is that they accept these as ordinary realities of life, without question or doubts, and go along without any deep thinking.
　　From our point of view, there is a definite cause for this state of affairs, although people in general are not aware of it. It is nothing but the lack of a sense of righteousness, about which I am writing. This lack is due to the fact that most people are continually assaulted with various kinds of negative thoughts and, as a result, their spiritual bodies become so beclouded they are blind; they cannot see the right or wrong of anything. For a long time I have carefully observed the fortunes and misfortunes of all kinds of individuals and from those experiences I can verify how true this is.
　　Let me tell you the basic reason there is so little sense of justice. It is because most people are not aware of the spiritual world, which definitely exists though it is invisible, and they do not know of the Divine Law which governs it. This Divine Law, different from human law, is exact and fair, judging every human deed with no partiality whatsoever. Unfortunately, however, most people are not aware of this, nor can they believe it if they hear about it; thus, they themselves are creating the causes for their misfortunes.
　　Such being the case, most people say nice or clever things and try to make good appearances, always doing everything they can to present themselves as being worth more than their actual value. However, as stated above, God is watching every individual with His Eyes which see through and through, reaching to the very depths of everyone's heart and mind; and each one's fortune or misfortune is decided according to the exact measure of good or evil within him. There is no way to escape this.
　　Even such plain logic cannot be understood by most individuals－not just by uneducated, common people, but even by so-called intelligent, outstanding individuals. This is because they see only the surface of things in the material world, being unaware of the inner spiritual world, which is the essential part of everything. It is for this reason they are trying so hard to deceive others, straining their wits, putting on false faces before the world, thinking that this is the most clever way to live. We must say they are the most pitiable of all creatures, for they always experience results contrary to their expectations; nothing goes well for them. And yet, they do not realize why this is so.
　　The world is almost entirely made up of people who think in this way, from the uppermost classes to the lowest. This is why criminals are constantly growing in number and why there is increasingly greater social insecurity. As a natural result, when some individuals plan to do something they are often thwarted and fail. There are others who not only see all their labors lost but find themselves being criticized in the newspapers or even called into court.
　　I am making every possible effort to awaken these people, who, I think, are "clever-stupid" individuals. The only way to awaken them is to help them recognize the reality of God. This, I realize, is an extremely difficult thing to do. The reason, as you know, is that many of those in the leading classes of Japan believe that in order to qualify as cultured individuals they must be atheistic or agnostic in thinking. In order to truly awaken them to the reality of God, we must create an opportunity for them to experience miracles. It is for this reason that I am now channeling the Power with which God has endowed me and which is causing miracles to occur. I am glad to see that at long last my work is becoming known.
　　Let me explore this principle more thoroughly. The epitome of righteousness is God Himself and the lowest forms of wickedness are evil forces. It is God's Nature to enjoy man's happiness, while it is the nature of negative forces to enjoy man's suffering. Since it depends on man's consciousness as to whether or not he can enjoy happiness, it is essential that he should come to understand this truth in the very depths of his mind.
　　For the above reason, man can never experience true happiness unless he lives by the principle of justice for all. After all, wrongdoing simply does not pay. This is why I repeatedly say that evildoers are fools. The moment they are awakened to this, their fortunes begin to change for the better, and the change is very rapid.
　　There is one condition for this, however. An individual must realize that there are three kinds of justice. One is that which is centered on individual interest, and is a small sense of justice. The second is that which is centered on society and the nation, and is an intermediate or middle-sized justice. The third is that which is centered on the world, on humanity, and is the greatest justice of all.
　　The first two－the narrow and the intermediate－are not true righteousness, but only pseudo-righteousness; the last kind alone－the great kind－is the true righteousness. For example, filial piety or loyalty to one's ruler in the last analysis stems from self-centeredness, so both are pseudo-righteous. The true reason Japan was defeated in World War II, I believe, was that Japan fought for its own benefit. Nothing but the great sense of justice that aims at the benefit of the entire world can bring about a state of eternal glory. This is the truth.
　　The same can be said of religion. The aim of our work, as members know, is to help establish a paradise on earth that is free from disease, poverty and conflict, centered on the benefit of the entire human race. So, we are practicing the true great righteousness.

090. 　The World of Evil

All over the world people are going through such painful experiences as threats of possible wars, sudden assaults of illness, dangerous ideas, financial difficulties and so forth. I would like to write on the suffering we experience in Japan.
　　First, I am going to take up financial difficulties, one of the greatest problems in our country today. It is no news that a dead end has been reached, among the general public as well as in the government. The cause of this standstill lies in something nobody seems to have noticed: It is a condition influenced by evil forces.
　　Let me take up the government projects which are being greatly impeded by the negative thinking of the officials involved. What would happen if all the public servants worked together and tried to avoid doing harmful things as much as possible? They would realize that all their expenditures are made with the taxes paid by the people－money earned with their sweat－and they would never think of spending that money unnecessarily. They would also stop wasting their office hours, so work efficiency would increase tremendously and the number of officials needed to do the work could be reduced to probably half the present number. Moreover, since they would do their work with love and integrity, everything would go smoothly. They would be more popular with the people, so they would no longer have tendencies toward being dishonest or ineffective. The people would no longer fear the public officials, nor would they despise them as they do today. Public servants would be friendly to everyone and, needless to say, they would win the love and respect of all.
　　Under such circumstances there would be no more negativity such as anyone approaching an official with an ulterior motive, so corruption would cease and all the people would be able to depend on these public servants with a feeling of security. In such a state, supervision and investigation would be unnecessary, and there would be no cases to put on trial. What a wonderful gain this would be to the finances of the nation!
　　There would be no more free food and drink offered for hidden reasons, so no one would indulge in the unwholesome practice of eating or drinking too much. Thus, in their private lives officials would enjoy better circumstances, improved health, and more harmony in their homes.
　　Moreover, there would be no more backstage maneuvering, which has been the usual characteristic of governmental enterprises, so things would be done with much less expense in every way. The benefits in this sense would be unexpectedly great. If these things alone could be realized, the government's budget would become less than half the present amount and the taxes imposed upon everyone would be greatly reduced. How happy the general public would then be!
　　The same thing could happen to private enterprises. What would these companies be like if all the employees discarded their negative attitudes? They would be working with loving attitudes and honest motives, so there would be no need for the spending of money for external policies－kickbacks, food and drink for prospective associates, campaigning; nor would there be any more tricks of the trade, such as shady deals or deceptions. Transactions would become smooth, with no unnecessary time-spending, and there would be only pleasant relationships for everyone involved in business. Production would increase, costs would become lower, and as a natural result goods would sell well, and export trade especially would thrive greatly.
　　The best of all, which would delight everybody, would be that conflicts between labor and management would disappear completely and all working places would be permeated with a harmonious, cooperative spirit, with peace and love. Since all the employees would be working with joy, their efficiency would increase tremendously and as a result incomes would also rise, so there would be no more anxieties or misgivings about living expenses. If such a world should become a reality, there would be no need to hire men as security guards. Bookkeeping would become much simpler. Companies that are now making up two or three account books would feel no need to do so, for they would not be required to undergo frequent unpleasant negotiations with several tax officials, as they do now; a few hours' talk with one or two tax office representatives would suffice to make everything clear. This would be a great benefit to both sides.
　　Thus, everything would be done with much more efficiency and the working hours would be about half of what they are at present. Companies' profits would increase so they could become fully equipped with recreational facilities, making the pleasures of life incomparably greater for workers. Directors and executives, too, would enjoy constant peace of mind, since all the unpleasantness arising from outward obedience and inward resistance would disappear, and there would be no doubt about the prosperity of businesses.
　　Let us now turn our eyes to the political scene. Everybody knows how cleverly evil is being practiced there. Truly, I am afraid there are very few individuals among public officials or party members whose first consideration is national or public interest from the depths of their hearts. Well, perhaps it is true that they are concerned with these to a certain extent, but their self-love is so strong! We can tell from the actual state of affairs how self-centered and party-centered most of them are. When they know that a certain idea has come from an opposing party or parties, they offer opposition to it, whether it is right or wrong. Indeed, their opposition is for the sake of opposition itself. It is an ignoble attitude that has become a matter of course today. Not only are their heckling, abusive language toward opposing parties and their disputes on the floor of the Japanese Diet* despicable, but these men sometimes act so disgracefully as to actually resort to force. In such situations, the scenes are like those of fights between scoundrels.
　　Quite a number of the members of the Diet have not been elected by just and upright means but rather by dishonest use of money or through personal considerations. This is the reason many of them are not really representatives of the people－not the nation's choices－and they act as the above facts indicate. Now that Japan has become a democratic country, we do hope we can elect individuals worthy to be our representatives. The government is advocating fair and just elections, and the people in the political field seem to be growing more aware of the need for such elections. I trust they will become far better than before.
　　So much for politics. Now, let us consider society in general.
　　As you are all aware, we unfortunately see negative things going on everywhere. When we investigate a little the private lives of individuals, we find some kind of discord in many homes－differences between husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, or disputes between servants. Thus, there are few families that are truly harmonious. We hear of dissension among relatives and acquaintances which sometimes even develop into lawsuits. When we hear of the frequent blood-shedding affairs involving family members these days, we feel more frightened than sad.
　　Besides the above mentioned things, our daily papers are fined with reports of thievery, robbery, fraud, shoplifting, pickpocketing, and blackmailing. I can think of this number of things while lust scribbling thoughts as they come, for the evil in the world can be said to be like a bottomless bog.
　　As the Buddha said, this world is indeed a world of suffering. But since the true cause of all suffering is evil, I do not think it is too much to affirm that modern society is made up of victims of this evil. I am afraid there is not one out of ten thousand people who can live even a single day with a sense of total peace and security.
　　All these things cause man misgivings, but there is a greater one and that is illness. Burglars, however frightening they may be, can generally be held in check by locking doors and windows securely. The problems of poverty can be solved if individuals are in good health and can work. Lawsuits can be avoided if people are careful about their conduct. Illness and war, however, are absolutely beyond control in the present state of affairs. When we deeply study and examine them, we come to realize that they too originate from evil; after all, this is the basic cause of all misfortunes.
　　The one right solution to every misery of man is true religion. It is not really clear to us whether or not the men of intelligence in this world are fully aware of this fact.

091. 　Elimination of Evil

Evil is the committing of acts such as intimidating others, making them suffer for one's own interests, or corrupting society. These evil deeds do a great deal of harm to society in general, as well as to individuals.
　　In every field of human activity, there seems to be no one who is not a victim of evil in some way. For example, in order to prevent burglars from breaking in, people have to build their windows so small that they hamper the free circulation of air, and even in the midst of the hottest season they have to keep their doors securely locked. And, if they are going to be away, they have to ask someone to guard their homes. If others urge them to take part in seemingly profitable ventures, they have to be on the lookout for possible swindles. People are forced to constantly look on others with suspicion.
　　Stories of robberies and burglaries that have occurred in the neighborhood and news articles about other crimes make it impossible for honest individuals to sleep in peace. It is extremely dangerous for anyone－especially for women and children－to walk alone on dark, deserted streets late at night. It is always necessary to beware of pickpockets on trains, streetcars and buses. Employers have to be watchful because some of their employees may be dishonest. Those who have stores must constantly be on guard against shoplifters. Such cases are so many in number that it seems we are almost completely surrounded by dishonest people, and the situation forces us to lead very insecure lives.
　　But this is not all. Sons and daughters may be exposed to various temptations as they reach adolescence. Wives may have cause to worry about their husbands' dissipations or whether they have mistresses. Husbands may be anxious about the chastity of their wives. Unexpected setbacks, caused by evildoers, may occur in business. A tremendous amount of money from the national budget has to be earmarked for crime-prevention organizations such as the police forces and the courts of law. Stores and companies are compelled to construct fortress-like warehouses and to install special safes in order to prevent their employees from stealing. In addition, they have to keep more account books, slips and receipt forms than are actually necessary and these require a larger number of employees to handle the extra work.
　　All of these precautions are also necessitated by evil intentions: being watchful against the possible theft of materials stored in plants and warehouses; prevention of deception or manipulation at the time of delivery of goods and of overpayment for them; guarding against goods being rejected; taking precautions against sabotage and strikes of a vicious nature; preventing capitalists' excessive pursuit of profits.
　　The corrupt practices of government employees seem to have become common. one hears of cases in which the amount of financial contributions determine whether or not applicants obtain admission to the schools of their choice. Few seem to be able to obtain government clearance without some form of behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
　　In other areas too, justice seems to be very rare. It appears to be almost impossible to get along in life, even to survive, without having something to do with some form of evil.
　　When we compare them, we can see that there is a greater amount of evil than good in the world today. In view of the damage, harm and uneasiness caused by evil, the losses suffered by society as well as by individuals must be tremendous. Therefore, the rate of reconstruction of a new Japan and the progress of civilization depends upon the amount of evil.
　　The solution of all problems, the success or failure of any project, depends on how much good is done or how much evil is committed. For this reason, all people－statesmen, administrators, educators, intellectuals, everyone－should do their very best to eliminate evil. There is no effective way to conquer it except by annihilating it. And the best way to accomplish this is to awaken everyone to true faith in God.

092. 　The Origin of the Corruption of Officials

As everybody knows, corruption scandals are being brought to public attention one after another in a chain reaction, which must disgust everyone. I don't think there was ever a time before when so many scandalous incidents were exposed all at once. There is no doubt that the strict fairness with which the judicial authorities pass judgment will eventually decide the rights and wrongs of these cases. But that alone cannot solve the problem involved, and it is here that the weight lies. I say this because scandals, which have taken place since olden days, almost as if they were annual events, have also been judged by the issues involved. Yet, none have brought about any basic solution to the fundamental problem of how to rid ourselves of corruptions.
　　 These scandals must be thoroughly exterminated, by all means. They are like a garbage pit, which is bound to be infested with maggots. What is necessary is to clean up the pit; there is no other fundamental solution, and that must be exactly what the people desire to see done. However, the problem is that nobody seems to know the vital point of the cause behind this.
　　Let me tell you what that vital point is. It is belief in God and in all spiritual things, which intellectuals in Japan dislike most. To tell the truth, even the corruption problem is born of materialism, which is completely opposite to belief in God. This is why it is hard to deal with it. Needless to say, the materialistic way of thinking is that even if one does something dishonest, one can do so with impunity so long as nobody has witnessed the deed. This is indeed an unpardonable attitude. Moreover, the more advanced the human intellect has become, the more clever, the more skillful the dishonest pattern of thought has become, until today that kind of mentality is considered the first requirement for success in the world.
　　Now, when people try to apply this to actual life they find that it does not work in the way they thought it would, strange as it may seem to them. The reason is that while it may appear in the beginning that things are working out, sooner or later they are unmasked, as we can see in the recent incidents.
　　Even these people, too, probably know to a certain extent that wrong deeds must eventually be revealed. But since in their basic thinking they firmly believe that there is no such thing as God, they cannot realize the truth from the depths of their hearts. So, even after they have experienced bad results, such as their having been caught, it is doubtful that many of them have truly repented and will mend their ways. Probably most of them are thinking, "We have failed because the way we did it was not clever enough; we did not use our brains skillfully enough. Next time we have an opportunity, we will act more cleverly so we will not be caught." Perhaps this is a way of thinking that is quite natural for individuals who don't believe in God. Therefore, in order to correct this negative frame of mind thoroughly, we must by all means help people to develop belief in God through spiritual teaching; there is absolutely no effective method other than that.
　　Especially now that such unbelievers occupy high positions in society, both the official circles and the business world are just like an old pond where ditch water and dirt have accumulated so it is stagnant. Wherever one may poke, marsh gas with its offensive odor bubbles up. We feel this way as we think of the development of recent incidents. The things that have been brought to light may be nothing but the small tip of the iceberg of corruption, but the damage they do to the nation and the trouble they cause individuals cannot be small in amount. Moreover, the bad influence they have on the national thought cannot be made light of. Needless to say, if people understand that individuals of the upper classes live in the lap of luxury with the money they have earned through bad deeds committed behind the scenes, if people realize that the money political parties and statesmen scatter so recklessly is part of the taxes paid out of the money earned by honest citizens with "blood and sweat," they will lose heart for working in earnest. They will begin to think, "Whatever fine things those 'great men' may say, we will never be fooled again, for we cannot afford it." The feeling of respect people have had toward such individuals will change to contempt, the patriotic feeling for the country will cool, and the social structure will become weaker. The negative influence all this will have on the fate of the country is far beyond imagination.
　　As I wrote in the beginning, the basic cause of the problem is materialism, and the real key to its solution is the eradication of this kind of thinking. In order to achieve this, it is essential to awaken materialistic people to the reality of God through the work of spiritual leaders; that is, to implant a firm belief in their minds that even though they may be able to succeed in deceiving human eyes, they can never deceive God's Eyes. Then, not even one corruption scandal can ever occur again.
　　The question arises here: Why have those people done such shameless things? The central figures of the recent incidents are all distinguished individuals who have received advanced educations, are thought to be well fitted for their positions, have good reputations and are highly resourceful. This is exactly due to materialistic ways of thinking, so it is obvious that education and learning have nothing to do with a sense of morality. You may wonder how the plans which such intelligent individuals devise so ingeniously could possibly be revealed. Like the proverb which says, "A small hole made by an ant can demolish a mountain," one small incident led to another and then to still another until it developed into those big scandals. We cannot help thinking that God has passed judgment on them.
　　I would like to mention one more important point. Japan boasts of being a law-governed country, but when we think this over carefully we find it to be a gross mistake. If laws alone were relied upon to control crimes, wrongdoers could escape punishment as long as they could get around the laws in some way, so wicked people would always have the best of it. At present, attempts are made by authorities to control everyone by imposing almost countless laws on them. This is, so to speak, imprisoning everyone in "cages," treating all like wild beasts－all human beings, who boast that man is the lord of creation! How pitiful! If this is civilization, it is not something of which we can be proud.
　　I call the present age a half-civilized, half-barbaric age, and I don't believe there is anyone who could deny it. Let me give an example concerning this point. Suppose someone finds a purse or wallet that has been dropped on the ground. If he sees no one around to witness what he does, the average person will pick it up and put it in his pocket. An individual who would never commit such an act for anything in the world is one who truly believes in the existence of God. And it is the mission of religion to develop this kind of human being. However, both the government authorities and journalists in Japan are generally cool toward it; they seem to look upon religion as a useless and obstructive thing, for they usually treat it as a superstition and try to discourage public interest in it. This is indeed hard to understand. With such an attitude they stand on the side of materialism, and I believe this must be one of the most powerful causes for the birth of so much corruption.
　　I would like to advise statesmen to awaken to the true spiritual meaning of all this and to cope with the situation properly. If they don't, the abominable situation will never be eradicated, and how much it will impede the progress of the nation scarcely needs to be pointed out. If, as usual, statesmen continue to turn deaf ears to these words of warning, who can say that the time will never come when they will bitterly repent?
　　 It is true that the government is working hard to develop human knowledge and to improve the thinking of the public through the promotion of educational and other facilities. However, unless they succeed in eradicating the materialistic attitude, all their other efforts will prove to be as useless as pouring water into a basket; it is a matter of course that the majority of people will utilize their hard-earned knowledge for bad rather than for good purposes. Nothing can be more foolish. A strong proof of this is that, along with the progress of civilization, there is a very real trend toward an increase in the numbers of non-violent crimes committed by people with comparatively advanced educational backgrounds. It is why I dare to offer this warning to the thinking people of the world.

093. 　Cause of Crime in Society

I am going to discuss crime in society, which is the greatest problem of Japan today.
　　To begin with, it is necessary to examine the efficiency of the countermeasures against social crimes which are being taken by Japan's leaders. statesmen are trying to control evils by making laws and regulations as stringent as possible. Since such measures do not touch the fundamental cause, wicked people are concentrating their efforts on cleverly evading the laws while watching for opportunities to engage in illegal practices. The government, meanwhile, is making the network of laws more and more elaborate in order to keep the wicked from having any chance to commit crimes. Each side is trying to outwit the other.
　　People may picture individuals who break the laws as ex-convicts, syndicate bosses or delinquents. Actually, lawbreakers are not necessarily such subnormal individuals. They even include Diet members, cabinet members, statesmen, other government officials, and prominent businessmen. It is no exaggeration to state that there is hardly any one of these who completely observes the laws.
　　It is said that the publicized criminals are just the visible peak of an iceberg. People often comment that those who are arrested are merely unlucky, that there is ample proof many crimes are committed without the knowledge of the general public.
　　When we study those criminals intensively, we and that they are not afraid of committing wrong deeds. They do not have any guilty conscience if they cause damage to their country, exert harmful influence on society, or plague other individuals. When caught, they know how to blame others but they never think of blaming themselves.
　　We often hear that while other people are suffering under the burden of heavy taxes, many of those who are fond of carousing at wild parties in expensive restaurants are government officials. If these individuals have no guilty conscience about their wrongdoings, are not ashamed of their sinful acts, feel no compassion toward those they distress, they have already lost their value as human beings. No matter how lofty the theories such people might advocate, no matter how much scholarly knowledge they might boast of, they are not qualified to be true human beings. They are human in physical appearance, but spiritually they are empty. It is because there are too many individuals of this nature that evil is now rampant and society as a whole is in a hell-like condition. In short, we may say the entire nation of Japan is suffering from a serious illness.
　　Why has such a desperate condition developed? There is no doubt that the fundamental cause is the present educational method, which is extremely biased toward materialism, something to which I have repeatedly called attention. It is not, therefore, especially difficult to annihilate crime; we have only to destroy the materialism implanted in people's minds. Needless to say, this can be done through spiritual education. In other words, people should be educated so they recognize the existence of God, of spiritual things, and come to believe in the existence of the spiritual realm.
　　This is the primary mission of all religions, their noble and important purpose. However, it is impossible to help people become aware of the reality of God and the spiritual aspects of the universe by merely advocating theologies, by preaching, or by the chanting of sacred words. A religion must be able to work miracles so people experience for themselves the remarkable blessings of God. There is absolutely no other way to destroy materialistic ideas.

094. 　The True Cause of Insecurity in Society

The authorities complain of the increase of crimes and often ask what can be done about them. Let me write my opinion on this.
　　Plainly speaking, modern people have not as yet reached the stage of completion as true human beings. The reason I say so is that they still have a lot of beast-like characteristics. They are, so to speak, half-beast, half-human beings. You may think that I am voicing a severe criticism, but I can't help it because it is true. I am going to write the reason for this, and I am sure you will come to agree with me when you read it.
　　As means of preventing crimes, there are police forces, courthouses, jails, a great number of officials to operate these, and hundreds of thousands of laws. Also, on the outside everything is so fully equipped there seems to be no room for any crime to be committed. This is no different from the fact that many strong bars are made on cages of captured wild animals to protect humans from being harmed by them. We may say that since ancient days we human beings have Tacked our brains to protect ourselves from dangerous wild beasts, constructing stronger and stronger cages; but how many times have those wild creatures easily broken them? In like manner, we have come to construct finer legal networks of containment more skillfully until finally we have reached the present state of measures to prevent crimes.
　　Look! The laws and regulations increase every year. It is what I call making the network finer. We have to treat criminals like this because these beast-humans are sharpening their claws and their fangs so they may break out of the cages. This is the cause of the insecurity in society. In fact, while criminals are human beings in outward appearance, they are beasts inside.
　　If they were true human beings, by now a society would have been brought about in which no cages were necessary. An individual who will never do any wicked deed, no matter where he may be left alone, has the qualifications to be a true human being indeed. However much progress civilization may have made, public morals continue to deteriorate today. This proves that the means of breaking out of the cages are superior to the means of preventing such breakouts. This is why I call today's civilization a one-sided civilization in which only materialism has advanced.
　　In the above sense, a world where there were no laws or crime-prevention facilities because they were unnecessary would truly be a world suitable for human beings to live in. We may say that to create such a place for real human beings is the goal toward which we are working.

095. 　Are Evils in Society the Result of Environment?

There is an old saying in Japan, "Where there are sound assets, there is a sound mind." This means that when people have a sufficient supply of the necessities of life they are virtuous in word and deed, and there are quite a number of prominent people who attribute the present state of Japan, its evils, to the shortages of material. This is true in a way.
　　However, I don't think this is the basic reason for the evils in society. If it were the true cause, all wealthy people would be just and righteous. Unfortunately, this is far from the fact, for there are a large number of well-fed, well-clothed and well-housed individuals who commit wrong deeds. There are also some who have a far more harmful, corrupting influence on society than poor people have. For instance, through the power of their wealth some own a number of large properties and leave them unoccupied most of the time, though the shortage of housing is a serious problem in Japan today. There are other men who, with the power of money, make playthings of many women and are a bad influence because of their immoral ways of living. Still others use their money to take away the freedom of weak people living on the lowest strata. There are some who help to corrupt politicians for their own interests or to corrupt educators in order that their children may obtain admission to certain schools without adequate qualifications. Indeed, there is really no end to the list of their negative acts.
　　From the few facts I have just mentioned, I am sure it is clear that the cause of increased social evils does not lie only in the shortages of material. The real cause lies in the disbelief or lack of faith in God and in all spiritual things. Until this problem is solved, negative acts can never be eradicated. The only basic solution is the appearance of a religion powerful enough to accomplish this.
　　Now, I would like to point out a big mistake in the way of thinking of the intellectual people today. They have a tendency to put the blame for anything on others. This way of thinking, I believe, has come chiefly from the influence of Marxism. Marx's theory places the cause of man's misery entirely on the social system, on its bad framework. It is true that it is necessary to improve or reform the system and framework of society, but to say that that is the only cause of man's misery is a great mistake. However ideal a system or organization may be in form, as long as the thinking and actions of the individuals comprising society are not right, it cannot work out smoothly; it will surely end in failure. The true solution to this can be reached only by the spiritual improvement of each person, for we should realize that individual human beings are more important than social structures.
　　 Needless to say, this wrong way of thinking results from materialistic ideas which do not recognize man's spirituality. People who believe in materialism try to solve every problem solely by materialistic thinking. Herein lies the big reason for the mistake. As a result of this, they tend to justify everything they say and do and put the blame on other individuals or things.
　　The fact is, however, that an individual draws to himself every problem he experiences. If people will only realize and accept this truth fully, they will naturally become humble and loving. As a result, a peaceful, harmonious society will become a reality. I believe this can be achieved only through true faith in God.
　　Within the concept of putting the blame on others or on circumstances, the ideology of socialistic revolution, lies the purpose of destroying a social system. Revolutionists strive to stir up the masses by attributing all problems to wrong social structures instead of to individual actions.
　　Man should realize the meaning of this, correct the past mistakes, and Start anew.

096. 　Can crime in Society Be Eliminated?

The recent rapid increase of crimes in Japan is so great that we have never seen the like before. There is the big incident of a gang of over one hundred burglars causing damages that total four hundred million yen; there is mob violence; there is what seems to be a never-ending increase in juvenile delinquency. This all reflects the present phase of life, which cannot be ignored. And how are conditions among those of the middle and upper classes? Here there are problems, too. Also, we hear of the corruption in business and in government. There seems to be no end to such abominable incidents.
　　These are, however, nothing but the tip of the iceberg that shows above the surface. Indeed, the evils of present-day Japan give the impression of being bottomless. They are just like so much rubbish accumulated into a mountain, leaving no space on which to place a foot. So, the great, pressing problem with which we are confronted is how we can clean them up. of course, both the government and the thinking public are very much concerned about these perplexing problems and are doing everything they can to solve them, which we appreciate. But why is it that there is as yet not the first ray of hope for the solution?
　　Let me discuss this from our point of view. To tell the truth, those people concerned are completely wide of the mark; that is, the point at which they are aiming is entirely wrong. Just think. In the first place, what is the true cause of the breeding of criminal deeds? Unless this becomes clear in everyone's mind, it is obvious that no appropriate countermeasure can be worked out. The fact is that the basic cause of crime lies in the spiritual being of man, nowhere else. In other words, whether an individual acts as a good person or a bad person depends on the purity of his spiritual being. Therefore, how to change the impure state of the spiritual being of an individual to a more pure one must be the focal point for the solution of the problem.
　　Unfortunately, the statesmen and the thinking public of today are not aware of this. They are laying out various plans aiming at unessential details which appear on the surface, and are working feverishly to prepare more facilities for containment of crime. This is, as it were, pouring water into a wooden bucket with holes in the bottom. No wonder crime cannot be eradicated, no matter how many years people may have been working to erase it! Someone once said, "In order to thoroughly eliminate crime, it is necessary to have one policeman for each person, or it will never be wiped out." This is truly a penetrating statement.
　　Thus, whatever improvements are made in judicial systems, or however great efforts police or courts of law may make, it is quite obvious that expected results cannot be achieved. Isn't there any good plan, then, which will prove to be truly effective? Yes, indeed there is. Let me write about it in detail.
　　There is one and only one method by which to turn an individual's impure state of spiritual being into a pure one. Needless to say, that method is religion; I vouch for it. Then, will just any religion do? This is the point which needs careful consideration. As you know, there are various kinds of religions. In Japan, we can see there are few reliable new faiths, few which are worth mentioning, we are sorry to say. What about the long established ones, then? I think most of you will agree with me that there are hardly any that are powerful enough to change "black" to "white." You must study all religions with care. Select some which seem to be worthy of attention and at least act toward them in a friendly way, even if you don't positively support them. There seems to be no better method by which to solve the problem of evil in society.
　　The authorities have never thought of relying on religion even though they are very much concerned about the increase of crime. In the present state of affairs, they persistently stick to materialistic methods and will not change their minds. Indeed, the unfortunate ones are the common people. In this kind of situation, I believe the most important, most urgent thing to do is to open up the blind spot in their thinking and help them to realize the true essence of religion.
　　The thinking of criminals is based on a materialistic viewpoint which does not include belief in the invisible. They think they will get along well if they can deceive others, so they rack their brains to do just that and make it their business to foster evil. Unless this kind of attitude is eliminated, any other device or method can be nothing but a makeshift remedy. Therefore, we must by all means awaken people to the reality of God based on faith in the Spirit, and to a spiritual way of thinking. If we can help them to awaken to the fact that God constantly watches over all and knows every act of each human being, and help them to understand the law of cause and effect, it will be easy to eradicate the root of all crime.
　　Perhaps the intellectual individuals who read this will remark, "What you say may be true. But I don't think it is possible to make people recognize the reality of God by just telling them He exists." If this is the way they think, it is because their own ideas follow the same old materialistic Pattern. Perhaps they think that ours is another superstitious faith, preaching its "revelation." We cannot blame these intellectuals, because they look upon what is called "religion" according to the standards of the current conventional faiths.
　　I would like you to stop here and give some deep thought to scientific civilization, which is making very rapid progress with new discoveries and inventions, one after another. Things that were only dreams a hundred years ago, for instance, have reality today. Religion alone has made little progress since the times when many of the faiths were founded, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years ago. You may not be able to help questioning why there is such a contradiction.
　　When most thinking people of today consider religions in general they conclude that they are only relics from the old ages, something like antique objects. So, when we state that we must rely on religion for the solution of crime, these individuals pay no attention to what we have to say. This is the crux of the problem.
　　Just as the progress and development of science are bringing about a new epoch, so it is high time that something similar be brought about in the religious field. No, it would not be surprising if something much more advanced than what is happening in the field of science should appear there. And, it should not be a matter of special wonder if that newly-born religion should possess a power which could solve problems that science has not been able to solve.
　　If the meaning of what I have said is understood and accepted by thinking people, I am sure they will grasp the true essence of our church. Plainly speaking, I would like to tell them what a great Power God is channeling through our church. Anyone who joins our spiritual work can realize this easily through experience.
　　Imagine that there is something beautiful. However splendid it may be, unless you get close to it you cannot clearly see the beauty in its entirety. However delicious a food may be, you cannot know its taste unless you put it in your mouth. If a treasure of gold is buried in the ground, you cannot hold it in your hands unless you pick up a shovel and dig. In the same way, as long as you just think about our religion, it is something that is of no practical use. If you are misled by mere rumor on the streets or by groundless reports in the papers and think that ours is only another superstitious or negative kind of faith, you are willfully blocking your own happiness. All you really need to do is to come in contact with our church before going somewhere else. The proverb which says, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," contains an unchanging fact.

097. 　A Newspaper that Inspires Virtue

As I read the many kinds of newspapers and magazines published today, I am appalled at the number of items and articles dealing with evil deeds such as burglary, murder, theft, fraud, illegal business transactions, illegal disposition of merchandise, concealing of valuable goods, smuggling, suicide, double suicide, and adultery. If people outside of Japan read these reports and articles without actually visiting this country, they probably think it is a most horrible place. There must be a few things that are commendable and that we can be proud of. Good things usually stay unnoticed, however, and hardly ever come to public attention. There is an old saying, "Bad news travels fast." Indeed, bad news is made known to people more quickly and spreads more widely than good news.
　　Items about good things do not arouse as much reader interest as articles on bad things. When news of an unusually vicious deed is printed, a banner headline is used, since such an item is of tremendous interest to the public.
　　Most so-called scoops are almost always about something bad. Sometimes, though very rarely, there are news flashes on good happenings, like Dr. Yukawa's receiving the Nobel Prize for physics. But such good flashes are so rare they comprise less than one hundredth of all the headlines in the news. By reading daily papers which are so full of evil deeds and bad happenings, readers are unwittingly influenced.
　　One such negative influence is that people become so insensitive to evil they remain surprisingly unperturbed by incidents which, to normal individuals, should be really shocking. Such is the common nature of man.
　　 Newspapers are supposed to report on the dark side of society for the purpose of warning people in general against evil and to improve it by doing so, but ironically, the results have gone against the original purpose. Reporters themselves have become so insensitive that they are now accustomed to exaggerating their reports about criminal acts in order to impress the public.
　　We simply cannot condone such an abnormal tendency toward evil, so we are obliged to undertake a countermeasure; you will see it clearly manifested in our newspaper. We never treat crimes or the other dark sides of society in ways that will stir up interest. When we print articles on such negative subjects we use them for the purpose of warning people, emphasizing the importance of eradicating evil.
　　This may be nothing special for a church newspaper to do. However, religious publications are inclined to use preaching tones and become so monotonous that people do not feel like reading them. If they are not read, they are useless. In our paper, as you will see, the articles we print, the new ideas that are unique in tenor, are such that they reach the hearts of readers. These make our paper quite attractive.
　　Also, we include some epigrammatic remarks that will help readers to grasp the vital points of various facts of life while laughing heartily at the amusing words.
　　Too, testimonials by our members which are unique to our paper tell of the miraculous and astonishing experiences that have revived their lives. Many will be attracted by such stories. Indeed, there will be few who will not be moved to tears by reading them.
　　There are hardly any papers that attack evil and advocate virtue as strongly as our paper does. Even though it is a small publication, it is like a single beautiful flower standing out in the midst of extensive greenery, in that in the midst of so much worldly knowledge it purifies the minds and hearts of readers and guides them to what is good and beautiful.

098. 　Good People Can Be Successful

This title may sound very strange, but I would like to write on the subject because it is something to which most people seldom pay attention.
　　 With few exceptions, those who have notably succeeded in big enterprises, and in small businesses as well, both in the East and in the West, are almost all akunin* (evil, cunning) types of people. There are hardly any zennin** (honest, virtuous) types who are successful.
　　In reality, it is rather difficult for good, honest people to succeed in business because they tend to be outwitted by shrewd and cunning people. The majority of individuals who are engaged in business do not care whether they cause inconveniences to others and whether they corrupt society, but only try to succeed, even if they have to get around the law to do so. They seem to believe that there is no other alternative if they are to be successful.
　　When people think about successful individuals, they are likely to conclude that they must be very shrewd and cunning, that they must have surreptitiously done something illegal to obtain their success. Such an impression is often right. Ambitious people who want to be successful generally believe that the smartest way to attain their goals is to do things by hook or by crook and they put their philosophy into practice, sad as that is. I must say this way of thinking is one of the biggest causes of the evils of today's society.
　　Since people harbor the above impression of successful individuals so that it is indelibly impressed on their minds, they judge our church by the same criterion. Our membership has grown to about three hundred thousand in the course of three to four years, so it is usually counted among the most successful new religions in Japan. Nonmembers in general are inclined to view our church in a distorted fashion and take it for granted that although it is a religion, World Messianity must have done something unsavory in order to become so successful.
　　Not only the general public but even governmental authorities share this viewpoint to some extent. I am sure this is not mere conjecture on our part. On top of that, secret reports against our church go to the government from people who are jealous of our expansion, from materialistic individuals who are prejudiced against all new religions, and from some individuals who have failed in blackmailing our church. There are distorted reports about our organization printed in newspapers as well. All these things confuse the judgment of government officials and cause them to keep a close watch on our church out of their sense of responsibility.
　　The above is the true account of the reason we are criticized so often from so many directions. This emphasizes the fact that there are few truly good people who are successful. We feel it is our duty to eradicate the wrong idea that success cannot be achieved in this world unless something dishonest is done and to establish a precedent that being honest and just is the secret to great success. We are making utmost efforts in these directions.
　　If we are able to cause this fact to be recognized by people in general, it will be an infinitely good influence on society as a whole and on the consciousness of individuals as well. I believe such an effort is a major part of the mission a religion is supposed to fulfill.

* Akunin: The word originally meant bad person or bad people. Here, "akunin types of people" means the kinds of individuals who can be shrewd and cunning and will even do something illicit for the purpose of succeeding in life.
** Zennin: Honest, good people who would never do anything immoral or illegal.

099. 　World War III Can Be Prevented

In examining the state of affairs of the world today, it is evident that the most alarming situation we find ourselves exposed to is the possibility of a third world war. This can be observed in the discussions and writings of men of intelligence, not only in Japan but throughout the world, each one presenting his individual views on how another world war can be prevented. But strange as it may seem, there have been no religious leaders in Japan who have made a contribution to this debate.* This has been a great disappointment to me.
　　Let us consider what the basic purpose of religion should be. Needless to say, it is to promote a serene and peaceful world, one that is devoid of war. It is then hard to understand that religious leaders are remaining completely silent in facing the present critical situation, which might at any time lead to a third worldwide holocaust. Is it because they are totally at a loss about this matter, I wonder?
　　Of course, it is understandable that their positions and oftentimes their ages make it difficult for them to take up arms unless compelled to do so by the orders of the government. Why should they not offer to work to prevent wars through peaceful means that are more suitable to their positions? It is this line of reasoning which has prompted me to write this article on the cause and prevention of war－or rather, on how it is possible to eliminate wars and their underlying cause.
　　First, an explanation of disease will make the subject clearer and easier to understand. As I have always taught, illness is a physical reflection of the dispelling of clouds from the spiritual body, which happens when clouds have accumulated and reached a certain magnitude. During this process an individual feels some pain and discomfort. This is what is generally called illness. The true cause of man's suffering in any way is the dispelling of clouds on the spiritual body, an act which reflects on the physical body as elimination of impurities. Therefore, if a man wishes to avoid this suffering he must make every effort not to accumulate further impurities and also to eliminate those which he has already accumulated. This is the only way; nothing else can solve the problem.
　　In the same sense, mass suffering, such as storms, floods, fires, earthquakes and riots, are all purifications; the greatest and most terrible is, of course, war. It should be obvious that in order to prevent this mass purification from happening, every individual must be cleansed of his heavy spiritual clouds; there is no other way.
　　If a third world war should break out, the cause would be that millions of people as individuals had accumulated such excessive amounts of spiritual clouds there would be no other way to correct the tragic condition. It is no exaggeration to say that the world is filled at present with such people, and one reason for their increase is the accumulation of wrongdoings that come from the evil within them.
　　The biggest reason for this situation, however, is that the education of these individuals is based on materialism, which ignores or even denies the existence of God. This is what materialistic education does. The only way to solve the problem is to correct the general way of thinking, which has caused people's spiritual bodies to be so heavily clouded they have become almost completely blind to universal Truth.
　　Wherever impurities have accumulated, natural purification must inevitably occur. That is Divine Law. For example, it is true that the obvious cause of a contagious disease spreading in a certain area is that some kind of virus or bacteria is being generated, but what makes the virus or bacteria thrive is the increase in the number of clouded individuals who need purification. Infectious germs and viruses naturally occur due to the law of spiritual affinity. This law can be applied to any type of purification.
　　For example, almost all of today's material structures, such as public buildings and large cities, have been constructed by human acts that were evil in nature, so they are masses of clouds, as it were. For this reason, if they remain clouded they must inevitably be destroyed.
　　All the impurities which have accumulated on human beings and on other material creations－all the impure substances that exist on earth－must ultimately be cleansed in one major action if the condition reaches a certain point. Such a general purification will come through a worldwide war. This cannot be avoided because it follows an immutable law of creation. Therefore, it is obvious that in order to prevent that war, everything on earth－man and all other things－must be so thoroughly cleansed in individual ways that an overall cataclysmic purification becomes unnecessary.
　　Now, are there means by which everything and everyone on earth can be cleansed and purified? I say there is. This is the mission of our spiritual group, the purpose for which it was established.
　　From a different point of view, the world is made up of individual human beings, so each of us as individuals must endeavor to become fine and noble in character, to become free of spiritual clouds, so that any overall purification becomes unnecessary.

100. 　Eradicating Misery

I believe that misery is the thing man loathes most in this world. While it is impossible to completely eradicate misery, to alleviate it is not too difficult. First, though, let us consider what misery truly is and what causes it?
　　It is an undeniable fact that in most cases the cause is illness. There are other agents, it is true, such as sad love affairs, immoral behavior motivated by desire for material gain, and so forth, but on closer investigation we find that these too are caused by either spiritual or mental sickness.
　　The proverb, "A sound mind in a sound body," is a wise one. I have observed from many years of study that almost all immoral sexual activity, depravity, dishonesty, alcoholism, delinquency, indolence and irritability stem from some kind of physical imperfection or disease.
　　Until now, neither in the medical field nor in any other field has any sure method been found for achieving the complete cure of disease and bringing about total health spiritually, mentally and physically. Even if the true cause of human misery had been discovered, there would have been no way to bring about an absolute cure. It is true that there have been many individuals who have claimed discovery of effective methods of healing. However, these could offer only temporary relief at best, so as time has gone by both they and their discoverers have faded into oblivion. How many times have we had experiences of this kind? How many times have we felt that we are still far from the goal?
　　Many of the testimonials published in our organizational papers describe miraculous healings of critical health conditions and other problems, and the writers express their joy and gratitude for these wonderful results. Their stories are so touching they often make me cry.
　　It is the invisible Energy emitted by God that brings about this marvelous healing of illness and the solutions to other misfortunes. Only those who have had personal experiences with Johrei know how truly powerful the Divine Energy is. Most people cannot accept any philosophy, however logical or profound it may sound, unless it is proven by actual experiences and results. Theories or philosophies, however ingeniously presented or skillfully explained, are valueless, empty, unless there are material manifestations. Otherwise, they are only fruitless words, and the salvation of humanity or the increase of social welfare continues to remain a dream.
　　The invisible power that moves the visible is the essence of faith. That which is being manifested by Kyusei Kyo is this very power. In this sense, I believe, ours should be called a religion of power. To date most religions, as the Japanese word for "religion" indicates, have been teaching or preaching in an effort to awaken from the outside the soul that is within. Conversely, Johrei, as practiced in our church, is the act of channeling the Divine Light directly to the spiritual being, contacting the soul so it may fully awaken to Truth. We refer to this action as effortlessly bringing the soul into its own. Compared with this, we believe, preaching is of secondary importance.
　　Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Each mind is a living buddha." He also said, "When you attain the level of enlightenment you are a bodhisattva.*" This is very true.
　　Spiritual progress is very rapid for our members, who are qualified to channel God's Divine Light. They are able to steadily advance to higher levels of awareness, even to levels of enlightenment. As they are raised in consciousness, not only are they progressively freed from their own miseries, but they are more and more endowed with the power to relieve others of theirs.

101. 　Eliminating Fears

As I have said repeatedly, the goal of our church is the salvation of mankind. Simply stated, the salvation of mankind means the elimination of all the fears that plague human society.
　　The greatest of these fears, as you may realize, are disease, poverty and conflict. Of these, sickness is undoubtedly the most formidable, for nothing assails man so constantly as the threat of disease. I don't think it is too much to say that there is no man alive who can remain completely free from this dread throughout his entire lifetime.
　　The second strongest fear of mankind is poverty, but we realize that it, in turn, is caused in large measure by disease. This fear of sickness has not lessened as our civilization has progressed, but instead seems to be on the increase.
　　Since it is widely believed now that the cause of almost all disease is germs, or bacteria, the fear of them in most people is far greater than ever before. For this reason, every possible measure is being taken in the attempt to totally eradicate disease－physical checkups, preventive injections, X-ray photographs, and so forth. It is not too much to say that there is nothing left to be desired as to medical facilities, such as health centers, public and private hospitals, national sanitariums and doctors' offices. The cost and labor required for these facilities are so tremendous they stagger the imagination; the share the general public pays must reach serious proportions.
　　 Now, as I have already mentioned, it is my belief that the fear of poverty is caused by sickness. In addition to the great outlays of money an individual must make for medical treatment, there is loss of income as the result of being absent from work. Also, if the head of a family dies, the surviving family members often have to face great financial difficulties. The marked increase of crimes after World War II is primarily attributable to such circumstances, I believe. Of course, war itself is responsible for much of the misery, but the damages of war are only temporary while those of sickness endure. Therefore, we may say that sickness is the most serious of all miseries.
　　However, we can easily recognize what a terrible distress the third fear, the specter of war, is when we consider the perilous situation the people of the world find themselves in today. I am referring to the fact that the extreme friction between the two giant powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, has grown so tense a war could break out at any time. Some scholars believe, especially now that the atomic bomb－the most terrible weapon in all history－has appeared, that if a third world war should break out the annihilation of mankind would be inevitable. Indeed, nothing else can be as frightening as this thought is for all the human race.
　　The primary responsibility with which man is charged today is to find a way to banish his three greatest fears. Throughout its history, the world has been filled with agonizing situations which have occurred almost without any break. If you can accept that there truly is a God, you should understand that He with His Great Love will not leave the world in such a state much longer.
　　I firmly believe that the age of such suffering is coming to its end and that a paradise on earth, filled with goodness and beauty, is being born. Having absolute conviction about the coming of such a world, we of world Messianity are pushing forward toward our goal with unshakable faith. What else could Jesus have meant by his prophecy, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"?
　　For the reason mentioned above, it is our heartfelt conviction that the banishment of the three scourges－sickness, poverty and conflict－from the face of this earth is the true mission of religion.

102. 　Heroes of Peace

I think that when the word "hero" is spoken, it stimulates a feeling of admiration within the heart of almost any person. On the other hand, however, I must confess that I have a feeling of something inexplicably unsatisfactory about it which comes with that sense of admiration. I don't think this is true only with me, but that a kind of sadness wells up in almost everyone's heart. Without needing to think deeply about it, we can see from the exploits which appear in the historical records that behind the brilliant roles heroes have played on the stages of history, there have often been sinful acts which sacrificed many people and caused terrible havoc, all for the heroes' own interests. These cannot be ignored.
　　On the other hand, however, there is something for which we must thank them. I am referring to the fact that we must remember how much entertainment is brought to us by novels, plays and films featuring these heroes in the main roles.
　　Be that as it may, it seems to me that people in general do not often discriminate between heroes and great men. Jesus Christ, Shakyamuni Buddha and Mohammed, the three outstanding holy men of this world, were great without doubt, but were not what we call heroes. When we think about what they accomplished we can easily understand this, for their tremendous efforts were directed toward the spiritual salvation of humanity.
　　 The brilliant civilization we see today is of course the achievement of science, but that is only the surface appearance of reality. When we measure these scientific merits against spiritual achievements, we can easily see the contributions of the spiritual leaders who have worked in quite a different area. Because this area is invisible it has not attracted much attention from people in general. Not only that, scientific work and spiritual work have long been misunderstood as being two completely opposite fields. We do not really know how much misery this mistaken idea has caused for mankind.
　　The fact is, the material and the spiritual are two facets of civilization, like the two sides of a coin or the dual quality of the yin and the yang, working together. Our civilization has reached the present level of progress because of these two facets, even though the spiritual side lagged far behind during the age of Night. This has been a part of God's profound Plan, in which material progress has been due to the achievements of heroes and scholars, while spiritual progress has been due to the contributions of saints and spiritual leaders.
　　Our civilization has advanced this far in this way, but we have come to the point where we cannot entertain further expectations; we have now reached a dead end. Truly, the miseries and the sense of insecurity of humanity are becoming greater and greater all the time, and no one can even imagine when a world of peace and happiness, the goal and ideal of man, will be realized. Therefore, a much more highly developed civilization must be established by effecting a tremendous advancement in the Present One.
　　I am happy to declare that the time is now; God has revealed to me clearly the true meaning of His Plan and how it is to be achieved. Moreover, He has endowed me with a tremendous power with which to accomplish this. So, I have set about the work. You are probably surprised at my words, for indeed they must sound like great boasting to you, like self-praise. I cannot help this, though, because it is all true. If you watch with close attention, the changes the world will undergo from now on and the advancement of our work which will come with the changes, you will truly understand that what I say is fact.
　　Religion up to the present has been based on a Shojo attitude. Teachings in the past have not gone deep enough, so they have caused much confusion; and many of their followers have not attained true peace of mind. This has been unavoidable because the time has been premature. The Supreme God, however, has revealed to me the absolute Truth, the meaning of all things in the universe to the very core. Since the time is not yet right to give explanations of everything, I can only write about all this to a certain extent.
　　As we can learn by observation, all religions employ two methods for offering salvation: through written words of sacred books, and through the spoken words of various kinds of preaching. I will say that some religious organizations in Japan maintain, besides the teachings, bequests for their followers mountainous lands and other properties which they have developed; buildings which have already been completed; and art objects, most of which have been created by the priests. Through careful study of all the above facts, however, we can see that there is no real spiritual strength in these religions, that they do not have the power to lead the world which is to come.
　　Here I feel I must write a little about my work. As most of you must already be aware, I have chosen three places of scenic beauty, namely Hakone, Atami and Kyoto, have designated them as our Sacred Grounds, and am constructing a prototype of paradise on earth at each one. The purpose of such prototypes is to make miniature paradises which contain in harmonious union the characteristic beauties of Japan and also those of other countries. These prototypes include big gardens with the scenic wonders of mountains and water, museums dedicated to the arts, religious temples of most unconventional style, and so forth. Besides the above, our church is devoting itself to developing new areas in the arts of healing and of farming. We are also awakening people to the reality of God through an impressive number of miracles. Thus, by means of all these unprecedented things we are spreading the Work. They are the important basic parts of God's Plan for establishing a new world where truth, virtue and beauty are expressed in perfect balance.
　　 Now, I would like to tell you about our various construction projects, which will be manifested in the future. I have the entire plan completed in my mind and am only waiting for the right time. Every part will gradually become a reality, one at a time, as the schedule advances. This will all be on such a huge scale that it will be hard for anyone to imagine its fulfillment, for it is, as it were, a creation of a new civilization.
　　As you see, our work is not that of a religion in the ordinary sense; it is so tremendous that it is hard for us to give it an appropriate name. For all that, the work is being carried out exactly as it has been revealed to me, and I myself am really surprised at the accuracy with which God's Plan is Progressing. As you know by studying our history, it was in August 1947 that our religious organization was finally incorporated. So, it has achieved the wonderful expansion you see today in only six short years, and that has been done in spite of all the hard experiences of oppression by authorities, lack of understanding on the part of journalists, and various other disturbances. Indeed, we cannot possibly think of this as a human accomplishment. God's Work will surely continue to advance according to the Plan He has decided upon, and eventually, when the right time comes, the curtain for the Divine Drama will be raised, and will open onto the stage called the world. This thought alone arouses immense enthusiasm within us. At that time, truly amazing miracles will be manifested one after another, and scenes will develop that will thrill you with stirring emotions. You may look forward to that time with great expectations.
　　I, too, have such anticipations, and because God has chosen me to carry out this Plan of His, I think of myself as a kind of "hero of peace."

103. 　Guidelines for the Reconstruction of Japan

I am going to write about the national policy that Japan should follow from now on, but in order to do that I must first talk about the mission of this country.
　　There are many nations in the world, and each has been given its particular mission by God for advancing His Plan for the earth. Of course, Japan is no exception and so it too has its special mission. However, because the Japanese people have not correctly understood the mission of their country, they have arbitrarily and selfishly misinterpreted it and have made gross mistakes which have brought about the disastrous situation we see today.
　　When we study the history of Japan, we Can see clearly that from ancient times many heroes and great leaders have appeared. But most of them have acquired power through violence and war, sinking the people into direst misery and devastating the land. The selfish and often cruel activities of these men have been innumerable indeed. In short, we can say that the history of Japan has been nothing but a story of the power struggle among such strong individuals, which culminated in the Pacific War that ended only recently. Because of this power struggle, how much the common people have had to sacri6ce throughout the centuries! Indeed, this is quite obvious from the fact that there has never been a "history of the people" in Japan.
　　During the long history of wars, however, there Were several short periods of peace, such as the Asuka, Hakuho, Tempyo, Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama, Genroku, Kyoho, Bunka and Bunsei eras, and parts of the Meiji era. During these brief times, peaceful cultures developed, the legacies of which still remain today in paintings, sculptures, and other forms of arts and crafts. The fact that these excellent art objects were created in such brief periods of peace tells us how superb an artistic ability the Japanese people have always had.
　　Next, I would like to touch upon the climate and natural features of Japan. Visitors from other countries speak of the rare beauty of its scenery in the highest terms of praise. This country has the greatest varieties of flowers, trees and plans. Also, it is said that the changes of the four seasons, which manifest themselves in the mountains and rivers, in the trees and plants, are especially distinct and orderly in Japan. They bring about the specific beauty of scenery in each period, such as bright flowers in the spring, green forests in the summer, colorful leaves in the autumn, and white-covered plains and mountains in the winter.
　　In architecture, Japan has developed many unique techniques with which to make the best of the natural beauty of wood and other materials. In the fields of arts and crafts, the most admired and coveted by foreign collectors are paintings, with their simplicity, dignity and grace; unequalled lacquer works which are found only in Japan; and excellent ceramics. During the past war, our two old capitals of Kyoto and Nara were spared from air raids because of the wonderful efforts of such people as Professor Langdon Warner, who had a deep understanding of Japanese art and worked hard to preserve it.
　　 As for foods, the varieties of fish, shellfish and vegetables are unlimited. The many cooking techniques that bring out the best of the natural tastes must also be considered a part of the unique culture of Japan.
　　When we think of all these characteristics, we naturally come to certain conclusions as to what the proper mission of this country is. It must be to help enrich the higher sentiments of mankind, to give Comfort and enjoyment, and to cultivate peaceful thoughts through natural and manmade beauty. More specifically, the great mission of Japan is to transform the whole nation into the garden of the world, the source of all kinds of beauty.
　　In complete opposition to this proper mission, however, Japan has made its goal militarism and has selfishly indulged in its pursuit, disregarding the welfare of other nations. When we are awakened to this and contemplate deeply, we come to realize how mistaken we have been. Just think of the fact that, as a result of the defeat in the past war, Japan now faces the unprecedented situation of being completely disarmed. God's will behind this incident must be to awaken us to the true mission of our country. Regarding this, many Japanese are worried about our being left quite open to attacks from other countries, but I think such a worry is groundless. If Japan would become the most beautiful spot in the world, would become the embodiment of paradise on earth, no other country would dare to destroy it should there be war anywhere in the future.
　　In compliance with the above mentioned guidelines, our organization has chosen places of outstanding scenic beauty in Hakone and Atami, and is in the process of constructing small prototypes of paradise on earth with the most beautiful architecture and landscaping, along with facilities for the introduction of Japanese arts and crafts to visitors from other countries.
　　Here, I would like to particularly mention the fact that while textiles are one of the major exporting items of Japan right now, there are quotas for them and it is difficult for their export to go beyond certain limits. Items such as machinery, ships, steam and electric trains, automobiles, bicycles and other general merchandise are also exported, but in even smaller quantities－just enough to meet the requirements of the underdeveloped countries who purchase them. Only ordinary items for general public use are exported to the more advanced countries. As for highly sophisticated machinery, consumer goods, and cultural objects, it will take a long time for Japan to catch up with the United States and other advanced nations. For this reason I think the national policy of Japan from now on should be to encourage the tourist industry and the export of art objects, industrial crafts, and flowers. There are few items with greater future prospects than these.
　　We must direct our attention to the health problems of Japanese people. No matter how many good facilities are furnished to visitors or how much the natural scenery is admired by them, it is like closing the doors of a beautiful mansion to invited guests if tuberculosis and other communicable diseases are still rampant in Japan. Another matter for concern is the production of vegetables. If the farmers continue to use human manure as fertilizer, which they have been doing since ancient times, vegetables can become contaminated with parasites, and this will be a great hindrance in promoting tourism in Japan. The Nature Farming we are advocating is ideal in this regard, and if the farmers change to this method, all the obstacles mentioned above will be eliminated.
　　 I am sure you understand what I am trying to say. When these plans and facilities are put into action and completed in this country, Japan will literally become a paradise on earth. I am sure all the nations of the world will welcome and admire the transformation.

104. 　The Character 主 (Su)

As you know, I have repeatedly stressed the importance of living in accordance with the law of order. There is a Japanese character 主 (pronounced "soo"), which by itself clearly expresses the spiritual meaning of the law. I am going to analyze this character.
　　The three horizontal bars－upper, intermediate and lower－represent heaven, humanity and earth. They also signify the sun, moon and earth, and the numerals 5, 6 and 7. Also, they stand for the divine realm, the astral realm and the physical realm. The vertical pole passes through these three lines. On the very top is the dot.
　　This is the right order. Government, economy, education, religion and all other matters will function smoothly if this order is maintained. If it is not, nothing can go well.
　　In all human affairs up to the present, the vertical and the horizontal lines have been separated. The biggest example of this has been seen in the field of thought, the vertical Oriental way of thinking and the horizontal Occidental way of thinking having been almost totally separated.
　　Now, at long last, the time has come for the vertical and the horizontal to meet and be combined in the form of a cross (+). The cross is the Japanese character meaning ten. As you see the center of the character 主 (su) is a cross. The upper and the lower bars represent heaven and earth respectively. Since humanity exists between heaven and earth, as it were, this means that the human world is going to be united in the form of a cross (+). This will be the true state of the coming paradise on earth. In other words, it will be a world of kami.
　　The word kami (which means God) has the same spiritual significance su has. Ka represents fire and mi represents water. Fire burns vertically and water flows horizontally. These two combined to form the word kami. The action of God is the combining of the vertical and the horizontal.
　　From the vibratory point of view, the Japanese word hotoke not only means the Buddha, or lesser buddhas, but can also mean "separate." So, it indicates that the age of Buddhism in the Orient has been the age of separatism, the Old Age. God is now going to bring together all of the parts of the world which have been separate, or divided, and unite them into one. This is the meaning of the coming New Age, of a new world totally ruled by God.
　　The cross of Christianity is suggestive of the coming new world, as is the gammadion (卍) of Buddhism. The only difference between them is that the lines of the Buddhistic gammadion are bent at the ends. This symbolizes the rotating action which begins when the vertical and horizontal come to a meeting point.
　　In this sense, the administration of a country win function well only when the three levels are put in the right order: that is, when the central parts are combined firmly in the form of a cross (+) and therefore support the upper and lower bars. This also means that the mission of the middle classes is to establish harmony between the upper and lower classes. At the very top is the president or the premier or whoever leads in governing the affairs of a country.
　　Everything goes smoothly (without failure) if the principle of su is maintained. This same truth applies to the administration of a company or of any organization. This is to be the state of the New Age, the world of Maitreya, toward whose realization we are giving service.

105. 　New Patriotism

One word that is common throughout the world is "patriotism." There is hardly any country which does not give top priority to patriotism. In Japan also, up to the end of World War II, an incomparably strong patriotic fervor prevailed in the entire nation. Such intensity was attributable partly to the emperor system of Japan, in which every emperor was held in reverence as the symbol of the nation and worshiped as a living god. This is still fresh in our memory.
　　The respect and worship were due to the fact that Japan had an unbroken line of emperors since the outset of its history, and most of the people had such feelings. However, there was a group of ambitious individuals aspiring for power who did their utmost to stir up the nation's sentiment to worship the current emperor so that they might make use of this sentiment to fulfill their own ambitions.
　　Such circumstances gave birth to a very unique country which was unparalleled in the rest of the world. It regarded itself as a "divine land" and behaved like a wayward child in a wealthy family, who thinks it can do whatever it wishes without considering any consequences.
　　On top of this, government-patronized scholars inflamed the nation's pride very dexterously from historical and logical points of view. The spirit of loyalty and patriotism thus swept through the nation so strongly that the Japanese came to think nothing of sacrificing their lives for the sake of their country and their emperor, believing it was the highest virtue to do so.
　　The self-conceit of the nation was completely destroyed, however, with its defeat in the war and the people then developed an inferiority complex. The emperor's announcement, made immediately after the war, that he was not a living god but a mere human being, shocked the entire nation. A new constitution was drafted and Japan became a democratic country whose doctrine was that sovereignty rested with the people. This was indeed the greatest and most unprecedented reform in Japan's history. The emperor's renunciation of his divinity did not affect thinking people much, but for the general public the future looked very gloomy because they had lost their object of worship. They became confused, not knowing which way to turn, and this situation still persists to some extent even today.
　　There is an interesting episode in regard to the above. Immediately after the end of the war, everyone who came to see me invariably expressed regrets that the Divine Wind* had not blown. I said to all who came, "Don't be silly. The Divine Wind did blow. You simply had a misconception about it. God wishes to help the good and punish the bad. Since Japan was wrong, it was quite natural that our country was defeated. Rather than being sad, we should feel grateful for this. We could even celebrate, but it is not appropriate to speak of this just now, so I keep still. The time will surely come when the whole nation will understand what I mean." Visitors usually agreed with me then, saying that they understood very well, and they left in a happier mood.
　　This exemplifies the fact that Japanese people up to that time gave top priority to the benefit of their own nation, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. They even began to advocate the preposterous slogan, "The whole world under one roof," meaning that all nations would come under the rule of Japan. They went so far as to think that if only their country became prosperous they would not care about the welfare of other nations. Such a way of thinking was identified with a spirit of loyalty and patriotism. The entire nation thus rushed headlong toward its ruin; the terrible calamity's roots had been planted long before.
　　Speaking of patriotism on the basis of the above example, a long-range national policy cannot be established unless a country's patriotism is flexible enough to fit the different times, and is based on an absolute sense of justice.
　　Let me here discuss the subject of new patriotism which best fits the future world. To put it in plain language, Japanese people should switch from the Shojo way of thinking of the past to the Daijo way of thinking. This is the fundamental requirement, patriotism based on international love or love for all humanity. Because we love Japan, we should love the whole world. Nowadays, everything is international, so being isolated or standing aloof from other nations is nothing more than an impractical dream of the past.
　　The true patriotism from now on should be that Japan not only gives priority to the safety of its ninety million people but strives to become a nation that is respected by other countries as having a high moral standard with a strong sense of justice.
　　Let me here mention the rearmament which is being hotly debated now. There have been pros and cons for quite a while and no conclusions have been reached. From my point of view, this is not such a difficult problem. If you think of it from a practical standpoint, the answer can be found very easily. It is, "If there is a secure guarantee that there is absolutely no country that will ever invade Japan, no remilitarization will be necessary. Otherwise, a certain number of defense forces are necessary according to its national power." This short statement will suffice as the answer to the above issue.

*Divine Wind: Around 1200, when Genghis Khan and his Mongolian army were conquering many parts of Asia and Europe, they occupied Korea and then tried to invade Japan. As the Mongols were about to land in southern Japan, a great storm hit the area and sank or crippled most of the ships. Thus Japan was spared from being occupied by the Mongolian invaders. Japanese people called this storm "the Divine Wind" (caused by God to protect the country). During World War II, even after the situation had turned and become unfavorable, many of the Japanese People naively believed that eventually, by Divine Intervention, the tide would turn once again and drive away the attacking Allied forces.

106. 　Is Japan Civilized or Uncivilized?

Anybody who looks at this title may doubt my sanity, because even though Japan has been defeated in World War II, it is still definitely classified as being among the so-called civilized lands. There are of course various other nations which may be considered uncivilized, including some in Africa. Further thought makes us realize, however, that these are not merely uncivilized but should more correctly be called underdeveloped nations. As for Japan, the adjective "underdeveloped" has been deleted, but the word "uncivilized" still applies to it.
　　Above all, when I observe recent social conditions I have a strong impression that there are still too many barbaric incidents taking place. For example, some people are disturbing society by mob violence, without any reason that makes sense. They are threatening others, engaging in scuffles, scrambling for lethal weapons, injuring others or being injured themselves. Ours is an extremely precarious society. Even the students of the highest academic institutions, who are supposed to become the leaders of our civilization in the future, join these people in order to raise a commotion. It is really a shame.
　　Furthermore, there are such incidents as that of a cab driver being robbed of his small amount of money by someone choking him or striking him unconscious, or of somebody being murdered at the slightest provocation. Sometimes we even hear of such severe cases as family members fighting or killing each other. These things are really extremely barbaric. There is not a single day when one or two incidents are not reported in the papers.
　　Also, such criminal acts as burglary, rape, pickpocketing, arson, fighting, murder and mayhem are too many to enumerate. I often doubt if this really is a civilized society we are living in. I even think it may be better to call it one that is close to the world of beasts.
　　 Thus, it seems to me that modern people do not yet know what a true civilization should be. The modern world has come to have every convenience through the development of mechanical systems; social organization and framework have come to be structured so scientifically and dexterously that there is seemingly an astounding progress going on. Most people just exult over all this, believing that such is the true condition of society. But this is only a superficial aspect and there still remain a great number of barbaric elements in the hidden areas of civilization.
　　Let me explain the above in a historical sequence to make it more understandable. Humanity started first from a primitive stage, then went through barbaric periods until it gave birth to a better civilization through the development of religion, science and learning. Along with this progress, barbarism should have diminished accordingly, but the fact is that it is not decreasing at all. It would be appropriate to call our modern times a civilized-barbaric age, odd as this might sound. So, the age of true civilization is yet to come, and when it does come it will indeed be the age of true peace and happiness for which all of humanity has long been yearning.
　　To our great joy, the time is now at hand. You will realize this very well as you watch the current undertakings of our fellowship, since it is the religion which came into being with the mission of establishing such an era.
　　As our intitial task, we are pointing out and exposing a number of errors which are lurking in modern civilization, and are doing our best to show what the true civilization should be like. God is working many miracles through us as the means by which to convince people of the truth of the above and of the reality of God.
　　For this reason, our group is not an ordinary religion in a conventional sense. It was founded to help God create a totally new, civilized world; its mission is to help fulfill the great Plan of God in this tremendous transitional period in the earth's history.

107. 　Dependency of Japanese People

When I observe the Japanese people today, one thing that strikes me is their ingrown attitude of dependency. On a bigger scale, the government is dependent on foreign countries regarding trade and other matters. In private sectors, industries are requesting aid grants from the government and financial help from the Bank of Japan.* Small businesses claim they cannot remain solvent without securing bank loans. Many individuals, unless they borrow money from relatives or friends, cannot make both ends meet, and students claim they cannot continue their studies at school without help from their parents. The unemployed, widows, and underprivileged people are dependent on government aids, public works, or assistance from charitable organizations. Wherever we look, we find many, many individuals who cannot live without help from outside sources, and I am truly amazed at the dependency of the Japanese.
　　What is the fundamental cause of all this? I think it is that our society cannot yet rid itself of the feudalistic way of thinking. In the olden days, samurai and government officials comprised the leading classes, and the majority of the population were ordinary citizens. The former lived on allowances given by their masters, the feudal lords. The latter, except for a few wealthy individuals, served as employees or apprentices for many years, perhaps for decades, with their livelihood guaranteed although their pay was very low. When the terms of their servitude were over and they were about to become independent, it was customary for the merchants to help them start their businesses and give them the accounts of some of their own patrons. Laborers did not have the right of collective bargaining then, so they were able to survive only by the patronage of feudal lords or wealthy merchants. Consequently, most of the people lacked independence, had no equality, had to rely on receiving the favor and protection of the wealthy and the strong, and so were not guaranteed the right to live. This kind of situation lasted for centuries, so it is understandable that the Japanese people today have not yet gotten rid of that spirit of dependency.
　　Women, unable to take up any occupations such as there are today, had to depend on their parents even after reaching maturity. Once married, their husbands' homes became their prisons for the rest of their lives, with absolute obedience required to the wishes of the husbands' families. To go against the demands of the husbands or husbands' parents was considered to be against the morals of all women. It was indeed a hard life for them, unable as they were to live without clinging, like ivy, to something stable.
　　In comparison, things in the United States of America were completely different. As the history of the United States tells us, several hundred Puritans left England and landed on American soil in the beginning of the seventeenth century. They developed forests and plains, and through their struggle and hard work began the two-hundred-year building of the present brilliant culture of this great nation. So, it is only natural that America's philosophy is quite different from that of Japan. From the beginning, the people there had no one to rely upon, no outside assistance to expect, nothing except their own hard labor and ingenuity. They had no choice but to produce something from almost nothing－from scratch－by their own efforts. When I look at the present self-reliant attitude of Americans, I feel a kind of envy toward them.
　　If we Japanese are to rebuild our country after having been so completely defeated in World War II, it will be to our advantage to emulate the pioneer spirit of Americans. I can assure you that introducing this philosophy to Japan would be much more effective than introducing capital. According to the law that spirit governs matter, this should be the fundamental method of national reconstruction. But very few among the present leaders in Japan seem to realize this vital point, and the mass media is impressing dependency upon the hearts of the people.
　　This expression may sound rather extreme, but to me dependency is the philosophy of the coward, the spirit of beggars, begging for mercy from others and appealing for pity. When they cannot get what they ask for, they grumble, express their complaints, even take defiant attitudes, and finally try to defeat others by using the power of the masses. They seem to be unaware that if they achieve that goal and beat their opponents, they too are ruined. Such foolishness is truly beyond description. Far from rebuilding Japan, we cannot expect even to maintain the present standard if the majority of people cling to this mental attitude.
　　 Labor unions often go on strike as the only means of solving labormanagement disputes. In a sense, this cannot be helped, but when we think more deeply we can draw the conclusion that the more often a union goes on strike, the more the corporation declines in its business, the more its profits decrease, and, as a result, the more employees' salaries also decrease. It is as if they are hanging themselves.
　　Needless to say, the goal of both capitalists and laborers is happiness. It is impossible for one to be happy while the other is unhappy. The two are partners, so employees cannot get salary increases unless they help their corporations earn increased profits. Nothing is more obvious than this. It is, of course, not right for the capitalists to take in unreasonably high profits, but it is also a mistake for laborers to think only of their own benefit.
　　If we impartially view the situation that existed in Japan before World War II, we may say that the capitalists certainly took too much profit, and the nation in general had far more capital reserves than it has today. But when we look at present business and industry in Japan, we can see that most of the big enterprises and investors have been destroyed. Giant family trusts have been dissolved and most others of the wealthy classes have been ruined. The big landlords and capitalists have been totally wiped out. Communists, who regarded these as the enemy, are now in the embarrassing position of being unable to find any object to attack. In this situation, I think the most urgent matter for us to act on now is the encouragement of small- and middle-sized investors so that business will prosper, although the creation of giant capitalists is undesirable. This is probably the reason the United States urged Japan last year to adopt a policy of increasing its capital reserves. In the Soviet Union, Stalin destroyed too many men of enterprise in the beginning and the economy declined, so later he allowed some small businesses to continue their operations.
　　For the above reason, a firm cooperation and unity between labor and management, not simply harmony between the two, is most needed in present-day Japan. I can positively assert that only by this means can the welfare of the working classes be promoted. If they think that struggle is the ultimate solution to all problems, they have a most mistaken idea, an utter illusion. Unless they become aware of this, the ultimate result will be the destruction of both capital and labor.
　　Going on strike as a means of solving labor disputes is a kind of dependency. When employees request pay raises from management, it is because they are psychologically dependent on the latter. If, instead, they manifest independence and work on their own volition, their productivity increases and management then becomes dependent on employees. When the latter let the corporations earn profits first and ask for their proper share second, it is reasonable to assume that management will not refuse them and will agree to their requests.
　　If this policy is followed, I think any labor dispute can easily be solved. Japanese people in general seem to have quite opposite ideas at present, and are demanding raises in pay without trying to do something for their declining companies, so their demands are considered unreasonable.
　　 I believe that the best method to follow is to totally eliminate the dependent spirit from the hearts of the Japanese, and I assure you that there is no better way to reconstruct our country.

108. 　The Country Governed by Michi (The Way of Truth)

Needless to say, Japan is a law-governed country. All the so-called civilized countries in the world are governed by law, without exception. However, rule by law or by a constitution is not an ideal way of controlling a country. Facts are the best evidence of this. History shows how difficult it is to eradicate crimes through legal punishments alone. It is, of course, impossible to completely eliminate evil from human minds at this time, and therefore the above situation seems to be unavoidable.
　　In view of these points, a true solution cannot be reached without religion, but, at the same time, religion alone may not be enough. There is another method that works in this direction, and that is the knowledge of the importance of michi, the Way of Truth. This is, indeed, the age-old Oriental morality. What I am going to advocate is a new, still more advanced standard of right conduct.
　　The reason I started to discuss this sort of thing is that the degeneration of society's sense of morality seems to be more serious than ever before. The increase not only in juvenile delinquency but also in various adult crimes is simply beyond forbearance. It is a good sign, however, that thinking people have recently begun to take notice of this situation and that countermeasures are being proposed, such as reviving lessons on morality in schools and establishing some moral codes which will take the place of the Imperial Rescript on Education.*
　　This social degeneration is attributable to the fact that with the end of World War II the entire nation of Japan lost a spiritual principle it could follow, and since then its people have not known where to turn, until there have come to be many aberrant individuals, as you can see today. Because man's law is the sole recourse for the maintenance of social order at present, the numbers of cunning people who think they are free to engage in illegal activities as long as they can do so with impunity are presently on the increase and lawlessness is rampant.
　　Until the end of the war, the social atmosphere of Japan was more sober and orderly than it is now, partly because school education was based on lessons about morality and on the Imperial Rescript on Education. In addition, the idea of loyalty and filial piety was deeply implanted in the minds of the Japanese. However, we cannot revive such oldfashioned morality in today's society. Instead, we must create a new spiritual principle to live by.
　　The idea of democracy was given to our nation after the war. We can be grateful for it because the Japanese have been liberated from the yoke of feudalistic ideas to a great extent through that democracy. But we cannot deny the fact that democratic freedom has now gone too far and has become the hotbed of our present social disorder. Therefore, it is most necessary to create a new moral principle which is in accord with today's society, or a new Yamato-spirit** which is comparable to the British code of chivalry. Such a moral principle should consist of the best factors of various moral codes, whether they are new or old. This is nothing but the fundamental principle of michi, which we strongly advocate from both an educational and social point of view. We would be very happy if we could diminish social evils even to some degree through the application of this principle.
　　To put this into more understandable terms, it is the way by which anyone can reach every rightful destination or objective. It is the only absolute guideline for everybody to live by in this world. If a person follows michi, everything will go smoothly for him, with no mishaps or failures. He will be progressively more trusted, respected and loved by others and will eventually be able to live in total peace and harmony. As the numbers of such individuals and homes increase, their influence will surely prove to be a great contributor to the decrease of social evils.
　　As I always say, michi is another expression for the Creator. To worship God is to worship michi. So, individuals who live in accord with this Way of Truth and abide by it are the truly civilized ones. I would like to present this article to the thinking people of today's society.

109. 　Religion and Government

Religion and government are closely related; yet, strangely, most people have not paid much attention to this fact.
　　In the past, governmental administrators did not like to see any religion touching upon politics, and religion in general was oppressed. This was the actual state in Japan up to the end of World War II, a phenomenon observable in every age. Quite a few religions have experienced such severe persecution that they have been on the point of being completely destroyed.
　　However hard any religion strives to bring about an ideal world through the promotion of man's welfare, the goal of all genuine faiths, if the administration of the affairs of a country is not good it stands to reason that this goal cannot be achieved. So, in order to have good government, it is necessary to have good administrators. In order for an individual to be a good statesman, it is necessary for him to have a true spiritual awareness. In order to bring about an ideal world in the future, it is an absolute requirement that religion be woven into governmental affairs.
　　I believe the greatest weakness for statesmen to exhibit－in Japan, at least－is to fall into the habit of corrupt practices. The cause of this is the lack of spiritual awareness among administrators; that is, the majority of them are too materialistic. What we need most are many statesmen who have a true faith in God, for only then can we expect favorable progress.
　　In order to build a new Japan, I believe it is most necessary to promote the growth of spiritual understanding in the hearts of our administrators, so they may govern their country's affairs on the basis of faith. These days, the main topics of conversation are corruption in government, illegal actions in elections, dishonest practices among government officials, tax evasion by everyone in general, and degradation of educators.
　　Not only administrators and authorities in every field, but also the general public are trying hard to find the most effective way by which to purify our terribly tarnished society. But what they are putting sole reliance on as the best means of preventing crime is the power of the law, and so they are completely missing the basic point. I say this because the root of all crime lies in man's spiritual being. The only effective cure is to purify this spiritual being, and I believe there is no way to do this other than through the practicing of true faith.

110. 　Law and Barbaric Nature of Man

Today, the more civilized a country is, the more advanced its legal system is, and in such a country the laws keep increasing year after year. We can safely say that the modern age is one in which laws are considered everything.
　　There are so many provisions that it would be difficult for even judicial officers or attorneys to learn all of them in their lifetimes. They may barely be able to memorize the portions that are relevant to their individual fields. Considering this fact, the effect of law enforcement should be quite noticeable. However, crimes not only are not decreasing but are multiplying. Why is this so? It appears incomprehensible, for such a trend totally contradicts the progress of civilization. I would like to discuss here the cause of such a contradiction.
　　It goes without saying that the main purpose of laws is to reduce crime in society until finally a crimeless world is realized. The facts are contrary to this. For example, the major item on the agenda of the national Diet in Japan is the creation of new provisions of law. If our civilization progressed as expected, the number of criminals should decrease steadily, until some of the legal provisions already in existence would become unnecessary. This decrease should cause the introduction of a bill which would recommend the abolishment of these provisions. However, the reality is completely the opposite. This is very strange, but nobody seems to wonder why, probably because people in general have just given up. This illustrates the fact that laws alone cannot annihilate crime.
　　On the other hand, if there were no laws at all it would be disastrous. Bad people would run rampant and good people would not be able to sleep without fear. So, present laws should remain as they are and some other effective means should be added to them. Two such measures could be education and religion. Here again we cannot expect much, because these two measures have already existed for many centuries, right up to the modern age where the overall situation is still deteriorating, as you can witness.
　　As I have written before on this same subject, laws in general are something like cages in which wild beasts are kept. Without the cages the beasts would harm people, so they are kept under strict surveillance behind thick bars and strong nets. The beasts try to break out at every opportunity, so often that those in charge try to build the bars thicker and thicker. In other words, they make laws more and more detailed every year in order to make legal control ever more strict. We, as humans, should be ashamed of such a trend.
　　In this sense, many people today are treated like beasts and so they are not considered qualified to be of any importance. Individuals should ponder this fact and awaken to the reality as soon as possible. The ancient expression, "Beasts in the shape of human beings," may be applied to modern people. In short, they have not yet risen above the half-civilized, half-barbaric stage. However, there are variations with respect to this point; some people can be treated as human beings, whereas some others must inevitably be treated like animals.
　　The same can be said of countries. Some are militaristic, whereas some others are peace-loving. The former should be called barbaric countries and the latter truly civilized countries.
　　Next, let me write on education. Education has already been tested in terms of its efficacy and so there is not much to write about. As you all know, a multitude of scholars and educators have been putting their energies into this Geld for centuries and there have been achievements to some extent, but nothing of a major nature.
　　It is true that human intelligence has advanced greatly thanks to such educational efforts, and that in comparison to the primitive stages of human civilization amazing progress has been achieved in all fields such as political systems and social structures. We cannot simply ignore the contributions made by education. At the same time, we cannot deny the fact that education in general has not been effective enough to help humanity grow spiritually, to improve its spiritual side. That it has failed so far to make the cages called laws unnecessary testifies to the above.
　　 Now, we come to the subject of religion. Since ancient times, a considerable number of saints or outstanding spiritual leaders have appeared and their disciples and followers have tried very hard to spread their religious beliefs, often at the risk of their own lives. As a result, some spiritual help has been accomplished, of course, but all have failed so far to create a society where laws are unnecessary. Therefore, we cannot expect that existing religions will be able to do much.
　　What can we do, then, to rid humanity of its animalistic nature and to create a society where "cages" are unnecessary? It goes without saying that we need some unprecedented spiritual power which will transcend existent civilization. You must be very happy to know that such a power has been given to us by the Supreme God and is now being manifested through us. This is in essence the true basis of our church, so it can well be called a religion which transcends orthodox religions.
　　Please note that this spiritual organization is here as a forerunner of the coming Age of Light, and that we present this article as a warning to awaken humanity from its delusions.

111. 　Lawmaking Body and Law-Erasing Body

The national Diet of Japan (the national assembly) is referred to as a lawmaking body. This is because new laws are being made every year. It is not something to be proud of, however, for it is because of the crimes which are increasing all the time that members feel they have to constantly make new laws. If good people increased in number, it would become unnecessary for them to do so.
　　For the national Diet to become a law-erasing body would mark a true progress in civilization.

112. 　Do Not Ignore Mathematical Calculation

I believe what is most lacking in Japanese politicians is economic knowledge. Economic knowledge, in essence, is the ability to calculate. Not only in politics but also in every other human affair, nobody can be successful if he ignores this. When I say calculation, I do not mean monetary computing alone; no one can clearly know the advantages and disadvantages of anything without deliberate calculation.
　　It goes without saying that the principle of a democracy is to reflect the consensus of public opinion in the administration as much as possible. The consensus is expected in the results of voting. The strategy to acquire votes should be based on nothing but calculation. Material well-being and success cannot be expected if it is ignored.
　　One of the best examples is World War II. There must be many reasons why Japan lost the war. I believe the major one, however, was the fact that Japanese leaders ignored calculations. From the point of view of reasonable figuring, Japan should not have entered the war in the first place. However, once it realized it had started fighting by mistake, it should have tried to stop the conflict as quickly as possible. In retrospect, it is very clear that the longer the war continued, the more unfavorable the situation became for Japan.
　　The importance of calculation not only applies to the present time but also to past eras. One of the main reasons Yoritomo* succeeded in dominating Japan was that he utilized the services of a man named Kichiji Kanebori, who was well-known for his skill in discovering gold mines, to collect as much gold for him as possible.
　　Hideyoshi** did the same. The amount of gold he obtained from the Sado Gold Mine was huge. There is a famous story which tells that when he had the Juraku-dai palace constructed and invited a number of war lords to the dedication celebration, he had gold and silver pebbles strewn on both sides of the long lane leading from the gate to the pavilion's front entrance and told each guest to take home with him as many of the pebbles as he wished. This tells us what a tremendous amount of gold and silver he possessed.
　　Ieyasu*** did a similar thing. The reason he was able to establish the Tokugawa clan's political rule over Japan so that it was maintained for almost three hundred years was the Sado Gold Mine. He appointed Okubo, Lord of Iga, a most skilled prospector of the time, to the task of searching throughout Japan until he found the gold mine in Ohito, Izu. The Sado Gold Mine, however, gradually declined in productivity year after year, and toward the end of the Tokugawa period its output was remarkably diminished. This drove the Tokugawa shogunate to the brink of bankruptcy, resulting in poor allowances being given to direct retainers and to low-grade vassals of the shogun as well, until all were in extreme financial distress. It was beyond dispute that this was one of the primary causes of the fall of the Tokugawa sovereignty in 1867.
　　Everyone may think that I am indifferent to financial matters since I am a spiritual leader. Far from being that way, I believe I am second to none in being mindful of calculation. Probably one reason for this is that I used to be a businessman myself.
　　To tell the truth, if the spiritual leaders of today were content with plain living like the leaders of olden days, they would not be able to help awaken modern people to spiritual truths. We now live in a different age. The land and the buildings of a religious organization must be adequate for modern times. An enormous amount of money is also necessary for the construction of prototypes of paradise. It goes without saying that financial capability is essential for the expansion of spiritual work. For example, the Tenrikyo Church must be one of the best-known organizations in the religious Geld of Japan. The strength of the Tenrikyo Church exists in the fact that it has put its greatest emphasis on the acquisition of funds since its earliest days.
　　 Various examples such as those mentioned above show that if calculation is ignored, nothing can be achieved successfully, from a national administration down to a private business. This reminds me of the United States of America. Quite a number of the influential politicians there are ex-businessmen, also. One of the chief reasons the United States has attained today's prosperity must be the fact that many of its national leaders are former businessmen who are good at calculation.
　　On the other hand, most of Japan's national leaders became government officials as soon as they graduated from universities, continued to work in the governmental field and rose steadily to higher positions. They have had little experience with the hardships of life, are totally ignorant about practical matters of the world, and so have hardly any interest in calculation.
　　What best illustrates the above is the government's enterprises. For example, the Japanese National Railways shows a yearly red ink figure of billions of yen, whereas private railway companies are paying dividends of about five percent. As for the government's cigarette monopoly, they are selling unsavory cigarettes at astonishingly high prices with undue profits. These are nothing more than amateurish practices, what is commonly called in Japan "the feudal lords' way of doing business."
　　In view of the above, we should welcome those who are ex-businessmen as our future political leaders. I must warn Japanese people that this is the one major condition necessary for the reconstruction of Japan.

* Yoritomo: Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199). First shogun of the Genji clan, who established the Kamakura shogunate after destroying the Heike clan.
** Hideyoshi: Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598). Born a farmer's son, he first served Nobunaga Oda as a footman of the lowest rank, then was gradually raised in position because of his loyalty and great wit. After Nobunaga's death, Hideyoshi succeeded in unifying Japan, which had been divided into many warring fiefs until that time. He finally became chief advisor to the emperor.
*** Ieyasu: Ieyasu Tokugawa (l542-1616). After Hideyoshi's death, he became the shogun.

113. 　Cause of Poverty

As you know, the goal of our church is to establish a world which is free from disease, poverty and conflict. I have discussed and explained various aspects of disease from every possible angle. I shall continue to clarify the problem of disease from the point of view of the art of spiritual healing revealed to me by God. Let me now write on the subjects of poverty and conflict.
　　It goes without saying that the major cause of poverty is lack of perfect health. Let me refer to another cause which is also important. Illness not only incapacitates an individual so he cannot work but also necessitates the spending of a large sum of money for medical treatment. The situation may not be too serious if the sickness lasts for a brief time, but if it persists over a long period he might be discharged, which causes financial distress in addition to his suffering from sickness. He will be shrouded in extreme anxiety for the future and driven into a corner. His suffering must be something like the tortures in the lowest part of hell. Indeed, the world is full of unfortunate people who are in similar situations.
　　There are countless numbers of testimonials which tell of many such distressful individuals who have come to know about our church, have been relieved from their agonies, have recognized bright hopes for the future and have started to live lives full of joy. Thus, we can say that lust by regaining and maintaining health most of the problems of poverty can be solved.
　　There is another element, also, which is a vitally important part of the solution to poverty. Let me write some of my personal experiences in this connection.
　　While young, I had no specific belief in God, yet I had a burning desire to help realize a better society. I thought that the most effective way to achieve this objective was to own a newspaper publishing company. Upon investigation, I found that it took about one million yen* to start such an organization.
　　I came from a poor family. Later, I began marital life with a scanty sum of money given to me by my family. I started a small notions and accessories store with a frontage of only nine feet. Since business was good, I was able to switch to a wholesale business in little more than a year. I came to be known as a successful businessman in my field in about ten years, and my assets grew to approximately one hundred and fifty thousand yen (this was around 1919). I was so impatient to acquire enough money to start a newspaper that I expanded too far, and finally I failed in the business completely. My overzealous desire for expansion had gone against me. So, I had to abandon the idea of starting a newspaper enterprise and turned to religion, like "the man who turns to God only in trouble," as a Japanese saying goes.
　　For about twenty years after that I continued to suffer under a heavy debt, while experiencing a life full of ups and downs. When I look back at those days, I realize that everything in my life was a part of the process in my spiritual training. In Japan, training of spiritual leaders generally is thought to consist of ascetic practices such as fasting or bathing under a mountain waterfall. I felt that my worldly experiences, such as those I have mentioned, were in themselves much more severe training for me than these ascetic practices. After all, I fell into the depths of poverty more than once.
　　Here, I am going to write on "the philosophy of poverty," which I came to understand while in such distressful situations. Another cause of poverty besides disease is being in debt. I reached the conclusion that almost no healthy person ever becomes poor unless he allows himself to fall deeply in debt. The deadline for payment comes without fail when someone owes a great deal of money. A certain amount is due by that deadline, but income is sometimes delayed beyond its expected time of receipt. This creates a discrepancy between the due date of payment and the arrival of the income. Interest on a loan is added daily until the entire sum is repaid, so an individual's profit in most cases is less than he initially calculated because of the extra interests deducted from his revenue. Also, when a person is deep in debt he is always on pins and needles. His peace of mind is so lacking that good ideas never flash across his brain. His thinking power becomes blurred.
　　So, almost all those who have failed in business or who have become poor owe their bad fortunes to debts. Once I realized this fact, I began to tell people, "If your entire capital is one hundred thousand yen, start your business with one-third of your total capital." If they follow this rule, it may look rather small in the beginning, but as time passes their business will grow and expand without fail.
　　Suppose they do fail in business by starting with thirty thousand yen. They can try again through a different method with another thirty thousand yen on the basis of the new knowledge they have gained through their failure. This time they will most likely be on their way to success. If they fail again, they will still have thirty thousand yen to use, and surely they will be successful this time.
　　Most people, unfortunately, start their businesses with their entire capital. Some even add another fifty thousand yen or so to it through a loan. This is extremely risky. If they should fail, it would be fatal to them. They would never be able to start again.
　　In the way I recommend doing business there is always some surplus money as capital. When there is an opportunity to purchase some merchandise at a very competitive price, or when there is any other unmistakable chance to make more money, a businessman can immediately take advantage of it and earn an extremely good profit.
　　On the other hand, if the entire capital has been invested, he may find it very difficult to make necessary payments, may have to postpone making them, so his credit drops way down. If he has some surplus money, his payments are made so punctually that his credit can be kept at a very high level. There are numerous benefits to be gained in this manner.
　　In this regard, let me offer a large-scale example. One of the greatest causes of Japan's defeat in World War II was her national policy, in which she supplemented her budget with borrowed money. Very few people seem to be aware of this fact, whereas it should be a matter of deepest concern to them.
　　Until just before World War II, Japan's annual international trade showed an excess of imports over exports. National liabilities kept on increasing, until the government borrowed a huge sum of money to pay off some of the debts. With a portion of the loaned money, Japan's military force was increased so that it could expand its territory through one invasion after another. The government not only borrowed money from abroad, but also enlarged its public bond policy as a means of acquiring domestic loans.
　　The Japanese National Railways, which is now operated at a deficit, is one of the hangovers of such a course. If Japan had not resorted to this loan policy, there might not have been any national leader who had the ambition to invade other countries. Conversely, trade would have shown a yearly excess of exports over imports and Japan would have become a very affluent nation. As a result, peaceful culture would have developed to a great extent, national morals would have been enhanced, and Japan would have become a very happy country－the envy of all the other nations of the world. Such an affluent country would easily have been able to import the necessary amounts of food. Also, since it would have impressed other countries that its people were peace-loving, those with vast territories would have welcomed Japanese immigrants. Then, such things as birth control would be unnecessary.
　　Even a nation incurs a negative experience from its debt policy, so an individual would naturally run into a similar situation by falling into debt. Through the above explanation, I am sure you have come to understand the method of solving the problem of poverty.

114. My Philosophy on Being in Debt

I suffered from debts for a long period of time, as I have said before, and I feel nothing is more depressing than this.
　　Once a person falls into debt, he usually finds it quite difficult to pay off, as most people must know from their own experiences. At the time an individual borrows money, he undoubtedly intends to repay it as soon as possible. But even when he has saved enough for this, he often feels reluctant to do so. This is only human nature. The borrower thinks up some excuse, such as, "Maybe I can keep this money for a while, put it to work so it yields some profit. It may not be too late to repay the debt after that." On the other hand, if he decides to clear himself of debt once and for all and repays the loan money, the lender places more trust in him and shows willingness to lend again. Then it is likely that the individual borrows still more money than before.
　　Money usually does not come in as expected but does go out constantly as scheduled, so an individual quite often finds that he cannot pay back a loan by the due date. Once a person is locked up in debt, it is quite difficult for him to get rid of it, until finally it becomes a habit pattern to be in debt. There are some people who even feel uneasy when they owe no money. For the above reason, there are very few individuals who, once fallen into debt, completely pay off.
　　Of the many unpleasant problems occurring in present-day society, among the greatest are those which are caused by the lending or borrowing of money. It is said that the majority of civil suits are caused by this. So I believe the first requirement to eradicate strife from this world is to avoid both lending and borrowing. If circumstances compel the borrowing of money, it should be returned as soon as possible. If everybody followed this standard, there would be no saying how much brighter our society would become and how much unpleasantness would decrease among us.
　　Another thing I would like to point out is that debts often shorten a person's life span. I have heard that the late Mr. Kihachiro Okura, a famous businessman, often mentioned this and admonished people against falling into debt. I believe this must be true, because nothing weighs more heavily on a person's heart than debts. Speaking from personal experience, when I was able to completely get rid of my debts I felt as if I had been released from long years of imprisonment.

115. 　Is It Good or Bad to Borrow Money?

For some twenty years I experienced all kinds of suffering, due to my debts. Several times my property was attached and once I went into bankruptcy, so you can imagine the financial suffering I endured. From these experiences I reached a kind of attitude or "philosophy on debts," about which I am going to write.
　　Let me analyze the psychology of a person who is about to borrow money. There are two kinds of loans, "active" and "passive." An active type is that which is made when a person who intends to start a business has figured how much money he needs and how much profit he can make, and is fairly certain he can earn enough money after interests and costs are subtracted from the revenue. Everybody understands this kind of loan. A passive type of loan is that which is made when expenses are greater than income, the person is short of cash on hand, and has no alternative other than to borrow. This is also quite common. If the situation tightens still more, the borrower loses mental composure when he thinks of the future, and in his desperation he attempts to escape from the urgent financial pinch facing him by borrowing money, no matter how high the interest may be. We often read in newspapers about the outrageous interests demanded by loan sharks. When a person comes to this point, we can say he is only one step from falling over a precipice and is facing a dire situation.
　　The above is a rough explanation of the differences in the two types of money-borrowing. Next, let me illustrate the situation of a person who has no debts.
　　Since he does not borrow, this individual has to start his business with the capital he has, so it cannot be helped if his scale of business is quite small. Suppose this person has 100,000 yen.* Usually, he uses half or maybe a third of his capital to start the business, and retains the balance of the money for future needs. This may appear to be a too conservative way of doing business to most people, at least theoretically, but actually it is the best way. Since the amount of 100,000 yen is not borrowed money but what he has earned and saved by his own labor, it is literally his own and should work powerfully for him.
　　It is wise to start on as small a scale as possible. I will illustrate this fact with my own experience. In May of 1934, when I started the faith healing work, I rented a five-room house on Hirakawa-cho, Kojimachi, in downtown Tokyo, for a monthly sum of seventy-seven yen.*2 I thought the house was a little too grand for me, but since it fitted my purpose quite well I boldly decided to rent it. At that time my long-standing debts still added up to a considerable amount, but I wanted to put into practice my financial theory, which I had developed from long years of owing money.
　　By first studying Nature I gained the basic idea of this philosophy, easily understood through careful observation of the way in which a human being grows. He comes into life as a tiny baby, then grows bigger as time goes on, becomes an adult and gains wisdom and strength. This applies to plants, also. A small seed is sown, it sends out a sprout, seed leaves appear followed by true leaves, then a trunk thrusts up, its branches grow and extend themselves, and finally the whole thing becomes a tree reaching toward the sky. This is a truth of Nature which should be followed. I became certain that if this truth was faithfully put into practice, great success Could be achieved, so I decided to start on as small a scale as possible.
　　Individuals generally try to begin something in a big and splendid manner. When we observe them from a long-range view, we find that most of them are not successful. There are too many examples of this kind. Many enterprises first start on a big scale and end up in failure. If they reorganize, reduce the scope of activity and make another start on a much smaller scale, they finally succeed. We see numerous cases like these.
　　Not everything in the world works out according to a person's theory, or succeeds as he expects it to. There are many reasons for this, but the most important is the mental or psychological factor. Since the due dates for payments on a loan come around regularly, a nagging concern about them is constantly in an individual's mind. And, of course, the situation does not always move as he originally calculated it would. This worry also occupies his mind, blocking any good idea he might have for expansion. This is a point of great disadvantage.
　　Since someone like this is always in a tight situation financially, he tends to lack a vigorous spirit of enterprise. Even though he may try to appear well-to-do, he is actually poor both psychologically and materially, so as a result he becomes passive in every way and lacks the positive, Constructive attitude necessary for success. Therefore, he tends to be gloomy all the time. If he is a merchant, even when he finds a bargain he cannot purchase it right away because of a shortage of funds, so he misses a good chance to make a profit.
　　When someone's payments are delayed often, people eventually lose trust in him. Interest payments cannot be disregarded, either. When the duration of a loan becomes longer, interests bring about more interests; the individual becomes impatient and strains himself. In any kind of undertaking, when a person feels pressured and has to strain himself, it indicates that the situation has become extreme. I often advise against impatience and overstrain, but people don't realize how important this advice is. Impatience and overstrain may bring about temporary success, but it does not last very long. Let me give a few examples to illustrate this point.
　　Both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi,*3 famous feudal lords in medieval Japan, finally failed because of their impatience and overstrain. In comparison, Ieyasu Tokugawa,*4 who followed them, had no such problems while he was conquering the country, which was one of the reasons the Tokugawa shogunate he founded lasted for nearly three hundred years. He practiced his famous strategy of "Yield for now, win later." When he believed that a certain objective would be a little beyond his power, requiring strain on his part, he simply. abandoned the operation for the time being and waited until the situation turned to his advantage. He planned and managed so that the whole country would automatically come under his rule. This policy brought about his lasting success. His famous saying, "A man's life is like walking a long journey carrying a heavy load; he should not make any haste," vividly illustrates his personality.
　　There may be many reasons for Japan's defeat in the past war, but impatience and overstrain certainly worked to its disadvantage. The purpose, the motive for the war, was wrong from the beginning. Those in power did not realize this and tried to force something unreasonable, which brought about the disastrous defeat.
　　The worst possible thing anyone can do is to make a new loan to repay the previous loan simply out of desperation. That was exactly what was done toward the end of the war and paper money was printed in great quantity, causing a spiraling inflation.
　　Soon after it took power after World War II, the Labor government of Britain borrowed 3.7 billion dollars from the United States. At that time, I felt an apprehension that this might become the cause of its future financial distress. My apprehension proved to be true, and Britain had to secure one loan after another just to keep going. The devaluation of the pound sterling is simply one of the symptoms. When I think of the fact that the United Kingdom at its peak realized an annual income of 300 million pounds from its colonies and other outside sources, I am struck with the change of the times. The sound treasury of the British government was once a source of pride for her people, but after experiencing two major wars it has fallen into the financial difficulties which face it today. We can say that this couldn't have been helped, in the sense that it was an inevitable course of her destiny.
　　I have already stated that borrowing money should be avoided, and that we should start anything on a small scale. I hope you will always keep this truth in mind. However, if a loan is made for only a short period of time and you are quite sure you can repay it promptly, it can be admitted as an exception.
　　The above is what I advocate as my philosophy on debts.

* Approximately 277.00 U.S. dollars at that time.
*2 Approximately 34.00 U.S. dollars at that time.
*3 Nobunaga Oda (1534-1538) and Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598) tried to conquer and unify Japan, which had been divided into many warring states until that time. Nobunaga died with his goal unaccomplished, and Hideyoshi could not secure his success for long.
*4 Ieyasu Tokugawa: (1542-1616)

116. 　Ill-Gotten Money Is Soon Spent

There is an ancient proverb, "Ill-gotten money is soon spent," which is indeed a correct and true statement. I will explain this from a spiritual viewpoint for those who have an interest in speculation.
　　 There are many kinds of speculation, such as buying stocks or bonds, investing on the basis of fluctuations in prices of various commodities, taking chances on lotteries and betting on horse races. The most representative form is dealing in stocks, so I will write about that.
　　When I was young and had no faith in God, I engaged in the buying and selling of stocks for several years, until I finally lost a great deal of money. This was one of the experiences that led me to a spiritual path. Later, when I had gained some spiritual knowledge, I realized that one should never engage in speculation. So, I particularly want those of you who are Interested in stock dealings to read this article.
　　It is said that in stock speculation, when one person gains money one hundred others lose money, and this is a truth. Sometimes an individual may strike it rich and become a millionaire, but experience shows that he never keeps his fortune for very long. Also, the greater his gain has been, the greater his loss will be. Therefore, if an individual suddenly makes a large amount of money he should realize he is in a very dangerous situation, as if he were standing on the edge of a precipice.
　　This can be explained from a spiritual viewpoint. The majority of individuals who lose naturally feel frustrated and resentful and want to make good their losses in some way. Their resentful thought-forms seek those who have won their money, but they don't know who they are. Therefore, their negative vibrations flow toward the stock exchange and accumulate upon the currency, impressing themselves on all of it. When viewed clairvoyantly, tens of thousands of resentful faces can be seen on each piece. These imprints, created by the negative thoughts, are connected to the unhappy individuals by spiritual cords. Through them, the money is constantly being drawn by the thoughts of all those who have had losses and want to recover them, For this reason money earned in this way will not stay long with the new owners; sooner or later they will have to suffer major losses, even to the extent of becoming penniless.
　　This is true not only of speculation but of all monetary matters. If a person acquires wealth by dishonest means, or does not share enough of it with others, or intentionally neglects to repay his debts, those who are the losing parties become resentful toward him, and as a result he will have to give up his ill-gotten fortune due to the principle mentioned above.
　　There is another point I would like to mention. Since olden days in Japan, buildings of religious organizations have sometimes burned down. You may wonder why these temples, shrines and sanctuaries have had to be destroyed, since they have been built with precious donations and therefore should be pure. There are definite reasons for this. One is that a certain amount of coercion has been used in collecting donations for building these spiritual centers. For example, some churches have allocated a set amount for each branch church or for each member of a church, and have forcefully solicited the money. This is not in accord with spiritual law. Donations should be given voluntarily, each person deciding by his own free will how much he wants to donate. Only when given from the heart can the money be a pure donation or gift.
　　There is another reason, and that is that such buildings should be used in harmony with God's Will. If, instead, they have been utilized in a manner which was not in accord with God's Law, if something wrong has been done inside the buildings which lowered their vibrations, they have had to be purified by fire according to Divine Law.
　　Regarding stocks and other securities once more, when the purpose for buying them is to receive dividends or interest, not for speculation, it is quite all right. Rather, this should be encouraged, because it not only incurs no negative feelings in others but is very important in developing various industries.

117. 　Bad Influence of Early Schooling

It seems to me that in recent years people in general have developed intellectually while they have degenerated mentally.
　　This may sound odd, but what it means is this: People who are mentally shallow, though witty and clever on the surface, have increased in number, while it has become difficult to find individuals who have true, deep wisdom, self-control and dignity. Why is this so? From my viewpoint, this trend is definitely due to early schooling. Let me tell you the reason for my thinking in this way.
　　When education begins before children's brains are mature enough to digest the lessons given to them in school, as is done today, there is a discrepancy between the degree of their mental development and the amount of knowledge forced on them. In truth, children should be allowed to use both mind and body properly according to age and in ratio of their individual development. Early schooling means that children seven or eight years of age are forced to do brain work which is appropriate for fifteen- or sixteen-year-old pupils.
　　This is nothing but mental overwork. What will be the result? Let me give you an example. When I was an elementary schoolboy, I had a desire to take lessons in judo (a Japanese art of self-defense) and applied for them. However, I was rejected for the reason that I was too young, that anyone under fifteen was not permitted to practice judo. On my asking why, the instructors told me that if boys under fifteen took judo lessons they would stop growing, due to the extreme physical exertion required.
　　The same idea can be applied to education. Today, children twelve or thirteen years of age are forced to study material that is best suited to adults, and it is considered wise for them to do so. It is true that intellect can exhibit remarkable development temporarily, and this gives the impression that the present method is effective for educating children. However, this does not help their deeper thinking faculties to develop. Instead, it causes them to grow up to be individuals whose thinking is clever but shallow.
　　In fact, in today's Japan it is becoming harder and harder to find great statesmen, men of substance; indeed, such deep thinkers as we used to have are few and far between. I believe this is a serious matter to which educators should give deep consideration.

118. 　Juvenile Delinquency

The problem of juvenile delinquency has recently become a matter of great public concern. However, it seems that as yet no appropriate solution to this problem has been found. All the various ideas we hear today as to preventive measures regrettably stress only minor details, with not one that touches the core of the matter. I am going to write about a method of solving this problem which I believe is the one method that absolutely works.
　　First of all, we must make clear where the true cause of the problem lies, and for this purpose we must consider the relationship between children and their parents. We can illustrate this most easily by using a tree for comparison. Picture parents as the trunk and children as the branches. Most people would work hard to keep the branches from decaying while neglecting to help the trunk. This is nothing but nonsense, as you can easily see. To become fully aware that parents are the true cause of juvenile delinquency is the basic factor needed to begin solving the problem.
　　Let me analyze this from the spiritual point of view. As I have repeatedly said, parents and children are connected by spiritual cords. If the spiritual beings of parents are clouded, those of their children also become clouded through these cords. This is the true cause of juvenile delinquency. Since the effective way to prevent it is to keep children's spiritual beings from becoming clouded, it is most essential to first keep parents, spiritual bodies from becoming clouded.
　　Not being aware of this, many parents often entertain negative thoughts and do wrong things, wittingly or unwittingly. They form clouds through these, which reflect on their offspring. So, it is vitally necessary for parents to think virtuously, to act in the right way, and to do their best to elevate their spiritual awareness as much as possible. There is no other effective way to prevent juvenile delinquency.
　　The above is the spiritual explanation. Now, let me explain from the physical point of view. As everybody knows, it is natural for children to follow their parents' examples; that is, they are apt to imitate their parents. If parents entertain negative thoughts and do bad deeds, however cleverly they may try to hide them from their children they will inevitably become known to the children some day for they live under the same roof. It is then quite natural for young people to say to themselves, "Our parents are doing such things. Why can we not do the same?"
　　 Thus, it boils down to this: Juvenile delinquency is the result of parental delinquency; I believe there is no mistake about that. So, if children become delinquent, it is the parents' delinquency being exposed.
　　I would like to tell all those who are parents to give deep thought to this teaching, and if they wish to see their children grow up to be good people they must realize that they themselves first have to be good individuals.

119. 　The Reasons Great Geniuses Are Born

A lot has been printed in the newspapers lately about a five-year-old child who can paint wonderful pictures. I would like to write on how prodigies such as this one are born.
　　Outstanding geniuses have appeared every once in a while throughout the written history of man. We have often heard of famous musicians in the West who could play the piano or violin very skillfully at an early age, or who created great musical compositions when they were quite young. The famous Austrian musician Franz Peter Schubert [1797-1828] is said to have composed music successfully when he was only a teenager and he wrote over five hundred compositions before he passed on at the age of thirty-one. He had a tremendous talent indeed. There must be a special reason for such a great genius to be born, and this is what I am going to write about.
　　Such an event has a specific spiritual meaning. There is no way of knowing the cause for it through material scientific deductions, but I think it is necessary to understand, so I am going to explain from the viewpoint of what we call spiritual science.
　　There are two types of genius; one is a former great genius who has been reborn, and the other is an individual who is possessed by one.
　　As an example of the first type, suppose a person has been a great musician in a former life. After he has passed on to the spiritual world he cannot forget the music of which he has been so fond. He comes back to this plane while still retaining the strong attachment he had in his previous life.
　　As an example of the second type, suppose, after passing over to the spiritual world, such a musician can hardly wait until the proper time for his rebirth. He begins to search for someone in his family line who is right for this purpose, waits until that person can control his fingers, and possesses him. Then, because this possessing spirit is that of a great musician, the child begins to display an amazing skill. In such a case, since the spiritual being cannot possess someone who is not related to him, he chooses one who is in his lineage, specifically a young child. This is because a child is much easier for a spirit to enter than an adult, and it requires less effort for the genius to use the child's body as freely as he wishes.
　　Ordinarily, how can a young child display as much gifted talent as an adult? When we come to know the spiritual meaning, as mentioned above, we realize there is nothing strange about a child's being a genius or what is called a prodigy.
　　We cannot say that every prodigy continues to be great after he is grown, though in a case of the first type, rebirth of a genius, the individual himself is the genius and so never changes. In a case of the second type, genius caused by possession, a child may display talent only up to a certain age and after that become average, since a possessing spirit can only control the child for a limited time in order to fulfill a special mission assigned by God or to satisfy the wish of an ancestor. God is always in charge, so whatever the reason it is He Who has permitted the genius to possess the child in the first place. When the experience comes to its destined fulfillment, the musician's spirit must withdraw.

120.　Paradise on Earth

Paradise on earth－what a beautiful sound this phrase makes! There is probably no other phrase which gives such light and hope as this one. Many people may think it is only a dream with no possibility of becoming a reality, but I firmly believe that paradise on earth will become a reality. Furthermore, I perceive all the signs that the time of its realization is close at hand.
　　We must give deep thought to that great admonition of Jesus of Nazareth, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus, whose teachings have become the foundation of a religion that has spread throughout the world, would never have uttered such words if they had no validity in them.
　　I am sure you would like to know what kind of a world paradise on earth will be, so I would like to describe the picture I have in mind. To put it simply, paradise on earth is a world of happy people. It is a world free from disease, poverty and conflict, a world with a most highly evolved civilization.
　　How can this present world, where humanity is suffering in agony from all kinds of miseries－one full of disease, poverty, conflict－be transformed into a paradise? This is the big issue for us to solve. Since disease is the main one of the three great miseries of man, a way of eradicating it must first be discovered. Next is the problem of poverty. The primary cause of poverty also lies in disease; the secondary cause lies in distorted thoughts and poor administration and the defective state of our social structure. The third problem is strife-consciousness, the cause of which lies in the fact that man is still in a stage of barbarism. The essential question is, how can these three great misfortunes of mankind be eradicated? I have become convinced that these problems can indeed be solved. When people join our fellowship and their spiritual understanding advances, both their physical and spiritual bodies become more and more purified and they approach a state of perfect health. They also become progressively freed from the sufferings of poverty, and their strife-consciousness begins to disappear. Innumerable changes that have actually occurred among our members testify that they are truly approaching a state of real happiness and fulfillment more closely year after year.
　　I honestly do not like to refer to the shortcomings of others, but allow me to mention those of people who have joined certain religions and are satisfied and happy with their teachings yet continue to suffer from disease or poverty. They are better off than those who have no faith at all, but although they have been helped spiritually they are not helped physically; that is, they have only been partially helped. True salvation should encompass both the spiritual and physical bodies. It should bring physical health, freedom from poverty, and a total sense of material happiness and contentment for the entire family.
　　There are religions which have the power to save man spiritually and mentally, but not materially. For this reason, most people have come to believe that the sole purpose of religion is spiritual salvation and that any faith which aims at material blessings must be a low form of religion. This is absurd. There is probably no one who does not desire material blessings.
　　When a person is seriously ill and asking for help, some may tell him that "man should transcend life and death." This sounds a little strange to me, for I believe it is almost impossible for any individual not to think about living and dying. Anyone who says he can forget life and death is deceiving himself. An episode involving Takuan, a famous Buddhist priest, illustrates this.
　　When Takuan was on his deathbed, the people who had been closest to him gathered around with paper and pen and asked him to write some words of farewell. He took the pen immediately and wrote, "I do not want to die." Those who stood around him said to each other, "Such a great priest as he cannot have written these as his last words! There must be some misunderstanding." So, they placed another sheet of paper before him and proffered the pen. Takuan wrote again. This time his words read, "hell you, I really do not want to die!"
　　I think this attitude shows how remarkable he was. On such an occasion most priests would probably write something like, "Life or death, it does not matter," in order to impress their followers. Takuan expressed his honest feeling without any pretense or affectation. I was deeply impressed, thinking that an ordinary so-called high priest could not have done this.
　　There are some individuals who advocate certain religious teachings, while they have still not been able to free themselves from sickness, poverty or conflict. They are to be admired for their intentions, but I do not think this is the true way to become able to help others.
　　It is only when you yourself have learned to live happily through the spiritual teaching you believe in that you will be able to help others who are still suffering in misery so they may become as happy as you. Seeing your joyous state, they will begin to feel that the teachings you are trying to share must contain truth.
　　To be a successful example yourself is the most effective way of spreading a spiritual teaching. Even I did not have the courage to recommend this faith to others while I did not enjoy all of the conditions for happiness. Thanks to God's divine help and blessings, I did attain happiness. When I knew this beyond any doubt, I became determined to expound the teachings.
　　Paradise on earth will be a place where all who have reached a state of genuine happiness are unified in one world. This will indeed be the true state of the earth when it becomes a paradise.

121. 　Construction of Miniature Paradises

As we observe the condition of modern society, we cannot but feel there are many deplorable things happening in Japan, about which we are informed daily by press and radio. Aside from the war, we can mention corrupt practices of public officials, murders, robberies, thefts, fraud, shoplifting, suicides both on individual and family levels, problems of tuberculosis and other contagious diseases, shortages of food, shortages of housing, tight money situations, and high taxes. Good news is as scarce as the Stars at dawn.
　　You may wonder why our country has become as bad as this, wonder where the cause lies. There must be various reasons for such a situation, but we may say that it lies in moral deterioration; it shows how low the level of man's moral sense has sunk.
　　Recently, this has become a matter of concern and interest among the thinking classes, including people in educational fields. They believe one reason for this trend is that the liberal ideas which have sprung up since World War Ⅱ have gone too far. I have heard they have come to the conclusion that for the present the only thing to do is to revive and stress education and lessons on morals and ethics, and for that purpose they are meeting together and holding council among themselves.
　　It seems strange to me that in such a situation they don't seek the answer in religion. However, it may be natural for them to ignore this area, for the old religions have little power and most of the new ones appear to be false or full of superstitions. Thus, they cannot find any basic solution, as you all know.
　　In this state of affairs, I am advancing a concrete plan which will contribute toward the solution of the problem from a different angle. What I am referring to is the area of recreation for the general public.
　　It is nothing new to state how important it is in any age to supply the general public with good entertainment. However, in today's society there is too much that is of a vulgar, unrefined nature. There is nothing wrong with entertainment such as theatrical performances, motion pictures, sports, and games of go, mahjong and pinball, it is true. But I believe entertainment on still higher levels is especially important.
　　From this point of view, I think that the prototypes of paradise on earth which we are constructing in Hakone and Atami will satisfactorily fill the need. As I have often written, these are to be ideal paradises in which natural beauty and man-made beauty are combined. They are the materialization of a superb concept which is beyond anything anyone ever planned before. I don't mean to sound boastful; it is just that everybody who has visited them speaks of our miniature paradises in the highest terms of praise. They say, even at the present stage when neither of the two is even half completed, that whoever enters one of these places feels gloriously intoxicated by the atmosphere, which is so different from the everyday, misery-filled world that visitors forget everything else and feel that they are raised above the clouds.
　　The Hakone miniature paradise is close to completion, but since it is comparatively small in scale let me write a little about the Atami miniature paradise, which is now under construction at full speed. In the garden, which covers an area of about twenty-five acres on rolling hills, we are planting flowering trees and bushes, such as plums, cherries and azaleas, mixing them with evergreen trees. We are also preparing gardens for the planting of many varieties of flowers so that they will make a splendid show of colors in spring. Toward the sea, the place commands a spectacular overall view of Sagami Bay.
　　With these, I don't think it is too much to say that Atami will be an ideal prototype. Moreover, the location of this miniature paradise is the best in the area, and we are going to build a superlative art museum to give added grace to what is already beautiful. When that is finished, this paradise will inevitably become an object of admiration for all the citizens of the world, both within and outside of Japan.
　　Thus, once people visit this paradise, their hearts and minds will be cleansed, hearts and minds which have been soiled by the low vibrations of the material world; they will regain the freshness of their spiritual beings which have become almost completely dried up, and so they will become renewed and vigorous in spirit. As a result, they will not only be able to do their work more efficiently but their moral sense will naturally be elevated also. The contribution these miniature paradises can make toward the betterment of man's mind will be, I believe, of no ordinary degree.

122. 　A Thought on the New Civilization

What we call the new civilization is, in simple language, a world of beauty.
　　In man this means the beauty of the mind and heart and spirit. His words and actions, of course, must also be beautiful. This is the beauty of the individual, and when it is extended, the beauty of society comes into existence. That is, relationships between individuals become more beautiful; houses, streets, means of transportation, and public gardens all become more beautiful also.
　　 By its very nature, beauty must be unsullied, so on a larger scale government affairs, education and economic activities must become morally pure, and diplomatic relations between nations must become totally honest and positive.
　　As we think in this way, we cannot help realizing how much ugliness there is in today's society. Especially among the lower classes there is far too little beauty. One cause of this is that their incomes are too small. As a result, their levels of education are low. Also, facilities for their welfare and recreation are very inadequate. All these factors generate social unrest.
　　I wish to make special mention of recreational facilities, which require an abundance of beauty. I say this because there is nothing more effective in elevating human sentiments than awareness of beauty. This is the reason we constantly advocate appreciation of all the arts. It is hardly necessary to mention how the vulgar and indecent nature of the creative arts and entertainments we see today is becoming a factor in the corruption and degradation of people's minds.
　　In order to bring about a world of beauty, a most important necessity is economic strength. As long as the people of a nation remain poor, they cannot even dream of bringing such a world into reality. What, then, must be done in order to build up economic strength? People must do their utmost to increase their productive power, and the condition most vitally necessary for this is the health of each individual. This is one of the main goals toward which our church aims. It is for this purpose that it is demonstrating a spiritual healing force which is unequaled in the world. It is actually developing a great number of individuals who are enjoying perfect health in spirit, mind and body.
　　From this I trust you understand that our fellowship has been endowed by God with the mission of and qualification for establishing such a world of beauty. The realization of this world is but a matter of time.
　　I do hope the public at large will watch closely the direction we will take in the years to come.

123. 　The Art of God

As inhabitants of this modern world, we must have a clear perception of what kind of age we are living in. I am going to write about the fact that we are living in a world in which, through the inventions of radio and television, we can know everything that is happening on this planet almost in an instant. Really, material civilization has advanced with amazing speed.
　　What does this mean? The answer is most important, for if a person does not Perceive it he is not qualified to talk about modern civilization. I believe that the terms "world nation" and "world government," which have been advocated by many individuals in the United States of America for several years, indicate nothing other than the ideal world which is being born. When that happens, a president of the entire planet must be elected, and any country will be qualified to offer a candidate from among its people.
　　In order for this new world to come into full existence a great transformation must take place in every field of civilization. The crux of the change, I believe, must be a revolution of human thought, in which all "isms" will be eliminated and unification of minds will be accomplished.
　　 To make this easy to understand, let us imagine that a great painter has started to create a masterpiece titled "World." The picture he is working on will ultimately show the total perfection, the consummate skill of the artist, who is expressing the highest beauty, using an infinite variety of lines and colors. Imagine the length of time required just to make all the necessary preparations for this great painting of the world! When these are completed, the first step, the most important, is taken: the drawing of the lines marking the boundaries between countries. Once these have been made, the colors are applied. Many pigments are needed to designate the earth's different races and nations. Please remember, as you read, that I am writing this to make a point. Now, all the skillfully drawn lines and all the colors have been applied; the masterpiece is completed.
　　This is nothing other than the great Art of God at work. Each country, which is symbolized by the individual "color" He has given it, fulfills its particular role. Up to the present, many people of each country have considered their own "color" superior to all others in the world, have tried to "paint" the entire planet in that one color. No wonder they could nut succeed! Of course, they have even ignored the time element. The defeats of Japan and Germany in World War II bear eloquent witness to this truth.
　　In this sense, any particular "ism" or thought is like one single color which is made to fit specific individual purposes. It is not only impossible for anyone to successfully use this one color to paint beyond the boundary lines of other areas, but any attempt to do so creates disharmony, which in turn produces friction, which can eventually develop into major conflict. This can distort God's great painting, which is based on His Love for all humanity.
　　 This is why the seeming success of some people does not last for long. Consider the so-called heroes of the past, almost all of whom were defeated in the end by their own actions of interfering with the Art of God. Powerful countries should learn from historical fact that instead of trying to paint other countries their own colors, they should help them to bring out more clearly the beauties of their individual colors. By adopting this kind of policy they will be in harmony with God's Will and an ideal world will soon become a reality.
　　We should apply this same idea to religion. Even here, if each church or sect continues to follow the old way of trying to paint others with its particular color, it is not only going against the progress of the times but also against God's Plan.
　　Let all religions realize the deep Will of God which is underlying the progress of civilization, and work together for the establishment of the coming ideal world.

124. 　Religion and Art

It has been and still is the opinion of people in general that there is little relationship between religion and art. However, this is a greatly mistaken idea. It is the very mission of art to elevate man's awareness, to enrich his daily life so it is pleasurable and meaningful. When we look upon lovely flowers in spring, colorful leaves in autumn, and the beauty of the seas and mountains as seen through the eyes of and expressed by those who have artistic talents, we can gain inexpressible joy from them.
　　It is not too much to say that paradise on earth, the goal we are striving to reach, is "a world of art." We often refer to it as a world in which truth, virtue and beauty abound, and art is a manifestation of beauty. Why is it, then, that this important facet of life has so long been ignored?
　　In olden days many high priests exhibited wonderful talents in the fields of art; some painted, others sculpted, and still others designed temples. Of them all, the most outstanding, I believe, was Prince Shotoku.* The temple Horyu-ji in Nara, which was his masterpiece, is still in existence, with all its wonderful pictures and sculptures intact. It is hard to realize that this superb architectural beauty was created 1300 years ago. I am sure everyone who has seen Horyu-ji will agree with me about this.
　　It was in later years that many saints and great priests appeared and spread their spiritual teachings while living very simply, even ascetically. I think this contributed to the general thinking that art and religion bore little relation to one another. There may have been truth and virtue in the way these saints lived, but certainly there was no beauty.
　　In this sense, I am going to advocate beauty as much as possible.

*Prince Shotoku (597-622): Regent of Empress Suiko. He was a most brilliant statesman in Japanese history, well-known for establishing the first constitutional law of Japan; well-known as an outstanding artist and a central figure of Asuka culture; he was deeply dedicated to Buddhism and built a number of temples, the most famous of which is the temple Horyu-ji in Nara.

125. 　Religion and Art

As we always teach, God's Plan is to establish an ideal world, a paradise on earth. Paradise on earth must be a world of eternal peace, free from all conflicts, one where truth, virtue and beauty are manifested in a perfect manner. In such a world fine arts will naturally flourish above all else.
　　Since ancient days it has been said, "Religion is the mother of art." Needless to say, religion and art do have a close and inseparable relationship with each other. Strangely, however, of all the many religions which have appeared since olden days, there have been few whose founders were interested in fine arts. Of course, there have been some engaged in spiritual work who have had a deep interest in art, such as Prince Shotoku in Japan who was involved in Buddhist art and the priests Gyoki and Kukai who were sculptors. In the West, we find such people as Da Vinci in the field of religious painting and Bach and Handel in the field of religious music. During the Yuan and Sung dynasties in China and the Tempyo period in Japan, there were some priests who painted. There has been a reason for this and I am going to write about it.
　　It was the period of the Age of Night. The Daylight Age was quite remote, and it was not yet time to prepare for paradise on earth. Plainly speaking, it was in the midst of the age of darkness, of hell-like suffering. As a manifestation of this, all the founders of religions, far from enjoying life, had to endure most difficult circumstances. They had to travel very thorny roads in order to disseminate their teachings. In the light of this fact, how could they think in terms of paradise or of fine arts? This is why there were hardly any religious leaders who announced they were going to create a paradise on earth. However, though none gave the time of its realization, many of them did prophesy the coming of an ideal world of true happiness. Buddha's prophecy of the world of Maitreya and Jesus' prophecy of the kingdom of heaven close at hand meant the same thing. So did those of the various religious founders in Japan, such as the "ideal world"; "all mankind equally purified"; and the "new age of brotherhood and love."
　　We have learned that the time has come at last, so we wish to let the entire world know that we are on the verge of the birth of heaven on earth. Of course no one could ever dream of such a fantastic plan－a Paradise on earth－to be established by human power. However, since it is the Plan of God, Who has absolute Authority, there is no room for doubt as to its possibility. God is working innumerable miracles to awaken people to His Divine Power and is establishing convictions within us. You should know this, for many of our members have experienced and are experiencing His Power and are attaining unshakable faith.
　　As a materialization of this Plan, we are stressing the importance of fine arts, and as the first step toward creating a world of beauty we are constructing prototypes of paradise on earth in the scenic places of Hakone and Atami. Without understanding these things, it is impossible for anyone to realize the true meaning of the birth of our religion. In short, the old, historic religions came to lay the foundation for a paradise on earth, while it is the mission of our church to establish paradise on that foundation. It was born to accomplish this work.

126. 　A Religion of Art

People in general have thought for a long time that religion and art have very little to do with each other. In Japan, art had its inception in Buddhism. Of course, this was in the form of quite simple paintings, sculptures, and fabrics. In the Geld of music there were such instruments as sho (a kind of panpipe) and hichiriki (something like a flageolet), wooden drums and gongs, and rhythmical chanting of human voices. These were all crude, almost primitive forms of art.
　　Later, the fine arts of China and Korea were introduced and they had a strong influence on the Japanese people. After some time, the imitative stage passed, and Japan began to create art forms that were unique to itself. In more recent years, with the introduction Of Western civilization, the occidental arts began to appear. This was especially true after the Meiji Restoration, when various kinds of European and American art objects were brought to Japan within an amazingly short time. Thus, in the art fields of Japan today, outstanding aesthetic expressions from all over the world have been gathered and their styles studied and assimilated so they have become an inseparable part of Japanese culture. These are now in a stage where composite forms are being created, so we might call Japan a "department store" Of all the cultures of the world.
　　Now, let me tell you a little about our organization. I don't think there ever has been or is any religion which has put or now puts more stress on art than we do. I say this because our ultimate goal, which is paradise on earth, is a world completely free from disease, poverty and conflict, one where truth, virtue and beauty abound. In that world, man will be living in accord with truth, will wish only to do good deeds and will abhor evil. Everything will be beautiful in every way, so man will naturally come to enjoy and appreciate all forms of art. The world will be one in which life itself is art, with culture developed to a tremendous degree. In other words, the New Age will be a world of art.
　　This is why I am interested in all the arts, encourage them, and intend to encourage them even more in the future. As a preliminary to this plan, I am working on the prototype of paradise on earth which is now under construction in Atami. When it is completed, it will attract attention from people everywhere and they will speak highly of it. It will be known not only in Japan but all over the world. I am advancing the plan with this in mind.

127. 　The Importance of Art

These days, many people seem to think that everything can be handled by science. But there are a certain number of important things which cannot be controlled by scientists, however hard they may try. Surprisingly few individuals seem to realize this.
　　What I have in mind primarily is art. I am not saying that there is no element of science in art. However, all creative fields of expression are based not only on intelligence, intent and effort, but also on creative genius; this includes paintings, sculptures, music, dancing, literature, plays, motion pictures and crafts.
　　As everybody knows, art is extremely important in human society. If there were no art the world would be as dry and uninteresting as a cold prison built of stone. For example, whenever I walk along the streets a thought comes into my mind: What if there were no roadside trees, gardens, shrubbery? What if there were no residences, stores, big buildings? What if instead the streets were lined with straight gray walls like those of a prison? Most of us would not be able to bear walking even a few blocks! The sights of houses with their different colors lining the streets; of the different features of people who are walking along the streets, with their varying expressions, attires, and ways of walking－the young people dressed in the height of fashion, elderly people in somber clothes, individuals who seem to have just come from outlying areas, each with a certain unique flavor that arouses our interest. Because of the infinite varieties of objects that catch our eyes, we can walk along without becoming bored.

　　When we leave the metropolitan area and take a trip into the country by train or bus, the scenery of the countryside through the windows－the mountains, rivers, trees and wild flowers－is sufficient to prevent any weariness. The change of scenery according to the change of season, too, helps to enrich our feelings. Indeed, the world is a huge work of art, created by both Nature and man, which makes life worth living.
　　When we think in this way, we come to realize that science really is a part of art in that it is doing a supplementary work; science has developed the processes by which man produces beauty in the more mundane objects. It is quite clear that art is inseparably related to and important in all parts of man's life. For this reason, our church has a much greater interest in fine arts than is usual in most religious groups, and it fosters them to an outstanding degree.
　　We must be aware, however, that there are higher and lower grades of art. Though equally classified as art, low-grade works help to debase man's character; they can even lead him to depravity. Thus, we should be cautious about such things. Creative works should always be of very high quality which can elevate man's feelings while he enjoys and appreciates them.
　　It is easy to speak about this, but are there any really good public art centers in Japan? We can find scarcely any worth mentioning, as everybody knows. So that we may help to correct this fault, we are now constructing a miniature paradise that includes an art museum.
　　I believe the old saying, "Religion is the mother of art," expresses the true mission of spiritual work.

128. 　The Mission of Art

Everything that exists in the world has a function that is necessary for human society; that is, everything has a mission given to it by God.
　　Art is no exception. Since this is so, an artist, who is a member of society, should realize his role and do his best to accomplish his mission. This, I believe, is a duty given to him which he should faithfully fulfill.
　　Generally speaking, I am truly astonished at the irresponsible conduct of artists in Japan today. Of course, there are many who are fine and respectable, but unfortunately there are quite a number of others who seem to have forgotten their missions, or perhaps it is more correct to say they are not aware of their missions at all. They seem to feel that they are special individuals who can display their originality in any way they wish as expressions of their genius, and they behave as they please, without any sense of shame. Really, it is hard to deal with such people.
　　Also, society in general seems to give them a warm reception as special individuals, tolerating most of their behavior. I think this is making them all the more spoiled. I believe artists should have the kind of character that is finer than that of average people, and I would like to explain why this is so from the spiritual point of view.
　　It is true that in its primitive stage humanity had a lot of animal in its character. But man has been growing from that barbaric stage, evolving step by step, passing through many stages. Now he has come to the place where he is striving to create an ideal civilization.
　　In this sense, the "progress of civilization" means that man is gaining control over his animalistic nature. When this has been fully accomplished, we can say that the world of true civilization has been achieved. The truth is, however, that most of mankind is still exposed to the threat of war, and this means that a great deal of animalistic power is still present.
　　The artists of the world are given the important work of helping to eradicate that part of man's nature. The mission of an artist is to help elevate man's character through painting, literature, music, dancing, and drama.
　　Through these various means an artist's soul appeals to the souls of the people. To put it more simply, the vibratory power emanating from the artist's soul touches the heartstrings of others through his painting, music, literature, voice or dancing. A strong, inseparable connection is then formed between the soul of the artist and that of the public. If the artist's character is low and mean, the public's character becomes baser and meaner. If the artist's character is high and noble, the character of the public is elevated accordingly. Herein lies the greatest value of art, so an artist should be the kind of individual who is able to lead the public to higher levels with his spiritual self.
　　For this reason, I think it is not too much to say that artists are partially responsible for the increase of the social evils we see today. Think of the many vulgar and grotesque pieces of literature, of the weird paintings, and of the wild singing and discordant music, of the repulsive stage and motion picture performances. When you observe all these with deep thought, I am sure you will realize how true my statements are.

129. 　Paradise Is a World of Art

I have said repeatedly that paradise on earth will be a world of art. However, this statement is too ambiguous. Truly, fine arts, literature and other forms of entertainment will flourish in the New Age, which is wonderful to contemplate. But to tell the truth, this is not enough; I believe all art forms should be included. I mean by this that all phases of living should become equally artistic. If they do not, earth cannot be called a true paradise.
　　The spiritual healing, the channeling of the Divine Light which I advocate, is truly an art of life. I say this because art, in essence, must be based upon, in harmony with, the conditions of truth, virtue and beauty. A person who is ill is not in his true state of being, is not balanced. Perfect health is man's true state. When a person's health is impaired he has lost this.
　　Let me give you an example of what I mean. Suppose you have a vessel. If any part of it is damaged, it loses its fun usefulness. If it leaks, will not stand upright, or falls apart when it is touched, it is no longer in its true state of being. It must be repaired in order for it to serve its full purpose once more.
　　 Similarly, if a man cannot work as a total being because of illness, he becomes useless. He too needs to be made whole, and it is Johrei which can accomplish this.
　　In the same way, if a human being should lose his quality of goodness and do only wicked things, he would no longer be a true man; he would be a beast. Such a person would be worse than useless, for he would be of harm to society; his very existence would be a threat. God alone holds the power of life and death in His Hands, makes the decisions. So, anyone who disobeyed His Law would have to experience suffering in some form, such as failure in business, illness, or an extremely straitened financial condition. In some cases, his life might end before originally planned. This would be the judgment passed by God.
　　There are two kinds of evil: that which is committed intentionally and that which is committed unintentionally. The degree of suffering is proportionate to the degree and nature of the evil committed. Divine Law is absolutely fair and impartial on this point.
　　Beauty is a familiar subject, and its characteristics are obvious, so I will not go into any explanation of it.
　　As you see by the above statements, the fundamental requisite for the transformation of this world into paradise on earth is the embodiment of truth, virtue and beauty in every part of living. Therefore, our spiritual healing work, Johrei, and our revolutionary farming method, Nature Farming, are definitely art in its broadest sense; the former is the art of living itself and the latter is the art of maintaining life through the growing of crops.
　　In addition to the above mentioned, we have still another activity, the construction of prototypes of paradise on earth. This, we believe, is the art of beauty. The art of living, the art of agriculture, and the art of beauty combined will result in a New Age of Light in which truth, virtue and beauty exist in perfect balance. This is exactly what I mean when I talk about bringing the ideal world, paradise on earth, into manifestation.

130. 　Paradise Is a World of Beauty

Our members well know that God's Purpose is to create an ideal world where truth, virtue and beauty reign in their perfect forms. Needless to say, the dark forces have a goal that is completely opposite to this, one that fosters falsehood, vice and ugliness. Since falsehood and vice are well-understood terms I don't think any explanation is necessary, but I would like to write a little on ugliness, for that may need some explaining.
　　There is one mistake which is made by many people in the world; that is, some individuals live in ugliness side by side with truth and virtue, and many others seem to admire them all the more for it.
　　Let me put this more plainly. Since ancient times there have been numerous virtuous individuals who have done good deeds in service to humankind, but who have been content to wear coarse clothing, eat frugal meals and live in hovels, maintaining a minimum standard of living. If forced by circumstances, of course, it cannot be helped that these individuals have experienced and do experience stark privation. But when this is not necessary and such graceless lives are led by choice, it is not good.
　　There have always been quite a number of spiritual leaders who have led ascetic lives as a means of self-discipline. They themselves have believed this to be commendable, and others who have observed them living in that way have admired them. Such thinking, however, is erroneous. This is because beauty, which is the most important element, is neglected; and a life of truth and virtue without beauty is a life of truth, virtue and ugliness.
　　In this sense, our foods, our houses and our apparel should be as wholesome, attractive and beautiful as circumstances permit. This is in accord with God's Will. Above everything else, beauty brings joy and satisfaction not only to us but to all those who come in contact with it, so it can be termed a virtue.
　　The higher the civilization of a society becomes, the more beautiful everything in it should become also. Consider the lives of barbarians; scarcely any beauty is found in them. Thus, it might be said that the progress of a culture is synonymous with its rate of growing appreciation of beauty.
　　In the case of individuals, both men and women should take care of their personal appearances so that they give pleasant feelings to others with whom they come in contract. Women especially should try to be as lovely and charming as possible. Perhaps I'm too concerned, but this is the way I feel about it.
　　The same applies to the interior of a home. If each room is kept clean, if no cobwebs are to be seen in any corners or near the ceilings, if the doors and all the furniture are kept free from dust, if anything unnecessary is kept out of sight and all things are arranged in an orderly manner, not only the family members occupying such homes but their guests and visitors too feel uplifted. And, they automatically feel greater respect for their hosts.
　　The exterior of a house, if kept in good repair, clean and beautiful though not necessarily expensive-looking, gives pleasure to passersby. This even contributes to the promotion of Japan's national policy of attracting more tourists. Switzerland is noted for the pleasures experienced by visitors from other lands because of its lovely, clean cities and well-kept parks. I believe it is one of the big reasons so many tourists are attracted to that country, and that we can learn a lot from this example.
　　I think it is essential that we Japanese should cultivate a greater awareness of aesthetic values. By so doing, not only individuals but our nation as a whole will receive unexpectedly great benefits. Truly beautiful environments are a great help toward inspiring more beautiful thoughts in the minds of the public, and these will greatly reduce crime and other evils in society. If we act upon only this one point, it will certainly serve as a means of furthering the realization of paradise on earth.
　　I myself have loved the beautiful aspects of life since my youth. Even in those days, when I was living in straitened circumstances, I made small flower beds, painted pictures whenever I could find some time, visited art museums and art exhibits as often as possible, and enjoyed the loveliness of Nature－especially that of flowers in spring and the red and yellow foliage of trees in autumn.
　　Now, of course, I have been blessed by God with the means to enjoy beauty to my heart's content. This in turn is contributing to God's Work.
　　People who do not know anything about my mission in God's Plan sometimes criticize my way of living as extravagant. This is understandable and we cannot blame them. When compared to the lives of the spiritual leaders in olden times, those who spread their teachings while enduring all kinds of hardships, my life must indeed look extraordinary. In the past, the world had to endure the long Age of Night and even spiritually advanced people had to spread their religions while being obliged to endure all the miseries of hell in doing so. But now the time is rapidly changing and the New Age is dawning upon us. Ours is a salvation work which can be carried forward while living in a heaven-like state. This is an important point we should keep in mind.

131. 　Making Art Available to the Public

I am going to write on the fundamental significance of the recent construction of our art museum.
　　As I have repeatedly said, the goal of our work is to help create a world where truth, virtue and beauty are manifested in their perfect forms. Of these three, in order to manifest beauty, I have made an artistic creation－a miniature paradise－which combines natural and man-made beauty in perfect harmony, the like of which I don't believe has ever been made before.
　　Let me tell you what I aimed at in constructing this art museum. As you know, Japan has been rich with numerous fine art objects of which we can be proud before the entire world. Most of these have been in the possession of the privileged classes, kept hidden deep in their homes. Since these homes have never been opened to the public, only a limited number of people have been able to see the art objects. This, in a manner of speaking, has been a monopoly of art. Such has been the feudalistic way of thinking of many Japanese people up to now.
　　I have always had a feeling of great regret about this matter, hoping to somehow break down this bad custom and do something to make art generally available; that is, help to exhibit art objects so the public could enjoy and appreciate them. I have always believed that that was the way to make the most of the life force of art, and I have made it my project to do so. Fortunately, thanks to the fact that I am a spiritual leader and that dedicated service is given by our members, the art museum has been completed in a comparatively short period of time. Thus, my long-cherished dream has been materialized, and I can hardly contain my joy.
　　It is true that we can find several private art museums in various parts of Japan. However, the purposes for which they have been built are far different from what I have had in mind. Those people of wealth who collected a large number of art objects regardless of price did so for the purpose of satisfying their own desires, of preserving their wealth, and of fulfilling their longing for personal recognition. They later incorporated their collections as art museums so the maintenance and safety of their valuable objects could be assured. There are certain government regulations regarding incorporated museums which stipulate the minimum number of days a year art objects should be displayed to the public. To comply with the laws and regulations, these private art museums are usually opened and exhibits are held perfunctorily for a short period in spring and in autumn. Thus, I should say they are of little benefit to the public.
　　In contrast to this, our museum is always open, except for the three winter months of December, January and February, when it is closed due to the cold climate of Hakone. This is ideal for the convenience of visitors. Though grouped in close fashion, there are such rare and outstanding objects that those who are interested in art will want to see them at least once in their lifetime, and we can imagine how great their joy will be. Also, since the entrance fee is comparatively low, we feel that the museum will make quite a contribution to the welfare of society.
　　Besides the points mentioned above, the museums in Japan ordinarily contain more articles of historical or archeological interest than anything else, and these are primarily Buddhist in nature, as you all know. Too, the private art museums mainly show Chinese or Western works, so in the true sense there have not been any really Japanese museums before. Ours will make a great contribution to the preservation of important cultural objects which might otherwise be scattered and lost.
　　The other day, Mr. Asano, Director of the Tokyo National Museum, and Mr. Fujikawa, Director of the General Affairs Department of the Commission for Cultural Properties, came to visit us. They said that this kind of art museum is in accord with all the conditions our government requires most today, that they would voice their approval of our ideas and that they would be happy to assist us in any way. So saying, they encouraged us to make even greater efforts, so we were very much reassured by their remarks.
　　Let me especially add these few more words in conclusion: In the future, Japan will have more and more sightseeing visitors from abroad and probably almost all of them will stop at Hakone, so they will not miss visiting our art museum. From this point of view, too, the museum will make a great contribution toward the elevation of the position of Japanese culture.
　　Recently, there have been more and more influential individuals from abroad who have expressed a wish to visit us, including the well-known Professor Langdon Warmer. So, I believe the day will not be too far away when the Hakone Museum is widely known throughout the world and is one of the places most frequently visited by tourists when they come to Japan.
　　This is one of the reasons we are keeping busy improving and expanding our Hakone project in every way－so we will be able to accommodate all those visitors.

132. 　Unique Quality of Japanese Culture

There is a certain thing I would very much like the Japanese people to be aware of.
　　It concerns the special national character of Japan and the unique quality of its people. Had they had this understanding in the depths of their hearts, Japan would not have experienced the tragic fate of defeat and national ruin of World War II.
　　There is an expression, "Know thyself." Expanding this, I would say, "Know thy country." Japan is no longer living in an era of national isolation. Now that almost everything is done on a worldwide, international scale, it is a "must" to know one's own country. Japanese should well understand what kind of role their country should play.
　　Unless they are able to recognize its raison d'etre, they will never be able to establish its true national policy. We can clearly understand this when we observe the conditions in Japan up to the end of World War II. Until that time the privileged class, the military clique, exerted an absolute power and a small number of people administered affairs of state in an arbitrary manner.
　　Because of this situation, people in general had no voice against those in power and submitted to being enslaved by them. This is still fresh in our memories. It is true that the country's leaders established the constitution and the representative system in the Meiji era, and pretended that they respected the consensus of public opinion. In actuality, however, a small number of people held political power and finally the leaders launched the reckless war. It was like "advertising wine and selling vinegar."
　　Let us reflect on the known history of Japan. It was characterized by constant civil wars from its earliest days. Governmental affairs were under the total control of military men. Those who excelled in killing under the cloak of Bushido (Japanese code of chivalry) gained recognition and power. The winners of wars became supreme rulers.
　　Japan was pulled by this thick rope of violence until the end of World war II. It was suddenly snapped by the great impact of defeat. Unless all its people come to have a much deeper understanding of the meaning of this fact, a true national policy as a peace-loving country can never be established.
　　For the above reason, it is important to rediscover the rightful role of Japan. As we always say, Japan must be a peace-loving country, a country of art. This is a role which is contrary to its former one as a feudalistic military nation. It is the mission with which it has been entrusted by God. People frequently talk about the reconstructed Japan, but just a reconstructed country would not amount to much if it stopped there because, literally construed, this would mean only a "democratic country without military preparations." Its rebuilding is, or course, a matter of joy for us, but actually, Japan should realize the unique role it has in the world and contribute more to the welfare of the entire human race. This is the true role of the newly-born Japan.
　　 Let me enumerate the reasons for the above statement. First and foremost, Japan is a country of great scenic beauty which is probably beyond comparison anywhere in the world; we always hear exclamations of admiration by visitors from other countries. There is also considerable meaning in the fact that climatic variations of the four seasons are very distinctly discernible. They manifest themselves in constant changes not only in the conditions of mountains, rivers, flowers and trees, but also in the overall atmosphere of Nature.
　　Concerning the four seasons, what Kyoshi Takahama* said a few years ago after a round-the-world trip clearly shows that the above is true. He wrote, "No country other than Japan has such clear distinctions in the four seasons. Since it is a rule of haiku** to include one of the seasons in every poem, a true haiku cannot be composed in any other country." Also, no other country is said to abound in such a myriad variety of plants and flowers and even in fishes and shells.
　　We can cite the cleverness of the Japanese people with their hands as one of their most outstanding characteristics. This means that they are particularly suited to art and crafts. The best proof of this is the fact that in the past countless numbers of superb art objects were created in Japan at a time when its history was a continuous record of civil wars. Even today we are struck with admiration for the excellent workmanship of those objects.
　　If only for the above mentioned reasons, I am sure you can understand what kind of mission Japan and its people have. We believe that the entire country should be made into a great garden for the rest of the world and that unflinching efforts should be made to develop its arts so they reach the highest possible levels.
　　In other words, Japan should establish two major national policies: developing the tourist industry and encouraging arts and crafts. Then, Japan should work to fulfill these objectives. As a result, it would contribute to the betterment of the thinking of the entire human race and would give it new and fresh recreations and amusements. In short, we should make Japan a country with a highly developed culture, a country of fine arts.
　　In no other period in history have all the people of the world been so afraid of war and so eager to seek peace as they are today. As we always explain, the ultimate cause of war is the fact that strife-consciousness still remains in human nature. A pugnacious nature originates in a barbaric mentality, of course. Although people always speak of their countries as having high civilization, the fact is that humanity as a whole has not outgrown barbarism as yet. The way to solve this problem, we believe, is to divert the direction of man's interest toward something else, and the most perfect direction is fine arts. In other words, we should convert the hell-like world of conflict into a heaven-like world of art. Peace realized under the threat of armaments is short-lived. Permanent peace can only be attained by a revolution of human thought. I hereby declare that such a revolution can only be achieved through religion and art.
　　In the above sense, I would like to say that what we need is not just a "reconstructed Japan," but a "reconstructed new Japan." I believe the only policy we can follow if we are to achieve this goal is to transform the entire nation into a country of fine arts.

133. 　The Divine Garden of Shinsen-kyo

Almost eighty percent of the Shinsen-kyo Garden at Gora, Hakone, which I have been working on with members for the past five years, has been completed.
　　It may sound as though I am talking boastfully when I say this, but even at this stage I believe it compares favorably with many of the old, well-known gardens in various parts of Japan; in fact, I think it is far superior to any of them. It is true that there are quite a number of well laid out gardens, each of which has its own characteristic features. However, it seems to me that it is hard to find any one that has an especially distinguishing mark. Compared with others, the Shinsen-kyo Garden is altogether unique.
　　Not observing the old conventions, freeing myself from the traditional rules, I have created totally new landscape forms. This place is rich with rocks of fantastic shapes, which I have used to make unique arrangements as revealed to me by God. I have collected several varieties of trees and have had them planted according to my inspired ideas. In designing cascades and small streams, I have enhanced all of the natural materials. In other words, following God's Plan, in Shinsen-kyo I have harmoniously combined the beauty of Nature and the man-made beauty of landscape gardening.
　　Thus, I have worked to emphasize the high level of artistic loveliness which characterizes Nature. My aim has been to draw forth through the eyes of the viewers the inner consciousness of beauty which is integral to every man, elevating the character, and to purify the spiritual body by dispelling its clouds.
　　Thus, I have poured my heart into every part－into the assembling of the rocks, into the selections of trees and smaller plants and the decisions as to where and how each should be planted. I have done all this as if I were painting a picture with the materials of Nature. This is what I would like you to keep in mind as you go through the garden. No matter how or from where you view it, I believe you will find it interesting. This has been my plan. As time has passed, natural growths (various kinds of moss peculiar to Hakone, small grasses, tiny flowers and sprouts of trees which look like miniature plants) have begun to add to the garden by appearing here and there, sometimes in the little hollows of rocks. Each one of these looks as if it is trying to draw the attention of the viewers.
　　Recently, since the entire garden has come to bear an appearance of age and has an increasingly serene atmosphere, it has improved remarkably. When I am in the garden, I feel reluctant to leave. The flow increases in the streams after it has rained, and I feel as if I were looking down upon a small torrent in the mountains. The water makes crashing sounds as it races over the rocks and breaks into foam, sending up white spray, then it flows more quietly, meandering along with murmuring sounds until it reaches the dropping-off point, where it divides itself into two cascades as it falls. The spectacular sight really enthralls everyone.
　　The waterfall on the right, which I have named the "Dragon Head Cascade," flows down in steps formed by steep rocks, making an interesting sight, but the one on the left-hand side is still more fascinating, for as it falls it divides into many small rivulets and these in turn break up and spray into foam. As I watch I can almost see a martin skimming quickly across the waterfall. Indeed, the harmonious beauty of Nature and of man's work is skillfully expressed here. It satisfies me with its unexpectedly excellent workmanship.
　　As I stand watching the cascades, I sometimes have an illusion of being in the mountains, and sometimes I feel I am facing a masterpiece of painting. A man-made cascade often creates an unnatural effect which is somewhat unpleasant, but there is nothing spurious about this one; it is exceedingly natural. The brilliant colors of the maple leaves against the waterfalls, the different shades of green in the trees, the thick groves of bushes all give an illusion of being deep in the woods of the high mountains.
　　The above is a description of the completed part of the garden. Now I will tell you about the big open space in the back, across the road from the public garden, which we have just begun to work on with the purpose of making this part even more unusual. The plan for it is very novel, very original. When it is completed, visitors will be struck with wonder.
　　I am writing all this just as it comes into my mind. You may feel I am a vain person to be speaking so highly of my own work without any reservation. This would indeed be true from an ordinary point of view. However, it is God Who is creating this garden, using me as His instrument, so I don't think there is anything wrong in praising God's Skill, His Divine Art. Rather, I think it is totally right because it is giving credit to God.
　　Some time ago, a Mr. William W. Shudler, a professor of geography at a college in the United States of America, visited the Shinsen-kyo. He spoke highly of our garden, saying, "I have seen many gardens all over the world, but I have never found anything as original and artistic as this one. I think this is probably the most unique garden in the world."
　　Now, let me write about the art museum I am going to have built as the finishing touch to this garden area. I expect it to be completed by summer of next year. When it is done it will add still greater charm to the Sacred Grounds. I have already collected a number of art objects to be displayed, and am making a general study of objects owned by art museums and other museums; of objects owned by individual collectors; and of treasures of the highest quality, such as those in Buddhist temples. I am establishing connections with a view to adding more items to our collection, so that when the time comes for our museum to be opened it will compare favorably with any other art museum in Japan.
　　My plan is to exhibit not too many objects of historical or archaeological interest, but to display the masterpieces of great artists of the East, both contemporary and of past ages－only great pieces from an aesthetic point of view. My reason for this is that regardless of their degree of technical discernment, unless viewers are inspired by the beauty of and enjoy objects on display the significance of an art museum is lost. Needless to say, I am going to follow exactly the instructions God is revealing to me as to the design of the building and of the interior as well, so the museum will offer a very individual effect.
　　When the museum is finished, the Shinsen-kyo Garden will be completed. This will indicate the time when the Divine Light Program is ready to begin the main stage of expansion. The construction in Atami will also advance according to God's Plan, for He performs His Work in an orderly manner, in accord with His Own Law. This is the truth.

134. 　Significance of Constructing the Hakone Art Museum*

I am Mokichi Okada, spiritual leader of Sekai Kyusei Kyo. I deeply appreciate your responding to our invitation today, taking time from your busy schedules.
　　The reason I invited you here before the official opening of the art museum is, for one thing, to seek comments from you who have real discernment concerning art objects. For another thing, I wish to take this opportunity to express my hopes.
　　 Primarily, the ideal of a religion is to create a world of truth, virtue and beauty. Truth and virtue belong to the spiritual, while beauty is manifested in form and contributes through material loveliness toward the elevation of man's spiritual being. As you know, religious arts prospered greatly in the Western world from the ancient days of Greece and Rome up to the Middle Ages, and also in Japan from the time of Prince Shotoku [574-622] up to the Kamakura period [1185-1392]. Indeed, it is an undeniable fact that religion has been the parent of all arts－painting, sculpture, and music.
　　This relationship between religion and art gradually became weaker and weaker until today, in our modern age, they have been almost completely separated. Moreover, the influence of modern science has contributed to this tendency and we now hear many people speak of the stagnation of religion. It is my belief that religion and art should advance together, like the two wheels of a cart.
　　Be that as it may, I would now like to refer to the national character of Japan. Primarily, each country on earth has its own unique ideas and culture, as each individual has his own characteristics. Let me tell you what I believe Japan's is. It is to help the people of the world to enjoy life through beauty and thus to contribute to the elevation of civilization. We can easily understand this simply by observing the facts that Japan is especially prominent in scenic beauty, that it has so many varieties of flowering plants and other vegetation, that the Japanese people in general have a sharp sense of beauty, and that they excel in manual arts.
　　Unfortunately, however, without being aware of its fundamental mission, Japan embraced a really rash ambition when it entered World War II, the result of which was the miserable experience of defeat. Moreover, Japan is now disarmed of all its weapons so it will be unable to instigate war again. It is obvious that God has done this to make the Japanese people awaken to their country's true mission. Recently, a clamor has risen about the need for rearmament, but only for the purpose of defense.
　　From the above, it is clear what road Japan should take for the future. I believe that as long as it keeps this goal in mind it will surely be blessed with continuous peace and prosperity.
　　Since I was awakened to Japan's true mission I have been doing my best in every way to bring this into reality. I have planned first to construct a beautiful miniature paradise so the general public may know what the total paradise on earth will be like. I have chosen Hakone and Atami because they are not only blessed with scenic beauty but with hot springs, mild climates and good air; also, they are easily accessible to the public. They are ideal spots, indeed, for our purposes. For these reasons, I have selected the most scenic parts and have started working on the construction of centers of art where beauty of Nature and man-made beauty are harmoniously blended. The result of such effort is this miniature paradise at Hakone, including the art museum.
　　Let me tell you a little about my ideas concerning this museum. Up to now there has not been any art museum which has been primarily dedicated to Japanese art. There have been Chinese museums and Western museums, and we have seen and appreciated some religious art objects in other museums, but under such circumstances we Japanese have not had many opportunities to see and appreciate Japanese art works. So, when we have had visitors from other countries who have wished to see objects of purely Japanese origin we have not been able to satisfy their desires. Don't you think this has been a great defect for Japan, which is supposed to be a country which puts a special value on art? I will be exceedingly happy if our museum can make up for this defect even a little.
　　Here is another thing that you are probably aware of already. In spite of the fact that Japan has been rich since ancient times in fine art objects of which we can be proud before the entire world, up to the end of World War II most of these were hoarded deep in the homes of the privileged classes, so the public had few opportunities to come into contact with them.
　　 Perhaps this was due to the long-established monopolistic, feudalistic thought of olden days. Now that Japan has become a democratic country and the old ways have become antiquated, the situation has changed. I believe the primary purpose for the existence of art objects is for them to be displayed before the public so that everyone can enjoy and appreciate them and thus be helped to have their characters raised spiritually, even though they may not realize it. So, we should do our best to break down the previous monopolistic thoughts and to free Japan's art objects. Fortunately, because of the great national changes, many of the cultural objects which were once kept under lock and key have been released for sale. You can easily see how much this situation has helped us in the opening of our art museum.
　　This is small in scale, but I planned it with the aim of making it a model for the museums which will follow, both within and outside Japan. I myself worked on everything in the museum, and every part of the garden－including every tree, every little plant－was planned by me. Of course, mine is not the work of a professional, but if it can be of help to you in some way I will be very happy. I have taken into consideration possible future emergencies; also, I have given much attention to the environment and the equipment. I hope this will be of assistance in the preservation of our national treasures.
　　In brief, my wish is simply to help realize the primary mission of Japan as a country of beauty, as a paradise for the world.
　　I am planning to construct other miniature paradises in Atami and Kyoto, including art museums. So, taking this opportunity, I ask you for your further support.
Thank you.

135. 　The Reason Art Objects Are Drawn to Me

As those of you who have been to the Hakone Art Museum know, almost every visitor is surprised at the rich collection of art objects which are the kind that are ordinarily quite difficult to acquire. I am going to write about how I started collecting them.
　　It was right after World War II that I began buying these pieces of art. It was a time of great social changes in Japan such as had never before been experienced. Almost all the privileged classes－nobility, the wealthy, the descendants of feudal lords and the giant family combines－collapsed and were thrown into financially straitened circumstances all of a sudden. So, they had to dispose of the curios and objects of art which their families had cherished for generations.
　　In these circumstances, many of the rare and excellent articles of great artistic value were released on the market at comparatively inexpensive prices. In addition, due to exceedingly heavy taxes imposed on their assets. many owners were driven into tight corners so they had to get rid of their art objects. In such situations, they reluctantly disposed of most of their treasures. Really, I could not help feeling great compassion for them. However, they could not do anything else but sell, so I purchased many of the pieces, partly with a feeling of helping the owners in their predicaments. In this way I bought almost everything at the first figure asked, only having to bargain with some greedy art dealers until they brought down the unreasonably excessive prices they put on items.
　　In this manner my collection increased piece by piece. I had been interested in art from my younger days, but had never been more than an amateur in appraisal ability. Also, since I had not had any previous experience in buying art objects I did not know their market prices, so I simply bought what I liked. This policy seemed to prove a success, for it turned out that I almost never made a mistake in my purchases.
　　All those with expert knowledge who have visited our museum have spoken highly of our collection, and their words have not been meant as flattery. They have said things such as, "In any of the museums I have visited before, I have found quite a number of objects whose value was questionable, but this museum contains nothing that is second rate; all the articles here are superb." A recent visitor, Mr. Alan Priest, curator of Far Eastern art at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, was one of those who especially praised our collection on this point.
　　About three years ago, the size of the collection had increased considerably and I had become more experienced in judgment. It was at that time the thought came to me that I should begin to plan the art museum I had wanted to build for so long. Strange as it might seem, from then on other articles needed for that purpose began to appear unexpectedly, so it became clear to me that God was definitely focusing His Power on the construction of the art museum.
　　We have had too many miraculous experiences concerning this to enumerate them all, so I will only mention some which are outstanding. In the early days of my collecting, a certain art dealer began to bring me so many excellent gold-lacquer works, one after another, that anybody would have thought this was strange. Not only was I surprised, but the dealer himself said that he felt there was something odd about this. Moreover, I could buy all the outstanding pieces at surprisingly low prices due to the situation at that particular time. The cost today would be several times as much.
　　I am speaking of the gold-lacquer works that are now on display in the museum. It took me only about six months to collect all those articles. There are included such excellent works as those of Shosai Shirayama [1853-1923], a rare master of gold-lacquer work, two of whose pieces are on display. I have some more in storage which I will exhibit in the near future. His works are rarely found on the market, and we can tell from that fact that they are few in number and also that their owners value them so highly they don't want to part with them.
　　I have always loved the works of Rimpa School* artists and the ceramics of Ninsei Nonomura [early seventeenth century]. These are becoming more and more expensive with the passage of time and we can hardly find any of them for sale; I have heard that those who are seeking them are heaving sighs of despair. However, during the time of confusion which followed World War II, I was able to get hold of quite a number of them at exceedingly reasonable prices. From these facts I can see how God has been working for our museum.
　　In this way, anything I want to obtain, anything I feel I must acquire for the museum, has been brought to me without fail. Each time this has happened the art dealer involved has exclaimed, "How strange! This is a miracle!"
　　Let me write about one more experience of this nature. I wanted to secure the first prints of the well-known Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido by Hiroshige Ando [1797-1858]. One day an art dealer who specialized in woodblock prints came and showed me some works by Hiroshige among others. I said to him that if he could bring me the very first edition prints of the fifty-three stages set, I would buy them at once. I was surprised to see him the next day with the very work in which I had expressed interest. He said then, "I have never experienced anything so strange. To my great surprise, soon after I returned home a man brought me exactly what you had spoken to me about yesterday. I have been trying to find and purchase this particular set for the past forty years! But the man came to sell those very prints right after I returned home from your place. This is so mysterious that I can't understand why it happened, no matter how hard I think about it." I was deeply moved by this great miracle. Examining the facts more carefully, I found that this set had been owned and cherished by a certain well-known feudal lord. I was told that one of his ancestors had had the album made for the pictures. The splendid album itself surprised me again. Moreover, I was overjoyed because the price was quite reasonable.
　　Now, let me write about the Chinese ceramics. I had had little interest in this area before, nor had I been a good judge of them, but I began to realize that it was important for an art museum to have some of these works also. Soon after this, many pieces began to appear from various sources, and they are on display now. They were gathered in about a year. Individuals who have heard about this can hardly believe it. Since I had no knowledge in this field in the beginning, I sometimes made my selections by following the explanations and advice of the dealer; sometimes I made them by following my own intuition. But now I often hear those who are experts in the field say they are deeply impressed by the fact that so many excellent Chinese ceramics have been collected. I have almost no words with which to express my gratitude for God's wonderful guidance.
　　There have been many more miraculous experiences, which I will not mention here. However, I would like to write about the reason these miracles happened.
　　In the spiritual world, the creators of these pieces of art and those who once owned and cherished them or had some other relationship with them have taken action, because they wished to render valuable service to our spiritual work. They have worked to see to it that the art objects would reach me through the proper channels. They have known that they could be blessed and spiritually elevated by such services.
　　Needless to say, it has been for the same reason that an art museum with a collection as excellent as ours could be completed in such a short time. Just think, this museum would probably have taken a lifetime for a man of wealth to build, while ours has been finished in almost no time. From this alone, anyone should be able to realize that it has been accomplished by something beyond human power.

* Rimpa school: The group of artists who existed in Japan from medieval to modern times. It included such famous individuals as Koetsu (1558-1637) and Sotatsu (early seventeenth century) and culminated in Korin (1658-1716), so it is generally referred to as Rimpa (Rim is for Korin, pa means school). Some of its characteristics are: modern and stylized design, brilliant colors and decorative effects, and occasional abundant use of gold and silver pigments. The Rimpa School, once quite popular in Japan, had a profound impact on the country's painters, sculptors, and industrial artists from its earliest days. Also, it greatly influenced the modern French artists.

136. 　The Role of Flowers in Establishing Paradise on Earth

The main purpose of our work is to help establish paradise on earth. What, then, is paradise on earth? It is a world where truth, virtue and beauty are manifested fully in our daily lives.
　　Of course, our teachings on health and Nature Farming are the most important guidelines by which to realize our objective. We also have Johrei, which gives new life to all phases of man's being, spiritual, mental, physical. Besides the above mentioned, we believe it is vitally important to raise the consciousness of everyone through beauty. In regard to this, we are about to launch a new plan. Let me first refer to the current condition of Japan in order to clarify the point.
　　 Basically speaking, beauty is appreciated by the sense of hearing through the ear and the sense of seeing through the eye. For the ears, never before have we seen a time when music flourished so much in Japan; this is due primarily to the development of the radio and the phonograph. But for the eyes, there are only motion pictures and theatrical performances for the most part; this creates quite a discouraging situation. We should be able to have contact with beauty more easily, without any limitations of time. Of course, for the purpose of pleasing the eyes, theatrical shows and motion pictures are very good, but considering the time, expense and distance involved, we cannot accept them wholeheartedly as the best possible means for studying beauty.
　　We wish to encourage people to cultivate flowers and to distribute them as the best method for the popularization of beauty. This begins with decorating the rooms in our individual homes and in other buildings. It is true that we see flowers placed in many middle- and upper-class homes, but we feel this is not enough. Our aim is to encourage everyone to place arrangements in every place of every kind, so wherever people go they will see flowers and enjoy them.
　　I don't have to tell you what a refreshing atmosphere it would add to a desk in an office or study to have a single flower displayed in a vase. Ideally speaking, I would also like to see arrangements placed in every jail and in each prison cell. I believe the good effects these would have on the inmates' consciousness would be immeasurable. In this way, when the time comes that wherever there are people there are flowers, the negativities of today's world will be considerably alleviated.
　　 However, there is very little we can do at present, because of the high prices of flowers. We must do something to make them obtainable at much lower costs. In order to achieve this, we should encourage an increase in their production, to the degree that it does not affect the production of food.
　　In regard to this subject, I would like to present another important point.
　　Japan is well-known as a country that has the greatest varieties of flowers. Also, it is said that our methods of cultivating them have reached the highest standards in the world. Even before World War II, tulips, which originally came from the Netherlands, were already being raised in the area around Niigata Prefecture and considerable amounts were being exported. Also, around the same time, white lilies were produced in Kanagawa Prefecture and then sent to Great Britain and the United States, with an annual increase in export.
　　According to a survey we have made, there are quite a number of Americans who admire Japanese flowers and are anxious to secure rare and exceptional ones that cannot be found in the United States. We should undertake a big increase in their production, for, among other things, I believe this would be a great aid to Japan in its efforts to obtain foreign currencies and so improve its economic condition. Up to the present, this field has been quite neglected. We should do all we can to draw attention to it, especially since flowers have no export quota. I believe this proposal is worth considering, for there is much that could be gained from the idea.

137. 　Plants Have Consciousness

I enjoy taking care of the plants and trees in my garden, and I usually trim them into shape. Once in a while I make a mistake and cut off too much or remove a part I should not have. Also, when I plant new trees, because of the locality I am sometimes forced to put them in undesirable spots; because of the surrounding circumstances their backs or sides are facing to the front. When this happens, for a while I have an uneasy feeling whenever I see them. Strange as it may seem, however, as the days pass by the trees appear to adjust themselves little by little to their new environment and eventually they fit into those same spots perfectly. This is certainly a marvel and makes us realize that trees truly do have consciousness.
　　I am sure that all plants have consciousness. Perhaps they are exactly like us human beings: we dress ourselves in the proper attire so we will not feel ashamed in the presence of others.
　　In connection with this, let me tell you an interesting story I heard some time ago from an elderly landscape gardener. He told me that whenever he found a flowering tree that would not bloom he said to it, "If you do not produce blossoms this year, I am going to cut you down." He told me that each time he spoke in this way it worked, for invariably the tree addressed then bore blossoms. I have not tried it myself as yet, but I am sure it is a successful method. We should realize that everything in Nature has consciousness and should be treated accordingly.
　　Some time ago, I read about an Occidental person who gave such loving care to a tree that it grew to maturity in seven to eight years, while ordinarily it would have taken fifteen years to do so. The same idea can be applied to flower arrangements, which I regularly make for all of the rooms in my home. Even when I am not pleased with some arrangement at first, I leave it alone. Then, the next day, I usually find it has changed its shape to one that is beautiful. Indeed, flowers do seem to have awareness. I never force any of the materials into particular shapes, either, but simply arrange them in their own natural forms as much as I can so they remain fresh and full of life for a long time.
　　If you handle them and play with them too much they wilt quickly, so this is not good. Whenever you make an arrangement, you should first decide how long each branch or stem should be and then quickly cut and place your material in the container. In this way, you can create a beautiful arrangement.
　　It is the same with other living creatures－the more you handle them and play with them, the weaker they become. This also applies to human beings. As you raise your children, the more you worry about them and fuss over them, the less strength they develop.
　　Since I make flower arrangements in this manner, they remain fresh much longer than usual, and this amazes everybody. For example, bamboo leaves and maple branches are not generally used because their span of life is short if they are cut. But I often choose them, for in my arrangements they ordinarily remain fresh for three to five days. Sometimes bamboo lasts for over a week, and maple for more than two weeks. Also, no matter what materials I use, I always leave the cut ends alone and arrange them just as they are, without employing any of the customary techniques for prolonging their lives.

138. 　Three Ways to Be Spiritually Purified

The object of having faith is to attain spiritual purification and achieve higher spiritual awareness. There are three ways for man to do this: one, through suffering, such as experiencing disasters or practicing asceticism; two, through repeatedly doing good deeds; three, through high-level art. Of these three ways, the simplest and quickest is the last. Moreover, while enjoying art, our spiritual beings can be cleansed and raised without our even being aware of it, so nothing can be more blissful than this.
　　For this reason, I would like to encourage you to read all the poems I have composed, whenever you have the time. By doing so, your spiritual being can be elevated. When you grow within, your spiritual self is being purified accordingly and you attain higher levels of awareness, so as a result your thinking becomes clear and you develop an unshakable faith without having had to make any huge effort. I say this because each and every one of my poems is filled with truth, virtue and beauty.
　　Through the vibratory power of words, I am trying to help raise the level of everyone's spiritual awareness.

139. 　Happiness

Since ancient times, I believe, all human beings have wanted to attain happiness, for it is the very first and the very last goal of any human endeavor. It is in order to reach this goal that man has worked to increase his knowledge, has gone through spiritual training, and has made assiduous efforts in every way. In spite of this fact, however, how many of us have really attained happiness to our hearts' satisfaction? The majority of people have mostly lived in unhappy circumstances, and have finally left this world without knowing the true joy of fulfilling their desire.
　　Is it then so difficult to attain true happiness? To this question, I would like to answer, "No!" The basic requisite for living happily is that man has, first of all, to be freed from his three great problems－disease, poverty and conflict－as we all know. However, as the proverb says, "It is easy to say this, but hard to make it a reality," and most people resign themselves to one or more of these afflictions.
　　Everything that occurs has its cause and effect. This applies also to happiness, so the starting point in solving the problem should be to learn the true cause of unhappiness. As long as we are ignorant of this, there can be no possibility of attaining happiness, however hard we may try to do so.
　　What, then, is the cause of unhappiness? The ancient proverb, "Good cause brings about good results, and bad cause brings about bad results"－or, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"－is an eternal truth. Understanding this and thus endeavoring to make others happy is the absolute requirement in achieving happiness for ourselves.
　　However, there are too many individuals in this world who think only of attaining happiness for themselves, without giving thought to the unhappy states of others. This is a truly foolish attitude, because such people are trying to reap the fruits of happiness while they are sowing the seeds of unhappiness. The result is the same as the movement of water in a tub; when you push against it with your hands it flows toward instead of away from you, and when you cup your hands and try to draw it toward you it flows away from you instead.
　　It is for this reason that religion is vitally necessary for man. Christianity teaches love and Buddhism teaches mercy. In either teaching, the true objective is to implant in man's mind a love for others, a desire to work for the welfare of others. It is as simple as that, but even such a simple principle as the law of cause and effect is very difficult for man to understand. This is why God has caused various spiritual teachings to appear, has provided standards of proper thoughts, words, and deeds, has offered knowledge of existence of the invisible, and has guided ministers or priests to devote their lives to leading people to true faith.
　　However, it is quite difficult to awaken even one individual to Truth. This is because people in general have had a belief in materialism implanted firmly by their education, which has taught them to believe only in the visible and tangible and therefore, in most cases, they will not give any attention to spiritual teachings. They are captives of delusion, wander about in darkness, suffer constantly, then finally depart from this life. What an empty life that is!
　　If there is any way by which we can experience true joy and delight while on this earth, can live with peace of mind, can enjoy longevity and can attain true happiness, this world will then be a paradise, a place worth living in. Most of you may have resigned yourselves, thinking that such a happy life is impossible in this "vale of tears." But we say positively that there is one sure method of attaining such happiness, and I offer these articles to convey that method to you.

140. 　The Secret of Happiness

When I say there is a secret to happiness, you may think I am speaking about some kind of magic. Definitely not. It is a very simply truth. Unfortunately, most people do not realize that in this simple truth lies the secret to happiness.
　　There are probably very few individuals in society who can be described as actually happy, fortunate people. There are countless numbers of individuals who are suffering in some way－from unemployment, sickness, poverty, discord, disbelief, and frustration. Experiencing these types of failures is like being shackled and in prison.
　　We may ask ourselves why God, after creating human beings, allows them to suffer? Why does He not convert this world into a place where there is more happiness than misery? Good and evil have existed since the beginning of the human race. These two forces, completely opposite in nature, have been in constant friction and struggle, and the conflict is still going on. When we contemplate this closely, we come to realize that it is also a fact that it is because of the friction between good and evil that today's civilization has attained its present level of progress.
　　 People often ask me, "If God is Love and Mercy, I can't understand why He allows man to do bad things and commit sinful acts and then punishes him, as is said of the Christian day of judgment. If God had not created evil, would it not be unnecessary to judge and punish man?" This logic is quite reasonable, and I myself have sometimes felt the same way. If I were the Creator of man, it would be easy to explain this, but since I too am simply one of those created by Him, how can I give a total explanation? Let us lay aside any such questions for the time being, concentrate on how we can find the way to happiness, and begin to put it into practice.
　　As I constantly teach, the way to happiness lies in helping others to become happy. This is all that is necessary for us to do. A good way to use this key is one which I have followed myself for a long time, with wonderful results. To put it simply, it is to do as much good as possible－to strive to do good deeds whenever one can.
　　We should all do our best to make others happy. For example, a wife should do her best to encourage her husband so he is able to work in good spirits. A husband should be kind to his wife, so that she has peace of mind and is happy. It is natural for parents to love their children, but they should also bring them up with wisdom for the good of their adult lives. They should not use coercion but teach them to obey their parents with love and respect and to do their school work with pleasure.
　　In all areas of our daily lives, we should do our best to give hope to those with whom we come in contact. Our attitude at work, both toward those who have higher positions and those who have lower positions, should be the same; we should work with love and consideration for all. Administrators should have the welfare of the people as their first concern, forgetting their own interests, and act as good examples. Of course, to the extent of their ability, all people should try their best to do as much good as they can, using all the wisdom they have. Those who do much good will become happier than those who do little good.
　　When individuals who perform good deeds increase, imagine what will happen to our nation and then to all mankind. The nation will become an ideal country of the world, and it will be accorded respect by the rest of the world. As a result, the unhappy problems will disappear and a paradise on earth free from disease, poverty and conflict will become a reality. Everyone will then surely experience boundless happiness.
　　However, the world today is full of people who are telling lies, imposing upon others, and always thinking of their own interests. Indeed, it is not too much to say this is a planet full of negative individuals. To make matters worse, most people tend to think that this state of hell is a natural one, and they do not dream of doing something to change it for the better. There are even those who try to hinder our attempts to change this world of suffering into a paradise. These individuals become unfortunate through their own choice. They act in a way that will cause them to be sent to the lowest parts of the spiritual realm, so from our point of view, they are the most pitiable, most foolish of individuals. We pray for them to be awakened to the truth and saved by God.
　　By reflecting deeply on these teachings, we can see that true happiness and fulfillment is not too difficult to attain.

141. 　Secret of Good Fortune

When we carefully observe the world of today, we see too many unfortunate individuals. For this reason, although I have already written about good fortune, I am going to write on this subject again, this time more thoroughly.
　　There has been nothing in the world since ancient days that is more perplexing than the problem of man's fortune or misfortune. It is inevitable for an individual to be occupied with this thought from the time he begins to think for himself to the time of his death.
　　I say this because it is the way of the world that that which a human being is most anxious to know is usually the most difficult to learn. This knowledge is no exception to the rule. So, don't you think it would be a great blessing if this could be revealed even a little? Fortunately, the fundamental, basic facts have become clear to me and I have found through actual experience that there is no mistake, so I am going to explain with conviction.
　　We speak of fortune in general, but as everybody knows, there isn't anything more vague and elusive than good fortune. This, I believe, is its nature. Moreover, we have no power to do anything about it, so we may as well leave it to destiny.
　　Somebody stated, "Life is a big gamble," which is really well said. So, even those who are considered great seem to accept their fates, although it is not easy for them to do so wholeheartedly. Perhaps man is destined to live under the shadow of this uncertainty. The ardent desire for good fortune enables him to work actively. This makes him rack what little brains he has and to toil and struggle constantly until the end of his life to earn money or to attain distinction. This is perhaps the way man's life is supposed to be. Since nothing is more elusive than good fortune, the more an attempt is made to grasp it, the more quickly it escapes. The saying "Take time by the forelock" is entirely apropos.
　　From my long experience, I can say that I used to feel as though I was being mocked by fate, for I often thought I could seize good luck easily, and yet I found it so hard to reach. It always seemed to be dangling in front of my eyes, but the moment I put out my hands to touch it, it slipped beyond my reach. The faster I chased it, the more easily it seemed to escape me. It was indeed unmanageable! But I know I have gotten hold of it now.
　　As I try to explain this, I find it very difficult, because there are things that are hard for people with little knowledge of the spiritual side of the world to understand. I say this because so many individuals are inclined to judge everything superficially, without seeing into the heart of it; that is, they cannot penetrate to the core. And the source of good fortune or happiness, of all things, lies in that core, the invisible part. Without knowing this, no one can ever grasp true happiness.
　　When man moves, his body does not do so of its own volition, but is directed by his mind. The same principle applies to good fortune; it is the inner, invisible part that is important. The surface, the superficial side is the physical world, and the interior part is the invisible world of ether, that which we call the spiritual world. Such is the way the universe is constructed, the way God has created it. The spiritual world activates the physical world, just as the mind activates the body, and in all matters the spiritual realm takes precedence over the physical plane.
　　So, good fortune follows the same rule: A person can become fortunate only when his spiritual self has become fortunate in the spiritual realm. His condition there reflects upon the physical plane to make him fortunate in this world.
　　Now, I am going to explain the spiritual world in detail.
　　In the spiritual realm, the classification system is more strict and impartial than in the physical world. It is divided into three strata: the upper, middle and lower, each stratum being subdivided into sixty levels, making a total of one hundred and eighty levels. The highest plane is what is generally called heaven, the lowest plane is what is generally referred to as hell, and the middle is what we call the intermediate plane, which has approximately the same conditions as those of the physical world.
　　This may be inconceivable to some people. However, it is the truth. It has been proved to me by my own long and thorough investigations into the relationship between the spiritual realm and the physical world, and I have come to know its exact state to its very depth, so there can be no room for error. There are innumerable individuals who have grasped good fortune and true happiness through expressing faith in this principle and actively living it. I myself am one of them. You will easily realize how true this is by looking at me objectively, for I am now living in most fortunate circumstances.
　　Let me go one step further and explain those different levels. While man's physical body lives in the physical world, his spiritual self resides in the spiritual realm, on one of the one hundred and eighty levels. Its position is not stationary, however; it constantly moves upward or downward, depending on the degree and amount of its good deeds or lack of them. This movement reflects on the physical plane, influencing the fate of the physical individual. Therefore, man should do his utmost to elevate the position of his spiritual self.
　　The lowest part of the spiritual realm is the area referred to as hell, a pandemonium full of all kinds of agony such as disease, poverty and conflict, where all kinds of evil spirits are actively working, a completely dark world, one where there is no light whatsoever. The highest part is heaven, full of Light, an ideal world of health, plenty and peace. The central stratum is neither extremely good nor extremely bad. The higher a being's position is raised, the better his environment becomes.
　　The exact state of the spiritual being of each individual in the spiritual world reflects on the physical being, deciding his fortunes here, so it is obvious that elevation of the spiritual being in the spiritual realm is fundamentally essential for the attainment of true happiness. The actual state of everyone in this world tells us how true this is. We often hear of some individuals who have risen in their circumstances so they are envied by many and feel elated about this, and then have failed suddenly and have returned to their original poorer conditions, in spite of their expectations of continued success. Their falls can be attributed to their ignorance of the spiritual truths and their being overly dependent on human power. Such people are also inclined to mistreat others and to strain themselves. In consequence, they may succeed to a considerable degree on the surface, but their spiritual selves are on the lowest spiritual level, hell. The condition of their spiritual counterparts is inevitably reflected on their physical beings, according to the law of the spiritual preceding the physical.
　　Spiritual things have weight, just as material things do, and heavier beings sink to lower levels, whereas lighter beings ascend to higher ones. What ancient people referred to as the burden of sin is accurate, for bad deeds make a man's spiritual body cloudy and heavy, whereas virtuous deeds purify it, making it lighter so the spiritual being can ascend. Therefore, man should avoid all evil and do only good deeds, purifying the spiritual body that much more, making it lighter. This is the secret of attaining true happiness and good fortune. This is the truth and I affirm that there is no other way to reach these goals.
　　I am sure you understand this principle, but to put it into practice is not as simple as it may seem. There is one way to make it easy, however, and that is through a genuine faith in God. So, I would like to encourage all who wish to attain happiness and good fortune to faithfully tread the true spiritual path.

142. 　Preaching Versus Johrei and Happiness

Through the ages all religions without exception have placed primary importance on their own precepts, and have attempted to impart these precepts, primarily through preaching.
　　In our organization there is very little preaching. Some members may harbor doubts as to the wisdom of this course, may wonder why this is so, and some may wish to understand the meaning of this better so they can explain to nonmembers if questioned. So, I will write a few words on the subject.
　　The purpose of a religion is to help man mend his mistakes and to help him become a totally virtuous person. In order to accomplish this, the clouds accumulated on the spiritual body must be removed, for if a person's spiritual being is purified he will become unable to commit evil deeds. Instead, he will be of fine character and will contribute to the welfare of society and of his fellow man.
　　One method religion used to approach man for this purpose is preaching, which purifies the spirit through the ears. Another is offering sacred books, such as the Bible, the sutras of Buddhism and other prophetic writings, for study. This purifies the spirit by way of the eyes, through well-chosen written words.
　　In our faith, we too use the methods of purification which employ the ear and the eye. We also use the purifying power of the vibrations of words. However, we have still more; we have Johrei.
　　The purpose of Johrei is not to effect physical healing. Johrei is an action which brings about spiritual fulfillment and true happiness on earth. I say this because, as many of you already know, sickness is a form of purification and the real cause of sickness is clouds on the spiritual body, which are dispelled through that purification. Johrei is a way by which all of the negative experiences of man can be eliminated.
　　In this sense, poverty and conflict are also manifestations of purification. However, the most serious of all purifications is illness, for it involves man's very life. Therefore, when the problem of disease is solved, other miseries such as poverty and conflict are automatically solved, too.
　　As the solution of these miseries is essential for the attainment of true happiness, it needs to be clearly understood that the cause of all miseries is clouds on the spiritual body, and that the simplest and surest way to dispel clouds and attain true happiness is Johrei. Therefore, Johrei is not merely something to be used for the healing of physical illness. The physical body of a human being is living in the physical world, while his spiritual body is living in the spiritual world. The condition of the spiritual plane on which his being resides affects the material world, and this reflects on his physical being. Thus, the true cause of man's fortune or misfortune lies in the location of his spiritual being in the spiritual world.
　　Vertically, the spiritual world is divided into many strata. There are three principal divisions－upper, intermediate, and lower. Each of these is divided into sixty levels. This makes a total of one hundred and eighty-one strata, or levels, counting in addition the highest level of all, which belongs only to the Supreme God. Divine beings reside on all levels except this one.
　　Horizontally, each stratum is different from all others, ranging from heaven to hell. Suppose an individual's vibratory level places him in the lowest part of the three divisions of the lowest major level. As this corresponds to the lowest level of hell, which is filled with miseries beyond all imagining, this state reflects on his physical body so he experiences the most adverse conditions in the material world. When his vibration is raised to the next higher division his circumstances improve to a certain degree, and so on. Thus, the degrees of misery and pleasure, joy and sorrow, differ according to the vibratory level of each stratum.
　　When an individual advances so that he reaches the intermediate division, he is much better off in many ways. This corresponds to the state of the physical world in general. If the individual's spiritual vibration continues to be raised until he enters one of the sixty levels on the highest plane, which is heaven, he is in the position of a heavenly being and can then enjoy material circumstances that are full of joy and well-being for him.
　　The exact state of the spiritual body in the spiritual world reflects on the physical fortune of the individual in precise proportion. So, we all should strive to raise our vibratory rates as much as possible so that our spiritual beings can be raised. The higher they go, the less negativity we experience and the more our happiness increases. This is because it becomes less and less necessary for us to have difficult purifications. As long as our spiritual bodies stay on the lower levels, however much wisdom we try to use, however hard we may work, it is of no use. For this is how the divine law operates, the law of the spiritual preceding the physical. There are no exceptions; it is an immutable law.
　　Therefore, in order to attain true and lasting happiness you must have unswerving faith in the Absolute God, have total reverence toward Him, live in complete harmony with His Will and do only good deeds to and for others, thus accumulating virtue. In this way, you will be doing your best to purify your spiritual body and raise its vibration so it can reach higher levels. This is the only way to attain true happiness and fulfillment, and herein lies the great value of Johrei.

143. 　Destiny, Fate and Freedom

Many people ask me about the difference between destiny and fate.
　　Destiny is something that is given to each individual. It is predetermined, so it cannot be changed. Fate, however, can be changed at will within the limits of the individual's destined framework. Depending on a person's efforts, it is possible to reach the highest level within that framework or to drop to its lowest level.
　　 Freedom, to which people are paying increasing attention today, is something like fate. I say this because true freedom is contained within certain boundaries; there is no such thing as limitless freedom. True freedom has limitations; that is, it is a finite freedom. When a person insists on going beyond his boundaries, he encroaches on the freedom of somebody else and thus becomes a traitor to civilization. For this reason, a person who tries to go beyond the boundaries of his destiny must become a failure in life.

144. 　Fate Can Be Changed at Will

Man has always had a tendency to resign himself to his fate, thinking that, good or bad, nothing can be done about it. He has a set idea that mankind's fortunes are beyond control. However, anyone can change his fate as freely as he wishes, because basically fate is man's to control as he wills. Once you really understand this truth, far from being disillusioned with life, you will truly come to have great hope in this world.
　　Unless someone is mentally disturbed, it is quite natural that he does not wish to be a victim of misfortune, but wishes to have good fortune in all ways. This is a desire common to all human beings, and most people are making every kind of effort, are working very hard in order to attain this goal, sometimes even at the risk of their lives. Yet, I wonder how many have actually attained or will attain true happiness and fulfillment? Perhaps not one in a hundred. So, after trying everything they know of to become happy, the majority will eventually find themselves at the end of their lives without ever having achieved the happiness they have sought. What a hopeless world it will appear to them then! It would really seem that it is indeed "a pitiful world where all is vanity, all is transient," as the Buddha said.
　　There are a few individuals－perhaps one in ten thousand－who can really grasp good fortune. Seeing these few, some continue their never-ending search for happiness, unable to abandon their dreams. There are a few others who finally take the world as it is, saying to themselves, "Well, this is life."
　　It would be the most wonderful thing in the world if there were a sure method by which good fortune could truly be grasped. Since few seem to know what this could be, the majority continue to create unhappy lives for themselves. In other words, they build prisons in which they confine themselves and thereby suffer. This world is filled with such unrealistic and pitiable people. What is the answer then? How can everyone become truly happy? It is simple: Sow the seeds of virtue. The ancient words, "Good cause, good effects; bad cause, bad effects," contain a profound truth. The seeds of evil are all the deeds which stem from a self-centered way of thinking, such as acts that afflict others or cause loss to others, and such attitudes as, "I do not care if others suffer as long as I am all right." The seeds of virtue all come from love for others, expressed in deeds that make others happy or give them some benefit.
　　This sounds very simple, but when it comes to putting the idea into practice, it is actually quite difficult. This is why life is difficult. We should work to help develop in the mind of man a firm belief in love for others and the strength to adhere to this belief. Then the principle can be put into action. Only true faith, however, is capable of achieving such a goal.
　　There are many kinds of religions, so choose your own wisely. If I may be permitted to sing praises to World Messianity, let me say that it is the vehicle which is best fitted to the above requirement.
　　We invite all those who are suffering from misfortunes or adversities to come and join us.

145. 　Man Can Control His Fate

First of all, I would like you to be aware that destiny and fate are two completely different things, although they are thought by many people to be identical. Let me write on the differences between them.
　　 Destiny is decided at birth, but fate can be changed at will, depending on each individual's pattern. We must be aware of this point.
　　As everyone realizes through personal experience, however earnestly we may desire to do or to be what we wish, things do not always work as we want them to. This is because each of us is destined to dwell within a certain sphere, and it is impossible to go beyond this area. Therefore, it is essential for us to clearly realize the limits of our destinies, which are decided at birth. Actually, this understanding is exceedingly difficult, almost impossible, to attain.
　　Because of this ignorance, an individual often makes a plan which is beyond his capability, or he has a desire which is beyond his realization, and therefore he fails. Even then, if he realizes the mistake he has made in the early stage, drops his idea and makes a fresh start, he will not suffer too much. However, most people, not knowing the limitations of their destinies, try to persist with their initial plans, making their failures still greater. This is also due to the fact that many people take views of the world that are too optimistic.
　　Most individuals at last realize their mistakes after having bitter experiences, trying again and again and failing, trying to start fresh and becoming frustrated. Those who do become awakened are fortunate, I should say, for there are quite a number who are not awakened even though they fail constantly and stay at the depths of misfortune to the end of their lives. They are indeed to be pitied.
　　The above statements are about the fares of those who do not believe in God. The faces of believers are entirely different. In order to make this point clear I must explain it from the spiritual point of view; that is to say, all suffering is purification. When I speak of purification, some of you may think it is only physical purification－illness－but that is not so. The cause of all suffering, all misery is purification. For example, losses due to deception, fire, injury or robbery; misfortunes falling on family members; business losses or business failures; financially straitened circumstances; discord between husbands and wives; emotional troubles among family members; discord between relatives and acquaintances are all purifications.
　　Ordinarily, the only way to overcome purification is for spiritual clouds to be removed through suffering; as long as there are clouds, one cannot get away from suffering. So, the decreasing of clouds is the one absolute requirement for the improvement of one's fortunes. In other words, when the spiritual body is cleansed to a certain degree, purification becomes unnecessary and therefore bad fortune turns to good fortune. This is the truth. There is a Japanese saying which goes, "Lie down and wait for luck to smile on you," but it is truer to say, "Be purified and wait for good fortune to open up for you."
　　There is a better way to have our spiritual bodies purified without having to go through suffering, and that is through faith. For this reason, nonbelievers can never attain true happiness and fulfillment. But, since there are all kinds of religions, you must choose a good, powerful one; otherwise, you will not be able to attain genuine happiness. In this sense, I would like you to know that our faith is the one which fills the above mentioned requirement.

146. 　Common Sense in Religion

The first consideration in a true religion is that it does not deviate from common sense in speech or action. There are organizations that offer psychic phenomena, or express extremes through fanatical speeches and eccentric behavior. We should guard ourselves against these. There are some people who are inclined to be much impressed by such unnatural religious practices, which is due to ignorance of the spiritual aspects of the universe.
　　A dogma which causes its followers to be unfriendly to those of another does not impart the right spiritual concepts. A true spiritual teaching attempts to instill in its members a conviction that its mission is to serve all men and it urges them to help not only those who belong to their own group but all others as well. Think of the miserable defeat Japan had to experience in World War II, which was the consequence of its exclusivism and the pursuit of its own interests with disregard for the welfare of other countries. This is an example of how wrong a self-centered attitude is.
　　The ultimate objective of religion is to assist man to become as nearly as possible the perfect image and likeness of God. While perfection on earth is perhaps beyond the reach of the human self, the sincere step-by-step efforts to attain it express the right attitude and show true spiritual aspiration.
　　The deeper a person's faith becomes, the more natural and unaffected he is. An individual can reach that level only when he has absorbed the teachings so well that he has actually come to live them. An individual with true spiritual awareness should speak and act with common sense, should make a favorable impression on everyone, and should be so unaffected that no one can tell what his belief is. He should leave an uplifting, warm impression like a spring breeze upon those with whom he comes in contact. He should be humble, kind and concerned about the individual happiness of his fellow man and about the welfare of society as a whole.
　　If you want to become happy you must help to make others happy; the blessings you receive from God by living in this way are the only true happiness. Many people pursue happiness only for themselves at the sacrifice of others. They should awaken to the fact that by living with such a self-centered attitude they will experience only reverse effects.

147. 　Faith Means Justice

The true purpose of religion is not to give sermons on difficult theories or philosophies; it is to help people become moral and virtuous individuals. However, in the Analects of Confucius we find the teaching that speaking is easy but taking action is difficult. This is absolutely true.
　　Most people believe they cannot achieve their goals of becoming great, attaining financial success or succeeding in their careers through good deeds alone. They believe it is inevitable that they commit some bad deeds as well. They also think that even in seeking pleasure, vice is more enjoyable than wholesome activity.
　　 This way of thinking has continued for so long that it has become a kind of worldly wisdom; it is considered a common-sense way of living. Since ancient times, mankind has tried to correct these ideas by means of laws, moral education and the like, but with very little success.
　　This is where religion comes in, but whether a religion can be effective or not depends entirely on how much power it has. The reason is that one which lacks power cannot conquer evil. This is also a reason why followers of some religions fail to overcome the temptation to commit evil.
　　There must arise a religion which has the power to conquer evil. Only in this way can a better society and a happier world be realized. This is what is meant by the words in the title, "Faith Means Justice."

148. 　Right Attitude toward Religion

In the philosophy of the great Chinese scholar, Chu Hsi [1130-1200], we find the idea that doubt is the beginning of belief. This carries much truth. As I always say, in order to develop faith you should first feel as much doubt as possible.
　　There are many different kinds of religions in the world, but while most of them worship the true God, several have some false attribute or they worship deities of lower levels or certain low objects. Upon making a thorough examination, you will find that many organized faiths have some shortcomings. Therefore, before joining any religion, you should first doubt as much as possible and you should be careful not to be swayed by any preformed judgment. If you can find no fault with the religion you are interested in, no matter how strong your skepticism was in the beginning, you should accept that religion.
　　There are some religions which say that you must believe first, and then you can receive blessings. This is an erroneous concept, however, because to believe before experiencing any benefit requires self-deceit. The correct attitude is one of simply studying and observing carefully and objectively and trying to doubt as much as possible. If you then find that the teachings and doctrines are reasonable and that they leave nothing to be desired, if the blessings of God are apparent and miracles are occurring regularly, that is a sound religion worth joining.
　　Some religions totally disapprove of their members' coming into contact with other faiths. This is also wrong, because it reveals the fact that they either have some faults or do not have much power. As long as any religion professes to be a faith of the highest level, there cannot be another that it considers better. Therefore, leaders of such a religion should not be afraid to allow any of its members to come in contact with other beliefs. On the contrary, they should be happy, because this will bring good results: a member's faith in his religion will become stronger instead of weaker after he checks another belief, because in this way he can verify the superiority of his own.
　　There is one time when you should be especially cautious, and that is when you experience a considerable number of blessings and miracles. Even among divine beings there are levels of rank or differences in power, just as there are differences among human beings. Even divine beings of a second or lower level can exert considerable power, so that believers may experience blessings and miracles through them. Many people are attracted to such deities, thinking they are wonderful. However, there are some unfortunate cases in which these lower-ranked deities can be overwhelmed by dark forces during conflicts. In such cases, the believers will begin to encounter many misfortunes and they can find themselves in very difficult situations. Even so, such believers will usually try to find reasons or excuses to justify their hardships, since they are already committed to their faiths. Not only will they fail to see the lack of power of their objects of worship but they will interpret their misfortunes as cleansings of their clouds or as trials given to them by their deities.
　　It is normal for men of faith to suffer from misfortunes such as illnesses or accidents for certain periods of time, but after the sufferings are over, their lives should become better than before. This is evidence that the deities worshiped are high-ranking. It is proof that the believers have been raised spiritually to higher levels, as the result of having suffered from illnesses or accidents; that their karmic clouds have been decreased. Conversely, if the misfortunes are very serious, if they last for long periods of time, or if the situations become hopeless, this is because the powers of the deities these people worship are not strong enough and have been overcome by evil spirits.
　　There are instances when a believer prays very hard with deep devotion yet does not receive any of the blessings he desires. This is because what he prays for is beyond the power of the deity to answer, even though the deity may wish to do so. In such a case, the individual may become pessimistic and think that he has been deserted by his god since his prayers have not been answered. He may grieve over his situation and may abandon his faith or become completely despondent. Thus, he may fall deeper and deeper into misfortune.
　　It is usually this kind of faith that requires tasting, performing the "hundred-times worship" ritual, or abstaining from something that is held dear or is needed in order to prove the sincerity of the worshiper. This is very wrong, because no matter what an individual undergoes, any religious austerity will be nothing but wasted time and effort unless it contributes in a positive manner to humanity and to society. Deities who are pleased with such austerities are beings of lower levels. Deities of higher levels give blessings to those who have made efforts to promote the welfare of mankind and have gained some good results from their actions.
　　An old Japanese saying is, "Even the head of a sardine can cause miracles if you have enough faith in it," but this is terribly misleading. The object of worship in any faith should be a deity of the highest rank. A being of the highest level will answer prayers only when they are for right purposes. Believers in such deities can receive pure and powerful spiritual light through their worship so that their karmic clouds are steadily dispelled.
　　On the other hand, no matter how much or how earnestly or ardently someone worships a low-level deity or some low object, he receives only negative vibrations which cloud his spirit. As a natural result, he tends to become the kind of person who does bad deeds.
　　People cannot be blamed for thinking that all deities or spiritual beings are gracious and that they will surely answer all prayers. This is because most have not been taught how to distinguish high-level deities from low-level ones, or good spirits from evil ones. Even among spirits of lower levels there are grades of rank, differences in power, good beings and evil ones, and they occasionally exert remarkable power and bestow great blessings. When this happens, followers continue to worship the deities earnestly, but most such blessings are only temporary, not lasting. In the end, the blessings and misfortunes come alternately, so that eternal glory cannot be attained.
　　In conclusion, I offer this advice to you: Do not be fascinated or bewitched by a religion through the experiencing of temporary blessings, and be careful not to make any hasty decisions in distinguishing true faiths from false beliefs.

149. 　Dangers of Spiritual Possession

I have always advised you members that you should be very cautious about the dangers of psychic phenomena. However, there are some of you who are still dealing with mediums. I am going to explain in detail why this is dangerous and why you should stop immediately and altogether.
　　Of all the spirits which speak through mediums, eighty or ninety percent are low animal ones, and ninety-nine percent of these are evil spirits whose instinctive desire is to deceive human beings. They do not mind making human beings commit wicked deeds; rather, they want very much to tempt them into doing such things and they enjoy it.
　　 Those evil spirits who belong to higher ranks－who have more power－deceive people, saying through mediums that they are gods or saviors or messengers of God Himself. They do their best to make not only the ones they are possessing believe them but also the others who are present. Usually, the possessed ones are totally deceived and believe whatever is said. Some of them begin to be treated like living gods by many people and are so revered by them that they live in the lap of luxury. This reveals the true nature of evil spirits.
　　Some of them have lived long, have had many experiences in deceiving human beings, and so exert a considerable amount of occult power. When one of these possesses a human being it can discern the thoughts and desires that individual has, so it devises various schemes. For instance, if the person has a desire to be respected－even worshiped－as though he were a god, he will be possessed by one of these old, well-experienced spirits that begins to work out its scheme in accordance with that person's desire. This spirit may even make him believe that he is the reincarnation of some high divine being. Other spirits very cleverly try to deceive individuals who they think can be good instruments for them, telling these people that there are strong spiritual relationships and affinities between them. They also cause some miracles to happen, so often the average person is easily taken in by their acts. This kind of thing is not rare anywhere in the world; some of the so-called "cults" we find in various places belong to this type of evil spirit. Needless to say, evil beings such as these are low spirits of considerable ability, so they are able to totally deceive many simple, non-thinking people.
　　If one of these spirits finds an individual who thirsts for money, it will enter him and, knowing his desire, exercise its cunning and open a way for him to acquire wealth, of course stopping at nothing to gain that end. The usual method it employs is tempting such a person to commit criminal acts. The individual may succeed for a while, but he will fail eventually, and will almost always be caught and imprisoned.
　　When a spirit finds a man who is interested in a certain woman, it makes him approach her through some clever means, makes him use honeyed words or flattering methods, sometimes even makes him resort to violence. This is indeed a dangerous situation.
　　Since such spirits are animal in nature, they cannot discriminate between good and evil. All they are interested in is using human beings as their instruments and making them act as they wish. These spirits are indeed irrational beings. But, once they possess human beings, they are in control of them, so those who boast of being the lords of creation are indeed in a pitiable state. Once they are awakened to the truth about their condition, they would realize they have to stop giving themselves airs of importance.
　　 There are certain kinds of animal spirits which are more intellectually advanced than others, and they use their cunning to freely manipulate human thinking. Since they have extraordinarily strong power and knowledge, they can abuse human beings at will. They think nothing of making them injure others; they may even go so far as to make human beings commit murder. They can also make their captives commit wicked crimes in the name of certain "isms" without any concern, thus harmfully influencing society. They are so brutal that there is no warmth or consideration in their actions.
　　Compared with these, other animal spirits cannot do too much harm of an extreme nature. However, it is best to keep in mind that even some of these other spirits have considerable power and many of them are learned. Some of the more ambitious ones take possession of human beings who are also ambitious and make them act as they wish, causing them to achieve fame and success, for these spirits love to be inflated with pride.
　　I have written above various points concerning spiritual possession. Here I would like to call your attention to something else of which you should be fully aware. An evil spirit does not do wicked things individually. That is, behind every one there is a powerful leader who manipulates all evil spirits, and it is this individual who is to be dreaded the most. The leader possesses such great power that even the majority of divine beings are no match for it. It is this leader who is always trying to impede the work of the Divine Light, both openly and secretly. Since our church is an especially great threat to evil spirits, the head of them all has set itself against us, so there is actually a great, continual war going on between the good forces and the evil forces.
　　Here is another important thing I would like to call to your attention. Many of our members tend to believe they are safe, that they are fully protected by God and so cannot be easily possessed by evil spirits. So thinking, they feel quite secure. This puts them off-guard, lays them open to attack. Evil spirits can take advantage, sneak in and possess them. Such situations are made more difficult to handle because of the fact that members with Shojo tendencies and those who are inclined to be fanatical are the easiest victims of evil spirits.
　　This is one of the major reasons I have always warned you against a Shojo attitude of faith. When an evil spirit enters and possesses a human being, it makes him expand his Shojo type of thinking, deceiving him with explanations that sound plausible. Thus, he begins to believe wholeheartedly that it is good and he tries to work earnestly, according to the teachings he has received. However, since he is mistaken at the root, the more he works the more he fails, and he then becomes more and more impatient. At this point, he turns deaf ears to the advice of others, sinks deeper and deeper into the pit he has dug until he finds himself trapped; finally he becomes a complete failure. If such an individual awakens to Truth, realizes and corrects his mistakes at an early stage, he will be all right. If not, he will come to be at a complete loss as to what to think and will stop receiving all the blessings he has been receiving up to this point. I hope you understand how terrible it is to follow the seeming good of any Shojo advice. When I say that good from a Shojo point of view is evil from a Daijo viewpoint, I specifically have in mind the above fact.
　　Let me tell you another thing that makes this point completely clear. A person of Shojo goodness almost invariably wanders from the right path and behaves in an erratic fashion, and this is what evil spirits aim at accomplishing. If you judge anything with common sense you will not make any mistakes. That is the reason I always stress the importance of common sense; it is the worst enemy of evil spirits.
　　There are almost too many examples of individuals or organizations that have failed because they do not possess this attribute. Religions, isms and some mediumistic groups which employ eccentric speech or behavior are this type. We have often heard of or observed these organizations causing some kind of trouble, disturbing society.
　　We can understand the reason from a spiritual viewpoint. Since such evil ones are animal spirits, they belong to levels lower than human. Therefore, when human beings worship them, these individuals sink below animal level; spiritually they drop to the realms of beasts. As everything in the spiritual world reflects on the physical world, the worshipers' lives inevitably become hell-like.

150. 　The Right Attitude for Members of This Spiritual Path

In the course of living, we (especially those of us who are doing God's Work in this faith) should be tactful (enten), adaptable (katsudatsu) and flexible (jiyu-muge) in every way.
　　Enten, the Japanese word for "tactful," literally means "to roll like a round ball," and katsudatsu means "adaptable." If a ball is angular it will not roll. In Japan, people often speak of an individual who has come through many difficult experiences with the world and has learned from them as one whose angles have been rounded off. This is very true.
　　There are some individuals in the world who are just like kompeito.* These people, far from rolling, cannot go along with others because of their "spikes," which bar their moving smoothly. There are others who set up certain patterns for themselves, squeeze themselves into them and then suffer. It is all right if they do this to themselves, but some of them try to squeeze others into their patterns also, thinking it is a good thing to make them suffer, too. Such examples are often found among those who are shojo in nature. They are the so-called feudalistic people who follow the pattern of the feudal ages. Such individuals are archaic and offensive, not only in spiritual matters but also in social life in general.
　　Jiyu-muge, Japanese word for "flexible," means to be free, without restriction, not molded into any pattern or frame or limitation. This means there are no commandments, there is only freedom, with serenity like that of the sky and openness like that of the sea. Muge also has the same meaning, "without restriction." But remember that "to be free" is different in meaning from "to be willful." The freedom of others should be respected, of course.
　　 Ours is a Daijo faith, so it is quite different from religions that operate under the restrictions of commandments which are so strict it is hard for followers to totally obey them. As a result, they are driven to observe the precepts in appearance only, and of necessity they secretly take "vacations." In other words, such people inevitably come to show two faces, and this can lead to trouble. It also leads to falsehood, which is an evil thing.
　　A Shojo faith tends to cause a person to be good on the surface but not good on the inside. Conversely, a Daijo faith sets a high value on man's freedom, so all followers can be relaxed and cheerful and there is no need for them to practice any double dealing. Thus, no falsehood comes out of a Daijo faith. This is the true attitude of faith in our teaching, and it is one of the most wonderful parts of it.
　　People of Shojo faith are often driven to falsehood without realizing what is happening. They pretend to be good, to make a show of being great, which creates an offensive impression that is quite unpleasant to observe. Not only that, this attitude has a reverse effect; it makes them look small, which is contrary to their expectations. A mean person (shojin in Japanese, literally meaning "a small person," the opposite of a great man) is an individual of this type.
　　Let me tell you something else along this line of thinking. When I am building something, the contractor and I are often divided in opinion. The reason for this is that the contractor invariably wishes to make the building ornate in appearance. To me his ideas indicate bad taste, so I have to correct them.
　　The same can be said of other human beings. Those who do not make a show of greatness are humble in everything they do and therefore impress others with their deep sincerity and fine character. Naturally, they come to be respected by others from the heart.
　　Those who are serving in God's Cause in this faith should strive to be individuals who are looked up to by others in this way.

151. 　The Izunome Principle

I have repeatedly explained the significance of the Izunome principle both in speech and in written form. However, many of you appear to find this very difficult to put into practice, for I see only a few who appear able to apply it to their lives.
　　Actually, it is not as hard as you may think it is. Once you have fully realized its basic meaning and have practiced it until it has become second nature to you, you will find it surprisingly simple to put this principle into action. If you think that you cannot live according to Izunome, it is because you are obsessed by the preconceived idea that it is too difficult. At the same time, it seems to me, some of you think that this is not very important. That is why I have to write on the subject again and again.
　　In a nutshell, Izunome is the unbiased principle, the middle path. It is not Shojo, it is not Daijo, yet it is both Shojo and Daijo. It means not going to extremes and not making decisions thoughtlessly, either on one side or the other. There are times, of course, when a person has to make a difficult decision. We may say that it is at this point it is hard to follow the Izunome principle, if it can be considered hard at any time.
　　In practice, Izunome can be likened to good cooking. Food should be neither too bland nor overly seasoned but should taste just right. In terms of the seasons of the year, Izunome can be likened to spring and fall, which are neither too hot nor too cold, the times when the weather is most enjoyable.
　　When an individual's thinking and actions become balanced, he will find he is loved by everyone, and that everything in his life is going smoothly. Many people, however, tend to be one-sided. This can probably be seen most obviously in the field of politics. Today, there are groups that are called either conservatives or liberals, each of which professes to stand for principles that are actually biased. Their thinking is extreme and they are often quite self-assertive, so they are involved in fighting with each other most of the time.
　　This has quite a negative effect on a nation and its people. For this reason, even in the field of politics the Izunome principle should be applied, but neither individual statesmen nor political parties who realize this seem to have appeared on the scene as yet.
　　War, too, is caused by this same way of thinking, with each of the countries involved trying to cling to its own standards.
　　Internal religious conflicts, when carefully examined, also stem from the differences between Shojo and Daijo attitudes; between emotion and reason. Such problems can easily be brought to harmonious, peaceful solutions if the Shojo side shortens its vertical pole to half-length and the Daijo side shortens its horizontal pole to half-length so there is a balance between the two. Thus, when we think carefully about such conflicts, we find that it would not be too difficult to make peace, to come to peaceful conclusions.
　　Let me give you another instance. In every Geld of human activity there are always both conservatives and progressives. A church is no exception. When we observe the strife between the two, we see that the conservative group is usually made up of members of long standing, who are often stubborn, adamantly clinging to traditions and frowning on new ideas. We may call such an attitude a feudalistic one. The progressive group, on the other hand, moves ahead, but it often leans toward radical new thoughts and tends to denounce everything that is traditional. This leads to discord in opinions and everyone begins to fight with everyone else. Differences such as these can be solved easily by applying the Izunome principle.
　　Here, I would like to tell you that even in religion it is important to be aware of the spirit of the times. I am afraid many spiritual leaders tend to be indifferent to the changes of time; in fact, this attitude seems to be encouraged. Such leaders cling to traditions that are hundreds or thousands of years old as their golden rule.
　　It is a fact that spiritual truth is unchanging, since it is eternal Truth. However, when it comes into expression in the material world as an action in the advancing of God's Plan, that action is not always the same; since it is a material expression, it must change with the currents of the times. In other words, a complete balance of the spiritual and the material should be worked out, and the Izunome principle in application is the only means by which this can be done.
　　For this reason, if you apply today the teachings and rituals of the masters such as Jesus Christ or the Buddha, just as they were taught and followed in the old days, you cannot inspire present-day people. You must know that this is one of the reasons many of the ancient, established religions are at a low ebb.
　　What I want you to realize fully is that taking action according to the Izunome principle is a basic truth that can be applied to every part of living. So, please understand thoroughly that this is the reason I repeatedly explain the meaning and significance of the Izunome principle.

152. 　Understand God's Will

Man is born into the earth dimension with the mission of establishing an ideal world. This is God's Plan, so when he lives and functions in harmony with the Plan, man can live and work most happily in perfect health. This is an eternal, immutable truth.
　　However, no individual is free from the spiritual clouds which are passed from generation to generation. In addition, because of man's ignorance of Truth, he indiscriminately introduces harmful substances into his body. Because of this, he sometimes becomes more susceptible to illness, contrary to his expectations.
　　However, if those who are useful in God's Cause should be unable to work because of sickness, it would be a deterrent to the furthering of God's Plan. It is natural that He would help these individuals and restore any lost health, so they need have no undue anxiety.
　　Unfortunately, those who are unaware of the meaning of purification believe that the sole thing they can rely on is medication and so they only suppress their illness. Since this is not in accord with the law of oneness of the spiritual and the physical, they cannot attain real, complete health.
　　This is not only true of physical sickness, but of all suffering, all misery. All are purifications, though of course they take on different forms because of differences in causation. For example, when spiritual clouds are formed by pecuniary or other material sins (such as theft or embezzlement or other acts causing loss to others, or living beyond one's means) they are often balanced by subsequent material losses.
　　There are many instances among wealthy families of "prodigal sons" who squander huge legacies. They do so because they are atoning for the spiritual clouds accumulated by their parents or forefathers. In such a case, the spirit of an ancestor often chooses one of the descendants to perform the mission of purifying the family of its clouds so the family line may continue to prosper and not die out. It would be absolutely useless, therefore, for anyone to try to reform such an individual and change his ways.
　　In the case of two sons, one prodigal and unmanageable, the other "well-behaved," the one brother would seem bad and a discredit to his family from the ordinary viewpoint. However, when considered from a Daijo or broader viewpoint the truth is just the opposite. The "bad" brother is performing the mission of purifying the family line of its spiritual clouds, so he is doing a better work. Thus, it is not possible to determine the good or bad of anything solely from a human viewpoint.
　　If we take other examples, such as losses due to fire, burglary, fraud, failure in business or in gambling, large expenditures for illness and the like, we see they also are atonements for wrongs of a material or pecuniary nature. Whether or not anyone escapes being punished by man-made laws, no one can ever escape Divine Law, which is absolute.
　　In the same sense, clouds formed by wrong acts which cause a guilty person to avoid another's eyes are often purified through some kind of eye trouble. Clouds formed by hurtful, cynical, or spiteful words that are painful to hear may find purification through ear or tongue trouble. Those caused by doing something to cause headaches to others may bring headaches to the doer. Clouds created by the exercising of one's talents solely for self-benefit may cause purification through arm or hand difficulties. Thus, sooner or later, a purification of the spiritual clouds is inevitable, in conformity with the law of spiritual affinity.
　　I would like you to remember that rather severe purifications may come to some individuals after they have joined our fellowship. Strangely, the more dedicated they are, the more severe the purifications sometimes become. Those whose faith is not strong and firm may waver. However, this is a most important time. While God wishes to quickly reward these individuals for their sincerity, their spiritual clouds must first be dispelled to a certain degree, in the same way dirty containers must be cleansed before they can be used for wholesome food. If they endure their purifications patiently without wavering, they will find themselves being blessed far beyond their expectations.
　　Now I am going to tell you about my own experience concerning this point. For some twenty years I was burdened with a huge debt. No matter how hard I tried to repay it, I did not succeed in doing so until my human self finally gave up. At last, in 1941, I was able to repay every bit. How relieved I felt! The very next year, to my great surprise, unexpectedly large sums of money began to come to me. I was deeply moved by God's great Love and Beneficence.
　　A popular saying in Japan goes, "After the fire, prosperity." It means that often a person becomes more prosperous after suffering losses through fire, his fortunes taking a turn for the better upon his being purified by this means. After its big fire of 1950, Atami City became far more prosperous than it had ever been before.
　　What is good is good, of course. But what seems to be disastrous or unfortunate is also good, since it serves as a purifying process and when it is over everything becomes better. So, if a person can accept either fortune or misfortune, health or illness as something good, something to be grateful for, he can be said to have attained true peace of mind.
　　Of course, this can apply only to someone who has complete faith in God. The sufferings of a person with little or no faith may merely give birth to more suffering. The more impatient he is, the worse the situation usually becomes, and finally it may reach ruinous proportions.
　　For this reason, I would say that the secret of total happiness lies in understanding this principle, which is based on the spiritual law of life.

153. 　Clouds Formed by Wrongdoings Cause Illness

The relationship between wrongful acts and illness has often been stressed in religious fields. This is a fact. I am now going to explain it from the viewpoint of spiritual healing.
　　When a man thinks evil thoughts and commits evil deeds repeatedly, clouds gradually increase on his spiritual body. When the density of these clouds reaches a certain point, a natural purifying action occurs. Since this is one of the immutable spiritual laws, no one can escape it.
　　As I have often stated before, the spiritual clouds cause the blood to become impure and cause a toxic substance to accumulate in the physical body. In many cases this is manifested in the form of sickness, but there are times when it manifests itself in other forms, such as various kinds of calamities.
　　Besides illnesses caused by these conditions, there are illnesses that are due to wrongdoings committed in previous existences. They are particularly hard to cure. Often it takes a long time－sometimes many years－for sufferers to become any better. Some of the diseases which are of an extremely stubborn nature, such as tuberculosis and cancer, belong in this category.
　　Two ways to dispel spiritual clouds are through suffering and through continuously doing good deeds. The latter method is, without doubt, the much easier course to choose.
　　Let me tell you a story I heard during the days when I was studying the Tenrikyo Church.
　　A young man who was afflicted with tuberculosis and was pronounced incurable joined Tenrikyo. He wished to practice virtuous deeds. After seriously thinking for some time about the best thing he could do, he decided he would clean the roads of their filth. He started doing this every day. After continuing for three years, he suddenly realized that he was completely healed of his illness; no trace of it remained.
　　Let me tell you another story, which is quite well-known in Japan.
　　A man known as Jirocho of Shimizu* met a high priest of Buddhism one day. This priest said to him, "I see the shadow of death on your face. It seems to me that it will be difficult for you to live in this world for longer than one more year." Hearing this, Jirocho prepared himself for death. He gave all his money to charitable organizations, entered a Buddhist temple, and waited for his time to come. One year passed, then two years, yet there was no change in his condition and he became quite upset. Then an opportunity arose for him to see the priest who had prophesied his doom, and Jirocho was determined to rebuke him for the prophecy which had not come true. Contrary to his expectation, however, the high priest spoke first. No sooner had he spied Jirocho than he exclaimed, "How remarkable this is! The shadow of death I saw on your face the last time I met you is completely gone; there is no trace of it. There must be some deep reason for this. You must tell me all about it in full detail!" Jirocho described to the priest what he had done after he had heard of his fate. The priest, deeply moved, then said, "I believe it is your good deeds which have changed death to life for you."
　　As we apply this to the present state of Japan, we can understand the reason why almost all of the Japanese people are suffering miserable conditions today as the result of Japan's defeat in World War II. It is nothing other than the purification of the clouds this country formed by invading other countries, exploiting other races, and killing many people.

*Jirocho of Shimizu (1820-1890): His real name was Chogoro Yamamoto. He was a self-styled humanitarian who headed a large group of people in the town of Shimizu in the later part of the Edo period. In those days of feudalism, when public peace was not maintained well, there were quite a number of gangs who preyed on the poor and the weak. Jirocho and his group were the friends of the townspeople, protecting and helping them in every way possible.

154. 　You Are What You Feel

It is a basic truth that gratitude gives birth to gratitude and that ingratitude creates more ingratitude.
　　This is because gratitude reaches God, while ingratitude reaches dark forces.
　　This is why those who are always grateful naturally enjoy happiness and good fortune, while those who are ungrateful and constantly complain are unhappy and become more and more unfortunate.
　　As the founder of the Omoto religion aptly wrote, "If you rejoice, joyous things will come to you."

155. 　Mysteriousness of the Spiritual World

The spiritual world is an inexplicably mysterious place which is absolutely incomprehensible to the practical reasoning of most modern people. I am going to write about how man's thoughts reflect on that world.
　　 Since the spiritual realm is a world of consciousness, there is change going on constantly, without end; things can come into existence from nothingness and disappear into nothingness. Let me give you an example.
　　Suppose an object of worship has been made in the form of a picture or a sculpture of a god or a buddha. Every such object is entered by a deity. Whether the work is entered by one of a high rank, an intermediate rank, or a low rank depends on the level of spiritual awareness of the artist. If he is of the highest character, a divine being from one of the highest levels, suitable to the vibratory rate of the artist, enters the object. If its creator is not of a very high character, even though the form is apparently the same, the being who enters it is not on one of the highest levels. In such an instance, it may also be that only part of the divine being, or perhaps a spirit who is a proxy for the divine being represented, enters the object.
　　I would like to remind you of one more thing. When people go to churches or temples for worship and prayer, if they pray from the heart before the objects of worship, the divine beings emit strong power; in other words, the intensity of Light increases. Conversely, when worshipers attend a service simply as a formality or from a sense of duty and lack true reverence, the Divine Energy is weakened accordingly. Also, the greater the number of worshipers, the more intense and radiant the Light emanating from the object of worship becomes.
　　There is an old saying in Japan which goes, "Even the head of a sardine can work miracles if you have faith in it." Let me explain what this really means. Suppose an individual of low character who is not spiritually qualified to do so makes an object of worship and actively advocates it as divine through some clever means. Suppose for a while many people are attracted to it. Through the consciousness of these worshipers, a deceptive form that appears to be a divine being comes to be created in the spiritual realm. As a result of this, the object of worship begins to emit a considerable degree of power and the worshipers begin to experience quite a number of benefits, all of which are the products of human consciousness. This is indeed strange, mysterious, but while such a false faith will continue to thrive for a time, since it is not focused on a true divine being but only on a temporary and illusory object it is destined to disappear eventually. Most of you must have known or have heard of such instances. I think many contemporary cults are of this nature.
　　Next, I wish to explain the actions of evil spirits. We cannot deny the fact that there are too many wrongdoers who cause others to suffer in order to satisfy their own desires and do not care that they are entrapping people in misery. As I always say, these are the products of materialism which have fostered in people a disbelief in the invisible, in anything spiritual. When we look at these negative thoughts or deeds from the spiritual point of view they are most strange, downright weird; in fact, they make terrifying pictures.
　　If a person causes suffering to another, the one who is made to suffer is almost sure to resent it, to feel spiteful toward the wrongdoer, or to try to take revenge on him. The negative vibration formed from this consciousness reaches the wrongdoer through the spiritual cord. Seen spiritually, the anger or enmity forms such a terrible picture that if it were visible physically, the most wicked villain would easily give in. If the number of sufferers increases from one or two to thousands or tens of thousands, the thoughts of all these people gather together to form an apparition that is indescribably terrible and strange. This changes into various forms that surround the wrongdoer, and try to destroy him in unthinkable ways.
　　This is why so many so-called great heroes and other men of power end their lives in extremely miserable states. History tells us how true this is concerning the lives of outstanding individuals, from olden days to present times. Also, when we think of the tragic ends of bad statesmen, the falls of those who gained quick riches, the faces of those who seduced and made fools of many women, the last days of wicked usurers, we can understand why this is so.
　　On the other hand, if an individual does a lot of good deeds and receives gratitude from many people, their positive thoughts turn into light and surround him so he becomes a still greater man of virtue and his vibration becomes still higher; evil spirits cannot come near him, being afraid of the radiance of his aura.　　Thus, he becomes a most fortunate and successful person. The halo surrounding the head of a saint or high spiritual being in a painting or sculpture symbolizes the radiance of his aura.
　　From the above explanation you will realize how much importance man should attach to his consciousness.

156. 　Radiation and Aura

The spiritual body of a human being has the same form as his physical body, the only difference being that it has an aura, which is a kind of light emanating from the spiritual being and constantly radiating in all directions through the physical body. It is something like wearing apparel for the spiritual being, and the Japanese word for it means "clothing of the spiritual body," or "spiritual attire." It is usually white, but there are some auras that have golden or violet tones.
　　 The auras of individuals differ greatly in width. A person who is in average physical condition has an aura about one inch wide or slightly wider. The aura of a sick person is narrow, and if his condition worsens it becomes narrower still. At the moment of death, the entire aura disappears. The expression, "the shadow of death upon the face," must have come from the impression received when someone's last moment was approaching and his aura was rapidly disappearing.
　　Conversely, the aura of a healthy person is wide. That of a man of fine character who has done many virtuous deeds is broader than average and its radiation is brighter and more intense. Someone who has proved to be outstanding in some way has a wider aura than most people. Wider still are the auras of especially great men. Those of saints are indeed tremendous bands of radiance and beauty.
　　The width and intensity of any aura are not permanently fixed; they vary from moment to moment according to the thoughts and acts of the individual. The aura of a man who is working for justice and living virtuously becomes proportionately wider. If his actions are to the contrary, his aura becomes proportionately narrower.
　　Auras are not visible to the average person's vision as a rule, but there are a few individuals who can perceive them. However, someone with ordinary vision can become aware of the radiation of an aura to some extent by focusing his mind and sight on it.
　　The width of the aura influences an individual's welfare, his fortune. The wider his aura, the happier and more fulfilled his life is; the narrower his aura, the unhappier he is and the more frustration he experiences.
　　An individual with a wide aura exudes a feeling of warmth and makes a very pleasant impression on those with whom he comes in contact; consequently, he attracts many people. This is because his aura envelops those who come within the scope of its radiance. By contrast, an individual with a narrow aura gives an impression of coldness so those who come in contact with him feel sad or uncomfortable in his presence and do not want to stay near him for very long. Thus, in order to attain true happiness and good fortune we should do our best to make our auras wider.
　　How can we do this? Before going further, I will explain the true nature of the aura.
　　When we analyze all the thoughts and deeds of anyone, each belongs in either a good or a bad category. The width and brilliance of the aura are proportionate to the amount of good or bad traits in the individual.
　　When a person's thoughts and deeds are constructive, his conscience is satisfied and at peace, and in this happy state he radiates light. This adds to the width of his aura, which becomes brighter, also. Conversely, when a person thinks or acts destructively, he creates clouds which darken his spiritual body.
　　When a man does something to help another, that person's sense of gratitude forms light, which is transmitted to the helpful one through the spiritual cord. This also increases both the width and intensity of his aura. But when a person generates feelings of hatred, jealousy or envy in others because of his negative words or deeds, these create negative vibrations that reflect upon his spiritual body, causing his aura to dim and become narrow.
　　You can see from these facts that we should do good deeds, make others happy, and be very careful not to deliberately do anything to arouse the feelings of hatred, resentment or envy in others.
　　Occasionally, we hear of people who have attained sudden success or have gained riches quickly, only to become failures later. The above explanation tells why this happens. Such individuals are apt to attribute their successes to their own abilities, talents and efforts, so they become conceited and pompous, selfish and opinionated. In their complete self-indulgence, they live on the most luxurious scale and are usually the focus of jealousy and much hatred from many people. Their attitudes and actions and the resentments they arouse in others cause their auras to dim and to narrow, and finally they are ruined.
　　Sometimes we see in a state of decline families that have been reputable or wealthy for many generations. The cause is the same. Those who are members of the upper classes enjoy greater comforts than average people do. For being so privileged they should show gratitude by doing something to contribute to the welfare of society. They should take every opportunity to dispel their clouds. They should maintain beneficent attitudes and try to make others happy at all times.
　　Unfortunately, however, too many individuals think only of their own interests and show very little if any concern for the welfare of other people. Because of this attitude, their clouds increase and they become the poorest of the poor spiritually, although they may be prosperous on the surface. Since by individual law spiritual cause precedes physical manifestation, they will eventually suffer in their material lives.
　　I once heard a person with the gift of clairvoyance say that to his psychic eye the large buildings and beautiful houses that lined the streets of Tokyo appeared to be small, squalid shacks. This was a short time before the great earthquake of 1923, which devastated Tokyo and its vicinity. I was surprised to see this becoming a material fact after the earthquake.
　　Another thing I wish to mention is this: The narrower an individual's aura is at the start, the more certain he is to fail in whatever he undertakes. The reason is that because of the clouds already accumulated on his spiritual body his brain tends to be dull, he is unable to form the right judgments and he lacks resolution and foresight. Consequently, he becomes too eager for quick success and grows impatient if his dreams do not come true immediately. Such a person may be successful in a small way temporarily, but in the long run he will certainly fail.
　　In the same sense, if the administration of a country is bad, it is because people with narrow auras are in charge of the government. It also indicates that the common people who suffer under such bad administration have narrow auras too. This is the way the law of spiritual affinity works, a law which is immutable.
　　By the same token, individuals who have many clouds on their spiritual bodies are apt to undergo more purifications than those who have only a few, so they become ill more easily and are more accident-prone.
　　If there is a traffic accident and someone is injured, that person is hurt because his aura is narrow. One with a truly wide aura always escapes any danger. For instance, if an individual is hit by a vehicle, while the vehicle's spiritual body may strike his spiritual body and his physical body may be sent dying, if he has a wide aura he will emerge without a scratch. This is due to the degree of "elastic force" of the aura.
　　As we contemplate the meaning of the above, we find that the only way we can be truly fortunate is to make our auras wider, and we can accomplish this by continuously doing good deeds.
　　We encounter many an individual suffering ill fortune who believes he was born under an unlucky star and so resigns himself to what he considers his fate. This is because he has no knowledge of the aura and its powers, and we can feel sorry for him.
　　I wish to remind those who dedicate themselves as channels for Johrei that the wider their auras are, the more effectively they can channel. And, the more people they help through Johrei, the wider and more radiant their auras become, and the more effective their Johrei is. This is due to their giving service for the Divine Cause and to the gratitude received from those who have benefited through this service. It is reassuring that many such individuals are included in our membership.

157. 　God Is Justice

It might strike you as strange that I am writing under this self-evident title, but I dare do so because not only the general public but lay members and even ministers often forget the obvious fact that God is Justice Itself.
　　Our faith especially emphasizes the importance of justice and virtue, but, unfortunately, I notice there are a few members who deviate from the right path and stray off in wrong directions. When they do, they invariably receive warning signs from God. If they ignore them, they inevitably receive hard blows.
　　New members are usually deeply impressed by the divine blessings and miracles they experience. If they continue to maintain their faith earnestly and sincerely, as long as they have right attitudes they will go on receiving abundant blessings, will be loved and respected by others, and will see their lives greatly improved. They should be increasingly grateful for these divine blessings and should live virtuously, expressing their gratitude to God by doing their best to give themselves in service.
　　Alas, however, with the passage of time human weaknesses sometimes cause people to become indifferent to divine blessings, to become egotistical and therefore unguarded. Evil spirits, who are always watching for opportunities, can then enter, possess and direct them as they please. How dangerous this is!
　　 Special targets for evil spirits are those individuals who are ambitious and capable. Of course, members who are on the right track with their spiritual attitudes are quite safe, for there are no unguarded moments during which evil spirits can sneak in, so they have to abandon any hope of possessing them. There are, however, a few individuals who give way to the temptations of negative forces. It is not easy to remain alert to this danger.
　　There is a standard by which a person can know whether or not he is safe. It is a measure as to whether or not he is motivated by self-love. If his first concern is to serve God's Cause and the welfare of humanity and he is working single-mindedly, with no thoughts about his own interests, he is safe because negative forces can do nothing with him.
　　Unfortunately, there are people who easily become conceited over even small successes so they begin to consider themselves really great. This is a critical situation because they can become still more ambitious, creating an urge to make their presence felt, causing a desire to gain power to steal into their minds. This is indeed terrible, for once they reach this stage, evil forces can easily enter them and can penetrate deeper and deeper until they have complete control over their spiritual beings.
　　Moreover, if the evil spirits are powerful ones they can employ spiritual strength of considerable potency. Though only temporary, of course, with this they may even be able to use healing power on sick people or to demonstrate other seeming miracles. The individuals being possessed by such evil spirits become more and more self-important. They may ultimately be convinced they are living gods or special beings representing divine spirits. In fact, there are quite a number of such "living gods" in the world. Since they are not true divine beings, they thrive only for a limited period of time and then are destroyed.
　　 When we carefully observe the attitude of a so-called "living god" or the founder of a questionable religion with clear, discerning eyes, we can easily find the criteria by which to distinguish him from a genuine spiritual leader. His most outstanding characteristics are egotism and lack of genuine love; a Shojo faith, strict and rigid; rule by severe commandments; efforts to hold his followers by threats of "divine" punishment or even possible loss of life if they do not obey unquestioningly or if they wish to drop out of the organization. Thus, he tries to prevent withdrawal of his followers by threatening them. This is what we call a faith of intimidation, or a faith of fear. If any traces of the aforementioned tendencies are noticed in a religion, we can safely say that that religion is being influenced by evil forces.
　　As I always maintain, a true faith is one that inspires a Daijo attitude and offers complete freedom. Its followers should be completely free to choose whether they wish to remain with or to withdraw from their church. There should be a paradise-like atmosphere, always bright and cheerful.
　　You must be especially careful of any religion which has secrets that followers are admonished not to reveal to outsiders; you may conclude that such a religion is controlled by evil forces. A good religious faith has no secrets and is thoroughly open, bright and happy.

158. 　Live with a Daijo Attitude

As I always say, what is good from the Daijo standpoint is bad from the Shojo standpoint, and vice versa. There seem to be quite a few of our members who tend to forget this essential fact. I would like those of whom this is true to reflect and correct their errors.
　　Speaking plainly, to take a Daijo viewpoint means to look at anything in its broader aspects. For instance, what someone is doing with the firm belief that he is undertaking something good may prove to be a hindrance to the furthering of our teachings, contrary to his expectations. And such an individual is apt to depend on his own ability, to overestimate human power and to forget God's Power, the most important of all, without realizing it. I am sure many of you can personally recall that kind of experience.
　　I hear my followers sometimes wondering aloud why a member who is working earnestly for the furthering of the Cause is not successful in helping to expand the Work. His Shojo attitude is the reason for his not being able to do so. Someone who is of Shojo faith tends to be formal and rigid. This naturally prevents others from being drawn to him, and as a result the work of the Divine Light Program does not expand. Moreover, the worst thing about a Shojo person is that he tends to be one-sided and lacking in common sense, and his speech and actions are often eccentric. When sensible individuals meet this kind of member they are inclined to think ours must be a low-grade, superstitious religion and they look down on us with scorn. Members should therefore be very careful on this point.
　　Conversely, there are some who appear not to be working very earnestly and yet they are quite successful in helping to expand our Work. This is because such individuals have assimilated the Daijo faith and are living it.
　　I would like to tell you one more thing about individuals with a Shojo attitude. These people above all others like to categorize their fellow men as either good or bad. As I have said repeatedly, it is a terrible mistake to speak either positively or negatively about the character of others. No one but God knows whether anyone is good or bad, so it is presumptuous for human beings to judge as to how virtuous or evil other human beings are. Nothing can be as great a blasphemy toward God as that; indeed, it is the most impious of acts. Such individuals are dogmatic, arrogant and lacking in the power to command love and respect. They cannot succeed in spreading the Work, and worse, they are apt to cause some terrible problems.
　　Japan was a good example of Shojo thinking at the time of World War II. The whole nation fought madly, the people risking their lives under the banners of loyalty and patriotism, and look at the result! Everything happened according to reason, and this same reason can be applied to anything, irrespective of size and scope. It is true that at the time all Japanese people believed that what they were doing was for the right and good of everyone, but the good they believed in was the good of Shojo; that is, it was based on a self-love, an interest only in the prosperity and happiness of Japan at the sacrifice of other countries. Its defeat was the retribution Japan earned.
　　I wrote an article some time ago, titled "Have A World Consciousness." In it I tried to convey the same thought, that only the good of Daijo, a desire for good for all the world, can be true goodness. Had Japan acted with this consciousness, such an aggressive war could not have taken place and Japan would not have experienced such misery. Instead, it would have enjoyed peace and would eventually have won the love and respect of the rest of the world.
　　Let me put this in another way. There are two kinds of love: God's Love and human love. The Love of God is Daijo Love, which impartially and limitlessly includes all of mankind, while human love is Shojo love, which limits itself because it is personalized－love of self, love of one's own group or class, love of one's own country or race. While this love is good basically, it is somewhat limited and, as a result, it turns out to be evil when compared with Daijo Love.
　　If you come to fully understand this meaning, especially you who follow this spiritual path, you must know that you should apply Daijo to anything you do. You should convey the teachings to others while keeping the Universal Love of God within your heart. This will certainly bring good results to you without fail.
　　 So, always do your best to live with God's Will as your own will and contact others with equal, non-discriminatory, universal love. Then everyone will feel good toward you, will naturally be drawn to you and will be happy to associate with you. Thus your efforts to help expand the Divine Light Program will positively succeed.

159. 　World Messianity and the Great Thoroughfare Principle

As we look upon the world today, we observe many people making a great fuss about their individual "isms" or ideas, saying of themselves, "I am a liberal," "I am a conservative," or, "I don't believe in being either; I walk the middle road." In this way many of them cling to their limited principles or theories and refuse to change them. This inevitably leads to friction. Of course, there seem to be some individuals who deliberately aim at causing friction or conflict, but that is a different story.
　　The goal of most Japanese people since World War II is democracy, the principle of which is the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Some individuals, however, persist in clinging to their own "isms" or ideas instead, and so create conflict. This means that democracy is causing great unhappiness for the greatest number, which is directly opposite to Its Intent.
　　This is not only my opinion. In fact, the present state of the world fully reveals how true my statements are, for this selfish trend is apparent in every Phase of living. Observe political parties, for instance. Within any party we can see friction between factions, which have differing opinions and positions. This is dangerous, because it often causes splits and these in turn can lead to dissolution of the party. It is indeed terrible when many of a party's members regard as enemies other members who have opinions that are different from theirs.
　　 Some plan to overthrow a cabinet which has just been formed. Others urge a cabinet formed a few months before to promptly carry out the policies members had advocated prior to coming into office, and if it does not the members are accused of having made empty campaign promises. Think about this. It is obvious that it is absolutely impossible for any statesman, great or otherwise, to fulfill all the pledges he has made in a year or so. Because of this, the Japanese cabinets have always changed so frequently that "they have had to move on before the seats have gotten warm," as it is idiomatically expressed in Japanese. Japan is very much like France in this respect.
　　Let us compare this to the United States. Because the president of that country holds office for four years, he can promote bold policies he thinks best for the nation. After the United States won its victory in World War II, it graciously did its best to help Europe and East Asia, which was a grand spectacle. I believe this was due to the fact that President Roosevelt was in office for more than twelve years. He was able to develop full-scale policies for the postwar period, and these were followed by President Truman after Mr. Roosevelt died.
　　The present state of affairs in Japan is truly caused by the fact that the people have not gotten rid of their insularism. Therefore, I believe the entire nation should cultivate a spirit of broad-mindedness before anything else; that is the pressing need at this time.
　　Since the aim of our church is to help create a world without conflict, we must first of all free ourselves from the narrow-mindedness of exclusivism, which comes from a complacent attitude. In this sense, the aim of our church is to move forward toward fulfilling the lofty ideal of not leaning either to the right or to the left. We do not persist in keeping to the middle road either, but wish to include all principles and ideas that influence everything, to embrace universal thought. We refer to this as the "great thoroughfare" principle because it includes all of creation.

160. 　What I Am

Some time ago I wrote an article on myself entitled "What I Am, as Viewed by Myself." This was written from an objective viewpoint. Now, I am going to write about myself more subjectively－about my true feeling, just as it is.
　　At present, I truly believe that I am perhaps the happiest person in the world, and my heart is filled with gratitude to God. What makes me feel this way? As members all know, I have been given an especially important mission by God and I am working hard day and night to fulfill it. They also know so well how many people are being helped through these efforts. There is a secret to my happiness which can easily be put into practice by anybody, even by those who do not have missions as special as mine. That is what I am going to write about.
　　First, I would like to disclose the mental attitude I have always had within me. Since my early years, I have loved to make others happy－so much so that it has become almost my favorite pastime; my consciousness is always centered on the thought of how I can help others to become truly happy. Let me give you some examples of this.
　　As soon as I get up in the morning my first concern is the state of the members of my household. If even one of them is not feeling quite up to par, I too become less than happy. In this area, I am the opposite of the average individual. In most Japanese homes, everyone is concerned about the condition of the head of the family before anyone else. Since I am quite the opposite, I feel strange and sometimes almost sorry for it.
　　It is the hardest thing for me to hear anyone uttering abusive language, angry words, idle complaints or grumblings. It is also very hard for me to listen to repetitious words about the same old stories. I love just to be peaceful and happy. This is my true nature.
　　I believe one of the things that helps me most in being able to enjoy the happiness I feel today is this mental attitude. For this reason I am always Saying and writing, "Unless we make others happy, we ourselves can never become truly happy."
　　I am sure that the greatest goal of our Work, the realization of paradise on earth, can be attained when this way of thinking has spread and is shared in the minds of all the people on earth.
　　I am afraid this article may sound somewhat self-admiring, but I write it in the hope it will be of some help to you.

161. 　A Living God

Most of the people who have seen me for the first time say that they have been stunned by my unexpected simplicity and straightforwardness. They say they were timid and nervous until they saw me, thinking that I would be hard to approach, that I would perhaps be surrounded by attendants, and that they could speak to me only after making most respectful salutations. It is a generally accepted idea, it is true, that such an individual as the founder or the head of a major religion exists in an exalted atmosphere; therefore, there are even some of my disciples who wish me to live and act in that way. But I have never liked such things, so I simply behave like the ordinary person I have always been.
　　Some may want to know why I don't act like a living god, so I will describe my present state of mind. Perhaps it is partly due to my having been born an Edoite* that since my youngest days I have never liked to make a pretense about anything. As I always say, I have a strong aversion to any kind of falsehood. I believe that to put on airs or to create a false setting is a kind of pretense which is offensive to others. After all, to be natural and simple, to be just what we are, always makes the best impression.
　　Considering my circumstances, I might look more dignified if I stayed within the deepest part of the sanctuary like a living god and when I gave an interview assumed an air of importance. It goes against my nature to behave like that, however. Thus, the principle I always adhere to is this: Those who do not like my attitude and my ways of doing things can feel free to stop coming to see me, and those who do like it can continue to come. Observing the fact that our fellowship is expanding day after day, month after month, I am satisfied with knowing that the people who like my ways must be in the majority.
　　Let me tell you another thing here. I feel I am quite different from other spiritual leaders and have a strong aversion to imitating them or anyone else. This is the reason I don't behave like a living god; I wish to give the impression that I am an ordinary human being. On this point, too, I am perhaps unconventional.
　　This character trait of mine has proved to be quite useful, for it is my insistence on being individual that has led me to Johrei, an unprecedented work of helping humanity. Not only that, as members know, God has opened the way through me for them to be able to channel His healing Light by their wearing the Sacred Focal Point, which is the Japanese character for Light written on a piece of paper. Also, I have taught that no matter what name He is called by, there is only one God, the Absolute Being, the Creator; I have constructed prototypes of paradise on earth; I have stressed the importance of the arts and have given a great deal of encouragement in that field; I have avoided making the Work appear too religious. When I enumerate the unconventional points, it can be seen that there are quite a number.
　　The other day, when a journalist from Fujin Koron, a major women's magazine in Japan, came to see me, she remarked that she was very much surprised. Upon my asking why, she said that when she entered our temporary headquarters, she thought it strange that she did not feel any sense of "religiousness" in any part of our building.
　　 As we advance the various spiritual projects we are planning in many areas, we are going to do things in most unconventional ways. I would like you to watch with great expectation.

*Edo was the name of Tokyo until the Meiji Restoration. An "Edoite" is a person who was born and bred in Tokyo. The characteristics of an Edoite arc said to be unpretentiousness, outspokenness and impatience. Also, a true Edoite is a member of a family which has lived in Tokyo for generations.

162. 　My Way of Thinking

I have a habit of thinking quite thoroughly about everything I wish to do. Many people, once they have made a plan, simply cannot wait to set about their work immediately. To make matters worse, they tend to rely too much on chance, thinking things will take care of themselves once they start. But they often and that their plans are not working out as easily as they expected, for the reality is that things go awry for them and eventually they fail. This happens because they think only of success, without taking failure into consideration. This is a highly dangerous attitude.
　　I am the opposite of such people; from the very beginning I take into consideration the possibility of failure. I make plans beforehand as to how I should reorganize my project, so that even if I should be unsuccessful I would not be too much affected. I do not begin anything until the right time makes itself known. By doing this, I never experience a decisive failure with any project, always being able to build anew.
　　I apply the same principle to financial matters. That is, I divide my funds into three parts. If I find the first part does not suffice I use the second, and if that is still not enough I use the third. So, I seldom find myself in a tight situation. In this way, I make my plans and all the necessary preparations very carefully, studying them from every angle to make doubly sure they will succeed. To casual observers, my work may seem slow and tedious, but it insures progress in the long run since it eliminates major setbacks. Moreover, since there is no waste in terms of time, labor and expense, unexpected profits are gained. As you all know, I not only make bold plans one after another but put them into action; I have no apprehension whatsoever; I am perfectly at ease and everything goes smoothly.
　　Even after my preparations are complete, I never plunge into action but wait until the time is ripe. As soon as the right time arrives (and it is sure to come) I embark on the enterprise without losing a moment.
　　Another point I would like to mention is that I take care not to become impatient. One must never become impatient, for if one does, it invariably causes strain and this leads one to ruin. As we observe someone who has failed, we always find that individual's failure has been caused by impatience and overstrain.
　　This reminds me of World War Ⅱ. In the early stages of the war, the Japanese military went from victory to victory. This gave rise to overconfidence and arrogance. So, even when the situation began to change and eventually became quite serious, the leaders held out desperately, making futile attempts to achieve the impossible. Finally they were led to that miserable defeat. As soon as signs of overstrain began to appear, I knew that the end was nearing, but in those days I had no choice other than to keep this to myself. I often thought with regret that there would have been some room for hope left if, at the outset, the military had taken defeat into consideration. The catastrophe could be ascribed to rash judgment on the part of those in power.
　　People think of me as mystifying, since my actions are sometimes precipitate and sometimes deliberate. But, whatever I do, my projects as a whole make such swift and smooth progress that all who know about them are struck with surprise. This, as with all other things, is due to the great help and guidance God is always imparting to me. The rapid development of our work amply proves this point.
　　I would like to give you another piece of advice. It is important for anyone to occasionally divert his mind from work. There are many individuals who stick to single projects and usually find that their progress is comparatively slow. This happens because they force themselves to go on even though they may be tired of working, which is not good. In such cases, the best thing for those people to do is to divert their minds, to relax and enjoy themselves, even if just with games. I often hear of some individuals, such as artists, who never work unless they are in the mood. I think there is good reason for this. In a sense, it can be said that giving oneself a free rein increases efficiency. This is why I do not like to adhere to one project but prefer to move from one task to another. I find this helps me to feel good and enables me to enjoy working, which in turn helps my brain to operate more clearly.
　　Of course, it depends on the circumstances of each individual, for it may not be possible for some to do this. Anyone, however, can achieve greater efficiency by keeping this in mind and adapting it to every situation in every way that is feasible.

163. 　The Philosophy of Intuition

Once, when I was much younger, I was in agreement with the theories of Henri Bergson [1859-1941], the famous French philosopher who was one of the most popular of all philosophers of his time. Even today I often recall his theories, and I feel they are of great benefit from a spiritual point of view.
　　Bergson's philosophy consisted basically of three points: that all things are in a state of flux; that intuition guides us at all times; and that the self of the moment is all that is important. Of these three, the one that especially impressed me was the theory of intuition. Here is the way Bergson explained it.
　　As man looks at something, it is not easy for him to see it as it really is, without any distortion; that is, it is exceedingly difficult for him to grasp the true substance of anything. Why is this? Primarily, the reason is that within every individual there are various concepts which have been acquired through education, tradition and custom. These form a kind of collective barrier that lurks within, but few realize that their observation of things tends to be hindered by this barrier. For example, when someone studies a new religion he observes it with the prejudiced attitude that all new religions are superstitious and heretical and so are not genuine. It is this barrier of preconceived ideas which interferes with the correct observation.
　　People today read newspapers and periodicals and so are constantly influenced through their eyes by the journalists' opinions. Also, through their ears they acquire ideas from radio broadcasts and from common gossip. All these help to make the barrier still bigger and stronger.
　　Thus, when people see miraculous healings through Johrei of sicknesses which had been pronounced hopeless by medical science, they cannot easily accept them as they are. Instead, skepticism immediately pops up in their minds. This is because of their barriers of prejudice, their preconceived ideas－which center around these barriers－that sickness can be healed only by medical science. If people have actually been healed, they reason that it must be because the time had come for them to get well anyway. In this manner their barriers produce various reasons for the miracles and distort the facts, something we have experienced again and again.
　　The philosophy of intuition can correct the errors man is prone to make. When he observes something, he should face it with a pure, uncluttered consciousness, with complete open-mindedness. In order to do this, he should become the self of the moment; that is, he should rely on the impression he receives intuitively the moment he encounters something, for it is the impression he receives in that first moment that correctly offers the truth of what he has encountered.
　　Going back to the example of healing, if a person sees with his own eyes an incurable disease actually being healed, he should accept it as he sees it; that is the right attitude. His thinking is obstructed by this barrier of prejudice if he says to himself instead, "No, this cannot be. How can a disease which no machinery or medicine has been able to cure be healed by something invisible, something that seems to be nonexistent?" At this point, if somebody else tells him "That must be superstition. How can such a silly thing be true?" that other person's barrier is also helping to obstruct the true impression he has received. We must be very careful not to allow anything our intuition tells us to be distorted.
　　The theory that all things are in a state of flux means that all things are constantly flowing, ever changing. For instance, what I was yesterday and what I am today are bound to be different somehow. Even what I was five minutes ago is different from what I am now. The world of yesterday is not the same as that of today. This also applies to society, to culture, and to international relationships.
　　Therefore, man should not only see each thing as it is at the moment, but should also clearly observe the constant overall change itself. This is the right attitude to maintain in looking at everything. For this reason, we should change our viewpoints and ways of thinking about religion and civilization with every passing day. Yet, most people criticize new religions through preconceived viewpoints that may have been generally established many hundreds or even many thousands of years ago. No wonder they cannot grasp a true understanding of new religions!
　　This is my explanation of the theory of all things being in a state of flux.

164. 　Further Thoughts on Bergson

I have written before on the famous modern French philosopher Henri Bergson. Now I feel that I would like to write about him again.
　　The reason I wish to do so is that when I speak to people, explaining something to them, sometimes answering questions, I find there are few who can grasp what I am trying to convey, even though the subject matter is so simple it should be easily understood. These listeners are often quite well educated individuals, yet it seems hard for them to perceive the meaning of my words. They come to understand only after I have dwelt on a subject at length and have given several examples. Each time I have this kind of experience I remember the philosophy of Henri Bergson.
　　Why is it most people do not understand such simple things? I believe the reason for it is that they do not become what Bergson called "selves of the moment" and that they are not even conscious of this. According to Bergson's theory, from his earliest recollections man hears many things, acquires many habits, and has much conventional education crammed into his head. By the time he reaches adulthood, these have formed within his mind something that is like a solid barrier. When he hears a new theory which does not fit the pattern of his already-formed barrier, the new idea does not enter his mind just as it is because the barrier is in the way. If the mind were free from any preconceived notions, the idea could enter easily so he would be able to understand it clearly. This is why people often speak of the importance of starting with a "clean slate." It is very true. However, few people seem to realize they do have such barriers made of preconceived ideas.
　　It is good for my readers to try to become "selves of the moment." This means to become aware of and comprehend the feeling that comes the instant something is seen or heard; then there is no room for the barrier of preconceived ideas to get in the way. It is like being in the state of a child. We are often struck with admiration at the words a child speaks when he asks a question immediately in response to something said by an adult. This is because a child has no barrier－no preconceived ideas with which to block what he sees or hears.
　　Bergson referred to this as the philosophy of intuition. He meant that we should see things as they really are, in an undistorted manner, that that is the only true way to see. This accompanies the theory Bergson called the "self of the moment."
　　He also spoke in his philosophy of all things being in a state of flux. I think this is interesting, too. It means that everything in the universe is moving, changing, without a moment's rest. For example, this year is somehow different from last year in every way. This is also true of the world and of society, of our own consciousness and circumstances. My own self now is somehow different from what it was yesterday or even from what it was five minutes ago. An old Japanese saying, "A minute from now is covered with darkness," has this same meaning.
　　Thus, everything in the universe moves, changes without a second's rest. When we apply this to a human being, we can really learn something. If he encounters a situation, his way of thinking toward it and looking at it now should be different from what it would have been last year.
　　Taking a larger example, our ways of thinking before World War II and after that war are completely different, are they not? This is an amazing difference which has come about in a very short time. In the consciousness of the majority of people are the old traditional customs, which they have followed for hundreds of years. There are also the old ways of thinking, which have continued for decades and have been handed down from generation to generation. These all have formed the barriers which prevent their grasping present conditions accurately. Such a state of consciousness can perhaps be called "feudalistic" or "old-fashioned." In other words, when all things are in a state of flux－are changing－people who remain stagnant like inert water are "old-fashioned." They are the ones who are left behind in the progress of the world and have to bear unfortunate existences.
　　We should accept the changes of the outside world with flexibility, adjusting ourselves so we are in harmony. Here is a simple example. When we are speaking to an elderly person, we should do so with respect for his age; when speaking to a person of intellect, we should do so in an intellectual way; and when speaking to the general public, we should do so in a simple fashion, always using common sense. Thus, when we speak to anyone, the most important point we should be mindful of is to speak in a way that will cause the other individual to listen to us with understanding and interest so he will enjoy the conversation.
　　If you apply this whenever you tell others about our faith, I am sure you will experience unexpectedly good results.

165. 　Pragmatism

When I was young, I liked to study philosophy. Among the various theories and doctrines I found, I was drawn to "Pragmatism," as advocated by William James, a famous American philosopher. Pragmatism could be defined as "the principle of philosophy in action." According to James, philosophy is simply a mental game if we merely expound its theories. It must be put into practice in our daily lives to be of real value.
　　I thought this theory was interesting because it was very practical, and expressed a characteristic spirit of America. At that time I sympathized with it and tried to apply the philosophy to my work and to my daily life. As a result, I received a great deal of benefit from "pragmatism."
　　Later, when I took up a spiritual path, I began to think that we should apply this principle of "philosophy in action" to faith, as well. In other words, we should apply the principle of "faith in action" to our daily lives. Imagine how greatly we would be benefited by adapting it to every aspect of our lives!
　　Politicians would be led to do their work honestly, with no iniquity. They would conduct the affairs of government selflessly, in the best interests of the people, so they would be trusted by the public and administration would go smoothly.
　　Businessmen would manage their affairs on the principles of honesty and integrity, and so would win the trust of their customers. They would treat their employees with love and consideration, and in turn their employees would work faithfully for them; naturally, business would steadily expand.
　　Educators would teach their students with firm conviction, and so would be respected by their pupils and would have great influence upon them.
　　Government officers and company employees would work on the basis of faith, so they would show great efficiency and as a result would win promotions in their work.
　　Artists would express the highest creative inspiration, which would cause strong spiritual vibrations to be emitted through their works, and these would exert a benevolent influence on the people who viewed their creations.
　　Entertainers would express their faith through their work, as a result showing dignity and grace in their performances. This would arouse the aesthetic and noble sentiments of their audiences. However, entertainment should not be stiff-mannered and as formal as school textbooks. It is of no value unless it is interesting and amusing, causing audiences to laugh and feel happy.
　　In whatever profession or circumstance a person might be, he can change his fortune and fate for the better and thus contribute greatly to society by expressing his faith in action.
　　You should always remember, as you put this religious pragmatism into practice, that if you make a show of your belief by being too fanatical you will be viewed with disfavor. Especially fervent believers often fall into this category. There are some who wear their religions like badges, not knowing that such an attitude makes an unpleasant impression on others.
　　Ideally speaking, a believer in God should have no trace of religious fanaticism about him, should act no different from any ordinary person, should be virtuous and respectable, full of love and consideration for all in speech and action. In this way he will make a favorable impression on those with whom he comes in contact. The manner in which he expresses and practices his faith should be refined and well-balanced, free from any dogmatic attitude. Anything extreme or crude is to be avoided.
　　We sometimes observe the followers of certain religions who are so extremely fanatical that people wonder if they might not be mentally disturbed. Such people have a tendency to be so captivated by their subjective points of view they do not care at all if they annoy or cause trouble to others, and their homes are usually gloomy. As a result, society begins to have doubts about the value of their religious convictions. In such cases, those who are in the position of giving guidance to these believers should be held responsible for their attitudes. Spiritual leaders should give this point careful attention.

166. 　Pragmatism in Religion

The philosophy of "pragmatism" was originally introduced by the famous American philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce [1839-1914]. It became a world philosophy through William James, who, I understand, has come to be thought of as the originator.
　　The word "pragmatism" is generally translated into Japanese as jitsuri-shugi (utilitarianism), or sometimes as jikko-shugi (the principle of practice). But it seems to me it is more appropriate to call it koi-shugi (the principle of action). Since all those who are interested in philosophy know what pragmatism is I do not think I have to go into great detail, but I do want to write about pragmatism in religion. I wrote on this before, but I am going to do so again to make certain my meaning is totally clear.
　　When we speak of pragmatism in religion it seems to be nothing new, for all existent religions are apparently practicing just that. It is true that they advocate living their teachings through literature, sermons, prayers, religious events; some even urge members to practice self-denial and asceticism, as you all know. Regrettably, these are not being expressed in the followers' lives, the most important phase of pragmatism. Frankly speaking, we must say that these things are only parts of a kind of spiritual training which is detached from real living on this plane.
　　The philosophy of pragmatism, on the other hand, is to make use of philosophy in actual life. This is a very American viewpoint. In the same way, what I would like to advocate is the adoption of religion in our everyday lives, or, more correctly, to make religion and our everyday lives merge into an inseparable relationship. Therefore, I abhor above everything else members becoming dogmatic, isolated, ideological or having the attitude that they are superior to the common people, as has sometimes been observed among followers of some religions.
　　I would like our members not only to be as natural and unaffected as other people in general, but also to do their best not to give the impression of being too religious. I believe you should grow to the level where you have absorbed the teachings so well that you are actually living them, so you speak and act with common sense in every way and are so natural nobody can tell whether or not you belong to any particular church. This is what flexibility in action means.

167. 　Johrei through Printed Words

You may wonder what I mean when you look at this title. Once you read the article you will come to understand my meaning, which is that people who read my writings receive Johrei through their eyes.
　　Let me explain the reason for this. You must fully know the fact that the consciousness of a writer reflects on the reader through written words. That is, the spiritual vibration of a writer reaches and influences the spiritual being of a reader. All my writings are inspirations from God, so the spiritual being of the reader is purified through the vibration of the written words.
　　Because the spiritual beings of individuals can be influenced for either good or bad through reading, you should know what great effect a writer's character can have on those who read his writings. This is true of any reading material, whether it is fiction or fact. For this reason I would like to recommend to all those who are engaged in writing－novelists and journalists alike－that they become well aware of this point.
　　I do not mean by saying this that rigid writings alone are good. Written works should be full of interest; otherwise, the readers would not be drawn to reading them through, so they would be of no use at all. Needless to say, interest is of the essence. Writings should be so full of continuous, enthralling magnetism that readers could not put them down.
　　In general, I find that the largest part of today's written material seems to have been produced solely for profit and fame, to have been written with nothing in mind but its insured sales and popularity. After finishing this kind of publication a reader has received no inspiration, no new thoughts, for it contains nothing but printed words marshalled together. Writers of this type are not truly writers but are wordmongers. They are like people who have no backbone, who do not have the courage of their convictions. They may become popular for a while, but they are sure to disappear into oblivion.
　　As we look upon present-day society, we cannot but be surprised at the number of defects it has. If writers made it their basic policy to use these defects as their themes, they would never be short of subject material.
　　Since I love movies, I often watch them. When I see one based on social defects, it draws my deep interest and makes me feel as happy as if I had made a new and close friend, so that I feel like bowing to the writer and producer. Moreover, such a work is sure to become popular, recognized by the general public. Since both the booksellers and the film companies gain profits from this, it serves two ends.

168. 　The Importance of Studying the Teachings Regularly

As you all know, in our efforts to spread this Work the two means we have used up to now have been Johrei and church publications. From now on, however, we are also going to let people know about our church through lectures and group discussions. This will be spreading our teachings through the ear, so besides our efforts to awaken people through Johrei and through the use of the eye, the method of appealing through the ear is being added. Of course, reaching people through the ear means that we will let them know what our faith is all about by the use of spoken words, which will convey to them what a wonderful religion ours is. By utilizing this three-in-one method we will experience still better results.
　　In order that you may be an effective instrument to help future listeners understand the purposes of our church, you yourself must have ample knowledge about our faith. You should be able to impress others with the fact that ours is an outstanding religion with a marvelous philosophy. As a result you should be successful in stirring within them the desire to join our Work.
　　I often hear members say that in this kind of situation they are not good at speaking, that they cannot express their thoughts skillfully enough. I feel this kind of thinking is wrong. As I always say, it is not skill in speaking that can touch the hearts of other people; it is the sincere love within that can move them. That sincerity touches the hearts of listeners and moves their souls. This is all that is important. The manner of speaking, whether it is eloquent or labored, is of secondary importance.
　　In order that you may impress others with your zeal and sincerity, you must have full understanding of what you are talking about. Therefore, you must do your utmost to increase and deepen your knowledge about our work. And for that purpose the best thing you can do is read and study our teachings as much as possible. When you are asked questions (which will often happen) you must be able to give accurate answers. Otherwise, those who ask will surely not be satisfied. However difficult any question may be, you must be able to answer it in a way that will satisfy the questioner.
　　Here I would like to offer you a bit of advice. Some people give wrong answers when they are driven into corners. If questioners press very hard, they may even answer evasively. This is absolutely wrong. As one who believes in God, you should always tell nothing but the truth about spiritual things; it is not permissible to do otherwise. What you do not know, you can admit honestly you do not know.
　　Often some people like to pretend that they know something because they are afraid others will despise them if they do not have the knowledge. This is the worst thing they can do, for it brings about reverse effects. If there is something you do not know and you say you do not know it, the listener will realize you are an honest person, that you are trustworthy. However great any individual may be, he cannot be expected to know everything; no one can. So, if there is something you do not know, you are not put to shame by admitting it.
　　Another thing I would like to mention is that when members ask me questions, they often refer to subjects which can be found in my writings. They do so because they have been negligent about reading the teachings. I advise you to read them as much as possible. The more you read, the deeper your faith will become and the more cleansed your spiritual being will be. If you neglect to study the teachings, you will begin to notice a loss of spiritual strength.
　　The more your spiritual understanding advances, the more you are drawn to the teachings, until you are studying them with a new intensity and fervor. It is good to read them over and over again, until you find they have become an integral part of your being. Needless to say, the more you study them, the more clearly you will come to realize God's Will.

169. 　Makoto*

The key to the solution of all problems, whether they concern an individual, a nation or the world, is makoto, love.
　　Poor administration stems from a lack of love. Want of things of a material nature is caused by a lack of love. Deterioration of morality is due to a shortage of love. Confusion of social order occurs when love is missing or rare. Indeed, the basic cause of all distressing problems is the absence of enough love.
　　Religion, education and the arts are only skeletal forms without love at their core.
　　Ah, makoto, makoto! I say to all humanity that the only key that can solve all problems is love and love alone.

170. 　A Person with Makoto

The simplest way to know whether a person has or does not have makoto is to see how much value he puts on his promises and whether or not he keeps them. People in general do not think it is so important to keep a mere promise, but truly it is, because to break his word means that the individual has told a lie, has committed a sort of moral crime.
　　Of all the kinds of promises, that of punctuality is the one people tend to treat the most lightly. Suppose you have made an appointment to meet someone at a certain time, and you have not done so. Since the other person is made to wait in anticipation, he will be quite bored or impatient. As the saying goes, "It is easier to be waited for than to wait for someone yourself." You should consider the state of mind of the person you have promised to meet.
　　If such consideration does not well up from within, it is because you are lacking in makoto. No matter how good you may be otherwise, the lack of this one vitally important quality spoils your whole being. Anyone who believes in God should do his best to keep his promises and to be on time always. If you cannot do this, you fail a test of faith.
　　You who profess to believe in God should always keep this strongly impressed on your mind so you will never forget it.

171. 　Ego and Extreme Attachment

As we look at people in general, we see that some of the most common characteristic weaknesses are ego and possessiveness. These two are so close they could be considered "brothers."
　　Careful observation of any complicated, unsolved problem reveals that the reason for it almost always lies in these two "brothers." For example, there are some public officials who cling to their offices instead of resigning at the proper time, and because of their ego and inordinate attachment to their offices they are eventually forced to quit in disgrace.
　　There are also some businessmen who, because of their extreme regard for money itself and their sole interest in making profits for themselves, incur the dislike of their business associates, so few of their transactions go smoothly. Even though they seem to make the desired profits temporarily, they often lose money in the long run.
　　In a love affair, one of the couple sometimes loses interest simply because of the other person's over-possessiveness. We have often seen an example of this in an affair in which one person has attempted to cling to the other too tightly, thus causing trouble between the lovers.
　　There are also individuals who make others suffer because of their egotistical inclinations and these cause suffering for themselves as well. Such characteristics are often the cause of conflicts, too. Anyone who looks back into his own past will realize how true this is.
　　In this sense, one of the major goals of religion is to help us rid ourselves of our individual egos and extreme attachments. Since I learned this truth, I have been doing my best to free myself of any self-assertive tendencies and any undue possessiveness. As a result, I have found myself being freed from a great deal of mental suffering, and in every area I have experienced good results. There is a very worthwhile injunction, "Do not worry about either the past or the future." These are really wise words.
　　After an individual passes from the physical world into the spiritual realm, the first and greatest lesson he has to learn is that he must discard any inordinate attachments he may retain for people or things of the physical plane. As he frees himself from these more and more, he is elevated to progressively higher levels.
　　In the spiritual world, husbands and wives do not ordinarily live together. This is because their spiritual positions are different. They are allowed to be together only when both have been raised to one of the highest divisions. Those who have completed a certain amount of spiritual training are permitted to meet with their mates, but this is only temporary. They are given permission to do so by the divine being in charge of the strata to which they belong. When they have received permission and do meet, they are never allowed to embrace although they may not have seen each other for a long time. If they should have any earthly desire of this nature, their entire spiritual bodies become stiff and lose freedom of motion. This shows how bad undue attachments are.
　　Thus, as a person is freed more and more from extreme ties through training in the spiritual world, he is elevated to higher and higher levels. Then it becomes easier for him to meet his mate. Obviously, this is very different from a like situation in the physical world.
　　In your effort to guide others to our faith, you usually do not succeed if you try too insistently. Even though you may be very persuasive, the result is not good, because you are forcing others to accept our faith and such an attitude is blasphemous to God.
　　When you wish to guide someone to this path, at first it is best to talk about our teachings only a little. If the individual shows interest in what you say, it is all right to give him more information. But if he shows no interest at all, you should stop talking to him about our church and wait until another opportunity appears.

172. 　Control Your Ego

I believe there is nothing that is more to be feared in our lives than human ego. We can realize this by the fact that the most important training in the spiritual world is said to be that of getting rid of ego.
　　When I was a member of the Omoto religion some years ago, I found in its writings some verses concerning this subject. One said, "Know that ego is the most fearful thing in your life, for even divine beings have sometimes failed in their missions because of their egos." Another said, "Ego is something you should have and yet not have. It is good to have ego, but best not to show it." I was deeply impressed with these words because their meaning was so simple and still they clearly made the point about the true substance of ego. I reflected on myself through these verses and was greatly helped by them.
　　In the same book I also found a verse which said, "Obedience is of the essence." I thought this too was a very wise saying.
　　I mention this because, according to my observations, those who have willingly followed the guidance I have given them have experienced good results without any mishaps, while others have not been able to make smooth progress because of their egos. It is indeed hard for me to see people often failing for this reason.
　　Remember, to control ego, to be obedient to Truth, and to always speak honestly are the three cardinal rules we should follow in walking the path of faith.

173. 　Trust in God Versus Bondage

I always tell our members to have perfect trust in God. The importance of placing our faith in Him implicitly and refraining from worry cannot be overemphasized. This may sound simple and easy to put into practice, but in application it is not as easy as it appears.
　　I, too, used to be concerned when I found myself in a dilemma. In spite of all my efforts to place my trust in God, feelings of uneasiness or misgivings sometimes came into my mind. In our materialistic world it is almost impossible to be completely free from anxiety. However, there is a great difference for those who have faith in God. When they are faced with problems or difficulties, they become aware of the spiritual meanings underlying these events far more quickly than others do, and this makes it much easier for them to endure adversities.
　　I wish to write here on a specific point whose importance few may realize. Spiritually, worry may be termed a special form of bondage, a "worry bondage." This "worry bondage" damages everything. When I speak of bondage you may think of covetousness, the inordinate desire for possessions, for luxury, for fame, and so forth. Other types of inordinate attachment are grudges, hatred, vindictiveness, and similar destructive emotional attitudes. The focus here is not on such obvious bondage but on something that is caused by worries about attachment to the past, the present, and the future.
　　God wishes to help people and send them His blessings, but worry may spiritually hinder His helping, protective actions. The more unrestrained the worry, the more it obstructs divine help. This is why things d. not proceed as people wish. Let me give you some examples.
　　Nearly everyone has experienced an intense desire at one time or other for something which has seemed difficult to obtain. After despairing of it and mentally releasing it, it has unexpectedly come to pass. Almost everyone has had a strong wish to attain some higher position or to achieve success in a specific project. While such a person has been intent on his desire it has not come to pass, but after he has given up and completely forgotten about it his dream has become a reality quite unexpectedly.
　　The same sometimes applies to Johrei. When you are channeling to a person who is seriously ill, the more intense your concern is, the slower his progress is. Conversely, when you give Johrei without excessive concern and with a mind free from earthly thought, or even when Johrei is merely given on a trial basis, unexpectedly good results are often obtained. When families or other relatives and close friends let anxiety overtake them, the recovery of a critically ill person may be impeded; their attitude may even cause his death. On the other hand, when Johrei is received with trust, with little worry as to its outcome on the part of the stricken individual and of his close ones, recovery is surprisingly smooth.
　　Sometimes, while the desire for recovery of the ill person is strong and so is the wish of his relatives and friends to help him, his condition worsens more and more until everybody concerned gives up hope. Then the situation suddenly changes for the better, the sick person begins to recover, and finally he is completely healed.
　　Interestingly, there are cases in which people who have an especially strong tie to physical life feel they can heal themselves when ill through a strong mental effort, yet they usually succumb nevertheless. Their inordinate attachment to life has been a contributing factor to their transition.
　　The above instances illustrate how undue attachments can bring about negative results. Therefore, it is best to advise a hopelessly ill person that he may pass on, and to assure him that in any event you will pray to God for his salvation if he does pass over to the spiritual realm. This must be said in a tactful way so the person can understand and accept the possibility of death without any shock. The rest of the family should also be informed of what you have said and what your words mean. When you give Johrei with this preparation having been made, the person frequently begins to respond to Johrei and improves.
　　The same idea applies to a love relationship. Excessive possessiveness on the part of either one often produces a reverse effect and causes the other to respond unfavorably. Here, too, the over-attachment is responsible for the trouble, ironic as this may seem.
　　The world is full of such ironies, such contradictions, which seem to complicate our lives but make them interesting as well.
　　I often say that it is wise to aim at a reverse effect. This is actually part of Truth itself.

174. 　The Exquisite Flavor of Faith

There is nothing in this world without a flavor of some kind. All objects, individuals, our very lives as well, have and impart certain flavors of their own. If any of this flavor or individual zest were taken from our lives, the world would be so colorless, so inane, we would lose all desire to live. It is not an exaggeration to say that one of the principal sources of our attachment to life is the enjoyment by our sense perceptions of its many different flavors or aspects.
　　Even different religions have individual piquancy. There are some which are full of special flavors of their own, and some others which have weak individual flavors. Strange as it seems, there are some religions that generate fear. Those who follow such beliefs are afraid of God, live according to rigid regulations, are severely restricted by commandments. There is no freedom for them and they live in a constant state of apprehension and trepidation. Such faiths could be called "religious hells."
　　An ideal state of faith is one which allows us to live with perfect peace of mind so we can enjoy life to the fullest. When we attain this state we perceive the love of God in the beauty of Nature, in the songs of birds and in the perfection of flowers. We recognize God's beneficence in all the things He supplies to fill our needs－food, clothes and shelter－and we give thanks to Him. We come to sense our oneness with all life, not only with people but with Nature, with birds, beasts, even insects and fish, trees and grass. This is the state of bliss of those who have reached a high spiritual awareness. Upon having done our best in any situation, we should be able to leave everything in God's Hands with perfect trust.
　　When I am faced with a difficult problem which seems to defy solution in spite of my best efforts, I entrust the entire matter to God and wait for the right time. I can say from experience that the result is always better than anticipated. I can also say without reservation that I have never experienced anything that I have feared might happen. There are times when I have had different hopes, but interestingly enough God has blessed me with results which have always been beyond my imagining.
　　Once in a while I encounter something whose prospect is so disheartening it weighs heavily on my mind. When that happens I say to myself, "This must be a prelude to something good." I wait for God to solve the problem, and later I find that without exception it has turned into a wonderful blessing indeed; what seemed to be an adverse condition proves to have been a necessary process in order to make a major blessing possible. Then I am filled with gratitude and wonder why I was concerned, even temporarily.
　　I believe my life has been one of miracles. This is what I mean by the exquisite flavor of faith.

175. 　Honesty Versus Falsehood

If you should be asked which is better, to be honest or to lie, it is self-evident that you would say it is better to be honest. However, since things arc not always as simple as that in this world, there are times when you should be truthful and other times when you are obliged to tell a falsehood. Those who can make the right judgments in this area can be said to be individuals with good sense.
　　Then, how should we make the right judgments? I think we should do so by making it a rule to be as honest as possible. However, there are times when we cannot tell the truth, when we are obliged to speak an untruth. For example, when we encounter a person who is quite ill, we cannot say, "I am afraid your time of passing is not far away, for I see the shadow of death on your face." Even though we truly feel that way, it is better for us not to tell the truth; in fact, we cannot help lying.
　　 Strange as it may seem, we find quite a number of people among those supposed to be very knowledgeable about the world who tell lies deliberately. As we carefully watch what is happening everywhere, we note that there are a great many individuals who fail through their falsehoods, but that there are hardly any who fail by being honest.

176. 　"Honesty Does Not Pay" Is Not True

We have heard many people say that honesty does not pay. When we deliberate on such an expression, we feel misgivings lest it should exert a negative influence upon the minds of people in general. If it were true, there would be no way of denying it. But according to my own experience, I assure you that honesty does pay. Let me explain.
　　 There are two ways of looking at everything. One is a short-range view and the other a long-range view. People in general tend to pass judgment as to whether something is good or bad on the basis of a temporary result. For example, they are dazzled by the success of a dishonest person who is clever at deceiving others or at stealing, and so they conclude that honesty does not pay.
　　We should take a long-range view of this kind of success. The dishonest individual will surely betray himself in time, be put to shame and eventually prove to be a failure. We may say that this is inevitable. On the other hand, although an honest person may suffer a loss or be put in an unfavorable position for a while through being misunderstood, his honesty will come to light in the course of time. This is also inevitable. Let me write about my own experiences in regard to this.
　　Although it may sound like self-praise to mention it, I have been quite honest since my young days. It has always been impossible for me to tell a lie. While young, I was often told by others that an honest person like me could not possibly be successful and that I would hardly be able to make my way in the world, let alone succeed, unless I changed my mind and tried to tell lies. I thought that might be a fact so I tried, but to no avail. I found that it was very painful for me not to tell the truth. Life began to look gloomy and I felt very unpleasant every day, so much so that results could not be good, of course.
　　At that time, I was a merchant. It was supposed to be all right for a merchant to make shrewd moves and tell untruths from time to time. However, things did not work out that way for me, so I made up my mind to stick to the policy of being honest, which was part of my inherent nature. Very interestingly, after I started doing this results turned out to be unexpectedly good. My credit with the business world increased and I went from success to success, until I made quite a sum of money. I was so elated that I expanded my business greatly, and then a financial panic hit Japan. As a result, I was ruined so completely it was impossible for me to recoup my losses. Then I entered spiritual work.
　　Now, I still adhere to the principle of honesty which I determined to maintain long ago. Of course, results are still good. Over a long period of time in the past, however, I was sometimes misunderstood by others, was made a focus of various criticisms and was even persecuted. Thus, I have had an exceedingly stormy life. I keenly feel, however, that I owe to my honesty the fact that my reputation has never suffered for long.
　　 Modern people have a tendency to take a short view of things and to be dazzled by short-lived success. In all our observations, we should take a permanent view. This applies to everything. For instance, some politicians try to push their way forcefully in order to attain political power. It is like plucking a persimmon off a tree while it is still green without waiting until it becomes ripe enough and then finding that it is too sour to eat; the politicians fail to win power for this reason.
　　There is a saying which goes, "A great politician thinks one hundred years ahead, a medium-level politician thinks ten years ahead, a low-level politician thinks only one year ahead." This is true, indeed. It is deplorable that low-level politicians predominate today.
　　Let me here turn to the Nature Farming I advocate. In conventional agriculture, one can have a good harvest for the time being if chemical fertilizers or manure have been applied. However, these fertilizers gradually kill the natural productivity of the soil so it eventually becomes barren without realizing this fact, farmers are blinded by the temporary effects of fertilizers, and human beings as well as soil suffer from fertilizer poisoning.
　　The same can be said of modern medical science. Medicines or other types of physical treatments are often effective only temporarily. As time goes on, adverse reactions can begin to set in and patients' conditions can start to deteriorate. When this happens, if the doctors involved are misled by the initial effects and continue to adhere to the same methods, the patients' conditions then are further aggravated.
　　I would like you to direct your attention to these two types of viewpoints, the short-range and the long-range, through this article.

177. A Greedy Person Has No Real Hunger

A person who has a tremendous hunger for material things or for worldly power has none for things that are more important, so he does not have a true hunger.
　　When we study the world carefully, we come to realize that there are many, many individuals who are greedy about something, but they are all individuals without genuine hunger. It may sound odd to say that people who hunger for things do not have hunger in truth, but in actuality they are individuals who only try to acquire material things, temporary possessions, not seeming to realize that they are going to lose them in the end.
　　Also, they make nice statements which are embellished with falsehoods, but since these lies are sure to be revealed it is inevitable that they will completely lose the trust of others. The more cleverly they tell lies, the longer it will be before they are exposed, so when it seems they are deceiving others well, they believe they are being successful. No falsehood stays hidden forever, but since such people are obsessed by an illusion that their lies will never be discovered, even after bitter experiences of failure they incorrigibly continue to do their best to deceive others. Of course, they do not believe in God, for they think there can be no such thing as a Supreme Ruler of this world.
　　In other words, they are such worshipers of materialism it is hard to deal with them. But once their deceptions are revealed, their reputations are completely blown away and everything is finished with them. Thus, their lies result in terrible losses, and no one wants to have anything to do with them. When this happens, I feel deep sorrow for them, thinking that if they had been honest and sincere from the beginning, they would have won the trust of others and would surely have reaped great benefits for themselves. Instead, they have earned short-lived success, only to lose their precious reputations!
　　Most of those suffering from slumps in business or from stringent conditions are people who have no true hunger, as mentioned above. In any event, the most important thing any man can have is the trust of others. Trust is the greatest of fortunes. Trust-fortune yields as much interest as is desired, so anyone with such a fortune will never be in a predicament, even when money is tight everywhere else.
　　Therefore, unless you believe in God, you cannot succeed in any area. The only thing you must do to become successful is to become a true believer. A true believer is a person who possesses an unlimited treasure. He is an individual who is genuinely happy, one who at the same time is the most Sincerely hungry.

178. 　False Belief in Telling Lies

There are many kinds of false beliefs, but what I would like to dwell on is one which very few people notice, and that is the false belief about telling lies; in other words, a belief that things will go well by lying.
　　Truly, many people today often speak falsehoods. Most of them are so used to doing so they often lie without realizing it and feel no shame about it. This is probably because telling lies has become such a part of their beings they don't even notice what they are saying.
　　When one of the individuals working under me does this, I try to bring his attention to what he is doing, but he often does not understand what I am saying. It is only after my thorough explanation that he begins to realize he has failed to tell the exact truth. He then asks forgiveness for what he has said.
　　As you can see from this example, people who are used to telling untruths find it hard to distinguish fact from falsehood. Their lies, however, are usually too trivial to create a big issue. Far worse than these are quite a number of other individuals who consciously and intentionally tell lies that cannot be overlooked. They are the ones I am going to write about in particular.
　　First let me take up the lies of statesmen, who are among the biggest liars of all. With little confidence, they make splendid proclamations about such-and-such policies or plans, which often prove to be no more than empty pledges, and for which they are often called to account. Then, we see assemblymen who have defaulted on their promises to their electorate and think nothing of doing so, as though such actions were to be taken as a matter of course.
　　There are many educators who make fine speeches but whose conduct is quite the opposite of their words. Also, so many newspaper accounts are untrue it has become just common sense not to believe most of them. Needless to say, exaggerated advertisements are prime examples of deliberate lies, too.
　　Today's greatest problem in Japan is its tax system. Tax collectors and taxpayers compete with each other in telling lies. It is all very complicated and quite unpleasant.
　　There is a saying in Japan which goes, "White lies in certain circumstances may be justified." Perhaps with this in mind even priests sometimes lie. Doctors sometimes tell patients that they will recover when they know they are incurable cases. Tradesmen very often tell untruths, too, and call them "tricks of the trade"－tricks that are recognized throughout the world. By just picking up on whatever has been flashing in my mind, I can name many liars. We may well say the world is a conglomeration of falsehoods.
　　Speaking simply of lies, there are some which contain little harm and some which are very malignant in nature. Of all the wicked ones, those I want to mention create the worst trouble. These are the lies of the officials whose duty it is to pass judgment on criminals. Think of the Mitaka Incident* which has been in the newspapers so much lately. All of the people involved who had been under sentence of death have been found innocent after all, with one exception. Also, think of the case three years ago in which two people who had been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of murder, have now been freed because the real murderer surrendered himself recently. Here is another called the Daizo case of Osaka, in which the prosecutor had proposed that the two people charged be sentenced to five years' imprisonment; they have been found not guilty. These are not uncommon examples of cases in which individuals have been victimized by the lies of public prosecutors in recent years.
　　When you hear of these things, you may wonder how such individuals as the prosecutors can ever tell lies. I must say from my own experience that it is not impossible. I say this because from the very beginning of the incident of 1950** until the public hearing being held now, the prosecutor's eagerness to foist a crime on someone by use of lies has really been something. I truly wonder why such efforts have to be made to palm off crimes on innocent people. Of course, it is the duty of a prosecutor to accuse a person who has committed a legally wrong deed, but it is incredible that anyone in his position would attempt to convict an innocent person as a criminal. However, facts are facts which cannot be changed. Most people simply do not know about such matters.
　　To distinguish innocence from guilt must be quite hard in the very beginning. But a little investigation should cast an overall light on the picture, tell whether the accused is innocent or guilty, unless it is a really villainous case. I say this because the act of the prosecutor in trying with extra effort to cause a person to be found guilty is proof in itself that the accused is innocent.
　　I have deviated from the subject. To continue, a person's real intention, which leads him to telling lies, is his belief that lies can be kept secret. What a foolishly optimistic way of thinking! Indeed, if there were no God, it would be true that the more skillfully a person could lie, the more successfully he could get along in the world. But the truth is far from that. Since God certainly does exist, however cleverly a man may think he has deceived others, his success is only temporary for he is sure to be exposed in time. And once he has been exposed, he puts himself to shame, loses the trust of others, and is brought to justice. This is completely opposite to what he intended to gain in the beginning, so the balancing must be a great loss for him.
　　Such a person thinks there is no God, because he cannot see Him. This is the same thinking as that of barbaric people, who do not know there is atmosphere because it is invisible. And many civilized people live on the same level as these barbarians. What pitiable creatures such "civilized" individuals are!
　　When people come to understand this reasoning, they realize that an individual without faith in God is no good regardless of what wonderful ability or talent he may have. Especially someone whose vocation is such a sacred one as to pass judgment on people, to decide the innocence or guilt of others, should be exceedingly careful as to this point. While passing judgment on others, he himself is being judged by God. If prosecutors and judges are not able to accept such an obvious truth, it is because they are deeply entrapped in their own false belief in telling lies.
　　What we truly wish and pray for is that all judicial officials become true believers in a good religion and become fully aware of the reality of God. I believe that the fact that, of all countries, the United States of America's officials are the most humane and comparatively fair in their judgments must be due to the extent of the Christian faith of the majority of Americans. I feel there is no room for any doubt about this.

* Mitaka Incident: On August 11, 1949, a deadhead train was deliberately derailed in the marshalling yard of Mitaka Station in the suburbs of Tokyo. The train plunged into the surrounding houses. Six persons lost their lives and thirteen were injured. More than ten persons were arrested on charges of sabotage, but only one person, Mr. Keisuke Takeuchi, was found guilty.
** Meishu-sama was arrested on May 28, 1950 and was kept in jail until June 12 of the same year.

179. 　Self-Control

There is an ancient proverb, "True self-control lies in bearing that which is unbearable." Another says, "Always wear a pouch of patience around your neck. Whenever it becomes worn, mend it." These sayings contain deep truths.
　　Many people have asked me, "What kind of spiritual discipline have you practiced in order to attain enlightenment? Have you fasted, bathed in ice-cold water, or what?"
　　They have been extremely surprised to learn I have never practiced asceticism in any form. "No," I have told them, "I have never deliberately practiced anything of a self-denying nature. There have been two main disciplines I have experienced. One is that I had to bear the suffering of being in debt over a long period of time and the other is that I had to learn how to control my temper."
　　I believe God has given me the experiences I have had in order to cleanse me and raise me spiritually. There was one particular period of time years ago, during which many things happened that aroused my anger. By nature, I was peace-loving and did not like to lose my temper, nor did I enjoy becoming excited or taking offense. Yet, during the period to which I refer, one thing after another came along to stir my indignation.
　　I particularly remember one experience, in which certain individuals had such a great misunderstanding about me. I was subjected to a major humiliation so that I did not feel I could face a large number of people. I was so upset, so enraged, I could hardly bear it. The last thing I wanted to do was to visit some people who had invited me to their home, but I was forced to go because of certain circumstances connected with my hosts. I was in such a passion I could not turn my attention to the occasion. In order to divert myself, I asked for some sake (rice liquor) and gulped it all down. Since I was not much of a drinking man, this shows how truly desperate I was. It was two or three days before I felt completely myself again!
　　Later on, I found that this experience had helped me to escape a fatal blow in my work, which I would have received if it had not been for the humiliation I had had to endure. I was extremely grateful for and deeply moved by the depths of God's Wisdom and Love.
　　God trains and disciplines those who have some great mission to accomplish by giving them many lessons to learn, many difficult problems to overcome. Of them all, I think the hardest trial for anyone to endure is the controlling of indignation at some wrong committed against him. An individual should realize that the more he experiences things he must bear in silence, the greater his mission in life must be. When he reaches the point where he can control any anger, can remain calm under all circumstances, he has passed the first stage in his spiritual training.
　　During the Meiji era in Japan, a man named Buei Nakano was president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a time. This man would never become upset or angry, regardless of any situation. When someone asked him how he could be so unfailingly calm and patient, this was his answer:
　　"I used to be very quick-tempered. One day I paid a visit to one of our most successful and well-known businessmen, Mr. Eiichi Shibusawa. While waiting in his reception room, I overheard a dispute going on between Eiichi and his wife in the next room. The argument stopped abruptly and he came in shortly afterward. I was surprised to see that he was as calm as usual, with no trace of excitement or anger in his expression; no one could tell he had just been involved in a quarrel.
　　"What impressed me so deeply was his strength, his ability to control his temper. I felt in that moment that I had found the secret of his success in the business world and I made the decision to train myself so I could have such control also. After that, I concentrated on improving and everything became better and better for me, until I reached my present position."
　　If anything happens to upset or anger you, remember that God is training you through such tests, molding your character. This is the attitude you should have, as a person who trusts in God.
　　According to my experience, it is impatience which makes you go into debt. When you become impatient you strain against a natural situation. In any situation, to force yourself to do something that is beyond your ability at the time is the worst thing you can do. By forcing yourself you may seem to be successful temporarily, but in time the strain will begin to tell and you will encounter some unexpected obstacle. Then, even though it seemed in the beginning that things were off to a prompt and smooth start, you will have to go back and begin all over again. When we make a thorough study of the cause of Japan's defeat in World War II, for instance, we find in every area we investigate that the entire operation was one of such impatient forcing.
　　When you become impatient and strain yourself, you begin to lose your presence of mind, and for this reason no inspiration can come to you. To try to force yourself to do something when you hare no good idea makes a situation even worse. You should start a new project of any kind only when you have an idea－that is, when you have a plan which you are certain will work. You must literally be deliberate in thought and prompt in action.
　　After you have made a thorough study of every angle of your new project and have made sure you can succeed in it, you may find it is absolutely necessary for you to borrow some money. But once you do obtain a loan, you should return it as soon as possible; you should never delay repayment.
　　Generally speaking, it is not an easy thing to pay off a debt. If it is dragged on, the interest increases and so does the mental anguish. A person driven into such a situation ordinarily begins to lose his presence of mind, and then he no longer receives any inspiration or wisdom. In this state of affairs, of course, he cannot manage his work so it goes smoothly.
　　There are two kinds of attitudes in borrowing money, positive and negative. To secure a loan for the expansion of business is positive, whereas to do so in order to cover a deficit is negative. To get a loan for a positive purpose may be excusable, but to do so for a negative reason is indefensible. If you should experience a loss, you must not make a show of strength; you must instead curtail your operation temporarily and wait for the right time to come.
　　Let me give you some advice: You should not be too ambitious. There is an ancient proverb that says, "Grasp all, lose all." The cause of failure in business is almost always due to avarice.
　　Sometimes a person may bring you a story that sounds as if something good is ready to fall right into your lap, but there is no such thing in the world as just plain luck, so you should always be cautious about any unbelievably good proposal. Rather, one that does not sound too attractive often has in it the possibilities of a great future.
　　In my own case, as long as I coveted money because I wanted to repay my debts as soon as possible and because I thought I had to expand my spiritual work, no money came to me. Finally, I gave up and entrusted the matter to God, freeing my mind from financial concerns. It was after this that I unexpectedly began to be blessed with supply of all kinds.
　　This made me realize that nothing in the world can be explained by so-called logic.

180. 　Overcoming Anger

God has recently revealed to me a good method of overcoming anger, and I would like to convey this revelation to you. I believe that while one lives in this world there is nothing more painful than anger. There may be a few people who never become angry. They seem to be lucky about never having reason to lose their tempers, but these people may be considered to be exceptions.
　　As far as people in general are concerned, there is hardly anybody who does not get mad at some time or other. While there have existed since ancient times some methods of self-discipline to control anger, a really effective method is seldom found. Just controlling this emotion might free a person from the pain of being angry, but the effort itself creates a new pain. Therefore, controlling temper is of no use, because the greater the anguish of being angry, the greater the pain of trying to control it. The latter offsets the former and the intensity of pain is not alleviated at all. However, through the method which God has revealed to me, the emotion of anger can easily be eliminated. What a wonderful thing this is! Let me write a little about the method.
　　The solar plexus region of the body is so important that it has been called the "central organ" in Japan since olden times.
　　People often say that the navel is the center of the entire body, but actually it is only the center of the abdominal area. This is the center of will power, expressed through such characteristics as courage, boldness and decisiveness. There are Japanese expressions such as, "He has a mature abdomen" (is determined and unperturbed), or, "He has a big abdomen" (is broadminded), or, "He has a strong abdomen" (is undaunted). These expressions imply that the abdomen is the seat of will power.
　　As I always say, the forehead is the seat of reason, of wisdom and memory, the back of the head is the seat of emotion, of joy, anger, sadness or pleasure, and the abdominal area is indeed the seat of will power.
　　The above three regions form a trinity with the solar plexus mentioned above as their central point. The consciousness of a person in anger focuses in that area, and an individual feels a kind of tight lump there at such a time. The literal Japanese expression, "The abdomen is standing up" (is angry)' comes from the fact that when someone is angry there is a feeling within the abdominal region as though a stick is standing upright, its top hitting the solar plexus region.
　　When you give Johrei to your own solar plexus region where "the abdomen is standing up," you soon feel exceedingly good and relaxed, as if a lump is beginning to dissolve or a knot is being untied. Your mind feels lighter and lighter and you even begin to be ashamed of having been angry.
　　This is the exact feeling of "anger being unknotted," as a Japanese expression goes. And, Johrei works not only on yourself but on others also, so there is nothing as wonderful as Johrei. Anger often is not only the cause of the destruction of individual peace of mind but also of harmony in families, in other personal relationships, and on larger scales in communities and in international relationships. So, we can say that Johrei, which eliminates anger, is a tremendous benefit to the entire world.

181. 　Do Not Pass Judgment upon Others

I have written before on the subject of passing judgment, but it seems that in spite of my previous warnings there are still some members who commit errors of this kind without realizing what they are doing.
　　 There are members who speak of others as being "good" or "evil." On occasion they go so far as to advise their friends that they should be cautious of certain people because they are possessed by evil spirits. This is a terrible mistake. The very individuals who call others possessed have themselves been invaded by evil spirits.
　　No human being is capable of judging right or wrong in others. This wisdom belongs solely to God. Those who assume the right to pass judgment upon others are encroaching on God's Domain; theirs is a terrible conceit and they have badly distorted ideas.
　　Those so prone to condemn are unmistakably possessed by negative forces and should be guarded against. These people condemn and criticize others because they do not have true faith in God. With all seriousness they speak of other members as having wrong spiritual attitudes or of other branch churches needing to be reformed. If there really is any evil among our members, God will judge it so there is no need for the concern of human beings. If there are some who cannot believe this, it means they believe in man's power more than in God's. Such individuals are victims of ego and misconception. We must always keep in mind that the Supreme God presides over all. He first gives His warning to a person who has deviated from the right path so he may awaken to his mistake and mend his ways. If he does not, he has to pay the penalty－sometimes with his own life.
　　One of the wisest things any of us can do is to hold strictly to the injunction, "Do not pass judgment upon others," and to always be watchful of our own thoughts and deeds so that we do not make mistakes. We will have true understanding of God when we can lead God-centered lives in this way.

182. 　A Form of Conceit

Some of our members, because of their great enthusiasm for the church, criticize the way the ministers or members who hold executive positions in their branches handle things. Some of them seem to become exceedingly impatient or to worry too much when their personal proposals for changes are rejected.
　　Although this attitude cannot be called bad indiscriminately since it stems from sincerity, it surely indicates a need for deeper thought, because it is the expression of a Shojo attitude. Since ours is a Daijo faith, as I have stated many times, it differs vastly from the conventional pattern of thought. Unless this point is fully understood members cannot be in accord with God's Will. Above all, to speak of others as either good or evil is in itself an expression of conceit. I say this because only God knows whether or not someone is good or bad. We must constantly bear this point in mind.
　　If there is anyone who is deviating from the right path or is truly evil, God will inevitably pass judgment on him, so there is no need for you to worry about it. If a human being worries about the present situation or fears the future, it surely indicates a lack of belief in God's Infinite Power. To prove this point, I have only to mention that there have been occasions when a few of our members have deviated from the right path, some even losing their lives as the result. I am sure some of the older members, at least, can recall such occasions. What I recommend, therefore, is that you examine your inner attitude before you criticize others.
　　I fully realize that those who have joined our fellowship cannot possibly have evil intentions, that they are without exception sincere and devoted individuals－individuals of makoto. But we must be careful, for makoto (sincerity, love and devotion) can either be narrow or broad. In other words, as I have repeatedly said, good in a Shojo sense can be evil in a Daijo sense. Even love and devotion can bring about negative consequences if they are based on limited, Shojo ways of thinking.
　　 Since our group is engaged in aiding God's Plan for saving the entire human race, a task of unprecedented proportions, we should leave the internal affairs of our church in God's Hands and think first of all in terms of good for the whole world. In short, we should not focus our concern on the inner but direct it toward the outer.
　　I would like to add one more thing. God's Plan is so profound that it is entirely beyond human comprehension. In the writings of the Omoto religion, we find the following verses: "God's Will is profound, fathomless. Beyond one depth there is another, and beyond that still another, so man cannot possibly comprehend it. Only individuals who have come to realize that those things going on in the highest regions of the spiritual realm can never be comprehended by human minds can be said to have attained a level of true understanding."
　　The Omoto book further says, "I would like to ask you, if God's Plan were so simple that it could be fully understood by any human being, how could the great, complete changeover of this universe be achieved?"
　　I think these words are very simple and directly to the point.

183. 　Do Not Be Judgmental

It seems there are still some members who speak of others as being good or bad or causing trouble for God's Work. This shows that my teachings have not yet been fully understood. I must, therefore, point out again that such conduct is to be discouraged, for that is encroaching upon God's Domain and so is entirely wrong. No human being is capable of telling whether another person is good or bad. Those who think they can have become victims of their conceits without realizing it. That fact alone is a proof that such people have not even reached the threshold of faith.
　　Also, you must keep in mind that God's Plan is not so shallow that it can be understood by man's limited consciousness. Since God's Work of saving the entire world is so great, unprecedented in scale, man cannot have the least idea of what it really means unless his consciousness is expanded to an unusual degree. As a Japanese proverb says, it is like "trying to look at the sky while peeping through a knothole in the ceiling," if man's perception is of a Shojo faith.
　　I have repeatedly emphasized that an individual who clings to a Shojo attitude of faith cannot comprehend God's Will until he grows to a level where he attains a Daijo attitude. Unfortunately, there are still some individuals who find this difficult to understand and who seem to adhere to false concepts.
　　As you can see by looking at the world in general, narrow, limited shojo attitudes are common everywhere in all phases of society, and this seems to be especially true in Japan. Even within religious organizations there are many factions, and newspapers occasionally carry accounts of scandalous power struggles among them. The same can be said of political parties, government agencies, and business organizations. Such factional strifes seriously affect efficiency and development. Because the world is in such a negative state, it can be said that God has decided to reconstruct the whole planet. As we study the root cause of the trouble, we come to realize that it lies in the Shojo attitude of most people. Unless their consciousness changes from this narrow viewpoint to a Daijo one, a bright and happy world can never become a reality.
　　It is indeed surprising that some members still seem to retain remnants of limited Shojo ways of thinking. I would like to urge these individuals to realize their mistakes, change their patterns of thought at once, and become true followers of this path. I say this because as purification becomes increasingly severe, God's Judgment will also become more stern. such members must understand that now is the time for them to improve their attitude, for belated repentance will be of no avail.
　　In the teachings of the Omoto religion, the following words appear again and again: "Remember that egotism and false pride produce dire results." These words are certainly true.
　　The same can be said of Jesus' admonition: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." In other words, we should consider our own behavior instead of judging the behavior of others; the right attitude is one of being noncritical.
　　As you well know, no one is physically free of toxins, because no one is spiritually free of clouds and therefore of imperfections. This is the very reason worldwide purification is necessary if humanity is to be saved by God.
　　As one saying puts it,
　　　"What a fool you are!"
　　　I artlessly exclaimed.
　　　On second thought, howe'er,
　　　I could not help but realize
　　　It was I who was the fool.
I might add,
　　　"What a shallow one!"
　　　I artlessly exclaimed.
　　　On second thought, howe'er,
　　　I could not help but realize
　　　It was I who was just that!
　　Let me mention something else in passing. What others are thinking is known to me to the degree that it is necessary for me to be aware of their thoughts. However, I do not speak out. Certain members worry for this reason, believing I do not notice the negative things some people are doing. I know everything only too well; but I keep such matters to myself, leaving everything in God's Hands. I know that if there is someone who is incorrigible, God will solve the problem by seeing to it that that person is weeded out. If he is one of truly vicious nature, he will cause his own death prematurely according to the laws of creation. I am sure some of our members are well aware of such instances, for they have actually occurred on a number of occasions in the past.
　　Since I leave everything in God's Hands with perfect trust, I am always completely free of anxiety and feel as serene as a spring breeze.

184. 　Do Not Incur Resentment

I once wrote that it is not good to feel resentment or hatred toward others. Now I would like to tell you that it is equally as bad to incur the resentment or hatred of others toward you.
　　When an individual holds any resentment toward you, the negative vibrations of his feelings are usually expressed through jealousy, hatred, or thoughts of revenge. These vibrations reach you through the spiritual cord connecting you to each other. They keep you from being cheerful, make you feel depressed, and this causes you to be inefficient in your work. Thus, your path to a good life can be impeded. You should be very careful not to cause such a thing to happen.
　　Looking at the world in general, we can see quite a number of people who treat others badly and think nothing of the fact that they are causing them suffering and misfortune. Yet, many of these individuals become successful and are regarded with great admiration by some people. Because their vision is distorted and they see only surface appearances, they think the way of living of those individuals is the best way to get ahead in the world, and they try to follow their example.
　　This type is increasing, so the world does not seem to be getting any better. However, an expanded viewpoint makes it clear that evil people are ultimately ruined, for they inevitably receive as they have given, according to the law of cause and effect.

　　For this reason, if we wish to live happily, work successfully and be protected from major misfortunes, we should do our best to give joy to others and help them to become happy. Through such practices, we can indeed be considered truly wise individuals. It is an essential mission of religion to awaken people to such facts.
　　Foolish are those who do evil deeds. This too is an eternal truth.

185. 　The Law of Order

Since ancient times there have been the words, "God is order." Indeed, this involves a very important law which we should bear in mind in every part of our lives.
　　As we observe the processes of all things in Nature, we see how everything moves in accordance with this law of order. Think of the four seasons, for example. After winter comes spring, then summer follows, then autumn, then winter again. In Japan, plum trees blossom first, then cherry trees, then wisteria, and then irises. This sequence of birth and growth is maintained year after year without deviation. In this way Nature teaches us the importance of following the law of order.
　　Although man may be indifferent to this law or even ignorant of it, if he acts negatively he still must experience difficulties and be hampered by turmoil and confusion.
　　 Up to the present there have not been many people who have paid much attention to the law of order. We cannot blame them, though, because there have been very few individuals to tell them about it. I am now going to give a basic explanation of this law, which all should know.
　　We must first understand that everything that occurs in the physical world is a reflection of that which has already occurred in the spiritual realm, and that that which happens on this plane is reflected on the spiritual plane also. Order is the way of Truth and the law, so to violate Order is to stray from the path, to violate the law and to not be in accord with the principle. In our daily lives, too, there is an orderly sequence which we should observe, and there is a difference in the correct conduct and activity of each individual. For example, in a Japanese household, where there is a room containing an alcove called a tokonoma, the place in front of tokonoma is considered the most important, carrying the highest vibration, whereas in a room where there is no tokonoma, the spot which is farthest from the main entrance is considered the most desirable. The father should seat himself as near there as possible, the mother next to him, then the oldest child, the next oldest and so on. This is in accordance with the law of order and if observed will result in a more harmonious atmosphere and in more pleasant conversation. Even in a democratic society, things can never go smoothly if this order is not observed.
　　Let me give you some other examples.
　　Suppose there is a narrow bridge over a stream, only wide enough for one person at a time to cross. If several individuals should try to pass over the bridge at once the result would be confusion and some of the people would surely fall into the stream. Rightly, they would by all means have to take turns and go across the narrow bridge one by one, Herein lies the necessity of keeping to the law of order.
　　 Suppose a visitor comes to a home. There should be a natural difference in the seating, depending on the relationship between the visitor and the host－whether the visitor is a person the host is meeting for the first time, whether the two already know each other as friends or acquaintances, whether the visitor is in a higher position or a lower position, socially or in business. The way of greeting also should vary according to the differences in relationship. If we pay attention to this and greet everyone in a proper manner, all will go smoothly and there will be no unpleasant atmosphere. Also, our attitudes and our ways of speaking should naturally be different according to whether the visitor is a lady, an elderly person or a child. The most important thing to keep in mind is whether or not we are imparting a good feeling to the visitor.
　　There are homes where children's or servants' bedrooms are on the second or third floor and the master of the home and his wife sleep downstairs. In such a home, children and servants tend to become disobedient. Also, when the wife sleeps in a position that is better than her husband's from the vibratory point of view, some discord may occur. This is not right from the standpoint of the law of order.
　　Anything that occurs on the physical plane in a negative way reflects on the spiritual plane and breaks the harmony between the two worlds. The same principle can be applied to a country or to society as a whole. A great problem today is the lack of consideration and the extreme strife between capitalists and laborers. The worst part of this is production control by workers, for nothing can be so much against the law of order. Suppose there is an industrial company. If it is to be operated in the right way and to be successful, the law of order should be maintained in every area. That is, the president presides over all, the executive board takes part in important decisions and in policy-making, the technicians work hard to improve the technical areas, and the laborers do their best in their industrial fields. If all work united as one body in the form of a pyramid, the business is sure to prosper.
　　The production control by workers, however, upends the pyramid, turns it upside down, so it is sure to fall. For this reason, if the capitalists and the workers keep fighting with each other the result will be that both sides fail, so it is the most foolish thing they can do. In order for a company to be successful, it should be run with harmony as its most important principle and the executives and workers should cooperate with each other, always following the law of order. Without observing this law, neither side can ever attain true happiness or success. I believe the first step to real prosperity in industry is the total elimination of strife from that field.
　　Some time ago, the general trend of capitalists was to exploit the laboring classes and handle management in a far too self-serving way. It was this that caused communism to grow. Today, as a reaction to this reaction, communism has gone too far and this has led to the decline of industry and the weakening of productive power. I do hope both sides will awaken to this as soon as possible, will display a spirit of mutual aid, and thus will strive to establish a new Japan. This is what I mean when I say, "Keep the law of order."
　　During World War II, when the Tojo cabinet ruled Japan, the premier declared, "The heads of all organizations should be in the vanguard," and he took the lead by involving himself in many areas of the war effort. I believe this was a great mistake.
　　Since ancient times in Japan, when someone has referred to running an enterprise people have often used the word keirin (administration), which literally means "turning a wheel." Comparing an organization to a wheel, the head is equated to the axle. Now, the more quickly the wheel turns, the less the axle moves. The parts closest to the axle travel only a little way and the parts farthest away from the axle cover the greatest distance. The more the axle moves, the worse the rotation of the wheel becomes; the more it wobbles.
　　Following this metaphor, we reach the conclusion that a small number of people should be in charge of the section which is closest to the "axle" and the number of workers should be proportionately increased in the sections progressively farther away from the "axle" until the farthest part of the "wheel" contains the greatest number of laborers. Like the parts of a tire that come into direct contact with the road, this section is the one that does the most and the hardest physical work. If the individual who is in the leading position of an enterprise remains in the background, making the plans and giving the orders, the entire operation will be sure to expand.
　　From this you will understand fully what the law of order signifies.

186. 　Do Not Deviate from the Law of Order

Since ancient times it has been said that God is Order. This is very true. In every phase of life, the basic cause for things not going smoothly is man's deviation from this truth, especially in human affairs. An old Chinese saying states, "There should be decorum between man and wife, order between age and youth." This contains much wisdom.
　　Disregard of the law of order is widespread today and is reflected in the shocking state of society as a whole. We should pay special attention to the fact that order and the rules of conduct are inseparably related. When we observe the processes of all things in Nature, we see how everything moves in accordance with this law. Think of the four seasons, of their orderly sequence－first spring, then summer, then autumn, then winter. The same can be said of day and night and the way trees and plants grow. In Japan, the cherry trees never blossom before the plum trees.
　　Let me give you an example in our human lives. Suppose you are going to church for worship. If you stop on the way to attend to something else, going to church later will be of little use because by doing so you place your personal business before God's Business. The same is true of going to church to receive Johrei. You should go to church first and attend to other matters afterward. By doing so, the Johrei you receive is far more effective.
　　I have often seen houses built with floor plans that place children's rooms upstairs and parents' rooms on the first moor. Yet, if children live above their parents, they are apt to become disobedient. The same is true of master and servant relationships. You should be very careful in this respect.
　　The law of order cannot be violated, even by seemingly trivial oversights. For example, when a family is seated in a room, the father should have the most important seat, the mother should be next to him, the oldest child next to her, and so on. If you are seated according to the law of order, a most harmonious atmosphere will prevail. Conversely, if the order is not observed, it is only natural that discord and disagreeable incidents can occur as a result.
　　I can tell you from my many experiences that sometimes when I attend a meeting I become aware of an unpleasant atmosphere the moment I enter the room. Careful observation reveals mistakes in the seating of participating individuals.
　　In deciding which seats have higher vibrations and which have lower vibrations, you will not make a mistake if you consider that the closer a seat is to the main entrance the lower is its vibration, and the farther a seat is from the entrance the higher is its vibration.
　　In a Japanese room where there is a tokonoma (alcove or ornamental recess), the place in front of it is considered to have the highest vibration. So, in such a room you must take into consideration both the location of the tokonoma and the entrance of the room and use your common sense in deciding which seat is best.
　　Incidentally, the difference between the right side and the left is that the left side represents the spiritual aspects and has a higher vibration, while the right represents the physical aspects and has a lower vibration. Most people use their right hands more than their left in their physical activities for this reason.

187. 　Wait for the Right Time

When we make a careful study of the various areas of society, we find many failures in every part. If pain resulting from a failure was felt exclusively by the individual involved, the matter would end with his saying, "I have mismanaged," or, "I have been unlucky," and his then resigning himself to his misfortune. It does not end there, however. A man's failure can make his family destitute, even homeless, and can cause trouble for all of his relatives and acquaintances. It turns out to be a kind of social evil. Although he probably began with good intentions, a man's failure cannot be passed over lightly, because of the problems it creates for others.
　　This being the case, it is necessary to probe into the cause of failure. The underlying reason is something most people do not easily discern. Before a man begins a project, he makes plans and in every way he can think of prepares himself for it. Once it gets underway, he realizes it is not proceeding as he planned, for unforeseen hindrances and unexpected obstacles appear, and he finds himself at a loss as to why such things have happened and what he should do about them.
　　Anyone who fails treads this same path. The reason is that the individual neglects the timing. In all human affairs there is nothing more absolute than the right time.
　　There is a tide in everything, as in the growing of flowers and fruits and all agricultural products. Though other conditions are favorable, it is impossible to obtain good results unless the time is right. If a bulb is planted in autumn, flowers come out in spring. If a seed is sown in spring, flowers bloom through summer into fall. A time of ripening is fixed for fruit, also. If picked too soon, it cannot be eaten immediately, for it is good only when it is ripe. There is a right time for sowing and transplanting all agricultural products, conforming to climate and season in individual localities.
　　Nature shows man the importance of time, for every changing phase is the truth in action. Therefore, he should take Nature as his model in approaching any project, for to learn this lesson is to gain the basic requirement for complete success.
　　Johrei, Nature Farming and the other activities I advocate follow the basic principles of Nature. That is why there are good results from these activities. Whatever I may be planning, I am never in a hurry to begin. I look at all aspects objectively, and repeatedly give the entire project careful consideration. It is only after I have confirmed that the project is right in every respect, useful to humanity and lasting in its benefits, that I make all the necessary preparations and then wait for the proper time.
　　Most people become impatient and cannot wait for the right moment. They begin before the time is ripe, so discrepancies between the plan and the action soon appear and the project does not proceed as they expected. They become still more impatient, the discrepancies grow still bigger, and finally they fail.
　　It is vitally important to wait with patience for the right time. Everything has a perfect moment, without exception. This must have been understood long ago, for we have some wise old proverbs, such as, "If you wait, good weather will come and you will be able to sail on the calm sea," "All things come to him who waits," and, "Take careful aim, then shoot."
　　There used to be many people who were impatient with my way of doing things. There were others who suggested plans to me, or expressed their own wishes about my activities. I promised to use some of their ideas, but as I was very slow in putting them into practice these people often became irritated or puzzled. They did not understand that I was only waiting because the right time for starting had not arrived.
　　Since ancient days there have been such sayings as, "Don't miss an opportunity," "Sail with the wind," and, "Grasp a chance." They really state the truth in this regard. How can the right time be recognized? Once all necessary conditions have been established, opportunities arise which must be seized, because they indicate the plan is definitely ready to go into action, that the time is ripe. And once a project is started under such circumstances, everything works out smoothly and naturally. No force is required at all. In short, to be deliberate in preparation and prompt in action are all that is required for success.
　　As an example, suppose there is a heavy rock on the top of a hill. You wish to move it down the slope, but there is something in the way. If you try to force the rock past the obstacle, you must strain against it. If you wait with patience instead, the obstacle will become weaker and weaker from the weight of the leaning rock. It will loosen so a push with a finger will send the rock rolling down the hill without any difficulty.
　　 "If the cuckoo does not sing, I will wait until it does." This was a haiku poem composed to describe the character of Ieyasu Tokugawa, a famous Japanese shogun who was well-known for his patience; he would never begin any project before the time was right. This quality, no doubt, was one of the main reasons the government he established lasted so long, why his descendants ruled for three hundred years.*
　　I am sure you understand from the above how important the right timing is. As the founder of the Omoto religion said, "Even God does not tamper with time." This exquisitely describes in one short sentence the truth of the importance of right timing.

*In the history of Japan, there was a span of approximately 150 years in which a warlike state almost constantly prevailed. (This is now referred to as the Warring Countries period.) Then, during the late sixteeth and early seventeeth centuries, three famous feudal lords appeared one after the other and helped to unify the war-torn nation.
　　They were Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa, in that order. The character of each leader was quite individual, different from that of the other two. The following three haiku poems are attributed to these three feudal lords.
　　Oda, who was courageous and efficient but often impatient, is supposed to have said, "If the cuckoo does not sing, and so is useless, kill it." Toyotomi, who was brilliant and confident, supposedly said, "If the cuckoo does not sing, I will make it sing." And finally Tokugawa, who was tenacious and patient, is supposed to have said, "If the cuckoo does not sing, I will wait until it does."

188. 　Time, the Ruler

I believe all things in the universe and all human affairs are governed by Time; nothing is excepted from this rule; there is nothing existing outside the influence of Time. The ebbs and flows of history are never-ending, and man's evaluations as to whether certain events are good or bad, right or wrong are altered with the passage of time. In this sense, what is good today may turn out to be evil some years later; what is believed to be truth now may be discarded as untruth years from now; what is thriving today may be destined to tread the path to ruin in the future.
　　All these are clearly shown in the history of the past. This is why it has been said that there is no absolute goodness and no absolute wickedness. There is also an expression which goes, "Right and wrong are but one." There is no doubt that these statements contain a great deal of truth.
　　To take an example of a recent happening, until the end of World War II almost all Japanese people believed loyalty to the emperor and total patriotism were the highest virtues, and they treated their own lives very lightly. What is the result of this today? Contrary to all expectations, a complete reversal has taken place. Seeing what misery they have been suffering, the people must realize now how mistaken their thinking has been. They must have this deeply impressed on their minds. This has come about with the end of the war; the tide has turned overnight. Needless to say, it has all been due to Time itself.
　　 Even in our limited view, there are similar examples in our recent history which cannot be overlooked; for example, the era when the Tokugawa Shogunate prospered suddenly changed, with the Meiji Restoration drawing a sharp line of demarcation between the old and the new. Think of the fact that all the feudal lords and their retainers fell from their high positions, that they were replaced by hitherto unknown young people, such as students, who were appointed ministers of state and counselors of the cabinet in the new regime.
　　That situation was similar to the one we are experiencing today. Suddenly, so many of the privileged people－the imperial family, the nobility and the wealthy classes－have lost their exalted positions. How does this impress the common people? It has happened, of course, because of Time. In the writings of the founder of the Omoto religion there is a verse that says, "Even God does not tamper with Time." It is indeed an expression that hits right on the mark.
　　We can conclude without any mistake that Time is the ruler over all things on earth. In this sense I cannot but believe that we human beings should pay great attention to Time, the absolute ruler.

189. 　The Practice of Humility

The practice of humility has been stressed in Japan since ancient days, and it is more important in every phase of living than people ordinarily realize. It is especially important to anyone who believes in God.
　　 I sometimes notice that the leaders of certain spiritual groups seem to be lacking in the virtue of humility in the advocation of their teachings. There are two old Japanese proverbs which refer to the virtue of humility: "A falcon that catches the most hides its talons," and, "The riper the rice grows the lower the stalks bow."
　　 Arrogance, conceit, pretense of knowledge. and vanity all boomerang, cause reverse effects on the individual displaying such character defects. The desire to be important is a human weakness that is present in the majority of people when they begin to attract the notice of others. when those individuals who have been working in ordinary positions and have been leading rather ordinary lives or those who have been living on the lowest social strata suddenly become successful and regarded as important by others, they may be inclined to feel flattered. While at first they may simply feel happy and grateful, in time most of them begin to dream of further greatness.
　　Things may have been all right for them up to this point, but from here on matters can begin to go wrong, for their conceit is certain to cause bad feelings. Unfortunately, such individuals are usually unaware of what is happening until it is too late.
　　God does not sanction conceit. The virtue of modesty or humility is priceless, especially in today's civilized world. In public places where many people gather, we often see individuals elbowing through the crowd or rushing for and haughtily taking the best seats. These are manifestations of self-centeredness which should be avoided by all means.
　　To help establish a peaceful and comfortable society for everyone is an expression of the real spirit of democracy which holds true for all ages.

190. 　The Sun and the Moon

I would like to write about the meaning of the sun and the moon from a spiritual point of view. It is so very mysterious and subtle the reader may interpret my statements as strained, distorted and farfetched. But as this is the truth, I hope you will read with an open attitude and make a sincere attempt to grasp the real, deep meaning.
　　There are three sacred treasures of the imperial house of Japan, which have been handed down since ancient days. They are said to be a spherical gem, a sword and a mirror. The gem symbolizes the sun, the sword symbolizes the moon, and the mirror symbolizes the earth. The jewel is round, like the sun; the sword is crescent-shaped, like a new moon; the sacred mirror has eight projecting parts. These symbolize the eight directions of the earth: east, west, south, and north, southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. The relationship between the mirror and the earth is obvious so no explanation is necessary, but there are very profound meanings concerning the sun and the moon.
　　An interpretation used in the Tenrikyo Church says that the word tsuki means both "moon" and "pushing," and that these two words have identical vibrations. It also says that hi, "sun," has the same vibration as hiki, "drawing" or "drawing back." So, according to Tenrikyo, the vibratory actions of the moon and the sun are those of pushing forward and drawing back. I think this is quite an interesting interpretation.
　　During the Age of Night, people liked to push in every way. On a urge scale, nations pushed against each other, which meant they went to war. It is obvious that in the battles of the olden days, people "clashed or thrust against each other" (tsuki-au) with swords. From this the word tsuki-au (to associate with) has been derived. The Japanese characters used for these two words are different, but the spiritual vibrations are the same. The expression, tsuki-susumu, meaning "pushing forward," also means "victory." All these indicate the action, or vibratory power, of the moon and symbolize the Age of Night.
　　In contrast to this, the noun hiki and the verb hiku both derive from hi (sun), meaning "to draw back." In Japanese, there are other words carrying the same vibration which are derived from hi, Such as hiki-yoseru, meaning "to draw something near to you"; jin o hiku, meaning "to withdraw from a position"; koshi o hikuku suru, meaning "to be polite, modest." Thus, in every way, hiki is the opposite of "pushing," the vibration of the moon.
　　For this reason, the vibration of the Daylight Age is the action of drawing (hiki), so it is good to give way. For man this means "to be modest and humble." In this vibration there can be no strife. According to the teachings of our faith, it is good to catch a cold (kaze-hiki).*
　　 The primary objective of our Work is the establishment of a world free from disease, poverty, and conflict. I think it is understandable from the above explanation how conflict can be eradicated.
　　The main action of our church is that of the sun, or the spirit of fire, so we should all work with the spirit of hiki, or drawing, strongly impressed on our minds. Many people will be attracted to our Work by our doing this.
　　Remember that the sun has the shape of a ball, or sphere, the characteristics of which are that it is round with no sharp angles, smooth, and easy to turn. Just like a ball, we should try to be round, smooth, harmonious, flexible and peaceable.

191. 　The Forging of a Perfect Sword

In olden times, when a good sword was made, a forger first thrust the rough metal into a hot fire. When it had become heated to the point of softening, he withdrew the metal, hammered on it while it remained hot, then thrust it into cold water. This process was repeated over and over, until the raw material had been forged into a beautiful, powerful sword.
　　The same process can be applied to our own lives. I think this is very interesting.
　　Since its birth, our group has experienced something like that forging. We have come through the hot fires of much severe public criticism and the hammering of many persecutions. At other times, we have been thrust into the cold waters of rejection.
　　Many people have asked me why such things had to happen, when we have always been engaged solely in God's Work. I have used this story of the forging of a perfect sword by way of explanation, and it seems to have helped them to understand the reason we have had many problems.
　　Since civilization began, those who have accomplished truly great things have suffered unusual hardships, without exception. The spiritual explanation is that the greater a person's mission is to be, the harder are the trials he must go through first. So, whenever we have any difficult experiences, we should be grateful.

192. 　Impasses

Many people, including our members, often speak of reaching impasses in their undertakings, which perturbs them, but this is because they do not realize the true meaning of such situations. They often experience greater progress and expansion because of the seeming barriers before them. These may be compared to man's occasional need for rest when running. In other words, they are not really impasses but are actually turning points.
　　They may also be compared to the joints of a bamboo stalk. A stalk becomes strong because of its joints, which develop as it grows. If it were to grow without any, bamboo would not be strong at all. Thus, the fewer the joints, the weaker the stalk, and the more numerous the joints, the sturdier the stalk. Nature is a great teacher in this and in everything else. When we observe it closely, study its ways, we should be able to perceive the true meaning of almost all human affairs.
　　The above refers to impasses that come about in the natural course of events. unfortunately, there are quite a few people who cause impasses through their own mistakes. These are the results of a lack of wisdom, of the individuals, inability to see ahead－to see what will happen as the results of their actions, of their failing to consider the laws involved. It is these people who drive themselves to a real dead-end and are at a complete loss as to what to do.
　　Keep these words deep in your mind, and whenever you are confronted with a seeming impasse in your affairs remember them and think carefully about what you have been doing. If, through deep contemplation, you can find where you have been making mistakes you will be able to turn in the right direction.
　　This is why it is important for you to cleanse your spiritual being so that you may develop greater spiritual awareness and attain deeper wisdom. For this purpose you should read and study the teachings of our faith as much as possible.

193. 　What Is Harmony?

"Harmony" has always been a favorite word with most people. When we hear it spoken it sounds pleasant to our ears, for it seems to ring with truth. However, we cannot simply accept the idea unconditionally, for even though it is not totally mistaken, the usual concept of the word is somewhat limited. Let us examine its deeper meaning.
　　Everything in this universe is operating in perfect harmony; nothing is discordant. When anything appears to be inharmonious to human sight, it is nothing more than the surface appearance.
　　Any discord is man-made, the result of something people have done which is not in agreement with the great laws of Nature. Anything that opposes Nature, or the natural pattern, produces discord according to Cosmic Law. Cosmic Law, which is immutable, impartial, is the law of total harmony in its truest, broadest sense. If human beings will only follow this law, everything will move in perfect harmony, will go more smoothly.
　　Inharmonious acts cause discord and harmonious acts produce perfect harmony. This is Nature's laws at work in their true, basic sense. It is important for everyone to become deeply aware this is so, for when the lesson has been learned thoroughly, genuine happiness will begin to be attained.
　　The best proof of this is the fact that as time moves along we sometimes find discord becoming harmony or what we thought to be harmony changing into discord, often before we realize it is happening. Since this is the actual state of the world, we should think deeply and come to realize its true significance.
　　In other words, in the narrower Shojo point of view everything seems to be discordant in some way, while in the wider Daijo concept all things are in harmony.

194. 　Subjective and Objective Viewpoints

Most people have a tendency to adhere to subjective points of view. This is most dangerous, for those who are captive to such viewpoints believe that their opinions are the only right ones. They stubbornly cling to their own views and use their set opinions by which to measure others. Because of this, things do not go smoothly for them. Not only do they cause suffering to others by their narrow-mindedness, they also bring suffering to themselves.
　　Individuals should try to look at themselves objectively. They should create second selves which can constantly evaluate their first selves. If they do this, they will avoid many problems.
　　There was once a person by the name of Mr. Ruiko Kuroiwa, a well-known newspaperman and also a famous translator of Western fiction. He had a deeply philosophical mind, and I often went to listen to him speak on his philosophy of life. I once heard him say, "No one is born perfect. If a man wishes to grow, to improve himself, he must build a second self and allow it to watch over his first self. That is, spiritually he must be born anew."
　　I still remember how deeply impressed I was by his words. I strove to put them into practice, and received a great deal of benefit from them.

195. 　Skepticism

The word "skepticism" may sound negative, but in essence it has a most valuable meaning. We may say skepticism is the mother of civilization, for it is through skepticism toward the old and established forms that a new philosophy, a new theory or science is produced.
　　Skepticism as the beginning of faith is an important idea from the immortal philosophy of the great Chinese scholar, Chu Hsi [1130-1200].
　　Our work is a case in point. People have wondered, "How could a new religion grow so much so fast?" "What causes such wonderful miracles as those we read about in the members' testimonials?" "Why is such a marvelous construction work as a prototype of paradise on earth being carried out on such a big scale and why is it advancing so rapidly?" It is natural for nonmembers to ask such questions.
　　Doubt is of no significance in itself. It is valuable only when the person expressing it has a desire to clarify any questionable points, for with such a desire he will come to discover the truth, his understanding will expand, and he will attain further growth. Therefore, we should say that the more doubts a person has, the more progressive he is and the greater prospects he has for the future.
　　Unfortunately, however, there are many unlucky ones who, when they do have questions and wish to have them answered, cannot find any place where truth is taught. So, they continue to doubt and to search, their skepticism creating further skepticism, to the ends of their lives. I would say most people are like that. Even after being led to our faith, there are some who simply cannot recognize the truths it teaches and either ignore them or laugh and give them very little attention. They are truly the most unfortunate of individuals.
　　Let us consider the fact that many of our members were once confirmed skeptics. Since joining the Divine Light Program, however, their lives have improved and they are experiencing great joy. When we think about this, we should realize that skepticism is actually good rather than bad.
　　I think you understand now why I say that it is good for people to have doubts, but that it is important also for them to have the courage and determination to search until their doubts are removed.
　　Indeed, nothing is more valuable than skepticism.

196. Deliverance

The word "deliverance" (gedatsu) has appeared since ancient days, but it is difficult to say whether it is good or bad. It is generally interpreted as the state of being freed or enlightened. In religious terms it means being freed from illusion and possessiveness so that enlightenment may be attained. This interpretation comes from Buddhism and has a feeling of escapism or seclusion about it, so it is probably a thought peculiar to the Orient.
　　Actually, when an individual becomes awakened spiritually to the degree that he involves himself solely in a spiritual life, his vitality declines and he loses his will to compete. When this happens to an entire race, such as the ancient eastern Indians, that race begins to decline.
　　Man derives his will to live from his illusions, but if his illusions go too far, pass beyond certain limits, they can become dangerous. On the other hand, if he resigns himself to fate, his vigor tends to weaken. But then again, if he does not learn when to give up in certain situations－as, for example, in the case of a love relationship－he can cause a tragedy. It is not good for him to become too freed from worldly thinking, for if he is he may begin to lose all interest in living in this world, may isolate himself, may even become like a walking corpse.
　　To be extreme in anything is bad; it is important to learn moderation. Truly, life is both difficult and interesting, full of both pains and pleasures. But this does not bring us to any conclusion, so I would like to offer one.
　　Man should learn to give up when it is better to do so, but at the same time should not give up if he thinks it is better not to let go. When he does not know which way to turn, it is because he is trying to force himself into making a decision; as long as he cannot make up his mind, it is because the time has not come for him to do so. It is better for him to wait.
　　In essence, the important thing is to find the best way, in accord with the time, place and circumstances. In order to do this, however, intelligence is needed. Intelligence is the wisdom which gives birth to the power to make right judgments, and the less clouded the spiritual being is, the more it is endowed with wisdom.
　　Therefore, it is most essential to get rid of clouds on the spiritual body. what makes this possible is love, integrity and dedication, and these come from true faith.
　　An individual who has become aware of this truth and has put it into practice has already experienced deliverance and can truly be called an enlightened one.

197. 　Moderation

I once had the opportunity to see a framed calligraphy written by Tesshu Yamaoka, an eminent statesman of the Meiji era of Japan, which impressed me deeply. The character for hodo, connoting "moderation," was boldly inscribed at the beginning. This was followed by a sentence written in smaller characters which read, "Everything in life depends on this one word."
　　This calligraphy imprinted itself upon my mind so strongly that even to this day I have not forgotten it. During the last twenty or thirty years, I have been immensely benefited on many occasions by recalling it to mind.
　　There have been numerous good maxims since ancient times, but it seems there are few which are more impressive than this one. It is only a single word, but what amazing power it contains! When we look at different things in the world with moderation as a standard, it serves us well. Man is inclined to go to extremes, such as not doing enough on the one hand, doing too much on the other; thinking in ways that lean too far to the right or to the left; being haughty when rich, and despairing when poor. The cause of failure in many cases seems to be this lack of balance.
　　Confucius taught in his Analects that one should keep to the middle path, which is simply another way of stressing the importance of moderation. We have often heard such old sayings as, "Practice moderation," or, "Maintain moderation." In other words, do not go to extremes.
　　To explain this from a spiritual viewpoint, as I have said many times, our fellowship teaches the importance of Izunome, or balance, which is the meeting-point of the vertical and the horizontal, Shojo and Daijo.
　　 When boiled down, this actually means moderation. Therefore, one of the most important things for us to keep in mind at all times is moderation. If we only live by that standard, everything will go well, I assure you. Nothing in our existence here is more important.

198. 　Contentment and Discontent

Everyone wants to live happily, but experience tells us that things do not always go the way we wish them to go. This is a part of life, and, in a sense, it makes living more interesting. When we consider the matter more carefully, we find that it is the discontent in the heart of man that provides an incentive for the development of civilization. So, nothing in the world should be interpreted in a superficial way. The more dissatisfaction man feels, the more advancements are gained, the more improvements are made, and the more civilization progresses proportionately.
　　However, if the discontent is excessive, it breeds trouble. It can become the cause of a conflict which may even bring ruin upon an individual. It can often develop into such dangerous situations as family discord, rifts between friends, arguments in business, general recklessness, and criminal acts. In society as a whole, it can cause radical ideas to be formed, some of which may develop into destructive movements. Violence such as rioting can occur, and this may even grow into a civil war. Thus, discontent cannot be regarded lightly.
　　On the other hand, people who are always contented, always satisfied, and are considered "soft" or good-matured by others, never seem to have any dissatisfaction arising in their lives. These individuals are the ones who are actually rather useless to society in general, because they never attempt to accomplish anything.
　　This seems to indicate that neither discontent nor contentment is desirable, so people may be confused as to what they are to think. Actually, it is not at all difficult to understand. The conclusion to be drawn is that they should not lean too much in any one direction but rather should take a middle course, employing both sides in balanced proportion.
　　While this idea is simple, it may not be as easy to carry out as it is to speak about, but perhaps this is the way with most of life. In order to achieve a balanced attitude it is necessary to learn to be flexible, to become adaptable to any situation, with the unchanging feelings of love and integrity within the heart. Once these characteristics can be maintained constantly by an individual, he will certainly be a useful member of society, and will attain success, recognition and lasting happiness.

199. 　Instinct and Asceticism

According to the theory of instinct developed by Friedrich Nietzsche, the famous German philosopher, man is born with various kinds of instincts that may well be equated with destiny because it is almost impossible for man to control them by his will. Although this may sound reasonable in a way, it is dangerous when developed and elaborated upon, for it seems to suggest that immoral acts are excusable. It may be of great interest as a philosophical theory to those with considerable intellectual acumen, but when viewed by people who are engaged in spiritual work, as we are, it is entirely unacceptable.
　　There are other concepts which are diametrically opposed to this theory and yet have been clung to and practiced since ancient times. Some religious groups keep to these concepts, in which instinct is regarded as sinful. For this reason they go into the practice of extreme asceticism, believing that enduring hardships is not only a holy practice but also a spiritual discipline.
　　When we consider, we cannot agree with that thought, either. We find that people with such religious attitudes have failed to incorporate with society and that they have become exceedingly self-righteous. This type can be found in every religion in the world. In Japan, for instance, there are still individuals who have this attitude, although they are comparatively few in number.
　　When we look upon these two attitudes, which are completely opposite to each other, both are unacceptable because they go to extremes. Their mistakes should be obvious to man since God has provided him with an infallible criterion, the doctrine of the middle path as taught by such great leaders as Confucius. Unfortunately, man tends to ignore this.
　　I have explained this repeatedly, so I hope members are familiar with it. But action is more difficult than words, as Confucius said. At any rate, this is the true path of faith; it is the attainment of the state of self-realization which Buddha advocated, and which I wish to explain as simply as possible.
　　Let me offer the four seasons as examples. No one likes severe cold or extreme heat, but everyone finds the pleasant weather of spring and autumn most enjoyable. Buddhists have long been holding their memorial services for the deceased during these seasons because the weather is suggestive of paradise.
　　What I would like to speak about now is the application of this concept to material life in general. That is, extremes should always be avoided. Man tends to lean either to one side or to the other, which is generally the reason for his failures. There are times, of course, when he must make a decision, which is often difficult because of the particular circumstances involved. Let me write on this more thoroughly.
　　When an individual decides not to make a decision, he has already made one without realizing it. Sometimes he is unable to make up his mind, yet he cannot remain indecisive, cannot continue to be up in the air. These statements may seem vague and confusing, but they actually contain an irreversible law of life. In other words, all that is necessary for man to do in order to be unbound by anything on earth is to reach a level of spiritual awareness on which he can be flexible, can travel the middle, balanced path.
　　The above can be applied to the field of politics and to that of thought in general. Trouble arises because people identify themselves with either the right or the left, with capitalism or with communism. By identifying with specific isms they limit themselves, so clashes with others cannot be avoided. Thus matters which have been trivial to begin with can develop into major conflicts. As we turn our attention to the world, we realize that there is chaos everywhere: new troubles between countries are erupting constantly.
　　We must admit that it is because of conflicts that material civilization has developed to this point, so they have been necessary. However, now that the tide of human events is about to turn, it is imperative that we change our ways of thinking. In other words, we are at last standing on the verge of the new age of true civilization, so we must proceed with moderation, a basic precept of our Work, as our guiding principle.

200. 　Self-Denial

It has been generally believed since olden times that in order to become an outstanding spiritual leader the practice of self-denial is a "must," that it is the best method for cleansing the spiritual being and attaining enlightenment.
　　I cannot agree with this line of thinking. All of creation exists for the use and pleasure of man. Think of the flowers in spring, the colors of autumn, the singing of birds and the chirping of insects, the scenic beauties of mountains and rivers, the loveliness of moonlit nights and the comforts of mineral hotsprings.
　　Now let us think about the purpose for which they are here. Needless to say, they were created by God for the pleasure and benefit of man. What reason would there be for them otherwise? Man has been given the senses with which to enjoy singing and dancing, to view fine art works and to read good literature, not only for himself but also so he can help others to enjoy them. In addition, there are countless and varied foods, shelters, clothes, gardens, which are not only necessities for man's existence but contain elements for man's enjoyment as well. For instance, man enjoys food and drink, and they nourish him and sustain his life through his enjoyment of them. Shelter and clothes are not solely for man's continuing existence; if they were, it would suffice for them to be tasteless and inelegant. And, the mating of a man and a woman is far more than an act that is for the sole purpose of propagating mankind.
　　Since God has endowed man with the instincts to enjoy all good things, whether they are natural or man-made, he should enjoy everything available to him in life. To refuse to do so, to turn away from the abundance God offers, to deliberately attempt to exist on only the barest necessities is contrary to God's Intent.
　　On the other hand, there has been an unfortunate trend among many privileged classes in our country to lack consideration for the less fortunate. They have been inclined to seek pleasure only for themselves and their immediate families, without thinking of the needs of other individuals or of those of society in general. There has been little or no desire to share with others, little or no manifestation of love for humanity. These people may be said to have monopolized God's blessings. In this sense, I believe they should open their big gardens and display their art objects to the public, thus sharing their pleasures with others. By doing so, they can express their gratitude to God for His great blessings.
　　Those saints of olden times who led extremely ascetic lives, eating the most tasteless foods, wearing the coarsest clothing, dedicating themselves to God in self-denial, were going against God's Intent. It is a great pity that there has always been a tendency in many people to think that spiritual leaders are not devout or pious unless they live in such ways.
　　Since I do not believe asceticism is good, I live the ordinary life like other people do, for I believe this is in harmony with God's Will. Paradise on earth will be a world in which the lives of all human beings will be elevated to much higher levels in every way, and all kinds of the arts and entertainments will make great progress.
　　Now, before I close, let me say a word on truth, virtue and beauty. Truth means the absence of falsehood, virtue means the absence of vice, and beauty means the absence of ugliness. The ascetic way of life may be full of virtue, but it lacks truth and beauty. Moreover, such a way of life, if everyone came to live it, would hinder the progress of humanity.
　　India once had a brilliant civilization. I believe that the fact that it is now lagging behind is due to its concentrating too much on the spiritual aspects of life and failing to give enough attention to its material side.

201. 　Reverse Effect

Looking at the world in general, we find many instances in which people have not attained the good results they expected, even though they have made earnest efforts and have fully believed in the rightness of what they have been attempting to accomplish.
　　In many cases, this is the situation simply because of their ignorance regarding a reverse effect－that there is such a thing as reason transcending reason. I am going to explain this, for I believe those who read this article and grasp its meaning will receive an unexpected benefit from it.
　　There are some people who try to make themselves seem greater than they really are so they may impress others. I sometimes find such individuals among our members who have been given leading positions. These people, because of their apparent motives, often create exactly opposite impressions, for others can easily see through their pretenses.
　　By contrast, those who are modest and reserved in everything they do or say, who are happy and content with simply being themselves, gain the respect and admiration of others.
　　Also, there are individuals who like to brag about their own exploits. They are offensive to those who hear them, bringing about effects that are in reverse to those they desire to create. It is not good to make a show of anything.
　　To be pleasantly honest always makes a good impression on others. Also, it is well to express an opinion with reservation, for this too gives an impression of fine character.
　　When someone does favors for others he should never assume a patronizing attitude, for if he does he makes the recipients feel less grateful, decreasing the value of his deeds.
　　The above are just a few examples of reverse effects, but the truth of them applies in any situation. If you keep this in mind in whatever you do, I am sure you will find it very beneficial.
　　Some time ago, someone who was the last person I would wish to see asked for an interview through a friend of mine. He asked so repeatedly I finally consented to see him. This individual then asked me, "What kind of god do you worship in your religion?" I said, "Sorry, but I do not know anything about that." His next remark was, "Meishu-sama, I understand that you know everything that is going to happen in the future." I said to him, "I cannot know anything about the future, since I am not God." He seemed to be very disappointed, for he never came again to see me.
　　At one time, I found a piece of land that was for sale, one that I really wished to buy, and I asked how much it was. The owner, trying to take advantage of my strong desire to own it, set an unreasonably high price on it. So I left it alone for some time, keeping the seller in suspense. Eventually he became anxious and came to ask my intentions. I said I did not need the land any more. He then named a very reasonable price, and the sale was made.
　　I used to have occasional visitors who intended to defraud me of some money. When one of these appeared, I would take the initiative and would remark before he could say anything, "I need money; I am in a strained condition just now. Do you know of somebody who would lend me some money?" Upon hearing this, the visitor could not say what he had planned and would leave without saying anything at all.
　　When I find someone among my followers who is very promising for our work in the future, I sometimes deliberately treat him with indifference. Then he begins to serve still more earnestly and to do still better work. Such a person is indeed trustworthy and he will be a valuable instrument for God's Cause, so I then give him an important position.
　　There are many more instances. However, I will end this by saying that if you will simply keep the reverse effect in mind you will find that it is quite useful to you.

202. 　How to Discern Bad from Good

I have been in contact with a great number of people from many walks of life over a long period of time. I have come to think that one of the most important things in the art of living is to be able to discern bad from good. Because quite a number of racketeers have been coming to see me, I feel this is especially important at this time.
　　Now, it is quite interesting to find that racketeers have characteristics that are different from those of others. Let me describe them.
　　To begin with, all are honey-tongued. I am sometimes fascinated by the way they talk, although I am always on my guard. There are almost no exceptions in this regard. Other characteristics common to all of these individuals are that they speak loudly and are very persistent. One more thing you should know is that there are two types of racketeers: those with menacing attitudes and those who take very benign approaches. You may think that those who do evil deeds must be scary-looking, but contrary to your expectations most of them appear kind and affable.
　　If you think carefully, you will realize the reason for this is that they know their rate of success would be lower if their faces were frightening because it would make people more leery of them; by giving an impression of kindness, it is easier for them to entrap their victims.
　　As for good people, I have found from experience that there are more clumsy speakers than clever speakers among them, so they usually achieve better results in their work. Bad people can easily deceive others through adroit manners of talking, so they come to rely on their verbal deceit as a means of making their way in the world. Those who are clumsy speakers cannot easily deceive others, so they naturally strive to achieve through honest efforts and therefore exhibit good accomplishments in their work.

203. Trustworthiness

There are many people who belong to some religion and profess faith in God. However, individuals who really do trust Him are few and far between. A person may think he has total faith, but just thinking so has little meaning. There must be some outward proof that he truly believes.
　　 It is very simple for an individual to know what he has to do and be in order to demonstrate his faith. He must be trustworthy. He must always speak the truth so that others will have no doubt about his words. He must always be honest so others can associate with him without fear of any kind of trouble. He must have a fine and upright character.
　　It is not really difficult to know how to achieve such a character. An individual should avoid telling lies and committing any dishonest acts. He should place the interests of others before his own, helping them out of their difficulties and showing them unfailing kindness, making them happier by his presence. In this way he will certainly win the love and respect of others.
　　This is easily understood by reversing the positions. When we meet such trustworthy individuals, we are drawn to them and feel we can turn to them in perfect trust for advice and help whenever we need to do so. It is only natural that lifelong friendships full of total trust grow through such relationships.
　　 Whatever we do for others, our kind deeds should be of a lasting, not a temporary nature. It is like eating rice. At first it seems to have little taste, but the longer it is chewed the more enjoyable it becomes. Most Japanese people feel they cannot get along without it for even one day. Like rice, we should become enjoyable and indispensable to others.
　　Unfortunately, there are too many individuals who are exactly the opposite to this in their natures. They deliberately do things that invite mistrust and tell lies that are easily exposed as untruths. Once their deceits are uncovered, they are never trusted again, however virtuous they may be in other ways. This is sheer stupidity. There are other individuals who never succeed, no matter how hard they work to do so. When we probe into the cause for this, we usually find that it is due to their having lied so they have lost the trust of those who are associated with them. There are virtually no exceptions to this. Indeed, trustworthiness is an important asset. Once you have established yours with others, you should never be in financial difficulty, for everyone who has money will be willing to lend you whatever you may need.
　　We must be trustworthy in our relationships with others, but far more important is to go one step further and be worthy of God's trust, the most precious of all. With His trust, we can live full and happy lives.

204. 　Thoughtfulness and Modesty

Thoughtfulness and modesty are the qualities which are most lacking in people today. Those who serve in God's Work should pay particular attention to this.
　　There is a standard by which to measure how much progress you have made in your spiritual awareness, to what degree your spiritual body has been purified. It is not too difficult to ascertain this. When you find yourself shunning discord and becoming more thoughtful and modest, when your disposition has become like this and is reflected in your attitude toward others, it is a sign that your spiritual awareness has been expanded. Herein lies the value of true faith. Those who have grown to this level will win the love and respect of others. They will impress others as living examples of their faith.
　　As we look beyond the church, we see that these qualities of thoughtfulness and modesty are greatly lacking. Wherever we look we observe a lot of unpleasantness being expressed, such as fault-finding, hatred or censure. There is especially a lack of thoughtfulness among people in general today. They appear to be interested only in their own benefit; they like to expose the weaknesses of others; they are argumentative; and they do not seem to care if they are disliked.
　　The only way to account for this fact is to conclude that liberalism has gone too far and has reached the point of total self-indulgence. Worst of all, so many of these people have a special liking for exposing the mistakes and failures of others, for rejecting them, and they show very little compassion.
　　With the increase of individuals like this, society in general is becoming cold and pessimistic. It seems to me that this is one reason so many more people have committed suicide in recent years.
　　A truly civilized society is one in which people live with the gentlemanly code as their principle, as in England; or by philanthropic ideals, as in the United States of America. When such individuals increase in number until moral principles come to be adhered to by all of society, a genuinely pleasant world will become a reality. Such a world can be called a true paradise on earth, and it is within our grasp.
　　Nowadays the tourist industry is being promoted in Japan as one of the most urgent national activities. It is true that the establishment of facilities on the material level is necessary for this purpose, but it is more important to make a favorable personal impression on those who come to visit. In order to achieve this, there are three important requirements: thoughtfulness, modesty, and cleanliness. If practiced, these three qualities will prove to be most powerful magnets to attract tourists, and they will not cost a Penny.
　　The most basic requirement for the development of individuals with these qualities is true faith. Our church is striving to help develop this faith in all people.

205. 　A Pleasant Person

I think there is hardly any word that sounds more agreeable than the word "pleasant." As we think about it, we realize that in getting along in the world, to be pleasant toward others is more important than we may suppose, for it has a very great influence on the society in which we live, to say nothing of individual fortune.
　　For example, if a person comes in contact with another individual who has a pleasing personality, he himself begins to feel pleasant, and this can happen in continuing sequence until a very agreeable society can be brought about. The result can be that all the deplorable problems, especially those such as conflicts and crimes, steadily decrease. Naturally, this means that a spiritual paradise can then be realized. And, in order to achieve this, we do not need to spend a penny; there is no trouble to go through; we can put it into practice right now. What could be better?
　　This may sound very simple, but the fact is that it is not that easy, as I think everybody realizes. I say this because, in order to achieve such an agreeable society, a mere external appearance－a show－will never work; it must be something that emanates from sincere love within. So, everything depends on the spiritual and mental attitude of the individual. In other words, the spirit of love for others is what is basically important.
　　Let me write a little about myself concerning this. It may sound rather odd for me to say it, but from my young days I have seldom been hated or resented by others; wherever I have gone most people have been attracted to me.
　　When I think about the reasons, there is one which especially strikes me. In every area I am always careful, trying to do first only what satisfies others, what makes them happy, leaving my own interests or satisfactions to be taken care of later. I don't mean that I do this from some moral sense or some spiritual point of view; it all happens quite naturally. Perhaps it is simply because my nature is like that. I have often been told by others how lucky I was to have such a disposition, but it is really a kind of pleasant pastime for me.
　　This disposition has grown more predominant since I became a spiritual leader, of course. Whenever I see someone suffering from illness the desire to help and heal him is so strong I cannot refrain from doing something. I give him Johrei, and when I see him recovering and rejoicing, his feeling of joy reflects on me and I begin to feel happy, too.
　　Because of this disposition I have been involved in quite a number of cases which have been hard on me. When I have realized that there has been no hope for the recipient's recovery, I have known I should stop giving Johrei immediately if the family members have been looking for only physical healing, not understanding the deeper spiritual significance of Johrei. Instead of quitting, however, I have often continued to channel for I have not been able to say no when I was being entreated either by the sick person himself or by the family. I have forgotten my own interests, have made many trips back and forth at the sacrifice of time and money, only to see that person pass over. This has often caused family members to be disappointed, to bear feelings of resentment toward me, even though I have never claimed the ability to bring about physical healing. sometimes, some of them have endlessly dwelt on the sorrow of losing a loved one, and I have had to endure listening to them. Each time I have had this kind of experience, I have said to myself that I should have been more coldhearted and have blamed myself for my own unhappiness.
　　My disposition has helped me in advancing the construction work of prototypes of paradise on earth and especially of art museums. So, I believe God has given me this kind of nature for a specific purpose. Whenever I find a wonderful art object or come across a puce of superb scenic beauty, I cannot enjoy it by myself. The desire begins to well up within me to share the pleasure with as many people as possible so they are happy also.
　　In this way it gives me the greatest joy and satisfaction when I am not appreciating nice things all by myself but am with other people, watching them also enjoying those things and feeling happy.

206. 　Reputation and Emotion

It is a well-known fact that the reputation of an individual has a very strong impact on his fate. People often remark that they can trust a certain person because his reputation is good or that they must beware of him because it is bad. This kind of attitude must have a serious influence on his fate.
　　A good reputation is, off course, very important in an individual's material world, but it also has a great influence on his spiritual life. Evil forces make the best use of anyone's reputation. Our church has been made their target in this regard. They have utilized the mass media in an effort to create a bad public image of our church by spreading bad rumors. This has greatly retarded its expansion.
　　The influence of reputation should never be belittled. This is especially true for individuals, so we should be very careful about it. After all, man is easily swayed by emotion. To offend others even in a trifling matter often creates an unexpectedly disadvantageous situation. In order to avoid this, the best thing for any individual to do is not to insist on having his own way. If somebody asserts something that seems to be a little bit wrong, it is sometimes better to be broad-minded enough to make an agreeable response to his opinion. Too, it is recommended that a person should sometimes give in instead of always insisting on winning any argument.
　　"Yield to conquer" is a good saying. To adhere to this principle usually brings good results. Of course, there are circumstances in which one should not give in, but they are rare exceptions.
　　On the whole, one can benefit by losing rather than winning eight or nine times out of ten. When Jesus said immediately before he died on the cross, "I have overcome the world," he must have been teaching humanity the same truth. In my long experience, I have attained my present status by repeatedly "losing."
　　Most people have a strong desire to win and are determined not to lose, which is understandable. But you will benefit by thinking in the opposite way.

207. 　The Joy of Doing Good Deeds

In my careful observation of life in general, I find that, unfortunately, far more people seem to be given to the pursuit of pleasures of a negative nature than to those of a positive nature. Many such people go so far as to think that pleasure must be of a negative nature to be pleasure at all.
　　For example, the head of a family, once he has become prosperous enough, is apt to be tempted to frequent red-light districts or to have a mistress. And more often than not, for this purpose he seems to try to obtain money by dishonest means. Of course, such actions are negative in nature. They drive a man into running risks in order to gratify his desires, which causes great loss and harm to his society and his country. They also cause family troubles which compel him to lead a life full of unrest and misgivings.
　　It seems that man considers worldly success and the pursuit of pleasure the primary goals of life. As a result, he reaches a hell-like condition before he is aware of it. Such an individual is often found among the better educated, more privileged levels of society.
　　People in general are dazzled by the outward appearance of a seemingly successful individual. They are usually envious of him, imagining how happy and contented he must be, and they try to follow his example, thinking it is the way to lead an ideal life. No wonder the world does not become any better!
　　The present situation is aptly described by the Japanese saying, "Honest people get the worst of it." Most people who live honest lives are forced to remain in the lower strata of society, and those who make use of their cunning usually get on in the world, enjoying all the luxuries. There are innumerable instances of government officials who derive extra benefits from their positions, of politicians who take bribes, and of company employees who make extra money by dishonest means. How many people are there who can say they are doing right in the sight of God and of man? Yet, there is a joy to be found in doing good deeds and living honestly.
　　However well-off a person may become, however conspicuous a figure he may be in society, he should refrain from activities of a negative nature. Instead, he should do his best to donate his spare money to public institutions and other philanthropic activities, extend a helping hand to the poor and needy in every way possible, sincerely follow a spiritual path, and enjoy entertainment or travel with his family members.
　　Living like this will inevitably make his home life a happy one. His wife will respect him and feel grateful to him for what he does, and it is less likely that his children will become delinquents. This mode of life will keep his mind free from economic worry and will make it possible for him to enjoy every day to the fullest extent, with his heart full of happiness and his mind free from concern of any kind.
　　Kihachiro Okura, a well-known multimillionaire who lived during the latter part of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, once said, "If you would like to live long, you should not incur a debt." In other words, nothing mentally tortures a man so greatly as being saddled with debts he cannot easily pay off. I think I understand what he meant, for I too had the experience of suffering from being in debt for a period of twenty years.
　　There are quite a number of people today who make mistakes that would be construed as bribery or other offenses against the law if they were discovered. There are also some who like to engage in clandestine activities which, if discovered by their wives, would cause serious family strife. For this reason, they are sometimes forced to borrow money at unreasonable rates of interest. These actions join forces to keep many people in constant fear and worry. Thus, they lead uneasy lives from day to day, often attempting to drown their pain in drink. This may be one of the reasons sake (Japanese rice liquor) sells so well however high the price may rise.
　　Such people injure their health and many of them die young. Once they have been trapped in this quagmire, it is difficult for them to get out of it.
　　There is only one way for man to conquer his difficulties and that is to turn to God, to take a spiritual path.
　　There are two ways for people to live: the positive and the negative, the doing of good deeds, and the indulging of the self in vices. Which way of life would you prefer? Be careful in making your choice.

208. 　Men of Awareness

I don't think there are any words more profound and subtle than those contained in the Japanese phrase, mono wo shiru, which means "to be deeply and widely aware of things." Its meaning is not easy to explain. However, I will try to make it clear.
　　This phrase means to have many different kinds of experiences in life, delving into each one until you are able to grasp its reality and can express what you have perceived in some way. For example, when you are dealing with a problem, if you have reached a level of "awareness" you are able to focus upon its key point, which leads to its solution. On the other hand, if you should engage in a childish argument, which is unworthy of a person of discretion, or take some rash action without noticing how you are annoying others or how scornfully you are being looked upon, you are not aware, you cannot perceive as yet. Society also uses such epithets as "green" or "wet behind the ears" or "boring" to describe such people. It is this kind of person who is generally referred to as- "not having good sense." The Japanese word shikisha is a more cultured expression for "a man who knows," or "a man of awareness."
　　In this sense, unfortunately, we find too many individuals in the political field in Japan who cannot be described as men of awareness. They make too much ado about trivial matters and do not notice how they are being frowned upon by those who are really aware. The only thing they manifest is their vulgarity. They are captives of Shojo, of subjective ways of thinking.
　　It is the attitude of these small-minded men that hampers the efficiency of the Diet's work and destroys people's trust in it. The minds of these statesmen are occupied solely by selfish desires for publicity. Thus, such people, who are not "aware," may be called "men of no sense."
　　The fact that today no conclusions are reached about many government issues after long hours of discussion is, I believe, due to the Diet's being made up of too many of these ignorant individuals. If it contained more "men of awareness," agreements could easily be attained. But unfortunately, the truth is that those individuals who know, who are aware, are usually unobtrusive and do not assert themselves. They try to evade being entangled in arguments with the "men of no sense." They tend to be quiet and reserved, and the ignorant statesmen take advantage of this to push themselves forward. An odd characteristic of the world in general is that obtrusive people often become famous easily, and this is of great advantage to them at times of election. As a result, those who are "aware" have become a minority group, and thus the "men of no sense" hold the majority of seats in the Diet. The fact that the Diet must often meet for long hours these days－often through the night－in order to arrive at some conclusion is ample proof of this.
　　It is true, however, that the suggestions of "men of awareness" are usually adopted at the end. The statesmen who eventually become outstanding figures are generally quiet and unobtrusive, and yet while seemingly unnoticed they begin to gain popularity, until they come to be appointed to responsible posts. I believe Prime Minister Yoshida [prime minister: 1946-47, 1948-1954] has the greatest awareness of all figures in Japan's political world today.
　　Not only in the political world but in every field of human activities it must be in the natural course of events that those who are recognized as men of ability are individuals who have relatively high degrees of awareness.
　　Now, let us consider some individuals who "know" in the field of art, for many of them, I feel, have something of greatness in them and are gifted with special perception of all that is beautiful.
　　The person I want to mention first of all is the well-known Prince Shotoku [574-622]. There can be no room for question as to his prominence in Buddhistic culture, especially in the area of its fine arts. This is quite obvious as we look at the items of artistic beauty which still exist in Horyuji Temple and in others as priceless treasures. Also, the well-known "seventeen Article Constitution" he established can be said to have formed the foundation of Japanese law.
　　The next figure I want to name is Yoshimasa Ashikaga.* Besides building the famous Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion) in Kyoto, he cherished Chinese art and collected excellent works of the Sung and Yuan dynasties. He also fostered Japanese art by encouraging people to make fine and rare utensils which are still treasured as part of his Higashiyama collection, to the delight of many art lovers today. His merits in this field can be highly regarded.
　　Now I would like to mention Hideyoshi Toyotomi,*2 generally known as Hotaiko, to whom I would like to give the highest praise. On the one hand he helped to give birth to the brilliant artistic culture of the Momoyama period [1568-1603], and on the other he devoted himself to the tea ceremony as an art of wabi [quiet good taste]. Up to his time, the tea ceremony had been an insignificant art, but he, together with Sen no Rikyu,*3 the top genius in the field, transmuted this into a really esthetic ritual. It was a brilliant accomplishment which, I believe, is worthy of special mention.
　　With the flourishing of these cultures, many men of genius appeared, one after another. Enshu Kobori*4 and Chojiro*5 were among them. Following the example of Yoshimasa Ashikaga, Hideyoshi also collected fine art objects, not only those of Japan and China but also of Korea, which gave fresh life to ceramic art in the country.
　　We cannot omit Koetsu Hon'ami [1558-1637], who appeared a little later. He painted pictures, wrote calligraphies, devised a new form of makie gold lacquerware, and also worked in ceramics. In every field he was original, and his versatility was unrivaled. Moreover, what proved to be his greatest contribution to posterity, which he himself could not foresee, of course, was his influence on Korin Ogata [1658-1716], who appeared later and reached the highest peak of Japanese artists. When Korin grew up, he adored Koetsu, followed his style, and finally surpassed his ideal.
　　We must add here Ninsei [c. 1574-1660] and Kenzan [1663-1743], two great ceramists, from whose school came Hoitsu [1779-1828], who also was outstanding.
　　Now, going back to Hideyoshi Toyotomi, what may be most surprising about him is the fact that he was born into a peasant's family, and yet, even while he was young, he appreciated things with an esthetic taste and began to collect fine art objects. From a common sense standpoint, it usually requires a considerable period of time for study and experience and at least middle-class circumstances before a person grows to be a man who is "aware." Hideyoshi, however, sprang from a humble origin and since he was almost always engaged in fighting on battlefields, we do not know where or how he could have attained such a level of awareness. We should call him a rare and extraordinary man for his time.
　　In the literary world, I believe, the two most distinguished poets can be said to be Saigyo [1118-90] in waka poetry and Basho [1644-94] in haiku poetry. The works of these two geniuses have obviously been composed by "men of awareness." The following poem, a masterpiece of Saigyo, stays in my mind.

　　　Even in the heart
　　　Of the unfeeling person
　　　Nostalgia rises
　　　When o'er the autumn marshes
　　　A snipe wings into eve's sky.

The following haiku by Basho also comes to mind.

　　　What a deep silence!
　　　The call of the cicadas
　　　Penetrates the rocks.

　　One more person whom I would not want to miss mentioning is Harusato Fumai Matsudaira (1751-1818), who is known by the name of Fumaiko. He succeeded in collecting a large number of rare pieces, maintained them all in good condition, and prevented them from being scattered and lost. Also, he revived the art of the tea ceremony, which was on the verge of dying at the time. We must say he was indeed one of those whom we can hold in high esteem.
　　One of the individuals of awareness in recent years whom I would like to mention is the late Danjuro Ichikawa, the well-known Kabuki actor. I will not go into detail about him here, for I have already written of him at length in my book, Essays on Miscellaneous Thoughts.
　　I have so far named only a few representative individuals of Japan. These "men of awareness" are the most culturally advanced people. Their achievements have afforded posterity infinite spiritual nourishment, helping to make their tastes and sentiments richer and nobler.
　　Nobody doubts that scientific inventions, discoveries and advancements in learning have greatly contributed to the promotion of our civilization. However, although they may have been unrecognized by the public of their times, we must realize that spiritually and culturally individuals who have been "aware" have contributed much to true civilization.

* Yoshimasa Ashikaga (1435-1490): The eighth Ashikaga shogun; he was often criticized in the political field, but he had a highly developed artistic and cultural sense and left behind remarkable achievements in the field of the fine arts.
*2 Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-1598): Feudal lord who succeeded in unifying Japan after Nobunaga Oda. Later he became minister (taiko).
*3 Sen no Rikyu: Well-known artist who originated the present form of tea ceremony.
*4 Enshu Kobori (1579-1647): Famous as a master of the tea ceremony as well as a landscape artist. He landscaped the famous Katsura Detached Palace in Kyoto.
*5 Chojiro Tanaka (1516-1592): Originator of rakuyaki, hand-molded earthenware.

209. 　Be a New Age Person

Every individual should strive continuously to make progress and to improve in every way, especially someone who has true faith in God.
　　In these modern times we are often considered dull or archaic when we speak of religion or faith. It is true that there is a tendency among followers of existing religions to be very narrow-minded, to be old-fashioned. Members of our faith are, or should be, entirely different, exactly the opposite of that type. Rather, they should strive to make their ways of thinking opposite to the old ways.
　　 Observe Nature, which never rests, never stands still. It is constantly renewing itself, is always progressing. All vegetation, every blade of grass, every tree, is reaching, moving toward the sky; nothing grows downward. Observe the world. Its population increases year after year; more and more lands are developed; transportation, machinery, buildings－all parts of civilization－move forward, continually evolving, always growing. Nothing goes backward.
　　Once we can clearly see that all things in Nature and in the world are making progress every moment and are growing, we human beings should follow those larger examples and constantly work to improve ourselves. This is living in accord with Truth.
　　In this sense, I too am doing my best to be alert so I may become better in every way, month after month and year after year.
　　If people were to make progress only on the material side of life, in business, in their profession or social position, they would be like tumbleweeds, without roots and aimless in direction. True progress must include evolvement of their spiritual beings, ennoblement of their character.
　　Keeping this in mind, build your own life step by step. Never be in too great a hurry and do not be concerned if your development seems slow. It is all right if you make only a little progress at a time, for you will inevitably grow into an individual of noble character. Or rather, your determination to improve yourself is proof that you have already become a fine person. As you continue to make efforts in this way, you will be more and more trusted and loved by others, everything in your life will become more harmonious, and you will attain true happiness and fulfillment. There is no doubt about that.
　　When I speak in this manner it may sound to some young people like antiquated moralizing, but my words are far from that. If you will follow this program of continuing self-improvement regularly, you will truly become a New Age individual.
　　When I observe people from the standpoint of this pattern, many seem to me to be lagging far behind in their development. They seem to have made little progress. They seem to be revolving endlessly around their old habits of thinking and speaking. It is difficult to find anything of interest in their conversations, which are almost exclusively concerned with the superficial things of life. They have no real understanding of religion, of governmental affairs, of philosophy or of any of the deeper aspects of life, and there is not even a hint of any awareness of the fine arts.
　　The majority of the people in the world are like that, but I am not writing this article as a criticism of them. I hope that those of you who follow this spiritual path, at least, are not this Old Age type, and I know there are not many of you who are.
　　As you know, our church is working to help God in His Plan to save the entire world at this great transitional period, and our goal is to build a new, ideal world by awakening as many people as possible to the errors of the old civilization. It is for this reason I say repeatedly that you should strive to be part of the twenty-first century civilization.

210. 　Have a World Consciousness

I believe that from now on you should have a world consciousness. Let me tell you an interesting episode in connection with this.
　　One day right after World War Ⅱ, an ex-army officer came to see me. With an expression of burning resentment he said, "I cannot understand why Japan had to surrender in this war, however hard I try to do so. It is truly regrettable." He was full of indignation as he said this.
　　 Since I did not show the reaction he expected, he asked me in a disgusted tone, "Sir, are you a Japanese?" I immediately said, "No, I am not." He was so shocked at my answer he trembled with emotion as he asked, "Then to what country do you belong?" I said, "I am a citizen of the world." This too was quite an unexpected reply and he looked at me blankly, then asked me to explain what I meant in words that he could understand. I did so in various ways. This article is based on the answers I gave to that officer at that time.
　　I believe it is wrong to discriminate between races, but the Japanese people in those days had a strong tendency to do so. After Japan won the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War and suddenly ranked among the greatest powers of the world, the people became so puffed up with pride they began to think their country was especially favored by God and the leaders encouraged this thought. Such egotism led to the nation's reckless triggering of World War II in the Pacific area. Thus, the Japanese regarded the natives of other countries with contempt, as if they were lower creatures than themselves. They invaded other countries and killed the people there without any self-reproach. It was as a natural consequence of this kind of thinking that Japan experienced such a miserable defeat.
　　While the people of any nation entertain such self-centered thinking that they do not care what happens to other nations as long as they are benefited, there cannot be peace in this world. You can easily understand this point by applying it to your own region. Suppose there was a conflict between two areas in your country. It would be settled quickly, since such a disagreement would be similar to a family quarrel. We can expand this idea, applying it to the entire world.
　　There is a famous poem composed by Emperor Meiji* which goes:

　　　If all the people
　　　Who are living upon earth
　　　Regard each other
　　　As one family, brothers,
　　　How can any strife occur?

If all people would come to accept this way of thinking, world peace could be realized at once. Indeed, if all the people of the world became this broad-minded, war simply could not occur, because we would all truly belong to one family.
　　There are individuals who form groups based on certain isms or ideas, and consider those outside their groups as enemies. There are also individuals who advocate certain national policies, a national spirit, nationalism of a narrow kind, or who have convictions about their own country's divinity. Such egotism can not only lead a country to disaster, but can also create a great impediment to world peace. In memory of the peace concluded after World War II, Japanese people at least should become world conscious, entirely discarding the Shojo way of thinking they had in the past and embracing a completely Daijo attitude. This will be the most progressive and advanced way of thinking in the world from now on, and individuals with this attitude will be the ones who are needed most.
　　This idea can be applied to religion, also. It is quite archaic to seclude a religion so there is discrimination against other groups. Allow me to compliment our church in this regard. We are not so small-minded as to tell our members that they should not have any contact with other religions. On the contrary, we even welcome their doing so, for one of our tenets is peace; we are striving to bring all the peoples of the world into harmony and make them one big family.
　　In this sense, we feel that all other religious groups are our friends, and we wish to work side by side with them for the realization of the new world.

211. 　Overcoming Timidity and Shyness

People who come to see what we are doing these days are often surprised at the scope of our activities, saying, "How could you dare to undertake such big things so boldly?"
　　It is quite natural for them to feel this way, for I speak of helping God's Work of saving all humanity, of establishing a world completely free from miseries such as disease, poverty and conflict, and changing this earth into a paradise. It is no wonder that most people think I must be a megalomaniac. I myself am surprised at the plans that come into my mind and at my convictions as to their realization.
　　When I was younger, I never had any idea of doing anything so big. Up to the age of about twenty, I was unusually timid and shy. For no reason I was afraid to meet strangers, and when I had to see someone who was well-known or on a high social level it was hard for me to speak up. When I was confronted with a young woman, my face flushed and I became so dizzy I could hardly look her in the eye, let alone exchange conversation with her. I was quite pessimistic about myself, wondering whether or not I could stand on my own feet as a member of society. In those days, I felt that all the other people in the world were much wiser and greater than I.
　　As I look at myself today and compare my present way of thinking and acting, I am really struck with wonder at the great change from the way I used to be.
　　I present this article so young people having trouble overcoming their shyness or timidity may be inspired to become courageous enough to change.

212. 　Love

It is often said that "True faith is love." We speak of love sweepingly, but there are various kinds－true love, distorted love, great love, and small love. Those who have faith in God should never lose sight of the correct concept.
　　First, I will give some examples of true love. Love between family members such as that of husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters is good and natural. Also, the love for other relatives, friends and acquaintances which we ordinarily feel as human beings is good. No matter how deep any of these become, there is no reason for criticism or concern.
　　It is distorted love that is the problem. In contrast to true love, it causes disintegration of harmony between husband and wife, coldness between parents and children, and alienation between relatives, friends and acquaintances. Too often we witness these instances around us, caused either by distorted love or lack of love.
　　The kind that needs analyzing most is love between a man and a woman. As I wrote above, there is a remarkable difference between true and distorted feeling. When a man and a woman fall in love and intend to get married, it is all right. However, the kind of love that is caused by a momentary urge, the impulsive and feverish emotion we often observe or hear of, is a distortion. It is not true love. In short, we can say that any relationship between a man and a woman which lacks balance is not true love. When this kind of relationship proceeds too far it almost invariably ends in tragedy.
　　It is, of course, sure to cause trouble if a married person begins to have an affair. As a result of indulging in transient pleasure, some people's careers are destroyed and in extreme eases lives are lost. What an unprofitable thing this is! We should be very careful never to become involved in this kind of situation.
　　What I wish to emphasize most is the measure of love. Love for family or for others close to us is a Shojo type, which is actually a kind of self-centeredness. Most people belong to this group. They are generally good in the ordinary sense though some are nonbelievers, for which there is no reason to criticize them. However, the love of those who have true faith is entirely different. Theirs is a great, Daijo love for others. In its most expanded form, this is love for all humanity, all the world.
　　I would like to call your attention to the fact that up to the end of World War II the Japanese people in general were not aware of Daijo love. Their love for country was believed to be on the highest level. To be able to give their lives for their country was their greatest aim. This was, however, a Shojo feeling, and the people's mistaken belief in it brought about the miserable state Japan is in today.
　　By the same principle, love for a particular race or class is also not a true love, so it may thrive temporarily but invariably ends in disaster.
　　There are people who belong to a certain ism and work hard for some objective of a limited nature, but however hard they may try they cannot attain great success, for the same reason. The only doctrine that is justifiable is one that stands for love for the entire world. This is true of any religion; only one that includes the entire earth in its efforts to save can bring about true salvation. It is for this reason that we have included the word "world" in the name of our church.

213. 　Suicide, an Irresponsible Act

There have always been suicides, but the number seems to be increasing, especially in recent years. This shows that the rate of suicides is irrelevant to the progress of civilization.
　　In Japan, suicidal motives appear to be much different from those in other countries. In my opinion, the motives in other countries are based mostly on spiritual or mental suffering, which is not the case in Japan. In the feudalistic era, for example, when the retainer of a feudal lord committed suicide, his motive for taking his own life could be either to apologize to his lord for some mistake he had made, to remonstrate with his lord for the lord's misconduct, or to attempt to prove his integrity in the face of a false accusation. Such motives were regarded as very noble and people even respected those who killed themselves.
　　We see an example of this in the case of General Nogi* who, after committing suicide, was enshrined in a Shinto shrine as a paragon of loyalty to the emperor. You can imagine the feeling of the Japanese people in general toward that kind of suicide. Today, there are hardly any self-inflicted deaths that are due to such motives.
　　A student who operated as a loan shark committed suicide a short time ago. This individual became so successful in his loan business that he was the talk of the town, but his prominence was short-lived for he was soon driven into a tight corner. He then committed suicide, probably as an apology and because he felt he could do nothing else. When we give deep thought to his case, we realize that he showed no sense of responsibility; he escaped to the world beyond without doing anything to make up for the great trouble he had caused others. His suicide was inexcusable. He should have done his best to balance at least a part of what he had done by living as long as he could. Because he took his own life, he could well be called a coward.
　　The suicides committed by some men of letters, which are the subjects of much talk these days, can hardly escape the charge of irresponsibility either. They must have destroyed themselves out of the agony caused by their own immoral conduct. Their suicides must have caused deep grief and a lot of trouble to the bereaved and to others close to them.
　　I want to especially emphasize the fact that there are some people who extol such individuals and that this constitutes a kind of sin, for they often cause others to follow the suicides' precedent. For instance, Mr. Hidemitsu Tanaka, who recently committed suicide in front of the tomb of Osamu Dazai,*2 must have admired what Mr. Dazai had done. I was really dumbfounded by the fact that dozens of others killed themselves by jumping into the upper stream of the river Tamagawa at the exact spot where Mr. Dazai had died in the same manner. There are some people even today who leap into the Kegon Falls in suicide attempts at the place where Misao Fujimura*3 killed himself several decades ago. These examples testify to what I have stated.
　　Narcotics addiction is said to be one of the major causes of suicide nowadays. Much attention should be paid to this fact. It should be made known to everybody that the first dose in the present leads to the fatal addiction of the future. The government has recently taken notice of this and has instituted measures to ban narcotics. I believe this should have been done much earlier.
　　Through this article, I wish to stress the fact that suicide is an irresponsible, cowardly act, and I warn journalists not to glorify those who have taken their own lives. I know that from a spiritual point of view it is not good to criticize the dead. But I dare to mention the negative side effects of suicide, with the desire to prevent such attempts in future. I hope this intention will satisfy the spirits of those who have already taken their own lives.

* General Nogi: Maresuke Nogi (1849-1912) was a great general of Japan in the Meiji era. He fought for the Japanese army in both the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. He committed suicide on the day of Emperor Meiji's funeral.
*2 Osamu Dazai (1909-1948): A romantic novelist whose real name was Shuji Tsushima. In his later years he became decadent and eventually killed himself by jumping into the river Tamagawa.
*3 Misao Fujimura (1885-1903): A student of philosophy. In search of truth, he became so involved in the study of different branches of philosophy that he grew more and more confused, and finally he was so completely lost he killed himself.

214. 　Dreams

I am often asked by people about dreams, so I will write on the subject.
　　I don't think there is any human being who has never had a dream. we speak of dreams collectively, but there are many kinds. To mention a few, there are divine dreams, spiritual dreams, meaningless dreams, prophetic dreams and contradictory dreams. A divine dream is one which conveys a message from God or from a divine spirit. A spiritual dream is one in which a warning is given by a guardian spirit. A meaningless dream is one which has no point, and everyone usually has this kind at times. A prophetic dream is one that literally comes true. A contradictory dream is one that goes by opposites.
　　In Japanese the word for "dream" is derived from two other words which mean "hidden" and "shadowy." The word for "the world where spiritual beings reside" also comes from these two words. When an individual has a dream, his spiritual being actually leaves the physical body and visits the astral realm.* At this time, some things that are in the subconscious mind, such as certain cherished desires, may take various forms, often undecipherable in content. These are the creations of the dreamer himself.
　　Divine dreams are limited to those who have true faith in God. In this instance, out of some necessity a divine spiritual being delivers a message to an individual while he is asleep.
　　Since spiritual dreams are messages from guardian spirits, many are allegorical or metaphorical, created by those guardian spirits and so necessitating interpretation. As I stated before, the physical world is the reflection of the spiritual realm. Because things take place first in the spiritual realm, it is possible for guardian spirits to be aware of future happenings in the physical world, and they then resort to the above method. So-called premonitions are also messages from guardian spirits.
　　When the spirit of a living person goes to the astral realm, it is still connected to the physical body by a spiritual cord. When the individual begins to awaken, the spirit returns instantaneously to the physical body.
　　Here is one thing I would like to draw to your attention. Some people believe that no one dreams while he is really sound asleep. It is true that when someone is completely exhausted he may not dream; however, in a less deep sleep he will. This is no cause for concern on his part, because his having a dream means that he did indeed sleep even though his slumber was not very deep.
　　I sometimes fall asleep very lightly while talking with somebody and dream for a minute or two. And sometimes I doze off and dream while hanging onto a strap in a train.
　　Some people are concerned about having dreams often, believing that those who dream a lot are not mentally alert. This is not true at all. I do not remember having many dreams while young, but I think I was less alert in those days than I am now.

215. 　The Physiognomy of Houses and the Foretelling of Directions

I am going to write on the physiognomy of houses and the practice of foretelling directions, because I am often asked about these subjects.
　　Just as a human being has a physiognomy, it is quite natural that a house should also have one. The physiognomy of a human being has a great relationship to his fortune or misfortune, and that of a house influences the fortune or misfortune of the individuals who reside in it.
　　The explanation of the physiognomy which I give contains many points that are different from those offered by average fortune-tellers, for mine is not knowledge taught by someone else; it has been gained through divine revelation and through my own experiences.
　　In general, fortune-tellers who describe the aspects of houses put much stress on the importance of the northeastern direction, generally called "the demon's gate" in Japanese. I stress this, too, but my reason and explanation are different from theirs. I feel that we should regard this compass point as particularly important because exceedingly pure spiritual vibrations flow from it.
　　This is why it has been said since ancient days that the northeast area of a house should not be contaminated with anything that is impure. For instance, if a bathroom, a kitchen or an entrance is built on that side, the polluted vibrations emitted from this part of the building contaminate the pure vibrations coming from the northeastern direction. As a result, this enables the evil spirits which are often the cause of illness or misfortune to run rampant.
　　Therefore, we should do our best to keep the spiritual vibrations which come in from the northeast as pure as possible. For this reason it is ideal to make a little garden on that side and to plant Japanese black and red pine trees, if feasible to do so.
　　Next, let me explain the meaning of the southwestern compass point, which is called the "back demon's gate." It is opposite the northeast. The spiritual vibrations which now from this direction are those of material wealth, so it is extremely important in this sense. It is good to put water there, along with some rocks and stones; such as making a pond, even a small one, and placing some rocks and stones beside it.
　　Next, the best point at which to place the entrance to a property is on the southeast. It is best to build so there is a gradual rise from the gate to the main doorway.
　　Houses located at either the foot or the halfway point of a sloping road, or houses built below street level are not recommended; it is not good to live in any of these kinds of dwellings for very long. What I mean is that it is best for your residence to be located a little high in comparison to its neighboring area. If there is a hill or a plateau at a considerable distance, it will do no harm.
　　It is not good to have the main entrance of house placed so that it is necessary to make a U-turn in order to reach it. It is best to place it at the end or just to the left or right of a straight lane. Also, it is not good to have the entrance corridor run in a straight line all the way through the house and open onto the back of the property, for this means that your good fortune will not stay with you but will fade away. Another thing I wish to mention is that it is best if the room of the master of a family is located a few steps higher than the other rooms of the dwelling.
　　As you read the physiognomy of a house, you must place the compass in the right spot. Most of those who try to read, measure directions from the center of the building, which is a big mistake. Houses are built for human beings to live in, human beings are not made to suit them; that is, human beings are more important than their houses. Whether a house is built or razed depends on the will of the person who owns it. Therefore, the focal point of a home is its master, and the place where the master finds greatest peace and rest is his bed. So, measurements for the right directions, for divination, should be made from his bed.
　　As to the shape of a house, generally speaking, it is not good to have a building with indentations like:.

〔図１〕
　　It is better　to have one that has one or more protrusions, like:

〔図２〕,

〔図３〕.
　　Also, a house whose front part has long horizontal wings on both sides of the entrance has a good aspect, like:

〔図４〕. In Japan this represents a crane with its wings spread ready to fly.
　　When there is a tokonoma (alcove) in a room, it is a general rule that the tokonoma should be on the right, with its staggered shelves on the left. However, it is all right to have the tokonoma on the left, depending on the location of the entrance. In a room without a tokonoma, the part that is farthest away from the entrance has the highest vibration. The worst location for the tokonoma is close to the entrance, especially if it is on the same wall as the entrance so that after entering the room you must turn around in order to face it.
　　 Let me now touch upon the practice of foretelling right directions. It is generally believed in Japan that at a certain age it is good for an individual to move his residence in a certain direction. This has little spiritual significance, however. Many people also believe that it is bad to move toward the northeast. According to my interpretation, this is quite opposite to the truth. As I said above, to move toward the northeast is very good, for it means to move toward the point which is most permeated with pure spiritual vibrations.
　　Here is a problem, though. The work and deeds of anyone who moves in that direction should be good and righteous. I say this because the spiritual vibrations from that point have strong purifying power, and if an individual has a negative consciousness or is doing something wrong, the purification of the negativity will soon occur because of the high spiritual vibrations and he will experience suffering sooner than he would otherwise. Many individuals have had negative thoughts and have done wrong deeds in their work or business, so they have experienced bad things when they moved in that direction. This has caused them to be afraid of the northeast and they have come to shun that point of the compass.

216. 　"The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand"

Jesus spoke about the end of the world and the advent of the kingdom of heaven, and he urged people to express repentance. It seems that few of them realized the true meaning of his warning, however, probably because the time was premature; it was still the Age of Night.
　　What Jesus referred to as "the end of the world" indicated the purification ending the Age of Night, and "the kingdom of heaven" indicated the Daylight Age. The long, dark period of suffering is symbolized by night. The coming New Age is symbolized by day, a glorious day filled with Light－a day of true happiness, where humanity will be freed from all sin and suffering.
　　Earnest seekers can readily accept this, but those who have not thought deeply about spiritual matters might find a further explanation of the great change helpful.
　　The turning of night into day is continually moving forward in the highest part of the spiritual realm, where God develops His Plan. It is then projected to the spiritual world at large, and will soon be reflected in all parts of the physical planet.
　　The first stage of the great change had its inception in the spiritual realm in 1881, and the next important step began in 1931. The last stage of this change from night to day will take place on the physical plane, in the form of major catastrophes. It will be the cleansing action for the entire planet, and it is near at hand. In short, the world is standing on the threshold of the great New Dawn.
　　During the Age of Night, the spirit of water was the active ruling force and the spirit of fire was a lesser power. In the Daylight Age, this will be reversed and the spirit of fire will become the greater force, changing darkness into light as it intensifies.
　　Were it only this change in the spiritual realm that is taking place, there would be no cause for concern on our part. But the change in power, we are told, will be manifested on the physical plane with a material change beyond human imagination. A period of great destruction and then reconstruction such as mankind has never experienced before will come to pass.
　　With the intensification of the power of the spirit of fire, all purifying activities will increase in strength also. One of the evidences of this will be a sharper distinction between good and evil, right and wrong, which will extend itself throughout the world.
　　Since disease is a purifying activity caused by the spirit of fire, those who have more clouds on the spiritual body and toxins in the physical body will naturally have to suffer more severely as the change progresses.
　　 Until the acceleration of the power of the spirit of fire, purification was frequently mild and not too dangerous in many cases. At the end of this Age, however, disease will become a tremendous purifying activity, appearing abruptly and spreading rapidly. If it strikes in two or three forms at one time－such as headache, coughing, diarrhea－the life of the body will probably not be threatened. But if it comes in seven or eight forms all at once, the individual may not have the physical or spiritual stamina to withstand such an ordeal.
　　The end of the Age will be a frightening experience for those who are not prepared, but if civilization is to be saved mankind must face this kind of drastic purification. Jesus implied this when he gave warning of a time of great tribulation, but most people have not fully realized the importance of his words.
　　Now that the crucial moment is at hand, we are shown for the first time the nature of events to come. Not only will the great purification take place on the individual level, but on a cosmic level as well. The only way to pass through this period safely is, first of all, to repent so our sins may be forgiven by God. This is the warning God has given humanity through me as His instrument. Our lives rest in His Hands, and in His great love He wishes to save as many of us as possible.
　　We can be most strengthened and prepared for the huge tests soon to come by receiving sufficient spiritual purification through God's priceless Gift of the Divine Light. I pray and hope you have read my words with an open mind and will give deep thought to them, for here is protection, if you will simply accept it.

217. 　What Is the Last Judgment?

Jesus gave warning about the time of great tribulation, but he did not mention the time of its coming or in what way it would come to pass. It has been an enigma through the centuries, but now that the time is nearing, God has revealed the true meaning of Jesus' words.
　　The Last Judgment, as it has often been referred to in Christianity, is the term for the period when the Age of Night changes into the Age of Day. This means the time of great, worldwide purification. The change has already begun and is increasing in intensity. It is being made in three steps: first, it was started in the innermost part of the spiritual realm; second, it was then projected to the spiritual world at large; third, it is now being reflected on the physical plane. When this step is fully completed, the world will be transformed into the new era of Light. The change is gradual, of course, but every day it is inevitably moving forward, step by Step.
　　As the spiritual world becomes brighter, purification will become more severe, and simultaneously the effects of Johrei will be more pronounced. Our members can tell by comparison with previous channeling that already people are responding more to Johrei, and that the results are greater than they were in the very beginning of our activities.
　　Human society and the world in general will change more noticeably as the purification becomes more severe. According to the governing spiritual law, those who are not pure will gradually weaken, while those who are pure in spirit will thrive, in proportion to the extent of purification of the spiritual realm. Good and evil will finally be clearly defined, and no one will be able to resist the power of Nature as the Light grows in intensity.
　　With the force of the spirit of fire on the increase, Light will flood all darkened areas and everything previously kept hidden or secret will be revealed. The degree of spiritual purification and physical stamina will determine survival in this important turn of events. Individuals who have accumulated too many clouds on the spiritual body or have too many toxins in the physical body will not be able to endure the power of the Light. The Last Judgment will indeed be terrible for these, but others can anticipate its completion with joy.
　　From now on, we cannot be at ease unless we purify ourselves enough to withstand the increasing intensity of the Light. We must realize that the purpose of our spiritual Work is not the healing of the physical body in itself. The purpose is to remove the clouds from the spiritual body by use of the Divine Light, sent through the Love of God to make us ready for this trying time.

218. 　The Power of Speech

Wonderful results can be experienced through prayer. When a person is seriously ill and in pain, or in danger, or faced with some other difficulty, Japanese members often chant the Amatsu Norito* aloud. The person in difficulty is relieved, sometimes so miraculously he wonders how it could have happened. There is a definite reason for this action.
　　It is the vibratory power of speech which causes such a seeming miracle. The universe is filled with ether, in which seventy-five great basic sounds, with all their variations or different frequency rates, are in continual vibratory motion. This area is called the spiritual realm of speech. By means of its frequencies, all things in the universe come into existence and they in turn emit certain wave lengths of sound.
　　The human ear is equipped to hear only the sounds which fall within its limited range. The words we utter are impressed upon the ether that surrounds us, creating vibrations which influence the spiritual realm. Virtuous words emit high vibrations which diminish the clouds in the spiritual world, while bad words emit low vibrations which increase the clouds.
　　There is a specific order to the arrangement of the great basic sounds in the spiritual realm of speech. The wave lengths of the words which convey good and loving thoughts are attuned to this order and to the Law of truth, virtue and beauty. They are pleasing to the human ear, because they penetrate and contact the soul, the center of awareness. Conversely, bad and hateful words do not reach the soul but stop at the mind.
　　The secondary spirit, which is of animal nature, can possess the mind and stay there, but cannot enter the soul. The denser the clouds that surround the mind, the stronger and consequently more active the secondary spirit becomes.
　　When this condition exists, the clouds and the secondary spirit cover the light of the soul, the voice of conscience becomes weak, and the individual begins to take delight in doing wrong.
　　Most people are pleased at hearing something good. Because the vibrations released are of an uplifting nature, they cause a pleasant reaction to the spiritual being.
　　When people enjoy hearing ugly words, it is because their secondary spirits like the low vibrations the words emit. For instance, if good people were to overhear some men of evil intent making vicious plans, their conversation would sound so unpleasant the listeners would hardly be able to bear it, yet to the men it would be pleasing.
　　When benevolent words reach the innermost part of the spiritual body, the primary spirit takes on greater radiance and this begins to dissipate the clouds surrounding the soul. This then causes the power of the secondary spirit to diminish. As it does so, the primary spirit gains more power and becomes predominant, causing the individual to develop a greater dislike for words with a low vibration.
　　When the Amatsu Norito is chanted, the powerful vibrations emitted by the words weaken the secondary spirits within those who are chanting and also in those who are listening. If an evil spirit is in possession of one of the listeners, torturing his body, that spirit will have to leave. It is unable to withstand the high vibratory force of the prayer.
　　When clouds surrounding an individual's mind are diminished or dissolved, the physical body is freed from the suffering accordingly.
　　The vibratory power of rightly-chosen words is tremendous. Thus, when the Amatsu Norito is spoken aloud, the surrounding spiritual world becomes much more purified. Also effective in this way are the Lord's prayer, quoting from the Bible, singing hymns and chanting holy words, though their rates of vibratory strength vary. Were it not for these good words of high vibratory rate, there would be far more clouds accumulating all over the world, causing even more disasters than we experience today.
　　There is another important point to bring forth in regard to the power of words. It is not only the vibrations of the words themselves that determine their effect, but also the degree of purity of the spiritual being uttering them. The more pure the soul, the more powerful will be the vibrational waves emitted by the words that are uttered.
　　Therefore, we must always do our utmost to raise our vibrations to a higher plane so that our words will have greater power.

*The Amatsu Norito, literally translated, means "the prayer of Heaven." It is an ancient Japanese prayer used since the earliest days of Japan's recorded history. Because of the way it combines sounds and syllables, the Amatsu Norito carries a very high and powerful vibration. For this reason, Meishu-sama used it in his services.

219. 　Climate and Weather

So many people are accustomed to accepting scientific explanations of all natural phenomena that it may not be easy to convince them of the truth. However, as with other truths, the spiritual explanation of climate and weather was revealed to me, so I present it with complete conviction.
　　To state it simply: The extreme changes of climate and weather are all man-made.
　　Besides the various conditions and events in our physical world which we are aware of through our five senses, there are phenomena in the invisible spiritual realm which affect the physical world.
　　The year is divided into four seasons, with the climate varying from the cold of winter to the heat of summer and changing in degree according to location. This is a natural condition, so the change of season should come smoothly and easily according to the transition of time.
　　Sometimes, though, there is an extreme change of temperature, caused by human thoughts which are reflected in the spiritual realm. For instance, if the majority of the people in an area entertain righteous and peaceful thoughts, the climate will be mild and normal. But if a large percentage become extreme in their thinking and their attitudes lack the warmth of love, they reflect on the weather, making it colder than it would naturally be for that particular season.
　　On the other hand, if a majority of the people in an area become excited and lose their emotional equilibrium, the weather tends to become hotter than it should be. Also, if many people hold injurious thoughts, start complaining, become discontented or resentful, or give way to despair, this will be reflected in the spiritual realm and will produce a murky atmosphere in the physical world.
　　Human speech also has great influence on climate and weather. Words which express negativity－lies, complaints, grumblings, and abuses－form clouds in the spiritual realm.
　　I once had a clairvoyant friend who could see the auras of words. He said when loving words were spoken, he could see bright, whitish light coming from the speaker's mouth, and when hateful words were uttered, he could see something that looked like soot being emitted.
　　This soot-like substance adds clouds to the spiritual realm. When these clouds increase beyond a certain point, purification automatically occurs and disperses the clouds. This is a law of Nature at work.
　　 The natural purification of a large area may come in one of several forms. Heavy rains, typhoons, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and fires are all forms of purification. They are the means Nature employs to cleanse the physical world, just as it purifies the human body by raising the temperature, increasing fluids to carry off toxins and the like.
　　The same natural laws apply throughout creation. When we reach an understanding of these laws, we begin to realize the wonders of Nature and the Wisdom of God, Who governs it through His immutable, self-regulatory Law.

220. 　World Messianity's Purpose

The survey of our civilization as it is today－the result of man's assiduous effort for thousands of years－shows that the material side has truly achieved such great progress that its brilliant accomplishments almost dazzle our eyes.
　　Needless to say, people have extolled and glorified it. However, turning to the inner state of affairs, we find it is almost directly the opposite of outside appearance. I am referring to civilization's spiritual aspect, where we find little progress. On the contrary, the ancient races of people seem to have been much superior to us.
　　The bad influence this is giving our society staggers the imagination. Think of war, for example, the greatest misery of mankind, of disease, of poverty, of the difficult problem of crime, of the sad events of natural calamities. Far from being on the decrease, all of these definitely show a tendency toward increase. It is strange indeed to see how spiritual civilization has failed to keep pace with material progress.
　　The majority of people do not even question, but are elated with all the material achievement which helps to accelerate the imbalance. Some religionists, scholars, statesmen and other intellectual people of the world have been and are aware of this. However, we regret to observe that, since they have not known the true cause of the situation, all of their efforts have not achieved the balance.
　　What man most desires is happiness, which we all know he has tried his best to attain, relying on every resource of his intellect. This desire has given birth to dreams of Utopia and the longing for an ideal world, as we can well imagine.
　　It was religion that man first relied on for happiness. But as time went on, it seemed difficult to find the answer in religion alone. As a result, he began seeking it in something else. This gave rise to education, morality, and philosophy, which expanded greatly in China with the appearance of Confucius and Mencius, and during the latter part of the Middle Ages in Europe, when great teachers and philosophers such as Kant and Hegel came one after another. Needless to say, the world expected a great deal from them.
　　Then, around the seventeenth century, material science began to rise in the West, bringing about an industrial revolution which has greatly transformed the world.
　　 Here, man began to think that in order to promote the welfare of the human race and establish an ideal world, there was no better or quicker way than through developing a positive scientific civilization－a civilization based on science which is visible and tangible. It would be far better, man thought, than to go the long and roundabout way through religion or morality. We cannot blame him for that.
　　In fact, the more civilized nations became, the more prosperous they grew, with all their conveniences for daily living and all their preparations for war. These nations won the respect of the rest of the world, and steadily spread their prestige abroad. Other nations competed with each other in imitating their ways and their competition brought about remarkable progress in scientific civilization. This has continued up to the present time.
　　Unfortunately, as a result of this concentration on and overconfidence in science, humanity has begun to atrophy in regard to spiritual aspects. Morality has lost its hold because man looked only for material gains until he became a slave to science. Thus man, who is supposed to control science, has instead become controlled by it. In this way he has been forced to the brink of a worldwide disaster. The future of humanity is indeed in danger at this very moment.
　　The first and greatest desire of man from the very beginning－to attain true happiness and establish an ideal world－has almost been forgotten, and humanity finds itself in a dilemma. The more civilization makes material progress, the farther away its happiness seems to be.
　　What an ironical situation! It is like a seesaw－when one side goes up, the other side comes down. Man (the "seesaw") tried to create a heaven on earth through spiritual civilization. Failing in this, he thought he could attain his goal through material science and did all he could to succeed. The result has been far from his expectations, but even at this critical moment, humanity as a whole is still not awakened. Man continues to extol the materialistic advances of science. In other words, in spite of his failure to attain his goal through spiritual science and then through material science, he has not learned his lesson yet. What a pity!
　　 This is the most urgent problem man faces today. What can he do about it? He must realize the mistakes he has made and start anew. He must find a new form of civilization which is neither biased to the spiritual side nor to the physical, but offers a new, balanced pattern. Only in this way can God's Kingdom on earth become a reality.
　　We stand today at the turning point between the old order and the new, a big, worldwide transitional period. Such a great change has never before been experienced by humanity. It is entirely unprecedented.
　　 What will the new civilization which takes the place of the old one be like? Of course, with man's limited intellect he cannot grasp even the slightest idea of it. But what can it be like, and who is going to take charge of such a task as the creation of a new civilization? The time will come at last when all the people of the world will have to admit the existence of God－believers and non-believers alike.
　　God, the Creator of the Universe, the Absolute Being, has been worshiped by many races under many names, such as Jehovah, Allah, Heavenly Father, the Limitless. During the Age of Night, man could not receive direct benefits from Him, no matter how ardently he worshiped, for his connection with God was across a veil of clouds, in a manner of speaking.
　　It is the final Plan of God to establish an ideal world where truth, virtue and beauty are manifested in complete balance. This can be accomplished only when all the necessary conditions are fulfilled. This is why God has waited for the right time, and now is that time. It is urgent for humanity to realize this and to accomplish the spiritual revolution of its inner self.
　　However high our ideal for the New Age might be, as long as the level of material civilization was still primitive, the state of the world could not be clear. While different races or nations lived in completely different ways, with little understanding of each other and little or no transportation facilities, the unification of thought was impossible.
　　There are many signs in our present civilization, however, which prove the approach of the New Age. The progress of material civilization itself is a sign of the coming of the ideal world.
　　Now that the time is at hand for the creation of the new civilization, it is necessary for humanity to be informed of the Grand Plan. God does this work through the instrument of physical man. Here is the significance of the birth of World Messianity. God has revealed His Plan, and our church is working according to His Order to teach the truth for the New Age.
　　 Some of the things in the old order which God deems of use for the New Age He will save. Those which require changing He will change through His great Love. Everything other than these, sad as it may be, must be removed. This is the action which has been termed the Last Judgment. It will be a wonderful as well as a cataclysmic event.
　　Now that the world is standing on the verge of this critical change, it is most important for man to qualify himself to survive, in order to become a resident in the new world.
　　When individuals join this spiritual path and become channels of the Divine Light, they are endowed with a healing power. Miracles are daily being experienced through our members. What wonderful, divine blessings all are receiving! The teachings of the church help members to reach a better understanding of the secrets of life and to awaken to Truth.
　　Each member's daily living is improved through the understanding and help of the Divine Light. He becomes happier and is able to face the future with firm conviction and a great sense of well-being and security, for he knows what is to come.

221. 　Divine Spiritual Radiation

Such words as radial energy and radioactivity are now included in the average vocabulary. They came into focus with the discovery of radium and became a part of our everyday language with the development of atomic fission. Now, many other elements have been discovered and are being used in the development of science. These elements－uranium, thorium, plutonium－will no doubt be applied in many new fields in the future, contributing in larger and larger measure to the welfare of mankind.
　　There is something, however, that surpasses mineral radiation in every way. I call it Divine Spiritual Radiation. When applied to human problems, it produces wonderful results. Unlike mineral radiation, which must come from earth elements, the Divine Spiritual Radiation comes from universal Life Energy. It is without limitation and is transmitted through the human body. It contains particles which are more minute and of a higher vibratory rate than that of mineral radiations.
　　The Divine Spiritual Radiation can be activated by following a specific method, which I call Johrei. One of its most outstanding characteristics is that it is effective only when the motive for using it is virtuous, just and beneficial to humanity.
　　The divine blessings which have been granted to the devotees of various religions through the ages have been due to this Divine Light. Compared to the Radiation channeled through Johrei, however, that which God sent in the past was considerably weaker, because the time was premature.
　　Divine Radiation, or the Divine Light, when channeled to the spiritual body of an individual dispels clouds on the spiritual body and raises the spiritual vibration, thereby causing reactions in the spiritual, mental and physical bodies. When clouds are dispelled, the spirit is uplifted and the divine nature unfolds itself more and more, causing the finest spiritual qualities of the individual to come to the fore. Mind is properly focused, relieving it from confusion.
　　This is why Johrei has proved highly effective when used on mental disorders of many types. When clouds are dispelled from the spiritual body, toxins in the physical body dissolve and are eliminated to a large extent. Pain or discomfort felt by the individual is part of the purifying process and Johrei accelerates this process, bringing it to an end more quickly than it would terminate otherwise.
　　The use of Divine Spiritual Radiation is not limited to human beings. Many plants which have become weakened from insect blights, extremes of weather or other destructive forces have been revived through Johrei, and the quality of the soil itself has been improved. When the seeds and the soil have become sufficiently purified, a considerable improvement is seen in the quality and quantity of crops too.
　　It might seem such a great power would be available only to a select few individuals, but this is not so. Any individual, when properly prepared, can channel the Divine Light. The intensity may differ according to the level of individual awareness, but it is possible for any member to channel it effectively.

222. 　A Canvas of the World

Without exception, all religions bear individual characteristics. This stems from God's profound Plan.
　　God kept His Direct Light in abeyance during the long Age of Night, and Truth was hidden in a fog of mystery. If humanity had known that there is only one Creator and one Truth from the beginning, there would have been no need for controversy, for division, for deviation. All men would have lived in harmony, satisfied with a common goal, and the chaos in such great evidence today would not have come about. There is a very significant reason why the world is not in this condition.
　　 The word "Plan" has a very deep meaning in Japanese. It literally denotes painting. Religions, then, are Pigments necessary for the painting of a great canvas of the world. The time for its execution has finally come, because the composition, ideal in every respect, has been fully conceived. The Master Painter is now ready to take up His brush. The subject is "Paradise on Earth," and the painter is the Supreme God. It follows that a limited way of thinking will hardly offer even a partial glimpse of this grand Design.
　　This applies not only to religion but to every other aspect of thought and to culture as well. The world has been prepared to the point where it can now move forward toward the one universal goal－the creation of paradise on earth. The very thought of it infuses us with enthusiasm and courage. We thank God for giving us the great honor and unprecedented opportunity of participating in His Grand Plan.

223. 　World Messianity and Public Welfare

People often ask us why World Messianity does not put more emphasis on charities and social service work. Although religious activities and welfare work may seem to have much the same aims and purposes, they are in reality two quite different fields. The former is primarily concerned with the development of a person's spiritual values; the latter is principally concerned with the physical welfare of the individual. Of course, it is a fact that many large religious organizations are engaged in charitable works, so it has become a common belief that all churches should be active in this field of service.
　　In the present state of our society, where there are so many unfortunate people, it is a very good thing that certain churches do perform such services, for they are more effective and far-reaching if there is a religious background for charitable works.
　　The purpose of our Work differs in that ours is a unique service. While material help is needed where there are misfortune and illness, it is a method of dealing with the effect rather than the cause, and can offer no lasting cure. In order to really solve the problem of want, we must eradicate its basic cause.
　　Where is the cause? It is contained within the individual consciousness. Therefore, the solution lies in the removal of the negative elements from his consciousness so it will radiate the positive. The aim of Johrei is the complete transformation of the consciousness, reflected physically in a whole body and improved circumstances. Many people are experiencing miraculous results from Johrei－some recover quickly from sickness, others are rescued from financial difficulties, and still others are protected from disaster. The number of such cases is increasing daily and when we read the testimonials, written voluntarily out of gratitude, we are deeply moved. Quite a few testify that had it not been for Johrei, they might have had to come under the care of the public welfare services.
　　 Doctors speak of preventive medicine. We might call our work preventive religion. Our ideal is to work toward a society in which public welfare services will be unnecessary. Only when such a society is realized will we have a truly civilized world. We believe such a world is in God's Plan, and will inevitably come into being.
　　I would like to refer briefly to our art museum in Hakone, because it was established as a public service, for the benefit of everyone. It is regrettable that so many of the masterpieces of great Japanese artists were not displayed to the public in the past, but were to be found only in the private homes of the aristocracy and the wealthy. Thus, it was the people in these circles alone who had the privilege of enjoying the beauty of such works. This was a monopoly of art which should have been made available for the enjoyment and spiritual uplift of everyone long ago.
　　For many years I prayed that I would be able to build a museum where everyone could come and be blessed by the high vibration of true art. I knew it would not be an easy task to accomplish, because of the tremendous sums of money required and the various other problems involved in obtaining such art. Due to the blessings of God, however, and to donations from members who were showing their gratitude for the miraculous help they received from Johrei, my prayer was answered and my dream came true. I am indeed grateful, for I feel this is a real public service, one much needed in the present age.

224. 　The Divine Law and the Recurrence of Purification

Let us always remember that everything is governed by divine laws. God created the laws and He Himself observes them. If we act in accord with the laws, we experience an abundance of God's blessings. If we do not, regardless of how earnestly we may pray for help, our calls will not be answered. This is an important truth to remember always.
　　Many individuals have joined our church after they have experienced wonderful healings through Johrei. Having been relieved of suffering from diseases which may have been pronounced incurable, they have been very grateful. After a while, some of them have had serious recurrences of purification. I would like to explain why this happens sometimes, for there is a good reason behind it.
　　It is natural for purifications to occur as clouds reach certain proportions, but the individuals I am referring to have had unusually serious and repeated purifications. These individuals have not been acting in accord with the laws.
　　Since they have accumulated many layers of clouds on their spiritual bodies and toxins in their physical bodies over a long period of time, purificatory activities must automatically take place as they become stronger and regain vitality. This is a recurrence, which is only an action on the physical level. There is a spiritual repercussion which is of far greater significance.
　　Those who have, through Johrei, been restored to health from conditions which medical science has pronounced incurable, owe their lives to God. They should always remember this and be very grateful. However, the fact is that after a while some of them forget the gratitude they felt in the beginning and their attitudes change. In other words, while they may not have lost their faith completely, they can hardly be called grateful. They may have lost interest in helping people or have stopped giving service to the Cause of God and have become busily involved in worldly matters. If nothing happened to them because of this, there would be no cause for concern about their aberrations, but the point is that something does happen.
　　Until now I have not referred to this, for it might cause some newer members to misunderstand. Now that purification is becoming more severe and more people are having to undergo recurrences, it seems the situation no longer permits me to remain silent. Therefore, I am going to explain in full.
　　As I said before, the universe and everything in it is governed by the divine laws of the Cosmos. Man experiences happiness or unhappiness according to the law of spiritual affinity. This is especially noticeable in spiritual matters. The law of cause and effect has the same meaning. It stands to reason that when an individual has been restored to health through Johrei after having been abandoned by the medical profession and having reached the brink of death, he should give of himself in service to God out of gratitude. If he does not do this, but instead uses his time and energy for selfish purposes, he sinks to a lower level spiritually, because he has not acted in accord with the laws.
　　Let me illustrate more clearly. Suppose the value of life is ten. If an individual realizes the value of his life, is filled with gratitude and expresses it in the way he should, we could say his gratitude equals ten, the full value of his life. If he is still more grateful, he will be blessed far in excess of his appreciation. Conversely, if his appreciation is less than the value of his life－such as five－he goes into debt to God in terms of gratitude.
　　If he does not pay this immediately with service, spiritual interest accumulates and the debt grows larger, just like material debts in the physical world. This is according to the law of spiritual affinity. When the debt exceeds a certain limit, the spiritual "court" enacts an "attachment." This is the reason for recurrence of purification of a serious nature. When a person realizes his mistake and repays his debts with interest by doing all he can to serve God and humanity, he is healed again. By doing this, he raises himself to a higher spiritual level filled with extra blessings.
　　Some individuals, however, make a grave error. They begin to waver, to think that the recovery seemingly effected by Johrei was only on the surface, temporary, that they were not really helped. At this point, disbelieving relatives or friends may take advantage of the situation and express doubts that make them distrust the Light of God. Because of the words of the unbelievers, their primary spirits lose their alertness, the secondary spirits take over and the individuals lose their faith. From the spiritual point of view, evil spirits, who are always watching for every opportunity to sever man from God, then work hard to take hold of them. Once they are captured by these forces, their primary spirits will become helpless and most of them must take the road to downfall and to death.
　　As long as members keep their spiritual cords strong with the church and give whatever service they can for the Cause in time, labor and material, blessings will continue to come to them in ever-greater abundance. This is according to the laws of God.
　　When an individual wishes to make an offering or give a donation for God's Cause as an expression of appreciation, it is not the amount but the feeling with which it is given that is important. God knows each individual's situation and intention. When an individual makes every effort to help those who are in need through Johrei and to guide them to the Divine Light Program, God is surely pleased with such sincere devotion and will bless that person more and more.
　　It is most important to literally live the teachings. Those who conform to the laws with understanding, from the heart, seldom have recurrences of purification in severe form. More than that, God's blessings will be showered upon them in abundance and He will use such individuals as His effective instruments for the furthering of His Plan.

225. 　God's Power Is Turning the Tide

Since every event on the physical plane is a reflection of the original event in the spiritual world, we cannot understand the true meaning of physical actions until we understand the truth about spiritual realities. By looking into the spiritual causes of physical events, we will also gain an insight into the future, a knowledge which will help us to attain peace of mind through trust in God.
　　According to the revelation given to me by God, He chose to develop material civilization to a certain point and created good and evil for this purpose. Because of the friction between these two, we have the brilliant material civilization existing today.
　　Soon after God's creation of humanity, conflict started in the spiritual realm between good forces and evil forces, and since that time it has been developing on a constantly increasing scale. This has always been reflected on the earth plane, both forces working through man.
　　During the Age of Darkness, evil forces were strong and it often seemed as though the good forces were giving way. However, evil could never gain supremacy over good. If it had been otherwise, the world would have been destroyed and we would not know it as it is today.
　　The long Age of Night had to be endured. Many individuals achieved success through evil means and their prosperity lasted for some time. This gave some people the distorted idea that the best shortcut to success was evil action. More and more people adopted the idea and the infection spread, until it has now become the most common ailment in the world.
　　In the spiritual realm, the evil forces worked hard to gain control over the entire earth. They possessed men with personal ambition and ability to achieve their goal. History clearly shows that these men, who seemed to succeed through negative actions, did so only temporarily; they always failed in the end. History might be called a record of the tides of success through evil, then of failure through evil.
　　The activities of evil spirits have never been limited to wars and other obvious acts of violence. They have been following a subtle, carefully planned, far-reaching scheme in every direction. Their greatest success has been in the field of material science. It has been their strongest weapon, for while humanity has received many wonderful benefits through science, the evil forces have attempted to make everyone totally dependent on it, with the aim of using it to acquire absolute world power.
　　With the objective of controlling man's life, they have forced him to rely almost exclusively on scientific attempts at healing.
　　In the scientific raising of food, chemical fertilizers and insecticides have been used. Man has been so deceived by the temporary but seemingly beneficial effects of their use that most civilized countries now employ artificial methods for growing crops.
　　The time has come when God is going to correct the mistakes of material civilization. Now that it has reached a point where the evil forces appear to have triumphed almost completely, God's Wish is to reveal the truth to humanity so the right way of living for the New Age may be known by everyone.
　　The dark forces can be effective only in darkness. They fear light more than anything else, for it renders them almost helpless. As God's Divine Light rapidly becomes more direct, the evil forces sense the change in vibration and are desperately fighting for survival now.
　　Had this been revealed during the Age of Darkness, few people would have grasped its true import, for this is a subtle subject of a higher dimension. But now the spiritual realm is brightening day by day and more and more individuals are becoming aware of the great change. God is preparing those souls who can appreciate His Plan for the world and is gathering them to use as His instruments for the establishment of the New World.
　　God's Power always totals one hundred percent, while the power of evil can only reach ninety-nine percent at most. So, God is always at least one percent ahead. With this margin of Power, the tide is being turned. The present civilization will be changed when it reaches the ninety-nine percent point, the Last Judgment. At that time, a great cataclysmic action will take place in the spiritual realm, followed by a like action in the physical world. This will correct the mistakes of civilization, which have continued to be accepted as truth for centuries. The long Age of Night will end at last and the bright sun of the Daylight Age will rise fully.

Sekai Kyusei Kyo
(Church of World Messianity)
26-1, Momoyama, Atami, Japan
818 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ 07436 USA
3068 San Marino St., Los Angeles, CA 90006 USA
3510 Nuuanu Pali Drive, Honolulu, HI 96817 USA
125 North End Road, London NW11 U.K.
Rua Morgado de Matheus, 77, Vila Mariana, Sao Paulo, Brazil

　