Mahikari

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Mahikari is a term given to a group of Japanese New Religions or Shinshūkyō (新宗教?), which are based on the writings of Mr Yoshikazu Okada (岡田 良一) (1901-1974)alias Kōtama Okada (岡田 光玉) a former staff member, of the Church of World Messianity (世界救世教 Sekai kyūsei kyō in Japanese).

Contents

[edit] History

In 1959 Okada claimed he received revelations that he was empowered to be a represenative on earth of a supreme deity he called Mioya Motosu Mahikari Omikami - Su God for short. He claimed his role was to inaugurate a new Messianic Age and introduce a concept he called Mahikari no Waza, claimed to be a method of channeling a 'divine' invisible energy into anything. He claimed this purifying energy, also called 'True Light', would to remove illness, poverty, and strife from the world.

He founded a religious corporation called L.H. Company of Sun Light Children in 1959 and registered it under the name Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan in 1963.

He claimed Mahikari no waza was the technique given though him by his god, for humans to cleanse themselves of spiritual, mental and physical pollution. He suggested that the world was going to be destroyed by his god and Mahikari members would survive an Armageddon if they practiced his Mahikari technique, studied his teachings and became purified. Mahikari members were to be the seed people to lead the rebuilding after the world was to be destroyed at the end of the 20th century.

Okada claimed his Mahikari technique would purify possessing spirits, which he claimed are primarily angry ancestor or animal spirits. He stated that Group (mass) spirits are causing disturbance driven by fierce hatred have reicarnated as people in this world causing battles. He also claimed, some of these spirits fought in atomic - hydrogen wars between the mythical Continents of Mu (lost continent) and Atlantas, also that there have been battles between the spirits from planets such as Venus and humans with physical bodies in this world.

Okada's claims are represented by his writings in publications called Goseigen - The Holy Words, Sunkyo - Great Guideposts on the Path of Divine Wisdom, and a collection of songs/poems called Yokoshi Prayer Book.

[edit] Influences

The establishment of Mahikari mimics a Japanese New Religion called Oomoto which began in 1892. Okada followed a similar theme, he started Mahikari using the same paradigm, a visitation of a supernatural entity bestowing a mission to save humankind, claiming that the origin was one, and mankind must return to the origin. Great disasters would befall human kind.

The teachings of the Church of World Messianity clearly played an important role in Okada’s new religion Mahikari as well. He adopted the practice Messianity call Johrei (Divine Light) and renamed it Mahikari (True Light) he also adopted the Messianity amulet called Ohikari and renamed it Omitama. The amulet is worn around the neck and is believed to enable the wearer to radiate the 'divine' invisible energy through the hands. He claimed that he was the one chosen by his god to activate the spiritual power of the amulet which flowed from his god through him to the amulet worn by Mahikari members. Apart from anecdotal stories by Mahikari devotees stating that the energy works, this so called spiritual energy remains untested.

Much earlier Mahikari mythology is attributed to the Kojiki, Records of Ancient Matters, which was written circa 712 CE. Though the Kojiki is a depository of Shinto myths, it is well known to scholars as a 'late compilation' in which political considerations and specifically Chinese conceptions intrude themselves almost everywhere.

Okada was also influenced by ideas about the mythical lost continent of Mu through books wriiten by Col. James Churchward.

Many of the ideas Okada wove into Churchward's account of Mu were taken from the "records" and "antiquities" said to be preserved by the Takenouchi family in a shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture. This information has been set forth by Yamane Kiku in a book called The Authentic History of the World Secreted Away in Japan. It is from this book -- which the Saviour (Okada) regarded as the last word on ancient history - that we learn that Jesus died in Japan, and that nearly all the other saints and holy men of the world at least visited the country.

She also wrote a book entitled Hikari wa tõhõ yori 'Light from the East' (Yamane 1988), 1st published in 1937. In the postscript to the latest edition the author’s son mentions that parts of this book were republished in a journal that functioned as the more or less official journal of an organization called the Taiko Kenkyukai. (Group for the study of the ancient past). One of the contributors to this journal was none other than Sekiguchi Sakae, Okada’s close companion for many years and his successor as Oshienushi - Master of Teachings (and who later served as head of the Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyõdan...). Under these circumstances there can be little doubt as to what Okada’s real sources were, at least for certain parts of his teachings.

[edit] Mahikari Groups

The following groups can be categorized as Okada or Mahikari influenced new new Japanese religions:

  • 1959 - L.H. Company of Sun Light Children - later changed to Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan
  • 1963 - Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan - nominal membership - 50,000 to 100,000 worldwide
  • 1974 - Shin Yu Gen Kyu Sei Mahikari Kyodan - nominal membership ?
  • 1978 - Sukyo Mahikari - nominal membership - 150,000 to 250,000 worldwide
  • 1980 - Subikari Koha Sekai Shindan - nominal membership - 4,500
  • ( ? ) - Mahikari Seiho No Kai - nominal membership - ?
  • ( ? ) - Yokoshi Tomo No Kai - nominal membership - ?

[edit] Perspectives

[edit] Origin of Mahikari

Mahikari is the Japanese word for True Light. This expression containing the word for ‘true’ (ma) and ‘light’ (hikari) was introduced to the world by Mr Kotama Okada, who founded the Mahikari organization in 1959. It is now used in countries throughout the world [1] when referring to the organization he founded. In response to revelations received at 5am on the 27th of February 1959 (p 4) [2] he established the Mahikari organization and for fifteen years he guided its expansion (p39) [3]. In the preface to the book containing some (only 52 p45) [3]of the revelations he received he described how he received revelations (p x) [2]

[edit] Mahikari as an Organisation

After 15 years of regular communication from God and dedicated service to society he received his last revelation on June 13th at 2am (p 69) [1]. This detailed the urgency of completing the World Shrine to the Creator God (considered the Noah’s Ark of this age) and entrusted the leadership of the Mahikari Organisation to his foremost disciple, his adopted daughter Ms Keiju Okada. As early as 1964 she had been officially acting as his representative and in 1972 she had completed a special ten year training course. On the death of the founder in 1974 most of the membership naturally followed her as leader but confusion arose when Mr. Sakae Sekiguchi claimed that he was to be the next spiritual leader of the Mahikari organization.(p 77) [4]. As he was a senior staff member who had been asked by Ms Okada to assist her by taking the lead in expansion activities, he had extensive influence and took the matter to court. The founder’s daughter, wishing to focus on completing the World Shrine, established Sukyo Mahikari in 1978.

By 1982 the Tokyo High Court decided it did not have the jurisdiction to decide the rightful successor. The judge indicated an amicable compromise would leave both as leaders of independent organizations. Mr Sekaguchi’s group retained the original name of Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan and they have published their view of this matter on their web site. A Japanese journalist gave an independent account of the legal proceedings in 1996. (p 79) [4]

[edit] Single Origin

Geology explores the evolution and origin of our Planet Earth and Paleontology documents the single origin of life on Earth. The founder declared this fundamental tenet of his teachings, ‘The origin of the earth is one, the origin of the world is one, and the origin of all humankind is one’. (ch2) [5]. In 1999 Sukyo Mahikari opened the Hikaru Museum in Takayama, a world class museum that provides evidence from scientific research concerning this single origin. The museum presents archaeological and palaeontological evidence about the origin of life and civilization, art works from East and West and special exhibitions. It also displays historical aspects of the life of the founder as well as some of his central ideas as presented by Mahikari.

[edit] Mahikari as a Cleansing Technique

Mahikari also refers to the Art of True Light (Mahikari no Waza). This refers to the technique (waza) of radiating True Light (Mahikari) from the hands which has been practiced by over eight hundred thousand people since 1959.(p 63) [1] Mahikari purifies physical and spiritual toxins so that practitioners of this Art are able to help not only themselves and their families but most importantly they can help others and improve society. (p 28) [1]. To become a practitioner one attends a three day lecture course and receives sacred locket called an Omitama (p 29) [4]

[edit] Sukyo Mahikari

Main article: Sukyo Mahikari

The offshoot group, Sukyo Mahikari was established with the goal of enabling people to experience the existence of a higher dimension through the art of True Light. True Light (Mahikari), the Light of the Creator God, can be radiated from the hand by people who complete a three-day introductory course and receive a sacred locket. The Light purifies the spirit, mind and body. This practice can be done anywhere and at any time and is the main activity at Sukyo Mahikari Centres throughout the world.

Teachings in the form of universal principles (Sukyo) that people experience in their lives empower all to understand aspects of the unseen realm of spirit from their own experience. The light (Mahikari) empowers them to efficaciously follow a God-centred, spiritual way of life. Sukyo expounds fundamental laws establised at the foundation of the universe that apply in our lives irrespective of our individual faith system or belief.

[edit] References:

  1. ^ a b c d T Yasaka, Hope for a Troubled Age, L H YOKO Publishers Tokyo, 1999.
  2. ^ a b Yoshikazu, Holy Words (Revelations)., Sukyo Mahikari, North American Region California @nd English Edition
  3. ^ a b Kentaro Shibata, Great and Holy Master?, L.H. Yoko Shuppan, Tokyo. 2003.
  4. ^ a b c A K Tebecis, Is the future in our hands?, Sunrise Press., 2004.
  5. ^ Sukyo Mahikari, Mahikari Primary Course Text. Sukyo Mahikari Takayama, Japan. 2004.
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