Seicho-No-Ie

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The logo of Seicho-no-ie

Seicho-No-Ie (生長の家, Seichō no ie, (IPA: [seːtʃoː no ie]) roughly translated into English means "The Home of Infinite Life") is a syncretic, nondenominational, monotheistic religion, one of the 新宗教 Shinshūkyō (or new religious movements) in Japan that have spread since the end of World War II. It emphasizes gratitude for nature, the family and the ancestors and, above all, religious faith in one God. It inherits its basic characteristics from Christianity, Buddhism, and Shintoism.

1 History
2 Beliefs
3 References and further reading
4 External links

[edit] History

Seicho-No-Ie

Seicho-No-Ie was founded in Japan by Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi (谷口雅春 Taniguchi Masaharu) who was born in Kobe, Japan in 1893. He majored in English Literature at Waseda University in Tokyo. While studying both Eastern and Western philosophies, to know what answers they offered to the problems of mankind, he became distraught over the many contradictions he discovered. In 1929, after extensive study, contemplation and while in deep meditation, he stated that he received a divine revelation, and that he felt compelled to spread this new philosophy to humanity known as "Truth of Life". His main theme is that each of us can reach spiritual fulfillment when we come to realize the God consciousness within us, and that our lives are meant to be harmonious, joyful, and fulfilling in all aspects.

By 1930, Dr. Taniguchi, working as an English translator, published the first issue of what he called his "non-denominational truth movement magazine", which he named "Seicho-No-Ie" to help teach others of his revelations. This was followed by forty volumes of his "Truth of Life" philosophy by 1932. Over the next forty years he published an additional four hundred–odd books and toured many countries in Europe, South America, and North America with his wife Teruko, to lecture on his revelations personally. On June 17, 1985 at the age of ninety-one, Dr. Taniguchi passed away.

[edit] Beliefs

Basic tenets of Seicho-No-Ie are:

The world created by God is perfect and harmonious, and therefore man is a child of God.
Our environment, destiny and our physical body are all a reflection of our mind.
All religions emanate from one universal God.

In Seicho-No-Ie, every human being is considered to be a child of God. Because of this, all human beings are also believed to have the creative power of God. The material world and the disease, poverty, and natural disasters within it are seen as largely illusionary. Misfortune can only befall humans because they have willfully separated themselves from God. The true world is the Kingdom of God, the spiritual world in which there is unlimited creativity, wealth, health, and joy. Through optimism, kindness, and prayerful meditation, each human being can come to realise their true nature as a child of God, and so enter the Kingdom of Heaven here and now, in this life.

In their literature and on their websites, Seicho-No-Ie's "Truth of Life" philosophy states that it embraces all religions, races, and creeds. And although it does incorporate the teachings of Buddhism, Christianity, and Shintoism it emphasizes that "the Truth" is that all major religions emanate from "One Universal God". They encourage their members to maintain any original beliefs and affiliations, emphasizing that they do not seek to replace any formerly held religion but wish to enhance what one has already learned, shedding some additional light on the individual's path so that he/she may "progress more rapidly to spiritual fulfillment".

Daily Practise of devotees involves:

Shinsokan Meditation.
Discourse through lectures, the Holy Sutras, other holy books, as well as the Truth of Life magazine.
Engaging in selfless acts of gratitude and deeds of love; known as "Three Acts to Manifest Virtues" .

One of the most important activities of Seicho-No-Ie is the annual spring Spiritual Training Seminar (ISTS). They believe that self-realization cannot be attained through intellectual knowledge alone. Therefore devotees attending the four day Seminar, do not hear the "imperfect words of the outside world" but instead practice the "life of a child of God in the purified atmosphere of the training hall". This is meant to help a devotee realise and develop their divinity, which in turn will cause "disharmony to disappear", and a "liberation from all human suffering".

The Uji Jinja

The Uji Jinja is considered the "Spiritual Basis of Humanity Enlightenment Movement and the Sacred Place to directly connect with the Spiritual World" and is located in Kyoto, Japan.

Seicho-No-Ie websites report over 5 million adherents in Japan, USA, Canada, Germany and Brazil.

Seicho-No-Ie can be compared to the new religious interpretations that were the result of the New Thought Movement in the USA.

[edit] References and further reading

Clarke, Peter B. (ed.), A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations and an Introduction to Japanese New Religions at Home and Abroad - Plus an Appendix on Aum Shinrikyo. Surrey, UK: Japan Library/Curzon, 1999. ISBN 1-873410-80-8.
Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective. Surrey, UK: Curzon Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7007-1185-6.
Gottlieb, Nanette, and Mark McLelland (eds.). Japanese Cybercultures. London; New York: Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0-415-27918-6, ISBN 0-415-27919-4.