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The New Religions of Japan

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The New Religions of Japan THE NEW RELIGIONS OF JAPAN By H. Neill McFarland Professor of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (Reprinted by permission of the author) 4. PL Kyddan was reborn in PL Kyodan in 1946. A few of the New Religions have 1 he reorganizer of the sect in its adopted rather bizarre titles in­ present form is Miki Tokuchika corporating English words or who continues to serve the Order Japanese transliterations of English as its Master Teacher or Osme-oya, words. One such sect is PL Kyodan an office which is comparable to ( “Perfect Liberty Church”），a post­ that of the Shimbashira in Tenri- war revival of a pre-war move­ kyo，except that it is not neces­ ment known as Hito-no-Michi sarily hereditary. ( “Way of Man’，），which was begun 1 he object of worship in the PL in Osaka in 1925 by Miki Toku- Order is Mioya-O-Kami ( “Parent hara，father of the originator and God”），who has no connection with present leader of PL Kyodan. Hito- any of the traditional deities of no-Michi was dispersed by the war­ Japanese mythology. Indeed, the time cabinet, and most of the PL Kyodan is a monotheistic re­ members disbanded. However, a ligion, though a very tolerant one. few of the most ardent devotees The Order teaches that other maintained the ideals of the move­ religions worship the one God ac­ ment ‘‘ underground ’， until the cording to different understandings granting of religious freedom after of him. the war made possible their open The distinctive creed of this sect proclamation again. The movement is set forth in twenty-one “Precepts — 30 — THE NEW RELIGIONS OF JAPAN for Conduct in Life.，，7 These are mirror of our mind. believed by the members of the 16. All things make progress and Order to have been revealed to the development. Founder at Hiroshima in 1947. 17. Grasp the heart of everything. 1 . Life is Art. 18. At every moment man stands 2. The whole life of the indivi­ at the crossroads of good and evil. dual is a continuous succession of 19. Practice at once whatever Self-Expressions. your first inspiration dictates. 3. The individual is a manifesta­ 20. Attain the perfect harmoni­ tion of God. ous state of mind and matter. 4. We suffer if we do not mani­ 21 .Live in Perfect Liberty. fest our self. The essence of the PL doctrine 5. We lose self if we are swayed is included in the first article of by our feelings, the creed: “Life is art.” To every 6. Our true self is revealed when individual there has been given a our ego is effaced. personality that innately is both 7. All things exist in mutual re­ unique and precious. The happiness lation to one another. and meaningfulness of each life 8. Live radiantly as the Sun. depends upon the full and free ex­ 9. All men are equal. pression of one’s personality. Just 10. Bring mutual happiness as the “ professional ” artist ex­ through our expression. presses his personality by that 11.Depend on God at all times. technique and in that medium 12. There is always a way pecu­ which constitute his forte, so every liar to every name. person should create art through 1 3 .lhere is one way for men, the expression of his true self in and there is another for women. the work that is his to do. As the 14. All things exist for World Master Teacher says i t : “ When Peace. one sets one’s whole mind on 15. Our whole environment is the washing or sweeping or any other Perfect Liberty How to Lead a Happy Life (Tondabayashi, Japan: PL Kyodan，n.d.). — 31— THE NEW RELIGIONS OF JAPAN work, one’s true personal quality praying and to live in “conformity is expressed in it Then, those to God,” is able to diagnose the works have been elevated to art.“8 nature and cause of each misfor­ Thus, the “artistic life” is the only tune and to prescribe a corrective. way to true happiness and real An interesting but rather obscure satisfaction. aspect of this role of the Master If, in the course of such a life, is his ability and willingness, in a misfortune such as illness or ac­ certain emergency situations when cident should occur, one must know there is insufficient time for in­ that the event is God's warning struction, to make himself a sacri­ (his parental admonition) that fice for the believer—that is, to some deviation from the way has experience “ vicarious suffering，，一 taken place. Relief from misfortune until such time when instruction then awaits the discovery of the can be given. The presence of such deviation and the manner of its a man, in whom the wisdom of God correction. In general, misfortunes is believed to reside, has made un­ are regarded as gasho ( “ego-pheno- necessary the development of a mena，，），manifestations of an over­ scripture. weening self-consciousness which The PL Kyodan now has about occur when man forgets that he 600,000 followers. Most of these exists only by the grace of God. are urban dwellers, but otherwise However, to learn the exact nature they are not typed according to of a particular offense, one must particular social strata. Reportedly, turn to the Master Teacher (or a wide range of occupations and one of a very few other sanctioned professions is represented among consultants) for a kokoroe pre­ them. The organization and pro­ cept” or “instruction”） which is gram of the Order is highly cen­ applicable to his situation. The tralized. Though the leaders are Master, who is said to be always interested in an international out- 8 Miki Tokuchika, "The True Way of Life” (An unpubliahed essay in type- cript)，p.1.A copy was given to me on the occasion of a visit to the PL Kyodan headquarters at Tondabayashi on May 11，1957. — 32 — THE NEW RELIGIONS OF JAPAN reach，the Order is as yet too young cleared of pine trees and planted to support a foreign missionary with cherries, in the hope that program. within a few years this place will At the present time much of the become one of the most famous -energy of PL Kyodan is directed cherry-viewing sites in Japan. The toward the development of their excitement of helping to create headquarters on an extensive a­ their own haven, or even heaven, creage in a hilly and wooded area is one of the important motiva­ in Tondabayashi near Osaka. Most tions and cohesive factors in the of the present buildings are only development of PL Kyodan. temporary structures, and it is 5. Ittoen evident that it will be a long while In the hills just east of Kyoto before their elaborate plans for per­ there is a unique religious com­ manent installations will be munity called Ittoen ( “Garden of realized. In the development of One Light”） which has as its this area, a major emphasis is being founder and leader a saintly octo­ placed on youth and recreation. At genarian by the name of Nishida the time of my visit (May 11，1957) ， Tenko. The movement which an eighteen-hote golf course and centers in this establishment is three baseball diamonds were being sometimes likened to the early constructed. A labor force for the Franciscan movement, and the latter project is supplied by the PL leader, known affectionately to his Youth Association’ whose members followers as Tenko San, is often come in groups for four-day train­ called by others the St. Francis, ing periods, and perform manual the Gandhi， or the Tolstoy of labor as a part of their training. Japan. The leaders of the Order also aspire The ideal life of Ittoen is one of to make their headquarters a re­ total dependence upon God. It is nowned beauty spot. To this end characterized by five aspirations: they have made a lake and have (a) A life of non-possession. spanned it by an artistic red bridge. (b) A life of repentance and The hills around the lake have been abiding in God. — 33 — THE NEW RELIGIONS OF JAPAN (c) The worship of God through present respectively the essence of all religious truths. Buddhism and the essence of (d) Service of love，performed Christianity. without hope of reward. Throughout Japan there are per­ (e) The establishment of a haps five hundred persons who heavenly kingdom upon earth. endeavor to live by the principles God in Ittoen is called Ohikari of Ittoen, but the movement centers ( “Light”）and is conceived as the in the colony near Kyoto where the Essence of all religions. In this two or three hundred residents concept, as in a number of other share a communal life in company aspects, Ittoen is conspicuously with their leader. They have few syncretistic. While the life of this possessions. Their clothing, food, community is pre-eminently the and living quarters are adequate product of the faith and genius of but quite plain and coarse. Each Tenko San, he has been influenced day is lived according to a rather by various religions, notably Bud­ rigid schedule which makes provi­ dhism and Christianity. This is sion for regular early morning and nowhere more evident than in the evening worship and places a principal symbol by which the special emphasis upon hard work. community represents the object For the children there are schools, of its worship. It is a composite but the youngsters too are expected symbol consisting of a Christian to contribute their labor.
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