Mahikari

Mahikari is a Japanese new religious movement (shinshūkyō) that was founded in 1959 by Yoshikazu Okada (岡田 良一) (1901–1974). The word "Mahikari" means "True (真, ma) Light (光, hikari)" in Japanese.[1]

Foundation

The Mahikari organization was founded based on a revelation dated February 27, 1959. Okada said that this revelation related to the mission of bringing purification to the world and humanity.[2] Thus, he founded the organization, "L.H. Yokoshi Tomo no Kai" (陽光子友乃会 – Association of Positive People [children] of Light). In 1963, he registered the organization under the name "Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan" (World Divine Light Organization).

Okada's world view

Okada claimed that he received a revelation from the Creator God, Mioya Motosu Mahikari Omikami ("Great Parent, Great Origin, True Light, Great God"), or simply, "Su (主, Lord) God." He mentioned his role to pioneer the introduction of the art of True Light, a method of spiritual purification that cleanses the spirit, mind, and body, and serves as an expedient to attaining happiness.

Okada claimed that the world was approaching a time of great upheaval, "baptism by fire," in which humanity will be cleansed through abnormal weather, social turmoil, and so on. He emphasized that humanity had entered this period in earnest from January 1, 1962. Okada said an increase in what he called the spiritual energy of fire would result in phenomena such as flooding, cold snaps, and potable water would becoming increasingly scarce. He said humankind needed to work hastily to develop techniques of turning sea water into drinkable water.

The holy scriptures of Mahikari consist of The Holy Words (Goseigen) and The Yōkōshi Prayer Book (Norigotoshū).

Religious organization with similarities

Other religious organizations that have similarities include Oomoto, Sekai Kyūsei Kyō, Tenrikyo, and Konkokyo. For example, in Sekai Kyūsei Kyō, a practice called Johrei (purification of the spirit) is undertaken. A number of practices channel universal energy but it is noted that the emphasis in Mahikari is radiating Light from the Creator God, which purifies the spirit, mind, and body, and is made possible through a divine pendant called Omitama.

Other Influences

Hikari wa tōhō yori (Light will come from the East)

"In a collection of [Okada's] sermons we find a chapter entitled “Light will come from the East,” which explains that the founders of the world's major religions realized their teachings were revealing a part of the ultimate truth, and that eventually teachings disclosing the entire truth would emerge from the East. [3]

Mahikari organizations

The following organizations (listed in order of establishment date) were influenced by the world-view and practices of Yoshikazu Okada:

  • 1959 : "L.H. Yokoshi no Tomo no Kai" (Lucky, Healthy, Association of Sunlight Friends). The start of the Mahikari organization.
  • 1963 : "Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan" – nominal membership – 50,000 to 100,000 worldwide (2007). The Mahikari organization became registered as a religious organization in Japan.
  • 1978 : "Sukyo Mahikari" (Japan) – nominal membership – 1,000,000+ worldwide (2009).

Offshoots of the above Mahikari organizations include: "The Light Center" (Belgium), (1978–1979), "Suhikari Koha Sekai Shindan" – nominal membership – 4,500 (2007), "Yokoshi Tomo No Kai" (Singapore) (1984), and so on.

Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan

Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan (World Divine Light Organization) is the name of the Mahikari organization founded by Yoshikazu Okada, based on "Yokoshi Tomo no Kai" (Lucky, Healthy, Association of Sunlight Friends), which was founded in 1959. Yoshikazu Okada was the organization's first spiritual leader (divine name: "Seio," "Kotama").

After the founder's passing on June 23, 1974, a dispute surrounding succession arose. The case reached an amicable settlement in which Sakae Sekiguchi (1909–1994) became the leader of Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan, and Keishu Okada became the leader of Sukyo Mahikari. Sukyo Mahikari established the World Shrine in Takayama in 1984, and Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan established the "Su-za World Main Shrine" in Mount Amagi on the Izu Peninsula on August 23, 1987. On January 3, 1994, the Reverend Seisho (Katsutoshi Sekiguchi (1939–) became the third spiritual leader of the organization.

Sukyo Mahikari

Sukyo Mahikari (崇教真光) is the name of the organization founded by Keishu Okada in 1978, the adopted daughter of Yoshikazu Okada. The Sukyo Mahikari headquarters is located in Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture. Sukyo Mahikari is affiliated with the Hikaru Museum, a museum that was opened in 1999 based on the tenet proclaimed by the founder Kotama Okada, "The origin of the earth is one, the origin of the universe is one, the origin of humankind is one, and the origin of all religions is one." The museum aims to protect and promote local culture as well as foster international exchange and understanding of ancient civilizations.

Suhikari Kōha Sekai Shindan

Suhikari Kōha Sekai Shindan was founded in 1980 by the spiritualist and manga artist Kuroda Minoru (1928– ).<ref>Inoue, Nobutaka 1991 Kuroda is a known for his themes of ghost stories or the curses of spirits. Kuroda had been a follower of Yoshikazu Okada and Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan. After Okada's death, Kuroda left that organization and established the "Shūkyō Dantai Kōrin" in 1980, registering the group as an independent religious body under the Religious Corporations Law (Shūkyō Hōjinhō). In 1984 the group assumed its current name. Its headquarters are in Hachiōji City, Tokyo.

Notes
  1. Yasaka 1999, p. 25
  2. McVeigh, Brian 1992, p. 41
  3. Knecht, Peter 1995, p. 337

See also

References
  • Clarke, Peter Bernard (1994), Japanese New Religions in the West, Routledge, ISBN 1-873410-24-7
  • Cornille, Catherine (1991), "The Phoenix Flies West: The Dynamics of the Inculturation of Mahikari in Western Europe" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 18 (2–3): 265–285, doi:10.18874/jjrs.18.2-3.1991.265-285, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • Davis, Winston (1982), Dojo: Magic and Exorcism in Modern Japan, Stanford University Press, ISBN 0-8047-1131-3
  • Inoue, Nobutaka (1991), "Recent Trends in the Study of Japanese New Religions" (webpage), Institute for Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin University, retrieved 2007-10-04
  • Knecht, Peter (1995), "The Crux of the Cross Mahikari's Core Symbol" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 22 (3–4): 321–340, doi:10.18874/jjrs.22.3-4.1995.321-341, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • McVeigh, Brian (1992), "The Vitalistic Conception of Salvation as Expressed in Sukyo Mahikari" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 19 (1): 41–68, doi:10.18874/jjrs.19.1.1992.41-68, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • Shibata, Kentaro (2003), Great and Holy Master?, L.H. Yoko Shuppan
  • Sukyo Mahikari (2004), Mahikari Primary Course Text, Sukyo Mahikari
  • Tebecis, Andris K. (2004), Is the Future in Our Hands? My Experiences with Sukyo Mahikari, Canberra, Australia: Sunrise Press, ISBN 0-9593677-4-8
  • Thomsen, Harry (1963), The New Religions of Japan, Charles E. Tuttle Co.
  • Tsushiro Hirofumi (2006), "Subikari Kōha Sekai Shindan" (webpage), Kokugakuin University, retrieved 2007-10-05
  • Tsushima, Michihito; et al. (1979), "The Vitalistic Conception of Salvation in Japanese New Religions: An Aspect of Modern Religious Consciousness" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 6 (1–2): 138–161, doi:10.18874/jjrs.6.1-2.1979.139-161, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • Weston, Erin Leigh (2002), "Transcultural Possessions in/of Mahikari: Religious Syncretism in Martinique" (PDF), Japanese Studies Review, 6 (1): 45–62, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • World Divine Light Organization web site, pp. holy master–history, archived from the original (webpage) on 1998-12-12, retrieved 2007-10-21
  • Yamane,Ichiro, (webpage) http://web.sugiyama-u.ac.jp/~yamane/orenti/kik/kik.html, retrieved 2007-10-07 Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Yasaka, T (1999), Hope for a Troubled Age, L H Yoko Publishers Tokyo
  • Young, Richard Fox (1988), "From Gokyo-dogen to Bankyo-dokon: A Study in the Self-Universalization of Omoto" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 15 (4): 263–286, doi:10.18874/jjrs.15.4.1988.263-286, retrieved 2007-09-23
  • Young, Richard Fox (1990), "Magic and Morality in Modern Japanese Exorcistic Technologies – A Study of Mahikari –" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 17 (1): 42, doi:10.18874/jjrs.17.1.1990.29-49, retrieved 2007-10-06
  • Broder, Anne (2008), "Mahikari in context" (PDF), Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 35 (2): 33–362, retrieved 2010-08-04
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.