Revealed

2006-09-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

Rebuttle

I was looking over some of my old posts for comments today and I found the following comment from a person who chose to remain anonymous. I read the comment with an open mind, but something about it compelled me share it with everyone. The person clearly didn’t read any of my other posts and clearly does not know that I was a member of Sukyo Mahikari pretty much my whole life and herego know probably just as much as them if not more about the organization.

Anonymous said...

Although much of the information you offer here reflects practices of the SM movement, there is so much that is untrue that it is overall not a fair evaluation of the organization. I don't have time to address all that is incorrect but I'll try to clarify what I can. First, no promises are made to anyone that they will be "saved" if they give and receive enough enough divine light. The emphasis is not on our own individual salvation but on serving God. We hope,of course, to be saved but it is always said that we don't know who will or won't be saved. Futher, people not in Mahikari will be saved as well but, again, we don't claim to know who will or won't be among them.

-I will be interrupting throughout this to put my two-cents in. Okay…maybe I’ll give you that SM does not promise that you will be saved, but they do say that if you give okiyome every day and receive okiyome every day, that you will be more spiritually cleansed and will therefore be more acceptable in the eyes of God. They might not come right out and say “you will be saved”, but they do VERY STRONGLY imply that the only way to be pure enough to possibly be saved is through divine light. Therefore, one must logically assume that to Kumite the only way to be saved is through Sukyo Mahikari; given the fact that they claim to be the only religion (besides Johrei and a few others, which they do not acknowledge) who offers okiyome.

There is within Mahikari an organizational structure and many decisions are made at higher levels. That is not to say that individuals may not make their own decisions about how to live their own lives.

-Organizational Structure? Well, given the fact that if you don’t follow the Organizational Structure you are frowned upon, considered disobiedient, or spiritually disturbed…what option do Kumite have? Read Lara’s blog to find out more about the Organizational Structure SM sets into motion. Kanbu sometimes make poor decisions and the results can be deadly when Kumite cannot stand up and say ‘no’. The right to say no and disagree is always there, but when the religion teaches that the people put in charge are connected strongly to Keishu who is connected to God…naturally they assume that the Kanbu members have some sort of divine knowledge that they do not possess.

Further, obedience to staff (kanbu) is neither suggested nor required.If individuals ask for guidance from staff, there is a belief that the guidance that is offered in this type of situation should be followed because it is divinely inspired. There is no requirement that anyone do so. Members are also encouraged to seek assistance from appropriate agencies, therapists and physicians when needed.

-This is 100% incorrect. Obidience is strongly encouraged. You are told to be like a child and pay Kanbu the respect that a child gives their parents. Which means that you look at them in awe and treat them as though they are the all-knowing ultimate source of truth; the way a baby does until they turn about two years old and start saying ‘no’ and ‘mine’.

Obedience to and dependence on staff is not encouraged.

-More non-sense. You are told that all big decisions need to be discussed with Kanbu. They will know the best solution out of the myriad of options. I once knew a man who received a promotion from work; the new salary he was going to be offered was almost double what he was receiving at the time. However, the job would have required him to move to Egypt; where he would stay for six years. The Kanbu members told him that because where he was moving was not near a center it would be spiritually crippling for him and his family to make the move.
Not only was there no center, but there would be limited people to receive and offer divine light from. By moving he would have possibly been standing in the way of the salvation of someone he was supposed to come in contact with. The man refused the position based on Kanbu’s assessment of the situation. Now, yes, he could have refused their answer and gone anyway, but he would have been discussed behind his back by members and frowned upon; not to mention the salvation of others rested in his hands alone.

I don't understand your point regarding the absence of independent thinking. I can't think of any church that encourages independent thinking regarding, for example, God's law or that encourages research. Research on what?

-Again incorrect. In Bible study class we are given a text to read over. For instance Phillipians 4. We read the text and select the verse in the text that stands out the most strongly to us. We then talk about why God has chosen to bring that verse to our attention, interpert it, and then apply it to our lives. The Bible is all about interpertation.

When I spoke of doing research I was speaking of knowing the truth about your religion. Researching it’s origin and knowing all the facts about it. Sukyo Mahikari does not encourage people to research the background of the organization; unless you research it through the organization where you will receive their version of events. You are told that the people who write against Sukyo Mahikari are spiritually disturbed and therefore cannot be trusted as a reliable source; thus you must rely on the organization for your answers. Christianity has nothing to hide; our history is out in the open for anyone to read about. Sukyo Mahikari tries to bury the truth and prevent members from coming in contact with oposition.

It's simplistic to say that Mahikari says that doubts or questions are the result of spiritual disturbance. They may or may not result from some disturbance but in my experience, questions from members are taken seriously and addressed thoughtfully.

-Really…so if I were to ask about say…the Johrei and why SM claims to be an original religion when the SKK was founded almost 20 years before them and practice the same thing…would my questions be answered thoughtfully and enthusiastically? If I were to ask why in the Goseigen it states that Okada was apprehensive when he raised his hand for the first time when we have photos that prove he was a member of the SKK and therefore must have raised his hand before in order to practice their religion, would I again be answered? I don’t think so.

Your points regarding members being discouraged from taking vacations or enjoying time outside the center are simply untrue. Members are encouraged to live balanced lives and, in particular, to put their families first before the organization. Mahikari, as a rule, doesn't accept prospective members whose families object to their membership. The reason for this is that there is a desire not to cause dissension or disharmony within families.

- Really? Because SM has caused a lot of disharmony within my family. Not only do I disagree with it, but my grandparents are against it as well…being that they are strong Catholics. My grandmother and mother have fought about it constantly, but my mother has not been denied membership. My mother practically disowned me over my leaving the organization, in fact, Kanbu told her that maybe it was better for her to keep her distance because I could be disturbed. As for vacations, my family took vacations but always to locations where there was a center near by.

It is also untrue that the statue of Izonome is really meant to be Okada. I have never heard such a comment in over 10 years with this organization. Explanations are frequently given about who is who and where they came from and this is just not so. Okada's picture is displayed on certain occasions and he is clearly differentiated from Izunome.

-That’s your center. In my center the statue has been called Okada several times. My mother has always told me that was who the statue was. As for Okada…I remember leaving out alcohol and cigarettes on the shrine on his birthday. For someone who stressed not putting impurities in the body, he sure didn’t take his own advice.

Control over people and having some traditional or spirtual practices are not related. Catholics dip their hand in holy water and make the sign of the cross. That is no more to establish control over their popluation than Mahikari's washing of hands,taking off of shoes or greeting people when you arrive.

- That’s because Catholics (no offense) like Sukyo Mahikari put more emphasis on works and tradition. To them religion is about rituals, not a relationship with our Creator. God doesn’t care how you worship Him as long as you love Him. He doesn’t want robotic, repetative non-sense. If you want to go through the motions and rituals and traditions that is your preogative, but do not tell people that you do it because that is the way God wants you to do it.

Again, in my experience , questions are always encouraged at seminars. It is true that prospective members are encouraged to abandon pre-conceived ideas about God and religion when they take the course to become Mahikari members. That is because they will hear some information that will be different from what they have heard earlier in their religious lives and, if they wish to become members of this organization, it is good to be open minded about the information that you will receive. There is no obligation to do so or to believe anything in particular. What is true is true irrespective of who believes it.

-Yes, they do hear some new things when they take Kenshu and yes, they are told to dump out the old tea to make new. However, they are not told that the organization considers itself the only path to God. On the contrary they are told that it doesn’t matter what you believe; that okiyome is all that matters and that any religion can fit with Sukyo Mahikari…that it is universal and that it is not necessary to throw away your old beliefs entirely. That’s a lie, especially for Christians who join. When you take Secondary Kenshu you hear their distorted history of Jesus Christ. You hear that he was never cruxified, that his twin brother died on the cross in his place, that he lived to be 107, that he studied Shintoism, and that be is buried in Japan. Now, given the fact that the basis of all Christian beliefs is that we are saved from our sins because Jesus died on the cross for us…there’s bit of a problem.

All in all, the focus of Mahikari is to make the world a better place through giving divine light and by living by certain principles which make one a better person . I have partcipated in many religious organizations in my life and I've never seen another one in which the members make so much effort to become better human beings, to as well as to make their communities and the world a better place.

-How are you making the world a better place by sitting on your knees in dojo, and participating in absolutely zero humanitarian efforts? Sukyo Mahikari does not support acts of chairity because they say that you are interefering with the karma of others so how in the hell is Sukyo Mahikari doing anything to better the planet? They are peddling beliefs that may or may not be true. I pity Sukyo Mahikari members because one day when they come face to face with their Creator they will learn that it was all for nothing. If you speak in tongues of angels, but have not love you’re only a resounding noise. If you have the gift of knowledge and if your faith moves mountains high, but have not love you are nothing. God wants your hearts, not your fear and half-assed efforts to try and appease those fears.

2006-09-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Baptism of Fire

I spoke with a member of Sukyo Mahikari recently and we began to chat about the Baptism of Fire and why it did not come in the year 2000 as scheduled. I was prepared for an array of reasons as to why and was not shocked when this person replied, “The Baptism was delayed because we have been so sonao in our efforts to spread Mahikari far and wide. We have been putting more and more effort into erasing our sins and impurities through true light and helping non-believers find God through the teachings of Sukuinushisama. Due to the constant efforts of Oshienushisama and Odairisama God has decided to spare us from the Baptism until the year December 21st, 2012.”

So there you have it folks; due to the efforts of Sukyo Mahikari members worldwide, in edition to the constant pleading Oshienushisama and Odairisama have been doing with God, we can now sleep easy until the end of the world six years from now. It never ceases to amaze me how conceited some SM members are. Do they really think that because they packed their emergency kits and sat in the dojo praying while the rest of us were watching the New York count down to the year 2000 that God spared us?

The Bible says that when the Lord comes it will be like a ‘thief in the night’ like a ‘lightning fast hurricane’.
1 Thessalonians 5
1. Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2. for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

No one will expect it and no one will be able to predict it. It could happen at any moment; at this moment. No one will know. Not you, me, or Keishu Okada. Why would God give us a deadline so that the sinners could continue to live in sin and then repent at the last possible moment? That would be moronic. The only thing we know is that it will be a seemingly peaceful time, without war, when we would least expect it. The verse continue to say

4. But you, brothers (referring to Christians not Sukyo Mahikari members), are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

I did a little research about the year 2012 and found it was the year the ancient Mayan’s predicted the world would end; their calendar ends on December 21st, 2006. The Mayan’s were very sophisticated mathematically back in their time, but there is no evidence to support that the world is going to end six years from now.

It looks as though Keishu needed to set a date, due to the fact that she is supposedly more connected to God than the rest of us and is therefore all knowing, and the only date she could come up with was the day the Mayan calendar ended. I wonder what year the world will end when this prediction falls through.

2006-08-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I saw this today and my jaw dropped. Introducing... *drum roll please*...Sukyo Mahikari in a box! Now you don't need to go to dojo in order to cure your aches and pains; you have Light Relief! This is a bit taken from the official site...

A Gentle Stream of Soothing Energy!
Pain—it attacks your body when you least expect it, stops you in your tracks, preys on your mind, and robs you of your happiness, spirit and freedom.
Introducing Light Relief, the safe and natural alternative to pain relief that gets you back to living well, spending time the way you really want, having fun, and enjoying the people you love.
Light Relief is an infrared light therapy device that is so effective it comes with a money-back guarantee. Light Relief uses light emitting diodes or LEDs to create a powerful stream of warm therapeutic light that penetrates deep, increasing circulation, and relieving minor muscle pain, joint pain, and stiffness where and when you need it.

Light Relief is the natural way to soothe your aches and pains and get you on your feet again. You will be amazed at how much better you feel!

Light Relief's innovative and compact design is durable, lightweight and portable. It goes anywhere, and fits in the palm of your hand. You can easily remove the comfort pad and it's flexible to fit every curve of your body.

Light Relief is made to the highest quality standards and is backed by a two-year warranty.
So get back to living life to the fullest and feeling good again, like thousands of people have. Climb that mountain, spread your wings and fly.

This infomercial provided me with a half hour of entertainment...especially when they started talking about toxins! Seriously...this thing sounded like promotion for SM. I am going to order like twenty of these and then open up my own store next to the dojo and offer light relief healing.

For more details visit...

www.lightrelief.com

2006-08-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Karma: Is Misfortune Good or Bad?

I have been thinking a lot about karma. In Sukyo Mahikari karma has a huge impact on the life cycle; in fact, it is due to ones negative karma that it is supposedly essential to join SM and take kenshu, bring in new members, receive okiyome daily, and adhere to all the other tedious tasks that SM deems mandatory to ridding oneself of the clouds on the soul. It is like a domino effect and negative karma is the first domino knocked over, setting off a chain reaction.

However, there are two completely different kinds of karmic belief.

The first belief states that bad things happen to people because they have done terrible things in their past lives. The religions who teach this belief, like SM, believes that mishaps in life are due to accumulated negative karma; therefore a person must compensate through misfortune for their sins of the past. SM teaches that the worst thing one can do for a person going through suffering is aid them to make the suffering less painful. For example, if you were to give a homeless man on the street some money for a meal; you are interfering with his compensation process and thus preventing him from working off his sins and impurities through physical suffering. SM believes in no charity of any kind for this reason.

The second belief states that bad things happen to people who are more spiritually elevated. For example, Gnostism teaches that everyone makes a contract with God prior to coming to Earth to live their life. The contract is a promise to live a life exactly the way it is written on a chosen chart. A chart is a blueprint of life; which documents everything that will happen to a person throughout their lifetime: their parents, birth, spouse, kids, job, death…everything is preordained, discussed, and chosen by the soul in question and God before life begins. People have the opportunity to live multiple lives because Jesus died on the cross so that all sins could be forgiven; it is due to his sacrifice that people have the opportunity to be born multiple times to learn new life lessons with every chart.

The hope is that someday a soul will be spiritually pure enough to go to Heaven and be with God eternally. Now, with that established…Gnostics believe that, just like school, you start out with easy lessons and work your way up to harder lessons. Thus, a homeless man on the street that is going through an extreme amount of suffering is more spiritually elevated than someone who has a simple life, makes a lot of money, and has not a care or worry in the world. Therefore, people who have difficult lives should be revered for their strength; because they are so far along in their spiritual evolution that they have to go through a harder life.

Quite a contrast in the karmic belief! SM would have members believe that they are the spiritually superior group; that they have to stay so busy purifying themselves because they have a divine mission that they cannot be bothered with any other act of kindness or aid. To them, being at the dojo, being available to offer okiyome to SM members on call, is the best thing they can do for humanity. They turn their noses up at people in trouble. They turn their noses up at people who ask for charity. They scoff at the humanitarian effort. But what if karma works the opposite way? What if misfortune is a natural part of spiritual evolution and the people who have a carefree life, a life where they can sit at dojo all day without a care while time slips by, where they can offer okiyome and avoid the rest of humanity selfishly, only worrying about their own purification and the few people they are able to sucker into joining…are the ones who still have a lot of work to do through reincarnation?

It got me thinking…

2006-05-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Plea to Sukyo Mahikari Parents

Silhouettes above the cradle hold me down
They won't let me go the wrong way
My mother taught me all the fables, told me how in the end all the sinners have to pay
But I don't wanna live like my mother
I don't wanna let fear rule my life
And I don't wanna live like my father
I don't wanna give up before I die

When I have kidsI won't put any chains on their wrists, I won't
I'll tell them this; there's nothing in this world that you can't be if you want it enough

I don't wanna live like my mother
I don't wanna let fear rule my life
And I don't wanna live like my father
I don't wanna give up before I die

Alright, I know some of you who have been reading my previous posts are going to say “someone kick the damn record player”, but I cannot stress this enough. This issue pisses me off to no end. I chose the above song (Silhouettes by Smile Empty Soul) because this is what parents do to their kids; predestine their religious beliefs and political thinking.

For those of you who do not typically read my blog, my penname is Asher Kennedy. I will not reveal my real name in order to protect the identities of my family members. I was a member of Sukyo Mahikari, like yourselves. I joined when I was ten, but my parents have been involved in Mahikari for as long as I can remember. I am not going to bore you with the details of how I came to leave Mahikari or try to persuade you to leave the organization; instead I am going to plea with you about a different subject.

Your religious preference is your choice, while I might not agree with it you are entitled to it; just as I am entitled to my opinion. Now, clearly we do not agree on Sukyo Mahikari because if we did this blog would not be necessary. Whether we agree or not is irrelevant because what it boils down to is this…

Religions are hereditary beliefs and opinions. To quote the headline of an article in the Guardian by Reverend Don Cupitt: 'We need to make a clean break with heritage religion and create something better suited to our own time.' We vary in our opinions and our tastes, and it is one of our glories. Some of us are left-wing, others right. Some are pro-abortion, others pro-life. Some listen to Beethoven, others Mozart. Some watch birds, others collect stamps. It is only to be expected that our elders should influence us in all such matters. All this is normal and praiseworthy.

In particular, it is normal and pleasing that parental impact should be strong. I'm not talking particularly about genes, but about all the influences that parents inevitably bring. It is to be expected that football fathers will teach the sport to their sons or daughters on the back lawn, take them to NFL games, and pass on their love of the game. There will be some tendency for ornithologists to have bird-watching children, bibliophiles book-loving children. Beliefs and tastes, political biases and hobbies, these will tend, at least statistically, to pass longitudinally down generations, and nobody would wish it otherwise.

But now we come to religion, and an extremely odd thing happens. Where we might have said, 'knowing his father, I expect young Matthew will take up football,' we emphatically do not say, 'With her devout Catholic parents; I expect young Bernadette will take up Catholicism.' Instead we say, without a moment's hesitation or a qualm of misgiving, 'Bernadette is a Catholic'. We state it as simple fact even when she is far too young to have developed a theological opinion of her own. In all other spheres, a good school will encourage her to develop her own tastes and opinions, her own skills, penchants and values. But when it comes to religion, society meekly makes a clanging exception. We inexplicably accept that, the day she is born, Bernadette has a label tied around her neck. This is a Catholic baby.

That is a protestant baby. This is a Hindu baby. That is a Muslim baby. That is a Kumite baby. This baby thinks there are many gods. That baby is adamant that there is only one. But it is preposterous that we do this to children. They are too young to know what they think. To slap a label on a child at birth - to announce, in advance, as a matter of hereditary presumption if not determinate certainty, an infant's opinions on the cosmos and creation, on life and afterlives, on sexual ethics, abortion and euthanasia - is a form of mental child abuse.

I do not believe it is possible to mount a decent defense against my charge. Yet infant belief-labels are almost universally accepted. We don't even think about it. Just in case any lingering doubt remains, consider the following: This child is a Gramscian Marxist. That child is a Trotskyite Syndicalist. This third child is a Wet Conservative. This baby is a Keynesian. That baby is a Monetarist. This baby is an ornithologist. Not, 'This baby is likely to become an ornithologist if his father has anything to do with it.' That would be fine. But, 'this baby is an ornithologist'? Unthinkable, isn't it? Yet, where religion is concerned, you don't give it a second glance. Oh, and by the way, nobody, least of all an atheist, ever talks about an 'atheist child'. Rightly so. But why the double standard?

I presume you need no more convincing. For parents to influence their children's opinions and beliefs is inevitable and proper. But to tie labels to young children, which in effect presume and presuppose the success of that parental influence, is wicked and indefensible. But, you may soothingly say, don't worry, wait till they go to school, it'll be fine. The children will be educated in a variety of opinions and beliefs, they'll be taught to think for themselves, they'll make up their own minds. Well, it would have been nice to think so.

But what do we do? We deliberately set up, and massively subsidize, segregated faith schools. As if it were not enough that we fasten belief-labels on babies at birth, those badges of mental apartheid are now reinforced and refreshed. In their separate schools, children are separately taught mutually incompatible beliefs. Sukyo Mahikari has been tossing the idea around about creating Sukyo Mahikari schools, where children will be taught Sukyo Mahikari doctrine in correlation with their lessons. Subsidized Christian schools were bad enough, but what will Sukyo Mahikari teach children when it is time to study history? That the Holocaust was punishment from God because the Jews did not construct a proper shrine? Or that Japan is God’s pre-chosen holy country? These teachings could not hold up most countries.

‘Kumite children' go to the state-subsidized Sukyo Mahikari school. If they are lucky, they won't actually be taught to hate Jews, but I wouldn't bank on it, especially in Republican States. The best we can hope for is that they will come out thinking only that there is something a bit alien or odd about Jews. ‘Protestant children' go to the Protestant school. Even if they are not taught to hate Catholics (again, don't bank on it), and even if they don't get passed the gauntlet of hate, we can be sure they won't be taught the same US history as the ‘Catholic children' down the street.

Opening new faith schools is downright insane; churches need to offer a consciousness-raising exercise for parents. Just as feminists succeeded in making us wince when we hear 'he' where no sex is intended, or 'man' for humanity, we need to raise our consciousness about the faith-labeling of children.

In case you haven’t come to this conclusion, I strongly discourage the use, in all households, churches, and school the use of phrases that presume theological opinions in children too young to have any. I hope that we can some day foster a climate in which it becomes impossible to use a phrase like 'Catholic children', 'Protestant children', 'Jewish children', 'Muslim children', or ‘Kumite Children” without wincing. It only costs two words more to say, for instance, 'children of Muslim parents' or 'children of Jewish parents'.

One of the more frightening aspects of human nature is a tendency to gravitate towards 'Us' and against 'Them'. Worse, Us versus Them disputes have a natural tendency to reach down the generations, leading to vendettas of frightening historical tenacity. Where labels are not provided to feed our natural divisiveness, we manufacture them.

Children separate out into gangs, often with distinguishing labels. In certain districts of Los Angeles, a young person innocently sporting the wrong brand of trainers is in danger of being shot. Experiments have been done in which children, with no particular reason to sort themselves into gangs, are provided with, say, green or blue shirts. In short order, enmities spring up between the greens and the blues: fierce loyalties to one's own color, vendettas against the other. These can become surprisingly vicious.

That's what happens when you don't even try to segregate children. Now, imagine that you deliberately stamp a green or a blue label on a child at birth. Send this child to a blue school and that child to a green school. Encourage green boys to assume that they will grow up to marry green girls, while blue girls will marry blue boys. Take for granted that, the moment they have a baby of their own, it too must have the same colored label tied around its neck. Passed on down the generations, what is all that a recipe for? Do I need to spell it out?
Hereditary peers, though undemocratic and often mildly eccentric, are not dangerous. Faith schools almost certainly are.

From the moment I was born, my parents had decided that I was a Kumite (a member of Sukyo Mahikari)…I was going to attend dojo, become an official member at the age of 10, join Sukyo Mahikari youth group (Tai), marry a Kumite, and have Kumite children. That was always my parent’s plan for me. For a long time it seemed that was the road I was taking…I went to dojo when I was young, joined when I was 10, became a Tai-Cho in the youth group….and I never questioned anything. I accepted everything I was taught as fact without examining other religions or checking the facts.

Well, I met a girl and this girl saw things in a way that I didn’t. My whole life I had heard about Christianity because my friends were Christians, but I never really gave it much thought…I knew enough about Christianity to know that it was very different from Mahikari and because I feared the reactions of my friends, I tended to remain quiet about faith. This girl however, got me talking about faith. We did not agree and she was constantly butting heads with me…until one day she asked me, “Why do you believe these things, Asher? Because it was your choice; a decision you made because it is what feels right in your heart? Or was it because your parents taught you it was right?”

I could not answer that question truthfully by saying that Sukyo Mahikari was my choice. It wasn’t my choice it was just what had always been taught to me, what was there…I had no choice; my parents took my ability to choose from me, not because they wanted to hurt me or deny me anything, but because it was what they thought was right. My parents believe whole-heartedly that Sukyo Mahikari is the true path, but does that make it right for them to choose the right path for me? Sure, as parents you want to make sure your child is going to be saved, but their salvation is not up to you, it is between your child and God.

Now I know that this was just put on the official Sukyo Mahikari site to try and entice new members to join, but it says that Sukyo Mahikari is not the only path to God, but one of many paths leading to the same universal truth…if you Kumite parents truly believe what your religion is promoting on its official site, then let these children make their own choice. If Sukyo Mahikari is right for them they can join when they are old enough and can make a decision that will make them happy. If Sukyo Mahikari is what will make them happy, fine, I am happy for them. I really do wish them all the luck in the world and I hope their lives are fulfilled.

But if they are going to feel pressured to join by parents or by other kumite (because we all know as soon as a child hits ten years of age, everyone and their dog is asking these kids when they will take Kenshu), that is not right. It is my personal opinion that the age to become a member should be raised to 16 years of age, but Mahikari would never consider that because they are too afraid of losing kids along the way (kids who choose not to join are lost revenue)…they think it is better to gather them at this young, vulnerable age so that when they are teens and young adults, their free-will to choose is already corrupted.

Some Kumite have emailed me saying that “the child is choosing, it is their choice whether they take Kenshu or not” but that is wrong. Some parents, the fanatics like my mom, basically twisted my arm about joining. Not to mention the youth group is not open to all children, only to the children who have omitama…so it’s either join or miss out on the “fun”. Plus, you have all other Kumite asking the child constantly whether they will join, telling them they will have so much fun, telling them it is what God wants, etc…peer pressure is not just from children, but from anyone the child interacts with.

I beg you parents to let your child choose. I understand when they’re young you have to help them make some choices (Ex: if they have the option of eating nothing but sweets or vegetables…most of them will eat the junk unless a parent is there to guide them) however, a child gets to choose their spouse, their profession, and their religion…those are all sacred things that should not be chosen for anyone. I hope you will think about that…because if your child wakes up on day, like me, and finds that they have been conditioned by faith and teachings to believe what you believe and not have their own choices, opinions and aspirations, they will resent you and rebel. If they have a choice there is no need to rebel because it is their option.

2006-05-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sukyo Mahikari & Johrei (SKK)

I wanted to use this post as an opportunity to show Sukyo Mahikari members who are reading this the similarities between Kotama Okada’s organization: Mahikari, in comparison to the SKK or Johrei, the organization he was once a minister of. I have gathered the official stances and practices of Sukyo Mahikari and Johrei from their official sites and I will compare them in categories.

Yoshikazu "Kotama" Okada (founder of SMBK/Mahikari)

Mokichi Okada (founder of SKK/Johrei)

Symbol of Sukyo Mahikari

Symbol of SKK/Johrei

Sukyo Mahikari members receiving okiyome

SKK/Johrei members receiving Johrei

Sukyo Mahikari on Kotama Okada:

“When Mr. Kotama Okada founded the Mahikari organization, his intention was to help people throughout the world create a more peaceful and harmonious civilization based on the tenet that "The origin of the world is one, the origin of all human beings is one, and the origin of all religions is one." The one is Creator God, whatever He may be called in various religions and elevated philosophies of the world.”

“Our aim is to help make possible a world filled with love and harmony where people will overcome the many barriers facing them today. In such a world, people will naturally love, care for and respect one another as co-habitants of this one planet – Earth.”

SKK on Mokichi Okada:

Mokichi Okada (1882-1955) also known as Meishu-sama, founded the worldwide movement of Johrei. He was a poet, artist, businessman, visionary and spiritual teacher. Meishu-sama's vision was to create a world of health, peace, and prosperity: a paradise on earth.

Sukyo Mahikari on the Aim of the Organization:

“Our organization aspires to cooperate with others in society who share the same vision of a world where a spiritual outlook will naturally be integrated with humankind's material development and progress.”

“Sukyo Mahikari aims to provide opportunities for people to further their spiritual growth, by helping people to awaken to the existence of God and the principles that govern the universe.”

“Sukyo Mahikari is not the only path to God nor is it the only way to come closer to God. It is one of many paths leading to the same Universal Truth.”

SKK on the Aims of the Organization:

“We are a non-profit organization, a fellowship, with membership open to all. Our members come from a diverse background. All are joined by a common desire to work together and create a better world by eliminating the three major causes of humanity's suffering: disease, poverty, and conflict. For some it is a religion, for others, a spiritual practice, for most, it is simply a way of life.”

Sukyo Mahikari on the purpose of Okiyome:

“The purpose of the practice of the Art of True Light is to purify and revitalize our spirit, mind and body. Through this spiritual practice, people can accumulate experiences that help them grow spiritually and become more in tune with God's will.”

“The Light of God is the spiritual energy or vibration of God's love, wisdom and will. Transmitting and receiving True Light is the basic practice of Sukyo Mahikari.”

“The Art of True Light is generally practiced between two people, with one receiving True Light and the other transmitting it. True Light is transmitted from the palm of the hand, which is held at a certain distance from the body.”

“Through the practice of giving and receiving True Light, it is possible to experience the existence of and the power of God. One can also become aware of the great influence that the unseen spiritual world has on the physical world.”

“Through their practice of the Art of True Light and their efforts to cultivate an innermost attitude attuned to the divine principles, people can grow spiritually and revive their true nature as children of God. As a result, in a natural way, people will be able to manifest their love for themselves, others and all of creation and so make possible a harmonious civilization on Earth.”

SKK on the purpose of Johrei:

“Johrei (joh-ray) is Japanese, means " to purify spirit." Johrei purifies the spirit of the recipient by intensifying or focusing divine light or universal energy through the instrument of the human body.”

“Spiritual clouds are formed by negative thoughts, words and deeds, the accumulation of toxins in our bodies, and also they can be inherited. These toxins include certain medicine or drugs, impure food and environmental toxins. Most people have spiritual clouds that they have accumulated consciously or unconsciously. Johrei enables one to eliminate these clouds more quickly.”

“Johrei manifests through the focusing of Divine Light. Johrei initiates a natural purifying process which promotes inner spiritual balance, and eases physical, mental and emotional distress. Repeated over a period of time, Johrei purifies the spiritual body, allowing it to become more radiant and encouraging our Divine Nature to unfold.”

“An Underling principle of Johrei is that suffering, as well as health, is a reflection of our spiritual condition. A Clouded spiritual condition will manifest in some form of disease, conflict or poverty. A bright spiritual condition will manifest as health, peace and prosperity.”

“As our spiritual awareness and understanding begins to unfold, our consciousness expands, positively affecting all aspects of our being. Gradually, we become self-realized as to our mission in life: to help others become happy. Our spiritual condition becomes brighter and we return to our natural state of true health.”

“Johrei is not merely another technique to be applied for the health of physical ailments. Its main purpose is to awaken the soul to the self-centered lives into God-centered ones"

“A Johrei session takes about 20 minutes and does not require physical contact. Johrei sessions are offered by Fellowship members.”

“Johrei, originated in Japan, purifies the spirit of the recipient by intensifying or focusing divine light or universal energy through the prayer, love and intent of the person transmitting the Light. Universal energy, or the divine light, when focused on the spiritual body of an individual dispels “clouds” or negativity, from the spiritual body and raises the spiritual vibration, thereby causing reactions in the spiritual, mental and physical bodies.”

“Through Johrei 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. The mind is properly focused, relieving it from confusion. 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.”

Sukyo Mahikari on Yoko Gardening:

“As we enter the twenty-first century, the pollution of the Earth's environment and the human body are becoming serious threats to the future of humankind.”

“Sukyo Mahikari promotes yoko gardening, a spiritual approach to organic gardening, farming and agriculture. One aim of yoko gardening is to remove poisonous toxins from the land and to revive the soil to a healthy condition so that crops filled with the vitality and spiritual energy of nature can be produced.”

“The yoko farming method involves:

-Revitalization of the land with True Light.

-Directing positive vibrations (gratitude) to nature, especially the plants, soil and the micro-organisms living in it.

-The use of compost and organic methods that avoid the use of artificial agricultural chemicals.”

SKK on Nature Farming:

“Meishu-sama began developing the Nature Farming philosophy and methods in 1935, as an alternative to chemical farming, which was becoming very popular in Japan at the time. Meishu-sama recognized that survival of human is also depending on agriculture must meet five basic requirements. These are goals and guidelines of Nature Farming:”

-Through Johrei produce foods which are beneficial to maintain and advance our health.

-To be advantageous economically and spiritually both farmers and consumers.

-To be sustainable and easily applied.

-To conform to nature and protect the environment.

-Finally, to provide sufficient foods to feed the whole world.”

“Nature Farming uses no synthetic chemicals. Nature Farming does use biologically sound methods such as Effective Micro-organisms (EM) and other natural practices to enhance fertility and to manage pests and diseases. Nature Farming produces safe, good tasting foods that promote health and vitality.”

Sukyo Mahikari on membership:

“Sukyo Mahikari holds three-day courses at its centers (dojos) throughout the world for people wishing to practice the Art of True Light. These courses are open to anyone over the age of ten (minors need parental consent).”

“In the three-day course, one learns about the universal principles that govern the divine world, the world of divine spirits, the astral world, and the physical world. In addition, one learns about the influence that the unseen spiritual realms have on life in the physical world and vice versa.”

“Upon completion of the course, a person becomes a member of Sukyo Mahikari, and receives a sacred pendant (Omitama) that enables one to practice the Art of True Light. In the spiritual practice of the Art of True Light, the Light of God is transmitted from the palm of the hand to purify and revitalize the spirit, mind and body. As people practice the Art of True Light and accumulate spiritual experiences, they can progress to the intermediate and advanced courses where they study more about universal principles, the unseen spiritual worlds and God's plan for humankind.”

SKK on membership:

“A series of highly interactive classes is offered on an on-going basis. To receive Johrei, visit the Johrei Center. Introductory classes are offered on demand basis, and membership is open to all. To become a member of Johrei Fellowship requires taking six membership classes. The class costs $150.00 and upon completion the student will receive an amulet as a gift for finishing the course. Additional information can be learned by contacting the center.”

Sukyo Mahikari on Donations:

“For all its activities, the organization relies on a recommended membership fee, which varies from country to country, and voluntary donations from members and non-members. It is entirely at the discretion of each person to decide whether or not to make a donation, and how much.”

SKK on Donations:

“There is no charge for Johrei. We express our gratitude through offerings that are of value to us: our time, our labor or our materials. If you would like to offer service in gratitude, please feel free to do so. Your monetary offering of appreciation is gratefully accepted. Johrei Fellowship is supported solely through the expression of gratitude from individuals.”

I can’t find anything on the Sukyo Mahikari page about flower arranging, but I know this is an activity they participate in as my mother used to attend classes (if anyone can find any information about it please email me or leave the link in a comment…here is what the SKK says about flower arranging.

SKK on flower arranging:

“The art of flower arrangement is called "Ikebana" in Japanese. Ikebana literally means to make flowers live, or to give life to them. It represents our desire to bring out the hidden beauty of the flowers themselves.”

“Sangetsu, meaning "mountain moon", is a school of flower arranging inspired by visionary and master artist, Mokichi Okada, who promoted a spiritual approach to life through beauty. He taught that beauty has the power to transform-to purify the spirit and evoke the highest qualities of character from within. He also taught that nature is the greatest teacher of truth and beauty. An artist in many regards, Okada arranged flowers in a simple yet beautiful way, resulting in works of art that uplifted and inspired all who saw them.”

“In the Sangetsu technique, we strive to present this hidden beauty in a simple way, rather than imposing our own will on the flowers and the arrangement.”

I’ll leave you all to ponder this without saying anything further. Please leave your comments and opinions. Quickly so I do not get sued since Mahikari has decided to put a copyright on God’s teachings: I did not create the ideas or practices mentioned above; not that Sukyo Mahikari is going to want these teachings back now that I am done with them.

2006-05-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Omitama

There are a few small differences between Sukyo Mahikari and the group called the SKK or Johrei, but one of the differences that I found the most diverse is that the leader of the SKK, Mokichi Okada, was quoted as saying that a pendant is not necessary to offer Johrei (true light/okiyome) only the desire and intent to help others must be present and God will supply His healing light.

Associates of the Johrei organization wear their pendants as more of a symbol of membership, rather than as a holy object. Their position is that God’s light is for all and you cannot patent it. They charge a fee to teach the technique (they have to keep the center open somehow), but people are free to practice Johrei at their homes or anywhere else as well as teach the art to their families and friends without the hassle of a divine pendant.

Quite a contrast from Sukyo Mahikari’s stance on pendants and okiyome which states that people have to join Sukyo Mahikari in order to radiate the light of God. Non-members can only receive okiyome and are thus being a hindrance rather than a key player in the spiritual growth of others. This is why more pressure is put on new people to join the organization.

Sukyo Mahikari thinks that it is possible to put a copyright on God’s light. That is what a pendant is; a copyright which makes members feel as though they are special and can exclusively radiate the light of God. It is also a wise marketing decision on SM’s part because everyone the member introduces to the teachings has to take Kenshu ($150) in order to receive the pendant, which they teach is essential to offering okiyome. Whereas the SKK teach that members can show others how to practice Johrei and no pendant is necessary…

So lets say my mother joins the SKK, she can learn how to offer Johrei and then come home and teach my father, sister, and myself. In Mahikari she has to take Kenshu, and then if the rest of my family is interested they have to individually take Kenshu…its more money for Sukyo Mahikari once again proving that it is all about money.

Keep in mind that the Johrei (1935) was founded 24 years prior to Sukyo Mahikari (1959), which means that the Johrei perfected this art long before Sukyo Mahikari was even born; Okada would have been in his early 30’s. My question is where did this belief in pendants suddenly come from? I could be wrong, but in early revelations in the Goseigen I cannot remember God telling Okada that pendants were necessary to offer okiyome.

Think about it, the first time Okada offered okiyome he did not have a pendant (unless he still wore the one he received after joining the SKK, which only further proves his membership); he was strolling down the street and came upon a sick dog, he would not have had a pendant, and he heard the voice of God say ‘raise the hand’. The dog’s condition was improved or the dog got well (depending on which version of the Goseigen you have) so obviously according to Okada this healing technique worked…and if my assumptions about the pendant are true, then it worked without the use of an omitama. Of course, this is me speculating that Okada was actually telling the truth.

However, Okada did have a pendant after he founded the organization because Keishu and Sekiguchi were arguing over who had received the omitama after Okada’s death, which is strange because members are supposed to be buried with their omitamas on. I remember being told that if a family member were to die, it was crucial to get their pendants on them as soon as possible so that they could take it with them in the spirit realm.

How was it possible for Okada to radiate the light of God without a pendant? Of course, SM members will say because he was the messiah and therefore did not need a pendant, but that is not good enough folks, if he didn’t need a pendant why did he wear one? My best guess is that the teachings were too similar to the SKK and therefore Okada had to make small changes in order to be able to claim, if it ever came out that the teachings were plagiarized, that his teachings were the new and improved version of God’s word.

2006-05-18T13:04:00.001-07:00

Christianity: Cultish Undertones

Throughout my readings I have been finding more and more that even standard religions that everyone accepts could be considered cults if thoroughly examined. Like Sukyo Mahikari, Christianity could also fit the cult mold if its practices and teachings were held up to scrutiny. Below are some of the standard cult characteristics. I have described the practices of Christianity that could be considered cultish.

1. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

-This is true in Christianity as well as in Mahikari. Christians are discouraged from doubting the Bible. They are told by Priests, Pastors, Bishops, etc…that the Bible is the unaltered word of God and that nothing within it is inaccurate so why bother to doubt? The only questions that are welcomed are questions concerning the deciphering of difficult scripture. Otherwise they are simply told to pray about the issues/doubts and ask that God show them the right path.

2. Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

-There are many Christian churches that practice speaking in tongues and receiving the Holy Spirit. This practice could be compared to SM’s okiyome. The Pentecostal Christian churches as well as some non-denominational churches invite their members to come to the platform and receive the Holy Spirit after mass. Many people who participate in this have similar reactions to those who have spirit disturbances; much like the ones displayed in Mahikari…they call out, lash out, speak in foreign languages they do not know, or speak in what sounds like gibberish to most, but is supposedly their secret language that only they and God understand.

3. The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

Leadership and the Bible dictate what the members of Christian churches think, feel, and do.

Some Christian families do not allow their children to date until a certain age. Other families do not allow their children to date at all; only have friends until one decides to propose.

Christian women are allowed to work, but it is frowned upon in the church. When God punished Adam and Eve at the fall He told Adam that his punishment would be to work for all of his days, while he told Eve that she would suffer great pain during childbirth…many Christians believe that it is the man’s job to work and the female’s job to tend to the children. Many mothers who work because their family cannot make ends meat are frowned upon.

Christians are discouraged from marrying anyone who is not Christian. They are told that if they marry a non-believer, but then have issues concerning faith after the marriage is performed that they are not allowed to divorce due to these problems. There is even scripture that reiterates that sentiment.

Women are discouraged from wearing anything revealing as they are told that this provokes the men’s high sexual drive and could even cause a married man to lust after a women so strongly that he might stray from his wife. (I think the men just need to control themselves).

Christians are encouraged to raise their children within the faith. From the time the children are born they are brought to church, when they are four or five they start attending the children services, when they’re teens they join the youth group, and then they grow up to be Christians. There is a reason religions try to program children…children believe everything their parents tell them and they are more absorbent, thus by the time they are adults they are full indoctrinated.

4. The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

-Christians have a name for themselves within the organization. Member who they consider to be saved are called the ‘elect’. Christians teach their followers that the only way to be saved is to become a Christian and devout your life to Christ. If a person does this successfully they will go on to heaven when they die. Everyone else, including all followers of alternate religions go to hell. For this reason Christians must spend most of their time evangelizing AKA saving humanity, by spreading their teachings around the world.

5. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

-Christians will go door to door if necessary in order to bring new members into their organization in order to ensure that they too will be saved. They are also encouraged to bring their families into Christianity and sometimes other members of the church will go with new members to help them talk to their families about the importance of joining the church.

6. The group is preoccupied with making money

-Like Mahikari, Christian churches ask that their members pay a monthly 10% tithe to God. The Bible has scripture that talks about how money belongs to God and therefore it should not be difficult to part with. Some texts say things like, “God will provide”, leaving no room for argument even when it comes to people with little money. My personal opinion is that when the Bible was edited in the Council of Nicaea in 545AD...maybe Emperor Justinian added that bit into the Bible.

I suppose the point I am trying to make is love God with all your heart and soul, but be yourself and don't conform to any sort of religion that is going to dictate every aspect of your life; Mahikari or any other. In the end you rearrange your whole life to live according to the religion's teachings and you sacrifice yourself in the process.

1892 - Oomoto Kyo sect
1934 - Sekai Kyusei Kyo sect - It has given birth to 21 factions
1959 -Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan sect - It has given birth to 5 factions.
1974 -Shin Yu Gen Kyu Sei Mahikari Kyodan
1978 - Sukyo Mahikari
1980 - Subikari Koha Sekai Shindan
? - Mahikari Seiho No Kai -
? - Yokoshi Tomo No Kai -

All of these factions of Mahikari still exist today...that means that the 'one true religion' is now at least 33 religions. Christianity has at least 50 denominations, but most people who study Christianity agree that it is probably a much higher number. With so many faiths claiming to be the 'right one' how can anyone hope to find salvation? Every religion in the world thinks they are the right path, that they are doing what God wants...in the end to trust in God, believe in Him, hold your breath and pray for the best.

2006-05-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

The DaVinci Code and Christianity

Before I begin I will apologize if this offends anyone because I know there are a lot of Christians in the world. I myself am Gnostic Christian (note I said Gnostic, not Agnostic. Gnostic means to ‘seek truth’, Agnostic means to ‘ignore truth’) so while I believe in the basic principles of the Bible I am also open to the possibility that in the years since the Bible was written that it could have been tampered with.

The DaVinci code is coming out this Friday May 19th, 2006 and I know that is going to start up a lot of controversy, but what most people don’t know is that The DaVinci Code has some truth in it. The book sits in the fiction section of the library and book store, but that is only because some of the claims cannot be proven as 100% accurate.

I rented a movie with my girlfriend recently called Exposing the DaVinci Code…the movie was of a very bias standpoint as all of the people who were speaking out against the DaVinci Code were Christians…there was one woman who was in support of the book (she spoke maybe twice in the whole documentary), but everyone else was pretty much Christian and Right-Winged…the point I am making is that without diversity of belief you have nothing to argue with. If that movie had Atheists of Gnostic Christians who were in agreement that everything in the DaVinci Code is false…then I might have been a little more apt to reconsider my beliefs.

The point of the movie was that everything in the DaVinci Code is lies and that the Bible has been unaltered in the thousands of years since its publication. The movie seemed to cover every angle except for one…the movie quoted the Council of Nicaea of 345AD…saying that Constantine had nothing to do with getting the priests to vote that Christ was divine…this is probably true…

However, the movie failed to address the Council of Nicaea of 545AD…where Justinian wanted all illusions to reincarnation taken out of the Bible. He threatened to throw any pope in jail that supported reincarnation. The council was established to vote in favor of reincarnation of against reincarnation. In the end with only one pope brave enough to test Justian’s word and vote in favor of reincarnation…many texts were taken out of the Bible in order to stop the belief of life after death. All Bible’s were taken up, burned, rewritten, and redistributed.

http://reluctant-messenger.com/reincarnation-pope.htm

Most people say you have to have faith that the Bible in the unaltered word of God, but here is my take on it…perhaps at one time the Bible could have been the unaltered word of God. Maybe God guided the hands of the men who wrote the Bible, however the Bible has come in contact with many Emperors and Kings since its publication who wanted their people to submit to their demands and beliefs. Many Christians dispute that God has protected the Bible throughout history, that He would not allow it to be altered…however, there is Biblical support to the contrary…

Revelations 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, may God add to him the plagues which are written in this book. 22:19 If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.

This shows that God will punish anyone who alters the Bible, but it does not say that the Bible CANNOT be altered. If God controlled man and made sure that they did not change the Bible then that would mean there is no such things as free will. If there is no free will then there is a lot about the Bible that needs to be discussed.

In the end the Bible states that the only thing one need to believe in order to have treasure in Heaven is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save humanity from their sins...nothing more. It is not necessary to believe in every single solitary thing written in the Bible, merely in the son of God.

This will serve as an introduction to my next post…I will be writing a post that will be discussing how all religion, even Christianity can be perceived as a cult.

2006-05-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

The War on the Internet

I have heard many members of Sukyo Mahikari claim that the internet is an unreliable source of information about their organization. Many say that the reason Sukyo Mahikari has gotten a bad reputation is because of Okada's original organization SBMK. The "War on the Internet" is the war between Sukyo Mahikari and Internet-users/former members who write their experiences and opinions about the sect and post them on the Internet. Though Sukyo Mahikari strives to remain silent about these issues, behind the dojo walls they are "arming" Kumite with the "correct" information to ensure that they do not read what we have to say. Many members are told that these individuals are spiritually disturbed or that they have an 'axe to grind' due to past grivances with the organization. I have a few things to say on belhaf of myself and these people:

These people who are writing what they know, quoting SM material, and webbing it are using the huge accessibility of the world-wide web to get information out to people to warn them of the insanity and danger of this cult. They are doing it for the public good. The hope is that if they can get this information out to the public and make it broadly known then people will be forewarned and will not join the cult. If they can starve the cult of new members in this way then the whole organization may collapse and then the existing members can be helped to return to society. But of course the people within the cult believe only their own founders interpretation of things so they use every means they can to stop this. Usually the method they use is harassment or threats of expensive lengthy legal process.

The people who post and host information about Sukyo Mahikari are risking themselves to help warn the public about the dangers of Sukyo Mahikari. They have a strong sense of public duty and care for their fellow men. Australian former members are being especially courageous because Mahikari has gone so far as to threaten newspapers who have said undesirable things about the sect, as you can sue for just about anything nowadays it is best for them to remain cautious. However, the accusations that they have an 'axe to grind' is completely without merritt, they are acting out of conscience and out of high human ideals. Some have gotten broken down by legal or physical harassment from friends and family members, but more rise to take their place.

I myself was threatened with legal action from Sukyo Mahikari (though I am not sure if it was from a lawyer representing the sect or a member who practices as a lawyer), being told I had better be able to back up my accusations with evidence; because I have the proper evidence my blog was re-put up, but only after thorough re-reading to ensure that everything I said was either factual or had a disclaimer insinuating that it was my own speculation.

I hope this short piece of mine is a befitting and deserving introduction to these people, the "Warriors of the Internet".

2006-05-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Answers for Kumite Children

1. I hear the word "cult" all the time. What is a cult?

Here is a simple test to tell if a group is a cult or not. Ask yourself these questions about the group:

1. Does the group use tricks, lies or excuses to get members and to keep them?

2. Does the group say that it is "better than all other groups", and is it organized so that people can't complain, discuss, vote, criticize, or change the group?

3. Does the group claim that the founder knows all the answers, and tolerates no discussion or questioning of his or her teachings?

4. Does the group say that nothing is more important than to get more money, people or anything else into the group, and that this is more important than honesty or friendship or families, maybe because it is such an emergency that the world must be saved right away?

5. Is the money collected used only a few "special people instead of for the members or the general population?

If you answered "yes" to all these questions, then the group is definitely a cult.

People who study groups have looked at Sukyo Mahikari and answered "yes" everytime. See why:

6. It pretends to be a self-help group, and doesn't tell the true beliefs of the organization until one has paid over $1000 and donated a lot of money to the ‘cause’; the suggestions that one can "still participate in their original religion while practicing SM and not have to sacrifice their beliefs" is a trick because the result is always that SM is the one true path and eventually you will see that your previous faith is a pseudo-truth - and of course, "SM can help you find the true path". An honest group would tell their beliefs prior to you joining.

7. Kumite say they are superior to the rest of the world, and calls the rest of the population "spiritually disturbed" instead of simply "anti-SM ".

8. Everything must be done exactly as Kotama Okada said/wrote. Discussion or disagreement is considered "a spirit disturbance" and gets you reported to Kanbu, which means you are in trouble.

9. Members are taught that the only way to repent of their sins/bad karma is to donate money, offer okiyome, and bring in new members. Kumite are constantly pressured to find new members because they are told that God is getting impatient with the state of the world and will bring on the Baptism of Fire (the end of the world) if more money and effort is not dedicated towards SM.

10. The money that SM receives that does not go towards maintaining the centre gets sent directly back to Keishu Okada (the adopted-daughter of Kotama Okada) and is used to ensure that she lives in the best possible conditions (nice home, cars, first-class flights, five star hotels) while she preaches against materialism and asks members to take out second mortgages on their homes in order to donate and make membership fees. Some staff members live in terrible conditions or are forced to live in the Dojos because they are underpaid.
As you see, that makes Sukyo Mahikari a "cult".

2. Do people hate Sukyo Mahikari?

Most people in the world have never heard of Sukyo Mahikari. Most people who have heard of it don't hate anything or anyone. And some of the people who are angry about things SM has done were in SM themselves, and are angry at themselves for helping to hurt people when they were in SM. Some people have had their lives destroyed by SM and have never recovered. Some have recovered, but have lost their families. Many are still suffering. These people don't like Mahikari, as you might guess. Generally the feelings of ordinary people who have heard of SM is that:

o "they are weird"or

o "they are scary"or

o "they are the meanest, greediest lying cheating cult in the country"

These feelings are a direct result of kumite following Kotama Okada's advice about what are good skills to "handle" an anti-Mahikari individual. Sooner or later, most people will notice when they are being or have been lied to. That is why most people are not kumite. Guess what: people do not like to be lied to (do you?). Everyone is a free person, just like you.

3. My parents almost never have time for me. Why?

Your parents may be fooling themselves about what is important. Many Kumite believe that unless they devote their time to SM they will lose all their friends/families, that God will stop loving them and cut them off, that God will end the world, or that they will become spiritually disturbed. SM does not have a concept that children are special in the way that they need love and care, only that if the parents attend dojo enough and become spiritually purified enough that their children will naturally follow in their path (if the upstream is clean the downstream will become clean as well). Most Kumite think children are just kumite in small bodies who will eventually follow SM teachings and help purify others to save them from the Baptism of Fire.

4. I want to get help. What should I do?

If you know people in your family that are not in Sukyo Mahikari (aunt, uncle, grand-parents, or possibly your mom/dad's ex), try to contact them. They will understand you - they probably know about the mess you're in.
If your whole family is in SM, many other people outside SM can help you. You should look for an adult you feel good about, who you can talk to easily.
If your school is not part of SM, that would be a good place to start. Your teacher, your school's principal or nurse or psychologist (counselor) -- you can turn to any of them for help.
Others:

o a social worker

o the children advocacy center (call 800-4ACHILD or 800-422-4453)

o the state children/family department (in Florida: Department of Children and Families DCF)

o American Family Foundation (AFF)P.O. Box 2265Bonita Springs, FL 33959(212) 533-5420(212) 249-7693 Message Center

And of course, there is the internet where you can get a lot of helpful information.

5. But Sukyo Mahikari is the most ethical group on the planet!

Says who? SM itself. If you look in the dictionary for "ethics", you will see that the word ‘ethics’ means: a set of principles of right (good) conduct.

Here is an example: In the early years of Mahikari a few members of the Mahikari Tai youth group were tragically killed in a car accident. These youth members had promising futures in SM and were respected by everyone, but when the car crashed despite the youth members wearing their omitamas (meant to protect them) the Kanbu told everyone that it was because these youth members were sexually active outside of marriage that God chose to punish them. There is no proof that these kids were doing anything immoral, but SM Kanbu still lied because they had no way of explaining how these children had died despite wearing their omitamas. Lying is not very ethical. A truly ethical behavior would be to stay honest, even if it means admitting that omitamas do not protect the wearers from anything.

6. How are other churches different from Mahikari dojos?

You do a lot of different things like sing, play games at youth group, and learn new lessons once a week. You do not have to listen to experience stories all the time or offer/receive okiyome every day. Good pastors and clergy answer your questions, instead of telling you ‘don’t think just give okiyome and you will eventually understand’. You don’t report to Kanbu whenever someone in the youth group doesn’t believe in the teachings. This is called rating and is not cool.
Youth Group is done so that you have to respond to questions or solve problems. If you have difficulties understanding, you can get help from your parents, other kids, the youth minister or additional hired or volunteer "helpers”. There are many different churches but almost all will tell you to think for yourself and to peacefully react with different kinds of people; not just Mahikari members.

7. How is life outside of Mahikari?

Life is full of surprises. You have challenges all the time. You have to make your own decisions. You can do a lot, as long as you don't harm anyone else - because other people are also free. And yes, you make mistakes.

8. But Okiyome WORKS!

So you have noticed that some aspects of Mahikari work. For example, you felt better after okiyome. It is true, sometimes you believe in it and it works. The name for this is the "placebo effect" - methods that do nothing, but cure anyway. It works because strong belief releases a drug that your own body produces ("endorphins"). No obscure "light". But have you noticed how often it has not worked? Then the excuse is "you have a lot of toxin build-up and need to receive more okiyome". A rather cheap excuse, if you ask me. Sadly, people die because they try such methods instead of going to the doctor. The doctor cures you, without the need of believing that something works. Why is this so? Because medicine is tested in a way that the first people who take it are separated in two groups: the one who gets the real stuff, and the one who gets a fake one. The experiment is designed so that even the nurse who gives the medicine and the doctors who check if it works don't know if the patient gets the real or the fake medicine!

That is the difference:
Sukyo Mahikari: "It works because it works"
Medicine: "It works because independent experts have observed it works"

9. A Kanbu member touches me in a way I don't like. What can I do?

If he touches your genital parts or tells you to touch his, then it is a crime, even if the Kanbu member is a Doshi or Socho. Please do not report it to Sukyo Mahikari because they won't do anything! Go right to the police and tell all. If you think you could trust your parents in the past, and then discuss the matter with them. You do not have to feel guilty. It is the fault of the other person.

10. Has anyone ever died because of Sukyo Mahikari?

Yes, there are experience stories on the Mahikari Exposed site that mention people who have died because them believed in the teachings of SM and did not seek medical care. Also check out Lara’s blog, her younger sister passed away from cancer because SM Kanbu told her parents that chemotherapy was poisonous.

11. Can I trust my fellow Kumite?

No, usually not. They will put Sukyo Mahikari over friendship - you have certainly observed this before. They will tell all you told them to Kanbu and then to your family.

12. Will Sukyo Mahikari use my past personal experiences against me?

Yes, possibly. They have done so in the past, and will do it in the future. They will do everything they can to ensure that you feel guilty and do not leave the organization. But remember also that their threats of God not loving you or of God destroying the world are pure lies, e.g. "You will be cut off from God is you stop wearing omitama and don’t receive okiyome". This is called "blackmail", and they should go to jail for it! So assume from the beginning that they will do it, and prepare your mind for it.

13. I was born and educated in Sukyo Mahikari. What will happen?

You might have some trouble to adjust to the real world. Recommendation: start reading newspapers (The St Petersburg Times), magazines (TIME), easy "books" (The Reader's Digest). The three I mentioned are what Sukyo Mahikari fear the most, although these are pretty ordinary writings! Try also meeting ordinary people and learn to see how they communicate.

14. Is there anything that I am not told by Sukyo Mahikari?

Yes, quite a lot! Here it is:

1. Kotama did not have revelations from God as he claimed nor did he create an original religion, he was a pathological liar, although Sukyo Mahikari has spent lots of money trying to hide his past and prove his teachings. Kotama was not a hero or a savior - he was a fake, a coward and a cheat.

2. Kotama and Keishu Okada were once members of the SKK; a religion almost identical to Mahikari in practice and belief. Keishu’s family were all members of this organization and Kotama was a minister. However, Kotama was kicked out due to accusations of using black magic and sexual misconduct; reportedly with Keishu who would become his adoptive daughter.

3. Okada was a soldier in WWII and helped organize the Rape of Nanking where Japanese Soldiers raped and killed hundreds of Chinese women.

4. Okada was married with children prior to forming Mahikari, but got divorced (hypothetically when his wife found out about he and Keishu’s relationship), yet in Mahikari divorce is unacceptable. He had no further association with his ex-wife or children after the divorce.

5. In the SKK there is not a problem with evil spirits manifesting in people who are receiving okiyome, or as they call it Johrei. Only in Mahikari do spirits manifest, primarily because Okada dabbled in black magic and incorporated that in his technique of giving okiyome. He was reportedly warned by Kanbu in the SKK to cease offering okiyome in that manner because it was dangerous to the individual receiving.

6. Okada was a heavy smoker, yet he preached about putting toxins into the body.

7. A member of Aum Supreme Truth was once a member of Mahikari; the psychological damage kept her dependant on the support of a cult for the rest of her life.

8. There aren't 8 million Kumite. There aren't even 1 million according to former members. More like 500,000 at most.

2006-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Continuation II of Previous Post: What Makes Mahikari a Cult?

10. Members are encouraged to make frequent financial contributions or "offerings" to the organization under the auspices that the offerings are actually for God. There may be many categories of offerings encouraged, such as for receiving spiritual power, for reparation of sins or "negative karma," in gratitude for favors received, for the building of monuments, museums, temples, etc. The offerings disappear into real estate purchases, construction of buildings, and luxurious lifestyles for the top leadership. Offerings are rarely, if ever, used to support charitable activities such as the homeless, disadvantaged, disaster relief activities, etc.

-When you take Primary Kenshu you are given a membership number along with your omitama and a Goseigen. The Goseigen is a copy of Okada’s revelations from God. The omitama is the holy pendant that connects you to God via the human satelite, Keishu Okada, which can and will be cut off if you do not make your monthly membership fee and donate enough money to materially compensate. The number is a membership number used whenever you sign in at the dojo or make a donation.

What is the purpose of the number?

Most Kumite would say merely to keep count of the number of members, however, it is also written on the envelopes Kumite use to donate.

Why?

To keep track of the amount of money a Kumite is donating daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and throughout their entire stay as a Mahikari member. Kumite, you might not have any idea how much money you have donated throughout your life, but Kanbu does and when you don’t donate enough they make you aware of the situation.

On these envelopes there are several categories under which one can donate. You can choose to donate to Japan (ie: Keishu), to the dojo for repairs, to Gohoshi items (new pillow cases, flowers, food, cleaning products, etc), to apologize for negative karma/sins, to thank God for your blessings, and so on and so fourth.

Once you have selected why you want to donate you enter the main shrine area and drop the envelope in a wooden mailbox style container as you bow before the main altar. Donations are cash only, new bills, and always spiritually purified with okiyome prior to being placed into the drop-box. Cash only? Yes, no paper trail that way; no way of knowing how much money is getting sent back to Japan and being put into Keishu’s pocket.

The donations are never used for charity projects, as members are told that those who suffer from misfortune, are homeless, sick, or injured are suffering physically to compensate for their sins. Aiding them would be interferring with their cleansing process, spiritually and physically.

11. The organization does not practice full disclosure. Information is withheld from members, especially unflattering or embarrassing information about the founder and key leaders. Unflattering or embarrassing information is categorically denied as rumors and lies, despite all evidence to the contrary.

-True as well. Mahikari is not beyond hiding information or downright lying about it in order to make sure that their doctrine is not contradicted.

Case 1: Okada’s involvement in the SKK. The SKK is a organization that Okada was a minister of prior to forming Mahikari. The SKK also practices the Art of True Light, which they call Johrei. The organization was founded years prior to Mahikari by a man who coincindentally has the same last name as Kotama. However, Kotama was removed from his position when evidence that he was using black magic as well as participating in sexual misconduct surfaced. He then created Mahikari, which he told his followers was a unique religion that was the only religion who practiced okiyome.

His involvement in the SKK was denied by Kanbu for 30+ years, until recently when Mahikari could no longer deny it with all the proof that had surfaced (publications, paperwork, photos, etc). Keishu’s representative released a statement saying that prior to forming Mahikari, Kotama had participated in several different religions, the SKK included. Normally when Mahikari comes clean about these sorts of things they have a disclaimer saying that this is the only time they are going to admit to this and that they will not discuss it further once the information is revealed. Many Kumite still do not know about this as many dojos choose not to disclose that sort of information. I know I didn’t find out about it until I started talking to some of the other former members on these blogs and I went to monthly ceremony every month. Nothing was ever mentioned to us.

Case 2: Keishu’s court battle with Sekiguchi over the leadership of Mahikari. This information came out I am guessing about 1996 or 1997…if I am incorrect please let me know. Basically, members found out that Sukyo Mahikari was not the original organization founded by Kotama, but rather a sister organization called SMBK. Keishu released a statement and once again it was on a one and only time basis. She admitted that there was a court battle between herself and Mr. Sekiguchi, dividing the original organization. However, Keishu remained firm that God had chosen her as the leader and therefore Sukyo Mahikari was now the true religion.

These are two instances where information was embarassing and could discredit the organization if revealed. However, when there was no choice but to admit the truth, Sukyo Mahikari reluctantly came clean.

12. Members are encouraged to seek "guidance" from and to report everything to the leadership. Members are not encouraged to think for themselves nor to conduct their own independent research.

-Members of Mahikari are encouraged to speak with Kanbu when in doubt. Kanbu generally tell members that their doubts and discomfort with the organization is the result of an evil spirit/presence that is trying to pull them away from Mahikari. Normally the suggested cure for the doubts is to ‘ignore it, not think about it, and just give okiyome’. The possiblity of a mind controlling presence makes most members reluctant to trust their instincts about Mahikari as they do not know whether to trust their feelings as their own or as the feelings and thoughts of evil spirits. The Kanbu will also encourage the member to read only the available literature in the dojo to reinforce the members beliefs in Mahikari. All information on the internet that is not official material is considered written by evil spirits which have taken over the authors of all other literary works. Essentially, if the thoughts a person is thinking are not that Mahikari is the only way to God, the perfect religion, the word of the Lord…all other independent thought or speculation is of the devil or of evil spirits. If members see another Kumite swaying away from Mahikari, they are encouraged to speak with the person, discover what is wrong, and then tell Kanbu so they can step in.

2006-05-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Continuation of Previous Post: What Makes Mahikari a Cult?

7. Members are encouraged to recruit their families, friends and coworkers in order that they too can be "saved." Members are allowed to "advance" to the next "spiritual level" based on the number of people they recruit to the organization.

-In Mahikari members are told that in order to save others, they must first save their families, as they cannot save anyone if they do not first clean upstream. If upstream is clean then downstream will naturally become clean as well. Members are told that having a family that is completely dedicated to Mahikari is a way to set a good example for new and potential members. Members are encouraged to entroduce their children to the Mahikari doctrine from birth through offering the child okiyome and taking them to the dojo, where there is always a nursery. If a member fails to bring a their family into Mahikari, or a loved one refuses to join, members are told that it is because of the Kumite’s negative karma, not the negative karma of the reluctant individual. This causes incredible guilt because the member then feels that they have to receive and offer more okiyome, offer more Gohoshi, and donate more money in order to spiritually purify themselves so that their reluctant friend or family member will join. Members are told to go to whatever length to try and initiate their family and friends to Mahikari, even if that means offering them okiyome in their sleep without their knowledge.

8. Members are specifically instructed how to treat visitors and to limit the information which they are told about the organization. Guests may be treated differently than members.

-This is true as well. Guests were always taken immediately for an okiyome session, not forced to wait for hours like some people when the center was busy. I remember also being told to direct guests to the library and offer them reading material about the organization. Usually I gave them Dr. Tebecis’ book Thank God for the Answers at Lasr, as well as the official Mahikari Tai literature. Experience stories were often printed out and secured in a plastic cover for the reading pleasure of guests and we were often instructed to speak of our own experiences about the healing properties of okiyome. We were encourgaed to show them pictures of Suza and of the Mahikari festivals and ceremonies as well, to try and make Mahikari seem like a fun venture to persue.

9. Members are warned that great calamities will take place in the world and that they may be one of the people saved if they diligently follow the teachings of the organization. It may be stated or implied that they may personally receive great misfortune if they do not follow the teachings and practices of the organization. Frequently members are told that great natural disasters have been averted due to "divine intercession" by the spiritual head.

-This is true. The woman from Houston I have been speaking with, Deborah, told me that when Hurricane Rita was headed for Texas and Houstonians were asked to evacuate, the Mahikari members refused, going to the dojo instead. They could not leave behind the Goshintais and other holy objects. I have never been to Houston so I cannot verify this, but from what I have been told, the entire center is surrounded in glass. All three walls of the main shrine area are covered in glass. They all offered okiyome to one another and chanted the Amatasu Prayer all night saying that if God decided to take them it was His will. Well…there is a little story that goes like this:

There was a man who lived in the country in a small house. His home had a porch and was two stories high. One day he sat on that porch and a storm hit. Through the static on his TV he could make out that a hurricane was coming and that his county had been asked to evacuate. The man did not leave, the water rose to his porch as he sat in his rocking chair.

A man in a truck rode by. The man said, “Sir, come with me. I’ll drive you to safety.”

But the man in the house said, “No, I believe my Lord and Savior is going to save me.” So the truck left him.

The water then rose to his neck, but he still remained on his porch.

A man in a row boat happened by and said, “Sir, come with me. I’ll row us to safety.”

But the man in the house said, “No, I believe my Lord and Savior is going to save me.” So the boat left him.

Finally, the water rose to the roof of the house. The man was sitting on the top of his home when a man in a helicopter happened by.

The man said, “I’ll throw you a rope and fly us to safety.”

But again the man in the house said, “No, I believe my Lord and Savior is going to save me.” So the helicopter flew away.

Not long after that the man drowned and as he stood outside the gates of heaven he said to God, “Lord, I just don’t understand. I believed so strongly in your power and I truly believed that you were going to save me.”

God said, “Son, I sent you a truck. I sent you a boat. And I sent you a helicopter. If you can’t read the signs then there’s nothing I can do for you.”

This was how these Mahikari members sat, inside the dojo, surrounded by glass, and yet they refused to cut their losses and leave. When the hurricane hit Louisiana instead of Texas, the monthly ceremony the following weekend was completely centered on how “because we prayed with such sincerity God spared us and the dojo”. I don’t want to say that Kumite are egotistical, but it makes me laugh to think that they believe that their little get together averted the wrath of God. However, this is what the dojo would have its members believe. To try and make their beliefs even more plausible, Kumite were told that these “out of season” hurricanes were proof that God was growing impatient with them and that they needed to offer more okiyome, divine service, and money in order to postpone the Baptism of Fire (which had obviously already started) a little longer.

There was another incident in Australia where a fire that destroyed the Christian church next door to the dojo was considered God's judgment that Mahikari was the truth. The fire destroyed much of the surrounding area, but didn't scathe that dojo. Members were told in the ceremony that God was showing them the truth through this presentation, clearly because the dojo was purified with okiyome daily the fire had not burned the center, as if there was an invisible force field around the dojo. I remember being told the same thing when experience stories were used to reinforce the doctrine. Whenever something good happens to Mahikari and its member, kumite are quick to attribute the positive outcome to okiyome. However, when bad things happen to Mahikari and its members, then nothing is said. Usually the incident is simply ignored.

(More to come)

2006-05-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Letter from a Kumite

I recently spoke with a member of SM who attends ceremony at the Houston, Texas Center. She and I have been having friendly conversation and debate over Mahikari and its teachings, discussing why she chooses to remain within the organization and why I chose to leave the organization. She has been a member for 10+ years and recently wrote a letter to the California dojo (there are more centers in California than in any other state) to ask honest questions about the new North American site. She, like most of us former members, noticed the discrepancies in the site and decided to write to get some answers concerning the blatant omission of certain aspects of Mahikari from the site. She agreed to let me post her letter, provided that I change her name. She wrote:

To whom it may concern,

I have a few questions. My name is Deborah and I live in Texas. I joined Mahikari in…I would rather not say at the risk of showing my age. I recently learned at monthly ceremony that the North American site had finally been put on the internet and I began reading the information. There were a couple of discrepancies on the site and I was told by Metadoshi that the Los Angeles Center would be able to handle them. I just want to point out those errors so that we might be able to rectify them.

The first was the part that states that Sukyo Mahikari does not consider itself to be the only path to God. I have always been taught that Mahikari is the only path to God and that all other religions will eventually fade out. The Goseigen states that those of us who do not receive Primary Kenshu will not survive the Baptism of Fire, therefore I was under the impression that Mahikari is the only path to God. I feel that we are projecting a false message if we state that we do not consider ourselves the only path to God and in the process undermining the importance of bringing in as many Kumite as possible. Why has the fact that Mahikari is the only true path to God been omitted from the site? Also, why is there no mention of the Baptism of Fire on the new site? That is a crucial part of our teachings and I think if people knew the gravity of the situation, perhaps membership would increase. We are talking about the end of the world as we know it, it is our mission to ensure that as many people are saved as possible and I don’t feel that the gravity of the situation is strongly expressed on the site.

The next thing I noticed was in the financial obligations section. It states: For all its activities, the organization relies on a recommended membership fee, which varies from country to country, and voluntary donations from members and non-members. It is entirely at the discretion of each person to decide whether or not to make a donation, and how much.

At the Houston Center we pay a ten percent membership fee each month, I assume it is the same for most dojos. Shouldn’t information about the amount of the fee be included in the website information? The fee is strictly enforced at the Houston Center, not simply “recommended”. Our Kanbu will ask for our donations if we fail to make them on time. It’s an important donation we make each month with a sincere sonen. If we did not make our ten percent tithe, the Houston Center would probably be shut down by now, as we have had to change locations several times, not to mention our omitamas cannot remain connected to God without material compensation. I think the importance of the donations and fees should be expressed on the site. The site seems to be laidback about this issue.

Also in the section called ‘leaving the organization’ it states: Members are free to stop practicing the Art of True Light and to leave Sukyo Mahikari at any time. This is true however; maybe something about spirit disturbance should be mentioned here. The Goseigen is clear that those who choose to leave Mahikari are throwing God’s gift in His face, are spiritually disturbed, or not spiritually purified enough. People who chose to leave are spiritually disturbed and very rarely do we, at least in the Houston Center, continue communication with these people. Spirit disturbance is a very serious issue and yet there was absolutely no mention of it in the site. Could you shed some light on this?

Lastly, in the True Light section there is text that states that The Art of True Light is not a healing practice. This is inaccurate, as we were told in Primary Kenshu and as well as in the Goseigen that Okada was told by God to lift his hand and heal people of diseases and purify the soul. They keyword is ‘heal’…not simply spiritually purify. Okiyome is a healing method, as has been proven over and over again through the people who have been healed by the light of God. Why then is the fact that this practice heals people being undermined?

I hope to hear from you soon. Sorry if these questions seem harsh, I just hate the reputation our organization has received from the media and through the internet. I think if we approach this new venture with an honest sonen and lay the truth out for everyone to see, maybe there would be less prattle about how terrible Sukyo Mahikari is, as well as eliminate the accusations that the organization is a cult and psychologically damaging. This organization has changed my life and I hate seeing people slander its name. The former members are going to have a field day tearing this site apart if it is left as is.

Your Sister in Light,
Deborah

Well…she was right about that; as I started tearing the site apart the day after I read that hooey. I can answer her questions one by one…
1. Why does Sukyo Mahikari state on their official site that they do not consider themselves the only path to God? Well, because most people don’t respond well to being told, “do what we say or you will not be saved” or “the end of the world is coming, you must offer okiyome every day until you are purified enough to go on to the next civilization” Mahikari can bring in more members if they say, “It’s alright, you can continue to practice your religion along side Mahikari.” This makes them appeal to people who practice other religions, they try Mahikari out and if they like it they continue to attend dojo, eventually trading all their old beliefs in for Mahikari doctrine. I don’t think I remember anyone who has successfully attended both dojo and church without having to abandon some, or all, of their previous beliefs.

2. As for financial obligations…no one wants to hear you have to pay up or God is going to cut you off. Instead Mahikari would have you believe that donations are optional in all forms, then after you have taken Primary Kenshu they tell you about all the money needed to maintain a relationship with God, at least then if you don’t want to pay up they have the $150 you paid for omitama.

3. As for spirit disturbance and its lack of publicity on the official site…no one wants to hear that there are evil spirits that will attack you unless you adhere to Mahikari’s very strict spiritual practices. Most people would flee from the religion right then and there, thinking it somewhat of a pagan/wiccan practice. The only time you will hear about spirit disturbance is when people A) leave the organization (all former members are under the influence of disturbed spirits), B) when you are having doubts (the thoughts are not your own, but the spirit telling you to turn away from Mahikari), or C) when you are reluctant to join the sect (you have a severe spirit disturbance, okiyome is the only way to get rid of the negative karma that has latched itself onto you).

4. Same with the departure of former members, newcomers do not want to hear “if you ever leave this organization you are taking the road to hell by yourself, you are spiritually disturbed, you are a quitter, you have thrown God’s gift in His face, etc”. Might just be me, but if an organization told me that I think I would be extremely reluctant to join. Not being able to leave when I wanted to would set off my red flag cult alarm.

5. As for the healing practice…Mahikari is just trying to cover its ass. In order to avoid legal action that could be taken against SM in the event of the death or injury of members, they have to say that they do not heal. I wonder what God thinks of them changing the divine word….I mean the Goseigen does say Okada heard, “raise your hand and heal people of diseases”, correct? Even if it means facing legal action the supposed word of God should not be altered.

Anyway, I just found it interesting that a current member of Mahikari was having the same issues with the new site that we were. Might I add that Deborah received no response to her letter, not even a refusal to comment, just nothing. Guess that's the way Mahikari chooses to handle their issues, ignore it and it will go away.

2006-04-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sukyo Mahikari Discussion Forum

Hey Everyone! I have created a proboards site where we all can have discussions. It is open to both former members and current members of Mahikari. Check it out and sign up!

http://ashjke.proboards91.com/index.cgi

2006-04-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

What Makes Mahikari A Cult?

On the Mahikari Information Site (MIS) there is an excellent cult outline. I have created a cult outline of my own, as well as provided an outline created by Lagone on my blog, but I have never come across an outline that more accurately depicts the cult characteristics which make up the foundation of Mahikari. I am going to write a post which incorporates all the characteristics from MIS and explain how and why they apply to Mahikari.

1. The so-called religion will be started by a self-proclaimed messiah who will claim to give members the opportunity to work off their sins if they offer their slavish obedience to him/her and their teachings. These followers are more often than not told that they are God’s chosen people who will be welcomed into a new civilization when the world comes to an end.

-Mahikari was started by Yoshikazu Okada (Kotama), a Japanese soldier during WWII. Kotama claims to have been ill and suffering from high fever when he heard the voice of God one fine night which told him to raise his hand and heal/spiritually purify (depending on which copy of the Goseigen you have) souls by raising his hand. According to Kotama he was reluctant to do this, but eventually raised his hand to a blind dog who was miraculously restored to good health. Shortly after, he began his religion called Mahikari, claiming to be a new-aged Messiah and God’s only representative on Earth. Kumite (or Kotama’s followers) were told that they were God’s chosen children and that by offering okiyome (spiritual purification) to others, they would be able to heal ailments as well as spiritually purify souls, erasing sins and impurities in the process. The promise to all members of Mahikari was if they continued to offer and receive okiyome eventually they would be so spiritually purified that they would survive the Baptism of Fire (Armageddon) and be the occupants of God’s new civilization.

2. The organization will be a pyramid-shaped dictatorial rule with a person or small group of people at the top having total control.

-Mahikari was run by Kotama Okada, God’s supposed representative on Earth. Kotama claimed to be connected to God through an invisible spiritual cord thus making him the only person who was in tune with God and His wishes. He taught his followers that the only way they could be connected to God was if they chose to follow Kotama’s teachings, take a three day class called Kenshu, and receive, wear, and maintain the holy pendant (omitama). After Kotama’s death his adoptive daughter, Keishu Okada, branched off to make Sukyo Mahikari and now claims to be God’s Representative on Earth.

3. The leaders will encourage obedience, humility and dependence, rather than independent thinking, spiritual research, and wholesome, adventurous fulfillment outside of the organization.

-One of the main philosophies of Mahikari is ‘be like a child’. How does a child behave? Well, if they are a good child they obey their parents and accept their every word as fact, or in this case Kanbu (Kumite who lead and maintain the dojo). Members are taught that they must be obedient to Kanbu and trust that whatever they say is the word of God passed down from Keishu. Kumite are taught that instead of seeking their own truths when they have doubts they should consult with Kanbu and get the “correct” answer, which is usually, “Don’t think, just give okiyome and you will eventually understand.” Humility is said to come with obedience and this is something all Kumite must strive to achieve. Members become dependant on Kanbu for spiritual answers because they are discouraged from looking elsewhere for information. Mahikari teaches that united they stand divided they fall; as a group praying, evangelizing, and offering okiyome, they have a chance of pleasing God and preventing the end of the world…or at least purifying themselves to the point that they will be accepted by God into His new civilization.

Independent thought, doubts, and questions are considered signs of a spirit disturbance. Members are taught that any doubts or questions they have concerning the group are the result of evil spirits confusing their minds. When the doubts occur members are expected to seek answers from Kanbu or read the Mahikari literature in the dojo to reinforce their beliefs. All other references outside of the group are unreliable as they are considered the words of evil spirits who have possessed the authors. Life outside of the organization is discouraged as well because according to Mahikari the end of the world is coming and all their efforts must be focused on offering okiyome and saving as many souls from the Baptism of Fire as possible. Vacations and other such luxuries are looked at as selfish unless they are located near a dojo where divine service can still be done.

4. The group practices subtle but highly effective behavioral modifications, (which lead to mind control) techniques.

-Behavior modifications within Mahikari are subtle. Most people wouldn’t even notice them unless they had researched mind control and behavioral modifications. Mahikari controls the behavior of their members from the time they walk into the dojo.

Controlled Action #1: When you first enter the dojo you are asked to remove your shoes, this is a typical Japanese custom, but in a cult setting it is a behavior modification. Members are expected to remove their shoes and get into stocking feet; no bare feet are to touch the carpet.

Controlled Action #2: Members are told that they must wash their hands and mouth out at the sink at the entrance of the dojo; this is to remove any physical impurities from the mouth and hands before spiritual activities commence.

Controlled Action #3: Members then step into the main room, where they are expected to bow before the statue of their founder, Kotama Okada. The number of bows is always two when you enter followed by three claps and a prayer; the first prayer is to be a prayer to God. Next the member will offer one bow and four claps and offer a prayer to Kotama to ask for the ability to offer okiyome.

Controlled Action #4: The member then stands, walks backwards to the back of the room and then says, “Good morning, afternoon, or night” depending on what time of day it is. The members who have already prayed-in will respond with the same reply, “Good morning, afternoon, or evening”. This controlled action is designed specifically to make members feel welcome and at home and to also set the tone for a group atmosphere.

Controlled Action #5: When a person offers okiyome (spiritual purification) they chant a prayer called Amatasu Norigoto. Chanting is one of the main practices done in cults, because some chants when done repeatedly puts its members into an altered state of mind, more receptive to believing the teachings. This behavior modification is especially effective if done as a group repeatedly.

All of these forms of behavior control are repeated when a person leaves the dojo. Once Mahikari has succeeded in modifying a person’s behavior and gets them involved in the repetitive spiritual practice of the group, it becomes much easier to encourage the person’s belief system. Generally Mahikari uses study classes, seminars, ceremonies, and experience stories to encourage their members to believe their teachings. Experience stories can be especially impacting when told by the actual person who went through the trauma because it appeals to our emotional side as human beings, while also reinforcing the teachings in our minds because the person in front of us speaking has experienced the proof of the teachings.

5. The leaders encourage members to attend seminars and classes where students are asked to just listen to the teacher, absorb, and accept, rather than encouraging questions or debate.

Mahikari members are told from the first time they take Kenshu, that in order to understand the truth one must discard their previous beliefs. The reason they are asked to do this is to keep questions to a minimal because usually any problems or questions that might arise from a Kumite-in-training is brought on by their previous belief system. Usually the old tea story is used in order to explain to students what is expected of them during their Kenshu training. Members are told that before making a new pot of tea, they must first discard the old cup of tea; otherwise they will end up with a nasty mix of the old and new tea. Once inside the organization, if the Kumite asks questions they are told to “just give okiyome and they will eventually understand” because they are not purified enough to understand the full truth of Mahikari No Waza.

6. The organization may distribute "divine" or "holy" objects or talismans which are purported to connect the members with God, allow the members to have a special power, and allow the members to receive increased "divine protection." Usually members are expected to make regular payments and donations or risk

Mahikari members, upon completion of Primary Kenshu receive a holy locket called the omitama. They are told that their omitamas connect them to God through the current leader of Mahikari. Strict rules are given in regards to the care of omitama (ie: they cannot touch bedding, cannot get wet, monthly membership fee paid on time, etc.) and members are warned that if these rules are ever violated they risk having their connection to God “shut off”. For Kumite, this is too terrible to comprehend as they are told that God will not protect them if they do not properly care for omitama. Omitama is considered a gift from God, more precious than the life of the wearer.

(More to come in my next post)

2006-04-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

"Try it and See"/"Don't Think"

Hey all! I covered this briefly in the last post I did concerning a kumite’s review of Winston Davis’ book Dojo: Magic and Exorcism in Modern Japan. Mahikari is often quoted as saying “don’t think, just give okiyome and you will eventually understand” as well as “try it and see”. This is typically used when speaking to potential members who might be reluctant about receiving okiyome or joining Mahikari.

In the novel Davis is quoted as saying that these catch phrases are “manipulative”. The word manipulative means to tamper with or falsify for personal gain. I don’t agree with Davis on this issue, but essentially everything else is an accurate depiction of what it is like to be in a cult like Mahikari. I think the proper word to use here would be “deception” because deception can take place without the perpetrator being aware of it because they, like the victim, are being conditioned to think and say certain things.

From the time you join Mahikari you hear these 2 phrases and you are told to say them to any new members or potential members who might be having doubts or difficulty comprehending the teachings. For Kumite these words are a mechanical response. I can’t even remember all of the times I would ask questions and I would be told,

“Just give light and continue doing meritorious works and eventually the truth will present itself to you.” Or “Just give okiyome and you will eventually understand.”

I always hated that answer…I felt like a child being told by a parent, “Because I said so.” Whenever your mom or dad says that there is a finality that tells you to drop it and just accept their answer. Being the type to question…that was difficult, if not impossible for me. However, eventually I found myself saying this to younger Tai members even though I still didn’t understand. I wonder if any of the members who say that ever really “understand” or if they just say it because they themselves really don’t know how to answer the difficult questions.

The people who have been obediently going to dojo, but have not yet made the leap to join are often told that it is just as important to offer okiyome as it is to receive okiyome and if they want to fully experience the miracles, they must offer okiyome as well. This pretty much forces the individual to join in order to experience the “miracles” that all the other kumite are supposedly experiencing (though I don’t really think anyone in the dojo has ever learned the truth from offering okiyome). Eventually, these potential members get tired of feeling left out of the loop. They get curious and want to know what kumite are supposedly experiencing.
Like I said in my previous post, I really believe that people get so tired of getting told “don’t think, just giving okiyome” when they do not comprehend, that they eventually stop asking and stop thinking because a better answer is never supplied. I never became any more aware of miracles or the truth when I offered okiyome. Most of my miracle stemulai came from the expirience stories which spoke of people healed by the light, but I myself never expirienced anything miraculous.

“Try it and see” can get you in a lot of trouble…because in Mahikari “try it and see”leads to “join the organization if you want to truly expirience the truth” and then if you leave you are ridiculed or deemed “not strong enough/spiritually disturbed/throwing God’s gift in His face”…Kumite will never associate with you again because they are warned that you will pull them down before they will pull you back up. If a Kumite decides to leave Mahikari, as many do because they get tired of the unfulfilling task of giving light and doing constant Gohoshi, they are immediately cut off from the group. It is impossible to maintain friendships with Kumite once you have decided to leave the organization or told them you are not interested. If any of them do remain in contact with you, it is merely to try and coax you back into the organization. As you will find, most conversations between you (the former member) and your friend (current kumite) will consist mainly of ‘how much everyone misses you at the dojo and wishes you would come back’.

Mean while at the dojo you will be labeled either spiritually disturbed or no one will speak of you in order to avoid exposing any flaws within the organization. All members will be told that you are disturbed and therefore they could be influenced by your negative attached spirit if they remain in contact with you…this usually scares most Kumite into submission and prevents them from looking up information that might explain why you departed.

In the end “try it and see” has a heavy price. If you are friends with a Kumite and truly value their friendship, stick with receiving light if you must go to dojo, but NEVER join because when you get out your friendships are mangled and if you’re really unlucky, like myself, your family is torn to pieces. It’s better to observe from the outside if you are interested in Mahikari, and even then I would be cautious.

2006-04-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Contact Info

If anyone wants to email to talk in private, my email address is ash_j_kennedy@hotmail.com ...
It might take me a few days to get back to you, but I always respond.

Peace!

-Mr. Ashke

2006-04-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Bias from Both Sides

I was looking on Amazon.com, trying to see if I could purchase a copy of Winston Davis’ book Dojo: Magic and Exorcism in Modern Day Japan when I came across the one and only review written on the site about the novel. The name of the individual was not provided; it simply said “a Reader”, however the author of the review was not pleased with the book, and his/her review would probably discourage kumite who are considering departing Mahikari from reading it. The review said:

As a practitioner of Sukyo Mahikari for over ten years, I found this book somewhat baffling if not down right insulting. Although the author seems to take the objective perspective of a scientist/researcher, what I found was mis-information, mis-interpretation and frankly, a very biased, point of view. Winston Davis finds the Mahikari practitioners phrase "Try it and see", a "manipulative" one. How else can one understand a phenomenon unless one is willing to look at it from many points of view? One can only see the surface from the outside. And, what is found within, through direct in-depth experience, can change the view of the surface.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804711313/sr=1-2/qid=1145907137/ref=sr_1_2/002-3312553-8088020?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=books

Well…first of all, Winston Davis has past involvement in Mahikari; therefore he did experience it and look at it from both the surface and the outside. His experiences are completely relevant to people who might be considering Mahikari as a spiritual path, as they need to see both the positive and the negative aspects in order to make an informed decision.

I have no problem with someone reading all there is to read about Mahikari and still deciding to join the organization, at least those people know what they are getting into before hand. However, I have a major problem with people who get sucked into Mahikari by current Kumite because of the appealing front Mahikari presents. Kumite are very welcoming, friendly, and open people…they have to be if they are to get you to join, gain your trust, and gain access to your pocket book.

You wouldn’t join an organization that was filled with nothing but cold people, would you? I am not saying all Kumite are aware of the scam the organization is attempting to pull off, but I know members of Kanbu who cannot possibly be unaware of what is going on.

In the end no matter who the book is written by…be it a former member or a current member…the bias is going to sway more one way than the other. Even an outsider’s approach would be biased, as Mahikari looks very appealing and inviting when you are just looking at the surface. You really don’t know what is going on until you take Secondary Kenshu, as Primary Kenshu teachings are the only ones taught during ceremonies in order to be “non-member friendly.”

Kanbu wouldn’t want to present the bizarre teachings when there are people there who are just giving Mahikari a try, without commitment. They have to get you to pay the $150 membership fee before they tell you anything more than their environmental stance; then you will be permitted to know some of the truth, but still not all of it.

As for Mahikari’s “try it and see” stance…I wouldn’t say manipulative as much as I would say deceptive. Most Kumite don’t even realize they are being manipulative and the word manipulative implies that the perpetrator is fully aware of what he/she is doing.

When you go to dojo for the first time to receive light you are told that in order to get the full experience and see miracles that you must join the organization, as one cannot fully understand without actually offering okiyome and one cannot offer okiyome without an omitama. So as displayed above, “try it and see” quickly turns into “you have to join to fully understand”.

Once you join and still lack the understanding you believe you should have, you are told by Kanbu to “not think, just offer okiyome and you will eventually understand”, eventually you get so tired of not understanding that you just stop asking and start accepting.

“Try it and see”? When you decide to leave the organization you are ridiculed by Kumite. They will not speak to you anymore and deem you spiritually disturbed. It is impossible to merely “try it and see” because you eventually have to join to fully experience Mahikari…and when you do join and leave…you lose all your friendships in the process. So if you decide to listen to Kumite and “try it and see”, remember getting in and trying it out is easy, it’s getting out that’s the pisser.

2006-04-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mahikari Tai: Naive Brainwashed Youth

Poem#1
Thousands assemble before the Golden Shrine.
Excitement fills the air.

Mahikari youth, so strong, so pure,
Confident faces, all bright and fair.

The music plays and the march begin.
Hear the rhythm of their feet.

See the flash of white-gloved hands.
Breathe the fragrant air, so sweet.

Their eyes ahead on the Master's face,
Their joy springs forth from a hidden place.

The Grace of God, the Civilization of the Sun
Let us pray for the Millennium of Light at dawn!

Poem#2
We're dancing this day at the Golden Shrine
On the steps near the fountain. What joy! So sublime!

Su God and our Master are dancing, too.
Holding hands and celebrating with me and with you!

We are all one, all races, no fears.
A world of peace springs forth through joyful tears.

We'll remember this day,
True happiness, no strife, and dance in His Glory The rest of our lives.

Poem#3
Yokoshi, rise up,
Like clouds high in the sky

Dancing o'er the land.
Reflected in our ancestors' eyes

Move swiftly,
Our time is at hand.

Yokoshi, rise up,
Like clouds high in the sky

Dancing with the Master.
A straightforward response,

The Divine Wind blows by,
Encouraging our souls to move faster.

In the quiet of your heart
Feel the forest, fresh with dew,

Your mind is peaceful,
Stable as the mountain, in a distant view.

Prepare yourself, to achieve the goal.
Advance brightly, like a wind-blown flame.

Let the Light penetrate your inner soul
Raise the torch of God's Holy Name!

Yokoshi, rise up,
Like clouds high in the sky

Absorbing the heart of a samurai.
Kindness is the friend and conflict the foe.

Imagine the Master's face,
Wherever you go.

And always remember,
God's Plan is quite clear.

Move swiftly, with purpose,
For there's nothing to fear.

I was surfing the net today and came across a site that had all sort of Mahikari Tai promotion. The poems above were among the teachings and photos available on the website. These poems sent a shiver up my spine, and no Mahikari Tai members, not because I fear the truth or because I regret leaving. The pictures and literature took me back to the old days, and not in a good way.

My mother was involved in Mahikari ever since I was 5, but it might as well have been from the time I was born, as I don’t remember much else. I know she was Christian when I was born, as my name is biblical, but I don’t have any concrete memories until I was about seven, when my younger sister (Nijon) Japan was born. When I was ten I was reluctant to join Mahikari, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends in the kids facility and didn’t really want the responsibility of offering okiyome every time I came to dojo. I remember a lot of pressure being put on me to join. My mother was Hancho by that time, my dad was a member, and so naturally everyone assumed I would be a member as well. Every time I came to dojo I was asked about Primary Kenshu and I know my mother must have felt the pressure as well; as parents are taught that they can save no one if they cannot save their families first. My mother asked me if I wanted to join, but when I expressed little interest, she stopped speaking to me until I agreed.

It didn’t take me long to buckle and agree to join. Primary Kenshu is a blur, I was bored out of my skull. I joined Tai when I was very young…I think I was 11 or so, but I could have been a little older. No older than 12 definitely. I think the main reason I joined was because I felt left out; all of my friends joined Tai.

What I remember thinking after I joined, specifically, was that Tai youth group was nothing like my friend Justin’s youth group. Justin was a Christian and one time when I spent the night with him we went to youth group the next day. There we played games, sang, studied the Bible, hung out, ate dinner…it was fun. Everyone was welcome, no matter what religion they were and no one judged you.

I guess fun was what I was expecting when I joined Tai, but it was far from fun. First of all, the only way one can participate in Mahikari Tai is if they have become a member. It is not negotiable or debatable… you have to be a kumite to participate in anything Tai related. Children involved have to be able to offer okiyome, otherwise they are a waste of space.

There is one reason and one reason only why Mahikari does this: because it forces children to join Mahikari. Children are vulnerable and feel left out if they are not allowed to do what all the other children are doing. One of Mahikari’s main priorities is initiating the children of members into the sect. Members are even encouraged to have as many children as possible to ensure that an acceptable number of seed people are brought into the world. Children want to be included so they join Mahikari in order to gain acceptance within the group they have been raised.

However, most Mahikari children must be disappointed once they are allowed to join the Tai program…I know I was. I remember thinking that Tai was more work than fun. When we arrived we were quickly ushered outside to run laps around the dojo, if it was raining we exercised inside the dojo. We were taught that a healthy body was mandatory for Kumite because if you did not exercise you were neglecting the body Su-God had created for you and would be severely punished. We exercised, offered okiyome to one another, went to bed at 11:00PM and rose at 6:00AM to purify the dojo from the outside-in with okiyome, and set up for ceremony. Exercise, discipline, obedience to our parents and Kanbu, loyalty to Keishu, and pride in our organization were stressed.

We all wore the same uniform in order strip us of our individuality. Fashion is a visual language that people employ to communicate with each other. It is about creating an identity in response to the culture we live in through fashion. When fashion becomes uniform we lose our individuality, we lose our ability to think independently and we start adjusting to the mold of uniformity...or in this case, we start thinking like a group of Mahikari members as opposed to Asher, the Mahikari member, the individual.

John Stuart Mills said:

There is a different type of human excellence...a conception of humanity as having its nature bestowed on it for other purposes than merely to be abnegated...It is not by wearing down into uniformity all that is individual in themselves, but by cultivating it and calling it forth...that human beings become a noble and beautiful object of contemplation...and whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

The whole concept of group thought prevails, and working together is the only way to accomplish anything was majorly stressed. The youth members are made to undergo severe military drill and submitted to long hours of indoctrination. There were strict rules that we as Tai members were expected to adhere to. I won’t go into detail of everything…because I have tried to put it out of my mind but…

No sex before marriage
No drinking
No partying or hanging out where drinking might occur
Offer light/ receive light at least 20 times a week
Protect Keishu with your life if you are called to do so
Never read anything contrary to Mahikari teachings
Abide by all holy object rules
Obey your parents no matter what

The list goes on and on…

I remember being so scared…because we were threatened with 9 kinds of hell if we ever strayed from Mahikari. For someone like myself who had so many doubts in Mahikari, that was the most frightening thing to hear. I remember being anal about making sure my pendant was on at all times, that if got the proper care, that it was never left unattened…I was sure that if I left it off for too long spirits would possess me and hurt me. For a child it is terrifying to hear things like spirit possession and Baptism of Fire, but of course…that is what Mahikari is aiming for…to scare children out of their wits so they never dare leave.

The thing is…if Mahikari was really as true as Kanbu would like us to believe, parents would simply be able to tell their kids what they believe, without the pressure, and kids would simply graviate towards the truth. Kids are the most psychic little beings, they can sense the truth when they hear it, they know when something is wrong no matter what lies are used to cover it up. The fact that Mahikari stresses indoctrinating children at such a young age, implies that maybe they think kids are intelligent and will be swayed in a different directions if they hear the truth from outsiders…better to keep them in a little bubble where outside interferance is to a minimal. If you are a Kumite and you have a child who is not yet a member…I beg you…do NOT pull them into it. If Mahikari is really a God-centered venture, they can join when they are mature enough to understand all of the concepts of Mahikari. They don’t need to cope with fear of spirits…and having to care for a pendant that is more precious than their lives when they should be having fun, playing with friends, going to school…not sitting on their knees at dojo trying to save the world.

2006-04-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Power of Fear

Throughout this post I am going to talk about fear and how it has been used throughout history and religion to keep its followers in check. This will talk about religion, but please bear with me and read it because I would like to hear your comments about this matter. I judge no one, but the people who cause emotional damage within these religions and organizations.

I am going to try to keep preaching to a minimal because I know that a lot of you have differing faiths from my own, or you might not have any faith at all, but that is irrelevant. In my faith I believe that God loves everyone, irrespective of their beliefs…if you’re Atheist, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Kumite, Jewish, Gnostic, Agnostic, Witness, Moonie, etc…our lives on earth are merely learning experiences that help us work towards perfecting our souls. We try out different beliefs, races, and backgrounds to learn different things and experiences different prejudices. Hopefully, by the end of it we have become better people with pure souls.

I think we can all agree that one of the main things that religions preach is the love of God. We, as His creations, are supposed to love Him with every fiber of our beings. The Bible teaches “love God with your whole mind, body, and soul”…Mahikari repeats this sentiment as do many other religions.

Most religions, as well as Christianity and Mahikari, also preach that God loves all of His creations more than any of us could ever fathom. The love of God is unmatchable. There is nothing stronger, right? I once spoke with a member of Mahikari who said, “Imagine how much you love Kara and multiple that times 100 Billion and that is how much God loves us.” I started thinking about that and came to the conclusion that God must love us all an awful lot. The only problem with this whole theory of perfect love is that all religions stress that if you do not follow their way of life that you will be wiped out or burn in hell.

Is it just me or is there something wrong with that? It seems to me this is a blatant contradiction. God loves us more than we could ever fathom, but if you don’t follow a specific religion He will send you to hell or kill you? Does that sound loving to anyone else? Or does that sound like the Nazi dictatorship of WWII? I love Kara very much, but no matter how angry she made me, or how much she disobeyed me I would never wish eternal damnation on her or harm her in any way. If God could do that to His children then I would have to logically say that I love Kara more than God loves any of us. Spare me the whole God is perfect love, but strict. Strict is an understatement when we are talking about eternal damnation or being cut off from God. When you really love someone you don’t want them to ever hurt or experience pain, no matter what they do to anger you or no matter how many mistakes they make.

I suppose my question is, “Why do all these religions ask that you love God, but then turn around and make Him out to be an unlovable tyrant who takes no prisoners and will wipe out anyone who does not follow His word?” God is perfect? A God who can coldly murder the human beings He created because of technicalities (race, religion, background, not taking appropriate Kenshu classes, etc), pettiness, greed, and jealousy is not a perfect God. There is no arguing this; jealousy, greed, pettiness are not perfect qualities. So why has God been portrayed this way? This brought me to one of three conclusions…

1. If the religious perception of God is true: God is a hypocrite.
2. There is no God.
3. Or God is perfect love and past religious perceptions of Him are incorrect.

I am going to have to believe 3 is the correct answer. I can’t believe God is a hypocrite because if He is He is not worth following, let alone worshipping. I can’t believe that there is no God because I feel His presence. I have to believe that God is pure love. Pure love means that God contains no negative human traits that we carry. The Bible says that God is jealous…that is a human quality and a far from perfect quality. The Goseigen says that God wiped out the Jews because they failed to construct Solomon’s gold covered temple, which is greed and pettiness. So then what can we conclude?

Here’s my theory…fear is the ultimate form of mind control. Fear fills churches not love. Why do I say this? Because it is impossible to love someone and fear them at the same time. I know so many people, but one woman in particular, who went to dojo constantly because she was told she had so many sins and impurities backed up, her misfortune was proof of that, and if she wanted God to forgive her and life to get better she had to erase this negative karma through light. The poor woman must have been scared to death, but that is not the point, the point is why was she coming to dojo? Because she loved God and wanted to serve Him? Or because she was afraid of the repercussions through physical compensation if she didn’t erase negative karma?

Fear renders people paralyzed. It is fear that keeps the battered wife with the abusive husband, fear that prevents the molested child from turning in their perpetrator, fear that keeps people coming to dojo week after week when the fulfillment has gone…Kumite go to dojo for the wrong reason.

Anne, Steve, JeJune, ZT, Lara, Joe, Kit-Kat, Darcy…be honest did you become so adamant about dojo because you loved God? Or because of the fear aspect?

Initially, I am sure it was because you thought Mahikari was going to have a positive impact on the world, but after that, when you realized the most Mahikari did for the world was yoko garden small plots of land…when you got tired of offering light and money only to be asked to offer more, why did you keep going? If you can truly say you went on because you loved God then I give you mad props, but I know I can’t say that. Some of you might not have even wanted to go, like myself, but when my mom said I would suffer physical compensation I made sure I went.

Religions tell their followers that non-believers will meet a tragic end because it keeps their members in submission. They fear what will happen if they leave, so they stay and continue on with their church’s activities. If God is love and is going to love you no matter what you do, no matter how much you screw up…then why go to church, dojo, or mosque? Why not just enjoy life and do whatever you want? That is why those threats are added in…because without them people wouldn’t come to those facilities and donate all their time to these religions/groups/sects/organizations.

Without those fears people are left to live their lives as they see fit.

In the Bible there used to be text about reincarnation, but at the Council of Nicea they were removed. This was because half of Christians believed in reincarnation and the other half believed in one shot. In the end all Bibles were taken and burned and new editions, removing text about reincarnation and adding text about donating money and making 10% ties to churches were added...at the time government ran the churches and all money was flowing back to them…just the way Mahikari money does.

More emphasis was put on sin, the devil, and hell; which is funny to me because the word sin, in ancient Aramaic simply meant to “miss the mark” as if one was shooting a bow and arrow. Not such a bad thing, people make mistakes. The old texts from the Bible have been popping up, but the new Christian church rejects everything that is not currently written in the bible as written by Gnostics (Christians who believe in reincarnation and science mixed with faith over faith alone)…the point I am trying to make is that those things were added in to make people fear…the other aspects about reincarnation were removed because the church knew that if people thought they got second chances they would not be as devoted to the church and donate money.

If you’re a Mahikari member and you are reading this you really need to ask yourself, why do you do the things you do? Is it because you love God? Or because you fear Him? If the answer is the latter, is that the way you want to live your life? Afraid of the wonderful, loving creator who made you? He wants your devotion motivated by love, not your devotion motivated by fear. It’s not a happy way to live, nor a healthy way.

Live life to the fullest, experience, learn, and grow. You can’t do that within the dojo walls. You live how they tell you to live, you experience what they want you to experience, you learn only what they want you to know (unless you pay for more), and you grow as much as they allow. It’s the truth, you must know that. You’re trapped in a bubble, a bubble called Mahikari. When you pop the bubble and finally realize that God loves you so much that He allows you to live as many times as necessary in order to grow and become better…your love grows and overpowers your fear.

To those of you who do not believe in God anymore because Mahikari has done that much damage to your faith, don't worry...you don't have to believe in Him because He believes in you. He knows you have grown from being in Mahikari and it has helped you become more caring, loving, and compassionate individuals, despite the emotional scars it has left. That's the great thing about a truly perfect, loving God; one that is not tainted by money-making religious practices.

2006-04-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Light Works: The Ultimate Mind-Control Trap

Today Kara said something to me that made me stop and think. She said: The reason I remained in Mahikari despite my doubts was because light seemed to work. I know there have been thorough investigations on other blogs, discussing what okiyome is and why it seems to work. For me okiyome was the aspect that kept me bound and believing in Mahikari all 17 years of my life. I naturally assumed that because okiyome worked, Kotama Okada had to be telling the truth. Basically I had come to the conclusion that because one part of his doctrine seemed to be true the rest must also be true without a second thought. I didn’t question whether or not everything else was legitimate, okiyome worked and that was good enough for me…at least at the time. Now I have been doing a lot of thinking about why or if okiyome works and why it seems to be so easy for people to just accept that light works and rearrange their lives to fit the Mahikari mold.

The first thing that came to mind was whether or not I was even a good judge of whether or not okiyome worked. I was born into Mahikari, my mother and father offered me okiyome from the time I was born. I was going to the dojo ever since I was a few months old. I knew all the people at the dojo, I was friends with their children…the point I am trying to make is that I was never without Mahikari and okiyome; so therefore how would I even know what life without okiyome was like? I had always assumed that light healed and made me feel better, but that was because I had been told by my parents my whole life that okiyome has those sorts of effects. Until recently I had never gone without okiyome. What I have found now that I have left Mahikari is that I feel the same way I did when I was a member receiving light. To me, okiyome is kind of like meditation. I have been practicing meditation as a way of calming myself and leveling out. In order to explain to those of you who have never meditated what it like I will first need to explain to you what okiyome is like.

Okiyome is very relaxing. When the Amatasu Prayer begins you close your eyes and focus on relaxing your body and absorbing the light. While receiving #8 (okiyome to the forehead) your eyes are closed and you do not speak. In Mahikari we are taught that this point is where the soul resides behind the third eye, therefore it is absolutely imperative to remain quiet in order to avoid damaging the soul. The person offering okiyome will alternate between their left and right hand periodically as their arms will get tired from holding them up. This part of okiyome can be uncomfortable both for the receiver and the giver as they are both expected to remain in Japanese Seiza sit. Your legs quickly become numb and for the rest of the time you are waiting for this portion of the session to be over. You receive this point for 10 minutes and then you move onto points in the neck, there is no mandatory sitting position for this so you get to relax. Then the lungs, kidneys, legs etc, all while lying down on a mat and pillow. While you receive light from the other points, the person offering okiyome will use their fingers to search for warm or hard spots, they are taught this is where the toxins have built up, and where the light energy must be focused. Kumite will message these points periodically to work away the toxins and also to feel if the spot has cooled off or softened.

The sensation of this is much like receiving a massage, it feel good and relaxes you, especially after you have been sitting in Seiza for the first ten minutes of the session; it feels good to lay down and relax. Many people fall asleep and take a short nap, as a full session can take about an hour. When the session is complete you feel calm and relaxed, which is usually what gives people the impression that okiyome has worked. Mahikari teaches that if you feel better than before the session that the toxins have melted. If you feel sick or have a headache then the toxins are melting away, but you still have some build-up. Mahikari teaches that pain is positive because it means that you are suffering and therefore also clearing away sins and impurities. On the flip side, a relaxed body after okiyome is also positive. If you feel nothing then the toxins and impurities are so built-up that you need to receive light as much as possible, which is always good for Mahikari business.

For a long time I assumed that okiyome worked because I felt good after I received. However, if I took an hour long nap the way I did during a light session, I felt just as rejuvenated. The same goes for meditation.

During meditation you sit somewhere comfortable with your legs out in front of you, your hands on your thighs, palms facing the ceiling. It helps to play some music that relaxes you. Then you focus on your toes, focus on them relaxing, then you move onto your feet, and focus on them relaxing, then you your ankles, and so on and so on, until you have relaxed your entire body. Once this is done you simply sit there and pray if you feel it is necessary, but focus on something positive or a change you want to come into your life. You do this for about an hour. Once this is complete you feel relaxed and rejuvenated exactly how you feel after okiyome.

The point I am trying to make is that if the only indication we have of whether okiyome is working is whether or not we feel better afterwards, then should we assume that everything that gives us that relaxed after effect is spiritually cleansing? Or should we assume that maybe okiyome doesn’t do what Mahikari says it does regardless of how we feel? As Anne said, “It is stupid to assume A caused B just because B followed A.” Mahikari works in a double-standard kind of way.

For example, I once knew a girl who started going to dojo because she had cancer. The girl was about 13 or so and had been going through chemotherapy. Eventually she was cancer free and the dojo used her story as experience propaganda, despite the fact that she had been going through chemo the entire time. Kumite assumed that because the cancer went away (A), after the girl started receiving light (B) that the cancer (A) must have gone away because of okiyome (B). However those variables could also be rearranged like this…the cancer (A) went away, after the girl went through chemotherapy (B), because the cancer (A) went into remission while she was on chemo (B). Notice how Mahikari likes to use these experiences without presenting all of the information. During the experience story at the ceremony, the fact that the girl was on chemo was downplayed or not even mentioned. So Kumite, before you buy into those stories, make sure that the person was not on any other form of medication or therapy besides light therapy.

On the other hand, when light does not work, Mahikari tends to avoid talking about the subject. Here is another example, a man I knew at the dojo, whose mother passed away…her death was hardly mentioned. However, weeks before she died the Kanbu were talking about how much better she was doing with the aid of okiyome and how light was so miraculous that it could bring her back from even this terrible condition. When she was getting better it was the work of the light, when she died nothing was said. Prayers for her mourning family were at the very end of the prayer requests that ceremony.

Same with my mother…whenever something negative happened to me; my mother naturally assumed it was because I was not doing enough divine service. Negative things (A) happened because I did not offer enough divine service (B). It wasn’t that shit just happens… for Mahikari there is always a spiritual reason; lack of effort, money, or service, etc. After a while I started adapting that mindset…that all my misfortune was because I wasn’t putting enough time into Mahikari. For at least a month after I left Mahikari everything negative that occurred was because I had left Mahikari, at least in my mind. Their mind control worked. They had convinced me that the world would come crashing down on my head for leaving. They also had me thinking that everything negative that happened to Kara was because she was not a member and hated Mahikari with such a passion. It was like a Mahikari curse, a plague on anyone who left the organization…it is the very thing that has so many kumite trapped in Mahikari now. This almost made me go back…almost. I still struggle with that…I find myself thinking that way whenever life doesn’t go right.

The thing I finally realized is that even when I was a kumite life didn’t go my way 24/7…I don’t know why I was assuming that it would after I left Mahikari. Life isn’t perfect, shit happens. I know now that I can’t blame everything on the Mahikari curse. The fear of the curse was holding me back, preventing me from living…I have to admit, Mahikari is deranged and wrong, but in a very smart way. They truly have thought of all the angles to make sure that their members remain within the organization and continue to pay. Fear is the ultimate way to control a person. Mahikari makes you fear God, and it is impossible to love someone you fear. I will save that for a new post, but for now it’s food for thought.

2006-04-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sukyo Mahikari North American Website: The Uncut Version Continued Again

“Sukyo Mahikari believes that a very effective way to improve the situation in society today is for people to unite together to establish a civilization based on universal principles. In this vision, we anticipate that people will integrate a spiritual outlook with humankind's material development and progress while, at the same time, making spiritual values and faith in God the true focus in their lives.”

I fail to see how Mahikari plans to improve the situation of society today considering they want little if anything to do with charity or the outside world. They might plant their little yoku gardens and push environmental issues within the dojo and the organization, however when have you ever seen Mahikari help out through Habitat for Humanity or other organizations that want to better the planet and make it a wonderful place to live? The best way to build a society is to be in the public eye, donate to charity, and participate in environmental projects. Mahikari talks the talk, but where’s the walk?

Practice what you preach.

If you think the environment is in bad shape, do something about it. If you think poverty is a problem, do something about it. Planting your little gardens is not enough…besides isn’t the purpose of those gardens supposed to be to show members the effort and nurturing it takes God to mold us all? Even Mahikari’s environmental efforts have nothing to do with changing the situation of society.

Why?

Because Mahikari does not believe in charity. The only charity they have done is donating to the Hebrew college and the only reason they did that was because they were getting a reputation for being anti-Semitic.

To help achieve this goal of establishing a "Yoko civilization," a well-balanced and harmonious civilization that is bright and positive, like the Sun, Sukyo Mahikari promotes different activities including those described below.

“As we enter the twenty-first century, the pollution of the Earth's environment and the human body are becoming serious threats to the future of humankind.”

Yeah…Mahikari has caused its fair share of pollution in Takayama by cutting down thousands of trees to build that humongous, 200 million dollar, mega-structure, Suza. Oh…not to mention gold mining is one of the worst man-caused pollutants…the top of the main world shrine is covered in gold, but you won’t hear Keishu preach about that.

“Sukyo Mahikari promotes yoko gardening, a spiritual approach to organic gardening, farming and agriculture. One aim of yoko gardening is to remove poisonous toxins from the land and to revive the soil to a healthy condition so that crops filled with the vitality and spiritual energy of nature can be produced. The yoko farming method involves:

-Revitalization of the land with True Light.

-Directing positive vibrations (gratitude) to nature, especially the plants, soil and the micro-organisms living in it.

-The use of compost and organic methods that avoid the use of artificial agricultural chemicals.”

Mahikari members need to stop wasting time yoko gardening their backyards and focus on replanting trees, promoting electric cars, opening community homes for the homeless, building animal shelters for the millions of stray animals that get put to sleep each year, there are tons of things that kumite could do to help out but they don’t.

Why?

Because Mahikari activities keep them bogged down 24/7…and Mahikari teaches that it’s wrong to participate in charitable activities because you are interfering with God’s plan. Well if helping a person or animal in need is interfering with God’s plan, then one must assume also that it is against God’s plan to help the environment. Humans and animals are just as much a part of nature and the environment as flowers, veggies, fruits, and trees. Yet Mahikari detests aiding people and animals in need.

Why?

Perhaps it is because giving light to the soil and planting a few seeds in the ground is a minuscule cost as opposed to donating to help a family or animal; there’s less money going into Mahikari’s pocket if members are donating to charities.

“In general, the Western approach to health does not acknowledge a spiritual dimension. However, this attitude is gradually changing. By introducing more people to the principles that govern the universe, Sukyo Mahikari anticipates an era where good health is enjoyed by more people. A Yoko Health Clinic, staffed by health professionals (doctors and nurses) who are Sukyo Mahikari members, opened in Takayama, Japan, in November 1989. Its purpose is to serve the local community. Those members who work in the medical profession are encouraged to continue their spiritual growth, and to pray for their patients. Throughout the world there are now many organizations and individuals who are striving to introduce a spiritual approach to healthcare. Sukyo Mahikari hopes to work with such organizations and individuals to help develop and promote a more holistic approach to health, one that respects the close interconnection between spirit, mind and body.”

Don’t take medication and go to the doctor, receive light and come to the dojo instead. Makes sense, right? Then Mahikari is getting your money instead of your health care professional. This is what happens when Mahikari decides what is best for the health of its members…here is an experience story by Christiane, a Belgium woman who allowed Sukyo Mahikari Kanbu decide what was best for the health of her husband:

Thanks to the translation by Fabien Cheslet, I will tell you my "story" about the Mahikari sect.

I was an active member of this sect from July 1986 to December 1995.
As most members, I entered the sect because of medical problems. Till 1989, everything "was right", but I had not realised to what extent I was manipulated. I had, for example, stopped working in order to better follow the teachings and be more available for the organisation...

In October 1988, my husband had heart trouble and took medical advice with a cardiologist. During the medical tests, the doctor told my husband he had to go urgently to hospital to undergo more extensive tests, and probably surgery, in order to avoid an infarction.

Directly after talking with the doctor and before going to hospital, we went with our 13-year-old son to the Mahikari Center of Verviers to meet the leader and ask her advice, so that we could apply the teachings in a correct way. It was indeed of primary importance to leave everything in God's hands and accept his will!

During this interview, Miss A. Krickel firmly advised us against going to hospital because, she said, it was for financial reasons that physicians were doing medical tests. Moreover, my husband would be given drugs which would be seriously harmful for his health, as medicine is a synonym for poison, both for the body and mind.

So my husband, who did not want to disappoint me in the faith I had in the teachings, did not go to hospital. Yet, I would have agreed for him to go there, but I was extremely frightened by the possible spiritual consequences.

At that moment, I significantly increased my activities in the Center and months went by without mentioning the problem.

My son became a member and when he and my husband could not go to the Center, they gave Light to each other.

As far as I am concerned, I was convinced that everything was well and, as the leader had said, God was taking care of us and nothing could ever happen!

August 17 1989 was my birthday. At around 4 pm I called my husband in his office to propose to him some projects for the evening. He replied he was quite exhausted and there would be time to think of it when he came back home.

He came back with our son at around 5.45 pm. After he passed the flat door, he suddenly felt faint and dropped the flowers and his suitcase from his hands. I rushed to him and took him to the living room, on the sofa. I immediately called the Mahikari leader to ask what to do. My husband could not breathe and he was unable to tell me what he felt as he was suffocating.

During the phone call, my husband was getting increasingly ill. I hung up and it was only then that I called a doctor. During all that time, my son and a friend were giving him Light.

When the doctor came, he made me call a resuscitation ambulance and gave my husband an injection to sustain his heart and liquefy his blood. At a moment, just before the arrival of the ambulance, my husband looked at us, me and my son, and clearly said these words : "It is the end". I did not believe it, because he had not ceased receiving Light from three people in the same time. It was only a simple faint, and with a lot of love and tenderness, I shook my head and gave him a big smile.
Alas, as soon as he arrived in hospital, my husband died. Then the doctor told me that if my husband had had correct medical care in time, he would certainly be alive. At that moment and long after, I thought he was mistaken, because my leader had told me again and again that I had to thank God, because my husband, by dying in such a brutal way, had compensated for a lot of errors made in previous lives. Thanks to this fact, our family would have a lot of happiness. And I believed her!

After that, I got increasingly involved in the movement. I went to all the meetings in Belgium and Luxembourg, I took part in all seminars and lectures, and all possible ceremonies (3 per months). I did not realise I was neglecting my son who was completely left to drift. He did not believe a word of what they said. He wanted to get revenge at all costs, considering they had "assassinated" his father and that someone had to pay for it. We could not talk to one another, because I lived "in another world" called Mahikari and nothing else mattered.

Years were going by not so happily, as I suffered a lot from this situation. I began to feel guilty. I thought I was responsible for my husband's death and I had increasing doubts about the truth of the teachings.

In September 1993, unfortunately, I felt on the Center's stairs and broke my arm. Then, the leader completely rejected me. She expelled me from the group that was making flower arrangements for the altar. She put me "in quarantine", just because, in members' eyes, this fall in front of God's altar meant God was punishing me for my bad "Sonen" (innermost attitude). Moreover, I was not a good example for those going to the Center.

I felt "guilty" about something (I did not know of what) and I got out of it with a lot of difficulties, trying to stay involved the best I could. But, my heart was no longer in it. I was frightened to death, I felt guilty. Besides, I began to have a lot of doubts. My oldest son asked me not to get involved in such a way, because, anyway, I was still alone to face my numerous problems. I did not receive any comforting words from the leaders or the members of the association. Far from it, they told me I had to thank God and ask Him to send me more "purifications", as it was a sign He was taking care of me and my family!

In late 1994, I was told that I probably had bone cancer, but, refusing to undergo the tests, I was not sure of it. I could not go up the Mahikari Center stairs any more or get on my knees. When I got up in the morning, I had a lot of difficulties putting my feet on the ground. So, as I was responsible for the morning turn at the center, I was not reliable any more in my "service" from 6.30 to 7.00 am. As I could not get on my knees any more, I was unable to lead the opening prayers, or any other prayers.
Then, overnight, without any warning, I was replaced. After this, they made me feel guilty as much as they could. I can say that they dropped me down like an old rag, as we say in French.

I must also add to this account my experience in the financial field.

When I stopped working, I was highly surprised that my employer gave me a huge allowance. At that moment, they were restoring the Castle of Ansembourg in Luxembourg which was to become the Mahikari headquarters for Europe and Africa. A large scale operation!

As I could not get this amount without giving a part of it to "God" via the movement, I was advised to make an important donation for the restoring works. So I gave 150.000 Belgian francs (+/- 6000 AUD). To balance it, I gave 75.000 francs to the Dojo of Belgium and 75.000 francs to the Center of Verviers. In all, I gave 300.000 francs (I must admit here that my husband did not completely agree, but as it was money I had earned (!) personally, he let me do it). This was in early 1989.
After the death of my husband, I made unconsidered "offerings", as I was so frightened that my husband was suffering in "the other world". The amount was sometimes, and even very often, as high as 8.000 francs a week and this, during almost one year.

In 1991, the Treasury Administration reimbursed me 338.000 francs, an amount I of course gave immediately to the association.

I only mention the most important "offerings". I cannot evaluate the amount given for courses, travels, seminars, etc. And it had to happen...

When my older son got married, I had to take a loan, because, without realising it, I had exhausted almost all my capital! I also had to stop my life insurance to recover the sum I had given. But this was not so serious, because we should not have attachment to material goods and, anyway, the cataclysms were about to come and I was going to loose everything!

After all these unhappy experiences, I could progressively leave the movement, and was able to abandon it completely in late 1995, helped by my family.

How did I get out of it? Completely destroyed. I had no more personality, I was unable to make the distinction between truth and lies, who was right or wrong. I felt guilty for everything.

I was extremely frightened, expecting the wrath of heaven to fall on my head! Each time I had a little problem, I wondered if they were not right, if Mahikari teachings were not true. I did not know exactly where I was.

Then, one of my sisters advised me to go to a psychiatrist, who found I was completely empty of all energy and needed a lot of rest. Moreover, he told me I had really been brainwashed, before being indoctrinated. Then, he did everything to give me back a kind of serenity, as well as a correct view of life. It was necessary for me to find my personality again and act according to my own will. It was no easy thing.
What helped me so much was the help Fabien and his parents gave me when they discovered the truth about Mahikari. This family had also worked a lot in the organisation but had kept its balance. I immediately trusted them, because such people could not invent things. If they left the movement, I was convinced their reasons were right.

Now, what I wish for most would be to do something for those who, like me, have suffered enormously, and for those who could be attracted by the "octopus" Mahikari really is.

Although this account is quite long, I have a lot of other things to tell, but I hope this has helped you.

As we can see here, Mahikari methods of comparing medicine to poison can have catastrophic results. Mahikari tries to avoid giving medical advice these days, in order to avoid lawsuits…however, most members know quite well what the organizations opinion of medicine and physicians is like.

2006-04-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Sukyo Mahikari North American Website: The Uncut Version Continued

“A core teaching of Sukyo Mahikari is "The origin of the world is one; the origin of all human beings is one; and the origin of all religions is one." Therefore, all human beings are brothers and sisters whose purpose is to cooperate and to live together in harmony.”

In a Japanese fashion, of course. We are called to live in harmony and be at peace, we are also called to conform and submit to a Japanese way of life. The shrines, the language, the customs and manners, the superstitions about pendants and spirits, those are all Japanese ideas and beliefs. Mahikari wants to push Japanese supremacy. In their minds Japanese is better than everyone else. Why would any other race sacrifice their dignity, their culture, and their self-respect to join something that will force them to submit to another ethnicity’s way of life?

“One thing that is encouraged, based on the teachings, is the attitude of helping each other, with love and respect, and without judgment, resentment or blame. Through an understanding of the universal principles and God's plan for humankind, people can more easily fulfill their responsibilities in their families and as members of society.”

Fulfill their responsibilities as a member of the Mahikari society, more accurately. Mahikari pushes the idea of family values on their site, but I am living proof of what can happen to a family whose involvement in Mahikari becomes their number one priority. The structure goes as follows: Mahikari #1, family #2. Parents don’t parent because they are too busy with Mahikari activities. I am not the only one who has suffered from a Mahikari lifestyle. I have talked to numerous people who have parents that would rather be at dojo than at home taking care of their families.

Housewives, like my mom, are the worst because they get up, go to the dojo, stay at dojo all day, and then return home at almost 8:00 or 9:00PM. Now I ask you…where in between waking up, going to dojo, and coming home at night is there any time for family activities, unless the family has decided to take on a nocturnal lifestyle. I heard of a family who had a mother who would take on the schedule my mother has…she would wake up at 12:00AM, go to dojo all day until it closed at 6:00PM, then she would go and do all the errands she should have done during the day, which would put her back home by 8:00 or 9:00PM, then she would make dinner which would be on the table by 9:30-10:00PM and then she would stay up until 2:00-3:00AM talking to her family, then she’d wake up at noon the next day (because she stayed up until 3:00AM the night before) and repeat the whole process all over again.

Her junior high aged children would stay up until midnight or later when they had school the next day at 6:30AM. Half the time the kids wouldn’t even go to school because she would be too tired to get up and take them there. Is this the way a parent should be? Should spirituality and offering okiyome come before your family? I suppose, if you’re a selfish person who is only interested in going to the dojo day in and day out to save your own skin from the Baptism of Fire.

The mothers who do this are BAD MOTHERS.

You do not deserve to have children, but I’m guessing if your children don’t mean more to you than this, that the only reason you had them in the first place was because you wanted to be the ideal seed person and bring more seed people into the world. WRONG REASON to have children.

“The teachings are not about intellect but are tools that may help one's spiritual growth as well as personal development. As such, they require consistent effort and regular practice so that the benefit from these tools may be maximized. By putting the teachings into practice on a daily basis, one can deepen one's spiritual understanding and find a higher purpose in life.”

And sacrifice their family life in the process.

“The international headquarters of the organizations are located in Takayama, Japan. Regional headquarters are located in Latin America, North America, Australia, Singapore, Europe and Africa. There are Sukyo Mahikari centers in more than 75 countries.”

Note: Mahikari only needs 1 person to open a center in their home in order to be counted in a country as a religious group.

“Courses are organized for people wishing to assume responsible roles within the Sukyo Mahikari organization.”

This is true. It is impossible to simply be in Mahikari, uninvolved, just offering okiyome occasionally and receiving okiyome occasionally. No. As soon as you join when you turn 10 years old you are asked to give okiyome every time you come to the dojo, without fail. So for those of you who are young and are thinking of joining, just know, as soon as you do you can forget about just hanging out in the nursery with your friends. The adults will be on your case to offer okiyome every time you attend. If you’re an adult you are expected to do divine service whenever possible. If you don’t every time you go to the dojo you will mauled by people who seem to have endless projects for you to sink your teeth into.

“Sukyo Mahikari has its roots in an organization that Mr. Kotama Okada founded on August 28,1959, to promote Mahikari practice. This was in response to a revelation he received from Creator God on February 27, 1959. Mr. Okada’s heartfelt desire was to help people live in a more God-centered and spiritual way based on the universal principles that God established at Creation. In this way, people will be able to fulfill God’s prayer for humanity, which is to create a Heaven on Earth, a world of peace and harmony. He said that it is God’s greatest joy to see his children happily co-operating with each other and living fulfilled lives. Mahikari spread from Tokyo to other parts of Japan. It was then introduced to countries abroad. In 1971, Mahikari was introduced to Europe, and from there it spread to Africa and the Caribbean. On June 13, 1974, Mr. Kotama Okada appointed his adopted daughter Keishu as the second spiritual leader in accordance with a revelation from God. Ten days later, on June 23, 1974, Mr. Okada passed away. However, soon afterwards, there was confusion and misunderstanding about the succession within the organization. Mr. Sakae Sekiguchi, a senior director of the Mahikari organization, went to court to support his claim as the rightful successor to Mr. Okada." (Taken from the official Sukyo Mahikari North America Site)

Confusion? No. More like Greed. Here are articles which follow the court battle that ensued between Sekiguchi and Keishu. You can read them via Mahikari Exposed, but I have also included them below."

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~skyaxe/truth2.htm

Sukyo Mahikari’s version of events differs significantly from the actual events. “On November 3, 1984, Suza, the World Shrine, was inaugurated by Ms. Keishu Okada in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.” The Mahikari organization ran by Sekiguchi has also built a Suza Shrine. So now God has two places of enshrinement.

Here is the article about the debacle where the shrines are concerned.

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~skyaxe/suza.htm

2006-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sukyo Mahikari North American Website: The Uncut Version

Through this post I plan on exposing Mahikari for what it really is. Taking their words to describe the organization and then re-writing them in order for potential members to get a thorough perspective.

Sukyo Mahikari North America is one regional part of Sukyo Mahikari, an international organization with HQ in Takayama, Japan. This post will contain a very extensive description of this organization's activities and spiritual practices. As a former member of this group, I have had my own experiences with Mahikari. Throughout my seventeen years I have learned a lot about Mahikari through my own experiences as well as from my mother, sister, and step-father who are all currently members. As most can observe from my past posts, my involvement in Mahikari hasn’t necessarily been like the sunny pictures used to illustrate Sukyo Mahikari’s official North American site.

Those pictures set a very safe mood, but it is a cover up for a lot of secrets and lies. The pictures may look happy, but if you look beyond the photo, a little deeper, you will see a whole new perspective of Mahikari. From the very first page of this site there is already tons of false advertisement.

The site states:

“Sukyo refers to "the universal laws God established at the time of the Creation so that all things in the universe can prosper eternally," and Mahikari means "True Light," the Light of God that purifies the spiritual aspect of all things. Through the experience of receiving True Light, Sukyo Mahikari believes it can become much easier for a person to awaken to the existence of God, and God's universal principles.”

This is incorrect. As a Japanese person, fluent in Japanese, I can assure you that the word “Sukyo” means supra-or supreme. Throughout Mahikari teachings, one will hear the Kanbu and instructors refer to Mahikari as a Supra-Religion. As kumite we are taught that Mahikari is better than all other religious practices and that all other religions will disappear as they have lost any power they once held. The word “Mahikari” does mean true light, but that is about the only truthful thing written on this entire web page.

The site also states:

“As people cultivate a deeper understanding of the universal laws, Sukyo Mahikari believes that such people will wish to work together to establish a civilization on Earth in which spiritual values are given priority over material values, and where peace and harmony exist for everyone.”

It sounds like a great idea on paper, but the reality of it is that it is impossible for everyone to live in harmony and peace without several groups making sacrifices where religion and culture is concerned. Culture and religion is what cause diversity and disagreement in the first place. In order to rid the world of diversity we would all have to think and act the same way and settle for uniformity. The reason we have wars and controversy is because everyone wants the right to live their life and worship the way they see fit. There’s nothing wrong with that. God gave us minds to think with and we are entitled to our own beliefs. If we all thought the same way and believed the same things the world would be in a state of perfect harmony…we wouldn’t have war or problems because their wouldn’t be countries to conqueror or boundaries to tear down, nor politics to argue about, nor religion to debate. I would love for war and poverty and all other negative aspects of our world to be wiped out, however, if the only way to do that is to strip people of their individuality and make them conform to ideals set down by a supreme-leader(Okada), then I would rather have those negative aspects.

The site then says:

“When Mr. Kotama Okada founded the Mahikari organization, his intention was to help people throughout the world create a more peaceful and harmonious civilization based on the tenet that "The origin of the world is one, the origin of all human beings is one, and the origin of all religions is one." The one is Creator God, whatever He may be called in various religions and elevated philosophies of the world.”

This I agree with. No problem here. There is one God who created us all. Some of us might have the wrong perspective of what God is like and how He governs this planet, but ultimately we all know that He is there and that He created us. God is like the wind, you can’t see Him, but you can feel Him.

The site then says:

“Our aim is to help make possible a world filled with love and harmony where people will overcome the many barriers facing them today. In such a world, people will naturally love, care for and respect one another as co-habitants of this one planet – Earth.”

Like I said before, it’s a wonderful idea if it could be done without making everyone conform to Mahikari ideals and way of life, but since the only way to achieve this is by making everyone on the planet a robot…I would rather just leave everything as is. The site says that Mahikari wants to “overcome the many barriers”, but in the end the way Mahikari wants to overcome them is by erasing the barriers all together and making everyone conform to a Japanese way of living; which is not right. I might be Japanese, but I was raised American. I love my freedom and liberties and I have to admit that every time I travel to Japan and have to adapt to their customs, which I am not used to after having lived in America for so long, I feel out of place and awkward. I don’t want to bow, I don’t want to remove my shoes, I don’t want to take food up to the ancestral alter…nor do I think any other hot-blooded American would either, not initially at least.

“Our organization aspires to cooperate with others in society who share the same vision of a world where a spiritual outlook will naturally be integrated with humankind's material development and progress.”

This is true; Mahikari does is accepting of other religions and cultures…initially. However, once a new recruit joins it is assume that once the divine principles have become clear the new member will abandon their culture and previous religious beliefs in favor of Mahikari doctrine. Mahikari cooperates with society in hopes of society and other groups bringing in new members and more revenue.

“Sukyo Mahikari aims to provide opportunities for people to further their spiritual growth, by helping people to awaken to the existence of God and the principles that govern the universe.”

The “principles that govern the universe” are karmic principles that state that the victim is always at fault when something negative occurs in their life. A child who is molested is to blame because in a past life they did something that remedied that kind of punishment, a person who is dying of a disease is deserving of it because they did something in a life years before, the Jews that died in the Holocaust were deserving of their fate because they failed to build proper enshrinement for Su-God (Mahikari’s name for God).

Mahikari blames the victims and not the people who harm the victims. The principles of the universe is simply this, “You deserve what you get, so deal with it and be thankful that you have been permitted to live through this punishment.”

“Sukyo Mahikari is not the only path to God nor is it the only way to come closer to God. It is one of many paths leading to the same Universal Truth.”

This is a bold face lie. In the Goseigen it is reiterated over, and over, and over again that Mahikari members (especially Japanese members) are God’s chosen children. Kumite are the only people on earth who will survive the Baptism of Fire (Mahikari’s version of Armageddon), and go on to live in the next holy civilization. If a person hasn’t at least taken Primary Kenshu in their life time, Mahikari members believe that when God wipes out mankind a terrible fate will await those individuals.

Mahikari members fully believe that they are the only path to God, a person might be able to participate in another religious practice as long as they have taken Kenshu, however those who have not taken Kenshu…you get the idea.

“The purpose of the practice of the Art of True Light is to purify and revitalize our spirit, mind and body. Through this spiritual practice, people can accumulate experiences that help them grow spiritually and become more in tune with God's will.”

I have never experienced anything more than a feeling of meditation while receiving true light. If you have never meditated, try it, and you will see what it feels like to receive okiyome. Mahikari uses true light as their main sales pitch, however, anyone who takes the time to relax and center themselves will feel the same effects. An okiyome session is like adult naptime.

“The Light of God is the spiritual energy or vibration of God's love, wisdom and will. Transmitting and receiving True Light is the basic practice of Sukyo Mahikari. People from all walks of life and religions practice this art that is open to all.”

I find it profoundly disturbing that Mahikari talks about God in such loving terms, but then slanders the name of God by proposing that He is a money driven tyrant who has absolutely no problem wiping out His people, killing billions, if they don’t take a three day seminar and receive an omitama (holy pendant). Is it just me or does that sound ridiculous?

“Through the practice of giving and receiving True Light, it is possible to experience the existence of and the power of God. One can also become aware of the great influence that the unseen spiritual world has on the physical world.”

One becomes more aware of the spiritual world around them by going to the dojos monthly ceremonies and listening to the hogwash about attaching spirits that will attack you if you don’t wear the pendant and adhere to its proper care, offer and receive okiyome, and donate money to the dojo and spiritual leader. I was no more aware of the unseen spiritual world than I was before Mahikari, only aware of the threats of what might happen to me if I didn’t play by their game.

“Sukyo Mahikari teachings are about universal principles rather than rules. One of the objectives of Sukyo Mahikari teachings is to help people become more aware of the divine principles that govern all creation. The universal principles are goals towards which anyone can aspire and work, step by step.”

More lies. Mahikari is littered with rule after rule after rule. It’s ridiculous how many restrictions and rules Mahikari imposes on a person. The pendant alone needs an entire rule book. The wearer cannot touch the pendant without clean hands, as it is more precious than their life. The wearer must keep the pendant in tiny bags to make sure that it does not get wet, get damaged, or touch flesh. No one else is allowed to touch the pendant besides the wearer, the person rewrapping it, or a Kanbu member. The pendant cannot touch anything below waste level. The wearer has to purify the soap they are going to use with a prayer, they must pray before they put on the pendant, and the process is repeated when they take it off.

If a member has any kind of shrines the rules are even worse. When a person receives a Goshintai the Doshi has to come to the home and decide which room the shrine wants to be in. Once the shrine has decided which room to inhabit, nothing else can be put in that room, as it then becomes a holy place. I know someone who just moved to a new home and lost their game room because the Doshi decided that the Goshintai wanted to go in the game room upstairs.

I have to admit; those Goshintai’s sure do know how to pick the best room in the house. There are all sorts of things that one must do in order to properly care for a Goshintai. Members must perform a daily opening and closing ceremonies to perform at home, a monthly thanksgiving ceremony, elaborate cleaning rituals, and restrictions on the use of their house. The care of an ancestor's altar involves dusting and cleaning the altar and name tablets monthly, serving a meal and washing their crockery daily, and offering prayers and Light weekly or so. Mahikari prides itself on being a spirit-centered organisation, with God as the head.

There are many strict rules and regulations to be adhered to, so that the members will correctly follow God's will. It is frequently mentioned how God has a very strict side, and that the astral world is much stricter than this world. Here are some examples: It is not permitted to photocopy any divine teachings, holy books, or other group literature. If members want copies, they need to write them out by hand. Holy books and journals must not be placed on the floor, or anywhere that feet would go, as they carry the Light of God. In a multi-storey house the Holy Altar [Goshintai] and ancestor's altar have to be on the top floor.

(As I mentioned earlier) All members must offer a 'Spiritual Line Maintenance Donation' before the end of every calendar month, to keep their spiritual cord connected between their Omitama and God, and to show their gratitude. If this donation is not made, the member will be called by a staff member and reminded of their responsibility. It seems to me that Mahikari is a stickler for rules; quite a group of marionettes.

2006-04-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

More Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups

Janja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

Concerted efforts at influence and control lie at the core of cultic groups, programs, and relationships. Many members, former members, and supporters of cults are not fully aware of the extent to which members may have been manipulated, exploited, even abused. The following list of social-structural, social-psychological, and interpersonal behavioral patterns commonly found in cultic environments may be helpful in assessing a particular group or relationship. Compare these patterns to the situation you were in (or in which you, a family member, or friend is currently involved). This list may help you determine if there is cause for concern. Bear in mind that this list is not meant to be a “cult scale” or a definitive checklist to determine if a specific group is a cult. This is not so much a diagnostic instrument as it is an analytical tool. -The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

-Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

-Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

-The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

-The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

-The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

-The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

-The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

-The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

-Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

-The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

-The group is preoccupied with making money.

-Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

-Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

-The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

This checklist will be published in the new book, Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias

2006-04-18T09:02:00.001-07:00

Jehovah's Witnesses VS. Mahikari Kumite

In order to provide as much information about Sukyo Mahikari as possible, I have begun reading any and all information I can find on the internet and in the book store. Where I am staying doesn’t have a library anywhere near, so Barnes and Nobles has become my library. After I read through everything I could find I began wondering if Mahikari had anything in common with some of the other cults in the world. It’s still hard for me to call Mahikari a cult, I keep telling myself I wouldn’t be dumb enough to join a cult, but alas that was exactly what I did. After reading about some of these other groups it became crystal clear to me that Mahikari was, in fact, a cult.

I want to take this time to talk about some of those other groups so that everyone reading this can see some of the similarities I observed. Someone I have spoken with recently said that they didn’t wander out of the Mahikari fog until they read some of the experience stories written by former members, as well as some of the stories in Steve Hassan’s book concerning other cults. A lot of people don’t make the connection that what they are following is a cult until after they read about other cults. Then the connection starts to happen.

I am going to begin with a fairly common group called the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I will compare the Witnesses to Mahikari and point out the similarities between them. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be Christians, but most true Christians will tell you they are anything but. Their name comes from their spiritual activities, which are witnessing (as in going door to door to speak with non-believers), about Jehovah (different name for God).

Like Mahikari they use the Bible to get their message across, which seems to be a common practice amongst cults. However, where Mahikari has simply extracted a few verses from the Bible that best promotes and supports their beliefs, witnesses use the entire Bible, but take verses our of context. When trying to recruit members, the Witnesses will read different verses from the Bible and tell the potential member, the Watchtower (JW church) interpretation of what the text means.

However, if the potential member were to read a little ahead of the text indicated, they would find that the Bible clearly doesn’t mean what the Witnesses are trying to promote. Witnesses always use the King James Version of the Bible. Reason: it is written like a Shakespearian sonnet and is incredibly hard to understand and decipher if you have never read that style before; due to this the KJV is the easiest to misinterpret. This gives the Witnesses an angle because instead of the person taking the time to understand what the text is actually saying, they are more prone to just accept what the Witnesses interpretation and assume that they must clearly know what they are talking about.

Sound familiar?

The Goseigen is very hard to understand as well. This is an advantage to cults because if the recruit doesn’t understand what they are reading, they have to rely on the cult higher-ups for answers. Mahikari members are encouraged to come to Kanbu if they don’t understand text in the Goseigen and it is reiterated throughout the Goseigen that it is acceptable for Kumite to not understand. Reason: the Goseigen is not of this world and is God’s word so it is impossible to use human knowledge to comprehend and interpret the teachings within. It is better to be sonao, ask members of Kanbu for help with the translation, accept their interpretation, and move on; hence not thinking for yourself and just accepting the cult’s version of events.

In order to become a member of the Watchtower church, you must first attend a weekly class, 5 days a week, for six months. After this you will stand before a committee of elders to decide if you’re ready to become a full-fledge member. Once that is done you are given their “new and improved” version of the Bible as well as an instruction book on how to answer the tricky questions asked by non-believers. Much like Mahikari, the Witnesses have an answer (or should I say excuse) for everything. As you are all aware, in order to join Mahikari you must also take a class and receive omitama. Witnesses are told that they are God’s chosen people and that all people outside of their religion are going to hell; God only has room in heaven for 144,000 Witnesses. This is why it is so critical that they go door to door and try to sell their theology. The fate of mankind rests in their hands.

Wow, that also sounds so familiar. When I was a kumite I remember constantly being told that I was God’s chosen seed child and that only Mahikari members would survive the Baptism of Fire and go onto the next civilization; thus why it was so critical that we attract new members and offer okiyome constantly.

Wow, I wonder how many other groups are the chosen people as well. Seems like God can’t make up His mind about who is going to survive Armageddon. Another thing that I found quite interesting about the Witnesses is that they, like Mahikari, can’t seem to get their story straight. As we know, Mahikari is not above changing their story in order to convince new members to join. Case in point: Dr. Tebecis’ book “Thank God for the Answers at Last”…when first published there was a very controversial topic concerning the crucificition of Jesus Christ. Dr. T stated that Jesus was never crucified; in fact, he lived to be well over 100 years of age and died in Japan peacefully. Supposedly his twin brother died on the cross in his place. The book has recently been republished, with that excerpt removed.

In fact, most Mahikari members don’t even like discussing this issue anymore and it isn’t even taught until a member reaches the Secondary Kenshu level. I have taken Primary Kenshu and I had never heard anything about Jesus’ crucificition until I started digging around for information in books and on the internet. What else has Mahikari changed? How about their story about Kotama’s past? Mahikari adamantly denied that Kotama was a member of the SKK for years. Just recently Keishu’s representative came clean and told the truth; that Kotama had been a member of several religions throughout his life and he was, in fact, a priest in the SKK.

I guess cults feel that they can change their doctrine whenever they want and that no one is going to notice. The Witnesses did something similar. They pick and chose which versus to use to support their teachings, but in order to pull in more members and avoid controversy the Witnesses have changed their tune about several things in the Bible. At one point, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society taught that God ruled the universe from somewhere in the Pleiades star system. They have since modified this to say that the "Pleiades can no longer be considered the center of the universe and it would be unwise for us to try to fix God's throne as being at a particular spot in the universe. Such changes and even contradictions in teaching are frequent in the Watchtower organization and when a doctrine changes, they tell their followers that the light of truth is getting brighter.

There are several other discrepancies; they used to not believe in the trinity, now they do, they used to say Jesus was just a teacher, now they say he was the savior. Cult’s teachings reflect what is going to benefit them at the time. Another thing that the Witnesses support that correlates with Mahikari is spirit possession. Exactly like Mahikari, the Witnesses tell their followers that anyone who refuses to join them is possessed by demons as well as anyone who leaves the organization. People who leave the Witnesses are disowned by their families, kicked out of the fellowship, shunned by friends.

The Witnesses teach their followers that non-believers will pull them down before they will pull them up, so it is best to avoid them. Mahikari tells its members something similar. When you leave Mahikari members avoid you, the only ones that stick around are your best friends within the organization, and most times it is only because they want to try to pull you back in or because a member of Kanbu has told them that they should keep an eye on you. You are spiritually disturbed and therefore should be approached with extreme caution. Witnesses also teach their members to avoid pastors or priests who practice the Christian faith.

They are taught that pastors and priests are heretics, the lowest of the Devil’s creations who are leading their followers astray. They are told to never allow a pastor or priest to pray for them because it opens them up to be attacked or taken over by demons. Christendom is filled with pastors who are antichrists, in churches run by Satan, and who support the earthly governments which are all of the devil. In other words, all of Christianity is false and only the Jehovah's Witness "theocratic" organization lead by several men in Brooklyn, New York, is true.

The only protection they have is their membership as a Witness and their supposedly true version of the Bible.

Sound familiar?

Well that’s funny. All this time I thought that my omitama was going to protect me from spirits and demons and that former members were spirit possessed.

Donations are another issue. Mahikari forwards all of its money back to Keishu tax free. Similarly the witnesses send all their money to a higher up as well. A schedule of door-to-door canvassing is required where you distribute the Watchtower literature, acquire donations, and forward all monies to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Looks like we’ve found another money making religion with a slew of poor idealistic people willing to follow them. Here are some other similarities, but I am going to allow you to make your own assumptions.

To support its erring doctrines, the Watchtower organization (which is the author and teacher of all official Jehovah's Witness theology), has even altered the Bible to make it agree with its changing and non-Christian teachings. Typical with cults that use the Bible to support its position is a host of interpretive errors: Taking verses out of their immediate context. Refusing to read verses in the entire biblical context. Inserting their theological presuppositions into the text. Altering the Biblical text to suit their needs. Latching onto one verse to interpret a host of others. Changing the meanings of words. Proclaiming some passages to be figurative when they contradict their doctrines. Adding to the Word of God.

Additionally, the Jehovah's Witness organization requires of its members regular weekly attendance at their "Bible Study" meetings where they are repeatedly indoctrinated with anti-Christian teachings. This is done by reading the Watchtower magazine, following along with what it says, reading the questions it asks, and reciting the answers it gives. In other words, the Watchtower Organization carefully trains its members to let the Organization do their thinking for them; much like Mahikari. Mahikari constantly has seminars and refresher courses available for its members to take. The Witnesses are told they will be persecuted when they go door to door teaching their doctrines. They are further told that this is simply the enemy fighting against God's organization because they are in "the truth."

So, when someone disagrees with them, they are conditioned to reflect on what the Watchtower has told them. They then feel confirmed in being in God's true organization on earth (like all cults claim). They are strongly encouraged to have friends and acquaintances that are only JW’s, thereby keeping outside examination to a minimum. That also sounds familiar…my mom always wanted me to hang out with Mahikari members exclusively and never liked my non-kumite friends even if she had never met them. Witnesses are also told to shun those who leave their group, that way; there is no way to see why someone has left and no way to find out that they are in error from those who have found the truth.

They are conditioned to shy away from any real biblically knowledgeable person. An example of this is frequently found on the Internet. A pastor I knew was once banned from a Jehovah's Witness chat room after he not only answered their objections to the Trinity and deity of Christ, but challenged them in return. Subsequently, his name was passed around to all other Jehovah's Witness rooms where he was banned from them as well. This is a frequent occurrence on the Internet where the Jehovah's Witnesses are alive and well. It is obvious that critical examination of their doctrines is not encouraged by the Watchtower Organization.

The Jehovah's Witnesses consider themselves to be Christians because they believe they are serving the true and living God. Like many cults, they think they are the only true church on earth. Yet, they deny the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' physical resurrection, and salvation by grace through faith; all of which are mandatory beliefs in order to be considered a true Christian. The Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged from looking into Jehovah's Witness history or old Watchtower literature which is replete with contradictions, altered doctrines, and false prophecies. Mahikari members are alos discouraged from reading anything that is current Mahikari publications found in the dojo.

Internet sites concerning Mahikari (other than official sites) are shunned. Witnesses are indoctrinated repeatedly against basic Christian doctrines (Trinity, deity of Christ, etc) and into the notion that they alone are the true servants of God and that all others are either in "Christendom" or simply unbelievers. Primarily, the Jehovah's Witness organization is a mind control organization that uses its people to pass out literature and send in "donations" to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.

The Watchtower organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses is a non-Christian organization that uses its people to promulgate false doctrines, sell a multitudinous amount of literature, and expand its grip into the lives of its members and their families. It is a non-Christian cult just like Mahikari. I hope that some of these similarities registered in some of you current kumites minds.

2006-04-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Cult Characteristics

I have been reading a lot about cults in the library; trying to deprogram myself and see some of the tactics that have been used to influence my mind throughout my seventeen years. The power of suggestion is amazing I am finding out. I never realized how much Mahikari influenced my thinking until I was thrust into the real world.

One thing is for certain; Mahikari thinking does not work in the real world. Throughout my reading I started seeing a pattern in the strategies used by cults to whip its members into submission…the following are all tactics used by Sukyo Mahikari to keep members in line.

Almost without exception, the head of the group (Keishu and Kotama in this case) requires that you offer obedient recognition of them as your God-center. You’re dependant on the leader for you proximity to God; they have a superior closeness to God and God listens to your prayers only if you speak through them. -Every word of that is a lie. I don’t care what religion you practice you will always be your own God-center. You and He are a part of each other. Eternally interlocked; father and child. There is no one He loves more than you and no one else’s voice He’d rather hear than yours.

That being said, I want to focus on some of the issues here. Mahikari has a specific structure that they follow…God is the highest, then Keishu, then her workers, and then us (the little people). In order for our prayers to be answered or our impurities forgiven, Mahikari teaches, we must first make a donation and go through Keishu. Our omitamas connect us to Keishu and through her we are connected to God. Keishu claims that she is God’s representative on earth and all prayers reach her and then God. Kind of like a prayer filter, I suppose. Keishu putting herself above everyone else enables her to control kumite because they fear that without her they will be cut off from God.

Almost without exception, sooner rather and later, the leader will insist that the group renounce family and friends (AKA non-believers). Non-believers they’ll assure are liars who’ve been sent by the devil to plant doubt in your mind about your faith, your group’s exclusive and unique mission, and of course your leaders credibility as a great prophet/messiah. The rest of society will be deemed Godless heretics who are out to destroy the good work God has instructed the leader to accomplish. -There is one reason and one reason only, why a cult leader wants to isolate you from your family: because neither he nor his rhetoric bears up under scrutiny from outsiders. If they were genuine, they would have no problem, like every other great spiritual leader or messiah, moving amongst the masses, spreading the word of God far and wide. Mahikari does not do that. While they have slowly spread their doctrine from country to country, they are still far from an open religion. I would bet that most people haven’t even heard of Sukyo Mahikari.

However, I would be willing to bet that most people have heard of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism…hell even Scientology and Rastafarianism, but Mahikari?

Most people I have had religious discussions with in the past would ask me what religion I practiced. Normally when I told them the response would be, “Huh?”

Mahikari is not like Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Judaism, who are up front and open about their teachings. With most religions, what you see it what you get. There is no fine print at the bottom of the contract when you join…you are told exactly what the followers believe and that is that. Mahikari has levels…depending on how enlightened you are (AKA how much money you’ve spent and how brainwashed) the more you are permitted to know. I never knew a lot about the drastically distorted history Mahikari claims to be truth, until I started researching in books and on the internet.

After I started reading I would ask my mother if certain things were true and she would say, “Yes, but you’re not supposed to learn that until Secondary Kenshu. How did you hear about it?” As I said…everything is very hush-hush.

Almost without exception one of the first demands the leader will make of a new member is to renounce his earthly goods (including his bank account). “Blessed are the poor” and “Money is the root of all evil” are basic clichés used by cult leaders. For Mahikari in particular, the cliché used is that “Money belongs to God”. -Stripped of all money and possessions the group is completely dependant on their leader, who is never accountable for where the money went. Let’s see…the group has renounced society, so we know nothing is being donated to any reputable charities…and cults aren’t known for their luxurious lifestyles, so the money isn’t being spent on the members… A popular claim is that the money belongs to God, but I would love to hear what possible use God has for money. Best guess: the leader who is so fond of quoting “Blessed are the poor” has discovered that being blessed isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and is stashing away every dime he can get his hands on. This is the case in Mahikari.

I remember a man who asked where the money we donate goes… the response from the Socho was something to the effect of, “Keishu works night and day trying to negotiate with God for our sakes. She prays for us, she rarely sleeps, she rarely eats…naturally she deserves a little compensation for her efforts.” Mahikari members just assume that because Keishu is God’s representative on earth, that she is entitled to the money she receives. We should have no problem with her being completely rich while American and Australian Mahikari families are struggling to pay their bills because of all the children they have brought into the world in order to garner more seed people…it’s ridiculous.

If after considering this you still decide that following Mahikari is what you’re destined to do I truly wish you God’s speed and good luck.

Just one request.

Don’t pull your children into it!

Take it from someone who knows what it’s like to have your God-given free will corrupted from infancy. If what you’re signing up for is really a God-centered pursuit, your children can join when they’re older—if you have the right to choose, fair is fair; they should have the same right someday too.

2006-04-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

The Moonies VS. Sukyo Mahikari: A Comparative Essay

The Moonies were founded by a man named Sun Yung Moon, a Korean “reverend”, and I use the word reverend very loosely. The Moonie church is called the Unification Church, but the facilities in which they indoctrinate their members are called New Education Development Systems, Inc. So…if you are thinking of joining a religion that takes classes in a building by that name…BEWARE!

Moon was born in North Korea in 1920. He was raised by a Presbyterian in a middle-class family, was a good student, and studied engineering at a university in Japan during World War II. He was married in 1944 and divorced in 1950. He was arrested twice by the Communist government in North Korea for activities as an evangelist and was sentenced to five years in prison in the fall of 1947. He was released by U.S. forces during the Korean War. He founded his church in 1954.

I: Outsiders are of the Devil and Demon/Spirit Possessed

I would like to begin this discussion with an excerpt from The Puppet Master by J. Isamu Yamoto. In his book, Yamoto states, “You (the Moonie recruit) are taught that everyone not in the movement is under the influence of Satan and that you should mistrust them. The Moonies insist that the devil works strongest through those closest to you to destroy your faith. This naturally offsets the concern of parents and friends, most of whom want you to leave. You are told that their motivation is love, but because love in the world is fallen, they cannot understand that their motivation is evil. If someone talks to you from outside the family, no doubt they are trying to take your mind away. You begin to fear the world and those in it. Thus you become dependent on the group for love and positive reinforcement.”

In the Goseigen, Okada tells us to be unconcerned with spirit disturbance. However, I have found that when it comes to indoctrinating someone, kumite can be very quick to point out a spirit disturbance in a possible recruit. I remember so many people who said they found out about Mahikari by going to one of the various centers. There they were told by whichever member of Kanbu that they spoke with that they were spiritually disturbed and needed to come receive light as frequently as possible. Kanbu is quick to label anyone with problems or doubts in Mahikari as spiritually disturbed. If you leave the claim becomes even worse. Anyone who leaves Mahikari or is against Mahikari is dubbed spiritually disturbed by the organization and its followers.

The aim is to create an “us against the world” mentality.

II: The History of Jesus is False

To best understand the Moonies, one must look at their doctrine. The Unification Church of Reverend Sun Myung Moon warns Christians that they will be swept away. In his Divine Principle, the foundation of his teachings, Rev. Moon claims that Christians today will be like the priests and rabbis of Jesus' day, the "first to persecute the Messiah".

He says that Christians will cling to their archaic beliefs and will be blind to the truths of the new age. "Innumerable Christians of today are dashing on the way which they think will lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven. Nevertheless, the road is apt to lead them into hell." He says, Christians must accept the revelations within the Divine Principle and the Lord of the Second Advent or be damned. Moon teaches his followers and captives that Jesus' mission was foredoomed by John the Baptist, who spent his time baptizing people instead of becoming Jesus' obedient disciple for influencing the politics of the Herod regime, and even killing the enemies of Christ.

Though Christian beliefs portrays the Virgin birth. Moon teaches that Jesus was a child of adultery, not immaculate conception. "Mary was impregnated by Zachariah (John the Baptist's father). Jesus had an unhappy home life because Joseph was jealous of Zachariah and resented Jesus." Moon also states, "When Jesus grew up he failed as a leader because he was unable to love his disciples enough to motivate them to kill for him or die in his place."

Moon says that his love is not weak, like he portrays Jesus. "Since Jesus was incapable of perfect love, owing to his unwholesome upbringing, he was also unable to marry as intended by God," Moon said. "The reason why Jesus died was because he couldn't have a bride. Because there was no preparation of a bride to receive Jesus, that was the cause of his death."

Okada also tries to ruin Jesus’ reputation in order to put himself in the messiah position. He stressed that Jesus was a great teacher, but not the true messiah. According to Okada, Jesus was never crucified and was buried in Japan when he passed away in his 100’s. Mahikari does not display these teachings openly for the world to see anymore, though they did in the 70’s & 80’s, rather they share them in Secondary and Tertiary Kenshu teachings because they know it is impossible to attract Christians (the most populous religion in the world) by telling them that their savior didn’t die the way the Bible says he did.

However, after the member has paid enough to know the truth they are told the “true” history of Jesus. The reason Okada created this drastically distorted history about Jesus was because he knew that Christians would have a difficult time accepting that he (Okada) was the messiah, not Jesus. In order to replace Jesus in the hearts of Christians with himself, the feat that Jesus accomplished had to be erased AKA the crucificition. Similarly, by Moon claiming that Jesus was not of Divine birth, but rather the result of adultery, he discredits Jesus.

III: Korea/Japan is Supreme

Moon leaves no room in his philosophy for doubt about where he and Korea stand in the eyes of God. Moon claims he is the new Messiah and Korea is God's chosen nation. "This is the culmination of God's 6000 year quest to restore man from the fall of Adam." Moon tells his followers and captives that God revealed this to him when he was a young man. He states, "God said, 'You are the son I have been seeking, the one who can begin my eternal history'." Similarly, Okada leaves no room in his philosophy for doubts about where he and JAPAN stand in the eyes of God.

Okada taught that Japan was once a part of the continent of Mu and is the only country left that was a part of the once gigantic land mass. Therefore, the Japanese language and people were the first on earth…thus giving the island of Japan thousands of years of extra-occupation than archeologists and scientist believe possible. Japan is the holy land and Japanese the holy language. Members believe that God finds Japanese beautiful about all other languages and that kumite must learn it in order to properly worship Su-God; all prayers in Mahikari are chanted in Japanese even in English speaking countries.

Mahikari parents are also encouraged to send their children to Saturday Japanese school, despite their nationality. IV: The Jews Moon sees Christian churches as furthering Satan's power. "Israel was God's chosen nation, but the Jews, falling prey to Satan's power, rejected Jesus. God punished them with centuries of suffering, and finally cleansed them by killing six million in World War II. But the Jews had missed their chance. God had to find a new Messiah and a new Adam nation because it is God's principle not to use the same people and the same territory twice," Moon teaches. "Korea was ideally suited for several reasons. It is a peninsula, physically resembling the male sex organ. Like the Italian peninsula, cultures of islands and continents can mingle there to form a unified civilization corresponding to the Roman Empire."

Blaming the Jews for the Holocaust seems to be popular amongst cults because Mahikari does the same thing. Mahikari claims that the Holocaust was the Jews fault and not the Nazis because they failed to enshrine the correct God in Solomon’s temple. As a result the Jews were persecuted throughout history due to their accumulated negative karma and the task was passed on to the Japanese. Suza, the real Solomon’s temple, is the result of $200 million of donations from kumite who wanted to prevent the baptism of fire.

V: Japan is Evil

Mahikari doesn’t say anything negative about Korea, but I found this interesting. Moon says that Japan is in the position of Eve. "Being only an island country, it cannot be Adam. It yearns for male-like peninsula Korea on the mainland." Moon says the Japanese generally are effeminate people who want to be dominated by stronger, manly powers. "But as Eve prevailed over Adam in the Fall, Japan prevailed over Korea in the colonial period. And like Eve in the Fall, Japan became a Satanic power." The United States is viewed by Moon as an archangel country.

"The archangel America helped the Adam country Korea by sending Christian missionaries, rescuing it from Japanese rule, and stopping the advance of Satan's Adam, Communist North Korea. America is too arrogant and individualistic, however. It cannot remain the world's leader, because God has destined America to serve Korea," Moon teaches. Moon states that the battlefield for the showdown between God and Satan would be Korea. "God's chosen people would triumph through suffering. America, Japan, and all other nations could be restored by helping Korea's anti-Communist cause.

Only in Korea could the civilizations of East and West be unified. In the end, even North Korea's Kim Il Sung could be restored if he answered the call to follow the Divine Principle.

VI: Cleansing of Evil Spirits

Moon was reported to be a ritual womanizer. Reportedly, young girls underwent sexual initiation into his cult; he would thus purge them of the Satanic spirits that inhabited Eve and lead them to the Divine Principle. Well…Mahikari offers light as a means of removing evil spirits…but I guess whatever works for them. *rolls eyes* VII: Lies and Justification Moon teaches that lying is necessary when one is doing God's work, whether selling flowers in the street or testifying under oath. "The truth is what the Son of God says it is. At the Garden of Eden, evil triumphed by deceiving goodness. To restore original perfection, goodness must now deceive evil. Even God lies very often."

Mahikari lies as well…they lie about Okada’s past, they lie about their teachings, they lie about money and everything else…

VIII: Predominate Members

Mahikari Hawaii recently had a section on their site which talked about recruiting predominate members. The Moonies have been extremely successful gaining celebrity support. The enormously wealthy Reverend Sun Myung Moon has powerful friends in Washington and he uses his influential newspaper, the Washington Times, to keep these friends supportive of him. Moon has skillfully used the fear of Communism to gain powerful allies and to intimidate threatening foes. What few do not understand is that Communism is really not an issue with Moon, it is merely a banner which Moon uses to rally a large enough force to exert a powerful influence on society.

In 1965, working with the South Korean CIA, Moon made his first visit to the United States and obtained a 45-minute audience with former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ike agreed to allow his name to be used on the letterhead of the Moon-created Korean Cultural Freedom Foundation, as did Harry S. Truman and Admiral Arliegh Burke. During the 1973-74 fall of President Richard Nixon, Rev. Moon captured the attention of the American media by supporting Nixon. He traveled across the nation proclaiming, "Forgive, Love, Unite". " The office of the President of the U.S. is sacred," Moon said. "God has chosen Richard Nixon to be President. Therefore, God has the power and authority to dismiss him."

On December 11, Nixon sent a statement of appreciation to Moon and the Unification Church for their support. Hundreds of Moon followers demonstrated outside the White House in support of Nixon. Moon then received an audience with Nixon, the two embraced. Moon also received proclamations honoring the Unification Church from such governors as Georgia's Jimmy Carter and Alabama's George Wallace. Moon received endorsements from Senators William L. Scott of Virginia, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Mark Hatfield of Oregon and J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, as well as Mayor John Lindsay of New York City and William F. Buckley, Jr. Moon had his picture taken and published with Senators Hubert Humphrey, Strom Thurmond, James L. Buckley and Edward Kennedy.

But Moon also devised a method of "lobbying" on Capitol Hill. He assigned three good-looking girls to each United States Senator. "Let them have a good relationship with them. One is for the election, one is to be the diplomat, and one is for the party. If our girls are superior to the senators in many ways, then the senators will be taken in by our members," stated Moon in 1973. House Speaker Carl Albert had been closely linked with a female follower of the Unification Church. Several Congressmen were entertained in a Washington Hilton hotel suite rented by the Moonies.

Everything the girls learned about Senators and Congressmen was to be entered into the Moonie's confidential file, including details of personal lives. Rev. Moon was Vice President George Bush's guest to the Reagan inaugural. Moon is quoted in many publications as saying, "I will conquer and subjugate the world. I am your brain. The time will come, without my seeking it, when my words will almost serve as law. If I ask a certain thing, it will be done. If I don't want something, it will not be done." Rev. Moon's organization has gained a tax-exempt status and has qualified for funding from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The Unification Church was granted exemption from taxes because the Moonies swore it did not engage in political or business activities.

Moon's followers had control or influence over the following: International Cultural Foundation, International Oceanic Enterprises, Tong Il Enterprises, Diplomat National Bank, One Up Enterprises, Unification Church International, News World, Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation, Little Angels, U.S. Foods Corporation, Unification Church of the U.S.A., Japan Unification Church, Toitsu Industries, One Way Productions, Sekai Nippo (World Daily News) of Japan, Il Hwa Pharmaceutical Company, and Paragon Press. Money flowed freely from country to country. Moonie investigators gain access to the legitimate press corps by posing as journalists. Moonie money from foreign countries bought a controlling interest in an American bank without regard for banking laws and securities regulations. Nationally syndicated columnist Jack Anderson was named chairman of the executive committee of the Diplomat National Bank.

The U.S. Senate held hearings concerning Moon's "programmatic bribery of U.S. officials, journalists and others as part of an operation by the Korean CIA to influence the course of U.S. foreign policy." Now that you know about the organization, that it is far from a religious cult, the series will now focus on the youth and others of this country that have fallen victim to the Moon scenario. Keishu Okada will never gain that kind of support if I have anything to say about. I’m sure you other former members feel the same way.

2006-04-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Desecrating God's Children

As soon as I started going to monthly ceremonies I regretted ever agreeing to it. My mother was a daily visitor to the dojo. She also had a notoriously big mouth. When I entered the dojo everyone was nice, not that they weren’t normally nice, but overly nice to the point that it was sickening. I could tell that my mother had told them about my doubts in Mahikari…I was sure she had also asked them to do all they could to make sure I was redirected in the right direction. It seemed like everyone approached me, asking me how I was, how school was, what activities I was into…then they went right for the juggler.

“Ash, would you like to contribute by doing divine service?”

I said ‘no’ to a lot of people, but eventually it got to me.

They would say things like, “Do you want to help out with monthly ceremony preparation, do you want to help lead studies classes, do you want to help show the younger children how to yoku garden, do you want to take flower arranging classes, do you want to help out with the Tai…you’d be perfect for it.”

Even the Doshi approached me. In the end I was so tired of being asked that I agreed to help out with monthly ceremony preparation as well as study classes. As soon as I found out how much time that was going to take up, it became quite clear to me why everyone wanted me to help out. I was going down the wrong path and my fellow kumite needed to stop be before I left Mahikari all together.

Before I knew it, my mother was pestering me about going to the dojo at least twice a week for a few hours. When she wasn’t trying to get me to come, she would have me drive my younger sister to the dojo and escort her in. As you former member know, you cannot enter the dojo before removing your shoes, praying-in, saying hello to everyone…and before you know it, ‘just dropping in’ becomes a full length okiyome session.

How rude is it to say ‘no’ when someone asks you to offer them light, right?

I had to start drawing away again…before my mother had me back on my old schedule. I spoke with the Doshi and dropped out of all the activities I was involved in. He told my mother, of course, and she was on my case again. We were at each other throats. By that point I hated her…I know it is terrible to say, but I hated her. I hated her for the weak-minded individual that she was. I hated what Mahikari had made her.

She was a lost cause by then…everything in her life revolved around dojo. The bills, grocery shopping, house work…everything was done around Mahikari. Sometimes those things never got done or I was instructed to do them because she was at dojo and didn’t want to come home.

At seventeen I was the parent of a ten year old girl…or I might as well have been my sister’s father, I was doing all the parental jobs. My mother lived and breathed the dojo…when she woke up she would watch TV for an hour or so, get showered, then head out to the dojo by 9:00 AM, which wouldn’t have been a big deal if she wasn’t coming home at 7:00 or 8:00 PM. Do the math…that’s 10 to 11 hours a day…Monday-Sunday. Out of 168 hours in a week she spent 77 hours at the dojo. When she got home she had dinner on the table by 9:00 PM, which I had already started for her. When I had to stay after school for soccer practice, if she wasn’t ready to leave the dojo, I would sit outside in the parking lot until she decided to come around, which was generally 2 to 3 hours later.

I was fed up with it.

I wanted a real mother…not a religion obsessed whack job. When she confronted me about dropping out of my classes…I really lost my temper.

“Doshi said that you stopped showing up for study class.” She replied, it was a statement, not a question.

“Yes, and?” I said in exasperation.

“You cannot abandon your responsibilities that easily.” She said coldly, “You committed to those causes and you need to make sure you attend.”

“I don’t like it, Okasan.” I stated, “I don’t want to go.”

“You will go, or you won’t go anywhere.” She replied.

“I am tired of this sh*t!” I yelled, “I am tired of you having that leverage over me. I don’t want to go and I’m not going to go. And I will go wherever I damn well please.”

“You are a kumite and you have a responsibility.” She narrowed her eyes at me, “What would Su-God think of your disobedience?”

“F**k Su-God.” I growled, “I don’t care. He’s your Mahikari God, not mine.”

She gasped, “I think we should pray.” She lowered herself to her knees, clapped, and started praying, “Goku-bi-jis-so-gen-gen…”

I dropped to my knees as well, grabbing her by the shoulder and shaking her, “Stop it! Stop!”

She didn’t stop; she kept going…so I pushed her over. She had no choice but to break her prayer position and catch herself.

She stared at me in anger, “Disobedience, disobedience!” She screamed, “You care nothing about this family and its faith! You must respect our faith and partake in it!”

I was screaming at her by then too, “I don’t want to hear it! You care more about Mahikari than you do about us!”

That got her attention, she glared at me, “Religion is the most important thing in life. God comes before family, maintaining a household, being a wife or mother. God is the one I will spend all eternity with, not you or your sister…or even your step-father. The dojo needs me more than you. Divine service is the key to success in life.”

“Divine service doesn’t mean crap, if it isn’t in your heart.” I said in a low angry voice, “Without love and compassion and forgiveness…there is nothing and all your efforts are in vain. You prance around the dojo like a queen, but your heart is cold and God knows it. You care for no one, but yourself. Hours at the dojo cannot make up for the damage you have done to this family. Kara makes me happy, but you don’t even care…all that matters is whether you are happy with my choices.”

She was silent, only stared at me, her lips pinched. I stood and began walking for the stairs when she said, “Get out of my house.” I said nothing, only walked up the stairs to get my things.

When I got kicked out, I didn’t know where to go. I wandered around the neighborhood for a while, wondering if I should go back and apologize; not that it would have done much good. Once my mother made up her mind that was it. The first night I ended up sleeping on a jungle gym at a park. When the sun came up I took a bus and headed for the dojo. I’m not sure why I decided to go there…too much of the “be like a child” philosophy, I suppose.

Even now, months later, I can still see the traces of mind control. There are times when I suddenly find myself thinking with a very Mahikari outlook. I catch myself and try to correct my thought process, but after you’ve been thinking a certain way for so long, it’s hard to reverse the thinking. I guess I never really had a mind of my own. There was always someone from the background, pulling the strings. That’s the only way I can describe it. I feel like I was a puppet…my answers, my thinking, my way of life, all of it was pre-chosen for me.

I meet so many kids my age who feel so lost because their parents didn’t point them in a certain direction…their parents were more of the stand-offish types. Those kids blame their parents for their misfortune…I envy those kids. I wish to God that my mother had been agonistic or even nonreligious…that way I could have decided for myself, how to think, what to believe…I feel kind of like the Bourne Identity…When I reached the dojo, I went inside and went through the routine as usual. After I had prayed-in I asked to speak to the Doshi in private. I told him about what had happened with my mother…

“Your mother is a wonderful woman, Asher, you should try your hardest to obey her.” He went to the book shelf and retrieved his Goseigen.

He quickly flipped to a page and began reading, “Even though your parents might be ignorant, you should treat them with compassionate love of gratitude and recompensation because your parents fulfilled the God-given mission for you. This, as God’s children, you are allowed to receive trials in this world. Respect yourselves and never fail in respecting others. When you love others as you love yourselves, I will love you as I love Myself. God is Great love. Therefore He is strict and full of mercy. When you follow the righteous way and are pure, beautiful, bright, righteous, and rich in mind in the eyes of God, I will never let you experience poverty.” He looked up at me, “What does that mean to you, Asher?”

I slouched in my seat, “Nothing.” I said honestly. I had heard the same thing in Tai meetings for years. Parents were to be respected no matter how crazy they were.

The Doshi closed his book, “Asher, you know we do not like to get involved in family disputes. Especially since you are having doubts about our teachings. We might be more willing to step in and intervene if you were being sonao, but you have been thinking negative thoughts about Mahikari, that’s why this negative occurrence has happened to you. It is because of your impurities. The only thing I can suggest is that you receive okiyome more frequently. Clearly you are dealing with a powerful spirit disturbance.”

I rose from my chair, “So because I don’t want to end up like my mother, here every day, neglecting her family…all for this cause…you won’t help me? Even though she is kicking out her seventeen year old son?”

“That’s correct.” Doshi replied, “We are not accustomed to aiding spiritually disturbed persons who have allowed themselves to become possessed. All I can suggest is that you receive light daily to rid yourself of this spirit and go home and try and sort things out with your mother.”

I shook my head, “Thanks for nothing.” I walked to the door, slipped on my shoes and turned back to him, “You know the Goseigen also says , “How can you become men free from disease and poverty and ones with love and harmony? If you cannot respect others as you respect yourselves, you are desecrating God’s children and have made light of the Parent God.”

2006-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Control Factor

Sorry I haven’t written in so long. I have been working, working, working. Let me take this time to thank Anne and JeJune for their comments and encouragement. It means a lot to me. You are a wonderful support system. Okay…where was I? Oh yes, when I started refusing to attend dojo. As soon as I stood up to my mother about Kara, I started refusing to go to the dojo. My mother would wake me up in the morning and say, “We’re going to the dojo. Get ready.” I would make up excuses…I was too tired, or I had a test and needed to study…things of that nature. Eventually she caught on that it was the dojo that I was trying to avoid.

She finally resorted to pathetic efforts, “If you don’t go to the dojo, you won’t be permitted to leave the house until you do.”

I snapped, “What the f***? Why is it any of your business whether I go or not?”

She just smiled, “I am your mother and until you are an adult I am in charge of your well being, spiritual and otherwise.”

I started shouting at her, “This is bullsh*t. My relationship with God is just that…mine. It has nothing to do with you. If God is going to punish me for not attending dojo, no one will have to deal with it but me. Stop trying to control me.”

“You are my child and mine to control.” She retorted, “I made you. That makes you mine and that means you do as I say.”

“I am grateful you made me, okasan, but I have a mind of my own.” I replied, “Maybe Mahikari isn’t my thing…maybe it’s yours.”

She just stared at me in shock…as if I had just said the most terrible thing I could have ever said. I would have expected this look if I had told her I hated her, but not for just saying Mahikari wasn’t my thing.

She took a deep breath, “Su-God, what did I do in my past life to deserve such a disobedient son?” She asked God, “Clearly I have not been spending enough time giving okiyome. My impurities need to be cleared away more quickly. Maybe then you will see the true path.”

“Okasan, stop.” I said ashamed…she always knew what to say to get to me, “Just stop. You have done nothing wrong. It’s just the way I feel….”

“No.” She cut me off, “It’s because of that bitch you’re dating. None of these feelings came along until you met her. She’s turned you against me…against your family.” She began to cry, “You care more for her than for any of us. If your father could see what you’ve become, God rest his soul.”

She always pulled the family card because she knew that it wasn’t true. She knew my family meant everything to me. Just because I had a difference of opinion, didn’t mean I didn’t love my family.

“It has nothing to do with her, Okasan.”

In a way it did, but I never would have admitted it. Since dating Kara she had been telling me about her own Christian/Catholic beliefs, which made a hell of a lot more sense to me than Mahikari. I favored a God who was all knowing, forgiving, and loving to a God who was going to damn 95% of the world…besides the 500,000 (give or take) Mahikari members. I couldn’t see how God would damn someone as kind and beautiful as Kara just because she didn’t take a three day class and wear a pendant. It made no sense to me.

“She supports whatever I want to believe. My feelings are mine alone.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” My mother replied in exasperation.

I frowned, “Would attending monthly ceremonies get you off my back?”

“Not completely, but it’s a start.” She replied.

“Done.” And with that I went up to my room.

2006-04-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

How it all Began

Well…this seems to be where most people start their blogs. Since I have never really done anything like this, English and writing not being my strong suit, I can’t guarantee how well written this will be. I will try and decipher past events as best as I can. In order to understand how I ended up where I am, you must first understand where I came from. My mother joined Mahikari when I was five after meeting a Doshi at a new age festival who thought she was extremely spiritually disturbed. She started going to the dojo to receive okiyome, becoming more involved as time went on. Eventually she was forced to join, as there is only so much you can do to help out Mahikari without actually becoming a member. Kids can’t even attend the youth group without being a member.

When she joined, my father stayed out of it. He was an atheist and didn’t want anything to do with religion at all, but I suppose her constant nagging eventually got him to try things out. To her delight, he liked Mahikari and soon became a member himself. When I was seven, my younger sister was born, whom they named Japan Yuma Sakanawa. There are two reasons why my mother chose the name Japan…1: Because my mother is a patriotic woman who loves our home country…and 2: Because Mahikari considers Japan to be above all other countries, almost like a Mt. Olympus on earth or a Utopia. At my young age I never questioned my mother. She was like a God in my eyes, as I am sure most parents are to their children when they are young. I looked up to her and my father. I wanted to be just like them. The same year my sister was born, my dad was transferred to America. We ended up in California and have lived here ever since, though the city we resided in has often changed. I was pretty much raised in the dojo. My mother attended nearly every day, unless we were out of town or visiting a place that didn’t have a dojo; most of the time my sister and I were with her. She enrolled me in a private school, after seeking advice from Kanbu, who seemed to think that the less exposure children had to regular public school kids, the less tainted they would be. The school I attended was very strict and there was never much time for fun and games. As if that wasn’t enough, she also enrolled me in weekend Japanese school. She said she didn’t want me to forget about our culture and history…she also said Mahikari taught that the Japanese people were of holy ancestry and thus it was essential for me to remain in touch with the divine heritage that made me who I was.

When I turned ten, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take primary Kenshu. I felt as though I spent so much at the dojo already…I didn’t really want to be there anymore than I was. However, when I told my mother this she refused to speak to me for almost three weeks before I finally gave in. I took Kenshu, though I don’t think I retained much of the information. Once I received my omitama I wished I had never taken Kenshu. Every time I came to the dojo, I was not allowed more than five minutes of peace before one of the adults came to me and asked me to offer them okiyome. I hated being asked; I wanted to play in the nursery with the other kids. What was supposed to be a right of passage seemed to be the end of childhood for more. After taking Kenshu it was as though I was expected to be more mature and spend almost all of my time with the adults in the main shrine room giving okiyome.

The responsibility was more than I could bear at that age. Sometimes I would tell other kumite I didn’t feel like giving okiyome, but my mother would scold me and make me do it anyway. Looking back on it now…with Mahikari and school…I never really had time to be a kid; which is probably why I got all my immature rebellious antics out of my system in my late teens. I suppose eventually I got to the point that I absolutely did not care anymore. If my mother didn’t like the way I was living my life she didn’t have to. I guess the breaking point for me was when my mother started dictating my friends. She wouldn’t allow me to associate with anyone outside of Mahikari. When I had my first girlfriend when I was fifteen she would suggest that I date girls my age from the dojo. She would even go so far as to set up dates.

She would tell the Mahikari girls that we should go to the movies together and then give us money and send us on our way. Needless to say this did not sit well with my girlfriend and we ended up breaking up. When I turned sixteen I started dating a girl from my school named Kara. She was American, but of Italian decent. We are still dating, but my mother gave her hell when we were still speaking. Being Italian…my girlfriend was also Catholic. My mother would always talk to her about Mahikari and try to push the issue on her. My girlfriend wanted nothing to do with Mahikari and made that very clear to my mother. Once my mother figured out that Kara was a lost cause she started making it difficult for us to see one another. She would enforce a strict curfew or she would take me to the dojo with her and make me stay all day. I was amazed at the measures she would take to make sure that Kara and I did not see one another. Eventually I got tired of it and told her I knew what she was doing and that I wasn’t going to allow her to control me anymore…about that time I started refusing to go to the dojo. I’ll write more later, but for now I am late for work.

2006-04-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

About Me

My name is Asher Kennedy (Ash), I am 17 years old and I have been a member of Sukyo Mahikari for as long as I can remember. My parents joined Mahikari in the early 80’s before I was born. I am Japanese/American; I was born in Japan, but now reside in Santa Monica, California. If you’re wondering why my last name is not Japanese, my mother remarried a guy from Australia a couple of years ago after my biological father was killed in an automobile accident in 1995. My step-father adopted my sister and I two years ago. Why am I starting this blog? Well, I suppose I am a part of the youth that has become disillusioned with Mahikari throughout the years. I have been reading the anti-Mahikari blogs for a while now, but it was something Darcy said recently that made me decide it was time to step up and write what I know. She said that if a problem is ignored it will become an epidemic. I fully believe that and for that reason I am now going to write about Mahikari and expose its teachings for what they are. It is far from the neutral, altruistic, façade it puts forward and it is time the public becomes aware of it. My family won’t even speak to me now that I have left Mahikari. I am seventeen, on my own, waiting tables to pay the bills, and writing at a cybercafé for computer usage. Obviously Mahikari and its members have shown me a lot of love since I came forward about my doubts in its doctrine; far from the love and understanding I had been taught to project when I was a kamikumite. I can’t guarantee I will update every day, but I will do my best to do my part to expose the truth.

2006-04-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you JeJune and ZT for your support. Revealed is back in business. It was removed because some lawyer (whom I presume was a Mahikari Member) told me that I was slandering the name of Keishu Okada and that I needed to remove the blog. I checked with a lawyer friend on mine and he read my blog, approved it, and said I have nothing to worry about. Probably just some members getting pissed off because of what I have to say. They thought they'd scare me and I'd remove the blog perminantly. Anyways, I will be putting up my old posts slowly and then writing new ones once the blog is restored to it's former glory.