Great Construction

Religion Works Miracles

     Evident indeed it is from numerous documents since antiquity that religions and miracles have an inseparable relationship. A “religion” without miracles would not be called a religion, because it is God who makes miracles; human beings are not able to create even one miracle. As such, a religion that does not have miracles has no reason to exist. It may be said that no matter how many religious forms there may be, without miracles, religious value is forfeit.
     In this sense, it is natural that the greater the religion, the more miracles manifest. Miracles are, in other words, the appearance of an advantage or benefit that was not expected. Owing to this experience, a sentiment of faith arises from the depths of a person’s being, the person joins a religious organization, and the person is saved from misfortune. If this is not religion, what is? There is no need to repeat the old adage that even a hundred theories are still not equal to one actual fact. Nowadays, the mood of the times is to speak about the effects of losing the war and to utterly deplore the fact that social ills are rapidly increasing, especially that the young who should be shouldering the future of Japan are being harmed by unhealthy ways of thinking. When the causes for these conditions are uncovered, they are found to be the results of an education whose main principle is materialistic thought, and this problem will not be resolved unless the world awakens to this fallacy. The way to do away with materialistic thought is to awaken to a religious sentiment, and I continue to advocate that the basis of such an awakening is to bring about a recognition of God that is of a realm not visible to the eye. The only way to accomplish such an awakening is a miracle. A miracle is a fact designated as not possible through the workings of human beings that indeed does become possible and that cannot be explained in any way with theory. Shown before one’s very eyes, the miracle dispels all doubt as smoke disappearing into the air.
     Thus, it is possible to say, in the spirit of the title of this essay, “religion is miracles and miracles are religion.” As such, results will not be obtained in the construction of a healthy Japan or in the dispelling of wrongdoing from society unless the existence of God is recognized, and thought that emphasizes spirit is cultivated.
     In all history there is most likely no other religion that has had as many miracles as are to be seen in the Japan Kannon Church. In this sense, the purpose of the Kannon Church is, at the time of this great world transition, through the emanation of miracles toward a world that has lost its spiritual soul, to awaken and stir sleeping souls.
     Almighty God, through the hands of the Boddhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World in the name of the Tathagata of Divine Light, freely using flexible power, increasingly shows us countless miracles and through the Japan Kannon Church as an instrument is conducting the great task of world salvation.

Hikari, Issue 12, June 11, 1949
    translated by cynndd

This essay has previously appeared in translation six times. The citations are given below for reference.

“Religion is Miracle,” The Glory, Number 018, November 10, 1957.

“Religion is Miracle,” Teachings of Meishu and Kyoshu, page 35, no date given but estimated to be late 1956 or early 1957.

“Religion Works Miracles,” Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume One, page 10, 1960.

“Faith Works Miracles,” Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume One, page 14, 1965, 1967.

“Religion and Miracles” Foundation of Paradise, 1984, page 138.

“Religion Is a Thing of Miracles” A Hundred Teachings of Meishu-sama, no date, page 17.