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     The true purpose of religion is the embodiment of truth. Therefore, when asked what is truth, I say most assuredly that truth is the state of nature as it is. From the East the sun rises and sets in the West is truth. The fact that human beings are born and inevitably die as represented by the Buddhist teachings, “What is born, certainly dies” and “Those who meet must part,” is truth. That human beings maintain life through breathing air and eating food is certainly truth as well. That such obvious facts have to be spelled out to this extent is because the present state of humanity has become nonsensical and absurd.
     When are observed in accord with this reasoning all distasteful aspects in contemporary society, such as confusion, conflict, disorder, and crime, it is undeniable that those conditions in which humanity exist, rather than having become fortunate, have come to be mostly those of misfortune to a much greater degree. In which case, the question that must be considered is where to locate the cause for misfortune. From where I view the situation, the cause of misfortune is because all fundamentals have become distanced from truth, and this state is all too obvious. As humanity has become distanced from truth, the separation has not been perceived. When the reasons of why such a situation has come about are investigated, I must say that contemporary people have come to the point where indeed they do not even understand truth itself. It is probably because first of all in the midst of the distress of daily life, there has disappeared from the brains of human beings the capacity to think about truth.
     Indeed, until the present, even the most vital institution of religion has not made truth clear. Even in cases when religion has attempted to do so, it often happens that there were many instances where religion has fallen into non truth. If truth had actually been expounded, human society would probably not present with the aspects of grave suffering that it does today. Rather, to a certain degree a heavenly paradise, I believe, may already have been realized. But the time has come and now will manifest the great love of God. Through me, it has come to be that not only will truth be expounded, but that also the embodiment of truth will be actually carried out. Thus, the discourse that I expound is all truth itself made the most easily understandable for all peoples, so if readers do not attach themselves to any ism or preconceived idea and do make a frank and close perusal, truth will indeed slowly become apparent. Therefore, here in its most simple forms let me make truth clear.
     I will start to explain from an example close to hand. Human beings contract disease because there is something within them that has strayed from truth, and medical science cannot heal disease because it also has strayed from truth. The political situation and social thought is bad; crime increases; and suffering due to tight money, inflation, and deflation are all because human beings have strayed from truth. If humanity had not strayed from truth, whatever is right and correct human beings should be able to do as they wish. God has fashioned human beings to work in this way. As a result, an ideal society replete in virtue and beauty would have been born, and human beings would have been able to lead lives of joy and happiness. Such a world in other words is the actual state of the paradise on earth that I promote.
     I do believe that because humanity is so distanced from truth, much of what is in my discourse is thought to contain mistaken points, but in reality my discourse is not mistaken at all. My discourse is most reasonable and natural. Whatever may be thought mistaken is because it is seen from the eyes of non truth. The more my teachings are thought to be heretical is due to the reality of society being heretical. Therefore, those who acknowledge my teaching and do not think it to be heretical are those who have realized and learned through experience truth.
     God has given human beings unlimited freedom. This is truth. Animals other than human beings have not been given freedom. Here lies the preciousness of human beings. In a position midway between the two extremes either of improvement, where they can reach a divine level, or, of the depravity where they fall to the level of beasts is the individual human being. To pursue this line of reasoning, we see the following. That is, depending on what human beings do, this world can become a pleasant heavenly world, or if the opposite, can also become a hellish world that is indeed wretched. This is truth. In which case, if asked which of these two choices should be made, unless the chooser is congenitally a demon, selecting the first choice of a heavenly world is only natural.
     Thus, the very manifestation of this first choice, the heavenly world, is the ultimate aim of humanity. All that is pursued for the accomplishment of this goal is the embodiment of truth. As embodiment of truth is what the mission of religion should be, through the pen and through speech, I continually teach truth. And yet, although there are not enough hours in the day, I continue efforts in my status as one who carries out truth.

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“Shinri no Gugen” has appeared previously in translation. Most of these translations are self-proclaimed as being translations of the slightly-revised version that appeared one year later in the twelfth volume of the Jikan Library series, Narratives. However, of these translations, whose citations are given below, the dates of the original texts of those translations of The Glory, Teachings of Meishu and Kyoshu, and Meishu and His Teachings have yet to be determined as of this writing.

“Embodiment of Truth,” The Glory, Number 002, December 1, 1954.

“Embodiment of Truth,” Teachings of Meishu and Kyoshu, page 3; no date given but estimated to be late 1956 or early 1957.

“Religion is the Embodiment of Truth,” Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume One, page 8, 1960.

“Realization of Truth,” Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume One, Revised Edition, page 12, 1965, 1967.

“Realization of Truth,” Foundation of Paradise, page 19, 1984.

“Embodiment of Truth,” Meishu and His Teachings, page 14, no date given but estimated to be from around 1965.

“The Embodiment of Truth,” A Hundred Teachings of Meishusama, page 35, no date.

“The Realization of Truth,” Teachings of Meishu-sama, Volume One, page 5, 1967, 2009.