Great Construction

A Certain Pawnbroker’s Account

     The following is an account heard the other day from a certain pawnbroker whose business is located in the Kanda district of Tokyo. He says that recently the pawnbroking business is greatly flourishing, and that the number of new businesses goes on increasing. When asked about why this was so, one reason given was disease. He continued that nowadays when being treated by a medical doctor, the expenses are very high and since treatment takes a long time, as one’s life cannot be exchanged for anything, patients have to continue treatment doing anything to scrape together enough money. The whole situation is indeed tragic. Another reason given for the flourishing of the pawnbroking business was the delay of payment of salaries by companies.
     When we look at both of these cases as social issues, they are serious and tremendous problems that indeed demand a resolution with pressing urgency. Postponement of salary is not as serious as the dilemma of medical expenses that entails a gravity that knows no limit. In which case, there is great significance to the Johrei of the Japan Kannon Church. To be sure, contemporary medical science, frankly speaking, does not possess the power to cure disease. As we continue to maintain, medical treatment only has the effect of temporarily alleviating pain and suffering. Medical treatment is a problem of vital importance because not at all understood is the way that the temporary alleviation of suffering and pain actually becomes the cause of a worsening of the disease.
     Because this tremendous fallacy is not perceived, such a tragedy it is for people to have to suffer doubly, first being afflicted with the pain of disease and then, as a result of that affliction, falling into extreme conditions of poverty. This dilemma is all too clear from the account described above by the pawnbroker, which is probably like that of the iceberg where only the tip can be observed.
     As shown in the facts above, human beings are truly to be pitied unless there is born a method of treatment that in cases of affliction by disease heals the patient completely in a short period of time for only a modicum of expenses. Society, however, cannot imagine even in its dreams that such a healing method could appear, so people are resigned as unavoidable to the way things are now, and the situation today is that these tragedies are repeated constantly.
     Johrei of the Japan Kannon Church is a realization of the dream of relief from affliction and poverty. Still, members of contemporary society cannot rest easy in the face of the huge social defect. In order that all may become aware of this great fallacy and obtain ease of mind, the church newspaper Hikari, its journal Chijôtengoku, and various books continue to be published.
     On the radio program “Family Topics” the other day was broadcast the account of the pawnbroker described above.  But quite peculiarly, the radio station cut out the essential part. Staff at the radio station would certainly not be taking bribes from the Medical Association. In which case, the situation is even more perplexing.

 Hikari, Issue 26, September 10, 1949
translated by cynndd