Great Construction

No Superstition in World Messianity

     At the very mention of the phrase “new religion,” members of the general public think superstition, but this is indeed most peculiar, because if this way of thinking was justified, it means there is no superstition among existing religions. When given careful consideration, however, many of the existing religions which today have built strong footings were in their beginning stages, without exception, treated as heretical and superstitious. Most of all, the way Christianity was treated should make this point when is considered the fact that its followers were bathed in censure and enmity by the populace of the time, and its founder Christ ended his life upon a cross. In Japan as well the examples of figures such as Honen, Shinran, Nichiren, and the founder of the Tenrikyo Church who were all icons of heresy during their lifetimes, whose experiences included many instances of imprisonment and exile, and some who were even in danger of losing their lives are all well known, yet their achievements shine brilliantly even today. As can be understood from these examples, misunderstanding and severe trials are inseparable from new religions in any age. So, even among the many individuals that comprise contemporary society, when members of professions such as journalists and the like take a careless, hasty approach in which new religions are not sufficiently treated and are looked down upon as dubious heresies, their remarks are not even worth mentioning. It is these very people who indeed one day will go too far and will end up humiliating themselves.
     When viewed in this light, who can say that from among the new religions of the present that are being criticized by the general public there will not be one that grows and develops even more than the existing religions we have nowadays? I know I am excessively singing my own praises but although religions such as World Messianity are surrounded by widely conflicting views and are certainly the target of social attention, I do believe certainly that one day there will be many who regret and repent their actions. What World Messianity teaches is so far from the levels of existing religions and contemporary civilization that comprehension is probably not easy. As shown by the many examples to be seen since antiquity, even for an academic theory in science, those who advocate new ideas are always treated as heretics by the behind-the-times classes of that age. Well known are the experiences of those who have met with terrible fates, the best examples probably being those of Copernicus and Galileo for their theories on heliocentrism.
     Moreover, because what World Messianity advocates is so unparalleled in history, indeed unprecedented, that when viewed through the eyes of existing civilization, it is only natural that what World Messianity teaches is not believed and that we are looked upon in the same way as the Christian padres at the end of the Japanese feudal age. To honestly express the way I think about contemporary civilization, do not be surprised, more than half of today’s civilization has fallen to levels of frightening superstition. Classified roughly, there are three major superstitions. The first superstition is medical science; the second is the superstition of having to utilize fertilizer in agriculture; and the third is the superstition of atheism. Of these three superstitions, I omit discussion of the first two great superstitions as I am always referring to and explaining them, and even of the third superstition of atheism, I have previously discussed at great length, but as there are a few points I have not sufficiently explained about atheism, I will take the issue up here.
     Needless to say, atheistic thought holds that in this world there is no such thing as God. Because of their beliefs, atheists look upon those holding a belief in God as superstitious, which is a form of reverse superstition. When atheistic thought and the whole of creation is given quiet, careful, and deliberate investigation, there is no way that the existence of God cannot be understood, but at present there are few individuals who go so far as to research deeply the relationship between creation and God. Such is that all those living today have been born into an age where as a result of continual and complete indoctrination in materialistic education, they are inculcated in atheistic thought in the same way as in the example I always cite: the primitive peoples who think the air is nothing because they cannot see anything. Therefore, the destruction of the superstition of atheism and the re-education of all is an important factor in the betterment of culture, and in no other way is possible a path for the embodiment of a truly civilized world.
     Next I would like to take up the issue of those popular superstitions that people nowadays seem to take rather lightly. In Japan, there are days on the calendar marked “lucky,” “unlucky,” “noon unlucky,” and so forth, a superstition, which is just too ridiculous, but that has penetrated to a rather unexpected degree into the consciousness of individuals. Superstitions such as days compatible or incompatible for certain events, physiogonomy, foretelling directions, affinity, and so forth are not simply limited to the Far East. Not so! The West appears to be in no way inferior in superstitions, with items such as Friday the thirteenth and the like. It appears that hotels and hospitals omit the room number thirteen. This superstition arose because Friday is the day Christ was crucified, and interestingly, the higher a nation’s level of science has been developed, the more superstitions the nation has. When the number of superstitions in the civilized nations is counted, Germany has the most, which seems most unreasonable, but concerning the fact that this phenomenon does indeed stand to reason allow me to discuss next.
     In contemporary society, the more education individuals have, the stronger it seems is the inclination for them to think that as long as all affairs and matters are handled scientifically and rationally, the more they think that all will go well, but intriguingly, facts often do not bear out this conception. For example, even in the case of being afflicted with a disease, from its early stages, well-known doctors are consulted, hospitalization occurs, money is expended, and the very latest of contemporary medical treatment is applied, but recovery does not come about and indeed there are even cases that lead to death. Lots of money is spent on the pampered children of the rich and so forth and doctors’ orders are strictly followed, but these patients only become frail with weakened constitutions, whereas the sons of the poor who nobody cares about are full of vigor. Furthermore, it is not unusual in this world for there to arise cases of emergencies and disasters, and unexplained calamities cannot be avoided no matter how much caution may be exercised. One inch ahead of us is complete darkness. Or, even in the case of the strangers who are our fellow human beings, there are those bad people who appear to be good and those good people who appear to be bad, so trust in a person without prior deliberation can result in terrible consequences, yet then again, individuals who we thought were useless turn out unexpectedly to be extremely helpful. Another not uncommon story are of those who carefully put away their savings on a regular basis, who derive pleasure from gazing at the ever-increasing numbers on the pages of their account books, yet if someone in their family falls sick, perhaps even requiring hospitalization, the blood and sweat of many hard years is gone in an instant. Many examples of a hundred days of hard efforts gone in a an instant can be observed When the world is considered in this way, human beings are indeed breathing within the midst of anxiety. For these reasons the government vigorously carries out various measures, from insurance programs to laws dealing with disasters and emergencies, and these efforts are better than nothing, but as all know, these do not fundamentally solve the problems.
     Our world is one that does not permit for even a moment relaxation of vigilance. Science alone does not allow for peace of mind, and it is only human to look for other sources of support. Since antiquity has been used for help in obtaining, even if only a little, peace of mind, that which has been handed down in society or which exists among all that is available in the world, the search for which results completely from a distrust in science, and because such is only inevitable, it would be no mistake to state that, based on results, science creates superstition.
     When one becomes a follower of World Messianity, however, anxiety and unease as such indeed disappears. As this topic frequently appears in our testimonials, one can understand upon reading that there is probably no other group of people who have attained such a sense of peace of mind to the extent as have followers of World Messianity. Misfortunes do not disappear, and that is because there is no individual without impurities and sin in the world today. But even when calamities do occur, the reasons for their occurrence are clearly understood, that is, that calamity is purification, and that can be looked forward to the time when the purifying activity is over when fortune and happiness will increase. Rather, the sentiment of appreciation springs forth, so the follower becomes an individual free of unease. Even in situations like the example of looking for a house, as a blessing from God the follower finds the right house, or, if a house cannot be found, the follower realizes the time is not yet right for which the follower must wait. In either case, there are always blessings in which one finds a house that exceeds expectations. All affairs and matters work in this way for followers, so they dwell in a mental state of true peace of mind, and there is no reason for them to be lost and confused. The reader can understand that, as the title states, there is no superstition in World Messianity.

Eikô, Issue 143, February 13, 1952
 translated by cynndd