Mokichi Okada died in 1955. The writings in the "Foundations
of Paradise" are from the period 1947-1954. Kautama Okada founded
Mahikari in 1959. Both founders claimed to have revelations directly from
God. Many of the basic teachings are very similar. Both organizations claim
that the world is emerging from an "Old Age" into a "New
Age" and that people and the world must be purified in preparation
for the coming "Paradise on Earth" or "Garden of Eden".
Both predict that cataclysms will occur soon as part of this process.
In preparing this document, I was looking for teaching
which were similar in wording as well as identical in meaning. However,
the "Foundations of Paradise" book was written in simple language,
with the intention that anyone could understand it. The "Goseigen",
on the other hand, is written in very esoteric language, so it is difficult
to compare excerpts from these two documents.
I also found several areas where the teachings were
not parallel, and in some cases almost opposite to each other. I have saved
these for a second document. It should
also be noted that there were some areas of teachings where one or two
close similarities could be found, but there were other teachings in the
same area which were not similar. This document focuses on similarities,
so in most cases only the similar parts are quoted.
Since all of the teachings of SKK predate the teachings
of Sukyo Mahikari (SM), the reader may wish to judge whether or not Kautama
Okada plagiarized teachings from SKK. It is admitted by SM that Kautama
Okada studied SKK but they claim that he was never a member. This claim
is in spite of the evidence of a group picture of SKK kanbu (ministers)
which included Kautama Okada and the testimony of SKK kanbu that Kautama
Okada was not only a member but also a kanbu of SKK.
The only opinion this editor can render at this time
is to say that some of the teachings of Sukyo Mahikari and Sekai Kyusei
Kyo clearly came from the same source. Other than that, I will let the
teachings speak for themselves and invite readers to draw their own conclusions.
Note: References to books are immediately followed
by a page number, so for example, read "FP50" as "Foundations
of Paradise, page 50". Notes in square brackets i.e. [ and ], were
added by the editor.
Revelations from God
SKK:
FP91: "Communications through mediums can be
categorized into three divisions: messages that come from divine beings
... from low, animalistic spirits ... ; from human spirits.
"Some examples of the first are revelations
received by founders of certain religions in Japan, such as Miki Nakayama
of the Tenrikyo Church and Nao Deguchi of Omoto. The revelations of some
Buddhist priests in olden days, such as Kobo, Nichiren, and Honen, also
belong to this group. ..."
Mokichi Okada in FP does not directly quote his "Revelations
from God", although he often refers to them. He said that God revealed
to him the art of spiritual healing (FP228), and a Garden design (FP263).
See also FP19, FP48, FP62-63.
SM:
G3: "These HOLY WORDS contained in this GOSEIGEN-SHU
(The Book of Holy Words) are also revelations given to me by SUSHIN (the
Creator of Heaven and Earth) through a messenger god under similar circumstances
as those given to preceding great leaders. ..."
The "Spirit of Truth"
SKK:
FP19: "The time has come, however, when the
great love of God will be manifested. God has given me His revelation,
has chosen me to explain Truth, and now uses me to bring about its realization.
Since my teachings are Truth itself and are being brought forth in a form
that is easily understood, if approached with interest and attention, without
prejudice, Truth will be vividly realized within the sincere seeker."
FP314: "At present, I truly believe that I am
perhaps the happiest person in the world, and my heart is filled with gratitude
to God. What makes me feel this way? As members all know, I have been given
an especially important mission by God and I am working hard day and night
to fulfill it. ... "
SM:
G5: Preface by Kautama Okada, October 10, 1969
"'Pseudo-truth' means, as the word literally
shows, 'something similar to the Truth' even with all kinds of distortion.
... Gautama Buddha left a teaching that says, three thousand years after
his death, a man shall appear in this world to teach the Righteous Spiritual
Path. ... "
"Avoiding a clear answer to his disciple's question,
Jesus also mentioned, 'When the Spirit of Truth comes, he shall guide you
into all the truth. (John 16-13) ... .
" ... Nichiren Shonin wrote ... ' ... Sooner
or later, when the time of heaven comes, a Holy man shall make his appearance
to reveal a certain teaching ... '
"In this way, the leaders of the great religions
in the past avoided making clear statements on the esoteric secrets of
the Heavenly World and they all prophesied the coming of the Holy Man who
will clarify it in the future."
G27:
"... The purpose of Thy mission is to give people
the way of conversion.
"In preparation for this moment, I let Gautama
predict, 'the man who preaches the True Spiritual Path will appear from
among laymen 3,000 years after my death.'
"I also let Jesus speak, 'When He, the Spirit
of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the Truth.'
"Accordingly, Thou are YO to give, not in excess,
the exemplar which can be continually granted the most esoteric law of
the Ancient Divine Era at the time of the creation of the universe and
Heaven and Earth.
"There is another YO of thine.
"As is indicated by 'God is Light' and 'God
is Word,' Thou have the role to bear witness to them and give the world
the Light, the KOTODAMA and the realization concerning the divine functioning
of the forty-eight gods (YOTOYA-GAMI).
"It is because I have not yet sent anyone that
could truly bear witness to them.
"God knows that Thou have been totally devoting
Thyself to God and have been making endeavors even in tears to get closer
to God. Thou have endured the most grave and inexplicable trial from God
so that Thou have been able to see Him for whom Thou have been longing.
"I shall now use thee. ... "
The Old and New Ages, and What to Call Them
SKK:
OLD AGE: Age of Night (FP6, FP401), illuminated by
the light of the moon (FP50, FP125) , Age of Darkness (FP78), Dark Age
(FP125),
NEW AGE: Age of the Sun (FP50), Daylight Age (FP50,
FP125, FP6), Age of Enlightenment (FP78) sun has risen, "Light from
the East" (FP125), spiritual civilization, paradise on earth, New
Age, Age of Maitreya, kingdom of heaven, end of Buddhism, day of judgment
(FP3).
SM:
OLD AGE: Age of Long Night, Dark Age (G117), Night
(Age of Reverse Laws), pale light, moon light, yin light, water, Age of
Negative Gods, Teachings of Pseudo-Truth ... (MPK69).
NEW AGE: Age of Day. (G261) Jesus's age of Judgment
(G263). Day (Age of Righteous Laws), Sun in the world of spirit, fire,
age of truth, Age of Heaven, Age of Righteous Gods ... (MPK69).
What Will Happen, When and Why
SKK:
FP401:
"Jesus spoke about the end of the world and
the advent of the kingdom of heaven, and he urged people to express repentance.
[Matthew 2:3, 4:17] It seems that few of them realized the true meaning
of his warning, however, probably because the time was premature, it was
still the Age of Night.
"What Jesus referred to as 'the end of the world'
[Matthew 13:39-40, 49, 24:3] indicated the purification ending the Age
of Night, and 'the kingdom of heaven' indicated the Daylight Age. The long,
dark period of suffering is symbolized by night. [Matthew 24:4 ... ] ...
"The first stage of the great change had its
inception in the spiritual realm in 1881, and the next important step began
in 1931. [See also FP5] The last state of this change from night to day
will take place on the physical plane, in the form of major catastrophes.
It will be the cleansing action for the entire planet, and it is near at
hand. ...
"During the Age of Night, the spirit of water
was the active ruling force and the spirit of fire was a lesser power.
In the Daylight Age, that will be reversed and the spirit of fire will
become will become the greater force, changing darkness into light as it
intensifies.
" ... A period of great destruction and then
reconstruction such as mankind has never experienced before will come to
pass.
"Since disease is a purifying activity caused
by the spirit of fire, those who have more clouds on the spiritual body
and toxins in the physical body will naturally have to suffer more severely
as the change progresses.
"... At the end of this Age, however, disease
will become a tremendous purifying activity, appearing abruptly and spreading
rapidly. ...
" ... Jesus gave warning of a time of great
tribulation ... [Matthew 24:4-14]"
FP402:
"The Last Judgment, as it has often been referred
to in Christianity, is the term for the period when the Age of Night changes
into the Age of Day.
"Human society and the world in general will
change more noticeably as the purification becomes more severe. According
to the governing spiritual law, those who are not pure will gradually weaken,
while those who are pure in spirit will thrive, in proportion to the extent
of purification of the spiritual realm. Good and evil will finally be clearly
defined, and no one will be able to resist the power of Nature as the Light
grows in intensity."
FP201:
"All the impurities which have accumulated on
human beings and on other material creations--all the impure substances
that exist on earth--must ultimately be cleansed in one major action if
the condition reaches a certain point. Such a general purification will
come through a worldwide war. This cannot be avoided because it follows
an immutable law of creation. Therefore, it is obvious that in order to
prevent that war, everything on earth--man and all other things--must be
so thoroughly cleansed in individual ways that an overall cataclysmic purification
becomes unnecessary.
"Now, are there means by which everything and
everyone on earth can be cleansed and purified? I say there is. This is
the mission of our spiritual group, the purpose for which it was established."
SM:
G138-139: "The End of the World is not the end
of God's Kingdom, the Universe, and Heaven and Earth. Mankind in the process
of development is even going to bring about the destruction of the balance
of nature and all creatures in Heaven and Earth without realizing the excessive
development of human wisdom. The limit and time will surely come when this
horrible treason cannot be overlooked anymore. Therefore, God cannot but
make shabby and rotten human souls reform themselves or intensively cleanse
them beforehand. For this reason, as a transitorily necessary step to cause
a great change for the true civilization, chaos will appear in the world
through which all will be drastically changed from how they have been until
today. This is the End of the World."
G25: "I let John, Jesus and others speak about
'the end of the world,' which is the end of this transitory world."
S2: " ... since the world entered the period
of baptism with fire on the first day of January, 1962 the increase of
the spiritual energy of fire has been rapidly accelerating year by year.
... Accordingly, the true cause of such disastrous phenomena as unusual
explosions and fires will be left unexplained."
S30:
"... with the year by year increase in fire
energy, ... resulting in an increase in fires, explosions and volcanic
eruptions.
"In addition, mass outbreaks of hitherto unknown
diseases and incurable illnesses are being brought to the public notice
and the baneful influence of medicine has been made clear to all people.
The things which I predicted when I established Mahikari have already started
to take place in society. ..."
S32:
"... changes in the weather sometimes have their
origin in the spiritual arrangements of God ... as I have been predicting
since I established this spiritual organization in 1960:
"There will be a great increase in unusual atmospheric
phenomena caused by the unfolding of the diving plan. To offer just one
example, unusually warm winters will occur frequently enough to be called
normal.
This is exactly what is happening today. ..."
S37:
"... As the energy of fire increases with no
way of eliminating toxins, there will be more and more cases of people
who suddenly keel over dead or suddenly slip into death without apparent
cause.
"There will also come a time when suffering
and agony will result in cerebral disorders and then death from madness.
This phenomena will increase in severity. ... "
S41: " ... Ten years from now [1973] the strength
of the fire of divine judgment will also increase in equal measure with
the more deeply accumulated sins and transgressions, thereby causing suffering
far beyond that which we are experiencing today."
G188: "The phenomena of compensation will become
more intensified so that everything will be ineffective (AKAN). ... Therefore,
Heavenly God (AKAMU) is appearing to bring the world of pulverization (AHUN).
Such Time of Heaven has come. ... He will switch this world into one in
which God (KA_A_I_SO_KAMI) makes His Appearance. The world will be in grave
condition. The storm of RA_RU_RO cannot be avoided from coming shortly
before the Time. In other words, the human world has come to the most critical
stage. In preparation for this time, I have taught about the coming of
God's Judgment - the End of the World, the Descension of MIROKU, and the
appearance of Messiah."
S16:
"Today God does not need those souls who cannot
keep up with the progress of the divine plan and who are useless for the
construction of the new Spiritual Civilization (Do not be conceited just
because you are Japanese or Jewish.) It is the divine will that such useless
souls will be erased from existence by the baptism with fire. The divine
plan is that only the souls who have been sufficiently purified will be
permitted to remain on earth as tanebito (seed people).
"At the time of the baptism with fire many holy
spirits will simultaneously descend from the spiritual world. For this
very purpose many millions of holy spirits in the spiritual world, including
the spirits of holy men, such as Buddha, Moses, Jesus Christ and so on,
are now awaiting the time of their descent. ... "
G202: "If the place (kept secret) of which I
informed, shakes, thou shall realize that the year to start the great purification
by Fire; and the great shake of the earth is near. The three-step preparation
has been completed."
G168: "God cannot but reconstruct this world
once again. Therefore, God, in disgust, will again bring on the Time of
convulsion of the earth if NINGEN [man separated from God] fails in reforming
his mind. ... "
God and the Combining of Vertical and Horizontal
into the Cross
SKK:
FP211:
"Now , at long last, the time has come for the
vertical and the horizontal to meet and be combined in the form of a cross
(+). .. the human world is going to be united in the form of a cross (+).
This will be the true state of the coming paradise on earth. In other words,
it will be a world of kami.
"The word kami (which means God) has the same
spiritual significance su has. Ka represents fire and mi represents water.
Fire burns vertically and water flows horizontally. These two combined
to form the word kami. The action of God is the combining of the vertical
and the horizontal."
... "God is now going to bring together all
of the parts of the world which have been separate, or divided, and unite
them into one. This is the meaning of the coming New Age, of a new world
totally ruled by God."
SM:
G240:
"As I have revealed to thee, KAMI (GOD) is the
combination of fire and water, KA+MI, in other words, is the Origin (MOTO)
of the Power to create all."
... "The Spiritually-oriented civilization itself
which is based upon the idea of God-first, spirit-first and soul-first,
as I have revealed to thee, is the World of Theocracy to come. It is the
one and only foundation for mankind to return to the Garden of Eden to
establish the heavenly civilization upon the earth ... "
Material Development and the Divine Plan
SKK:
FP80: "God has always had His Plan to establish
a paradise on earth, but in order to achieve this goal He first developed
material civilizations to a certain degree. For this reason, He made good
and evil. It is because of the friction between good and evil that the
brilliant material civilization we see today has been accomplished."
[1951/02/25] See also FP28.
FP8: "It is my belief that it was necessary
for this truth to be kept hidden in order to bring material science forward
to a certain point as a part of God's Plan, a condition belonging to the
transitional period."
SM:
G138-139: "God has allowed all kinds of religious
faith and belief to emerge at man's own discretion. However, it is because
God needed men to fully use their desires for the purpose of making men
establish 'the civilization planned by God' on the earth. For that purpose,
He allowed men to dig out or cultivate all kinds of treasures on earth,
the material blessings, which God let the earth conceive and which He grew.
For expediency, God could not but have allowed men's free competition at
their discretion. ..."
On Illness and Spiritual Purification
SKK:
FP275: "The object of having faith is to attain
spiritual purification and achieve higher spiritual awareness. There are
three ways for man to do this; one, through suffering, such as experiencing
disasters or practicing asceticism; two, through repeatedly doing good
deeds; three, through high-level art. Of these three ways, the simplest
and quickest is the last. ..."
FP200: " ... illness is a physical reflection
of the dispelling of clouds from the spiritual body, which happens when
clouds have accumulated and reached a certain magnitude. During this process
an individual feels some pain and discomfort. This what is generally called
illness. ..."
"In the same sense, mass suffering, such as
storms, floods, fires, earthquakes, are all purifications ... "
FP361: "... it is good to catch a cold."
See also FP104-105 and FP301 for more on illness,
toxins, and purification.
SM:
MPK56: "What we have mistakenly called disease
is in fact a primary method of divine cleansing. It exists to allow human
beings ultimately to become free of illness and completely fulfill their
life span. ,,,."
MPK54: "The phenomenon of the misogi harahi
[cleansing] of the spirit, mind, and body is misunderstood as being disease.
Every time it occurs, use it instead to clean gradually, step by step,
your spirit, mind and body. Reducing all the things in (A) [Sickness, Disaster,
Starvation, Poverty, Strife, Wind, Water, Fire] or completely eliminating
them is the best plan for happiness; it is a very quick method. Purifying
the soul-spirit, purifying the spiritual aspect, raising the spiritual
level of a person or a family, leads to health, harmony, and material well-being
for the family. Thus one easily heads towards a heaven of plenty."
About Death and Reincarnation
SKK:
FP93: "When a person passes on to the spiritual
world, he lives there for some time, perhaps a few years, perhaps a few
decades, perhaps many hundreds of years...."
FP57:
"... So, it is possible that an individual who
is virtuous by nature in this lifetime may have been extremely wicked in
the previous life."
"There are many people who do not believe in
life after death while they are living here. After death these people cannot
easily adjust themselves in the spiritual world and often come back prematurely,
in a state of incomplete purification, because of their undue attachment
to physical life. ... "
FP83: ... "The period of training on the intermediate
plane is from only a few days to as much as thirty years. Those who have
not reformed themselves by the end of thirty years must go to one of the
lowest regions."
SM:
SM has similar teaching on Reincarnation presented
in the Primary Kenshu program.
Spirits and the Spirit World
SKK:
FP68: Description of the Spiritual World. In the
FP levels of the Spiritual World are mentioned several times. Different
numbers and divisions of levels are mentioned in different places. The
following breakdown based on page 68 data mentions 9 levels and describes
them as being organized by threes into heaven, middle levels and hell.
FP85 also mentions 9 levels. A breakdown into 180 levels is mentioned at
FP78, FP280, and FP283.
The following is based on the 9 level model. The
individual levels are not all precisely delineated, but this may help for
purposes of comparison:
FP86: Death expression: Great agony, darkish or bluish
black color
*. Hell: . Light labor, just a little suffering.
*. Various: violence, beasts, lust, starvation, Burning
Hell
*. "Land at the very bottom" (Shintoism)
, "hell of extreme coldness" (Buddhism). No light, total darkness,
a completely frozen state.
See also FP66 for more on Spirits and the Spirit
world.
SM:
MPK55: Chapter 19, The Spiritual Levels
The levels identified in the book are not numbered,
but there appear to be nine of them as follows:
1. The Innermost
2. The World of High Divine Spirits
3. Heaven, Garden of Eden, Paradise
4. Absence of anguish/ souls allowed cultivation of souls
5. Bluish-white/yellow, souls allowed spiritual training
6. Deep anguish, world of light labor
7. Dark-black, Bluish-black, world of heavy labor
8. Purgatory, Hell, animal like living conditions
9. Extremely cold hell
Attaching Spirits
SKK:
FP159: "Clouds accumulate on an individual's
spiritual body. When they reach a certain density, an animalistic spirit
which is exactly suited to that clouded condition approaches and possesses
the individual. When that happens the primary spirit is overcome, so the
possessing entity is able to make the individual act just as it wishes.
..." See also FP294, FP309.
SM:
MPK43: "Attaching spirits are the spirits of
either human beings or animals which have once gone to the astral world
after death but have then entered the bodies of people or animals living
in the physical world. This may be due to a number of reasons including
resentment, hatred, and anger. Attaching spirits manipulate the minds and
bodies of their hosts, usually causing various phenomena of suffering and
misfortune."
The Spiritual Cord
SKK:
FP55-56: "In personal relationships, the cords
usually are strongest between husbands and wives, then between parents
and children. ... The spiritual cords between non-relatives can be cut or
broken, but those between blood relations cannot be severed."
SM:
S10:
"... the spiritual-vibration cords that connect
parents with their children are thick and strong and are composed of many
dense strands.
"The next strongest spiritual cords are between
brothers and sisters and then husbands and wives. A husband and wife ...
as they spend their lives together, this cord gradually becomes thicker
and stronger and in the end may even exceed the spiritual connection between
parents and children.
"The spiritual-vibration cords between you and
unrelated persons ... can be severed. ... However, we are not allowed to
do so in the case of parents and children, brothers and sisters, or husbands
and wives."
The Character Su
SKK:
FP211: The Character [three horizontal lines, with
a vertical bar connecting them and a tic on top] (Su)
[Su] ... "by itself clearly expresses the spiritual
meaning of the law. I am going to analyze this character.
"The three horizontal bars--upper, intermediate
and lower--represent heaven, humanity and earth. They also signify the
sun, moon and earth, and the numerals 5, 6 and 7. Also, they stand for
the divine realm, the astral realm and the physical realm.
"This is the right order. Government, economy,
education, religion and all other matters will function smoothly if this
order is maintained. If it is not, nothing can go well."
SM:
G119: ... "Therefore, the three ([three horizontal
bars]) of the character TOU ([This appears to be an error--the character
shown does not have 3 bars--apparently means SU--see page 280]} indicates
not only the Heaven, the Astral, Earth and the Sun, Moon, Earth, but also
the World of the Divine, the Astral, and the Physical and God's Kingdom
and the three other spiritual worlds and the Three Great Spiritual Worlds
and the material world. The Vertical line ( [vertical line]) shows that
the vertical (Fire) function, which manifests as the Law (NORI) of the
Vertical Power, is functioning through these three worlds interlockingly
without the slightest disorder. ... "
G90: [OKITE] "... is the origin of the laws
which have been set to function through both the vertical three worlds
of the Divine, the Astral and the Physical and the horizontal three worlds
of the past, the present, and the future, It is the foremost Origin of
the Great Original Law which functions vertically through the three great
spiritual worlds shaping the King's Form ([three horizontal lines, with
one vertical line connecting them]) ... "
G280: The SU character, just like in FP is identified
clearly as such.
Fortune Tellers and Mediums
SKK:
FP292: "Of all the spirits which speak through
mediums, eighty or ninety percent are low animal ones, and ninety-nine
percent of these are evil spirits whose instinctive desire is to deceive
human beings. ... "
SM:
G195: "... up to now, many of those who have
been called "one overshadowed by God" have been merely possessed
by TENGU, a minor-dragon god, a mountain wizard, or mostly by an aged fox
or raccoon. Most fortune tellers are like that. Almost all of them are
charlatans and cannot teach the True Arrangement of God."
Miscellaneous Common Subjects
Ancestor Altars and Ceremonies:
Both groups have the same teaching about ancestor:
... "Spiritual beings need nourishment; without it, they become hungry.
... What is different from the physical world is that spiritual beings
need very little nourishment, for they are satisfied with a small daily
amount. " ... (FP77)
Divine, Astral, Physical:
SKK: 5-6-7 correspond to Divine, astral, physical.
(FP211) SM: G31. 5-6-7 = Divine, astral, physical.
Fire and Water:
SKK: "According to the laws of Nature, fire
burns vertically and water flows horizontally. Fire flames by the force
of water and water flows by the force of fire." (FP54) SM: "The
time shall come when the Water begins to lie horizontally, and the Fire
begins to flame up vertically in the spiritual realm of this world."
(G202)
Gratitude:
SKK: " ... whenever we have any difficult experiences,
we should be grateful." (FP362) "... gratitude reaches God, ...
This is why those who are always grateful naturally enjoy happiness and
good fortune ... " (FP303) SM: "Once thou have known God's revelation
(God's Teaching and the Righteous Way) and Law (NORI), and have understood
the law of offering gratitude for all good and bad from the bottom of thy
heart ... " (G80)
Guardian Spirits:
SKK: FP58, 62: SM: G124
Harmony:
SKK: "Everything in this universe is operating
in perfect harmony; nothing is discordant. When anything appears to be
inharmonious to human sight, is nothing more than surface appearance. ...
Any discord is man-made, the result of something people have done which
is not in agreement with the great laws of Nature. ... " (FP364) SM:
"All in the universe and the Heaven and Earth are created in 'harmony.'
... " (G112)
Michi:
SKK: Michi (The Way of Truth) "As I always say,
michi is another expression for the Creator. To worship God is to worship
michi. So, individuals who live in accord with this Way of Truth and abide
by it are the truly civilized ones. ... " (FP220-221) SM: "Since
it is the spiritual path (MICHI) which changes people into the ones able
to be given the great reward, it is one of the most esoteric ways towards
God's Kingdom." (G30)
Miracles:
Both groups report many miracles among its members,
" ... such as the recovery of individuals who have been pronounced
hopelessly ill by medical science, or the hair-breadth escapes of some
people from disasters, or the saving of some homes from destruction by
fire just as they have seemed lost, are all due solely to this Divine Power."
(FP113)
Nature Spirits or Consciousness:
SKK: "... We should realize that everything
in Nature has consciousness and should be treated accordingly." (FP274)
SM: MPK43 refers to "nature spirits".
Spiritual Investigation:
SKK: FP72 SM: MPK43.
Swastikas:
SKK: Gammadion (reverse swastika) of Buddhism. [The
gammadion] "... symbolizes the rotating action which begins when the
vertical and horizontal come to a meeting point." (FP212) SM: "The
Power of God is + (KAMI), and the Power of Oversoul, which causes the gigantic
turnaround of the axle, this is, the Power of | (the Vertical), Fire (Sun,
the Positive, Spirit), is condensed and solidified. It is the World of
[reverse swastika] (MI) and [swastika] (HI). The swastika indicates the
power (CHIKARA) to draw the circle (WA) of SU. ... children of God ...start
turning in the left revolution ... " (G199)
Truth and Pseudo-Truth:
SKK: "There are both truths and pseudo-truths
in religion, philosophy, science, art, education and all other fields.
... " (FP20-21) SM: ... " Your truth (SHINRI) is actually the
pseudo-truth (SHINNYO). The time for discernment has come.... " (G88)
Teachings of Sukyo Mahikari
and Sekai Kyusei Kyo
(Part 2)
Version 1.1. Editor: Mike Day, April 13, 1997.
Updated September 13,1997
Editor's Introduction
This is a report on some clear differences
between the teachings of Kautama (born Yoshikazu) Okada founder of Sukyo
Mahikari (SM), and Mokichi Okada (no relation) founder of Sekai Kyusei
Kyo (SKK) or Church Of World Messianity. The sources for this information
and the meaning of the publication references are listed in Part 1. I have
summarized each difference under its heading.
Man's Mission and the Divine Plan
These quotes sound very similar, but
I think the tone is important. The SKK approach towards Man's Mission is
positive, the SM approach is "fulfill you mission or else ..."
SKK:
FP299: "Man is born into the earth
dimension with the mission of establishing an ideal world. This is God's
Plan, so when he lives and functions in harmony with the Plan, man can
live and work most happily in perfect health. This is an eternal, immutable
truth."
SM:
S23: "The modern age is a time
when those people who do not fulfill their mission of spreading the teachings
of the divine plan to others, being afire with a passionate, unselfish
love for others, with love for mankind, are of necessity destined to be
judged by God."
The Mission of Japan
The key words in the SM quote are "His
Deputies to govern this world." So according to SM the Mission of
the Japanese is to govern the world. For SKK it is "to help the people
of the world to enjoy life through beauty ... "
SKK: True mission of Japan (FP266)
"[Japan's mission is] to help
the people of the world to enjoy life through beauty and thus to contribute
to the elevation of civilization. ... the Japanese people in general have
a sharp sense of beauty, and ... they excel in manual arts."
"In brief, my wish is simply to
help realize the primary mission of Japan as a country of beauty, as a
paradise for the world."
SM:
G275 "... God created the races
of five different colors. ... There are two kinds in the yellow race (KIBITO)--that
is, OBITO and KIBITO--the so to speak head family and branch family. The
land called HINOMOTO, in which thou are living, is the Land of Spirit's
Origin (...). ... He placed O-BITO (the King race) here and dispatched
and spread all five races throughout the world as branch races. It is the
peerless (FUJI) place in which God placed the ones with the role to unite
(SEBERU), called SUMERA, as His Deputies to govern this world. Those who
are the original race of the five races in respect to the spiritual origin
were called YAMATO ... . It was called YAMATO ... because this place was
a great paradise full of love and harmony and called the Garden of EDEN.
..."
On Governments
SM apparently does not accept democracy
on any level: "Nowhere in this universe, ... is there any actual democracy.
It is absolutely inpermissible to God. " On the other hand, SKK seems
to support the concept, at least on Earth.
SKK:
FP247: "... I believe that the
terms "world nation" and "world government," which
have been advocated by many individuals in the United States of America
for several years, indicate nothing other that the ideal world which is
being born. When that happens, a president of the entire planet must be
elected ... "
SM: S21: Democracy versus Theocracy
"It is generally believed and
accepted that we are living in a democratic age. Within our organization,
however, the principle of democracy is not acceptable. Nowhere in this
universe, neither on Earth nor in Heaven, is there any actual democracy.
It is absolutely inpermissible to God. The principle of this universe is
none other that theocracy, Divinity as the leading principle. ...
"The age during which civilizations
will be based upon Divinity leading, in which God himself leads mankind
as in the Age of the Gods is called the Age of Theocracy. ...
"Therefore the words, orders and
indications of the Oshienushi (the master of divine teaching), the representative
of Su no Kami on earth. should be supreme, to at least kumite. It is accordingly
requested that you pay special attention to the above."
On Other Religions
In some respects, the teachings are
similar. SKK prefers to unite all faiths, while SM claims that religions
have "lost their power" and exist to protect their own profits,
and that therefore mankind must "transcend" religions.
SKK:
FP310: "You must be especially
careful of any religion which has secrets that followers are admonished
not to reveal to outsiders; you may conclude that such a religion is controlled
by evil forces. A good religious faith has no secrets and is thoroughly
open, bright and happy."
FP18: "In order that such a world
may become a reality, however, there must come into being a spiritual movement
that can unify all the faiths of the world, one that is so powerful spiritually
all of the earth's people will accept and believe its teachings."
SM:
S25: "There is no need for observance
and support of the religious teachings found in the various established
religions which exist merely for the sake of protecting their own profits.
... They have lost their power to perform spiritual miracles and give salvation
and cannot save mankind or solve the world's problems. ... "
S29: " ... if you can walk from
place to place giving the Light of Salvation to mankind, whether it is
called the Light of Kannon, the Light of Christ or the Light of Yahweh
(Jehovah), it will be all right. ... "
YPB6: "Unless Hito ...in the whole
world unite themselves with [God] .. they cannot welcome the coming Holy
Century ... Regardless of religious denominations all mankind in the world
should master and practice what is written in this book ... Sukyo ... transcends
the realm of human religions."
On Japan's Role In WWII
SKK is apologetic about Japan's role
in WWII. SM has no comment on the subject that I can find.
SKK:
FP302: "As we apply this to the
present state of Japan [1947], we can understand the reason why almost
all of the Japanese people are suffering miserable conditions today as
the result of Japan's defeat in World War II. It is nothing other than
the purification of the clouds this country formed by invading other countries,
exploiting other races, and killing many people."