Reverend Yoshihiro Mori. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 6
As claimed by its founder Ryuho Okawan, Happy Science is the ‘religion of the future’ and the organization has been spreading its wings from Japan to other parts of the world. Reverend Yoshihiro Mori, a teacher of ‘Happy Science,’ delivered a lecture at Bookmarc conference hall in Dimapur today, May 6.
When queried whether Happy Science was a religious cult as stated by The Japan Times: “...for many, the Happies smell suspiciously like a cult” he replied that “we are not cult, we are open to all regardless of religion creed, race, and country. We are open-minded and disclose every teaching.”
On membership, he said people can ‘join easily and can leave easily...it is not a concentration camp.’
He also claimed that Ryuho Okawan predicted the Sarin gas attack (March 20, 1995) on the Tokyo subway by religious cult members of Aum Shinrikyo. “Happy Science is against such organisations.”
Earlier, addressing the gathering Yoshihiro said to have been staying in India for a year and it is his first time coming to northeast India. Stating that he “can see the difference between the people here and in India,” he said ‘Naga’ in Japanese means ‘long’ or ‘eternal.’
In regard to the religion, he said Happy Science is a movement to create a “New World”. It is open to all and does not distinguish race, country and status, he explained. Although the Japanese government recognises it as a ‘religion’, he said some look at it as a religion and for some as a spiritual movement. On which he asked the audience about their opinion and the audience in unison responded that it is a “spiritual movement”.
Emphasising the teachings of Happy Science, the organization’s teacher said the “Truth of Death” is when a person’s soul leaves the mortal body and steps into the next world, the heavenly abode. He said after 24 hours only the soul leaves the body. He also said that in the Japanese tradition, when a person dies the body is kept overnight before the burial so that the soul will leave happily to its next life.
To make the audience understand the statement better, he showed a short clipping of an anime film – “The Laws of Eternity” produced by Happy Science leader Ryuho Okawa.
In the film, souls of people are shown crossing the mythological River Styx. The souls have a silver cord attached to their backs connecting the mortal body and soul. One of the souls drowns in the river because he could not leave behind his “worldly attachments”. Yoshihito explained that a person may be powerful in this world but in the other world it is meaningless, which is similar to Christ’s teaching about “treasures in heaven”.
In another part of the clipping of the same movie, the souls are shown entering a big dome, which looks like a theatre. A soul of an old man is made to sit in front of a big screen and his life cycle is shown – how he lived and died. The reverend said many believe that there is nothing after death so they live their life as they wish but there is ‘life after death’. All the religions talk about good and evil because they want people to go to heaven than hell. “...those who have bad thoughts in mind are bad people and those who have good thoughts in mind are good people,” he added.
The reverend also elaborated on reincarnation, he said every human being can be mortally born again only as a human. He said each individual has “six soul siblings” and a sibling is born in an era upon which the cycle continues. “...we have experienced uncountable reincarnation in this world.”
Concerning people ‘running away from problems’, he said “If you escape from a problem, the problem will chase you.” The teacher advised that one needs to enhance spiritual awareness to solve problems.
On invincible thinking as advocated by Ryuho Okawa, he said: “If you have a problem with your boss at work, who knows it might be your fault.” On which he said it would be best, to go and talk with the boss and tell him honestly how you feel thus it will help build relationship stronger. “...it is good to reflect back on ourselves.” He also talked about karma and initiated the gathering to do Zen meditation.
About Happy Science:
Although Happy Science foundation is based on Buddhism, it also has teachings from other religions and philosophers – Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Confucius etc. It was founded in Japan on October 6, 1986 by one Ryuho Okawa, who claims to have been a reincarnation of the Buddha.
The Happy Science website states: “Master Ryuho Okawa is the reincarnation of the highly revered Shakyamuni Buddha. Whilst alive, Shakyamuni Buddha himself prophesized about the future Buddha, and, since ancient times, people of India passed on this prophecy from generation to generation that a future Buddha will be incarnated 2500 years later to a land in the Far East.”
On March 7, 1991, it was declared as an official religious organization in Japan and till date it has established its centres in more than 90 countries. Besides spiritual activities it has been engaging in charity works. In 2009, Happy Science formed its own political party known as Happiness Realisation Party .The site also states that the founder, Okawa preaches about “the Truth of El Cantare, whose mission is to create harmony and prosperity for all people. The Principles of Happiness taught at Happy Science transcends nations, cultures and religions and are the key to resolving religious conflicts worldwide.”
Okawa believes that the ‘Supreme Being’, of which he addresses as El Cantare is the master of all and from era to era, El Cantare reincarnates in the form of different religious prophets or leaders.
Okawa has also declared: “Happy Science is the religion of the future. It is the religion that can edify the billions of inhabitants of the world today and do what Buddhism or Christianity can no longer do: bring salvation to the people in the modern era and of the future.”
