EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Japan exports its new faiths
By Jay Sakashita
Japanese new religions include about 2,000 religious groups and movements that have emerged since the start of the 19th century. Many have spread beyond the Japanese archipelago to places such as Hawai'i.
Japanese new religions are eclectic and syncretistic, often incorporating Buddhist, Christian, Shinto and folk religious elements along with features from spiritualism, the occult and science fiction. While each differs, many new religious groups include these characteristics:
• A perception that the uncertainty of the world can be influenced, if not controlled, by the accumulation of spiritual merit and the acquisition of supernatural power. That's especially appealing to those who are increasingly dissatisfied with the apparent spiritual desolation of modern society or who view the risks and demands of modernity as overly stressful and empty of meaning. Ordinary followers need not rely solely on priests, ministers, and other technicians of the sacred but can actively share in the power to transform the world and alter their own fortunes. Members of the Soka Gakkai branch, for example, believe they gain a clearer sense of direction and can affect their own destinies by virtue of their ritual practice.
• A belief that the religious insights and spiritual faculties founders and leaders possess are vital for salvation. Followers often turn to these leaders for guidance and remedies with the problems of life. In many instances founders are believed to be manifestations or expressions of gods or kami. The founder of MOA, Mokichi Okada, identified himself as the Buddhist deity Kannon and later as the Christian messiah while members of Tenrikyo believe that their founder, Nakayama Miki, is still alive although she "withdrew from physical life" over 100 years ago. Her body is kept in Tenri City in Japan where she is still served food and her red robes changed on a regular basis. Both of these new religions have Pali branches.
• A sense of camaraderie and spiritual counseling. In new religions such as Rissho Koseikai, which has a Pearl City branch, small groups serve as vehicles to disseminate teachings. Senior members often assume responsibility for the spiritual development of junior followers and junior members in turn are invited to emulate the examples set by the religion's leaders.
The trend, however, is toward a more individualized practice, with organizational structures that are less fixed and more designed to appeal to individuals seeking a more privatized spiritual experience. This has led to more emphasis on audio and videocassette recordings of teachings, publications and the Internet, instead of home meetings. The downtown branch of Kofuku no Kagaku, for instance, invites individuals to video seminars and produces more than a hundred books through its publishing company.
• An emphasis on proselytism: The ability of followers to successfully bring in new converts is linked to their spiritual development. Successful proselytism is viewed as clear evidence of a group's legitimacy and significance. Spiritual advancement at the Shinnyoen branch in Mo'ili'ili, for example, depends in part on the number of new followers. Moreover, promotion is not guaranteed until the new converts themselves bring in new members, making the teaching parent a spiritual grandparent.
• A use of technology to help spread teachings. Agonshu, which has a branch here, is well known in Japan for its massive outdoor fire ritual that is broadcast live all via telecommunications satellite. Likewise in Shinnyoen, spiritual questions to mediums and their answers can be communicated via fax machines.
• An emphasis on personal transformation. These groups incorporate a wide range of individual and communal practices designed to refine one's character. PL Kyodan and Konkokyo, in Nu'uanu and Liliha respectively, may include meditation or voluntary work such as communal cleaning of parks or public toilets.
Some Japanese new religions emphasize mystical performances and physical experiences as a way of altering the senses or consciousness. At the Mahikari dojo, which has a branch in Wahiawa, members perform the ritual okiyome in which mystical light is channeled through the palm of a believer into the body of another person, bringing about purification and healing.
At Tenshindo, members are led by Sawada Hanayo, a spiritual medium who teaches her followers healing techniques that harness the sun's spiritual power. The members of Taisei Jishin Reishu meet at sunrise on Sundays atop Tantalus.
At God Light Association in McCully, followers can recover the memory of a previous life.
Honmon Butsuryushu followers receive divine favors in the form of relief from health and financial problems through recitation of a sacred chant.
The perception that the traditional religions are no longer wholly adequate when facing the challenges of modern life has facilitated a turn toward new religions. In this respect, Japanese new religions can be understood as a product of and impetus for religious change and dynamism.
Jay Sakashita is a professor of religion at the University of Hawai'i who specializes in new religions from Japan.
Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomeswritten works by pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8036. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
Correction: Mokichi Okada is the founder of the Mokichi Okada Association, a nonprofit organization. His first and last names were transposed in a previous version of this column.
