Remembering Meishu-sama

We are all disciples of Meishu-sama. For some of you it must be hard to think of Meishu-sama when you have only pictures, yet we are all his followers. As for me, I think of Meishu-sama every day, particularly every morning when I pray at my home altar. I feel he is very close. He was a most extraordinary individual, a human being and yet not a human being in the ordinary sense, for he had God's spirit within him. He was full of Light all the time. It is so difficult to explain the feeling I have for Meishu-sama because, for me, he was almost divine.

The many calligraphies he created have a high vibration. One day a man came to Meishu-sama. The man lived in a cold region and was always uncomfortably cold. When he told Meishu-sama this, Meishu-sama said he would write a calligraphy to warm the man's house and wrote the ideograms for "light of spring." When the man placed the calligraphy in his home, the vibration there changed so much the house became warm and pleasant.

Five years before I came to America, Meishu-sama told us that the world is so clouded he once decided to change the ideogram of the sacred focal point from that for "Light" to the one for joh which means "purify." (Clouds is the term used by Meishu-sama to designate impurities and toxins. Some people can actually see these impurities or clouds.) But when Meishu-sama changed the ideogram of the sacred focal point from that for Light to the one for purify, the members started having severe purifications, and he realized he had acted too soon and went back to using the ideogram for Light, which is, apparently, softer.

I was surprised to learn Meishu-sama's writing carries so power. Meishu-sama said that whatever a person writes carries the person's vibration, and when a person writes with love from his or her soul, the writing carries the vibration of that love. Meishu-sama said whatever he wrote had life, had Light.

I feel Meishu-sama's presence whenever I pray at the altar. I believe I was so privileged to have met him, to have listened to his voice, to have talked with him. By reading his teachings, you will receive Light. People speak of knowledge, but Meishu-sama's teachings are deeper or higher than ordinary knowledge; they are an inspiration from God. His whole being was filled with Light. His sole purpose was to help establish paradise on earth, not just to talk about it, but to put what he taught into practice. Meishu-sama would work from early morning until after midnight to bring true happiness to all of humanity, not only to a few. His goal was God's goal, and his consciousness was always with God.

As a person Meishu-sama was so loving. He said we should read the teachings every day to receive Light, and that we can receive Johrei from his writing. Recently I had not been reading the teachings every day, but now, however late it may be at night or however busy I may be in the morning, I read from the teachings daily. Meishu-sama would ask someone who had made some kind of mistake if he or she had been reading the teachings. He never scolded, but he asked the question, and if the person answered yes, Meishu-sama would ask how often.

Now I will ask you the same question. Have you been reading Meishu-sama's teachings? Every day? It is so simple. In this way we can receive more of God's Light through Meishu-sama. It is easy, but we must have the willpower. Start putting daily reading of the teachings into practice. It will do you a lot of good.

In order to guide someone to our movement (and I am sure you are trying to do that), you should be aware Meishu-sama said not only his words but also testimonials in our Johrei publications and experiences of members and ministers have high vibrations and carry Light, for these people are all praying that they be able to help in God's work of establishing paradise on earth. The best thing to do for a new person is to let him or her read our publications, our books. If you let a person borrow one of our books and take it home, it will raise the vibration of his or her home. The vibrations of Meishu-sama's photographs are high also.

One or two people in a home may not approve of our fellowship, but if a book of Meishu-sama's teachings is in the home, the negative attitude may change. It is a wonderful thing to know how powerful the writings of Meishu-sama are and to be aware of what the spiritual vibrations coming from painted or printed words or pictures can do for a home. Meishu-sama said not to worry if a new person is not interested in our fellowship. If he or she reads even a little of the teachings and perhaps forgets, a small seed had been planted and will someday grow. For this reason it is good to let new people read the teachings of our fellowship.

When I have purifications, I am always grateful I belong to an organization that has Meishu-sama's teachings. All of his teachings come from the point of view of the divine laws that govern the universe, and all of his answers to questions and his judgments of situations are based upon these laws.

You have heard that Meishu-sama was filled with Light. Many incidents in his life illustrate this. One day he was flying a kite. In Japan it is the custom to fly kites on the New Year. Someone brought Meishu-sama a beautiful kite, and for a while he held the kite string. Everyone present was amazed to see a bright Light surround the kite for several feet. But when Meishu-sama gave the kite string to someone else and went into the house, the Light gradually faded. When he came back and took the string again, the Light returned.

Meishu-sama made flower arrangements every day. He liked to keep flowers in every room of the house. One morning as he made an arrangement, the people with him noticed the flowers he was using did not appear to be strong. They were surprised Meishu-sama would even use these flowers; the arrangement seemed lifeless. When Meishu-sama was done, he sat down with the other people and gazed at the arrangement. While everyone looked on, the flowers became alive as though they were fresh from the garden. Meishu-sama looked around and smiled. The Light had brought new life to the flowers.

Once there was a great fire in Atami. I heard about it on the radio and went downtown to find that part of the city was destroyed. The Johrei headquarters was on the edge of the downtown area, but had not been burned even though the trees around it had been destroyed. However, the office of the Johrei newspaper and the building which housed it had burned. Workers went into the newspaper office to clean up and found a pile of newspapers that had mysteriously escaped the fire, even though everything around the pile of papers had gone up in flames. I was with that group, and we all wondered what had happened that newspapers, so easily burned, had somehow been spared. Then we noticed that the unburned newspapers had Meishu-sama's photograph on the front page. We were filled with wonder and joy that even his photograph printed on paper carried the Light and could not be touched by fire.

For the first time in the history of the world, one lived on this earth to bring the Light, to distribute it to those who sincerely wish to do something to participate in the work of establishing paradise on earth.

Rev. Nihongi, a minister who recently passed away, suffered many years from a disease called caries of the vertebrae. She received Johrei from Meishu-sama for a number of years and got over the worst part of her illness and starting helping and guiding people. But then her purification eventually increased in severity enough so that she could no longer go to Meishu-sama for Johrei without getting a taxi, and in those days getting a taxi was almost impossible. She spent much of her time in bed. Meishu-sama had his secretary call Rev. Nihongi tow or three times to tell her he wished she would come so he could give her Johrei. After considerable difficulty, a taxi somehow was obtained, and Rev. Nihongi managed to get to Meishu-sama again. He told her how happy he was to see her. After giving her Johrei, he told her that from now on she would be all right, but if she had waited a few more hours, she might not have lived; she had been in a very serious condition. Rev. Nihongi was very grateful to Meishu-sama and later wrote about it.

How kind Meishu-sama was. He could answer any question members asked, giving answers that could not be found anywhere else. He was filled with love for everyone. I felt he was a living god. He worked through the Supreme God, the Creator. He wished to bring God's ideal into reality, to establish a world without disease, poverty, or conflict. I believe this kind of world will be a reality, but the time is not yet right. Meishu-sama told us that just as it is coldest right before dawn, purification is more severe as we approach the new age, but we must all endure purification because we all have clouds. We will get through this period if only we receive Johrei and help people, and if it is in God's plan for us, we will be able to see that beautiful world to come.

All over the world today (1986) difficulties and mistakes are going on in all countries. America is the only country that really wants to help other nations keep peace in the world. Other countries do not seek peace and happiness for all the world's peoples; only America stands for that. Meishu-sama loved America. Our organization is not for the purpose of giving sermons, but rather, through the Light, to awaken people to the plan of God. The fulfillment of God's plan is close by, and that is why purification will become increasingly severe. We do not know how long purification will continue, but we are going through the most difficult phase of it now. Nevertheless, we will see people becoming happier and happier once they understand the meaning of purification. If they understand that God wants to purify humanity, then they will not be afraid of anything. What a wonderful teaching Meishu-sama has given us.

More Americans must be awakened. Ours is not a fellowship of preaching, but one of Light and power by which we help one another. This is what we are here for. I sometimes get discouraged, but then I begin to hear Meishu-sama's voice saying that this is God's plan; it cannot fail. Meishu-sama is relying on a few people, like you, in America to help with the plan.

Make it your goal to awaken just one person a month to the Light of God. Pray about that person, knowing God is behind you, working for you. The idea is not to create a big organization, but rather to make people aware of the privilege and honor of being a part of this great work.

Rev. Kiyoko Higuchi