Shinji Takahashi

Nihongo|Shinji Takahashi|高橋 信次|Takahashi Shinji|extra=September 21, 1927 - June 25, 1976 was a Japanese religious leader, corporate manager and hardware engineer.

Founder of the new religion/religious corporation God Light Association (GLA), born in Saku city, Nagano prefecture. Founded Koden Industry Co., Ltd. and served as its first president. Head of the Humanity’s Scientific Research Center.

Biography

Takahashi was born on September 21, 1927 in Sakukougen, Nagano prefecture, to a farm family, as the second eldest son among 10 children. After dropping out his second year from a middle school that was run under the old system of education when he was 13 years old, Takahashi entered the Army Cadet School. He then completed his studies and graduated from the Army War College, after which he was dispatched as an aerial navigator. At the end of the war in 1945, Takahashi returned to Nagano prefecture, his hometown. Upon moving to Tokyo, he passed a high school equivalency exam and studied mainly in the College of Science and Technology at Nihon University. Although Takahashi was said to have studied at the University of Tokyo for graduate school for a period of time, he was not able to obtain a graduate degree since his dissertation, which is necessary for receiving a graduate degree, was considered to be outside of the standards and was laughed at by professors, as it reflected a pantheistic understanding of the world, analyzing that a godly life runs through everything from an amoeba to the macrocosm. Although Takahashi failed in establishing companies while at university, and the third company that he established was Koden Industry Co., Ltd., a company that develops hardware for electronics. While managing this company, Takahashi, as an engineer himself who developed hardware, possessed 460 patents. In addition, he also served as the president of Yaoki Building Management Co., Ltd. as well as the center president of the Humanity’s Scientific Research Center.

When Takahashi was approximately 10 years old (around 1937), he started experiencing a spiritual phenomenon that is known nowadays as an “out-of-body experience” [1] and came to refer to his astral body, which was separate from his physical body, as his “other self.” He had doubts about this phenomenon in his childish mind, however, and continued to pursue studies in electrical engineering and physics for approximately the next 32 years. (As Takahashi did not have interest in religion, he considered himself a complete inexpert.) Starting in around 1968, full-fledged spiritual phenomena started occurring, and he started receiving communication from spirits that identified themselves as “One Two Three” and “Fwan Sin Fwai Sinfo.” Soon after, Takahashi arrived at the spiritual state with a peace of mind where he had thrown away attachment; afterwards, he has said that these spirits were the “guardian spirit/guiding spirit” that come up in the GLA doctrine.

The spirit that called itself “Fwan Sin Fwai Sinfo” designated itself as Takahashi’s “guardian spirit,” and later informed Takahashi that it was Jesus Christ himself. The spirit that called itself “One Two Three,” as Takahashi's “guiding spirit,” let Takahashi know later that it was Moses himself. Afterwards, Takahashi, who had fully attained Buddhahood under their guidance, embarked as a religious leader and starting writing about his experiences in the form of literary works. In addition, through his own lectures, etc., Takahashi left behind the legacy of many miracles, through guiding people who had gathered under him using his capabilities to see the past, present and future of human beings. He also saw “spirits,” which do not have physical bodies, and spoke to these spirits, exorcising disharmonious spirits that people had been possessed by [2] [3] (although it was common for him to preach “"shinri"” (divine principle) and “"hou"” (law) to these spirits, and make them repent their faults) (Refer to “"Kokoro no Hakken, Genshou-hen"”(which translates to “Discovery of the Heart, Volume of Actual Proof”), etc.) Takahashi also spoke Ancient Egyptian, Hebrew, 5th-century Chinese and Ancient Magadhan (Kingdom of Magadha). However, Takahashi considered these languages as “upaya” (means used for the purpose of instruction) that had already been promised in the world above (and as proof for “upaya”), solely to help people, and in particular, he cautioned against becoming excessively enveloped in phenomena out of mere curiosity. This is considered to be a phenomenon (“"gensho"” meaning “actual proof") that arose during the eras of Moses, Jesus Christ and Gotama Siddhattha. When looking at his books and the statements that he made during his lectures, it can be seen that Takahashi preached the practice of “harmonization,” “charity” and “love.” In order to practice these, Takahashi stated that people must possess standards of their own, known as the "hasshoudo" (eight deeds that must be performed in order to reach nirvana) that Buddha preached, correct distortions in their hearts that they themselves had created, through “self-reflection,” and practice a middle-of-the-road life (a life where the ends of the spectrum are separated, and there is no bias; Takahashi believed that all that exists in the world of nature is harmonized among reciprocal relationships and are stable, that there is no bias in any of the laws of the natural world, making it an embodiment of the middle-of-the-road image). Takahashi preached that based on this, it would be possible for one’s heart to become peacefully harmonized, escape from the torment of the present and open up new possibilities. Then, compassion and love would grow in one’s heart, enabling for actions of compassion and love, which are at the core of bodhisattva (meaning “enlightened existence” in Sanskrit). Takahashi also preached that the ethos of Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all rooted in the same “laws” (law of nature, cosmic laws).

Takahashi's lifestyle was one where he slept for only 3 to 4 hours a day, due to his busy schedule consisting of managing companies, managing a religious organization, giving personal guidance to believers, writing literary works, etc.

On June 25, 1976, at 11:28 A.M., Takahashi passed away at the age of 48, as he himself had prophesied (he had planned to live only up until the age of 48 in this life), due to deterioration of the liver and kidney [http://www.shoho.com/newpage18.htm] that was thought to have been caused by extreme fatigue. (However, at one of his lectures entitled “"Tamashii no Shikumi to Shoubou",”which translates to “The Workings and Proper Teachings of the Soul,“ that he held in Wakayama on March 21, 1976 when he was 48, Takahashi announced that he had planned to remain in this world for 5 more years).

God Light Association (GLA)

Ever since Takahashi had experienced spiritual encounters with Jesus Christ and Moses, and had attained Buddhahood, people wanting to learn under Takahashi’s teachings had come to gather by word of mouth, and Takahashi started to preach to such people at his home. Starting in around April 1969, the number of such people inflated to close to 100, and Takahashi began to preach at Yaoki Building, a building that he himself owned, which was located near Asakusa station on the Toei Asakusa line, on which construction had just commenced as Takahashi had originally planned on establishing a business consisting of ultrasonic hot springs and saunas there. At this time, Takashi named this organization as “"Shinkoukai",”which holds the meaning of “a society for incarnating the light of God.”

In August 1971, as the result of a follower of the Zuihoukai, a Buddhist New Religion organization that was a sect of the Reiyukai (a new religion based on the "Threefold Lotus Sutra"), which was based in Osaka at the time and that preached the commemoration of one’s ancestors based on "Hokkekyo (Lotus Sutra)", hearing Takahashi's teachings at a workshop that he held at Mt. Izuru in Tochigi prefecture, the entire Zuihoukai religious association merged with and converted to the teachings of the Shinkoukai. Since the Zuihoukai was an organization that had obtained a corporate status as a religious corporation, the Shinkoukai became known as the “Shinkoukai Religious Corporation,” in accordance with a law that prescribes that if merging with an organization that has obtained corporate status as a religious corporation, this corporate status must be retained (Religious Corporation Law, Article 39). After the merger, “Shinkoukai” was renamed with an English name, the “God Light Association,” taking the internationalization of this organization into consideration. The first letter of each word (“GLA”) was then taken, and the organization became known as the “GLA Religious Corporation.” The Zuihoukai also became “GLA Religious Corporation Kansai Headquarters.”

It was extremely rare for an existing religious association such as the Zuihoukai to embrace an emerging organization, even from the perspective of the study of religion. After the merger of the two religious organizations, the number of followers in the GLA rocketed to tens of thousands of people at once, and although the creation of a full-scale organizational structure was desired, the creation of a clear structure was shunned due to Takahashi’s dislike for forming such structures.

After Takahashi passed away and was succeeded by his eldest daughter Yoshiko, there was a continuation of followers who withdrew from the GLA due to changes in the teachings of the organization. In addition, as a result of changes in the doctrine, the GLA splintered after a few years due to differences in opinions, and disciples that had directly studied under Takahashi each established a religious organization that they themselves headed. These religious organizations are referred to as GLA religious bodies.

In honor of Takahashi’s death, there exist groups and individuals who gather together as volunteers and carry out activities without possessing a corporate status, to try to learn the teachings of Takahashi. Famous examples include Ryuhou Okawa of the religious association "Kofuku-no-Kagaku" (Institute for Research in Human Happiness) (initially, Okawa published many books in the “"Takahashi Shinji Reigenshu” (Collection of Shinji Takahashi’s Sayings)" series, consisting of Takahashi’s sayings from the spiritual world, that Okawa collectively named "reigenshu", or collection of sayings. In 1994, Okawa halted the printing of all of the collections of sayings related to Shinji Takahashi, including “"Allah no Daikeikoku"” (“Allah’s Great Warning”) that was published in 1991, and at the same time, he also made alterations to the terminologies and the contents of the doctrine that Takahashi had called “"shinri"”(divine principle) and changed its name to “"Buppo Shinri"”(truth of the Buddhist law), thereby creating his own system of doctrine.).

Practical activities as a religious leader

Takahashi advocated “"shinri"”(divine principle, laws of nature prescribed by God; also referred to as “"hou",”or law), which does not change even if the times change. Specifically, he stressed going back to the teachings preached by Buddha and Jesus Christ, and based on his own experiences, Takahashi also preached the existence of souls as well as the existence of the great beyond. He stated that after death, the soul of each person goes off to a world that corresponds to that person’s character (reflected through the amount of the soul’s light. A greater amount of light represents a higher degree of harmony with God.). Takahashi also advocated the practice of the "hasshoudo" that Buddha preached, as a method for harmonization on earth and for growth of each person’s soul, and preached the importance of “self-reflection” in order to do away with the cloudiness in one’s soul that is said to be created by human beings themselves as a result of disharmonic ideas and actions, and to receive God’s light, which the soul is said to originally receive. In addition, Takahashi emphasized the practice of ideas and actions after self-reflection (for details, see the section below regarding Takahashi’s doctrine).

Takahashi referred to the law that he preached as “"shoubou"”(proper Buddhist law), and he himself practiced this law. It has been said that when he held lectures in the provincial regions, etc., he would spend several hours afterwards “self-reflecting” as based on the "hasshoudo", as to whether there was any wrongness in his role and whether there were any inaccuracies in the “law” that he preached. As a psychic (in particular, Takahashi referred to spiritual abilities suited to harmonization with gods and Buddha as “"reidou"”(spirit movement). “"Reidousha"”(spirit mover)), it has been said that Takahashi possessed all of the capabilities of the supernatural powers and six spiritual powers* ("tengantsu, tenjitsu, tashintsu, shukumeitsu, jinsokutsu, and rojintsu"). As an example, it is said that Takahashi was able to correctly guess the pasts of visitors, regardless of whether they were followers or non-followers of the GLA at the time, as well as what they were thinking each time.

In addition, Takahashi took in people such as elderly people who were homeless, a woman who had intellectual disabilities and who did not have any relatives, and people who had difficulty living independently in society such as gangsters, etc., all for free. Takahashi supported these people with profits that he made as a company owner. Later, the number of people that Takahashi took in grew significantly, and they all became like one large family.

Takahashi criticized blind faith and fanatical belief in religion and consciousness, and taking Marx into account, believed that “religion based on blind faith is opium." In the teachings that he himself preached, he insisted that one should always doubt, doubt, doubt, and only believe in what cannot be doubted any further. Furthermore, Takahashi believed that religion should not be turned into the sustenance of life, and he himself lived off of the profits that he earned as the corporate manager of Koden Industry Co., Ltd., without taking any profits from his religious activities. Rather, Takahashi allotted his own assets that were generated from profits he made as a corporate manager to fund missionary activities as well as regular administrative expenses for his religious organization.

ix spiritual powers

* "Tengantsu": The psychic power to see through everything in this world as well as in the great beyond
* "Tenjitsu": The psychic power to hear all sounds in this world as well as in the great beyond
* "Tashintsu": The psychic power to read the minds of all people, animals and plants
* "Shukumeitsu": The psychic power to read the past, present and future of all people and of this world, and discern why things turned out a particular way and how they are going to turn out in the future
*"Jinsokutsu": The psychic power to consciously go anywhere and see anything
*"Rojintsu": The power of prajna, or wisdom, to completely renounce worldly desires

"Shoubou" and "Shinri" (Proper Buddhist Law and Divine Principle, Principles that Takashi Preached)

Overview

The essence of the universe and aspects of phenomena

According to Takahashi, the universe that we live in is the source of "bansei" (term based on Takashi. Refers to all beings) and "banbutsu" (all things), and follows various principles, starting with the principle of samsara (cycle). The macrocosm is controlled by one large consciousness (“cosmic consciousness” [4] ), and the universe is harmonized and the various principles are supported based on this consciousness. "Banbutsu" in the universe display, as a whole, a form of limitless compassion. The universe is a body of large consciousness, and if the center of this conscious can be called “manas” (according to Takahashi), then the manas is an agglomeration of compassion and love, and the macrocosm and this consciousness are as one. This consciousness itself is a “God” (or the “Great God of the macrocosm”) and this universe is the body of God. The sun in this phenomenal world is merely one of the small organs of the body of the macrocosm, and earth is a small cell. As the earth is a cell in the body of the universe, it also possesses a consciousness. In such a way, "banbutsu" represents all things, and is a mass of energy. Since the macrocosm is a divine body, the earth, as a cell in this macrocosm, is also a divine body, or in other words, a temple. All things, starting with human beings, continue repeating the process of samsara in order to make this earth into a “Buddha land” or “utopia” that follows divine will and that is harmonious, by polishing their souls and using this temple of earth as a place for ascetic training. (Refer to “Shingyou” at the end of "Kokoro no Genten" and its commentary.) Takahashi referred to the attainment of enlightenment based on becoming one with the macrocosm at the apogee of the rise in the degree of harmony of the soul with God as “"uchu sokuware"” (the mindset where one can understand all truths in an instant upon expanding his/her other self to the scale of the universe, through self-reflective meditation). Refer to “Shingyou” at the end of "Kokoro no Genten" and its commentary.)

Past life, present life, and afterlife

Takahashi referred to the material world that we live in (or “this world”) as the “phenomenal world,” and the non-material world where the “soul,” or essence of consciousness, returns to after death (or the “great beyond”) as the “actual world.” All things, including human beings, grow (evolve) while reciprocating between this phenomenal world and the actual world through the past life, present life, and afterlife. Growth is indicative of a rise in the degree of harmony with the gods, and also refers to becoming closer to the existence of compassion and love. The degree of harmony of souls is determined based on the degree of harmony with God of the accumulation of daily manas and deeds based on “training” (as Takahashi called it; refers to learning based on building good and bad experiences in everyday life) in the phenomenal world during the past life and afterlife. Based on this degree of harmony with the gods, stages of consciousness arise in the soul of each human being. This is the area for the amount of light that each soul is said to possess, and was referred to as “dimension” by Takahashi. The dimension of a soul naturally corresponds with the area for the amount of light in the actual world (also referred to as “dimension). The phenomenal world is a 3-dimensional world, and from among the real worlds, those that are particularly harmonious are considered as the world above (4th dimension, 5th dimension, 6th dimension, 7th dimension, 8th dimension, 9th dimension; a larger number indicates a higher degree of harmony), whereas those that are particularly disharmonious are considered as being hell. In other words, the living circumstances in the real world after death change depending on the degree of harmony of manas and deeds in the phenomenal world, and a world of a higher dimension is attained through a rise in the degree of harmony. The cycle of the soul between the phenomenal world and the actual world over the past life, present life, and afterlife is known as “samsara.” Human beings promote the growth of their own souls by transmigrating between the great beyond (actual world) and this world (phenomenal world), and are beings that become closer to the existence of compassion and love before long.With regard to samsara, Takahashi made the metaphor that in relation to the soul, which is the essence of human beings, the physical body is a “boat” for traveling through life, and referred to life as a “life route.” That is, life is a “route” by which the “boat” travels, and the “boatman” of this boat is the “soul,” the essence of human beings. In such a way, for human beings, the “soul” is the essence, and the physical body is solely something that was given by the gods and by one’s parents, as a virtual boat for traveling through life.

* With the 3rd dimension as the origin, each dimension is referred to by name, such as the “astral world” of the 4th dimension and the “spiritual world” of the 5th dimension, but according to Takahashi, the numbers 3, 4, etc., are merely appellations and in reality, these stages are considered as existing inexorably. This is considered as being able to be confirmed when the eye of one’s soul (third eye) is open.

Plan of the world above

According to Takahashi, gods are light, they are the energy that fills the macrocosm, they are the dharma, they are unlimited will, and they are compassion and love themselves. In the world above, gods are also considered to be symbolized as a spiritual “second sun” (or similar to a second sun"; both are derived from Takahashi). In relation to this, “buddhas, tathagatas” in Buddhism (8th-dimensional existence according to Takahashi. Also known as archangels and great guiding spirits of a high level of light. However great guiding spirits of a superior level of light, such as Gotama Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Moses, are referred to as “tathagatas,” and there were also instances where 9th-dimensional existence was included in the broad definition) [5] , and the “Messiah” in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (9th-dimensional existence. The name for the chief person responsible in the world above. Also known as great guiding spirits of a superior level of light. According to Takahashi, the Messiah is not God, but a child of God. However, all human beings are as one with God in essence, and all human beings are children of God. Takahashi believed that all human begins are equal in this essence, and warned of worshiping the Messiah, saying that humans are to simply learn from the Messiah’s existence.) is a person that has realized "uchu soku ware"” ("bonga ichinyo", the concept of Brahma and the self as being one), of being intrinsically linked to God, who guides people according to the laws of nature, or in other words, towards the “middle road” where they are in a state that is suited to the manas of God, by touching on “dharma” (or “"shinri"”) that is the volition of God as well as the laws of nature and preaching to others about ideal manas and deeds. Human beings are all equally the children of God, and can reach the stage of “buddha” or “tathagata” by making their soul grow through numerous transmigrations. As of 1971, there were 423 people on earth (425 following death) who had become a Buddha. In addition, there are also “bodhisattvas” who are of the previous stage (7th-dimensional existence. Also known as angels of light, guiding spirits of a high level of light). The stage preceding this one consists of "shoten-zenjin" (6th-dimensional existence; the stage within the 6th dimension for training in order to become a bodhisattva. The people who live in the 6th dimension, including "shoten-zenjin", are generally referred to as angels of light. There were also cases where, by a broad definition, all of the people in the 6th to 9th dimensions were referred to as “angels of light”). According to Takahashi, the specific method for attaining Buddhahood is to actually incorporate the “"hasshoudou"” that was preached by Gotama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, as well as self-reflection based on this "hasshoudou" into daily life (a method that Takahashi called “"gyou soku hikari"”). By practicing this "hasshoudou", human beings can increase their degree of harmony with gods and Buddha and as a result, attain “"uchu sokuware".” (According to Takahashi, however, it is not that only Buddhism consisted of “"shinri"” but rather, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were also souls of gods and indicated the existence of “"hou",” the laws of nature.)

What Takahashi emphasized regarding this point was that based on the above picture, as humans are all originally children of God, regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, gender, etc., "everybody is a brother (Takahashi),” and warring is a result of complete ignorance and misunderstanding. In addition, at one point, all people are promoting the growth of their soul while repeating samsara and by exceeding race and exceeding countries, such as Greece, Egypt, India, and China; at the same time, their object is harmony on earth (“Buddha land,” “utopia”) (The orientation of such a framework is determined in the world above, and based on this, people are born on earth upon designing, with their own hand, their own life and the “mission” and “role” in the actual world before they are born on earth.)However, the “mission” and “role" of each person is nothing that is particular, but rather simply to “train the soul” while living like a human being. “Training the soul” refers only to harmonizing one’s own consciousness, harmonizing with others nearby, living brightly, doing work that is suitable to harmonization, and based on this, stabilizing one’s own economy, creating a peaceful environment, and giving one’s all to carry out the above. In such a way, it is not that Takahashi glorified particular religious “austerities,” but rather, he harshly criticized disharmonious “austerities” that would oppress everyday life, such as compulsive praying as well as organizations that would force these kinds of activities. In particular, he believed that that one should not sell their soul to religious leaders that would make the people dependent on the leader, such as those who would force followers to buy amulets or talismans, or who say that only those who pray will be saved. Takahashi believed that one is not saved by such kinds of “austerities,” and that simply obeying the will of religious organizations is not related in any way to being saved. If one wants to be saved, he/she should instead distance himself/herself from such organizations, self-reflect on aspects that are unharmonious to him/her in actual everyday life, and translate this into action. In doing so, by brushing away the cloudiness of one’s soul (psychics, or people who can see spirits, recognize that there is actual “cloudiness” or “smoginess”) he/she can receive the light of gods (that was obstructed up to that point by the “cloudiness”), and as an actual phenomenon, he/she is guided towards harmonization (refer to the rest of this article below regarding self-reflection and how to translate this into action afterwards). “"Tariki"” (strength through others) constantly exists as compassion of God, but as it is not permitted for "tariki" to change one’s consciousness no matter what kind of existence this "tariki" may be of, unless humans themselves try to receive the light of gods through their own will (unless one self-reflects and amends their actions), this light will be closed off due to the “cloudiness” of his/her own soul (“free will.” Refer to the rest of the article regarding the “cloudiness” of a soul). As a result, a person’s own awareness and execution based on this awareness are the top priorities. [6]

The journey towards harmonization

"Hasshoudou" (The Noble Eightfold Path)

Using the “"hasshoudou"” (seeing, hearing, and speaking of things properly. The standard for “proper” lies in when one is objectively viewed from the perspective of a well-intentioned third party) that Gotama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, taught as a pivot, Takahashi preached that each person self-reflects on their own manas and deeds, and returns the ideal being of their soul to the “middle road,” or a state that meets the laws of nature (here, the “self-reflection” used by Takahashi refers not only to tracing the surface of “what was wrong” and events (since it is not possible to grasp the cause and effect of the affair that is generating discordance simply through this, it is deemed that one does not achieve realization and as a result, effects are reduced), but also to seeking the inner cause of one’s own disharmonious notions and actions, becoming aware of the causal relationship between how one’s notions and actions created discord in his/her surroundings and whether one was inflicting harm to himself/herself, repenting so that this kind of result does not occur again, and to reaching a state where he/she can reasonably put the results of his/her repenting into practice. At this time, the soul of the person who is self-reflecting is recognized by psychics as being in a state where there is a “halo.” With regard to halos, refer to the rest of the article. It is said that at this time, the person that is self-reflecting becomes aware of “self-reflecting” solely for the purpose of harmonization with surrounding people amidst living their life as well as in the growth and peace of their soul, and proceeds forward taking one step at a time, without giving in to mischief and without being too eager. Takahashi warned of becoming attached to “self-reflection” itself in such a way and becoming careless in everyday life as a result, and perceived that it is important for the action of self-reflection itself to follow the middle road). The nature that is naturally driven by the laws of nature, or the macrocosm, is the body of “God,” and human beings, who are all individual consciousnesses that were generated with the consciousness of God as the mother body, are considered as being microcosms in relation to this nature; “God” (“macrocosm”) and humans (“microcosm”), which are both beings that possess consciousness, are considered as being connected through the soul (defined by Takahashi as the central part of consciousness). It is considered that in this universe, the kind of laws described above exist, and they, according to Takahashi, are not only laws that are simply physical in the universe, but also those that are applied to the internal aspects of human beings as well (for example, laws of action and counteraction for notions and actions, laws of circulation that can be applied to physical and spiritual aspects as well as karma, which is said to be the inertia of the soul, etc.), and it is in this universe that the opportunity for the generation of all joys and sorrows lies. Takashi referred to the laws of nature as “"hou"” (law), “"shoubou"” (proper Buddhist law), and “"shinri"” (divine principle), and stated that by following these laws, it becomes for the soul to receive the light of gods (considered as being the natural state of souls) and achieve harmony and peace, but if these laws are opposed (this freedom is considered as being permitted to human beings), one’s soul creates “cloudiness,” obstructing the light of gods, and resulting in the generation of anguish (development of a phenomenon where virtue is generated by thinking of virtue, and wrongness is generated by thinking of wrongness; the so-called “divine justice.” One must lie on the bed one has made. This “divine justice,” according to Takahashi, is the principle of the universe). Therefore, the macrocosm and the great nature that was considered as being created by God and is driven by the laws themselves teach the proper way of how to live (refer to the section entitled "Dimensional Structure of the Phenomenal World and Actual World” regarding the standard for “properness” as it is used here), and learning “dharma” for the laws of nature and living according to the “dharma” is considered a method that yields harmony within each person as well as the outside world, which is a reflection of the inside of each person. The state that suits this law is the middle road (in other words, a state that is suited to the laws of nature), and the method to reach this middle road is the "hasshoudou" that Gotama Buddha had preached (however, it is not only Buddhism that is “"shinri",” but rather all Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam for which “"shinri"” has been conveyed from the world above to the earth, and for which there is considered to be one core element to the teachings, the “"hou"”); by executing this Hasshoudou every day and every minute in “what they think” and “what they do,” human beings can break away from the vicious cycle of bitterness and sadness (result) that was created as a cause of one’s disharmonious notions and actions (and as a fate of the laws of nature), and they can also take the first step to enlightenment, based on this kind of steady everyday practice.

"Hasshoudou" (that Takahashi preached)

"Shouken" (Right View)Takahashi preached that in order to view things the right way, one must abandon their own perspective and view things from the standpoint of a well-intentioned third person. This is due to the instinct of self-preservation coming into effect without one realizing that this will become a problem; as a person is influenced by a selfish desire, he/she becomes unable to make good judgments, often resulting in feelings of regret being left behind.

"Shoushi" (Right Intention)Takahashi believed that thinking is a creative action, and that since what one thinks of in his/her heart is something that cannot not be expressed in some form, thinking is the action in itself. As a result, since disharmonious thoughts and a self-centered way of thinking all act on each other reciprocally and follow the law of circulation, such thoughts and a way of thinking come back to oneself and ruin oneself. To cultivate "shoushi", or right intention, one must self-reflect as to whether his/her thoughts during that day were proper or not, and make rectifications if there had been an error in his/her thoughts.

"Shougo" (Right Speech)Takahashi believed that words are conveyed to others, through the power of words, and that the power of words signifies the undulations of light and noise. Words from the heart are conveyed as is to others as undulations of light, and bring about harmony. However, as excessive flattery and high-handed ways of speaking cause black agglomerations to adhere to the undulations of light, the person to which one is speaking to becomes hurt, which actually results in repercussions back to oneself. Based on this, Takahashi preached that it is important for people to communicate with others by actually becoming the mind of the person that they are speaking to, with an honest heart.

"Shougou" (Right Action)Takahashi believed that the purpose of action/work is to broaden the experiences of one’s soul to create a well-rounded heart through work, to promote harmony with other people through work, and to protect the livelihood of people, including oneself. He also believed that being able to work is possible due to the compassion of God, and that work is an action of appreciation and gratitude for God.

"Shoumyou" (Right Livelihood)Takahashi believed that to properly lead a life, one must first amend their own karma. The notion of karma refers to the aspect of disharmonious self-preservation and one’s selfish desire that we constantly conceive inside our minds. Karma has been carried over in past lives as well and is connected to our actions; it is perceived as a shortcoming that one can discover through self-reflection. Since human beings are deceived by the "rokkon" (six roots), which consist of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, the seeds of bad karma from past life also arise from such delusions. The shortcoming agitates one's own heart and hurts other people’s hearts, whereas the merit is a characteristic that yields harmony both in oneself and others. Takahashi recommended the development of this merit and rectification of the shortcoming. To correct this shortcoming, one must look upon and think about his/her own heart from the perspective of a well-intentioned third person, and self-reflect on and correct his/her own actions. Takahashi deemed that even within the notion of karma, complaining, anger, and insatiable greed, as the three poisons of the heart, are what make humans the most unstable mentally and physically.

"Shoujin" (Right Effort)To Takahashi, "shoujin", or right effort, refers to developing and harmonizing human relations and the terrestrial environment. With regard to human relations, Takahashi believed that human beings cannot live or be born single-handedly. All human beings have parents, and live in an environment where siblings, husbands, wives, children, neighbors, friends, elders, and juniors exist. In such an environment, one’s own heart becomes trained and a heart of mutual respect is created. Takahashi preached that "shoujin" is the perseverance of people in creating an environment of love where they can help each other, complement each other, and talk to each other, and that this is the path of human beings. In addition, he also believed that in order to us to be able to live communally for many years to come, we must maintain and actively use resources from animals, plants, and minerals.

"Shounen" (Right Mindfulness)According to Takahashi, "nen", or mindfulness, is the energy for wishing something, and there is always a sense of purpose inherent in mindfulness. In mindfulness, there is the strength of creation and the strength to draw things in, but if one is confronted by unsuitable wishes, jealously, hatred, or insatiable greed, he/she is met with a backlash before his/her purpose is fulfilled, since the energy always reverts to oneself (law of circulation). For ideal mindfulness, it is necessary to properly determine whether the purpose in mindfulness is suitable to the actions of harmony and love that are at the heart of God. When mindfulness is used properly, the guardian spirit/guiding spirit lends strength, and one can accomplish peaceful work of a greater magnitude.

"Shoujyou" (Right Concentration)Takahashi preached that "shoujyjou", or right concentration, starts from self-reflection, and that in due course, the heart of harmony, which is the heart of God, becomes one with one’s own heart. Looking back at the day that has passed, one self-reflects as to whether he/she had any ideas or carried out any actions that were contrary to righteousness, by comparing them with the standards of the other 7 views and concepts described above. If he/she finds that there was an idea or action that went against righteousness, he/she is to determine its cause, apologize to God regarding this issue, and strive to make sure that the same error is not made starting the next day. However, since one’s mind becomes narrow and small if too much emphasis is placed on self-reflection, according to Takahashi, caution should be advised. In the case that one’s feelings become overcast from self-reflecting and he/she blames their own heart, it would be acceptable for this person to take a rest, ease his/her feelings, and think about his/her doings cumulatively once every three days or a week, or self-reflect with regard to 1 theme.For Takahashi, meditation for self-reflection consists of lightly closing the eyelids, with the eyes facing straight forward behind the eyelids; when one becomes sleepy, he/she is to open their eyelids lightly, and direct their focus on a spot slightly in front of where they are sitting. As for the way of sitting, Takahashi deemed that sitting cross-legged is acceptable, so that the mind does not become distracted by the body. Gotama Buddha was said to have mainly meditated in the nighttime, and was able to concentrate between the times of 1 A.M. and 3 A.M. (in the modern time system). However, if one meditates to clear his/her mind of unnecessary thoughts without self-reflecting and while their mind is distorted, or if one acquires such a habit, evil spirits that relate to the distorted mind are drawn in, resulting in grave danger, such as one’s mentality becoming seized as well as one starting to experience physical disorder. Takahashi believed that in continuing this kind of self-reflective meditation (meditative concentration) one starts interacting with the guardian spirit/guiding spirit, and dialogue becomes possible. Then, one reaches a level of "nyoshin" (a state where one is able to understand his/her heart is to some extent, and where he/she has the ability to read other people’s hearts).In addition, with regard to suffering that one is undergoing at the moment, Takahashi believed that the cause of suffering is always a result of seeds being scattered somewhere, and that as a method for eliminating this cause and relieving oneself from their sufferings, one should recall all of their doings from the day they were born until the present day temporally, according to when they were 0 to 5 years old, 5 to 10 years old, 10 to 20 years old, 20 to 30 years old, etc., and self-reflect on their thoughts and actions in their relations with other people (parents, siblings, school teachers, friends, neighbors, the opposite sex, coworkers, wives, husbands, children, etc.) by comparing them with the standards of each of the 7 views and concepts described above ("shouken", "shoushi", "shougo", etc.). If one finds that there were thoughts and actions that go against “righteousness,” he/she must determine the cause of such thoughts and actions, apologize to God, and make amendments. (Takahashi deemed that the “righteousness” of the "hasshoudou" is the righteousness according to the perspective of a well-intentioned third person.) Jealousy, animosity, or blame that develops in one’s mind represents self-preservation, and is rooted in a phenomenon that occurs when one’s desires are not fulfilled. Also, if the disharmonious words and actions of another person create a distortion in one’s heart, for example, he/she himself/herself is the one that ate the poison; one does not eat poisons of the heart when one makes judgments according to the measuring rule of the heart if the "hasshoudou". When smog is eliminated from one’s heart through self-reflection, something gushes up from inside, which turns into tears and washes off dirt and dust. As one’s heart transforms from one that is smoggy to one that is clear, God's light penetrates into the heart. (The penetration of God’s light also means that one acquires the strengths of other powers as well.) Takahashi believed that when people try hard to realize a lifestyle that is based on right judgments made by the heart where there are no biases, middle-of-the-road their self-righteous heart disappears, and in turn they learn that everyone in the human race are brothers and sisters, and acquire the power of great charity and love [7] . Harmony among the human race is said to be established when a sense of appreciation of being able to live in reality grows, and this mindset is expressed as a shape through the action of gratitude (bodhisattva karma where one offers services to other people).

Transition of Religion and the Path to "Shinri"

1. Towards the Present Age Takahashi preached that Buddhism and Christianity in the present age (from the 1960s to the 1970s when Takahashi was active) had become academic/philosophical, or had formalized/turned into an event, changed into faith based on other powers, and had become isolated from people’s hearts, as a result of people’s knowledge and will in the course of a long history. In response to this, he advocated returning to the times of Gotama Siddhartha and Jesus Christ in many of his literary works, starting with “"Ningen/Shaka"” (“Human Beings/Gotama Buddha”). In addition, Takahashi emphasized that neither Jesus Christ nor Gotama Siddhartha preached the thoughts of other powers at all, and that Christianity and Buddhism in their respective times were not difficult like the Christianity and Buddhism of the present day that had become philosophized for some of the people. With regard to the thoughts of other powers that can be seen in Shinran and Nichiren, who was the founder of Kamakura New Buddhism, though Takahashi defends Nichiren and Shinran in that during the Kamakura period, which was a difficult period with unceasing battles caused by the rise in the power of samurai families, it was difficult for people’s manas to be saved and to be guided towards harmony unless it was through the methods of Nichiren and Shinran, when looking at it from the perspective of the freeness of the souls of human beings, thoughts based on other powers are errors, and "shoubou" represents one’s own powers (Takahashi deemed that Southern Buddhism may rather have conveyed this notion more properly. [8] Zhi-yi had also preached on the thoughts of Mahayana Buddhism, and it has been thought that "shoubou" had been in existence from the time when Dengyo Daishi passed on the Tendai Teachings from China to Japan, but at this time, "shoubou" failed to save many people since it had become academic/philosophical in a complex manner in China. According to Takahashi, Buddhism was not originally divided into Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism in the past, and the enlightenment of individuals and overall peace were something that harmonized; the Noble Eightfold Path was not something that was arbitrary but rather a “divine norm” that was based on the laws of nature [9] .) Practice in a life of “self-reflection” and the Noble Eightfold Path that is suited for the middle road (measure and foundational rule of ideal thoughts and actions that aspire towards harmony with the overall, that conforms to law, and is unbiased and selfless), which is a method of harmonization with the laws of nature, is the method itself that leads to harmonization with the internal aspect of oneself and the environment, which is a reflection of this internal aspect (peace of mind and enlightenment for the former, and a harmonized environment and Buddha land/utopia for the latter). At a glance, it appears as though this was influenced by Buddhism, but regardless of whether Gotama Siddhartha was the one preaching or Jesus was the one preaching, since the roots of the teachings of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all the same, according to Takahashi, these were nothing else than laws of nature (“"hou"”) prescribed by the gods, and not thoughts and philosophies formed speculatively. However, following the changes of times, these laws of nature transformed as a result of the intentions of those who were in power over time, as well as the interpretations, etc., of the many scholars; the cores of these laws of nature were lost, various theories became mixed, and they became academized in a complex manner and lost their substance. As a result, it was deemed that there were some parts, both formally and internally, that were not pure as compared to the times when Gotama Siddhartha, Jesus Christ, etc., existed (based on these kinds of circumstances, the world above sent “angels of light” as represented by Luther and Calvin in Christianity to amend these errors). In addition, these laws of natures were intentionally distorted and conveyed to people for the purpose of one’s own benefit, and people were made to believe that those who obstructed this would be met with strict counteractions. This was deemed as being the laws of nature). In such a way, by learning and practicing a method towards harmony that answers the laws of nature (in other words, the “"hou" that represents the laws of nature as well as the intention of the gods, the "middle road” that is the principle for moving towards harmony with the overall that is suited to “"hou",” and the “"hasshoudou"” (Noble Eightfold Path) that is based on the middle road and that is the standard for practice), harmonization with the interior aspect (based on the laws of nature) and harmonization with the outer world (this phenomenal world) become apparent; deviating from learning and practicing this method results in disharmony such as illness (based on the laws of nature) (however, there may also be times where illness is brought on purely by fatigue, etc., of the body) and extraordinary natural phenomena (refer to the section entitled “Dimensional Structure of the Phenomenal World and Actual World”). Takahashi referred to people that convey this “"hou"” as “angels of light,” and believed that these people preached “"hou"” to guide people to harmony based on the intentions of the gods.

2. From Ancient Times to the Christian Era

300,006,500 years ago (as of 1976), the first fleet of antigravitational photon spacecrafts (or UFOs), guided by seven archangels including El Lantie and Michael, came from a harmonized star called Beta to Earth in search of a new world, and settled in the delta of the eastern region of the Nile Valley in present-day Egypt. Before long, the first utopia of humankind was built in a place called El-Kantale. [10] Today, El-Kantale is known as the Garden of Eden. The people of El-Kantale were able to freely separate souls from physical bodies (astral projection), and were thus able to freely make contact with the world above. Over time, a second fleet came to visit Earth, and from among this group, there were some who went astray, and people who disturbed the harmony started to emerge (at this time, El Lantie had already left Earth and was watching over the development of these circumstances from the world above). Michael, who was the leader, then moved these people to another location, and admonished them to self-reflect on their thoughts and actions. However, the people who were moved to a different location cut off communication with the people of El-Kantale and the world above, and after death, they did not return to the world above but instead, created a world of hell that did not exit up until then, based on their disharmonious ideas (the world beyond is a metaphysical world that is based on consciousness, where ideas themselves are the source of creation). Lucifer, who was sent to Earth under orders by the world above as a human being by the name of Satan to rescue these people, gave himself up to his own status and glory, and rather than returning to the world above, fell towards the world of hell and has been reigning as the czar of the underworld up to today (or at least until 1976). Civilization then underwent a great number of transitions, such as the sinking of the great continents of Lamudia and Mu, after which civilization moved to the continent of Atlantis at around 7000 B.C. Before long, civilization developed rapidly, and people led flourishing lifestyles, but towards the end of the age of Atlantis, which was an age when people lost their souls, Agasha, who was born a king (an earlier reincarnation of Jesus Christ), preached the divine principles of love and compassion to the lost souls of the people. However, people who sold their souls to the devil executed the angels of light, with the exception of Agasha (according to Fauriyari, the spirit of a person of that time, who appears in “Kokoro no Hakken, Shinri-hen,” Agasha was also executed at this time), and to set an example, the people who believed in Agasha were also buried alive. Based on these kinds of disharmonious ideas and actions, Atlantis was covered in an immense, black consciousness, and as a counteraction, the continent of Atlantis sank. The people who escaped from the downfall of Atlantis passed along their civilization to the Nile Valley in Egypt, and by integrating the 70-something countries of that time, they succeeded in building a utopia and germinating Egyptian civilization. As angels of light that were sent at this time, there was Clario (earlier reincarnation of Jesus Christ) and Cleo Parota (which may have been the same being as Clario). Over time, civilization prospered in Greece, and Apollo (incarnation of the chief archangel Michael) was born around 1500 B.C. Apollo conveyed the purpose and mission of life to people, and built the Aegean civilization. He prophesized the birth of Gotama Siddhartha in the East, and then left this Earth. Through his 30-something followers that accepted his orders, Apollo’s teachings were passed along to India in the East, and came to be referred to as Brahmin. Meanwhile, around 1180 B.C., Moses was born in Egypt, which had been devastated by the people, and where people in power had accepted the spread (become reliant on) Satan and those at the bottom had no freedom. Moses was born among the people of Israel, who were slaves in Egypt at that time, and raised as part of the royal family. He later found out that he was originally born to slaves, opened his eyes to the repugnance between rulers and subjects, and took a stand in freeing slaves. Moses secretly received the guidance of Yahweh and led over 600,000 Israelites who were slaves in Egypt [11] towards Canaan, relying on the Ten Commandments. Afterwards, in Israel at around 900 B.C., the teachings of Moses had become obsolete, and at a time when the Baal faith, which demands sacrifices of people’s children, Elijah (reincarnation of the chief archangel Michael) was born. After accepting Yahweh’s orders, Elijah challenged religious leaders and King Ahab during the worship of Baal, and by carrying out several miracles, Elijah was able to defeat King Ahab and the religious leaders, and brought back Moses’ Ten Commandments. In 32 B.C., Jesus Christ (Immanuel) was born in Israel. Jesus consoled and healed poor and sick people in Israel, which was under the oppressive rule of Rome, and as he believed that souls filled with love should be restored in laws that had lost substance, Jesus preached love and penitence in order to be able to reach the land of God [12] , together with his disciples (apostles), during a time when people felt as if they were walking on thin ice due to persecution by legalists and people who had power in those days. After dying on the crucifix, Jesus showed himself to his disciples through a resurrection. The disciples came to speak languages of other countries and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ (after some time, in order to rectify the teachings that had become distorted due to popes and people who were in power at that time, the world above sent Martin Luther, who was the reincarnation of Michael, and John Calvin, who was the reincarnation of Gabriel). The teachings of Apollo that had been conveyed as Brahmin, finally became fossilized after approximately 1,000 years. In 654 B.C., Gotama Siddhartha (Gautama Siddhartha; reincarnation of the great guiding spirit Cantare, who was of a superior level of light) was born in Kapilvastu, India (present-day Nepal). Siddhartha was born and raised as a ksatriya (warrior). Siddhartha grew up without his mother, Maya, who had died in exchange for Siddhartha’s life, and the social situation during those times consisted of unceasing wars. Even if the inside of the palace at Kapilavastue, where he lived, was elegant, Siddhartha became overcome with doubt about the poor people that he would see after taking one step outside of the palace, and made a decision to go into religion. After undergoing various ascetic training for 6 years, Siddhartha, ready for death, sat under the tree of Buddha and reflected on his life of 36 years and purified himself of disharmonious thoughts and actions. As a result, he caught a glimpse of the world of light, and realized that this was a reflection of the level of harmony in his own heart. With this light of compassion, he also made the demon Papias Mara and those serving under him, who were trying to obstruct Siddhartha from attaining Enlightenment, repent, ultimately resulting in salvation. Based on this, Siddhartha had gained validation on the correctness of his own method towards Enlightenment, and after progressing with self-reflection and an “expansion of consciousness,” he realized that he himself was united with the universe ("bonga ichinyo", "uchu soku ware"). Siddhartha, who had attained Enlightenment, honored the request of Brahma (Amon, Clario, and Moses), and started mission work. In the caste system of that time consisting of the 4 statuses of Brahmanas, Kshastriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, the Brahmanas, who devoted all their time to academics that were biased towards knowledge and will, appeared to be full of elegance at first glance, whereas the Kshastriyas experienced constant unrest and suffering from wars, and there were severe disparities between the rich and the poor among the Vaishyas and Shudras. Siddhartha, however, preached the road to self-definition based on compassion and the Noble Eightfold Path to these people without any discrimination. The teachings of Siddhartha came to be divided into the Northern Tradition (Mahayana) and Southern Tradition (Theravada), and after Tendai Zhi-yi restored Buddhist teachings in China, it was introduced to the Eastern part of China in the Age of Mappou, there was a second coming of the teachings of Siddhartha, in line with the plan from the world above, in the city of Kentmati in Javadova (a country in the East) as Siddhartha had prophesized. [13]

Soul (Consciousness)

Origin of Consciousness

In the universe, the generation of materials is characterized by 1. a greater consciousness (God) of the universe as the starting point, 2. segmentation as energy of gravity, magnetism, electricity, light, and heat, and based on their mutual interactions, 3. the phenomenalization of materials (concentration of energy); energy that has been corporealized once is reconverted into energy together with time, after undergoing the process of dispersion, and based on the concentration and dispersion of this energy, the 2 phases of energy circulate eternally (laws of circulation). Similarly, for consciousness, 1. a greater consciousness (God) of the universe is the starting point, 2. individual beings are born in the actual world (the great beyond), and 3. they show their form in the phenomenal world, and consciousness that has been born once develops while circulating between the great beyond (energy) and this world (materials), with parents serving as the border (however, it is thought that characteristics as an individual persist; tathagatas are considered as persisting even after death, even while feeling a sense of unity with God.) [14] .

Dimensional structure of consciousness

• Mentality

According to the definition by Takahashi, mentality refers to an encompassment of “the energy of God (or the energies of gods and Buddha),” “manas,” and the “soul.” The consciousness of human beings is structured so that the “energy of God” is the central point, and “manas” and “soul,” in this order, form concentric spheres around it.

• “Energy of God” - Innermost and deepest part of consciousness This energy is the energy of God that is exuded from the central point of consciousness, and is God Himself, energy itself, compassion and love themselves. The energy of God lies within all human beings, creates the manas (central portion of one’s soul that is centered on the energy of God; the place where the energy of God is received), and forms the soul (place where focus is placed on the manas and the manas is developed into the shape of a concentric sphere; see below) of each person. The fact that the energy of God is inherent in human beings is the attribute for being a human being; in the souls of human beings, the ability to differentiate the subject from the object and to recognize all phenomena, or in other words, ahankara, and the sense of unity between the macrocosm and oneself (“"uchu soku ware"”) is thought to be derived from the undulation of this energy of God that flows from the manas, which is the center of the soul.

• “Manas” – Center of consciousness The place and vessel through which the energy of God is received. The center of consciousness. The place of the body of light itself where compassion and love are intertwined. Manas is the base point for connecting to God, and is also considered as being a bond with God. In the “self-reflection” talked about by Takahashi, the part of humans that self-reflects, that makes inquiries to the heart and listens to the heart is this “manas” that is the center of consciousness (even if it is possible to lie to other people, the reason why it is not possible to lie to oneself at all is due to this “manas” that is connected to the gods and Buddha. In the great beyond, one judges himself/herself not based on transcendental existence, but rather based on his/her own “manas” that cannot lie. According to Takahashi, gods are not found in shrines, temples, and churches, nor in maala or icons that have been created, but rather inside the manas of each individual person. Faith is considered as being belief in this “manas” where one cannot lie to oneself [15] ). Takahashi believed that people can communicate with the gods through this manas. [16]

• “Soul” – Overall consciousness With manas at the center, the 9th-dimensional world of the universe [5] , the 8th-dimensional world of tathagatas, the 7th-dimensional world of bodhisattvas, the 6th-dimensional world of gods, the 5th-dimensional world of spirits (the worlds up to here represent 90% of the subconscious), the 4th-dimensional astral world (zone of ideas), and the 3rd-dimensional phenomenal world (10% surface consciousness) form concentric spheres in this order (the 90% that is not part of the 10% surface consciousness is referred to as the subconscious). According to Takahashi, these eightfold concentric spheres, as a whole, are referred to as the soul. Takahashi used “consciousness” and “spirit” synonymously (“consciousness, or spirit”), or in part (“10% surface consciousness”). • “90% subconscious” – Latent layer of the soul: the part that is equivalent to the manas, 9th dimension, 8th dimension, 7th dimension, 6th dimension, and 5th dimension of the soul. According to Takahashi, this layer represents the worlds that are connected to manas, and is the limitless reservoir, fountain, and space full of creation, freedom, prajna, compassion, and love. It is also the Maha Prajna Paramita [17] (reservoir of intrinsic prajna). The dimensions of the world within correspond to the dimensions of the external world. It is said that human beings are microcosms, and possess exquisite undulations the more that they are closer to the manas that is in the central area of the soul. See below regarding the frequencies of the energy of mentality. It is considered as being the world where the guardian spirits and guiding spirits live. • “Zone of ideas” – Layer (area) between the subconscious and surface consciousness: serves as the window to the subconscious and surface consciousness. The part that is equivalent to the 4th dimension. The zone of ideas itself is a part of consciousness, and consists of energy. It is considered as being the portion where the undulations of both the subconscious and surface consciousness as mediated through the five organs of sense (refers to consciousness that is expressed daily through the five organs of sense; see below) mix together. According to Shinji, “"sounen"” (ideas) refer to the activities of the energy in which this subconscious and surface consciousness are mixed together, and the activity ratio of the inside (subconscious) and outside (surface consciousness) that partitions the body of ideas is usually about 2:8 or 1:9. Consequently, the zone of ideas, which is the part where both of these consciousnesses are mixed together, is considered as being a part where the impact of surface consciousness is extremely large (easily biased by the five organs of sense, easily influenced by the environment). The amending surface consciousness (which refers to making sure that there are no instances where one is biased by the five organs of sense nor instances where one forges ahead filled with desires, without self-reflecting on others) and purification of the zone of ideas (eliminating the cloudiness of the soul by amending thoughts and actions) were thought of as representing an opportunity for making the actions of the subconscious ("zenga") work on the zone of ideas and surface consciousness (refers to the light of the guardian/guiding spirits and light of the inside reaching the surface. However, the layer of the subconscious that acts strongly, or in other words, the dimension to which one’s consciousness is connected to, appears as the character of that person, and it is thought that there are authoritative stages to this. There are individual differences in whether this action is expressed as “"reidou".” See below regarding “"reidou",” which is a psychic power that is suited to the laws of nature). As the method for doing so, the “Noble Eightfold Path” and “self-reflection” are suggested. In addition, it is considered that the lifestyles of each person in their past life, as well as in the great beyond and in the phenomenal world, or in other words, all acquired experiences, are recorded in this zone of ideas. In this “zone of ideas,” all thoughts and actions in one’s life is recorded in detail with extreme exquisiteness, as if using a recorder, in the form of colors that correspond to the person’s thoughts and actions by, for example, indicating actions that are particularly full of compassion in gold letters. However, when starting afresh and making compensations through self-reflecting from the heart, records that reflect disharmonious thoughts and actions that deviated form the middle road, which are recorded in red letters, are left over as records of ideas and behaviors, but the fact that self-reflection was carried out is described next to the disharmonious portion. Incidentally, it is thought that when one leads a life of the middle road, entries are made in black characters. The function of the soul depends on the compassion of gods and Buddha. The tones of this zone of ideas determine the world that one goes to after death. For this reason alone, Takahashi placed importance on self-reflection and actions that achieve harmony after self-reflection. • “10% surface consciousness” – Open layer of the soul: the so-called open consciousness. World of the five organs of sense, comprised of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and the skin, and the will that serves as the base point for judgments through these five organs. Place for daily life and actions. The cause of the suffering of human beings lies entirely in the five organs of sense and six roots of perception (five organs of sense + consciousness), and suffering is thought of as occurring due to these five organs and six roots being constrained by the actions of surface consciousness (symbols such as status, honor, appearance, etc.) (in this case, the Noble Eightfold Path is suggested). •There is also a “body of light” that shrouds the soul and functions as a body in the actual world. In human beings who possess a physical body, the body of light and the atomic corporality (body of the physical world/phenomenal world; concept originated by Takahashi) are linked together and integrated by a “pipe ("reishi-sen")” that can be expanded and contracted without limit, where the exchange of information is being conducted magnetically and reciprocally (during sleep, the soul, which separates from the physical body, supplies the energy of mentality in the actual world. However, the "reishi-sen" (life line between God and all living things) remains connected); the brain is solely an arithmetical unit, and the center of memory is thought to lie in the body of light. When this "reishi-sen" breaks and the body of light and the atomic corporality have completely separated, death (in other words, the return of the soul to the actual world/the great beyond) is signified. [18]

The principle body of the soul and 5 alter egos According to Takahashi, the soul of a human being is formed from the principle body of 1 person and the alter egos of 5 people. As the composition for this, there are 3 series as shown below.

1. 1 male principle body, 5 male alter egos

2. 1 female principle body, 5 female alter egos

3-1. 1 male principle body, 2 male alter egos, 3 female alter egos

3-2. 1 female principle body, 2 female alter egos, 3 male alter egos

The principle body and alter egos are thought as possessing the same kinds of characteristics with regard to assets and drawbacks in terms of personality. The principle body has the role of resolving even the “karma” that each alter ego creates, in addition to the “karma” that is created by oneself (it is acceptable for alter egos to resolve their own “karma”). Takahashi referred to this as the “brothers of the soul.” When 1 person out of 6 appears on earth, 1 person from among the remaining 5 serves as the guardian spirit (there may also be cases where this role is played by a physical ancestor [19] ). Aside from the “brothers of the soul,” for the specialized occupation that an earthly human being holds, the spirit that provides guidance from the actual world is referred to as the guiding spirit. Spirits that are suited for each of the specialized fields of the earthly beings serve as guiding spirits; for example, a spirit specialized in physics would guide a person specializing in physics, and a spirit specialized in law would guide a person specializing in law.

* Mentality was considered as being energy itself, consisting of minute undulations of the center (manas) of the soul (high frequency), and was thought as becoming rougher (decrease in frequency) as the dimension was lowered and came closer to the surface (the same applies for dimensions of the outside world such as the actual world, phenomenal world, etc.).

* The “energy of God” was also expressed as the “energy of gods and Buddha,” but the expressions used here are made uniform with the former expression, as explanations are made by including the general composition of the souls of people of the world of tathagatas and the world of the universe.

* When exemplifying “God” as the earth, “souls” as trees, and “manas” as the roots of trees, in relation to the trees (the overall consciousness of individual “souls”), the trees grow from the earth (parent body of the consciousness of “God,” “energy of God,” and “energy of gods and Buddha”) with the roots (“manas”: center and fountain of consciousness; the part that is connected to God) as the point of origin and the trunks (“subconscious" equivalent to 90% of consciousness; 9th, 8th, 6th and 5th dimensions of the soul) grow, stretch out towards the surface layer, reaching the 3rd dimension (“surface consciousness”: consciousness of the surface layers. Consciousness that uses the five organs of sense in everyday life. Equivalent to approximately 10% of the overall.), and separate into 6 branches (areas) (“function of manas”: refers to the “emotions,” “intent,” etc., that humans normally experience). Takahashi referred to these 6 areas as “ideas,” “instinct,” “emotions,” “intellect (wisdom),” “reason,” and “will,” and believed that each of these possessed an individual mental action (this can be interpreted nearly literally. “Intellect (wisdom)” represents the whole of realization learned through experience. “Reason” is a control mechanism and serves as brakes against, or is what stops overdrives of, “instinct” and “emotions”). Ideas and behavior are generated based on reciprocal actions of these areas. On this occasion, the disharmony in each area that is created (anger, or emotions, etc.) forms individual karma and creates a life of joy and sorrow. Promoting the harmonization of these areas is considered as being the “Noble Eightfold Path.” Surface consciousness and the subconscious are obstructed by the wall called the zone of ideas, on which ideas are recorded (“zone” of ideas, as the name indicates), but through a daily life that is based on the “Noble Eightfold Path,” surface consciousness and the zone of ideas is purified (this is the effect of the Noble Eightfold Path), the wall of the zone of ideas is broken down, and the subconscious inside the heart flows out to surface consciousness (“"reidou"”); words and prajna of the past life that one had never learned before are generated ("nyoshin", "kanjizai" (Avolokitesvara), Maha Prajna Paramita), and as it was explained in preceding sections, since disharmonious karma (ideas and behavior that are disharmonious in relation to the laws of nature and the impact of these ideas and behavior) is not created, results where the internal and surrounding environments are harmonized start to become apparent. The six fields of mental actions that work independently and that become separated on the surface layer are integrated in the source of manas; all of the areas are harmonized, return to their own selves as children of God, consisting of compassion, love, wisdom, construction, obligation, responsibility, and mission, resulting in the understanding of the mechanism of human beings and the vast nature and being able to receive the blessing of God from the heart, according to Takahashi (Takahashi expressed this as “eye of the heart” and “ear of the heart” in the lecture “"Taiyoukei no Tenshitachi"” (“Angels of the Solar System”) that he held during his last year). The "taiga", or parama-aatman, ("shinga", see below) of “"uchu soku ware"” is a form where surface consciousness is connected to the source of one’s manas, and is expressed (enlightenment of Gotama Siddhartha, Moses, and Jesus Christ). Takahashi used “"jiga"” (“atman”) in its normal, literal interpretation, by separating the subject and object, and as a consciousness of “oneself” of one who is aware that they are the subject. In addition, Takahashi divided this "jiga" into “"giga",” “"zenga",” and “"shinga",” and believed that when “instinct,” “emotions,” “intellect,” or “reason” from among the six areas above link independently to “will,” it is expressed as “"giga",” or as the drawback to each (psychics observe an irregular manas, with indentations in various places of the manas. This is not a theory or idea, but a fact). Through “self-reflection,” each of the areas of the manas is harmonized when faults are corrected, and one realizes “"zenga"” (physics recognize there being a round manas. At this time, there is a soft, golden aura/halo). Furthermore, even if they were separate in the phenomenal world, a person and their self are originally as one, and there is believed to be a “"shinga"” that has realized “"uchu soku ware"” ("bonga ichinyo"), where one becomes aware that they are living in the manas of God. Even if “"jiga"” is mentioned here singularly, it possesses the three phases (concepts) of “giga,” “"zenga",” and “"shinga",” based on the course of the reciprocal actions of “manas,” the “subconscious,” the “zone of ideas,” and “surface consciousness.” [14]

Notes

[1] According to a lecture that Takahashi held from March 21 to 23, 1976, the archangel Michel (the archangel leader of the highest 8th-dimension level in the “solar system”), in order to fulfill his promise with Takahashi that he made in the world above before Takahashi was born, that is, to stimulate spiritual awareness in a young Takahashi (that the quintessence of human beings is not flesh and blood but rather an eternal soul), Michael guided Takahashi’s soul to the heavens.

[2] Possession is a spiritual synchronization phenomenon. The spirit of human beings is energy, and as long as humans possess cyclicity (refer to the section on “Dimensional structure of consciousness”), spirits that possess similar psychical tendencies will always gravitate towards each other and generate phenomena of harmony and disharmony, as in the saying “like draws to like,” similar to the principle of synchronization/interference of the undulations that can be seen in electromagnetic waves, etc. This is based on the notion that in order for spirits who have fallen to hell to escape from the world of hell that is full of bitterness and distress, these spirits synchronize with human beings that possess the same disharmonious ideas, and use their bodies as a temporary dwelling. He said that at this time, various inharmonious phenomena such as fatigue, pain, etc., arise in the mind and body of the possessed person. On the contrary, He had also said that there exists disharmony in the mind and spirit based on possession.

[3] According to Takahashi, as long as there is a common consciousness between the spirit from hell and the person that is possessed, that person will become possessed again no matter how many times the spirit is exorcised, similar to the principle of interference and synchronization of undulations. On the contrary, if the consciousness are no longer common (if one stops harboring disharmonious ideas such as resentment, hatred, etc., that are similar to those of the spirits), it is possible to freed of possession, and there may also be cases where, the spirit that had reflected on itself as a result of this is also saved at the same time (i.e., returns to the world above, which is originally the home of the spirit). Consequently, to prevent and free oneself from possession, it is necessary for the consciousness of the person who is possessed to become harmonized more than anything, rather than run blindly towards a faith or worship people, etc., who may be called gurus or faith healers, simply because they are in agony. (Refer to “"Evil Spirit I, II"”). In addition, to unravel one's own heart that had become fixed on obsession, which is the cause of possession, Takahashi had said that physical exercise is effective. He had also said that it is effective to receive protection and assistance from tathagatas (archangels), bodhisattvas (seraphim), and "shoten-zenjin" (cherubim) as an emergency measure, but as this is only a temporary solution, the harmonization of the possessed being's consciousness is primarily the first principle.

[4] “"Kokoro no Taiwa"” (“"Dialogues of the Heart"”) pp. 53-55, “Kokoro no Enerugi” (“Energy of the Heart”)

[5] On p. 204 of “"Kokoro no Hakken: Kagaku-hen"” (“Discovery of the Heart, Volume of Science”) (First published in 1971, Faith Publishing), Takahashi writes that Gotama Buddha, Jesus Christ, and Moses are great guiding spirits of a superior level of light, and that in relation to this, there are 423 people who are great guiding spirits of a high level of light, or “tathagatas.” On p. 245 of the same book, Takahashi refers to the dimension where the great guiding spirits of a high level of light (tathagatas) live as “"nyoraikai" (world of tathagatas), but at this point, the term “"uchukai"” (world of the universe), which is the dimension where the great guiding spirits of a superior level of light live, was not used. The term “"uchukai"” is used in "Kokoro no Shishin"” ("Guide for the Heart") (first published in 1974, Sampoh Publishing), which was published at a later time.

[6] With regard to praying, Takahashi believed that when a person prays by self-reflecting on their own thoughts and deeds from the hearth, their hands are actually stretched out due to their own guardian/guiding spirit or an angel of a higher dimension. However, as one’s own destiny is created based on that person’s own notions and actions, its responsibility lies only in that person and nobody else. For that reason alone, prayers are not accepted unconditionally if one does not rectify their errors, and it is considered that to carry out this redemption oneself is the stipulation for human beings as children of God. When confessing and praying of such errors from the heart, one accepts compassion and love from the gods, and it is possible to reestablish harmony. (Refer to significance of praying and the optative text in Chapter 5 of “"Kokoro no Shishin".”) In addition, when praying, one is not to call out a specific angel’s name blindly. This is due to angels having official positions in the world above, each with their own duty, and this must not be disturbed. Consequently, when praying one must call out using general names, such as tathagatas, bodhisattvas, "shoten-zenjin", etc. (or commonly, angel of light, etc.), or call out to their own guardian/guiding sprits (guardian/guiding spirits have the official position of guiding the people on earth). (“"Taiyoukei no Tenshitachi"” ("Angels of the Solar System"), June 5, 1976 Tohoku training workshop) In addition, as prayers and sutra that he communicated, there is “"Shingyou"” (“Sutra”) (at the end of "Kokoro no Genten"), in which Takahashi preaches about praying for divine protection of the “light and peace” of one’s heart and the hearts of surrounding people to the macrocosmic Divine (God), tathagatas (archangels), bodhisattvas (seraphim), shoten-zenjin (cherubim), and guardian/guiding spirits; the “"Kiganbun"” (optative text) that prays for gratitude towards all things and all creation, including the Great God of the macrocosm, tathagatas, bodhisattvas, shoten-zenjin, and guardian/guiding spirits, as well as ancestral spirits and all animals, plants, and minerals (printed at the end of “"Kokoro no Shishin"”); the creation of the macrocosm according to God; and the ideals for manas and deeds in the everyday lives of humans as children of God.

[7] According to Takahashi, charity refers to actions like that of the sun where one provides the energy of heat and light fairly to both good and bad people. A heart of love is a heart of generosity that enables people to help each other, complement each other, and forgive each other. Charity and love both represent God’s light, and if charity is the heart of the universe ("uchu soku ware"), then love is light on earth with the purpose of harmony; if charity is the vertical light of gods and Buddha, then love is the horizontal light of human beings. When the vertical and horizontal lights of charity and love that are harmonized tie up with each other, people are able to discover God and to learn of their own Buddhist selves ("Kokoro no Genten", p. 22 to 24).

[8] Lecture held by Shinji Takahashi at a youth group training workshop from May 3 to May 5, 1975 on “"Tariki Shinkou to Shoubou"” (Faith Based on Other Powers and the Proper Buddhist law)

[9] Refer to pp. 64 to 66 “"Daijyou Shisou"” (“Mahayana Thought”) in "Shingan wo Hiraku" by Shinji Takahashi.

[10] Although there is a place called “Quanara” on the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, it is unclear whether this is actually “El-Kantale.”

[11] With regard to the number of people who escaped from Egypt together with Moses, there were 600,000 such people, excluding women and children, as based on Exodus 12: 38 -42 of the Old Testament.

[12] According to Takahashi, baptism was conducted as proof of repentance, and does not mean that one, no matter how evil they may be, is saved immediately in a formal way as soon as the ceremony is complete, but rather that the essence of baptism lies in repentance. In addition, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ signifies bringing back the teachings of Christ to the hearts of people; The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, occurring at the End of days, does not signify that people who had formally been baptized through a ceremony will be saved and those who had not been baptized will be damned. Heaven and hell depend on one’s own manas, and by mending one’s faults through confession, their hearts will be filled with the light of God and saved. (Refer to pp. 59-62 “"Seisho to Unne ni Tsuite"” (“The Bible and Samsara”) in "Kokoro no Taiwa".)

[13] Refer to pp. 24-30 “"Ma ni Makeruna"” (“Don’t Lose to Evil”), pp. 45-46 “"Shoubou no Hensen"” (Transition of the Proper Buddhist Law”), and pp. 104-106 “Javadova” in "Shingan wo Hiraku" by Shinji Takahashi; pp. 111-112 in "Kokoro no Genten" by Shinji Takahashi; "Kokoro no Hakken: Shinri-hen" by Shinji Takahashi; “"Shoubou no Ruten"” (“Transmigration of the Proper Buddhist Law” in "Takahashi Shinji Kouenshu": Cassette Book 40 ’76 "GLA Seinenbu Kenshuukai" (Collection of Lectures by Shinji Takahashi: Cassette Book 40 ’76 GLA Training Workshop for Youth Group) by Shinji Takahashi; and “"Shinfukkatsu"” (“New Resurrection”) in "Takahashi Shinji Kouenshu: Cassette Book 41 ’76 GLA Touhoku Kenshuukai" (Collection of Lectures by Shinji Takahashi: Cassette Book 40 ’76 GLA Training Workshop in Tohoku) by Shinji Takahashi.

[14] a b Refer to pp. 128-130 “"Gonin no Bunshin"” (“Alter Egos of Five People”) in "Shingan wo Hiraku" by Shinji Takahashi.

[15] Refer to “"Kokoro no Naka ni Naizai Sareru Eichi"” (“Wisdom that Is Inherent in Manas”) in "Takahashi Shinji Kouenshu: Cassette Book 39 GLA 7-Shunen Kinen Kouenkai" (Collection of Lectures by Shinji Takahashi: Cassette Book 39 Lecture Commemorating the GLA’s 7th Anniversary) by Shinji Takahashi.

[16] Whether in the phenomenal world or the actual world, the only people that can directly recognize God and confirm God’s intentions are great guiding spirits (Messiahs) of a superior level of light in the 9th dimension, such as Gotama Siddhartha, Jesus Christ, and Moses. For this reason alone, the action of believing in the intentions of God, or the law, which is the point that should be preached, exists in both the phenomenal world and the actual world. It is believed that the proof of Gotama Siddhartha’s Tisarana lies here. (Refer to pp. 81-84 of "Ningen Shaka 2 Tsudoikuru Enshou no Deshitachi" (Human Beings/Gotama Buddha 2: The Disciples of Fate Who Gather).) However, rather than worshiping these Messiahs, Takahashi believed that it was important to believe these people, and if one believes their word, that it is important to use their word, or the law, in their lives. (Refer to “"Taiyoukei no Tenshitachi"” (“Angels of the Solar System”) in “"Takahashi Shinji Kouenshu: Cassette Book 41 ’76 GLA Touhoku Kenshuukai" (Collection of Lectures by Shinji Takahashi: Cassette Book 40 ’76 GLA Training Workshop in Tohoku) by Shinji Takahashi.)

[17] Maha Prajna Paramita. Pronounced by Takahashi as “Maha Panya Paramita,” which is close to the pronunciation in the Pali language. Takahashi believes that his own pronunciation is that of the ancient Magadhan language.

[18] Refer to “"Dai 3 Shou: Ningen no Seishin Kouzou to Sono Kinou"” (“Chapter 3: Mental Structure of Human Beings and its Function”), and pp. 174-176 “"Seishin Katsudou"” (“Mental Activity), in "Kokoro no Shishin" by Shinji Takahashi.

[19] Refer to p. 216 of “"Kokoro no Hakken: Kagaku-hen".”

[20] Refer to p. 199 in "Kokoro no Genten"” by Shinji Takahashi and pp. 67-70 “"Jiga"” (“Atman”) in "Kokoro no Taiwa" by Shinji Takahashi.

References

Shinji Takahashi, "Kokoro no Genten" (Origin of the Heart), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., September 1, 1973, ISBN 4879280062 (October 30, 1980, Revised edition)

Shinji Takahashi, "Kokoro no Hakken, Genshou-hen" (Discovery of the Heart, Volume of Actual Proof), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., April 20, 1973, ISBN 4879280054 (January 31, 1981 revised edition)

Shinji Takahashi, "Kokoro no Hakken, Kagaku-hen" (Discovery of the Heart, Volume of Science), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., May 10, 1971, ISBN 487928002X (January 31, 1981 revised edition)

Shinji Takahashi, "Kokoro no Hakken, Shinri-hen" (Discovery of the Heart, Volume of Divine Principle), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., January 15, 1971, ISBN 4879280011 (January 10, 1982 revised edition)

Shinji Takahashi, "Kokoro no Shishin" (Guide for the Heart), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., January 5, 1974, ISBN 4879280070 (November 10, 1980, Revised edition) Shinji Takahashi, "Shingan wo Hiraku" (Gaining Insight), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., July 8, 1974, ISBN 4879280090 (November 10, 1980, Revised edition)Shinji Takahashi, "Ningen/Shaka 1 Idiai Naru Satori" (Human Beings/Gotama Buddha: The Greatest Enlightenment), SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd., April 1, 1973, ISBN 4879280046 (October 31, 1980, Revised edition) Shinji Takahashi, "Gensetsu Hannya Shingyou: Naizai sareta Eichi no Kyumei" (Original Theory of the Prajna Heart Sutra: Identifying the Inherent Wisdom), SAMPOH Publishing Col., Ltd., December 15, 1971, ISBN 4879280038 (January 15, 1981, Revised edition) Shinji Takahashi, "Takahashi Shinji Kouenshu Cassette Book" (Cassette Book of Shinji Takahashi's Lectures), 41 volumes total, SAMPOH Publishing Co., Ltd.

Translated from 高橋信次（宗教家） [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%AB%98%E6%A9%8B%E4%BF%A1%E6%AC%A1_%28%E5%AE%97%E6%95%99%E5%AE%B6%29]

See also