SHINEFROM

WITHINAn introduction to the

Konko Faith

Published by Konkokyo

IN THE PAST, people who were in needof help came to the Konko Churches toreceive guidance. However, in this day

and age, with cults and groups that commitcrimes in the name of a god, it is notsurprising that people are hesitant to visit achurch or a religion with which they areunfamiliar. Konkokyo wishes to be openwith people and allow them to see whatKonkokyo’s beliefs and practices are, sothat they will have nothing to fear. It iswith the intention of helping people easetheir hardships in life, and be able to livetheir lives with an inner peace that will leadto the happiness of all, that this book hasbeen composed.

To avoid confusion while reading this book,please take note of these three points:

1 You may realize that various names areused for this religion. As “Konko” wasthe title given to our Founder, KonkoDaijin, “Konko Faith” is mostcommonly used in reference to spiritu-ality, while the organization is referredto as “Konkokyo.”

2 There are quotes highlightedthroughout the text of this book. Theseare the teachings of our Founder takenfrom: Kyoten Gorikai I: Teachings ofKonko Daijin I. Konko, Japan:Konkokyo Honbu, 1987; Kyoten GorikaiII: Teachings of Konko Daijin II. Konko,Japan: Konkokyo Honbu, 1987; KyotenGorikai III: Teachings of Konko DaijinIII. Konko, Japan: Konkokyo Honbu,1993; Kyoten Oshirase-Goto Oboe-Cho:Record of Revelations. Konko, Japan:

Konkokyo Honbu, 1996; Kyoten KonkoDaijin Oboegaki: Memoirs of KonkoDaijin. Konko, Japan. KonkokyoHonbu, 1987.

These teachings will be referenced asGI, GII, or GIII, Revelations, andMemoirs, followed by the name of theperson who wrote it, and then theteaching number. Names are written lastname first, then the given name withoutcommas. The remaining quotes are thosebeliefs of today’s society, which echo thebeliefs of Konkokyo. Some of the authorsof these quotes have been identified andlabeled. However, others that have notbeen referenced are quotes whose writers’identities have been lost with time.

3 Due to various translations andinterpretations, Konkokyo may alsorefer to Kami (God) as: Tenchi Kane NoKami, Tenchi No Kami, Kane No Kami,The Principle Parent of the Universe,The Parent Kami of the Universe, ThePrinciple Parent, Parent Kami, ParentGod, or Kami-Sama.

In no way is this guidebook a completeexplanation of the Konko Faith. Designedto be a signpost for those who wish to knowwhat Konkokyo is, this book only points inits direction. The guidebook was written inhopes of answering the most basicquestions, while at the same time stirringthe inquisitive mind. Should you wish formore information or have any questionsregarding Konkokyo, please refer to thepublished materials or contact informationin the Appendix of this book. Thank you.We hope you enjoy your experience!

PREFACE

CONTENTS7 INTRODUCTION

9 SECTION 1: BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

14Main Concepts17Basic Beliefs26Attitudes28Practice and Rituals

39SECTION 2: THE FOUNDER OF KONKOKYO

41Historical Background of Japan44From Farmer to Mediator

63SECTION 3: KONKOKYO TODAY

64Japan68America72South America73Korea & Gatherings74Peace Activities

APPENDIX

76 A: For Further Information and Reading

78 B: Konkokyo Chronology

79 C: Contact Information

mediate between Kamiand his followers, aidingus in the development ofour spiritual eyes andears, so that we maycome to understandKami's true instructions.Although this personalapproach may make itdifficult to define one'sfaith, it allows flexibilitywithin the religion,strengthens self-discipline, broadensviews, and embracesacceptance.

A personalrelationship with Kami,however, does not implyconfining oneself insolitude or spendingone's entire lifesearching for the Truth,but enables our beingable to live it. OurFounder taught us toimmerse ourselves inTruth and Kami, butnot in such a way thatwe ignore or discomfort

others around us. It isfor the happiness of allthat we work toward,not just for ourselves.As we strive tostrengthen ourrelationship with Kamieach day, we will beginto express our faith inlife through theattitudes we have, theactions we take, ourreactions to events, andour treatment of others.

In this age oftechnology andmaterialism, it is easy toneglect our real needs.Many times we feel thatthere is a void in ourlives, which we cannotidentify or fill. We hopethis book may act asyour mirror, so that youcan see your true selfand needs and begin tolive a life of joy andhappiness, so that youshine from within.

INTRODUCTION

EVOLVED OUT ofthe faith andteachings of

Konko Daijin, anordinary farmer in Japanwho came to devotehimself to helpingpeople, this Faith cameto be called "Konkokyo."Marking the date KonkoDaijin received Kami'srequest to save people,Konkokyo was foundedon November 15, 1859.

As a religion,Konkokyo is unique inthat it has no strict set ofrules that believers mustfollow. Some believersfind that this makes itdifficult to explain theFaith to others. One'srelationship with Kamiis very personal anddirect, yet at the sametime, the ministers whoguide us play asignificant role indeveloping ourrelationship. They

Beliefs&BeliefsPracticesPractices

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WE BELIEVE that Kami is the universe––thespirit and energy that flows throughgalaxies, planets, air, earth, and life. Our

Founder, Konko Daijin, referred to this spirit andenergy as “Tenchi Kane No Kami” (the god of heavenand earth), or abbreviated as “Kami.” This spirit givesbirth to new galaxies, winks out brilliant stars,gracefully opens the dew-moistened petals of a flowerin spring, whisks away the last remaining leaf from abare tree in winter, and enables our hearts to beat.Kami sustains and nurtures the cycle of life.

Kami is much like a parent, embracing our livesto protect us and provide us with what we need togrow and mature. Ideally, parents are the mostdependable people in a child’s life. Ideal parents willprotect their children from all danger and give loveand comfort in any situation. A child of suchparents, therefore, feels safe, secure, and optimistictoward life.

There are many people who believe Kami is theparent of all existing life, yet because of this theyfeel, “Why would Kami bother with someone soinsignificant and small as me?” We must rememberthat Kami, even if Kami has many children,unconditionally loves and cares about each one of usindividually. Kami wants to give us everythingpossible, everything we need to assure ourhappiness. Kami’s infinite love and affection for ussurrounds us–forgiving our wrongdoings andtantrums, accepting our apologies, and pleading forus to make requests so they can be fulfilled.

Kami is reaching out to us, asking us to place ourcomplete trust in Kami. In doing so, we can learn toput aside our physical eyes and open and see with ourspiritual eyes, and thus be guided away from troublesand suffering. This is the divine wish of Kami.

KAMI

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WE AS HUMANS arecapable of greatthings. However,

we cannot survive even onemoment on our own. Ourindividual lives aredependent upon theblessings of air, water, andheat, among the many othersthat Kami has provided forus. Unfortunately, we oftenforget this crucial fact. As ourknowledge of nature and theuniverse continues todevelop with advances inscience and technology, wehave become arrogant,believing we can do thingsthrough our own knowledge,effort, and power. With ournewfound knowledge, weseek to alter and control theenergy of the universe for ourown convenience, believingwe can invent happiness andcreate satisfaction in ourlives.

The great advances intechnology and medicalscience have led to manymore people living inrelative comfort today thanat any other time in history.Man’s material well-beinghas risen and his quality oflife has improved. Seeingthis kind of development, itseems that the world would

OUR SITUATIONbe more civilized. Yet, aglance at the news revealsthe many ills of our world:pollution, wars, healthproblems, discrimination,violence, and stress. Many ofus have not acquired thesatisfaction and happinesswe believed we wereworking toward sodevotedly. What we haveacquired is self-centeredness, greed, fear,envy, hatred, and distrust. Asthe growing void in ourhearts threatens tooverwhelm us, we franticallyfeed it material wealth,occupational success,momentary thrills, andentertaining illusions.Working harder to gainmore income, making moreconvenient and efficient“time-saving” gadgets, wesqueeze every last second wecan find for relaxation, onlyto find ourselves using it toget just a few more thingsaccomplished. Thrownabout by time constraints ina society that cries, “Faster!Faster!” we build up stressand frustration and make anenemy of time, when it istime that we desire. Caughtup in our own problems, wesnap at our children, family

members, and friends, notrealizing the harm we aredoing. It is a vicious cycle wehave created.

Though we have ourmoments of peace and findthings to smile at once in awhile, aren’t most of uscomplaining more oftenthan not? Stressed,fatigued, frustrated, anddepressed, we are at a lossto know how to solve theendless string of problemsthat seem to plague us.Turning only to medicinefor illnesses and injuries, orto psychologists and therapyfor various problems weencounter, many of us haveforgotten Kami. Sometimeswe feel as though we haveno one to turn to, no onewho cares, no solution, andno escape. Some of us,losing hope, turn to alcohol,violence, drugs, or evensuicide. We become farremoved from our originalgoals of happiness andpeace of mind. With ourhuman-centered ways ofthinking, we have lost ourconnection with Kami andour understanding oflife––our respect of nature,love of others, and gratitudefor the blessings we receive.

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OUR GOAL is foreach of us to openour self-centered

hearts so that we become asbroad and accepting asKami’s heart––for thewhole world to become onewith Kami. By reformingour hearts through Kami’sguidance, we can learn tochange sufferings andhardships into blessings.We will improve our livesand the lives of thosearound us.

Keeping Kami in ourhearts at all times brings uscloser to Kami. OurFounder, Konko Daijin, inhis practice of faith,broadened his heart andbecame one with Kami.The wisdom, a deepunderstanding of life, and

OUR GOALthe

innerstrengthand warmthhe gained from thisgave him the title of Ikigami(Living Kami). The processof our human heartsdeveloping into Kami’sheart and spirit is like adrop of water entering theocean. Upon entering theocean, the drop of watertakes on the properties ofthe ocean and becomesocean water. The singledrop of water gains thevastness of the ocean.

Konko Daijin taught usthat each one of us is capableof becoming a living kami.By accepting the guidanceKami has provided for usand practicing to develop aheart that embraceseverything and everyoneunconditionally, we willrealize the infinite love andblessings that shine upon us.With this realization, ourfaith will begin to reflect inour actions, and we willbegin to live each day with a

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radianceand joy only

inner happiness canbring.

An individual side of adiamond is beautiful whenpolished, but the truebeauty is found when theindividual surfaces arecombined and reflect lightoff of each other. While weare here to live and love andgrow, we are given theprivilege, the gift, of helpingothers. In the process offinding peace withinourselves, we wish to shareour faith with others, so thatan end to suffering and thefulfillment of life willspread to those around usand throughout the world.Working in this way, wewill come closer to fulfillingKami’s wish for everyone tobe saved, and then Kamiwill be fulfilled. Thediamond, which representsthe whole world, will beginto sparkle brilliantly, aseach of us begins to shine

Excerpt from Prayer Book:Kami Prayer

Kami loves and cares forall ujiko[Kami’s children],

All those who live betweenheaven and earth.

To revere Kami as theParent Kami,

To live in Kami’s infiniteblessings––

This is the Way.Yet many not knowing

the Way,Are lost in greed

and selfishness.They suffer the cycle

of misfortunes––Great is Kami’s sorrow.

THEDIVINE Reminderis the essence of theKonko Faith.

When the Japanesegovernment forbid ourFounder to propagate hisfaith, when he was orderedto take down all altarfixtures and offerings, aswell as to stop praying, heretreated to a small room tomeditate quietly. Here, left

with nothing, our Founderrealized that structure,rituals, and physicalworship were not what wasimportant. It was at thistime our Founder receivedthe words of the DivineReminder from Kami.Thus, the Divine Reminderis considered to be the coreof the Konko Faith.

Although there aremany small variations intranslation of the DivineReminder, the commonmessage is interpreted as:“Through theMediation––the workingsof the Living Kami––prayand make requests to Kamiwith a sincere and devotedheart, for blessings dependupon and are found withinyour heart––within a heartof joy and peace. Pray on

THE DIVINE REMINDER

Ikigami Konko DaijinTenchi Kane No Kami

Isshin ni negaeOkage wa wagakokoro ni ariKongetsu konnichi de tanomei

Through Ikigami Konko Daijinto Tenchi Kane No KamiPray with a single heartThe divine favor dependsupon one’s own heartOn this very day pray

The Divine Reminder writtenon a piece of paper by theFounder, 1873.

this day, everyday, and atevery moment.”

We are taught that nomatter where we are orwhat is happening, if wekeep the Divine Reminderin our hearts, we will beable to remember to turn toKami for help, and thusreceive blessings. For manybelievers, although theyread and recite this teachingdaily, the meaning andmessage they receive from itchange with eachexperience they encounterin their lives.

After reviewing thefollowing Main Concepts,try reading the DivineReminder once more withthose fuller meanings inmind to see how yourinterpretation of itchanges.

MAIN CONCEPTS

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died, the plants and treeswould cease to exist as well.This is Interdependence;each cannot fulfill itspurpose without the other.

The incorporation ofInterdependence intoKonkokyo is a unique aspectof its doctrine. In manyreligions, Kami is perceivedas almighty, all-knowing,and above all. However, webelieve Kami is closer to usthan this, in that Kami mustwork with us and we withKami in order for Kami’sdesire––for all people to befreed from hardships––to befulfilled. It may soundstrange to hear that Kamineeds our help to make us

INTERDEPENDENCEhappy, but just as parentswishing for their children’shappiness cannot help themif the children reject theiraid, there is only so muchKami can do until we putdown our barricades andallow Kami to guide us. OurFounder once said, “Kami isKami because of people, andpeople are people because ofKami.” We cannot existwithout Kami and theblessings of Kami, and Kamicannot be realized by us,cannot be a god to us,without our cooperation.Kami is patiently waiting foreach of us to fulfill our partby recognizing andembracing Kami’s guidance.

WE CANNOT live onthis earth byourselves. We

can see this in that plantsand trees need animals andinsects to pollinate theirseeds, as well as todecompose material intonutrients. In turn, theanimals and insects needplants and trees for shelter,food, and the atmosphere-purifying capabilities theyprovide. If you look closely atnature, every single thing hasits own special purpose androle that keeps the universein balance. If all the plantsdied, the animals wouldcease to exist, and similarly,if the animals and insects

called “me” is a combinationof Kami’s body and Kami’sspirit; therefore, even you, I,and all human beings canbecome living kamis. Weonly need to realize this,scrub away the dirt andgrime we have accumulated,and let our true selves shinethrough. It is only becausewe say things like, “I can’t,”“It’s impossible,” and“Never,” that we close thedoors that are open and limitourselves. This is why manyof us do not improve asindividuals and sufferendless hardships. Todevelop Kami withinyourself so that your heart

THE CONCEPT OF A “LIVING KAMI”becomes one with Kami, tohave the same desires asKami, and to fulfill thosedesires as Kami’s hands––iswhat it means to be a livingkami. Our Founder said,“Save one person and youwill be a kami to that person.Save ten people and you willbecome a kami to all ten”(GII: Shirakami Shinichiro, 1).

We now use “IkigamiKonko Daijin” to refer notonly to our Founder, butalso to his work of savingpeople. The spirit andworkings of Ikigami KonkoDaijin surround us, guidingus in our efforts to spread joyand peace of mind to all

“IKIGAMI KONKO

Daijin” was the titleour Founder

received from Kami. It was acustom in Japan to respectthose few people who savedmany others and to call themIkigami, “Living Kami” or“Living Buddha.” OurFounder used this traditionalnaming to express a newmeaning in the followingway: “To be an Ikigami is tohave Kami born within you”(GIII: Konko Kyoso Gorikai, 18).

Most people are likely tothink, “There is absolutelyNO way that someone likeme can become a livingGOD!” However, what is

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ASINGLE HEART hastwo basic interpreta-tions. The first

interpretation is: pray withall your heart. It refers to theseriousness and concen-tration of your prayer. Acommon example used toillustrate this is one teaching,“Praying to Kami single-heartedly means that you donot turn around once youhave clapped your handsand faced the altar, even if aspear pokes you” (GII:Takahashi Tomie, 15:1).

It sounds quitefrightening, yet this type of

concentration can only beachieved if the worshiper istruly devoted to the prayerhe or she is making. In a lifeand death situation, thestrength of our prayers isconsiderably different fromour everyday ones. Think ofthe strongest prayer youhave ever made. Whethermaking a request,apologizing, or expressingappreciation, every singleprayer we make should be atleast this strong. This is thedifficult part of the KonkoFaith. This is what we strivefor and practice on with the

daily events in our lives.The second meaning of

a single heart is: your heartand Kami’s heart becomeone. As with a loved one,we should always bethinking of Kami, alwaystrying to understand Kami’sheart and wishes. Kami’sdesires will become ourown as we start seeing withKami’s eyes and feelingwith Kami’s heart. Bybroadening our perspectiveand desires, our heartbecomes the same asKami’s; our heart andKami’s heart become one.

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FOR US to freeourselves fromsufferings, we first

need to realize theInterdependentrelationship between Kamiand us, and then work todevelop it within ourselves.However, because it isdifficult to do so on ourown, it is the role of theminister to be the mainMediator to help usunderstand, develop, andstrengthen our relationshipwith Kami. At theMediation Seat in thechurch, the Mediatorlistens carefully to theexpressions of gratitude,apologies, requests, andproblems of the believer.

Taking the joys andsorrows of the believer as ifthey were his or her own,the Mediator then prays toKami with the believer.The Mediator relays to thebeliever Kami’s instructionsand teachings that theMediator receives whilepraying. This is the basicform of Mediation. This iswhere teachings, like thoseof our Founder, are bornand people are shown away out of their hardshipsto a life of happiness.Mediation is not somethingthat takes place only at theMediation Seat in thechurch, but is somethingthat can take place anytimeand anywhere.

MEDIATION THE DIVINE FAVORDEPENDS UPON ONE’SOWN HEART

IN A LINE from theDivine Reminder, thisconcept points to our

hearts as the key to thequality and outcome of ourlives. Our Founder said,“Difficulties and sufferingsare caused by people’s ownhearts” (Revelations: 24:25.3),and also, “Whether yousave or kill yourself dependsupon your own heart”(GIII: Shinkun, 2:12).

The state of our heartand mind changes ourperspective and the realitywe perceive. When we havea heart full of joy, peace,and happiness, we can seeand feel the love andblessings Kami bestowsupon us each day.

THE UNIVERSE givesbirth to all of lifeand is a place for life

to be nurtured. We can seethis as plants soak in thesunlight, as insects pollinateflowers, and as saplings takeroot in the great fallen trees.Nature’s workings andcycles exist to sustain lifesurrounding us. Withinthese blessings, we too areallowed to live. To theuniverse, one life is just asprecious as the next.Whether it is a galaxy,planet, plant, insect, human,or any other form of life, itworks to sustain and nurtureeach individual part. In theKonko Faith, we see theseworkings of the universe asthe workings of Kami.

Realizing that our livesare being sustained throughthe blessings of the universein the same way it sustainsall life, we can begin to seethat we are a part of theuniverse. As a part of theuniverse, we are connectedin some way to everythingexisting in it. Once werealize this, only then willwe understand ourrespective roles in theuniverse.

All living things musttake from theirenvironment in order tolive. Yet they also contributeto their surroundings, thussustaining each other. ThisInterdependent relationshipalso applies to humans. Dowe contribute to theuniverse? Or do we take,and keep taking? Peopleused to do things like savingtheir hair after brushing it,and scattering it outside forthe birds to use to makewarm nests. People used tothink about other livesaround them besidethemselves. Most of theseold ways have been lost.However, people arebeginning to realize onceagain, that what we do andtake ultimately returns tous. We are beginning torealize that by hurting theuniverse, of which we are

an inseparable part, we arehurting ourselves. We mustrealize once again, that asKami works to sustain alllife, so too must we work tocherish and nurture all thatis around us. In this way,we will learn to live inharmony with ourselves andwith our surroundings.

The ways in which theuniverse works and the lawsthat govern it and keep italive, are the Truth. Theselaws of nature, workings ofthe universe, and relation-ships between the universeand life, combined, arewhat we call the Ways ofthe Universe. Once weunderstand these Ways ofthe Universe, our attitude inlife can change from one ofstruggle and survival, to oneof peace and acceptance.We become grateful forthose blessings that we havebeen taking for granted.

THE WAYS OF THE UNIVERSE

Heaven and Earth [theuniverse] continue tolive. Because Heavenand Earth are alive, allpeople are able to live.(GIII: Jinkyu Kyogoroku, 104)

BASIC BELIEFS

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HAVE YOU everexperienced atime when you

thought you were so plaguedwith problems andhardships that there couldn’tpossibly be another livingsoul on this earth moremiserable than you? Then,after reading or hearingabout someone else’sproblems, you thought,“Maybe my problems aren’tso bad after all.”

Unfortunately, most ofus have been to the depths ofsuffering. Yet, because ourburdens are lightened just byrealizing that there areothers worse off, we shouldrealize that our attitudes andways of thinking are the rootof our problems; sufferingsbegin with ourselves.Fortunately, this is

something we can change.We call various

occurrences “problems andsufferings” because theycause us to become upset,angry, disappointed,stressed, frustrated, sad, orcause us pain. But what ifwe do not allow these thingsto upset us? We cannotchange what happens, butwe can change how wedecide to accept theseoccurrences. In this way, wecan save ourselves from

unnecessary hardships.Just how do we go about

changing our attitudes andnot getting upset? Toooften we are much like achild throwing a tantrum,pointing to one thing afteranother and demanding toknow, “What’s this?”“What’s that?” withoutstopping to listen to ourparents’ reply. We muststart by looking inward, bypausing and reflecting uponourselves instead of lashingout blindly.

If you think about it,getting upset, angry,stressed, or frustrated oftencomes from our intolerance,impatience, and selfishness.Disappointment comes fromsomeone else not meetingour expectations. Anger andviolence are only anexpression of pain, whetherit is physical (some peoplepunch a wall after crying outfrom burning their hand),mental (self-hate, jealousy,or failure), or emotional(loneliness or hurt pride).

Our biggest failures

often come from those timeswhen we were just a littletoo confident. In seeing andcaring only about ourselves,we become arrogant andself-centered, demandingrespect from others, andpuffing out our chests orraising our chins whencomplimented. This iswhen we begin to treatpeople lightly or ignoreothers that are “simplybeneath us.” Arguments andconflicts arise when we are

unwilling to compromise.Our Founder also

taught us that many of ourproblems arise because weplace our trust in thingsthat cannot stay the sameforever. “A metal cane willget bent, and a bamboo orwooden cane will break.Therefore, use Kami asyour cane. Kami can neverbe bent, can never break,and can never die” (GI:Kondo Fujimori, 4).

If we can broaden ourhearts and minds, teach

THE CAUSE OF PROBLEMS AND SUFFERING

For those practicingfaith, it is important notto feel angry, even whenthere is something to beangry about. (GII: TsugawaHaruo, 18:1)

Poverty consists not in thedecrease of one’s poss-essions, but in the increaseof one’s greed. – Plato

Which individual is moreimportant, you orsomeone else? All arehuman beings.(GIII: Shinkun, 2:33)

Respect others, and otherswill respect you. Whenpeople respect you, youmust follow the example ofgrain crops. Rice and milletcrops lower [bow] as theirgrains get heavier [ripen].(GII: Torigoe Shirokichi, 2:1-2)

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ourselves to think of othersas well as ourselves, take allhappenings as learningexperiences to growstronger, while at the sametime, truly think about whyand how things happenand pinpoint why we feelthe way we do, we canidentify the source of ourreactions to events. Oncewe identify them, we canwork on improving them,and thus eliminate the rootof our problems.

Another cause ofsuffering is our self-

centered wayof thinking.We only care

about things ifthey areconvenient or

beneficial to us at thepresent moment. We thinkof blessings such as rain as ablessing the day it ends adrought, but if it continuesand we cannot go outside toplay, we curse it. Should wewin the lottery, we believe itto be a great blessing. Yet if

it tears the family apart, wesay it was a misfortune. Wesee the ability to touch andfeel as a blessing, but if wefeel too much in the form ofpain, we curse it.Everything our bodies tellus has a reason behind it.Pain is a part of ourwarning system, developedto protect us. Yet we oftenfeel it hinders us and chooseto ignore it or takemedication to get rid of it,instead of looking to seewhat the flashing red lightis pointing to.

As the universe is alive,it moves and breathes, forit must constantly renewitself. Forest fires, floods,and the like we call“disasters,” but they arenecessary for the earth, justas breathing and eating isfor us. We pick and chooseour blessings andmisfortunes according toour views andunderstanding, and we donot think it strange, oreven realize what we aredoing, when we effortlesslyturn a great blessing into a

Peace means not beingconsumed by the fire. Itdoes not mean therewon’t be any fire.

great misfortune.What are we doing with

the precious blessings Kamihas bestowed upon us?How would you feel if yougave a loved one who wasfreezing to death a blanketto keep warm, just to have itthrown back in your faceafter a while because he orshe became too hot? Manytimes, although we do notmean to, this is what we aredoing to Kami.

To realize these thingsand change our ways, totrain our hearts so that wesee everything as a blessing,to see others as preciouschildren of Kami, to acceptnatural occurrences as anecessity of life, and towork with those eventsinstead of trying to stopthem for our ownconvenience is what itmeans to truly live inharmony with the universe.Maybe by changing ourperspectives in this way, wewill begin to realize that weare the ones turning Kami’sblessings into sufferings,and then stop ourselves

Don’t force things. Forget your ego. Dismiss your own judg-ment and trust Kami. Have the sincere heart of Heaven andEarth and receive divine blessings. (GII: Fukushima Gihe’e, 18:2)

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cannot hear or see thesewaves. We need an FMreceiver or a television setto be able to enjoy themusic and programsbroadcast by the variousstations. The betterequipment we have, theclearer we can hear andsee these signals. We needto make sure our receiversare turned on at all times,for too many times wechoose which to consideras blessings and which tobelieve are not blessings.

How much brighter wouldour lives be if we couldcome to see everythingas a blessing?

WHAT ARE

blessings? Mostpeople feel that

blessings are those gifts wereceive from Kami afterpraying for them.

Then again, many of ussometimes know that evenunanswered prayers are alsogifts from Kami. OurFounder said this aboutblessings, “When practicingfaith, there are moreblessings which cannot beseen than those which canbe seen. The blessings youunknowingly receive,number more than theblessings you knowinglyreceive. If you think aboutit, you will come to realize

BLESSINGSthe many divine blessingsthat you have received. Ifyou can do this, you are atrue believer”(GII: Tsugawa Haruo, 14).

He is telling us that weare constantly receivingblessings from Kami; wejust do not realize it. Theyare much like radio waves.We know that many radioand electronic waves arecrossing through the air atall times. However, we

Being cured is not blessed.Having good health is.(GI: Ogihara Sugi, 12)

The Parent Kami of theUniverse borrows thevoices of humans toconvey teachings. Thosewho practice faith shouldlisten well, even tochildren’s lullabies, asyou might hear Kami’steachings. (GII: FukushimaGihe’e, 15:2)

A heart of true gratitudeis the beginning of divineblessings.(GIII: Shunkun, 1:3)

FAITH STORY: BLESSINGS FOR MY BABY

kill her. This is why Kamiblessed me with morningsickness. This specialtime given by Kami is forthe baby to grow big andstrong, and for themother to speak to herown heart as well as tothe baby’s heart to buildtheir bond. When youthink about all of theblessings you arereceiving throughmorning ‘sickness,’ it nolonger is a terriblething.”

Mrs. Levans waspregnant and had severemorning sickness. Peopleoften came up to her andoffered sympathy, sayingit must be terrible alwaysbeing sick and not beingable to do anything. Mrs.Levans thought in thisway as well, but afterreflecting upon herminister’s words tellingher to begin looking atthings not from her ownperspective, but from theperspective of others

such as her baby, sherealized that morningsickness was made by Kamifor the sake of her baby.

“If I did not havemorning sickness and wasnot tired all of the time, Iwould move my bodywhenever I wanted to andmaybe end up over-doingsomething, or I’d forgetand move too roughly,which could take away theprecious energy my babyneeds. Doing so maydamage my baby, or even

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Everyone asks for divine blessings, but dothey understand what true blessings are?Divine blessings are not limited to justhaving one’s wishes granted. Forsome people, death is a divineblessing. Others are saved fromdeath through divine blessings.Since everything in this world isgoverned by Kami, there isnothing else but to depend onKami. Even though it may seem

like an inconvenience at the time, ifyou continue to practice faith without

going against Kami’s will, you will realize laterthe blessings you have received. Faith ispointless unless this much is understood.(GIII: Jinkyu Kyogoroku, 35:1,2)

FAITH STORY: SPLASHIN’ IN PUDDLES

for her son being able tohave good healthwhenever she saw hisdirty shoes.

Tim’s mother realizedhis health was the mostimportant thing in thefamily. She apologized toKami, and from then on,washed his dirty shoeswith a heart full ofappreciation. With thisexperience, she was ableto open her heart andchange it from one ofblame and complaint, toone of appreciation andjoy.

There was a boy who wewill call “Tim.” EverydayTim wore to school thepair of clean white shoesand clothes that hismother prepared for him.However, when hereturned home, both hisshoes and clothes werecovered with dirt, so hismother had to washthem. Eventually, shecame to blame her sonand scold him each daybefore sending him off toschool.

One day, when a pairof Tim’s clean white

shoes, still placed neatly inthe house, caught hismother’s eye, she suddenlyrealized something: her sonhad been sick in bed due toa high fever since the daybefore. She was deeplyworried about her son,because the source of hisillness was unknown. Afterseeing his clean shoes, sherealized that it was herson’s good health thatmade them dirty andenabled him to study atschool. She also realizedthat she should haveexpressed her appreciation

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IN A WORLD where one isdependent on manyothers in order to

survive, it should only benatural for people to helpone another. However, as wehave increasingly becomeself-centered beings, manypeople now ask, “Whyshould I help, especially astranger? What’s in it forme?” or even to friends,“What have you done formelately?” If we focus only onourselves, we begin to isolateourselves from others,resulting in loneliness,regret, rejection, anddepression. Since we aresocial creatures, we have aneed to share our feelingsand experiences with eachother. Have you everexperienced beingoverwhelmed with joy untilyou realized there was noone to share it with? Haveyou ever watched a gamewhere your team won thechampionship, and althoughyou hooted and holleredwith excitement, you quicklylost your happy mood whenyou saw your best buddysitting there just shrugginghis shoulders? Perhaps hewas worried aboutsomething else and didn’thave his mind on the game.True happiness, lastinghappiness can only existwhen the feeling is shared. Itmay sound selfish or greedyto say that you want to helpsomeone so you can be

happy, but is it really greed ifyou wish for all thehappiness in the world foryourself and for others?

Many religions condemnhuman desires. Yet ourFounder said, “I, KonkoDaijin, also have desires. Ihave the desire to save peoplethroughout the world. Donot eliminate your desires”(GII: Kondo Fujimori, 54). Themost basic human desires aregifts from Kami. Forexample, hunger, thirst, our

sexual desires, and materialambitions are necessary forus to live, to perpetuate ourkind, and to make progressin this world. While there aretimes when these and otherdesires get the best of us, weshould also realize howimportant our desires are.What Kami wishes for us todo is take these desires––ourgreed for a good life, wealth,health, and happiness––andnot suppress or eliminatethem, but broaden them topray that everyone has suchblessings.

The most importanthuman desire is our desireto help people. OurFounder said, “There arepeople who come to thisworship hall, request to becured, and come to givethanks after completerecovery. That’s all. Rather,if you have been completely

cured by Kami’s blessings,tell those in distress aboutmy teachings. Spread myteachings so more peoplewill start to practice faithsincerely. This is giving truethanks to Kami” (GI:Yamamoto Sadajiro, 67:1).

To have the heart thatwants to help others afterbeing helped ourselves, isone step closer to becominga living kami.

Unfortunately, there isnothing more painful or

discouraging than thosetimes when we run acrosspeople who truly need help,and we kindly hold out ourhand to them only to get itslapped. This may cause usto hesitate or even thinkabout not helping the nextperson, for we havedeveloped the attitude,“Why should I help? Theydon’t want it anyway.” Thisis the time when we need torealize that those who rejecthelp are the ones who needit and want it the most. Bypraying and asking Kami toallow us to help, we canfocus on how they arefeeling, instead of onlyreacting to the pain theycaused us. In this way, wecan better understand howto approach them.Although we cannot changepeople who are not willing,we should never give up on

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HELPING OTHERS

If you give a hungry man a fish, he will be full for a day.But if you teach him how to fish, he will be full for a lifetime.

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them. This is when wemust leave it up to time andcontinue our prayers forthem. Always leave the dooropen, for “Something warmis necessary for a person in

bitterness and sorrow”(from the Faith Story: ABlanket). Helping othersdoes not have to be some

great deed. A simple smilecan warm the coldestof hearts.

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Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but theirechoes are truly endless. – Mother Theresa

FAITH STORY: A BLANKET

tation. I think maybe duringrehabilitation, I might haveshown him a perplexed lookwhile unconsciously thinking,`Why hasn’t his conditiongotten better sooner?’ I mayhave been too hasty byurging him to get wellfaster.” From that time on,Mrs. Hill attended to herhusband more sincerely thanever, by looking within andtrying to improve herself. Mr.Hill was finally able to returnto work, in great part due tohis wife’s kind and lovingcare. Although he had someafter-effects, his companywas considerate enough toswitch his position from thefactory to the office, wherehe could work at a desk. Andwhile Mr. Hill needed sometime to get used to his newposition, he felt the strongsupport of all those aroundhim. Moreover, Mr. Hillbegan to pray to Kami foreveryone’s health and safety.

Mrs. Hill is happy tohave such a husband. Shenow sees him and herchildren off every morning.And as she looks out thedoor, the morning sunshineshowers her brightly andwarmly with its rays of light,reflecting her own cheerfuland happy feelings inside.

Mrs. Hill’s husband workedat an automobile factory.One day, Mr. Hill was fixinga car and was seriouslyinjured when a tire suddenlyburst. The nerves in his facewere damaged and he wasrushed to a hospital.

Mrs. Hill was greatlyshocked by the emergencycall from her husband’scompany. However, shepulled herself together andwent to the Konko Churchwhere she worshiped.Concerned about herhusband’s injury, Mrs. Hillsought the Mediation of herminister. The minister toldher, “Needless to say, we areallowed to live day to day byhelping and sustaining oneanother. When you attend toyour husband, always cherishand remember this truth inyour heart.”

After six months, Mr.Hill was allowed to comehome, but his facialparalysis and palsy in onehand remained. Althoughhe was able to go throughrehabilitation at home, hiscondition did not get bettervery quickly. As Mr. Hill wasa very faithful employee athis company, his longabsence from the factorymade him despondent. As

time went on, Mr. Hillgradually became more andmore irritable.

One day at the dinnertable, Mr. Hill shouted, “Shutup!” to his child, who wascheerfully talking to him inorder to comfort him. Mr.Hill then flipped the tableover. The child, shocked byhis father’s sudden violence,tearfully yelled back, “I hateyou!” and fled from theroom. As tears streamedfrom her eyes, Mrs. Hillsilently cleaned up the tableand the floor. When Mrs. Hilllooked up from the floor, Mr.Hill was also crying. At thatmoment, Mrs. Hill recalled ateaching her minister hadgiven her, “Something warmis necessary for a person inbitterness and sorrow.During a cold night, no onecan go to sleep without ablanket to put on. You arethe blanket for yourhusband. As Kami is alwaysgently and warmlyembracing every one of us, Iwould like for you first tobecome warm and cheerfulto your husband. And thenembrace his heart as broadlyand generously as you can.”Mrs. Hill said to herself, “Mydarling has been doing hisbest throughout rehabili-

AS EVERYTHING ismade from particlesin the universe, so

everything is a part ofKami.

A drop of water takenfrom the oceanmay have its

own shape,yet it isstill partof theocean.

When we are born, a “drop”of Kami is given a physicalbody made from the earth,much like a sandcastle. Justas a sandcastle is made bygathering grains of sandfrom the beach and givensolidarity by water, sohuman bodies are made bythe combination ofnutrients and water fromthe earth and made wholeby spirit. If water is takenout of thesandcastle, theindividual grains

will crumble and return tobe part of the beach. If thesand is taken away, theremaining water will returnto the ocean or evaporateinto air. Only in themoments both sand andwater are combined doesthe sandcastle exist.

Within these physicalbodies we live our lives onearth, and when timecorrodes our castle walls, ourphysical form returns to the

beach, and the water returnsto the ocean. Looking at thelaws of nature and theuniverse, great trees also fall,and become nursing logs forthe next generation of trees.Everything growing andliving on earth begins in theearth, is given a distinctform, and then returns to theearth by various means tobecome nutrients for thenext generation. This is notwhat people

might call “reincarnation,”but more a continuation oflife. As our Founder onceexplained, “When peopledie, they are reunited withKami. The body dies, butthe soul keeps on living.The body, which was takenfrom Earth, will return toEarth. And the soul, whichwas bestowed by Heaven[Kami], returns to Heaven[Kami]. Dying is whenyour body and soulseparate” (GII: Nanba Ko,13:2-3).

We do not believe thatthere is a “heavenlyrealm”––a distant placespirits go to after they leavethe body. Nor do we believethere is a “hell”––adungeon-like place wherespirits suffer eternally. Whenwe die, we only return to theuniverse. In the words of ourFounder, “Whether you areliving or dead, Heaven andEarth [the universe] willalways be your home” (GI:Sato Norio, 21:20). Theuniverse works to sustainlife. Whetherwe create aheaven or hell out of thisbeautiful earth where we

live, all depends onwhere our hearts are.

The Altar dedicatedto spirits in our churches

AFTERLIFE: RETURNING TO KAMI

Because humans are born through the blessings of Kami,they must also die with the blessings of Kami. Therefore, ifa child’s birth is a happy event, then death is a muchhappier event, since one becomes a kami. The reason whydeath is so abhorred is because people have not yetdeveloped enough peace of mind to accept death. Practicefaith, so that you will be blessed with peace of mind.(GIII: Jinkyu Kyogoroku, 23:1-3)

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serve the same function asthe Altar for Kami: they giveus a focus point for ourprayers. After completing alife of working for thebenefit of our family, ourchildren and grandchildren,wouldn’t we be happy ifthey recognized thesacrifices and efforts wemade for them? In prayingfor our ancestors, we areacknowledging that wecould not be where we arewithout them, and we areexpressing our appreciationto them. We also nurtureand support them in theirspiritual lives through ourprayers.

Many people areskeptical of what happensto a person after death. Yetmost people cannot denythat after a loved one passesaway, sometimes they canstill feel his or her presence.They do not leave us. Theyreside within the universe,and like thoughts, they donot “take up space” but arethere whenever we think ofthem.

As our ancestral spiritscontinue to protect andguide us in our lives, theybecome our foundation.Our Founder said, “Placefertilizer at the roots of atree, then its branches will

grow lush. Respect yourancestors and parents, thenyou will prosper” (GII:Takahashi Tomie, 33). A tree isdependent upon its roots togrow, and its roots aredependent upon the leavesand branches for nutrientsfrom the sun. Here again,Interdependence is evident.Though spirits cannot beseen, we must acknowledgethat they are there, like rootshidden by soil. We muststrengthen them so that allof us may prosper as one.

Passing on Divine VirtueDivine Virtue is the trustKami has placed in us. Likewealth or reputation, if ourfamily has worked forgenerations to gain it, andwe work to add to it, it willalways be there for our useand benefit. However, if wedo not work and are lazyand selfish, using it only forour pleasure, then what ourpredecessors worked sohard for will quicklydisappear; we may even gointo debt, ending in hardtimes for ourselves and ourfuture generations.

Working daily to gainKami’s trust, we can passour virtue on to our childrenand grandchildren, so thatthey can live in comfort and

with peace of mind. Ourgrandchildren can thencontinue to pass it on totheir children. Just as withpeople’s trust, we must workhard to gain it, and once wehave, it is easier to maintain;but once we lose it, it is veryhard to regain their trust.

What we pass on to ourchildren will greatly affecttheir quality of life.

The descendants of those who listen to Konko Daijin’swords and practice faith will live without worry. Teachingyour children how to live without worry is practicing truefaith. (GI: Yamamoto Sadajiro, 68:1)

Immortality is importantfor humans. Immortality iswhen others keep prayingfor you after you die.(GII: Kondo Tsuru, 1)

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HOW DO we viewother religions?“Religion” comes

from the Latin wordre-ligare––meaning to re-bond or to tie––so to re-bond ourselves to God.Since this is the purpose ofevery religious body,should it matter how onegoes about it? Since everyperson is different, wouldit not be better to pave apath to Kami that suitseach person? Too manytimes, we get caught up inwhat we believe sothoroughly, that webecome blind and cannotsee that what is right for usmay be wrong for another.Medication curing cancerin one patient may actuallyharm another. It would beeasy if one way worked forall, but just as onemedication cannot suit allpatients of an illness, onepath to Kami will notsuffice either.

Not realizing the roleof religion, people degradeeach other, countless warsare fought, and countlesslives suffer and are lost,because each of us insiststhat our religion is the onlytrue one. It is hard tobelieve that this is what

Kami wanted fromreligion. How can peoplere-bond to Kami with somuch fear, hate, anger, andblind arrogance pushingthem away fromKami? OurFounder said,“Thoughpeople saythat they donot killothers, theydo so with theirhearts. This is agrave offense. Theythink killing someonemeans to shoot with a gunor to stab with a sword, butthis is only physical, andthe obvious. People oftenkill with their hearts, anoffense invisible to the eye.

Kami’s heart cannot bearsuch offenses. When onekills physically, thegovernment punishes.When one kills with hisheart, Kami punishes”(GII: Sato Mitsujiro, 27:1-2).This teaching tells us tonot only suppress thephysical impulse to kill,but to also rid ourselves ofthe negative, hateful

emotions that we directtoward others. It isunfortunate that weusually care only about ourphysical actions, while we

neglect thecondition of our hearts

and minds. We mustdevelop a broad andcompassionate heartthat loves and cares forall others.

In working for greaterunderstanding amongpeople, Konkokyo respectsall religions. We realize thatreligions must worktogether as the leaders ofthe world––take down ourwalls, accept ourdifferences, and learn fromeach other––in order tofulfill people’s needs.

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TOWARD OTHER RELIGIONS

Speak ill of no religion. Everyone is a child of Kami.Having different religions is the same as having differentoccupations. A parent may have a carpenter, a plasterer, agambler, and a merchant as his children. People maybelong to different religions, but they are all children ofKami. We all have our personal preferences. Everyonearound the world is a child of Kami.(GII: Sato Mitsujiro, 14:1-3)

Daily the world growssmaller, leavingunderstanding the onlyplace where peace canfind a home.

ATTITUDES

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OUR ATTITUDE

toward life is toenjoy it and make

it enjoyable for others. Thispositive, radiant attitudecomes not only fromknowing that Kami issupporting and guiding us,but also from truly beingable to let go of our worriesand trust Kami fully.

Have you ever reallyconcentrated while watchingthe flow of a river? Doingthings on our own is likebeing on a raft (woodenplatform) on a river, andtrying to control itsmovement with a paddle.Unfortunately, however, ourraft often does not move orgo in the direction we wish;it may end up hitting rocks

or almost capsizing inrapids. Even the

slightest waterfallmakes it seem as

if our raft willsurely go

under. Thinking, “It’sgoing to sink! It’s going tobreak!” we are seized withworry. Not being able to seewhat lies ahead brings us toa full panic, and whiledarting our eyes back and

forth between the river andour raft, we desperatelycontinue paddling with our

oars.Instead of living our

lives with so much anxietyand anguish, we shouldhave an attitude similar topretending we are sitting ona leaf that is floating down ariver. By flowing with theriver and completely lettinggo of our needs for control,we may still worry aboutwhere we end up, but sincewe realize that we havelittle control over our finaldestination, the only thingwe can do is enjoy the rideand pray. Bobbing merrilyalong with the flow of theriver––even if our leaf runsinto a rock––the river willslowly but surely guide usaround it, and then we willbe on our way again. Inletting go, relying on, andtrusting in Kami, we canbroaden our hearts to seeand hear what we failed tonotice before––the beautifultrees and the soothingsounds of the river and theanimals in the forest. As webegin to stop worrying overwhat lies beyond the riverbend and instead becomeable to look forward to it,our lives will become so

much more enjoyable.By spreading this peace

of mind, joy, and comfort toothers as we try to live lifeto the fullest, we are able totake each day as a newbeginning. We cannotchange the past, but we canwork to fix it here in thepresent. If we look only tothe future and keep saying,“I’ll do it tomorrow,” whatif tomorrow never comes? Itis the present, the here andnow, that creates the pastand shapes the future.

Although we becomeone with Kami once morewhen we die, every momentof life is a precious gift wemust not waste. If we keepthis in mind, every day whenwe open our eyes to awaken,every person we come incontact with, every littleflower budding on the sideof the road that we see willbegin to take on a new light.Like the people who comeback from the brink of deathare “reborn” to trulyunderstand the gift of lifeand appreciate it, this is howchanging our attitudes willtake away our sorrows andopen our eyes to the limitless

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Happiness comes notfrom an absence ofproblems, but through theability to deal with them.

Those who believe in Kamiare allowed to enjoythemselves in everythingthey do.(GII: Kondo Fujimori, 22)

TOWARD LIFE IN GENERAL

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WORSHIPPING AT A

IF ALL WE do at churchis pray and offerappreciation to Kami,

then why can’t we simplydo it at home instead? Inthe Konko Faith theFounder said: “AlthoughKami cannot be seen, youare constantly walkingwithin and through themidst of Kami. Working inthe fields or walking along apath, the whole world isTenchi Kane no Kami’sHiromae [Worship Hall]”(GII: Konko Kyoso Gorikai, 6).

So why limit Kami’sWorship Hall to abuilding? Why do we evenneed a church? Eventhough Kami’s WorshipHall is anywhere we decideto pray, we often need astructure, a symbol to helpus stay on track.

Many

people, caught up by rituals,structures, and etiquette,have forgotten the true roleof a church. A church is notsimply a place one must goevery Sunday for a longservice, including an evenlonger sermon.

In certain respects, achurch is much like a fitnessgym with a personal trainerfor an athlete. An athlete cantrain and exercise at homejust as well as in the gym.

Yet because the gym has theequipment, and the trainerhas the knowledge thatcould much improve theathlete’s performance, themore often the athlete visitsthe gym to train and asks the

trainer for guidance, thebetter prepared the athletewill be for tournaments thatlie ahead.

In this day and age, it ishard to concentrate all ofour energy into one thing.Our daily lives arefilled with countlessevents that need to beaddressed. This makes itdifficult to have the heartof Kami at all times.Therefore, a church is aplace for us to focus ourfaith and find support and

comfort from ourpeer believers.

Going to church gives usenergy and strength for ourdaily activities. Like regularcheck-ups with a doctor,regular worship becomespreventive maintenance to

help avoid problems downthe road. Then, like exercise,attending church will give usmore endurance, flexibility,tolerance, inner strength,and confidence. And eachtime we take the time to do

it, it pays off tenfold. So whydo so many of us feelreluctant to go to church? Isit plain laziness? We canargue that we don’t have

enough time, yet we maketime for our “favorite” TVprograms. Do we think wedo not need to improveourselves? Are we afraid ofwhat we will see and hearabout ourselves? Or have wegotten so used to receivingthe blessings which allow usto live, that we have begun totake them for granted and donot feel as if we need to go tochurch to say thank you?

Each person has adifferent reason for notattending church. Instead,maybe we should startthinking about why weshould.

Here is the place where you show me how you havepracticed faith. It is like bringing your best calligraphy toyour calligraphy teacher. Practice at home, and comehere…to have your faith guided. (GI: Kondo Fujimori, 68)

When in pain, youcome to worship for acure. When there’s nopain, you come toworship for faith.(GI: Ichimura Mitsugoro,

2:28)

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If the church is the gym,then the minister is thepersonal trainer. They takeinto account our individualneeds and encourage orchallenge us depending onour personality and

situation. Trainers can seethe strengths andweaknesses wecannot see onour own, pointthem out to us andgive us guidancewhile we train.They also warnus when we areusing equipmentimproperly, or when weneed to take a break andrest. It is important to be

able to trust our trainer, andthe better the trainer is, thefaster we will learn and thefurther we will progress.

The difference betweentrainers and ministers,however, is that ministers

share our laughter andpain. AsMediators, theytake our joys

and sorrows as ifthey were theirown, and thenpray to Kamiwith us. Insteadof clinging to our

“ladder” of faith, they teachus to trust Kami and lookaround at the view we havebroadened by climbing it.

Ultimately, what we getout of church and theMediators depend upon us.Mediators can pray with usand guide us, but theycannot improve our life forus. Whether we choose tolisten to their guidance,simply ignore them, or putinto practice what we learnis all up to us.

Throughout our lives,no matter who we are or

what our backgrounds are,no matter what we mayhave done, it is reassuringto know that the quiet calmof the Konko Church andthe patient ministers alwayswelcome us with openarms. They are constantlypraying for our happinessand well-being. If we everneed help or guidance, orjust someone to listen to usduring those times we needto escape the pandemoniumoutside, or if we need to letout stress, or find comfort,all we have to do is walkinto the church.

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You should practice faith. It is like going up the rungs ofa ladder. Work at it rung by rung, then your gratitude willincrease day by day. (GII: Ichimura Mitsugoro, 6)Just as we gain a higher perspective and wider view of thethings around us when we climb a ladder, so as we developour faith, we gain a wider and more grateful feeling for theworld in which we live. Let us all receive these benefits bypracticing faith.

Don’t neglect your faitheven during good health.In other words, atroubled heart, even in ahealthy body, will surelyaccumulate anxiety andworry. Before thishappens, pray to Kamiand practice faith toclear away your troubledheart. (GI: YamamotoSadajiro, 19:2)

Mediation can bereceived at any time;simply ask the minister.Even in the middle of thenight, like a doctor oncall, ministers will makethemselves availableshould you needimmediate assistance.

Advice is what we askfor when we alreadyknow the answer butwish we didn’t.

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PRAYER IS one of themost importantaspects of any

religion. Whether prayer ismade vocal or silent, it ishow we communicate toKami.

So what do we say toKami? Of course, there areour requests. Most peoplestop here; they only call onKami when they are inneed, whether for fixingtroubles or requestingsomething, and veryseldom at any other time.

Like an ideal parent, Kamiwill take care of the child’sproblems as much aspossible and try to grantthe child’s requests.However, if our childrennever thank us, neverexpress their appreciationeach time we help them, oreven act as if it is onlyobvious that they shouldget what they ask for,would we, as parents, notbe a little disappointed orsad? On the other hand,would we also not be sad if

they never ask us for help,no matter how truly theyare in need and sufferingbecause of it? OurFounder said,

It would be nice ifpeople could appreciateKami’s blessings withthe same intensity theyhave when makingrequests in desperatesituations. People canreadily make requests,but why can’t theyexpress their appreci-ation? The people whoexpress their deepappreciation by givingthanks ten times foreach request, forexample, are the peoplewho sincerely practicefaith. The moresincerely they practice,the more divineblessings they willreceive.(GIII: JinkyuKyogoroku, 92:1-2)

Reminding us to bethankful for what wereceive, the ministers alsoteach us that the importantpart of praying is theinvisible state of our hearts,not the appearance thatpeople see.

There is no particularway to worship Kami.Just be sincere, consci-entious, honest, andsincerely single-hearted.Give thanks for beingable to live from day today and apologize forthe irreverence,

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PRAYERS

By this wondrous revelation [the Divine Reminder]we are given knowledge of the Way.Through all the hardships of this world,through pain of body and soul,the Way of Toritsugi [Mediation] teaches usto turn our hearts to Kami.Without regard for day or night,whether we are near or far,the Way of Toritsugi teaches usto pray with total trust.For arrogance in living unawareof Divine Favor, we beg forgivenessand pledge to mend our ways.Let us live every day as an act of faith,rejoicing in the vastness of Divine Favor.Let us care for those in painand invite them to the Way.Let us guide those who are lostand awaken them to a life of purpose.Kami is fulfilled in ujiko [Kami’s children];ujiko are fulfilled in Kami.May this Way of mutual fulfillmentbe manifested in this world.May Kami’s wish for true peace,and the well-being of all ujiko be fulfilled.So we humbly pray, so we earnestly pray.

Excerpt from Prayer Book, KAMI PRAYER

carelessness, andarrogance that youcommit unknowingly.Then with sincerity, tellany personal requeststhat you may have toKami. (GII: FukushimaGihe’e, 4:1-2)

Our Founder alsotaught us that faith andprayers should not besomething to burden us ortake up concentratedamounts of our time. Thisway, we can develop ourfaith so that we are continu-ously praying to Kamithroughout the day. Indoing so, we will begin torealize the blessings wehave received throughoutthat day, reflect upon ourthoughts and actions, andbe able to make ourrequests unselfishly forothers, as well as forourselves.

There is one significantmisunderstanding aboutprayer. People are oftendiscouraged from praying,because those times whenthey did pray, they felt as iftheir prayers were notanswered. They trustedKami to take care ofeverything so long as theyprayed. This is when itcomes back to theInterdependentrelationship between Kamiand us. No matter howhard we pray to Kami, if wedo not do our part, Kamicannot help us. It would be

as if you prayed for a safetrip for you and your familybut did not put on yourseatbelts, drove like amaniac on the freeway atthe speed of a fighter plane,and then were surprisedwhen you and your lovedones ended up in ahospital, with your carcompletely wrecked. At that

point, you blamed Kami.However, by not doingyour part to keep yourselfsafe, it made your prayer alie. If you had sincerely inyour heart wished for a safetrip, your actions wouldhave been different. This iswhat most of us fail torealize and end up blamingKami for our ignorance.

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When you don’t receive any divine blessings, even whilepracticing faith, don’t wonder why and be regretful. Forexample, if you fertilize your barley, come January youmay not notice any difference with [from] the crops thatweren’t fertilized. But in spring, the crops you hadfertilized will turn out well. It is the same for when youpractice faith. Do it with an upright heart, withoutneglect. (GII: Komoto Torataro, 3)

FAITH STORY: BLIND FAITH

firemen leave without her.Unrelenting rain raised thewater level farther, and theelderly woman climbed uponto her roof. When ahelicopter came by andtried to rescue her, sheanswered the same asbefore. The elderly womanended up drowning in theflood. Turning to Kami, sheasked, “Kami, I prayed witha single-heart to you andbelieved completely thatyou would save me. Why didyou not?” To this, Kamianswered, “I came to saveyou three times in the formof your neighbors, thefiremen, and the rescuecrew on the helicopter, buteach time you refused myhelp. You did not want to besaved.”

There once was an elderlywoman who lived in asmall house and was verydevoted to Kami. Oneday, with heavy rains, theriver close by began toflood. Her neighborsrushed by and told her toevacuate with them, butshe answered, “I am allright. Kami will save me,so I will stay.” As therains continued, thewater flooded into thewoman’s first floor, andshe fled to the secondfloor.

When firemen camewith a rowboat to herhouse, and ordered her toevacuate, she answered,“I am all right. Kami willsave me, so I will stay,”and she made the

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REFORMING A HEART

can only be done bypracticing faith

constantly, and reflectingupon one’s own actions andnot the actions of others.Here is where the focus ofthe Konko Faith lies.

Athletes can train at agym, but due to thenecessity of working andother activities, they maynot be able to go every day.It is most important topractice when they can, asclose to what the trainerinstructed, so that in theirdaily activities, their bodyand muscle memory take

over, and they learn toreact unconsciously. Forathletes, this would meaneating a good diet, notsmoking or consumingdrugs, and practicing theirmovements countless timeseach day. These practicescould be free throws,dribbling drills, throwingpitches, catching passes, orother drills. For someonepracticing faith, this issimilar to having a positiveattitude, being patient,tolerant, kind, and having aheart wanting to give,especially in the mosttrying times.

DAILY FAITH PRACTICE

People go to the churchto worship and receiveteachings, but no onefollows what they aretold. They return homeand alter the teachingsfor themselves. And sothere are no divineblessings. For theirresultant failures, theyblame Kami. Reformingyour heart is mostimportant. (GI: IchimuraMitsugoro, vol.3, 19:1-3)

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FAITH STORY: A BROKEN TEACUP

porcelain, but alsoeverything which hasshape requires manyblessings from theuniverse to fulfill its ownrole and work. Wherethere is work, there islife. We must useeverything carefully sothat we do not waste itslife. If we have broken itby mistake, we mustapologize to its life andthank it for the work itperformed for us.This experience made

me reflect on my consider-ation and treatment ofvarious things around me.At the same time, I wastaught that we have to value

The other day, Icarelessly dropped ateacup from my hand andbroke it. Since I loved theteacup very much, Iregretted the loss at firstbut soon said to myteacup, “I am sorry formy carelessness. Thankyou for the work you havedone every day for meuntil today.” I did thisbecause of what a Konkominister told me when Ibroke a dish at churchwhen I was young,

Porcelain is madefrom the blessings ofthe universe, such asearth, water, heat, air,and so forth. Not only

and cherish the life ofeverything. We findaround us plenty of goods,and it is not unusual thateven usable goods arethrown into a trashcan.Many people today saythat if they lose or breakthings, they will just buynew ones again.Unfortunately, this is anaccepted trend in ouraffluent society. However,I know I must not forgetthat each item I use isunique and possesses anindispensable life. I wantto always keep this inmind when I use thoseitems, which help andenrich my daily life.

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We must remindourselves every day toappreciate and take care ofwhat we do have, and tohave a positive attitude.Anyone can be kind or bepositive, but every day?This daily practice is most

difficult because it is theeasiest to forget, neglect, putoff, or skip “just for today.”Try doing just 10 sit-upsbefore bed each night for ayear. “Once in a while” issomething anyone can do.However, consistency iswhat creates a solid faith.

At times, when “everyday” becomes monotonous,or when we feel trapped orfrustrated, and we just wishto drop everything andbegin anew, our Foundertaught us this,

For faith, daily renewalis most important. Liveeach day with the samehappy heart that youhave on New Year’sDay. When the sun sets,think that it is the lastday of the year. Whenthe sun rises, think thatit is New Year’s Day. Ifyou are happy every day,there will be no discordin the family. (GIII: KonkoKyoso Gorikai, 35)

If we can start over andcorrect our mistakes tobecome better people at thebeginning of each year, whycan we not do this at thebeginning of each day?

We cannot becomestrong in faith overnight.Just like any other learningprocess, it takes time,commitment, patience,effort, and diligence.

Studying hard for one weekwill not produce a gooddoctor. The skills neededresult only from years ofstudy and hands-onexperience.

Through training, andby praying daily and atevery moment, we begin tocommunicate constantlywith Kami. This keeps usfrom slipping into ourlaziness and selfishness,and it gradually incorpo-rates the doctrine into ourlives. We begin to live ourlives with the broader viewof Kami, thus creating aninner peace and happiness.This inner peace allows usto open up and shine uponother people, therebyspreading the happiness.This is how faith isexpressed in one’s life.

No matter how well-educated or how smartyou are, merely havingknowledge about thefaith of Kami is notenough. You cannotreceive Kami’s virtueunless the teachings ofthe faith are deeplyabsorbed into your heartand your faith isexpressed in your life.(GIII: Jinkyu Kyogoroku, 151)

Practicing faith is notespecially difficult. Whenyou get up in themorning, give thanksand pray for a good day,as if you are talking toyour parents. When yougo out, inform Kami thatyou are leaving. Andwhen you return home,give thanks for returninghome safely. Also,before going to sleep,give thanks for that day.This is practicing faith.(GII: Hirano, Goroshiro, 2:2)

Learning is like pushinga cart up a hill, wherebyif you get careless, thecart will roll back down.Those practicing faithmust always bear this inmind. Faith is alsosimilar to pushing acart up a hill. Getcareless, and it will rollbackwards. (GI:Yamamoto Sadajiro, 53:1)

Peace begins with peopleat peace with themselves.

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SERVICES PLAY a vitalrole for religions thatfocus on an

individual’s relationshipwith the Divine. InKonkokyo, services are heldto rejoice and worshipKami within one’s heart. Itis an occasion where Kamiand people meet. Servicesare also held to dedicateone’s heart to Kami.Becoming the faith anddoctrine in physical form,these services are created forbelievers to “see,” so thatthey can confirm or reshapetheir faith accordingly.

Services provide a placeand time for believers togather and pray together.This facilitates vitaldiscussions, time forsharing, and aids in the

development of faith withinthe believers. By voicingtheir experiences andlistening to others, believerscan see how others arebenefiting by faith.Through this, they canreflect upon themselves,their own faith, theiractions, and recentexperiences.

The highlight of theMonthly Service is thesermon. Most ministers tellpersonal, spiritual-growthexperiences or variousrevelations as their sermons.Being able to hear, step bystep, how ministers wereable to overcome adversityand grow spiritually, thesesermons give believersguidance in their own faith.It gives them strength and

hope in their lives.Ministers also take theteachings of the Founderand translate them fromwords on a page into a toolthat can be used in thebelievers’ lives. Very muchlike Mediation, sermons arenot delivered, but are bornas the words form withinthe minister’s heart.

As a support system andstepping stone, services pulltogether the hearts of thebelievers. With prayers andactions in unison, believerswill be able to realizeKami’s wish of relieving allliving things from suffering.

This section is titled“Monthly Services.”However, the meaning ofthe service applies to all ofKonkokyo’s services.

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MONTHLY SERVICES

KONKOKYO HOLDS

Memorial Servicesto pray for the

happiness of all those whohave passed away. Thenames of believers’ancestors are read by theofficiating minister, inorder to be recognized.Those people who died inwars, those who sufferedthrough their deaths, andthose who no longer have

people praying for them arealso embraced in theprayers. We believeMemorial Service days aremuch like birthdays forspirits. This is because itcelebrates their returnto Kami.

The Memorial Servicesare held to remind us of thepeople who worked hard tosustain and nurture ourlives, the people we could

not have existed without. Itis a time to show ourappreciation for theirefforts and support bypraying for their spiritualwell-being. We hold Springand Autumn MemorialServices, as well asMonthly MemorialServices. We believe that itis important to take goodcare of the roots thatsupport us.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

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THERE ARE twoannual GrandCeremonies. One is

in spring, and the other is inautumn. Like the MonthlyServices, the Tenchi KaneNo Kami Grand Ceremonyis celebrated to show ourappreciation to Kami forthe blessings we receive. Inthe spring, when we can seelife bursting forth from thedormant winter, it is anideal time to express ourgratitude for the blessingsthat sustain our lives, and toacknowledge the beauty ofnature.

The Ikigami KonkoDaijinGrand Ceremony,which is held on the passingdate of our Founder,

celebrates and acknowledgesthe following:1 Our Founder’s return to

Kami, which enableshim to guide us. OurFounder said, “Having aphysical body makes itdifficult for me to seepeople’s suffering in theworld. When my body isgone, I can go to where Iam requested and savepeople” (GII: KarahiTsunezo, 4:2). Hisdedication to helpingothers extends beyondhis physical life, and forthis, we wish to expressour deepest gratitude.

2 The continuous work ofthe Mediation of theLiving Kami.

3 The living kami thateach of us has inside ofourselves.Both of the Grand

Ceremonies are veryfestive and colorful. Therituals in the ceremony aremainly derived fromShinto rituals andceremonial dress. Manychurches still have thesacred music and thedance performed as anexpression of our gratitudeto Kami. Each movementof the officiating ministersand each item placed onthe altar are symbolic inmeaning. These symbolicrituals become guides forour hearts to follow in ourdaily lives.

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GRAND CEREMONIES

�Plate 1. An Ikigami KonkoDaijin Grand Ceremony takingplace in the Grand CeremonyHall at Headquarters, Konko,Japan. Headquarters holdsfour Ikigami Konko DaijinGrand Ceremonies in the spanof ten days to accommodatethe number and convenienceof the believers coming toworship.

Plate 2� As part of theGrand Ceremony, the Kibimai(Kibi Sacred Dance) isperformed as an expressionof our appreciation to Kami.It is accompanied by Kibigaku(Kibi Music). Kibi is the nameof a province in Japanfamous for this dance. Eachcareful movement of thedancers matches themeanings sung by theKibigaku group.

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KONKOKYO DOES nothave a standardritual for a person to

become a “member.” Shouldone decide he or she likes theKonko Faith and would liketo be a believer, then theyare. Although churches dohave a registry for believers,little attention is given to theactual “status” of eachperson. There are manypeople who drop in to visit achurch only once a year, andsome only for the activities achurch hosts. Some of thesepeople consider themselvesbelievers, while othersconsider themselves justvisitors. These people arealways welcomed and neverpressured to attend moreoften than they desire.

If you decide to visit achurch, here are a fewthings you may see andhave questions about:A gesture of respect,

appreciation, andhumbleness.Manybelievers bow toward thealtars before and afterpraying as an outward showof respect to Kami.Solemn

Acknowledgement:.Coming before and afterprayers, the clapping ofhands four times signifies thebeginning and ending of theprayers, thus focusing ourminds solely upon praying.Altars. Kami Altar

(Plate 3, right side) & Spirit

Altar, dedicated to all spirits(Plate 3, left side): Thesealtars provide believers witha place to focus theirprayers and pay theirrespects to Kami and ourFounder, and to all spirits.Mediation Seat.With

a small desk and chair forthe minister on one side,and the person on the otherside, the Mediation Seat islocated on the right side ofthe altars (Plate 4). This iswhere anyone can receiveMediation (for more detail,please refer to “Mediation”or the second part of“Worshiping At A Church”on pages 16 and 29 respec-tively). Whether just tointroduce yourself, sayhello, ask questions, orreceive guidance, you cango up and talk to theminister at anytime; thereare no restrictions orrequirements. Should youfind the Mediation Seatintimidating or uncom-fortable, yet you still wish totalk to the minister, anotherarrangement can be made.Offerings.

A:Upon the Altars (Plate5). The offerings placedupon the Altars are chosenso that there is somethingrepresented from the fields,the mountains, the rivers,and the seas. These offeringsrepresent the variety of foodwith which we are blessed.They represent our gratitude

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MEMBERSHIP AND BRIEF CHURCH ETIQUETTE

to Kami. They also serve asa reminder to us of how ourlives are sustained each dayby these blessings.B: Personal Offerings.Offerings are not required atany time, nor are they“expected” from anyone.However, if you wish to givean offering, you may offerwhatever you wish, whetherit be monetary, material, orhomemade. Since offeringsare our personal show ofgratitude to Kami, webelieve that offerings mustbe made with sincerity, orthey are not offerings at all.“Offering made frompeople’s sincerity areaccepted by Kami withpleasure, but Kami is notpleased by burdening peoplewith compulsory donationsand contributions” (GIII:Konko Kyoso Gorikai, 15).

Whether daily, monthly,or Grand Ceremony, all ofour services are open toeveryone.There is no dresscode, and the opinions ofmembers of each churchvary greatly on what theyconsider casual. Dropping inon a service, even if it hasalready begun, is notconsidered rude. Please feelfree to walk in whenever youarrive. We invite you tocome and visit us at anytime.(For location of churches, servicedates, or any other questions,please refer to Appendix C.)

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�Plate 3. Kami Altar andSpirit Altar. Worship can bedone anywhere, facinganything in Kami’s beautifuluniverse at anytime. However,to give us a specific place tofocus our prayers, the simpleyet elegant altars areprovided in each church.Many believers also havesmall altars in their houses,so that they have a place offocus for their daily prayersand for those times theycannot make it to church.

�Plate 4. Mediation Seat.Each church has slightvariations of the MediationSeat. Our Founder sat on thefloor in traditional Japanesestyle with a low table to writeon. However, today manychurches use desks with chairsor benches.

�Plate 5. Offerings of fruits,vegetables, dry foods, fish,grains, canned goods, andstaple foods prepared for aservice. There are always non-perishable offerings upon theAltars. Fresh foods areprepared before every service.Offerings made by membersare often placed upon thealtar during services as well.

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FAITH STORY: AN OFFERING

A believer offered awatermelon from his firstharvest to the altar in hishouse, and then hedeparted for a Pilgrimageto Konko Daijin’s WorshipHall, carrying thewatermelon with him.Stopping to rest on theway, he met a youngcouple with a little boy whowere also on a pilgrimage.

When asked, “Whereare you going?” thebeliever answered,

“I am on my way toKonko Daijin to give thanksand offer this watermelonto Kami.” The little boywho was hungry cried out,“I wish I could be Kami,too!” and began to sob.Feeling sorry for the boy,but not sure what to do,the believer ended upgiving the watermelon tohim, then continued onhis way.

Arriving at the door ofthe Worship Hall, the

believer roamed aroundthe entrance for a while,hesitating since he nolonger had anything tooffer to Kami. KonkoDaijin then came out, andto the surprise andcomfort of the believer,Konko Daijin said,“Please come in. Youhave no need to worry.Kami already receivedyour offering last night.”

Your lifetime is a trainingperiod of faith.

(GIII: Konko Kyoso Gorikai, 37)

The Founderof Konkokyo

The Founderof Konkokyo

A sketch of the sacred grounds in Otani villagewhere the Founder resided (1887). It is now thelocation of the Konkokyo Headquarters. Thesketch was made into a hanging scroll.

THE FOUNDER of a religion shapesthe religion, just as a foundationand a framework shape a house.

Religions are created by the structurespeople build from a founder’s beliefs,attitude, actions, and words. Therefore, inorder to understand a religion or a faithmore completely, it is necessary to knowand understand the life of its founder.

In the Konko Faith, the approach tounderstanding faith is not so focused ondivine commandments or rigid doctrines,but rather through the life of the individualbeliever. Therefore, our knowledge andunderstanding of the Founder’s lifebecomes essential. This may also be truein other religions, however, we feel thatthere is a fundamental difference withour Founder.

Life is like an exam that everyone musttake. The founders of religions are thosewho have found the answers to life and“aced” the exam. Wanting to help thosestruggling with the exam, most foundershave passed on their answers. However,with the desire to preserve their founders’invaluable answers, many followers havecemented every word of their founder intothe doctrine of their religion to keep it fromchanging. Using this as a reference whentaking life’s exam, all of the followers of areligion make their answers in exactly thesame way. Unfortunately, the exam of lifegives each person different questions, and

even changes with time. Thus the founders’answers do not fit everyone’s situation, andsome of them are no longer applicable forthe followers taking the exam of life today.

In the Konko Faith, our Founder,Konko Daijin, left us a few of hisanswers––but only as examples. He didnot tell his answers to us, his followers,but taught us how he went about findingthem. Using our Founder’s life as a guide,we can see how he approached eachquestion and his methods of searching foran answer. In this way, anyone, even asthe exam of life changes, can continue touse his examples of how to study, findmultiple answers for each question, andtake the exam with confidence and peaceof mind. Should we choose to follow theways of our Founder, we must rememberthat, as with any learning process, we muststudy carefully and thoroughly. Thewisdom and awareness we gain by doingso will allow us to live a fulfilling life.Even if we just decide to pick up a fewpointers and go our own way, we canalways be assured that we may return tothe Founder’s guide at anytime.

In order to understand a religion, onemust first understand its founder. Likewise,in order to understand the life of KonkoDaijin, we must first have an idea of the erain which he lived, because time and societyshaped our Founder just as surely as heshaped the Konko Faith.

INTRODUCTION2THEFOUNDEROFKONKOKYO

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THE LIFE of Konko Daijin(1814–1883) began as the doors ofthe Edo Period started to close and

the Meiji Era began. In this new era, Japansaw her doors opened by foreigners enteringfrom the West. Since each era had itsparticular characteristics that affected thepeople of that time, it would be helpful toknow some of the major characteristics ofthe two eras in which the Founder lived.

When Tokugawa Ieyasu succeeded inuniting his supporters and defeating hisrivals in the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), hebecame the Shogun (chief militarycommander), thus beginning the eraknown as the Tokugawa Period(1600–1868). Under the rule of theTokugawa government, strict measureswere taken to ensure permanent order inthe nation. These measures isolated Japanfrom the rest of the world. After centuries ofconstant fighting, this new peace and lackof foreign influence enabled Japan todevelop its culture in a unique way.

One of the measures taken to ensuresociopolitical stability was the establishmentof a rigid caste system, in which the societywas divided into five major classes: thesamurai, the peasants/farmers, the artisans,the merchants, and lastly, the untouchables.These classes (with the exception of theartisan and merchant classes) had existedbefore in a soft structure. However, theTokugawa government clearly defined theclass boundaries and made restrictions toensure that people would not cross theselines. Of all the classes, none but the samuraiheld any power or political position. Thefarmers ranked second in this caste system.This was only because farmers produced rice,the official standard of wealth, and were theonly regular taxpayers of the society.

In addition to establishing a castesystem, the Tokugawa government furtherattempted to solidify its rule by suppressing

new ideas and innovations. These wereseen as dangerous threats that couldundermine the stability of the social order.New religions were included in thissuppression, as were foreign ideologies.Thus, all religious orders were required tobe either Shinto or Buddhist.

“Shinto” was a name attached to themainstream folkloric beliefs of Japan, onlyto distinguish it from Buddhism. Withoutbattles or daily struggle for physicalsurvival, the larger part of the populationhad time to ponder over their fate in thegrowing economic society. WhereBuddhism concentrated more toward thespiritual life, Shintoism was manifested inmany aspects of daily living, such as birth,sickness, harvest, construction, marriage,and death. Shrines, housing the deities,were erected by every village in order to givepeople a place to honor them. Becausethere was a shrine for each deity, and therewas a guardian deity for each village, andbecause there were deities for each sickness,cure, direction, element, and object, therewere thousands of shrines across Japan.

It was common practice to pray at everyshrine and temple possible. This wasbecause the people believed that the morekamis and buddhas they had working forthem, the better their chances were ofhaving their prayers answered. It wasthought foolish to stick to only one deity,and even the people who converted toChristianity (before the governmentexpelled the religion) continued to visitshrines and temples. They even had altarsin their homes next to their crosses. Tothem it was only practical. “Polytheism” inthis era crossed the lines of many religions.

Farmers were generally more religiousthan the other classes due to their reliance onthe sun and rain for their livelihood. Ontheir small plots of land, which were passedfrom father to son, traditional methods of

JAPAN IN THE FOUNDER’S ERA

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

intensive manual labor were used toproduce a high yield. However,much of their crop was takenaway in the form of taxes,which often accounted for sixtypercent to eighty percent of theirharvest. In many cases, this forcedmost farmers to live on a meresubsistence level. In addition, arableland was cultivated to its limit, creating asituation whereby farmers had little recoursebut to practice the system of primogeniture.

Primogeniture dictated that the eldestson become the sole heir. All other sons of afarmer were then forced to become tenantfarmers or seek other means of livelihood.Occasionally, families without male heirsadopted these “other sons” in order topreserve the family name and property.

By the mid-eighteenth century, agricul-tural production had reached its potentiallimit. Confronted with harsh taxation,fluctuating prices of rice, and occasionalnatural calamities, farmers foundthemselves in a very difficult situation.Under these circumstances, some farmersresorted to abandoning their farms andmoving to nearby towns. Other farmerswho remained on their land resorted tosuch practices as infanticide and abortionfor economic survival. During these hardtimes, superstitions that were alreadyabundant multiplied and spread with areligious fervor.

Dissention among the peasants arosefrom many factors, and climaxed with afamine and the arrival of CommodorePerry’s Black Ships in 1858. As the nearlytwo hundred and fifty years of peacefaltered, the government tightened its gripon regulations, squeezing the people for thefinances they required to deal with foreignthreats. This only compounded theirproblems. Then, in 1868, a rebellion wasstaged against the Tokugawa government.

With the help of foreigners, therebelling group succeeded in

overthrowing the government,and thus began the Meiji Era.

The primary goals of thenew Meiji government were to

make the nation militarily strong andeconomically prosperous in order to

deal with foreign nations on equalterms. Major changes in the social andeconomic systems were instigated totransform Japan from an agrarian society toan industrialized society.

One of the more concrete measuresadopted by the Meiji leaders was to abolishthe feudal system, which meant an end tothe caste system. This push toward western-ization and industrialization created newchallenges for the society, such as having todeal with occupational choices, genera-tional conflicts, and properly educating thegeneral public.

With respect to religion, the newgovernment disenfranchised Buddhism,and strongly supported Shintoism as thenational religion. In 1872, all religions cameunder the direct jurisdiction of thegovernment. At this time the governmentrevoked all certification of ministers andpriests and subsequently re-certified onlythose who complied with the requirementsset by the Meiji government.

For Konkokyo, because Tenchi KaneNo Kami was not among the deitiesrecognized by the new government, theFounder, Konko Daijin, could not be re-certified as a minister. The loss of officialcertification seriously interfered with theFounder’s religious activities. However,despite a variety of hardships, Konko Daijindid not compromise his Faith toaccommodate government policy. It wouldnot be until June 16, 1900, seventeen yearsafter his death, that Konkokyo wouldreceive official recognition.

2THEFOUNDEROFKONKOKYO

43* Note: Names in this section are written with the surname first followed by the given name without a comma.

THE FOUNDER of the Konko Faithwas born on September 29, 1814, ina small village called Urami

(present-day Konko Town, OkayamaPrefecture, Japan). Given the nameGenshichi, he was the second son ofKandori Juhei and Shimo. Genshichi wasnot a weak child, but he suffered manyillnesses during his childhood. However, hemanaged to regain his health each time dueto the care and devotion of his parents.

Genshichi’s parents were farmers bytrade and had an average family size of fivesons and three daughters. Genshichi’sfather, Juhei, was hard-working, honest, andmost of all, very religious. He would visitvarious shrines and temples, often carryingGenshichi on his back, to pray for his son’shealth. This early religious influence made alasting impression upon Genshichi. Forexample, he often made model shrines andtemples and playfully imitated his father bypraying to them. His mother, Shimo, was anaffectionate and wise mother who insistedon raising all eight of her children byadamantly refusing to commit infanticide,despite the hard economic conditions sheencountered. As Genshichi was the secondson and thus not expected to take over thefamily lineage or farm, relativesarranged for him to be adoptedin the fall of 1825, when hewas eleven.

Kawate Kumejiroand Iwa were achildless couple whofarmed in theneighboring villageof Otani. Kumejirowas already fifty-fouryears old, and Iwa wasthirty-four. Deciding toadopt at the same timeGenshichi’s relatives begansearching for a family, they met,

and finalized arrangements in November1825. Genshichi was welcomed into theoverjoyed Kawate family, and he wasrenamed Kawate Bunjiro (Bunji for short).Although he was now officially adopted,Bunji continued to have a warmrelationship with his natural parents.

The Kawates were good parents andpaid close attention to Bunji’s upbringing.When Bunji asked to be allowed to visitshrines and temples on holidays, theKawates agreed. They were even able toprovide him with two years of education.This was very unusual for a farmer’s child,especially in a time when Japan did nothave a system of compulsory education. Hiseducation was made possible becauseBunji’s father, although a farmer, had wonthe trust and confidence of the villageheadman, Ono Mitsuemon.

Mitsuemon was an intellectual who hadstudied at the prestigious Academic Instituteof the Tokugawa Government. He was anauthority in mathematics, astronomy, survey,and yin-yang studies, among many othersubjects as well. Although his term was onlyfor two years, Bunji not only learned enoughto read and write, but gained considerableknowledge in the areas of historical facts and

proverbs. This valuable educationenabled him to write his

memoirs and the teachingsof his faith later on in hislife. Mitsuemon alsoinstructed Bunji inother fields, such asscience and history.After Mitsuemon’sdeath, Bunji visitedhis former teacher’sgrave whenever he

went to visit shrines andtemples. This act

THE FOUNDER’S CHILDHOOD

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Genshichi praying to his stick shrine

FROM FARMER TO MEDIATOR

demonstrates the appreciation, influence,and deep relationship that had developedbetween Bunji and Mitsuemon.

Although Bunji was not in good healthduring his early years, he was an assiduousworker. While other village boys wouldcarry six bundles of pine branches for a tile-maker as a way to earn income, Bunji wouldhaul eight bundles. He would use this extramoney to pay for his expenses to visitshrines and temples. However, Bunji wasnot faultless as a youth. Once, when he wastwelve-years-old, a group of village boysasked him to join them in a gambling game.When he declined, saying that he did not

have any money, the others insisted that hejoin them and lent him money. He endedup losing all of the money he borrowed, andhad to ask his parents to repay the loss.Bunji was severely scolded by his parentsand deeply regretted his actions. He neverhad anything to do with gambling again.

In 1831, Bunji’s mother, thought to beunable to have children, gave birth to a sonthey named Tsurutaro. However,Tsurutaro died of an illness at the age offive. To compound this tragedy, Bunji’sfather Kumejiro, who was now the age ofsixty-six, contracted a disease and a fewweeks later followed his son in death.

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Bunji carrying branches

Original Oboe-cho (Memoirs) written by the Founder (1874–1883)

WITH THE DEATH of his father,Bunji became the head of thehousehold. His mother,

concerned about the future of the familyand Bunji, encouraged him to take a bride.As was the customary practice of this time,Bunji’s marriage was arranged for him, andat the age of twenty-three, Bunji marriedTose, the eldest daughter of the Furukawafamily. With Tose’s assistance, Bunji wasable to farm and also devote some of histime to public construction within thevillage. Although he had contributed muchto the village, these contributions did notcompare with those of the older establishedfamilies. Whenever they gathered together,he always behaved modestly toward them.

Bunji was willing to serve the village inalmost any capacity. As he gradually wonthe acceptance and respect of the othervillagers, Bunji acquired more land andbuilt new additions to his house, and later

he was able to construct a new house. Thiswas a considerable achievement, rankinghim in the top ten landholders in a villageof 130 households. However, as humbleand sincere as Bunji was, he did not escapesufferings. The celebration and joy of thebirth of Bunji and Tose’s first son,Kametaro, was short lived, for Kametarodied of an illness three years later. Inaddition, Bunji and Tose treasured theirfirst daughter, Chise, only to lose her ayear later, despite medical attention andprayers. Bunji and Tose wereoverwhelmed by their loss of Chise. Theyhad so little time with her and werereminded of the loss of their first son,seemingly only a short while ago. Then,Makiemon, Bunji’s second son, died at theage of seven, presumably in the early stagesof smallpox, and many years later, one lastchild died right after birth. In total, Bunjiand Tose had nine children of whom fivesurvived to live a full life. Although such ahigh infant mortality rate was notuncommon in Japan during this period, itpained Bunji to lose his precious children.Unfortunately, his misfortunes did not stopthere. Bunji mourned for his youngerbrother who was mistreated by his in-lawsand passed away after much suffering. Healso bore the loss of his two oxen, whichwere considered by farmers to be almostequal in value to family members.

During Bunji’s time, folkloric supersti-tions, divinations, and folk religions ranrampant among the masses. Most of thesebeliefs came to Japan from China betweenthe seventh and eleventh centuries, andthey eventually became common beliefs.An ominous deity called “Konjin” waspart of this folklore. Konjin was thoughtto be the most powerful deity, and thusbecame the most feared deity. Peoplebelieved Konjin resided in variousdirectional locations (determined astrolog-

FARM LIFE AND FAMILY

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Bunji & Tose’s Children:Sons

1st Kametaro (1839-1842)2nd Makiemon (1842-1850)3rd Nobujiro (1845-1907)

renamed Asakichi,then Kaneyoshidivine title: Konko Shojin

4th Mohei (1849-1919)renamed Ishinojo, then Hagiodivine title: Konko Sanjin

5th Unojo (1854-1893)renamed Torayoshi, then Ieyoshidivine title: Konko Shijin

6th Unnamed––died at birth (1863)

Daughters1st Chise (1847-1848)2nd Kura (1851-1928)

divine title: Isshi Shosaijin3rd Kono (1858-1946)

divine title: Isshi Suenotamejin

ically). These directionswere to be avoided by allwho wished to avertKonjin’s wrath. Shouldsomeone violate thedirection in which Konjinhappened to be residing ata particular time, he wouldincur the wrath named the“Seven Killings of Konjin.”The seven deaths wereoften those of familymembers or oxen. As anardent follower of thesefolk beliefs, each timeBunji constructed a new building, such asa bathroom or storehouse, he would havethe “Days and Directions” checked toselect an auspicious day and direction.However, as Bunji made additions to hishouse, he encountered the succession ofdeaths in his family. By the year Bunjicompleted and moved into his newlyconstructed house, he had experiencedseven deaths: his younger brotherTsurutaro, his adopted father KawateKumejiro, three children, and two oxen(both of which died on the exact samedate, one year apart). Bunji’s misfortunes

seemed to be proportional to the increasein his property.

Bunji’s fellow villagers took notice ofthese misfortunes and suspected that Bunjiviolated construction taboos andconsequently incurred the wrath of Konjin.Although he had followed the Days andDirections precisely, Bunji began to believethat he must have done something to offendKonjin in the process of his construction.He agonized over what he should do toappease Konjin and became determined tofollow the Days and Directions and othertaboos ever more strictly.

Diagram of theDays and DirectionsPeople used this as areference or compass tofigure out good and baddays and directions beforeproceeding with any typeof major event, such asconstruction, marriage,moving, or traveling.

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THE AGE of forty-two was consideredto be the most critical for a man intraditional Japan, because the

number forty-two can be pronounced shi-ni,which is phonetically identical to the term“death” in Japanese. During the busy riceplanting season in June of his forty-secondyear, Bunji collapsed and becamebedridden with a serious illness. His illnessaffected his throat so severely that he wasno longer able to speak or drink, causing hisdoctors to give up hope for his recovery. Inspite of this, Bunji maintained his faith.When it was harvest time on his farm, heencouraged his wife, Tose, (through handgestures) to continue the duties of the farmwith the help of his relatives.

Although, since the first day of the newyear, Bunji had abided by the traditionalbeliefs associated with his age in order toavert any misfortunes, his relatives andneighbors worried that he would die becausehe had angered Konjin. After completing theharvest, they gathered at his house and hadTose’s brother, Jiro, give prayers. Jiro thenbecame possessed by a deity, who declaredthat Bunji had been irreverent to Konjinwhile building his house. Tose’s fatherrefuted this by insisting, “No! That is not so!

Bunji consulted the Days and Directions tobuild the house! He did not insult Konjin!”The deity rejected this outburst andthreatened to wipe out Bunji’s family.During this confrontation, Bunji waspraying and became deeply moved by thewords regarding the construction of hishouse. Just as soon as he realized that theconstruction must have offended the deity,his throat cleared up enabling him to speak,and he apologized from his bed,

My father-in-law has just spoken whilebeing totally ignorant. Since I was bornin the Year of the Dog, it was myunlucky year to do construction. I hadthe Days and Directions checked, butsince the results did not agree with myconstruction plans, I had the Days andDirections rechecked to maneuveraround the difficulties. I then proceededwith the construction while followingthe Days as instructed. I thereby built ahouse bigger than the old one. Due tomy primal ignorance, I did not knowwhich direction I was irreverent to. I donot think that just checking the Daysand Directions is sufficient. I apologizefor my irreverence since starting theconstruction. (Memoirs: 3:5.2-4)

With his acknowl-edgment and acceptance ofhis faults, the deity revealedthat Bunji was to haveperished with this illness,but due to his faith andsincerity, it was changed toa lighter throat ailment. Thedeity also forgave Bunji andpromised to have himrecover from his illness.

In this way, Bunji wassaved from an early deathand gradually recovered.Through this encounter,Bunji realized for the first

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Bunji doing rounds to the famous Eighty-eight Temples in Shikoku

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time the benevolent nature of the deitythought to be Konjin. After his recovery,Bunji devoted an entire day, three times amonth, for the visitation of shrines.

In late 1857, Bunji’s brother, KandoriShige’emon, began worshipping Konjin.Bunji then began to worship Konjin at theshrine in Shige’emon’s house. ThroughShige’emon, Bunji received various instruc-tions from Konjin for his daily life. Bunji’sconceptual growth and broadening of hisconcept of Konjin led him to call Konjin,“Kane No Kami” (a derivation of theChinese characters for “Konjin”). Kamirevealed, “Bunji shall becomemy First Disciple. I won’t takehim away from here. I willteach him right here. There isno need for concern” (Memoirs:6:1.8). Receiving countlessblessings by followingKami’s advice, Bunjideepened his faith in Kamifurther. To show hisappreciation, Bunjiconstructed a new altar forKami in his own house in1858. Shortly thereafter,Bunji was able to receiveKami’s words directly,without going through Shige’emon. In thisway, Kami instructed and guided Bunji indetail concerning farming practices, hischildren’s smallpox, the birth of his thirddaughter, practices concerning pregnancy,and for many other aspects of daily living.

Some of Kami’s instructions did notalways conform to the established practicesof the time and often seemed strange orillogical to others. Still, Bunji followed themdutifully, which brought him great blessings.Bunji did not completely disregard theconcerns of those people around him andtried to accommodate their interests as well.For example, once when Bunji was

instructed to wear formal clothing duringprayers but farm in bare feet to disciplinehimself, he observed these practices. But aswinter arrived, Tose became concernedabout Bunji’s health, as well as themisunderstanding others would have of him.She was afraid people would either think hewas not quite right in the head, or that hewas too lazy to make sandals for himself.Although the impressions of others were oflittle consequence to him, Bunji understoodTose’s concern and tied his straw sandalsonto the hoe which he carried to the field.When someone would ask why he did this,

he replied that he could not wear his newsandals because they hurt his feet. Bunji wasable to follow Kami’s instructions while alsovaluing the feelings of those around him.

In regard to farming, Bunji receivedblessings time and time again, like thisnext example:

During the summer of 1858, when insectsthreatened to destroy the entire crop forthat year, Bunji, with the advice of Kami,did not surface his rice paddies withrapeseed oil (a form of insecticide). Allthe other farmers used two to three timesthe normal amount of oil that year, due tothe unusually large number of insects. In

Bunji on his way to the fields with sandals

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the fall, Bunji’s paddies yielded a fullcrop, while the other farmers’ crops hadbeen destroyed earlier by insects, oryielded very little from their heavy use ofoil. Bunji was also advised on whether itwould rain each day, so that he wouldknow whether to stay outside to plow, ortake the grain indoors to thresh.In this way, Bunji was able to improve

his farming, which prompted other peoplein the village to greatly admire him. As forhis children’s illnesses, Kami let Bunji knowahead of time what would happen. WhenBunji’s children contracted smallpox, Kamiadvised him to keep working in the fieldswithout calling on doctors or practicingtraditional taboos. While waiting for hissecond daughter Kura’s recovery, Bunjirecalled some of his past experiences.

Earlier in the past, each time when oneof my children died, there was no kamiwho revealed and taught things to me.But this time, I received so muchguidance from Kami-Sama, and I amthankful. Even if she were to die, I stillwill have received blessings. (Memoirs:7:7.3)

Without resorting to superstitiouspractices or overnight vigils, Bunji’s threechildren overcame theirillnesses. The birth of Bunji’sthird daughter was also aneasy one for Tose. Manytimes before, she had laborpains and came down withfever, or had difficultdeliveries. However, thistime she worked in the fieldsall day until sundown andgave birth that same evening.She did not becomebedridden or physicallyweak. Kami also revealed toBunji that the Kawate familyhad built the house on a site

where animals had been buried. It was dueto this impurity that the people who hadlived there, including Bunji, sufferedmisfortunes. Bunji thereby learned that themisfortunes which had befallen him weredue to the impurity of the house. Aboutthose deaths he encountered, he wrote,

In every case, I had a doctor givetreatment, and I gave fervent requestsand prayers to various kamis and did allI could. Even after I prayed to the kamisand buddhas, the victims were notsaved. I stood by helpless. I lived withthis constant frustration and futility.(Memoirs: 6:9.5)

Bunji also came to realize that hisobservance of the Days and Directions inhopes of avoiding misfortunes was, in fact,an act of disrespect toward Kami. WithKami’s guidance, everything went smoothlyfor Bunji. Through these blessings, Bunjistrengthened his faith and trust in Kami andwas able to free himself from traditionalsuperstitious beliefs. His constantfrustration and futility were replaced byfaith and reassurance. In this way, Bunjicame to realize that Konjin was not an evildeity, but was in fact, Kane No Kami, abenevolent deity who protected all people.

Bunji’s children praying in bed

SEEING THE continuous blessingsBunji was receiving, people withvarious problems, who were wanting

to receive blessings in the same way, begancoming to him for advice and guidance. Atthe Worship Hall (the little space he madein front of the Altar in his house) Bunjiwould simply convey the words of Kami ashe received them, and he taught people thebenevolence of Kami. This mediationbetween Kami and the people came to becalled Toritsugi (Mediation). By word ofmouth, more and more people heard about“Bunji’s Kami” who helped people.Troubled people came to visit Bunji evenwhile he was working in the fields; theywanted to hear Kami’s teachings throughhim. As the number of visitors grew, itbecame increasingly difficult for Bunji toconcentrate on farming. Gradually, Bunjicame to leave most of the farm work to hisfamily. Finally on November 15, 1859,Bunji received a request (now referred toas “the Divine Call”) from Kami:

Bunji constructed a staff following thespecifications given to him by Kami:...with the completion of this sacred staff, Iwill end your farming career. Pleaseunderstand. When you are out farming,the person at home has to go out and callyou whenever someone comes to give arequest. And after you relay the request,you have to go back out again. You haveto keep going in and out of the field. Thisgives you little time for farming, and theworshipper must also wait for you. Bothyou and the worshipper are being inconve-nienced. Won’t you stop farming? Whenyou were gravely ill at forty-two, the

doctor gave up hope. Everyone worriedabout you. You prayed to the kamis andbuddhas and were blessed with completerecovery. Regard this event as your death.Dispel all desires and assist Tenchi KaneNo Kami. Also, your wife should considerherself a widow. This is better than being areal widow, as she can still talk to you anddiscuss matters. She should take thechildren with her [to the fields] to do thefarm work. There are many people likeyourself who have sincere faith in kamisbut still have many problems. Help thesepeople by performing Toritsugi. This willhelp Kami and save people. Man existsbecause of Kami, and Kami exists becauseof man. Thus, Kami supports man asKami’s children, and man supports Kamias his parent. There will be eternalprosperity through aiyo kakeyo[Interdependence]. (Memoirs: 9:3.1-7)This divine request was difficult for

Bunji to comply with for several reasons.First, as an adopted successor of a family, itwould be regarded as neglect of hisobligation. Second, it would be aninfraction of the established norm thatpeople belong to a fixed social class. Andfinally, Bunji had to consider the economicwelfare of his family. However, because thisrequest by Kami far outweighed suchproblems, Bunji replied, “I shall end mypresent occupation as requested and serveat the Worship Hall.” From that day on,Bunji had his wife and children graduallytake over the farm work. Bunji stayed in theWorship Hall of his house to receive visitorswho sought relief from their troubles.

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Built in 1933, this is a replica of the Founder’shouse. It served as Konkokyo’s firstWorship/Mediation Hall. The well next to thehouse is the actual well the Founder used.

The Founder’s House eventually became aplace of worship after he began to performMediation in 1859.

ACCEPTING KAMI’S request to aid insaving people did not end Bunji’sresponsibilities as an adopted son

and father, nor did it raise him above thegovernment in society’s eyes. Bunji’s ownfamily did not trust Kami enough to lay theirlives in Kami’s hands as he had done. Oneexample of this was a field of vegetables hiswife and mother secretly kept, because of theinsecurity they felt after his decision todedicate his life to Mediation and remain inthe Worship Hall. If his wife and mother didnot voice their worries, others around Bunjidid. His father-in-law, Furukawa Yaozo,scolded him, “I am worried about yourfamily because you have so many children.Stop this nonsense about faith and go backto farming.” Bunji understood Yaozo’sfeelings, but he could not refuse Kami’srequest. Yet the difficulty Bunji encounteredas he first began his Mediation was notconfined to his family and relatives. Even thevillage headman twice summoned Bunji toadmonish him for his rash actions.

Meanwhile, Kamirevealed to Bunji that heshould sell his fieldswithout worrying abouthis children, because Kamiwould not let them starve.After selling most of his land,what remained consisted of thesmall parcel on which stood hishouse and a small field. From everyone else’spoint of view, Bunji’s actions were that of amadman––selling all of the land he workedhis entire life to gain, and leaving none forhis own food or income when he had a largefamily to feed. Yet Bunji heeded Kami’sinstructions without question or doubt. Hedid not challenge any of Kami’s instructions,no matter how futile or threatening theyseemed to him. Instead, Bunji alwayssearched for the ignorance and faults withinhimself, which could be blinding him from

Kami’s purpose. Although Bunji’s familyand relatives gradually came to accept him asa Mediator, his change in role and class wasnot so easily accepted by others in his society.

The rapidly growing number of Bunji’sfollowers attracted the attention ofYamabushi (local Mountain Priests), whobegan to harass him for two reasons. Thefirst reason was that Bunji, being a farmerwithout a license for preaching, wasstepping out of his social class. The secondand predominant reason was that Bunji wasteaching people to live in gratitude insteadof fear of offending the deities. He taughtthat consulting the Days and Directions wasunnecessary, as were the various traditionalrituals, which required the presence of apriest. These things only hindered people’slives. As Mountain Priests made their livingby consulting the Days and Directions andperforming rituals for the people, Bunji’sFaith threatened their livelihood. ThePriests came to the Worship Hall todemand the removal of all offerings from

the Altar. They also came time andtime again to tear apart andvandalize the Altar.

The Priests’harassment angered

Bunji’s followers, yet Bunji,regarding the situation,remarked that such troubles

were trivial. He explained that the factthe Mountain Priests came to take offeringstime and time again meant that Kami wasbestowing the offerings to them, and suchbeing the case, he did not allow it to angerhim. Continuing on, he said that thoughthey had taken everything on the Altar today,there was always a tomorrow when offeringswould be made through the faith andsincerity of the people. Bunji endured therepeated incidents of harassment in this way,and with time, the Mountain Priests “visits”gradually began to decline.

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Mountain Priests

AS THE SOCIETY began shifting towardmodernization, the number ofmarginalized people soared. Those

considered “impure” or “dangerous” werenot allowed to approach “sacred grounds”of any kind, as they would either soil ordestroy the purity. They consisted of peoplegrouped into the categories including, butnot limited to: pregnant women, samuraiout of work due to the abolishment of thecaste system, and anyone who haddeformities, most commonly leprosy.Staying out of sight during the day, theycould only wander safely at night.

During this time, Kami revealed toBunji, “Remove the sliding shutter at theHiromae’s [Worship Hall] entrance. Make itso that the believers can enter the Hiromae atanytime” (Memoirs: 12:4). Bunji compliedwithout hesitation. Sliding shutters werethick wooden panels that closed over theinner paper walls, and were meant to keeprain and wind out during storms, as well asthieves and unwanted guests. Since thesewere usually closed and locked at night, theremoval of these panels enabled anyone tovisit him at any time. Beginning in October1867, in compliance with another revelationfrom Kami, Bunji nailed the front door ofhis house open permanently. The act ofopening his doors to these marginalizedpeople, for these people, symbolized thebroadening of Bunji’s faith, as well as hisdesire to save those people who were inneed. In the revelation, “Like the way watergathers into a depression, all the world’sproblems gather in this Hiromae [WorshipHall]” (Revelations: 19:7.1), Kami let Bunjiknow that he was to embrace everyone whowas washed out by society. Seeing thesuffering that modernization caused people,Bunji told a follower, “Though they say theworld is becoming civilized, it is not. It iscollapsing” (GI: Ichimura Mitsugoro, vol.1, 17:1).Kami had sent him to save this world.

As Bunji’s awareness expanded, Kamirevealed more to him. He received arevelation, which said, “Although Kamicannot be seen, you are constantly walkingwithin and through the midst of Kami. Evenwhile fertilizing a field or walking along apath, the whole world is Tenchi Kane NoKami’s Hiromae” (GIII: Konko Kyoso Gorikai, 6).So when villagers persistently requested tobuild a shrine for Konjin, Bunji gave hisreasons for not giving in to their requests.The purpose of a shrine such as the onethey wanted, was to hold Konjin inside sothat Konjin would guard the village.However, if the entire universe is Kami’sWorship Hall, one can pray at any time,wherever one is. Therefore, making a tinyshrine in a tiny village would only misleadpeople’s beliefs, and hinder Kami’s wishto save all people by being revealed to theentire world. Bunji received anotherrevelation that said, “It has been elevenyears since you were first asked to assistKami. Through your Mediation, Kami isfulfilled and people prosper. From this time,you will be recognized as a Kami. Throughyour efforts, the Sun, Moon and EarthDeities are now recognized as part of aunified whole, Tenchi No Kami, and thedivine virtue has begun to be revealed to thepeople. Kami is grateful” (Memoirs: 15:8,6-8).In this way, Bunji’s awareness of the waysof the universe continued to grow andgain strength.

On September 24, 1868, Kami allowedBunji to have the divine title, IkigamiKonko Daijin. Although Bunji hadreceived several divine titles beforehand,this last one was the most significant. Itdesignated Konko Daijin as the Mediatorbetween Kami and the people. IkigamiKonko Daijin means “Living Kami,Konko Daijin.” This signified a newconcept that distinctly separated his faithfrom traditional beliefs.

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THROUGHOUT ALL of these years,Konko Daijin’s Mediationcontinued to be hindered by

numerous things: the Mountain Priests,rumors of being possessed by evil deities,and by the persecution resulting from thesuspicions of a wavering government.However, his followers devotedly fought tolegitimize his Faith, gaining and losingcertification according to the rise and fall ofthe government’s mood. He finally receivedofficial recognition as a Shinto Priest inApril 1867. However, the fall of theTokugawa government and the rise of theMeiji government in 1868 revoked all suchlicenses. In efforts to gain stability andpower, the new Meiji government’s restric-tions became more strict with each passingyear. For Konko Daijin’s followers, thestruggle to gain official recognition by thegovernment was to start all over again.Although the government, at first, offeredcertification for any leaders in society whowould comply with their terms, KonkoDaijin refused, because complying meantthat he would have to preach “nationalpatriotism.” Konko Daijin would notcompromise Kami’s Faith in this way. In1872 during the middle of these difficulties,Kami revealed to Konko Daijin, “How andwhat things will change are unknown.However, they can be for the better dependingon one’s heart” (Memoirs: 20:14.2).

In 1873, the Meiji government, pressingto become “civilized” in the Westerntradition, created the Ministry of Education,which discouraged practices based onsuperstitious beliefs, and passed a law whichsaid, “All exorcists, fortune tellers,necromancists and spiritualists lead othersastray. Henceforth, such people are strictlyforbidden to practice.” Although KonkoDaijin did not adhere to superstitious beliefs,as a spiritualist, Konko Daijin was soonordered to take down the Altar in his

Worship Hall, and was no longer allowed toteach his followers. Thus his followers couldno longer seek his guidance. Regarding thismatter, Kami revealed, “Your family is not toforget about Kami. Whatever happens, do notdepend on others. For the good times as well asthe bad, rely on Kami. Do not worry. Theworld keeps changing, so wait patiently for fiveyears” (Memoirs: 21:1.3-4). Retreating from theWorship Hall and the public into the backrooms of his house, Konko Daijin meditatedalone. This was to be the most significanttrial in his spiritual development.

With the role of a Mediator taken away,banned from offering prayers to the Altar,and having even the Altar itself taken away,Konko Daijin reflected within himself andon Kami ever more deeply. Then on April11, 1873, Kami revealed,

Through Ikigami Konko Daijin, to TenchiKane No Kami, pray with a single heart.The divine favor depends upon one’s ownheart. On this day pray. (Revelations: 17:11)Kami instructed these words to be

written down. Konko Daijin called this “theReminder of Heaven and Earth.” ThisDivine Reminder conceptualized the essenceof the Konko Faith, reminding us thatwhether we receive blessings or not, whetherwe live happy fulfilling lives or not, dependson how we direct our hearts and attitudes.Shortly after this, the government eased itsrestrictions, and Konko Daijin resumed hisMediation at the Worship Hall.

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Founder writingrevelations from Kami

AS KONKO DAIJIN’S inner faithdeepened and broadened, so did hisinfluence. Because he opened

himself up and allowed the unconditionallove of Kami to flow through him, hiswarm, kind smile and compassion drewpeople toward him. Small ripples of hisinfluence spread out from the tiny village,gaining strength and crossing the lines ofclass that people had created. In a timewhen the caste system was strict, wherewomen were the lowest class and seen goodonly for bearing the family heir, in a timewhere the handicapped were looked upon ascondemned and impure and thus shunned,Konko Daijin’s teaching influencedindividual people in the following ways:

Takahashi Tomie married when she wasnineteen. She soon had a son, but he diedafter only ten days. Verbally abused andtreated badly by her in-laws who said shewas worthless, Tomie’s situation worseneduntil she finally had to return to her originalfamily. (Divorce was rare in those days, andit highly damaged a family’s reputation aswell as the person involved.) A relative wholived nearby introduced Tomie to KonkoDaijin’s teachings. Encouraged by KonkoDaijin’s words, she took them to heart, andno matter what was said of her or whatevents occurred, she held fast to her faith.Even when the government prohibited herfrom propagating, she did not stop and wasimprisoned more than once. Even afterTomie began practicing faith andperforming Mediation, she did not escapethe discrimination of the times. However,the support Konko Daijin gave her warmedher and gave her strength to continueduring incidents such as this one:

His son being seriously ill, a mannamed Takemoto Kajuro went toKonko-Sama’s Hiromae [WorshipHall] to get some sacred sake [ricewine]. Konko-Sama spoke in a

revelation, “Kajuro, you can find sake atthe sake brewery. With your kind ofheart, my sake is not effective. What doyou think your local hiromae is? Justbecause she’s [a] young [Mediator], youlack respect for her and think that she issome nursemaid. She happens to serveone of my branch hiromaes, and she is amember of Kami’s family. Respect heras a kami. Whether or not you receivedivine blessings depends upon yourheart.” Kajuro returned home feelingashamed. He came to my Hiromae andasked, “Please give me some sacredsake.” His sick son soon recoveredcompletely. (GII: Takahashi Tomie, 16)Dedicated to helping people, Takahashi

Tomie’s name is now always mentioned asamong the top five of Konko Daijin’sdisciples.

Saito Juemon’s introduction to KonkoDaijin’s teachings resulted from his wife’sillness, which did not subside despitemedical care. Progressing to the point whereshe could not tolerate the slightest noise, hiswife could not even bear the voices of thepeople who came to wish her well. After thedoctors gave up on her recovery, Tsuji toldJuemon, “I have received adequate care andhave no regrets if I should die. However, Ihave one request to make of you. I shall becontent forever if you would worship atOtani village just once.” Tsuji’s request putJuemon in a dilemma. As a stronglyopinionated and stubborn man, he wasagainst worshiping rumored deities.However, the last request of his wife carriedhis feet to the village neighboring Otani.Thinking his wife would never know if hedidn’t actually go to Otani, he reconsideredwhen he thought about how he wouldanswer her questions of what Otani andKonko Daijin looked liked.

Arriving at the door to the Worship Hall,he thought he would just peek in and try to

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get a look at Konko Daijinwithout actually goinginside. While at the door,he overheard KonkoDaijin teaching hisfollowers, and he was deeplyimpressed. He wondered if hehad come sooner, if his wifewould have recovered much quicker.Seeking Mediation, Juemon was told that ifhis wife received a divine sign within threedays, she would recover. If she did notreceive a sign, it would mean that herstrength to live had been exhausted, andthat such a person may not be saved even byKami. Returning home the next morning,Tsuji told him, “I did not perspire lastnight.” Since this was unusual, Juemon feltit must be a divine sign, and hurried toOtani village in joy. As Juemon began to goto worship every day, Tsuji graduallyrecovered fully. Going to worship with thiswife, Juemon was truly grateful and came toperform Mediation himself. Juemon vowedto Kami that he would work to have a faithso strong that people would receive divineblessings through his Mediation in five daysinstead of ten. He was willing to endure anyamount of hardship to achieve this, and hewould not settle for anything less. Juemon’spowerful dedication collided with thegovernment’s restrictions, which sent him tojail a few times. However, it also allowedhim to play a vital role in spreading KonkoDaijin’s Faith throughout the westernregions of Japan. He is now considered oneof Konko Daijin’s strongest disciples.

Fujii Kiyono was a woman who, at theage of twenty-five, lost her eyesight from aneye disease after having given birth. By thetime she was thirty-one years old, countlessshamans and priests had told her that therewas no recovery. Rejected by a society thatconsidered her nothing but a burden, shelost hope. Her parents had visited Konko

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Juemon continuing to pray in jail

Daijin’s Worship Hall, sowhen she finally decidedto pay a visit, KonkoDaijin told her thatalthough she had lost her

eyesight, it would not be aninconvenience in her life.

Practicing faith and followingKonko Daijin’s teachings, Kiyono had

no difficulty with household chores, did notneed a cane to walk, was able to weave,thread a needle, and even was able to aligndesigns at the seams in her kimono. She wassuch an exceptionally skillful seamstress thatmany girls came to her for lessons. Kiyonobecame an outgoing and highly enthusiasticwoman who went out into neighboringprovinces to spread her newly adopted Faith.

The first son of a highly esteemed ricemerchant, Shirakami Shinichiro lost hiseyesight due to an illness at forty-one yearsold. He spent the next several years of his lifevisiting shrines and temples, hoping to find acure, but to no avail. He even became aMountain Priest, but quit because he did notreceive any results, and then he began hisrounds to the Eighty-eight Temples ofShikoku Island. Sometime after ten or morerounds of the Island, Shinichiro receivedword that his third son had died at the age ofeighteen. He returned home in despair, stillblind. At this time, he was introduced by asamurai to Fujii Kiyono. This first exposureto Konko Daijin’s teachings left a profoundimpression on him, for he realized that faithwas not merely donating offerings andreciting sutras (Buddhist chants/prayers) atshrines and temples, or climbing mountainsto visit sacred places. Devoting himself topracticing faith fervently at Konko Daijin’sWorship Hall, he was able to see the flame ofa candle after a year. He regained hiscomplete eyesight quickly thereafter. Sofilled with gratitude, Shinichiro could not sitstill. He wrote and published An Introduction

to Faith to express his gratitude and to sharehis experiences with others. He wasdetermined to spread Konko Daijin’s Faithas quickly as possible. He would not waiteven one day, for he said that if he did, oneday’s worth of people would not knowKami’s blessings. He went on to propagateKonko Daijin’s teachings in Osaka.Shinichiro’s worship hall became so crowdedthat he had to move to a larger building, andeven then, believers had to take numbers andwait for their turn to receive Mediation.Unfortunately, being too concerned aboutother people’s salvation, he disregarded hisown health by pushing himself harderduring the day and rarely getting any sleep atnight. His body eventually succumbed to anillness, and he died at the age of sixty-five.Konko Daijin said of him, “SinceShirakami-san exhausted his body tobroaden the Way of Faith, he is a kami, aliveor dead” (GII: Kondo Fujimori, 55:2). Shinichirohad established Konko Daijin’s Faith inOsaka and spread it throughout westernJapan.

Kondo Fujimori was a young man in histwenties who had been foretold that hewould die because of an illness at the age oftwenty-five. Introduced to ShirakamiShinichiro when he fell ill, he only prayedfor his wife’s illness, which before long wascured. He began to think that even if KonkoDaijin was a fake, the meaning of his wordsseemed reasonable, and so he decided to giveKonko Daijin’s Faith more consideration.When Fujimori was cured of his illness inone night as if it never had existed, he beganpracticing faith fervently with his wife. Afterbecoming a Mediator, Fujimori recalls oneof his lessons from Konko Daijin,

While serving as a Mediator on the westside of Kono Bridge in Nanba, Osaka, Ifelt much responsibility in serving thehiromae [worship hall]. I thought, “Aperson like me with no virtue cannot

continue serving the Faith. I must acquiremore of Kami’s virtue.” I decided that Ihad to do ascetic training, so I askedKonko-Sama [Konko Daijin] for advice.“I would very much like to go to amountain and undergo ascetic trainingfor some time. What do you think ofthis?”Konko-Sama asked, “If you go to amountain, how will you do ascetictraining?”“In the mountain, I will first live ondumplings made from barely. Then Iwill live on the nuts and leaves of trees.And toward the end, I will survive onlyon water.”Then Konko-Sama asked, “What kindof mountain will you go to?”“I will go as deep into the mountains as Ican, to separate myself from the world.”In a blessed teaching, Konko-Samaimparted, “That is fine. However,Kondo-san, you need not troubleyourself by going to a mountain. Create amountain in your heart, and do religioustraining there. Enter the mountain whichyou have created in your heart, then nomatter if there are difficulties or unsavorymeals from your wife, you will notcomplain.” (GII: Kondo Fujimori, 20)Deeply touched, Kondo Fujimori began

to practice faith in this new way. Bycreating a mountain in his heart, he learnedto practice faith at anytime and anywhere.

In these ways, using Konko Daijin’sbody and voice, Kami was able to touchpeople’s lives and help them realize how tolive a fulfilling life. Being awakened to thekami inside of them made these people sograteful that they could not selfishly bask init alone. They were eager to tell others sothat others could be saved from suffering asthey had been. These people becameKonko Daijin’s disciples and continued tospread the Faith of Konko Daijin in their

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AS KONKO DAIJIN’S Faith spread,where there were no disciples toprovide Mediation, followers

organized self-study religious groups andappointed leaders. These groups gatheredtogether regularly to worship, andoccasionally they went to Konko Daijin’sWorship Hall.

As mentioned earlier, the Meijigovernment had prohibited Konko Daijinfrom propagating his Faith, but later whenthey lessened their restrictions, he couldresume performing Mediation. The lack ofofficial approval proved to be a continuinghindrance for the disciples and followers ofKonko Daijin, who wanted to propagate hisFaith. Nonetheless, during the last years ofKonko Daijin’s life, several of his disciplestried to circumvent this difficulty bycompromising with the conditions imposedby the government. In time, the need forofficial recognition of Konko Daijin’s Faithwas felt strongly by a group of followers ledby Sato Norio, Shirakami Shinichiro, andKondo Fujimori.

Sato Norio was a young man whoaspired to become a master carpenter.Drawn to Konko Daijin’s teachings, Norioeventually became a Mediator and provedto be a genius in the ways of organizing.Taking the lead, he consulted withShirakami Shinichiro and Kondo Fujimorialong the way. These three menspearheaded the organizing of KonkoDaijin’s teachings, as they desired tospread his Faith in a more active andorganized manner.

In 1882, Sato Norio sought advice froma Shinto Priest on how to gain official

recognition for Konko Daijin’s Faith. Toldthat the basic principles needed to be inwriting, he went to Konko Daijin, before hepassed away, to find out what they were.

Sato Norio was told, “It does not matterwhether this Faith becomesindependent or not, as long as peoplecan be saved.” (GIII: Naiden, 9.3)But Norio pressed on, “Things will befine as long as you are living. But afteryou die, people will think that this Faithis temporal, unless we have somewritten teachings.” (GIII: Naiden, 9.4)

Konko Daijin sought Kami’s advice uponthis matter, and then had his son, Hagio,and Norio begin documenting theteachings he received from Kami.

Even with the principles documented,however, gaining official recognitionoutside of the Shinto religion in agovernment without religious freedomproved to be difficult. This was especiallytrue of Konko Daijin’s Faith, which wasmuch too universal in its teachings forboth the government and most peopleduring this time. Within a society thatcould not see beyond its country’sinterests, Konko Daijin once said, “Whileyou concern yourself with only trivialthings, I am aspiring for a blessing whichwill completely embrace the world withthis Faith” (GII: Kunieda Sangoro, 11:1).Konko Daijin’s disciples continued theirefforts to gain official recognition ofKonko Daijin’s Faith, but it was not untilJune 16, 1900, that the Japanesegovernment officially recognized his Faith.Unfortunately, Konko Daijin did not liveto see it happen.

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BEGINNINGS OF AN ORGANIZATION

IN THE LAST YEARS of Konko Daijin’slife, he occasionally made referencesto his own death. He once said, “The

moon may disappear behind clouds, but itis still there. My physical form will alsodisappear someday” (GII: Fukushima Gihe’e,22). Then, “There’s the lunar calendarand the solar calendar. There will be atime when the 9th and 10th day of bothcalendars will fall on the same day. Onthat day, I will leave this world” (GII: GokaKeishun, 21).

Konko Daijin served at his WorshipHall for the last time on September 27,1883. That evening during the service,Konko Daijin received a divine message toleave the Worship Hall and have one of hissons continue the Mediation. With thispermission from Kami, Konko Daijin,whose physical condition was so weak thathe had to struggle on his hands and knees,retired to his room.

During the last days of his life, KonkoDaijin became bedridden in his room andwas able to consume only soups. Attended byhis wife and his second daughter, Kura, whenthe need arose for him to leave his bed, KonkoDaijin made special efforts to sit up and facetheWorship Hall to pray. Konko Daijinrequested that knowledge of his condition bewithheld from the general public so as not tocause people to make special trips to see him.As Konko Daijin neared death, he summonedonly his immediate family members and gavethem his final instructions.

Grateful for being allowed to serve bothKami and people, Konko Daijin said,“Although there were days when I couldn’teat anything, there was not a single day intwenty-seven years when I was unable toperform Toritsugi mediation at theHiromae” (Revelations: 27:12). Then, onOctober 10, 1883, at the age of sixty-nine,Konko Daijin passed away peacefully in the

THE FOUNDER’S DEATH

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Konko Daijin’s Articles

THE DEATH of Konko Daijincreated a void for his followers,which was so great that it brought

momentary uncertainty among them.However, Ieyoshi, Konko Daijin’s fifthson, immediately filled this void bydevoting himself completely to Mediation.The believers were impressed withIeyoshi’s conduct and felt optimistic aboutthe future, despite their sorrow over KonkoDaijin’s death. Sato Norio describedIeyoshi’s Mediation as follows,

Shijin-Sama [Mediator Ieyoshi] prayedfor people’s wishes and requests fromtwo o’clock in the morning until late atnight. One night in the fall of 1887, Icommented to Shijin-Sama, “I amafraid you may exhaust yourself for youare working too hard.”To this Shijin-Sama replied, “I couldnot possibly become exhausted. KonkoDaijin is always with me. This is why Ican fulfill my duties.” (Biography, 111)What Mediator Ieyoshi was referring to

were the physical and the spiritual workingsof Konko Daijin that continue to live on.The physical aspect with which he supportsus is his teachings. These writings not onlypreserved Konko Daijin’s Faith, but alsothe path he took to gain it. They are thedoctrines that are passed on to us and guideus today.

The spiritual force that gives us energy,as Mediator Ieyoshi mentioned, refers tothe workings of Konko Daijin even afterhis death. The last entry in hisMemoirs,nineteen days before his death, is thefollowing revelation, “For the sake of allpeople and to save those who give Merequests, I shall sacrifice [substitute] you.This is for the eternal dignity of KonkoDaijin’s virtue” (Revelations: 27:15.2). Thislast revelation has been translated andinterpreted in various ways. However, fromit we can know that Konko Daijin’s

devotion to saving suffering people will notdie. Konko Daijin said, “Having a physicalbody makes it difficult for me to seepeople’s suffering in the world. When mybody is gone, I can go to where I amrequested and save people” (GII: KarahiTsunezo, 4). Also, “As long as the Universeexists, there will be no end to its teachings.I am to preach the Way of the Universe”(GII: Sato Norio, 14:3).

In this way, Kami was able to useKonko Daijin to save others. However,just as Konko Daijin said, there is no endto the teachings of the universe. And aslong as there are teachings to be taught,there is a need for Mediators. Kamirevealed,

There is no one who has known theblessings of Heaven and Earth whichenable people to live. Kami shall havepeople become aware of the blessings ofHeaven and Earth by having KonkoDaijin be born throughout the worldwhere the sun shines, in every country,without exception. (Revelations: 26:22.3)To have “Konko Daijin” born

throughout the world means that there willbe many living kamis who will help Kamisave people. Konko Daijin once said,

Though people call Konko Daijin anIkigami, Konko Daijin is not the onlyone. All people who come to theHiromae [Worship Hall] are Kami’schildren. To be an Ikigami is to haveKami born within you. Konko Daijinwas the first to receive divine blessings.Everyone can receive divine blessings inthe same way. (GI: Tokunaga Kenji, 2)Kami, through Konko Daijin, is

pleading for each of us to become a livingkami, so that we may find peace andhappiness within our hearts and save othersand ourselves from suffering.

This is how an ordinary farmer from atiny village gained universal awareness,

The Eternal Workings of IKIGAMI KONKO DAIJIN2THEFOUNDEROFKONKOKYO

61

became a Mediator between Kami andpeople, and then a Living Kami himself.Konko Daijin left for us what he hopeswill guide us toward becoming livingkamis. Even today, our succeedingSpiritual Leader, Konko-Sama, prays for

the prosperity of mankind and all livingthings, from the early hours of eachmorning. He sits next to the Altar for therest of the day, waiting to provideMediation for people who come with theirproblems or requests.

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Konko-Sama awaiting believers at the Mediation Seat in the Main Worship Hall

TodayKonkokyo

TodayKonkokyo

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HEADQUARTERS

AQUIET VILLAGE nestled in the valley of Okayama Prefecture came to be calledKonko Town after our Founder, Konko Daijin. Here his disciples worked tirelesslywithin the multitude of governmental restrictions to organize and legitimize the

religion. The aim of those disciples was to ensure that the work of the Founder wouldcontinue and spread. Today, this is the location of the Konkokyo Headquarters.

Konkokyo Spiritual Leader (Konko-Sama) �Our Founder passed on the responsibility of performing Mediationto one of his sons. Preserving this sacred role, although each

church has ministers and every minister performs Mediation,the Mediation at Headquarters is reserved for Konko-Sama, who is nominated from the descendant families ofthe Founder. Getting up in the early hours of eachmorning, Konko-Sama continues the role of our Founderby receiving people who seek his Mediation.

Main Worship Hall�The Worship Hall, changed five times overthe years, has been built to accommodatethe increasing number of people seekingMediation from Konko-Sama. Although thevarious facilities within the building close forthe evening, the worship area itself is openat all times for people to worship freely.

JAPAN

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Administrative Office�

The Administration Officeruns Konkokyo’s organizationin Japan. Staffed by Konkoministers and members, it isdivided into five departments;General Affairs, ReligiousAffairs, Financial Affairs,Worship Hall Affairs, andPropagation Affairs. TheOffice plans and executesKonkokyo’s propagation, andboth religious and socialactivities.

Konkokyo Seminary�The one-year seminary termcombines physical, spiritual,and mental exercises toready the students forrunning a church, strength-ening their understanding ofKami and their relationshipwith Kami, and ultimatelysaving other people.

� KonkokyoResearch InstituteThe Research Institute isdivided into threedepartments: Founder,History, and Doctrine. TheInstitute continues researchin these three areas, bysifting through the archivesthey have collected from the time of our Founder. With thenew information they find, they write theses and reports, andpublish them bi-annually. A scholarly journal called, “Journalof the Konkokyo Research Institute,” is published annuallyas well.

� Faith Training CenterMinisters, believers, andpeople who have an interestin Konkokyo attend thevarious seminars the FaithTraining Center holdsthroughout the year. Theseminars, ranging from oneto four days in length, includefaith-training activities suchas: attending Konko-Sama’s4:00 morning service andprayer services at the MainWorship Hall throughout theday, listening to sermons,practicing giving sermons,and participating in groupdiscussions. Through thistraining, participants are ableto deepen their faith whilesharing their experiences witheach other.

�KonkokyoBroadcasting CenterThe Konkokyo BroadcastingCenter was created toproduce a broadcastingprogram based on the faith ofKonko Daijin that addressesthe problems of humanity inthis age. They broadcast aprogram called the“Konkokyo Hour” once aweek. From the collection ofbroadcasts in the past, theBroadcasting Center alsopublishes a book called TheVoice of Konkokyo.

�Konko LibraryThe Konko Library is locatedwithin the AdministrationBuilding. Working to fulfill theSpiritual Leader’s wish for theKonko Library to be a “livinglibrary,” the Library serves thesociety by being open to thepublic, holding variousactivities and readingsessions for children, andsponsoring cultural activities.The Konko Library alsosponsors the Bluebird BrailleGroup, which translateslibrary materials into braille.They have produced over12,000 materials in braille,which are catalogued in theLibrary. They also researchbraille translation techniquesand hold translation trainingsessions annually.

�Konkokyo PropagationCenters andAdministrative OfficesKonkokyo divides Japan intotwelve administrative blocks.A propagation center or anadministrative office isresponsible for the necessarycommunication and acts as arepresentative and consultantfor each block.

Konkokyo InternationalCenter (KIC)�Located in Tokyo, KICgathers overseas informationfor the organization anddisseminates this informationabout the Konko Faith topeople overseas. KIC handlesmost of the internationalrelations and issues for theorganization, as well as thetranslation of religiousmaterial into foreignlanguages.

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�Kansai University Of Social Welfare (KUSW)The Kansai (Western) University of Social Welfare is a universityfounded in 1997 by the Kansai Konko Gakuen (School)Educational Foundation Group. Combining classroom study withfield experience, the KUSW aims to educate and develop peoplewho will then use their skills and knowledge to contribute to thecreation and development of welfare programs in the society.

�Konkokyo SchoolsTo help society educatechildren, Konkokyo hasestablished five kindergartensand preschools, and sevenjunior and senior high schools.Considered to be privatereligious schools, the seniorhigh schools offer religiousclasses once a week, and mostof the schools close toHeadquarters have thestudents take a trip to theMain Worship Hall to giveprayers of gratitude at thebeginning and ending of eachsemester. To help broaden thestudents’ education and views,some of the schools putspecial emphasis on volunteeractivities, and others sendtheir students to Great Britainor to Canada for overseasstudy during the summer.

�Konkokyo Youth FestivalHeld at Headquarters, thisfestival transforms the entiretown into a colorful and livelyplace. Countless food boothsare set up, as well as variousactivity and craft booths forchildren. Konko Youth groupsfrom all over Japan come toenjoy the huge mazes, junglegyms, water adventures, andother activity areas that areset up by the Headquarterstaff. The youths also put on aperformance after marchingthrough the town in theirrespective marching bands.Participants range fromchildren just able to walk tograndmas and grandpas, allenjoying this long awaitedmoment.

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THE KONKO

Churches of NorthAmerica (KCNA) is

an association of KonkoChurches in the continentalUnited States and Canada.First established in 1938 asthe Konko-Kyo Federationin America, it developed intothe Konko Churches ofAmerica (KCA) in 1954, andbecame the Konko Churchesof North America (KCNA)in 1961. The KCNA is asupportive organization forits believers and churches,and currently consists oftwelve churches and onepropagation hall. Thechurches are located in:Toronto, Ontario, andVancouver, BritishColumbia, in Canada;

Fresno, Gardena, LosAngeles, Sacramento, SanDiego, San Francisco, SanJose, andWhittier inCalifornia; Portland,Oregon, and Seattle,Washington. Thepropagation hall is located inChicago, Illinois.

The KCNAAdministrative Office,together with the MinistryBoard of Review and theHouse of Delegates,share the responsi-bility of directingthe efforts of theKonkokyo Organization inNorth America. KCNAworks to strengthen relation-ships between the KonkoChurches and the believersthrough printed matter and

KONKO CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA

THE KONKO

Missions in Hawaii(KMH) originated

from the Konko Churchesof America, and wasrecognized by the state ofHawai’i in 1971. The KMHpresently consist of sixchurches: Honolulu, Hilo,Waipahu, Wahiawa,Hanapepe and Wailuku.

Supporting theKonkokyo believers andchurches in Hawai’i, theKMHAdministrativeOffice plans and

hold conferences,gatherings, study groups,youth camps, workshops,and the “MalamalamaNewsletter.” Gainingstrength in its diverse andexciting youth programs,the KMH works to developand educate their youth in

order to securetheir future.

Members ofKMH haveorganized tocreate a

group called“Bloomers” that

KONKO MISSIONS IN HAWAII (KMH)

AMERICA

various functions andgatherings. These include“The Konko Review”newsletter, regional seminarsand an annual conference. Italso promotes thepropagation of its Faith byproviding information,materials, and consultationfor people wishing to knowmore about the Konko Faith.

also actively plans programsand creates Englishmaterials for the people ofHawai’i.Onceeveryfiveyears,theKMHjoinsandworkswith theKCNA at aKCNA/KMHJoint Conference,alternating with a KCNAchurch as the host for theevent.

KCNA/KMH ACTIVITIES � The KMH Youth Camp isheld on the beautiful islandof Maui. With icebreakers,sports, beach trips, shopping,and lots of mingling, theseyouths are able to make newfriends and learn a little moreabout their faith.

Konko Youth Camps (YC)In the KCNA the Konko youthlive as far apart as Toronto,Canada, to San Diego,California. In the KMH, theyouth are scattered acrossthe Hawaiian Islands. Thusthe youth activities sponsoredby each organization allowthe youth to gather togetherand meet.The KCNA Konko YouthCamp was created to providean environment were youngpeople, ages thirteen toseventeen, can gather andsocialize as well as learnmore about the Konko Faith.All costs of the camps areborne by the KCNA, includingtransportation and housing.Held before the KCNAConference, the four days arepacked with group games andactivities, allowing the partici-pants to get to know oneanother and share theirexperiences. The YouthCamps have also includedvarious sessions, includingCPR training, drug avoidance,and AIDS education.

�Winter Camp participantsenjoying the view of LakeTahoe in California, from aslope on Heavenly ValleySki Resort.

KCNA Winter Camp (WC)With the growing desire tomeet their friends more thanjust once a year, the youthsthemselves organized thestart of the Winter Camp.Now sponsored by the KCNA,youth in the thirteen totwenty-five age ranges enjoyskiing and other winteractivities as they continue tostudy the doctrines of theirfaith and share theirexperiences.

KCNA MissionaryWomen’s Society Seminar(MWSS) & KMHMissionary Women’sMeeting (MWM)As annual events, these twogatherings bring together thewomen who are the strengthand backbone of our churches.As ministers, many of thesewomen have the responsibilityof helping run a church, whilealso caring for their children,and some even have part-timeor full-time jobs.Sharing experiences,difficulties, and solutions, theparticipants teach each othervarious skills and give eachother support. They alsoexchange ideas on how theirchurches might better reachthe people in need. Joint KMH-KCNA Missionary Women’smeetings are held periodically.� The MWSS displaying their

sushi-making efforts.

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KCNA Young AdultSeminar (YAS)Participants of the YouthCamp, feeling lonely uponreaching their eighteenthbirthday, requested the KCNAto start a new camp for them.The KCNA responded to thisrequest by creating the YASfor those between the ages ofeighteen and twenty-five.These maturing adults need asense of accomplishment anddirection to help organize theirthoughts, especially thoseassociated with faith. Thus,the YAS is more orientedtoward discussion and thestudy of doctrine. The YASparticipants concentrate theirefforts on producing materialsthey can share with othermembers, but to no degree dothey leave out the fun!

KCNA Regional SeminarsThese seminars are heldannually in each regionrespectively: the PacificNorthwest, Northern andSouthern California, and theEastern Region. They allowbelievers to share experiencesand listen to presentations bytheir peers. Usually located ina natural environment, itcreates a peacefulatmosphere where they canrelax and reflect on their life.

BloomersThe Bloomers is a group formed by the “baby boom” Konkokyobelievers in Hawai’i. These members seek to deepen thefriendship among believers their age, enrich their own faith, andpass down their faith to the younger generation. As the numberof Konko youth who can understand Japanese declines, theBloomers are concerned when youth leave the Faith because theycannot understand it. Feeling the urgent need to start activitiesusing English, and activities that appeal to youth, the Bloomershave presently begun to hold monthly services in English. Theyalso hold various social activities to include people who do notyet know Konkokyo. Through these activities, the Bloomers hopeto support the youth, spread the Faith in Hawai’i, and deepentheir own faith and experiences in Konkokyo.

� YAS participants all tied upin a group game called“Knots.”

KONKOKYO teaches me

to see the energy that

flows throughout the

universeand is directe

d

by Kami-Sama. With it

he sustains life and

all

things. Konkokyo

is a

practice in which we

learn to respect and

appreciate all thin

gs in

life, and to appreciate

and learn from all

happenings, good or bad.

It teachesus to have a

positive outlook on life,

and through Mediation

we can receive help along

our path.We can learn

about ourselves, a

nd like

a mirror, we can also see

our true selves ther

e.

NW Regional Seminar held onthe beautiful campus of Lewis& Clark College, Oregon.

ConferencesEach year a member church of the KCNA, selected on a rotatingbasis, hosts the KCNA Conference. In three days and two nightsof discussions, sports competitions, group games,nature hikes, and the ever popular “Saturday NightLive” skits put on by the various age groups, theConference develops faith while bringing thebelievers closer together. As the Conference is not anintensive faith study, many friends of believers happilycome to participate in the Conferences. Once every fiveyears, the KMH joins with KCNA at aKCNA/KMH Joint Conference,alternating with a KCNA church asthe host for the event.

KCNA/KMH FaithTraining Institute (FTI)�A student being shown the

proper way to put onceremonial robes.

The Faith Training Institute(FTI) was created for peoplewho are seeking an in-depthstudy of Konkokyo. It is alsoan integral part of theKCNA/KMH ministerialdevelopment program. Duringthe two-week session,students learn through hands-on experiences as well aslectures. Subjects such as:service etiquette, theFounder, doctrine, sermons,how to prepare offerings, andinstructions on dressing inceremonial robes are includedin the curriculum.

Only those activities sponsored by the KCNA and KMH arelisted here. Individual Konko Churches hold many more activitiessuch as charity bazaars, camp-outs, picnics, senior citizensappreciation trips, various volunteer activities, and Sundayschool activities and outings. If you would like more informationabout activities, please refer to Appendix C.

�A KCNA/KMH JointConference held in SantaBarbara, hosted by the LosAngeles Church.

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BRASIL

PARAGUAY

Konkokyo has four churches inBrasil located in: Birigui, SaoPaulo, Rondonia, and MogiDas Cruzes. Believers in Brasilhave been growing rapidly inthe last few years, sopropagation halls have beenopened in Critiba andButanta. The churches holdbazaars, camp-outs, picnics,barbeques, kids’ festivals, andvarious other activities wherebelievers and non-believersalike can get together, discussexperiences, and enjoy life.

� The entrance of theKonkokyo Birigui Church.

The churches join their effortsto hold a conference eachyear as well. During theseconferences, the adults havestudy sessions using theKonkokyo Kyoten (KonkokyoBook of Teachings) as theirreference, while the kids arevery contentedly having funcamping. This group also isworking on translatingmaterials into Portuguese.

The Konkokyo AsuncionActivity Center wasestablished in 1996. Stillyoung and just beginning togrow, the center strives tofulfill the needs and wishes ofthe believers in Paraguay.They hold many discussionsand gatherings about faith tosupport each other, and alsohold activities such asvolunteering at orphanages.�Designed to fit the

atmosphere of Paraguay, theKami Altar is arranged infront of a beautifully paintedwall.

SOUTH AMERICA

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KOREA

GATHERINGS

A few Koreans became believersin the Konko Faith in the 1990s.These new believers have beendeveloping their faith by makingoccasional visits to the KonkokyoHeadquarters in Japan, and byholding gatherings with ministersfrom Japan. The strong desire tohelp people has allowed them toobtain a new facility, and theyhave officially establishedKonkokyo in Seoul, South Korea.The organization is called“Konkokyo of Korea,” and is runby an all-Korean staff.The Konkokyo of KoreaOrganization holds monthly services at their new church,officiated by Korean ministers who have trained and studied atHeadquarters in Japan. There is always someone at the adminis-trative office and the church to help anyone who should drop bythe church to pray, or come to the office for information.�A service in Korea.� The Konkokyo Korea Administration Office Building.

As the number of Konkokyobelievers around the world hasbegun to grow, thesebelievers, without anychurches nearby, haveorganized to hold FaithGatherings. To support them,ministers from KIC attendthese gatherings at least oncea year. So far, gatherings havebeen held in London, England;Frankfurt, Erlangen, andTuebingen, Germany; Madrid,Spain; Paris, France; andKuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thebeginnings of gatherings canalso be seen in Australia.Believers, as well as peoplewho just have an interest inKonkokyo, attend thegatherings to talk about faith,share experiences, and givesupport to each other.

KOREA • GATHERINGS

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PEACE ACTIVITIES

EVERYONE SHOULD be able to enjoy freedom, livecomfortably, and be treated kindly. However, Kamiwarned us, “Although they say the world is

becoming civilized, it is not. It is collapsing…” (GI: IchimuraMitsugoro, vol.1:17). Kami is concerned for the welfare of theearth. We humans have made many mistakes that must becorrected. Konkokyo is joining in the growing effort acrossthe world to support global issues, promote peace, and saveour precious earth.

Konkokyo Peace Activity Center (KPAC)As a non-governmental, non-profit organization, KPAC workstogether with its counterparts in Cambodia, the Philippines, andThailand, to promote projects in these countries such asnutrition supplement, sanitation programs, welfare, andeducation systems for children. One of the projects KPACsponsors is the “Give A Meal” project in which they combine thedonations that the various Konkokyo institutions and churches inJapan collect. With this funding, KPAC provides nutrient-richmeals for the malnourished children in the Philippines, Thailand,and Cambodia. One yen (or one penny) can provide thesechildren with one meal. KPAC hopes to expand this projectbeyond the Konkokyo organization and even overseas.

� Philippines: Children makinghand-made postcards madefrom recycled newspapers.This project not only givesthese kids an enjoyableafternoon activity, but alsoteaches them about how tocare for the earth, and raisesfunds to generate futureactivities.

�Thailand: The lives of thesekindergarten children livingin slums are made just a littlebrighter today, as they danceand laugh away theirtroubles.

�Cambodia: A story-tellingsession to Cambodianchildren.

�Cambodia: Elementaryschool children eating theirnutrient enriched meals in arural farming area. The“Give A Meal” project offersmeals to children once aweek in order to provide theirmuch needed nutrition.

PEACE ACTIVITIES

Peace GatheringsKonkokyo holds annual PeaceGatherings at variouslocations throughout Japan.At the gatherings, participantsoffer up sincere prayers anddiscuss ways to improve theirsurroundings. They then workon implementing thesesuggestions within theircommunities.

� Participants gather inHiroshima to march to theHiroshima Peace Park tooffer prayers for all thevictims of the 1945 U. S.atomic bomb detonation.

�Children gather for a picturein front of the posters andthousands of paper cranesthey made to promote peace.This picture was taken after apeace march and service thatKonkokyo held in Tokyo,Japan.

Okinawa ProjectThis project, started byKonkokyo, has Konkokyobelievers and non-believers,Japanese and non-Japanese,and people of all differentnationalities help to gatherthe remains of war victimsscattered in Okinawa. Prayersfor the deceased and forpeace are given onsite. Thisprogram started in 1977, andthe number of participantshas grown ever since.� Prayers being given in front

of the remains of war victimsunearthed in Okinawa.

KIC ClubKIC Club is a friendship building party for all peoples of theworld, which is held in Tokyo, Japan. Sponsored by KIC, theseparties provide an opportunity for participants to learn from eachother and enhance their understanding of each other’s cultureand customs. This will hopefully result in their broadening theirviewpoints of the world, and thereby encourage peace throughinternationalization. So far, people from more than 40 countrieshave taken part in these parties, which have been held monthlysince 1994. KIC also holds international symposiums to facilitatebetter future relations.� Participants at a Western theme KIC Club learning to line-dance.

3KONKOKYOTODAY

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DOCTRINE

Konkokyo Kyoten(Konkokyo Book of Teachings)Simply put, kyo-tenmeans “teaching-book.” It is a compilation of teachings andwritings by our Founder, Konko Daijin,and his disciples. It has been translated intoEnglish as five separate volumes: Record ofRevelations, Memoirs of Konko Daijin, andTeachings of Konko Daijin in 3 volumes.

Kyoten Oshirase-goto Oboe-cho:Record of RevelationsThis is a record of family matters, religiousactivities, and revelations from Kami thatwere written in diary form by KonkoDaijin. It dates from October 1857 untilnineteen days before his death on October10, 1883. This book includes the latter partof his life, which he did not record in hisMemoirs. Noted as Revelations.

Kyoten Konko Daijin Oboegaki:Memoirs of Konko DaijinThis is Konko Daijin’s autobiographycentering on the development of hisreligious beliefs. Upon the instruction ofKami, he started writing hisMemoirs onNovember 23, 1874, at the age of 61. It is adetailed account of the events written in hisRecord of Revelations describing KonkoDaijin’s reasoning for his faith, and givingspecific examples of how people can deepentheir faith. Noted asMemoirs.

Kyoten Gorikai I:Teachings of Konko Daijin IThe first of the three sets of teachings, thisis a collection of Konko Daijin’s teachingsrecorded by 25 of his disciples. Noted as GI.

Kyoten Gorikai II:Teachings of Konko Daijin IIThis is a collection of Konko Daijin’steachings that were transmitted orally by152 of his disciples. Noted as GII.

Kyoten Gorikai III:Teachings of Konko Daijin IIIThis book consists of eight sections thatinclude compilations of Konko Daijin’steachings, and records of lectures on KonkoDaijin given by his leading disciples. Notedas GIII.

SUPPLEMENTARYDOCTRINE MATERIAL

Prayer BookThis book of prayers is provided forbelievers. Acting as a guide for personalprayers, and as a tool to unify the congre-gation, these prayers are recited together bythe believers during services.

Selected Teachings of Konko Daijin:With contemporary explanations*The most important teachings were selectedfrom the first two volumes of Teachings ofKonko Daijin in order to publish a morecomprehensive collection of Konko Daijin’steachings. Each teaching is followed with abrief explanation to help us understand andincorporate the teachings into our livestoday. It is organized by theme.

Voice of the Universe:Selected teachings of Konkokyo*A hand-sized book of about 140 pages, theseteachings were selected from the KonkokyoBook of Teachings and are organized by thesubject of the teachings.

* The original Teachings of Konko Daijin I,II and III, are organized alphabetically bythe names of those people who received theteachings from our Founder, not by thesubject of the teachings. Also, many of theteachings are clips out of long conversations,excluding any explanation. Thus, themarked books are recommended for theireasy use and understandable explanations.

FURTHER INFORMATION & READING

APPENDIX

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APPENDIX A

KONKOKYO HISTORY

Konko Daijin: A BiographyThis biography was translated and modifiedfrom its Japanese version into English.Covering the beginning of the Founder’s lifeto his passing away and the beginnings ofthe establishment of Konkokyo, this bookgives great insight into the Founder’s eraand a detailed description of thedevelopment of his faith. Section 2: “TheFounder of Konkokyo” in this guidebook islargely based on this biography.

Divine Favor Depends Upon YourOwn Heart (video in Japanese withEnglish subtitles––105 minutes)Set in traditional Japan, this video re-creates the Founder’s life. Beginning justbefore Konko Daijin received the DivineCall, it introduces many of his key disciples.Characters in traditional Japanese clothingand hair-styles help create the feeling of theFounder’s era. It is a very informative videothat goes well before or after reading KonkoDaijin’s biography.

Konko Kyo’s 50 Years in AmericaPublished as a commemorative book, this isa chronological history of Konkokyopropagation in North America, Hawai’i, andCanada. Beginning in 1919, this book usesphotos and captions to illustrate Konkokyo’smissionary work and the people who playedkey roles as missionaries through 1975.

The Founder of the KonkoReligion: A Picture StorybookWritten in the form of a comic book, thisstorybook gives a brief background of theFounder’s childhood days. It then creates adialogue between characters to uncover thetrials Konko Daijin experienced and howhe learned to accept them. It goes on toinclude a few stories of the lives of hisdisciples, as well as a few faith stories of thebelievers.

PAMPHLETS

A Bright Light for Humanity(introduction to Konkokyo)KCNA pamphlets about Konkokyo(including teachings from 1990 to 1992 and1996 to 1999)

Voice of the Ministry (collection ofsermons from 1996 to1997)

Selected Teachings of theKonko Faith, (series 1 and 2)

Shine in Happiness (introductorypamphlet with photos)

Humanity’s Golden Light ofSalvation (brief introduction toKonkokyo)

To me, Konko-kyo is… A collectionfrom the 1995 Young Adult Seminar

NEWSLETTERS

“Face to Faith” (publishedquarterly–Konkokyo International Center)

“Konko Review” (published every othermonth–Konko Churches of NorthAmerica)

“Malamalama” (publishedquarterly–Konko Missions in Hawaii)

* Many Konko Churches publish their ownmonthly newsletters. To inquire what isavailable, please refer to Appendix C.

The material listed here is all in English.For material in German, Spanish,Portugese, French, Chinese, Korean orJapanese, please contact one of theKonkokyo offcies listed in Appendix C.

APPENDIX

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KONKOKYO CHRONOLOGY

APPENDIX

B

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1814 September 29–Konko Daijin (Founder) born

1855 June 10–Bunji (Founder’s boyhood name) became critically ill

1859 November 15–Bunji received the Divine Call (founding date of Konkokyo)

1868 November 11–Bunji received the Divine Title, Ikigami Konko Daijin, from Kami

1873 February–Mediation suspended by the government

April 11–Konko Daijin received the Divine Reminder

1883 October 10–Konko Daijin passed away

November–Konko Ieyoshi (5th son) succeeded Konko Daijin

1887 Konko Faith spread to Kyushu (southern island of Japan)

1891 Konko Faith spread to Hokkaido (northern island of Japan)

1893 Konko Setsutane succeeded at age thirteen

1900 Konko Faith officially recognized as the independent organization “Konkokyo”

1913 Konkokyoso Gorikai (Teachings of Konko Daijin) published in Japanese

1919 Propagation in North America begun

1929 Propagation in Hawai’i begun

1941 Konkokyo Ministers in the U.S. detained as prisoners of war

1954 Konko Missions in Hawaii (KMH) incorporated

1959 Konkokyo celebrated the 100th anniversary since its founding

Konkokyo Service Hall in Headquarters constructed

1961 Konko Churches of North America (KCNA) incorporated

1963 Konko Kagamitaro succeeded as the Spiritual Leader of Konkokyo

1964 Propagation in Brasil begun

1973 Konkokyo Central Worship Hall in Headquarters constructed

1983 The 100th anniversary of Konko Daijin’s passing away

The Konkokyo Kyoten (Sacred Scriptures of Konkokyo) published in Japanese

1991 Konko Heiki elected as the Spiritual Leader

1993 Konkokyo International Center established

1994 First Konkokyo gatherings in Europe held in: England, Germany, Spain, and France

First Konkokyo gathering held in Malaysia

Konkokyo Asuncion Activitiy Center established in Paraguay

1996 Konkokyo’s internet website in English set up

1997 Konkokyo of Korea established

2000 Konkokyo celebrated the 100th anniversary of its independence

APPENDIX B

Konkokyo Headquarters320 Otani, Konko Town,Okayama Prefecture,Japan 719-0111Tel: +81-(0)86542- 3111Fax: +81-(0)86542-4419www.konkokyo.or.jpE-mail: konkokyo@konkokyo.or.jp

Konkokyo International Center (KIC)2-17-11 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo, Japan 113-0033Tel: +81-(0)3-3818-3701Fax: +81-(0)3-3818-3793www.konkokyo.or.jp/eng/kicE-mail: kic@konkokyo.or.jp

CONTACT INFORMATIONAPPENDIX

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Japan

Konko Churches of North AmericaKCNA Office1909 Bush Street,San Francisco, CA 94115Tel: +1-415-931-1208Fax: +1-415-563-1830Toll Free: +1-888-400-KCNA (5262)www.Konkokyo.comE-mail: KCNAOFFICE@aol.com

Konko Missions in HawaiiKMH Office1744 Liliha Street,Suite 304Honolulu, HI 96817Tel: +1-808-536-9078Fax: +1-808-550-8008E-mail: kmh@pixi.com

America

Konko Churches of BrasilIgreja Konko Do BrasilRua Maestro AntonioPassarell No. 772Birigui S.P 16200 BrasilTel: +55-186-42-1695Fax: +55-186-42-1636

Brasil

Konkokyo en AsuncionActivity CenterCentro de Actividades deKonkokyo en AsuncionBarrios Los LaurelesAV. Eusebio Ayala,Eso, C/R. I. 13Correlas No. 41952-Piso No. 1Asuncion, ParaguayTel: +595-21-606-618Fax: +595-21-606-618

Paraguay

Konkokyo of Korea327-1 3rd floor,Hangangro 2gaYongsan AreaSeoul, South KoreaTel: +82-(0)2-790-0579Fax: +82-(0)2-790-0579

Korea

APPENDIX C

We hope this book has helped you understandKonkokyo. Even if you never visit a Konko Church,decide to join a different religion, or are already involvedwith another religion, we hope this book has given youan insight to life and the blessings that are abound in it.Whatever path you choose, may you live each day withan inner radiance of peace and joy!

www.konkokyo.or.jp