Sukyo Mahikari
Encyclopedia
According to one scholar, the drop-out rate after the 3 day initiation course is over 50%. Dr. Catherine Cornille writes in a research paper that the attrition rate is high. She also states "The emphasis on miracles and magic in Mahikari, on the other hand, accounts for the large turnover of members, ..."
Beliefs and practices
The stated purpose of the organisation is to foster the ability in people to develop a world of true peace by understanding and practicing light energy and the universal principles in all aspects of life.Sukyo Mahikari teaches the transmission of light energy through a practice referred to as "the art of True Light (Mahikari
Mahikari
Mahikari is a Japanese new religious movement , with a number of variants or offshoots, founded in 1963 by Yoshikazu Okada...
)" which issues from the palm of the hand. The organization claims that this energy purifies and revitalizes the spirit, mind, and body. Practitioners believe that the light energy represents the wisdom, love and will of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
In addition to the practice of light energy, Sukyo Mahikari teaches the concept of universal principles
Natural law
Natural law, or the law of nature , is any system of law which is purportedly determined by nature, and thus universal. Classically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature and deduce binding rules of moral behavior. Natural law is contrasted with the positive law Natural...
that, when practiced together with light energy, is claimed to allow one to more quickly attain personal growth.
Sukyo Mahikari claims that the documents owned by the Koso Kotai shrine proves that Jesus Christ came to Japan at the age of eighteen in order to study and perform austerities, and that Jesus returned to Japan, where he died at the age of one hundred and eighteen.
Sukyo Mahikari teaches that the Japanese emperor sent emissaries throughout the world to lead civilizations in regions such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, so that every place on earth was influenced by the ancient Japanese (McVeigh 74).
It teaches that Japan is at the center of original civilization and that the Japanese were the first of God's creatures. Further, it teaches that all languages, cultures, religions, and civilizations originate in Japan.
Sukyo Mahikari prophesied an apocalypse to occur in the year 2000.
Some researchers have noticed that the cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, values, and rituals of Sukyo Mahikari are similar to those of another new Japanese religion, Sekai Kyūsei Kyõ
Church of World Messianity
The Church of World Messianity , abbreviated COWM, is a "new religion" founded in 1935 by Mokichi Okada. The religion's key concept is Johrei, claimed to be a method of channeling divine light into the body of another for the purposes of healing...
(which in turn was strongly influenced by Oomoto
Oomoto
Oomoto also known as Oomoto-kyo , is a sect, often categorised as a new Japanese religion originated from Shinto; it was founded in 1892 by Deguchi Nao...
), Shintoism, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Japanese folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
.
Cornille writes, "There is the monthly membership fee (reisen hōji onrei ); the daily offering for receiving and giving the light (okiyome onrei); the expression of gratitude for protection (otumuguslii), and special gifts for the local dō jōchō, the headquarters in Japan, or the project for building a mausoleum for the founder. In addition, the dojo receives a considerable income from registration fees for courses. For major projects, however, such as the building of a new dojo, funds may come from headquarters in Japan."
Some studies that have been conducted on the alleged spirit movements and manifestations (Glossolalia
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
and altered state of consciousness) that occur during the transmission of light conclude that they could be attributed to personality disorders.
Status
In addition to the world headquarters in Takayama, Japan, Sukyo Mahikari has established regional headquarters in Australia-Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and North America, with centers located in over 70 countries. Within the United States and Canada, Sukyo Mahikari has 21 spiritual development centers.Reception
Sukyo Mahikari claims that, over the past two decades, members have been involved in charity and social services around the world: such as in the Ivory Coast and Senegal (planting of trees and revival of national parks), in Angola (activities for children, elderly people, and beautify urban areas) and in both New York and Hawaii (for environmental cleanup activities). The organization claims that in August 2004, Los Angeles mayor James Hahn presented Sukyo Mahikari of North America with a proclamation commending the organization for its efforts in helping to create a peaceful and harmonious society. ; and in September 2009, Mayor Mufi Hannemann of Honolulu presented Sukyo Mahikari with a certificate declaring September 27 as Sukyo Mahikari Day in Honolulu in recognition of beach and park cleanup activities that the organization has conducted there over the past ten years.On May 6, 2010, the New York Center of Sukyo Mahikari was presented with a High Performance Building Plaque from The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in pursuing a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
) Silver rating from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. The plaque was given in recognition of energy-efficient measures incorporated into the new center that will help cut its energy costs by $8,400 per year and reduce its carbon footprint in New York City.
Greenwood's All the Emperor's Men created extensive damage to Sukyo Mahikari in Europe and Australia. Members raising questions based on the book were told that 1) the movement has a general policy discouraging the use of the internet; and 2) the fact that the member raised the question was evidence that the member was weak and had personal problems in need of a spiritual solution". The authors further state that: "Sukyo Mahikari lost more than half of its membership in certain western countries."
In France, the group was classified as a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
in the 1995 and 1999 parliamentary reports. In 1997, the Belgian parliamentary commission established a list of 189 movements containing Sukyo Mahikari. On 27 May 2005, the 1995 annex of the French report and cult classifications in which Sukyo Mahikari was listed, were officially cancelled and invalidated by Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
's circulaire.
French anti-cults association UNADFI said in its periodical BULLES that Sukyo Mahikari is dangerous because it would discourage medical care, that the purification obsession and the announcement of an impending apocalypse can lead to guilt and anguish. It also criticized the political goal of the organization and said it is a "monumental swindle".
Further reading
- Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations, Surrey, Japan Library, 1999 ISBN 1-873410-80-8
- Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective, Surrey, Curzon Press, 2000 ISBN 0-7007-1185-6
- Greenwood, Garry A http://emperorsmen.bravehost.com/freecopy.htm All The Emperor's Men: An Inside View Of The Imperial Cult – MAHIKARI. Revised Edition January 2005. ISBN 0 9585279 0 3
- Hexham, Irving & Karla Poewe. New Religion...es., Boulderstview Press, 1997.
- Hurbon, Laennec. Mahikari in the Caribbean, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 18/2-3: 1991, 243–64.
- Knecht, Peter. Aspects of Shamanism: An Introduction, 2003.
- Mc Veigh, Brian J. The M...sm of Australia...hikas, ...17/2 (1992): 98–125.
- Murakami, Shigeyosu and Paul L. Swanson, Religion and Society in Modern Japan:.., Asian Humanities Press, 1991, 239–256.