Johrei
In Johrei Centres, there is often a prayer offered at the start along with bowing, clapping in front of a sacred scroll with reverence shown to an image of Meishu-Sama.
[9] As part of the discipline, there is often a focus on the practice of sonen which is described as an alignment of Reason, Will and Feeling with a heartfelt prayer to God for the wellbeing and happiness of all.
If dropped, the O-Hikari should be blessed newly by the local Johrei Minister and the member should pray to understand how this situation could reflect their thoughts and beliefs about their relationship with Heaven, and they should seek to resolve whatever arises.
Expressed as "Soul is Principal and Body is its Subordinate" or that the "spiritual precedes the physical", it is explained in further detail in one of many of Mokichi Okada's teachings.
Okada explained that this type of healing works was because synthetic substances or metabolic wastes in the body become toxins, which cause many forms of illnesses, and transform into defilement in the spirit.
Removal of toxins in the body, that is, elimination of defilement in the spirit, results in the fundamental solution of any type of illness and leads to true happiness.
But suffering and chronic ill health, he explained, are not part of God's plan for paradise on Earth, which is why he gave humanity Johrei.
The ultimate objective must also include the necessary spiritual elevation and understanding which make possible each individual's constructive participation in creating Paradise on Earth.
After many setbacks in life and in a search for meaning, Okada became a member of Oomoto, one of Japan's new religions that was preparing for the New Age of Light, where he practiced a traditional hands-on, massage style Shinto-based purifying therapy.
During this time, he gained a dedicated following and published a number of magazines and books, personalising his healing technique into Okada Purifying Therapy.
[4] He started teaching the channeling of light and was keen to leave behind the physical therapy asserting that he had only invested in it because the government was suspicious of New Religions and it was the only way he could practice the spiritual purification at that time.
Okada's grandson Kyoshu-Sama now heads the organisation and has re-christened the movement back to its originally intended name, the World Church of Messiah.
He did however encourage his followers to embrace modern life, to see films and he is reported to have a deep love and care for all individuals, and strong desire to help all people who were in suffering.
[22] Johrei notably gained a negative image due to complaints levelled against the Mahikari sect, a parallel organisation run by another Mr. Okada, Yoshikazu, no relation.
Mahikari – meaning 'true light' also practiced an almost identical form of Johrei and prayers but the movement attracted a lot of criticism for generating an environment of fear, power abuse and control, lying to followers, forgery of ancient artifacts,[23] and promoting harmful activities and beliefs.
