Misplaced Pages

#858141

112-677: His organization has been widely criticised as a cult . Adherents of the religion worship Okawa, who claimed to be the current incarnation of a god called “ El Cantare  [ ja ] ” and a number of other beings, including Hermes and Gautama Buddha . Ryuho Okawa was born Takashi Nakagawa on 7 July 1956 in Kawashima (now Yoshinogawa ), Tokushima Prefecture as the second son of Tadayoshi Nakagawa ( 中川 忠義 , Nakagawa Tadayoshi ) (1921 – 2003) (later known by his pen name Saburō Yoshikawa ( 善川 三朗 , Yoshikawa Saburō ) ) and Kimiko Nakagawa ( 中川 君子 , Nakagawa Kimiko ) . His older brother

224-638: A charismatic leader who tightly controls its members. It is in some contexts a pejorative term, also used for new religious movements and other social groups which are defined by their unusual religious , spiritual , or philosophical beliefs and rituals , or their common interest in a particular person, object, or goal . This sense of the term is weakly defined – having divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia – and has also been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study. According to Susannah Crockford, "[t]he word ‘cult’

336-484: A rational choice . The application of the labels cult or sect to religious movements in government documents signifies the popular and negative use of the term cult in English and a functionally similar use of words translated as 'sect' in several European languages. Sociologists critical to this negative politicized use of the word cult argue that it may adversely impact the religious freedoms of group members. At

448-511: A "cult movement" is an actual complete organization, differing from a "sect" in that it is not a splinter of a bigger religion, while "audience cults" are loosely organized, and propagated through media, and "client cults" offer services (i.e. psychic readings or meditation sessions). One type can turn into another, for example the Church of Scientology changing from audience to client cult. Sociologists who follow their definition tend to continue using

560-490: A Taiwanese classmate who spoke fluent English. Around this time, he said he experienced the "second stage in the 'awakening of wisdom'". His inferiority complex went away when he thought about the knowledge he obtained from the over three thousand books he read thus far. In 1983, he returned to Tokyo, and was assigned to work on negotiations with banks. In March 1984, he was sent to Nagoya. By summer of 1985, he had read over four thousand books. Thoughts "spewed forth like water from

672-406: A businessman at TOMEN Corporation. Without his help, Happy Science could possibly have started differently and at a later date, or even not have been founded at all. The spiritual messages were given to the publisher [[[Chōbunsha]]  [ ja ] ] Error: {{nihongo}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 88) ( help ) ( 潮文社 ) because they specialized in spiritual works. Okawa published

784-404: A continuity with traditional beliefs and practices, whereas cults arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices. Scholars William Sims Bainbridge and Rodney Stark have argued for a further distinction between three kinds of cults: cult movements, client cults, and audience cults, all of which share a "compensator" or rewards for the things invested into the group. In their typology,

896-428: A cult by the media, government and former members is a significant factor as to what lead to the deaths. The term was noted to carry "considerable cultural legitimacy". In the 1970s, with the rise of secular anti-cult movements , scholars (though not the general public) began to abandon the use of the term cult , regarding it as pejorative. By the end of the 1970s, the term cult was largely replaced in academia with

1008-507: A cult may be a common occurrence, but it is not scholarship". However, it has also been viewed as empowering for ex-members of groups that have experienced trauma. Religious scholar Catherine Wessinger argued the term was dehumanizing of the people within the group, as well as their children; following the Waco siege , it was argued by some scholars that the defining of the Branch Davidians as

1120-671: A destructive cult by "anticult crusaders." In 2002, the German government was held by the Federal Constitutional Court to have defamed the Osho movement by referring to it, among other things, as a "destructive cult" with no factual basis. Some researchers have criticized the term destructive cult , writing that it is used to describe groups which are not necessarily harmful in nature to themselves or others. In his book Understanding New Religious Movements , John A. Saliba writes that

1232-456: A doctrinal shift occurred. Old publications were revised to reflect the new concept of El Cantare. This included an updated version of the Trilogy of Salvation, which was called the "new" ( 新 , shin ) series. Each book in the trilogy had its subtitle revised, which now refers explicitly to El Cantare's name rather than the shaka as with the original versions. The revised version of The Laws of

SECTION 10

#1733086262859

1344-472: A lack of doctrinal knowledge. In 1991, when Happy Science was going through heavy criticism from the public, academic Hiromi Shimada  [ ja ] , a critic of Happy Science, appeared to favor Aum Shinrikyo over Happy Science. Shimada favored Asahara because he went through ascetic training and had familiar knowledge of the doctrine of Buddhism. Okawa was criticized for having little knowledge of his own teachings and having faked his spiritual messages. He

1456-752: A lot and became the Prime Minister and came to New York to give a speech at the Assembly of the United Nations. It was based on just what I told him. So I am one of the kingmakers of Japan. I can choose a Japanese Prime Minister and I can have a Prime Minister quit in a month. It's a hidden secret of Japan ... Happy Science is the most influential power in Japan. So, if the American President cannot realize some diplomatic policy, he can just ask me and I can realize it in

1568-474: A major Japanese trading company, because his grades were not sufficient for graduate school. After graduating in spring 1981, he took up his job. He was assigned to the foreign exchange department at the headquarters in Tokyo. On 23 March 1981, before graduating from university and working at TOMEN Corporation, Okawa said he experienced his "Buddha Enlightenment", his first contact with a high divine spirit. This spirit

1680-449: A member of the board of Happy Science. Happy Science has said that Sayaka would be the heir to the organization's leadership instead of Hiroshi. Masaki has been said to work for Happy Science since he was a student at university. He is serving as managing director and secretary general of science at Happy Science. On 7 July 2016, he married Mizuho Okawa ( 大川 瑞保 , Ōkawa Mizuho ) , née Mizuho Sato ( 佐藤 瑞保 , Satō Mizuho ) , who serves as

1792-477: A million copies. Okawa's main book The Laws of the Sun has sold the most copies, with ten million sold by January 2000. Happy Science said that by 1997, over 50 million copies of its titles were sold worldwide. Unlike traditional religious text, Okawa's writings are very easy to read, with some parts being almost poetic. Okawa does not use old-fashioned, technical or complex language and avoids difficult kanji. He opts for

1904-459: A prophet's task is to listen to the voice and spread the word of God. He stated that the early years of Happy Science would consist of study. In June 1987, a new series of books, called the "law" ( 法 , hō ) series, launched. The first three books, The Laws of the Sun ( 太陽の法 , Taiyō no hō ) , The Golden Laws ( 黄金の法 , Ōgon no hō ) , and The Laws of Eternity ( 永遠の法 , Eien no hō ) , published from June to October, may be seen as

2016-422: A reincarnation of Gautama Buddha but also the incarnation of a "Highest Spiritual Being" named El Cantare. Okawa claimed El Cantare was one of ten Highest Spiritual Beings. According to Okawa, this was revealed to him by the consciousness of Gautama Buddha himself. This revelation convinced him that his mission was to spread truth on earth. Okawa's life as a businessman went normally despite his communication with

2128-410: A result, its name was simplified to Kofuku-no-Kagaku ( 幸福の科学 , Kōfuku-no-Kagaku ) . The group's government recognition allowed it to gradually grow by taking on new members from the general Japanese public. In that year, Happy Science started large-scale festivities. One of these was Okawa's "Birthday Festival" ( 御生誕祭 , Goseitan-sai ) , held on 15 July 1991, just after Okawa's 35th birthday. In

2240-791: A result, they have responded more neutrally with regard to new religions. Scholars have suggested that the outrage which followed the mass murder/suicides perpetuated by the Solar Temple , have significantly contributed to European anti-cult positions. In the 1980s, clergymen and officials of the French government expressed concern that some orders and other groups within the Roman Catholic Church would be adversely affected by anti-cult laws which were then being considered. Masaharu Taniguchi Masaharu Taniguchi ( 谷口 雅春 , Taniguchi Masaharu , 22 November 1893 – 17 June 1985)

2352-454: A sense of being guided and looked after." The organization's object of worship ( 御本尊 , gohonzon ) has a photo of Okawa as El Cantare. El Cantare is said to have chosen to be incarnated in Japan because both Eastern and Western civilizations are merged there. When the two civilizations coexist harmoniously, an element of the Utopia would be realized. Thus Japan is the ideal place for Okawa to run

SECTION 20

#1733086262859

2464-525: A spiritual leader alongside Okawa since 1988. Kyoko is a graduate of the University of Tokyo, where she studied English literature. Of his marriage with Kyoko, Okawa said it provided his life "with a stable basis that enabled me to concentrate even more on my task", and that it was "instrumental in the development of [Happy Science]". Kyoko became the Presidential Assistant of Happy Science in 1988, and

2576-463: A spring", and his inferiority complex changed into a sense of superiority. Okawa earned a particular reputation at his work, where rumours about him spread. His former colleagues said he claimed to see spirits possessing people and offered to exorcise them. In June 1986, high spirits suggested he retire from work, leading him to dedicate his life to religion. On 15 July, he resigned from TOMEN Corporation and on October 6, founded Happy Science and adopted

2688-522: A strict home environment that was ordinary and not particularly rich nor poor. Yoshikawa is said to be one of the most important influences on Okawa's life. Okawa said, despite not having a spiritual or religious master, Yoshikawa had an important influence. Yoshikawa edited journals for the Japanese Communist Party and later worked as an agricultural advisor in local government. He was deeply interested in spirituality and religion. He studied in

2800-490: A utopian movement which will bring about a new age in the 21st century. Okawa said El Cantare has two roles: a Savior, like Amitabha Buddha, and Mahavairocana, the Buddha's essence which represents enlightenment. El Cantare is believed to be needed in this world because the world is in a crisis. Dark thoughts exist in the world, which cause disasters, including wars and other conflicts. In Happy Science's doctrine, like attracts like;

2912-501: A vast number of spiritual messages from various spirits in order to prove the existence of the Spirit World to the public. His first thirteen books, published from 1985 to 1987, consisted of these spiritual messages; the first eight were published from 1985 to 1986 under Yoshikawa's pen name to avoid Okawa's authorship being found out by his employers. The first book, The Spiritual Messages of Nichiren ( 日蓮の霊言 , Nichiren no reigen ) ,

3024-440: A walk while writing poetry. At 5 pm, he would go to the local bathhouse and stay there for an hour thinking about his day. Going home, he would have a cheap meal, and buy two books at a local bookstore. From 8:30 to 9 pm, he would read, then drink tea, and then read philosophy. The philosophy he read included those of Plato and Kitaro Nishida . In April 1978, after his second year at university, he majored in politics and studied at

3136-499: A week or so. It's a hidden secret. In Japan, religion has more power than politics. A few months later, Okawa announced the founding of the Happiness Realization Party (HRP), the political wing of Happy Science. In April 2009, Okawa presented the party's Declaration ( 幸福実現党宣言 , Kōfuku Jitsugentō sengen ) . On 23 May 2009, the party was formally founded with Jikidō Aeba  [ ja ] as party leader. The party

3248-465: A year, he was accepted into the university's Liberal Arts Division. During his first year, he was not socially adjusted. He said he once wrote love letters to a girl, but was rejected. He felt uncomfortable amongst the students who were uninterested in spirituality. During his second year, a time he calls "the first stage in the 'awakening of wisdom'", he modeled his daily schedule after that of Immanuel Kant , whom he respected deeply. At 3 pm, he would take

3360-610: Is "the starting point of its salvation movement". The book also contains an account of Okawa's early life. The Golden Laws is dedicated to "time and history in relation to the Truth". The Laws of Eternity focuses on the structure of the spirit world, which The Laws of Sun also covers, but the book explains it in greater detail. Each book in the trilogy has a subtitle which mentions the shaka . The subtitles would be changed in future editions following changes in Happy Science's doctrine. At

3472-581: Is a cult with a primary interest in political action and ideology . Groups that some have described as "political cults", mostly advocating far-left or far-right agendas, have received some attention from journalists and scholars. In their 2000 book On the Edge: Political Cults Right and Left , Dennis Tourish and Tim Wohlforth discuss about a dozen organizations in the United States and Great Britain that they characterize as cults. In

Ryuho Okawa - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-509: Is a shapeshifter, semantically morphing with the intentions of whoever uses it. As an analytical term, it resists rigorous definition." She argued that the least subjective definition of cult referred to a religion or religion-like group "self-consciously building a new form of society", but that the rest of society rejected as unacceptable. The term cult has been criticized as lacking "scholarly rigour"; Benjamin E. Zeller stated "[l]abelling any group with which one disagrees and considers deviant as

3696-728: Is an incarnation of the Creator. Okawa is believed to have many past incarnations. These include a king named La Mu on the continent Mu, a king named Thoth on the continent Atlantis, a king named Rient Arl Croud in the Inca Empire located in ancient South America, Ophealis in archaic Greece, Hermes in ancient Greece, and the Buddha in India. As El Cantare, Okawa is the main figure of worship in Happy Science. Members have faith in El Cantare. Their worship gives them "comfort, energy, courage, hope, steadiness, and

3808-630: Is believed by members of Happy Science to be the incarnation of the goddess Gaia . Cult Cult is a term often applied to new religious movements and other social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious , spiritual , or philosophical beliefs and rituals . Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term has different, and sometimes divergent or pejorative , definitions both in popular culture and academia and has been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study. Beginning in

3920-480: Is believed to be that of Nikkō Shōnin , who was one of Nichiren 's disciples. On that day, he had a sudden feeling that a person was trying to communicate with him. He grabbed a pencil and a card. His hand started to move on its own, and wrote "良い知らせ、良い知らせ"　(good news, good news). Asking who the person is, his hand signed "日興", the name of Nikkō. A week later, the spirit of Nichiren started contacting Okawa. They then communicated every day from March to July 1981, when he

4032-437: Is considered to be one of the most important and widely cited studies of the process of religious conversion. J. Gordon Melton stated that, in 1970, "one could count the number of active researchers on new religions on one's hands." However, James R. Lewis writes that the "meteoric growth" in this field of study can be attributed to the cult controversy of the early 1970s. Because of "a wave of nontraditional religiosity" in

4144-404: Is conventional within its culture, is related to a particular figure, and is frequently associated with a particular place, or generally the collective participation in rites of religion. References to the imperial cult of ancient Rome , for example, use the word in this sense. A derived sense of "excessive devotion" arose in the 19th century, and usage is not always strictly religious. The term

4256-668: Is known as the Buddha, both the Enlightened One and the reincarnation of Gautama Buddha, and the embodiment of El Cantare, the Grand Spirit of the Terrestrial Spirit Group, called Lord El Cantare within Happy Science. The name "El Cantare" means "beautiful land of light, Earth". El Cantare is also known as the "Eternal Buddha". This Buddha is related to the Creator God, known as the "Primordial Buddha". Many members believe Okawa

4368-527: Is known as the day of Shoten-bōrin ( 初転法輪 , Shoten-bōrin ) ("The First Turn of the Wheel of the Dharma"). In March 1987, Okawa gave what is known as his first official large public lecture, entitled "The Principles of Happiness", to an audience of about 400 people. In the lecture, he implied that he was a prophet, saying that while spiritual mediums and psychics cannot hear the voice of God, prophets can. He said that

4480-428: Is mostly evangelical protestants. The Christian countercult movement asserts that Christian groups whose teachings deviate from the belief that the bible is inerrant, but also focuses on non-Christian religions like Hinduism. Christian countercult activist writers also emphasize the need for Christians to evangelize to followers of cults. Starting in the late 1960s, a different strand of anti-cult groups arose, with

4592-470: Is named Tsutomu Nakagawa ( 中川 力 , Nakagawa Tsutomu ) (born 1952) (later known as Makoto Tomiyama ( 富山 誠 , Tomiyama Makoto ) ). Okawa said his family was religious; both of his parents believed in God and the Buddha, and Okawa believed in the existence of spirits and souls, and a world after death in childhood. Despite his beliefs, Okawa was not active in religious practice. Okawa and Tomiyama were raised in

Ryuho Okawa - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-435: Is sometimes presented in contrast to a "benign cult", which implies that not all "cults" would be harmful, though others apply it to all cults. Psychologist Michael Langone , executive director of the anti-cult group International Cultic Studies Association , defines a destructive cult as "a highly manipulative group which exploits and sometimes physically and/or psychologically damages members and recruits." In Cults and

4816-581: Is variously applied to abusive or coercive groups of many categories, including gangs, organized crime, and terrorist organizations. Sociological classifications of religious movements may identify a cult as a social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices, although this is often unclear. Other researchers present a less-organized picture of cults, saying that they arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices. Cults have been compared to miniature totalitarian political systems. Such groups are typically perceived as being led by

4928-548: The APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Methods of Persuasion and Control , literature from previous court cases in which brainwashing theories were used, and expert testimonies which were delivered by scholars such as Dick Anthony . The governments of France and Belgium have taken policy positions which accept "brainwashing" theories uncritically, while the governments of other European nations, such as those of Sweden and Italy, are cautious with regard to brainwashing and as

5040-479: The Jehovah's Witnesses , and other sects which were loosely referred to as " neo-Pentecostals ". In the 1970s, the scientific status of the " brainwashing theory " became a central topic in U.S. court cases where the theory was used to try to justify the use of the forceful deprogramming of cult members Meanwhile, sociologists who were critical of these theories assisted advocates of religious freedom in defending

5152-817: The Russian Interior Ministry prepared a list of "extremist groups". At the top of the list were Islamic groups outside of "traditional Islam", which is supervised by the Russian government. Next listed were " Pagan cults ". In 2009 the Russian Ministry of Justice created a council which it named the "Council of Experts Conducting State Religious Studies Expert Analysis." The new council listed 80 large sects which it considered potentially dangerous to Russian society, and it also mentioned that there were thousands of smaller ones. The large sects which were listed included: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ,

5264-526: The court case of United States v. Fishman (1990) ended the usage of brainwashing theories by expert witnesses such as Margaret Singer and Richard Ofshe . In the case's ruling, the court cited the Frye standard , which states that the scientific theory which is utilized by expert witnesses must be generally accepted in their respective fields. The court deemed brainwashing to be inadmissible in expert testimonies, using supporting documents which were published by

5376-537: The 1930s, new religious movements became an object of sociological study within the context of the study of religious behavior . Since the 1940s, the Christian countercult movement has opposed some sects and new religious movements, labeling them cults because of their unorthodox beliefs . Since the 1970s, the secular anti-cult movement has opposed certain groups, which they call cults, accusing them of practicing brainwashing . Groups labelled cults are found around

5488-463: The 1930s, new religious movements perceived as cults became an object of sociological study within the context of the study of religious behavior . The term saw its origins in the work of sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920). Weber is an important theorist in the academic study of cults, which often draws on his theorizations of charismatic authority , and of the distinction he drew between churches and sects . This concept of church-sect division

5600-422: The 1940s, the long-held opposition by some established Christian denominations to non-Christian religions and heretical or counterfeit Christian sects crystallized into a more organized Christian countercult movement in the United States. For those belonging to the movement, all religious groups claiming to be Christian, but deemed outside of Christian orthodoxy , were considered cults. The countercult movement

5712-450: The 1950s, American social psychologist Leon Festinger and his colleagues observed members of a small UFO religion called the Seekers for several months, and recorded their conversations both prior to and after a failed prophecy from their charismatic leader. Their work was later published in the book When Prophecy Fails: A Social and Psychological Study of a Modern Group that Predicted

SECTION 50

#1733086262859

5824-544: The 2009 Sendai mayoral election. Kyoko stepped down as party leader and became head of the party's publicity department on 29 July before resigning from the party on 15 August. Okawa resigned as president on 12 September and a turnover of top party officials occurred. In May 2010, the party gained its first seat in the House of Councillors when Yasuhiro Oe left the Democratic Party of Japan and joined HRP. On 21 April, Okawa

5936-465: The 300 constituencies in Japan. This number of candidates was rivalled only by the two major parties at the time, the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party . However, the party did not win any seats. It claimed to have just over one million votes, which is 1.4% of all votes cast, despite Happy Science having about ten million members. The party also unsuccessfully ran for

6048-472: The Bible and The Gateless Barrier , as well as secular topics like Kantian philosophy and Marxism during elementary school, although Okawa was not successful in school. Okawa wanted to be a scholar or a diplomat. He wanted to spread his ideas in academia, or broaden his view on life by experiencing different cultures as a diplomat. Because of this prospect, he started studying until late at night and became amongst

6160-552: The Christian Church as a teenager, as well as in a new religion called Seicho-no-Ie after World War II. He later became a follower of Shinji Takahashi , leader of the religious organization God Light Association  [ ja ] (GLA). He would also later serve as Happy Science's official adviser in its first few years. Yoshikawa was demanding on Okawa's success. Yoshikawa gave him and Tomiyama hour-long lectures after dinner at home. The lectures included religious topics like

6272-503: The Destruction of the World . In the late 1980s, doomsday cults were a major topic of news reports, with some reporters and commentators considering them a serious threat to society. A 1997 psychological study by Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter found that people turned to a cataclysmic world view after they had repeatedly failed to find meaning in mainstream movements. A political cult

6384-498: The Faculty of Law. After his third year, he paused his studies for a year. At the end of the break, he failed a judicial exam and the exam for higher-level civil servants. In his fourth and last year, his interests started to change from philosophy to metaphysics. He read the works of Shinji Takahashi of GLA and Masaharu Taniguchi of Seicho-no-Ie. He accepted a job offer from TOMEN Corporation  [ ja ] (now Toyota Tsusho ),

6496-450: The Family , the authors cite Shapiro, who defines a destructive cultism as a sociopathic syndrome , whose distinctive qualities include: "behavioral and personality changes , loss of personal identity , cessation of scholastic activities, estrangement from family, disinterest in society and pronounced mental control and enslavement by cult leaders." Writing about Bruderhof communities in

6608-561: The Head of Happy Science's women's group, called the "Society of Aphrodite" (Aphrodite-kai ( アフロディーテ会 , Afurodiite-kai ) ). Like her husband, Kyoko has also published books for Happy Science, which mainly targeted the female audience. She also wrote an essay for each issue of Happy Science's monthly journal Happy Science Monthly ( 月刊 幸福の科学 , Gekkan Kōfuku-no-Kagaku ) , which started in April 1987; she would address topics ranging from education to

6720-632: The Heads of Divisions exist. Branch offices ( 支部 , shibu ) exist in and outside of Japan, with each office run by a branch manager ( 支部長 , shibu-chō ) . Fukui (2004) says, when visiting the headquarters' offices in Tokyo, it was difficult to "tell the difference between [Happy Science]'s offices and those of a business corporation." Most staff members were wearing business suits and doing paperwork at their desks. The usual office equipment are seen as well, such as telephones, fax machines, filing cabinets, photocopiers, and computers. Fukui (2004) says "apart from

6832-584: The Sun contains a different account of Okawa's early life compared to the original version. The new edition also contains a list of El Cantare's previous reincarnations. Since the founding of Happy Science, Okawa has reportedly published over 500 books, most of which are transcripts of his video recorded lectures. There are 15 films based on his teachings: The Laws of the Sun , The Laws of Eternity , The Golden Laws , The Terrifying Revelations of Nostradamus , Hermes - Winds of Love , The Rebirth of Buddha , The Mystical Laws , The Final Judgement , The Laws of

SECTION 60

#1733086262859

6944-508: The Universe , I'm Fine My Angel , The World We Live In , and Daybreak . Fukui (2004) notes that Okawa's leadership is consistent with sociologist Max Weber 's theory about charismatic authority . Okawa's leadership comes from belief in his supernatural traits, as he identifies as the Buddha and El Cantare. Under his authority, Happy Science has undergone rapid changes, including changes in its projects, doctrine, and staff, who do not remain in

7056-599: The activities of Unification Church members in California in trying to promote their beliefs and win new members. Lofland noted that most of their efforts were ineffective and that most of the people who joined did so because of personal relationships with other members, often family relationships. Lofland published his findings in 1964 as a doctoral thesis entitled "The World Savers: A Field Study of Cult Processes", and in 1966 in book form by as Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization and Maintenance of Faith . It

7168-671: The activities of a very small minority of new religious groups, mass culture often extends them to any religious group viewed as culturally deviant , however peaceful or law abiding it may be. While some psychologists were receptive to these theories, sociologists were for the most part sceptical of their ability to explain conversion to NRMs . In the late 1980s, psychologists and sociologists started to abandon theories like brainwashing and mind control. While scholars may believe that various less dramatic coercive psychological mechanisms could influence group members, they came to see conversion to new religious movements principally as an act of

7280-598: The book Misunderstanding Cults , Julius H. Rubin said that American religious innovation created an unending diversity of sects. These "new religious movements…gathered new converts and issued challenges to the wider society. Not infrequently, public controversy, contested narratives and litigation result." In his work Cults in Context author Lorne L. Dawson writes that although the Unification Church "has not been shown to be violent or volatile," it has been described as

7392-413: The chief of the president's office at Happy Science. Yuta works as director of Happy Science, general manager of the governor's office and staff officer for the promotion of the headquarters' government affairs. He has also published books for Happy Science. On 19 December 2012, Okawa married Shio Okawa ( 大川 紫央 , Ōkawa Shio ) , née Shio Kondo ( 近藤 紫央 , Kondō Shio ) , born on 22 September 1985. She

7504-423: The classification of a religion as xiejiao did not necessarily mean that a religion's teachings were believed to be false or inauthentic; rather, the label was applied to religious groups that were not authorized by the state, or it was applied to religious groups that were believed to challenge the legitimacy of the state. Groups branded xiejiao face suppression and punishment by authorities. In 2008

7616-519: The cultivation of the Light of Buddha attracts more light, and the cultivation of dark thoughts attracts more dark thoughts. Dark thoughts currently outweigh the Light in the world, creating the need for a Utopia which reverses the situation. This Utopia is to be realized by El Cantare and his followers. Because Okawa identifies as both the Buddha and El Cantare, Fukui (2004) believes that he fits both types of prophet which sociologist Max Weber believes exist:

7728-517: The end of 1989, with the publication of The Rebirth of the Buddha , Okawa officially claimed that he was an incarnation of Buddha and his is teachings were re-interpreted in light of this revelation. The doctrine of Happy Science was interpreted to be fundamentally Buddhist, according to his own followers. Okawa's audience at his lectures grew larger as Happy Science gained new members. The initial audience of 400 at his lecture in 1987 grew to 10,000 by 1990. The organization grew rapidly. In December 1989,

7840-445: The exemplary type who leads people to salvation through exemplary living and the emissary type who declares their demands to the world. Okawa plays the exemplary role as the Buddha by embodying the correct way of living and by guiding people to enlightenment. Okawa fulfills the emissary role as El Cantare by providing "hopes of salvation." A vast amount of literature has been dedicated to Happy Science's doctrine. Okawa said they all have

7952-634: The family. Her essays were compiled into books. She was the joint president of the Happiness Realization party along with Okawa and later became the leader of the party. Okawa said that he and Kyoko were together in some of their past lives. The Society of Aphrodite and one of its subdivisions, "The Society of Florence" ( フローレンスの会 , Furōrensu-no-Kai ) , are named after the Greek goddess and Florence Nightingale respectively because they are believed to be previous incarnations of Kyoko. In February 2011, it

8064-444: The female audience. Some high-ranked disciples have produced titles. Others are published under the name of Happy Science or its Public Relations Department, which include books, magazines, comics, and textbooks. Okawa is a prolific writer. By the early 1990s, he published about 20 to 30 books per year. He is said to have published over 300 books by 2004. Many of Okawa's publications became best-sellers. Some of Okawa's books sold over

8176-459: The festival, Okawa was in front of an audience of 50,000 people, which included the mass media, in Tokyo Dome . He declared that he now had at least 1.5 million followers and that his real identity is "El Cantare", the Grand Spirit of the Terrestrial Spirit Group, also known as the "Buddha of Mahayana". El Cantare was revealed to have several reincarnations prior to the Buddha and Okawa. In May 1994,

8288-567: The formation of the secular anti-cult movement (ACM). This was in response to the rise of new religions in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the events at Jonestown and the deaths of nearly 1000 people. The organizations that formed the secular anti-cult movement (ACM) often acted on behalf of relatives of "cult" converts who did not believe their loved ones could have altered their lives so drastically by their own free will . A few psychologists and sociologists working in this field suggested that brainwashing techniques were used to maintain

8400-504: The fundamental doctrinal text of Happy Science. The three books are collectively called "The Trilogy of Salvation" ( 救世の三部作 , Kyūsei no Sambu-saku ) . They were originally presented as the final revelations of the Buddha. The Laws of the Sun is the first book in which Okawa explained his own point of view and his teachings. While Okawa had published books before, they were all spiritual messages that came from spirits, not Okawa. The book contains "the core of [Happy Science]'s doctrine" and

8512-618: The groups. Since the 2000s, some governments have again distanced themselves from such classifications of religious movements. While the official response to new religious groups has been mixed across the globe, some governments aligned more with the critics of these groups to the extent of distinguishing between "legitimate" religion and "dangerous", "unwanted" cults in public policy . For centuries, governments in China have categorized certain religions as xiéjiào ( 邪教 ), translated as "evil cults" or " heterodox teachings ". In imperial China ,

8624-592: The headquarters was moved to one of the most expensive business buildings in Tokyo in Kioichō, Chiyoda , next to Tokyo's main business and political area. The rent was known to be ¥25 million per month. On 7 March 1991, Happy Science obtained legal status as a "religious juridical person" ( 宗教法人 , shūkyō-hōjin ) through the Religious Corporations Law by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. As

8736-425: The healing of his daughter. This led in 1930 to the creation of a magazine, Seicho-no-Ie ("home of infinite life, wisdom, and abundance"). The movement grew during the 1930s, although was suppressed during World War II . In 1952, he co-authored a book with Fenwicke Holmes titled The Science of Faith . Taniguchi died in a Nagasaki hospital on June 17, 1985, at the age of ninety-one. This biography of

8848-555: The height of the counter-cult movement and ritual abuse scare of the 1990s, some governments published lists of cults. Groups labelled "cults" are found around the world and range in size from local groups with a few members to international organizations with millions. While these documents utilize similar terminology, they do not necessarily include the same groups nor is their assessment of these groups based on agreed criteria. Other governments and world bodies also report on new religious movements but do not use these terms to describe

8960-435: The late 1960s and early 1970s, academics perceived new religious movements as different phenomena from previous religious innovations. Destructive cult is a term frequently used by the anti-cult movement . Members of the anti-cult movement typically define a destructive cult as a group that is unethical, deceptive, and one that uses "strong influence" or mind control techniques to affect critical thinking skills. This term

9072-601: The legitimacy of new religious movements in court. In the United States the religious activities of cults are protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution , which prohibits governmental establishment of religion and protects freedom of religion , freedom of speech , freedom of the press , and freedom of assembly ; however, no members of religious groups or cults are granted any special immunity from criminal prosecution . In 1990,

9184-609: The loyalty of cult members. The belief that cults brainwashed their members became a unifying theme among cult critics and in the more extreme corners of the anti-cult movement techniques like the sometimes forceful " deprogramming " of cult members was practised. In the mass media , and among average citizens, "cult" gained an increasingly negative connotation, becoming associated with things like kidnapping , brainwashing, psychological abuse , sexual abuse , and other criminal activity , and mass suicide . While most of these negative qualities usually have real documented precedents in

9296-440: The messages of Buddha. The books of spiritual messages were replaced with newer versions when Okawa started publishing under his own name after the foundation of Happy Science. The new books were akin to collected and revised versions of the originals. They are presented as religious tractates which are divided into chapters, rather than interviews between Yoshikawa and the spirits. Okawa told his readers to not let foreigners read

9408-443: The modern language, even using English loanwords. This simplicity may have helped give his books a popular appeal. Happy Science came into a bitter rivalry with the cult Aum Shinrikyo dating back to 1990, when Happy Science criticized the cult and its leader Shoko Asahara . Okawa called Asahara a frog, referring to Asahara's aquatic yogic acts. In response, Asahara criticized Okawa for not having undergone ascetic training and having

9520-572: The name "Ryuho Okawa". On 6 October 1986, Okawa opened the first office for Happy Science in Suginami , Tokyo, with four staff members. Happy Science's initial name was Jinsei no Daigaku-in: Kofuku-no-Kagaku ( 人生の大学院 幸福の科学 ) ("Happy Science, The Postgraduate School of Human Life"). The name "幸福の科学" originates from inspiration that Okawa said he received from Nichiren's spirit; the details were published in Okawa's first book Nichiren no reigen in 1985. At first,

9632-522: The nerve agent VX in the air conditioning system of his car. The perpetrators did this by injecting the agent into the car's ventilation system with a needle-less syringe. The attempt failed for unknown reasons. In September 2008, Okawa lectured at the New York branch of Happy Science, in which he talked about the political soft power of Happy Science: Happy Science is the most powerful and famous religion in Japan. I needed only 20 years to accomplish this. I

9744-441: The organization presented itself as a "study group on human happiness" and consisted of readers and sympathizers of Okawa's spiritual works, who were friends and acquaintances of Okawa. However, the organization may have intended to be known as a religious body later. On 23 November 1986, Okawa gave his first sermon to about 80 followers in Tokyo. This date is now known as one of the most important dates in Happy Science's history. It

9856-423: The presence of the gohonzon (the religious icon of worship) within the office of each division, it felt as though I was visiting a major trading house." Although the employees are shukke-sha ( 出家者 , shukke-sha ) (i.e. "renouncers who have left their secular lives"), they spent a considerable amount of time working in the office. Happy Science has been widely criticised as a cult . In Happy Science, Okawa

9968-537: The private nature of personal beliefs. Later sociological formulations built on such characteristics, placing an additional emphasis on cults as deviant religious groups, "deriving their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture." This is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects. According to this sociological terminology, sects are products of religious schism and therefore maintain

10080-568: The purpose of learning Happy Science's fundamental scripture, "The Dharma of the Right Mind" ( 正心法語 , Shōshin Hōgo ) . Okawa's publications come in three different types. One are the books containing spiritual messages from Okawa's communication with various spirits. The second type are transcriptions of Okawa's lectures and seminar-talks. The third are Okawa's writings. Other authors have contributed as well. Okawa's wife, Kyoko, published books, mainly for

10192-467: The reason is because at the end of January 2017, he felt pressured by his father to marry the actress Fumika Shimizu , who became a member of Happy Science in February. On 18 November, when he refused the marriage, his father became furious, and after that day, Hiroshi left Happy Science. Happy Science has denied the accusation of Okawa pressuring Hiroshi to marry Fumika, saying that it was Hiroshi himself who

10304-444: The same post for a long time. Fukui (2004) says, citing Wallis (1983), that rapid change allows a charismatic leader to stay in power. Rapid change protects the leader from vulnerability stemming from disbelief in their supernatural claims, routinization , or dissenting leaders. Since its founding, Happy Science has been organized like a secular company. This is reflected in titles of positions, which are secular. Okawa's original title

10416-457: The spirits spoke through Okawa, including those of Kūkai , Shinran , Confucius , Jesus Christ , Moses , and Nostradamus . Yoshikawa and Tomiyama taped the communications. The tapes were interviews between the interviewing Yoshikawa and the spirits. Okawa acted as a spiritual medium and answered Yoshikawa's questions. The tapes were transcribed and adapted into publishable formats by Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa's help allowed Okawa to continue working as

10528-519: The spirits, which continued throughout his business career. In August 1982, Okawa was sent to the company's US headquarters at the World Trade Center in New York for training. He took an English course at Berlitz Language School and he studied international finance at the City University of New York . He dropped out of university after experiencing an intensified inferiority complex from seeing

10640-442: The spiritual messages and to not translate the messages into English, Chinese, or Korean. He says that foreigners should not know about the messages "until the time is ripe" and that propagating them overseas would "only heighten the fear." Astley (1995) says the real reason Okawa discouraged readers from spreading the messages abroad may be because the messages seem to contain a large amount of plagiarism. Okawa not only claimed to be

10752-405: The term "new religion" or " new religious movement ". Other proposed alternative terms that have seen use were "emergent religion", "alternative religious movement", or "marginal religious movement", though new religious movement is the most popular term. The anti-cult movement mostly regards the term "new religious movement" as a euphemism for cult that hides their harmful nature. Beginning in

10864-497: The term is overgeneralized. Saliba sees the Peoples Temple as the "paradigm of a destructive cult", where those that use the term are implying that other groups will also commit mass suicide . Doomsday cult is an expression which is used to describe groups that believe in apocalypticism and millenarianism , and it can also be used to refer both to groups that predict disaster , and groups that attempt to bring it about. In

10976-423: The top of his class. He became particularly good at English. He was obese, weighing 60 kg when he was 143 cm tall. During secondary school, Okawa was an active student. He fished, played tennis, and practiced kendo. He was involved in school activities; he was president of the student union and editor of the school newspaper. In 1975, Okawa failed the entrance exam for Tokyo University. After studying for

11088-399: The word "cult", unlike most other academics; however Bainbridge later stated he regretted having used the word at all. Stark and Bainbridge, in discussing the process by which individuals join new religious groups, have even questioned the utility of the concept of conversion , suggesting that affiliation is a more useful concept. In the early 1960s, sociologist John Lofland studied

11200-518: The world and range in size from small localized groups to some international organizations with up to millions of members. In the English-speaking world, the term cult often carries derogatory connotations. The word "cult" is derived from the Latin term cultus , which means worship. An older sense of the word cult, which is not pejorative, indicates a set of religious devotional practices that

11312-426: Was "Coordinator" or "Chairman" ( 主宰 , Shusai ) , with followers referring to Okawa as "Master Coordinator" ( 主宰先生 , Shusai Sensei ) . In January 1997, with the inception of the "New Hope Project", Okawa's title was changed to "President" ( 総裁 , Sōsai ) and Okawa is called "Master President" ( 総裁先生 , Sōsai Sensei ) by members. Under Okawa, a Board of Directors, which manages Happy Science, and

11424-510: Was a Japanese New Thought leader, founder of Seicho-no-Ie . Taniguchi began studying English literature at the Waseda University , Tokyo. In parallel, he also studied the works of Fenwicke Holmes , and subsequently translated Holmes' book, The Law of Mind in Action into Japanese. In 1929, after much study and contemplation, he reported having received a divine revelation followed by

11536-449: Was appointed honorary president of the party. A House of Councillors election was held in July, where no HRP candidates won. In December, Oe left HRP. On 27 December 2012, Okawa was reappointed as president of the party. On 10 April 1988, Okawa married Kyoko Okawa ( 大川 きょう子 , Ōkawa Kyōko ) , née Kyoko Kimura ( 木村 恭子 , Kimura Kyōko ) , born on 22 August 1965. Kyoko had played a role as

11648-430: Was challenged to prove his supernatural powers. Asahara published a book mocking Okawa's superficial knowledge of Buddhism. After the book's publication, Happy Science and Aum Shinrikyo were invited to a live television debate, but Okawa declined to participate. The hostility between the two groups culminated in an assassination attempt on Okawa by Aum Shinrikyo in February 1995. Aum members attempted to kill Okawa by putting

11760-408: Was first asked for advice by Prime Minister Nakasone in 1988. Then we had Prime Minister Miyazawa who was a member of Happy Science, and after that, we produced a lot of Prime Ministers and Ministers. So I became one of the most influential kingmakers of Japan. The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Aso , visited Happy Science recently ... I gave him a strategy to become Japan's Prime Minister. He learned

11872-437: Was founded in anticipation of the 2009 Japanese general election on 30 August 2009. The party is religious, conservative, and populist. The party does not make direct reference to the religious ideas of Happy Science. Okawa's wife Kyoko became party leader on 4 June 2009. On 22 July, Okawa was appointed as president of the party. In that year's general election, the party fielded 337 candidates, including 75 women, in 288 out of

11984-469: Was further elaborated upon by German theologian Ernst Troeltsch , who added a "mystical" categorization to define more personal religious experiences. American sociologist Howard P. Becker further bisected Troeltsch's first two categories: church was split into ecclesia and denomination ; and sect into sect and cult . Like Troeltsch's "mystical religion", Becker's cult refers to small religious groups that lack in organization and emphasize

12096-577: Was interested in marrying her. He has since renounced his father, stating "I believe what my father does is complete nonsense." He said that from an early age, he was taught that his father is a god. However, Hiroshi said he never thought of Okawa as a god and that he never wanted to follow in his father's footsteps nor has he ever wanted to do religious work. Sayaka is said to be the managing director and general manager of Happy Science. On 1 September 2015, she married Naoki Okawa ( 大川 直樹 , Ōkawa Naoki ) , né Naoki Ishihara ( 石原直樹 , Ishihara Naoki ) ,

12208-590: Was not competent enough for the job. He then worked at a construction company for three years before returning to Happy Science in December 2015. Since January 2016, he was president of Happy Science's entertainment agency. He was involved in film production and music, working as an actor and a singer. He was intended to be Okawa's successor as leader of Happy Science. On 1 October 2018, he declared that he broke up with Happy Science on his personal YouTube channel. In an interview with Shūkan Bunshun on 28 February 2019, he said

12320-420: Was published on 15 August 1985. The last two spiritual messages were published in early 1991: The Great Warning of Allah ( アラーの大警 , Arā no dai-keikoku ) (January 1991) and The Terrifying Revelations of Nostradamus ( ノストラダムス戦慄の啓示 , Nosutoradamusu senritsu no keiji ) (February 1991). Both became best-sellers in Japan in 1991. After 1991, almost all spiritual message books were discontinued aside from

12432-822: Was reported that Okawa and Kyoko were preparing for divorce. Happy Science announced that she had been permanently expelled for allegedly causing great personal and administrative damage to the organization, libeling the organization in various newspapers, and besmirching the name of Lord El Cantare. Okawa and Kyoko had five children: eldest son Hiroshi  [ ja ] ( 宏洋 , Hiroshi ) (born 24 February 1989), eldest daughter Sayaka ( 咲也加 , Sayaka ) (born 16 February 1991), second son Masaki ( 真輝 , Masaki ) (born 12 May 1993), third son Yuta ( 裕太 , Yūta ) (born 21 September 1995), and second daughter Arisa ( 愛理沙 , Arisa ) (born 26 September 1997). Hiroshi worked for Happy Science after graduating from university. However, he stopped working there because he felt he

12544-447: Was working at TOMEN. Okawa asked the spirit what mission he should pursue in life. The spirit replied "Love others, nurture others, and forgive others". This message later became the basis of Okawa's teachings about love. In June 1981, the religious leader Shinji Takahashi 's spirit told Okawa his destiny to found a new religion. His father Yoshikawa, upon hearing of this, went to Tokyo, later becoming one of his followers. The next month,

#858141