Mahikari's Okada says,"Mecca of the world is Ise" ~ Ise and Mahikari's World Shrine

There is a quoted part from "Commentary on Kamimuki sanji"(p239-240) in the post "Okada and the Manna pot - 1 (07/2010)". Right after that, Okada continues as follows.

 

Because of this relationship, Yahweh is enshrined at Ise. Therefore, the Mecca for the whole world is, in fact, Ise.  Indeed, He has returned to the Land of the Origin of Spirit. Therefore, no matter what, Shinto people and Christians must visit and worship at Ise Shrine, otherwise neither Moses nor Jesus will be pleased.

Sooner or later, the time will come when all people of the world, starting with the Pope, will have to visit Ise Shrine and worship there.  Otherwise the time will come when horrible judgement will be given by God. - - - "Commentary on Kamimuki-sanji" p240

Here are some comments on an internet Mahikari discussion site regarding this part of Okada's teachings:

◆Present Mahikari talks about nothing but its World Shrine. There is no mention of Ise at all. Visiting the Ise Shrine and worshiping there would have cost very little, but Mahikari built its own shrine. Was it because Mahikari wouldn't receive money if it was offered to Ise Shrine? Okada predicts that the time will come when all people of the world will visit Ise Shrine and worship there. With this kind of things written, no wonder they let the book go out of print.   - - - "Koko-ga-hen! Mahikari-no-hon!"; 219

◆What! The day will come when all people of the world would visit and worship at Ise Shrine, which is Mecca???

He is really insane to say such a thing quite seriously.  (cannot help laughing)   - - - Same as above; 220

◆>the day will come when all people of the world, starting with the Pope, will have to visit Ise and worship there

It's quite natural for people with sense to think that Okada, having been elated, must have been daydreaming to say such groundless delusions.

It's Mahikari's no. 18 to say things shamelessly which will never, ever occur. (cannot help laughing) - - - Same as above; 221

Okada talks as if his "Su God" and the Gods or objects of worship in many other religions were the same, or at least not contradictory.   [Note1]   In addition, he says here that Yahweh is enshrined in Ise, and that Ise is the Mecca of the world. Suppose that Yahweh, the Creator of heaven and earth in the bible, is the same as, or non-contradictory to, Mahikari's "Su God", and that Yahweh is enshrined in Ise, therefore that Ise is the mecca of the world. Then, it is quite reasonable to have questions such as: Was it necessary to build the World Shrine?' and ' Wouldn't it have been enough to support Ise Shrine?' 

It is clear that supporting Ise Shrine wouldn't bring any money to Mahikari. Another thing is - Okada probably had a strong desire to show that his "Su God" was the god at the top, pushing away the gods in other religions, or a desire at least to display proudly that his god was a great one, to both the followers and the outside world. Ultimately he wanted a building to show off his Mahikari. Saying that he was ordered by God, that he made a contract with God, that it was a grave mission and so on, was to stir up the followers, camouflage his true desire - a craving for showing off, and to create the image that Su God and he are different beings.

His decisive statement that Yahweh is enshrined at Ise can naturally provoke doubts and a reality check. However, Mahikari followers, so-called "Kumite", suppress the sense of doubt towards Okada's words, or turn a blind eye toward such doubts, and continue to raise their hands (tekazashi), saying to themselves, "Mahikari is a practical religion." If one can recognize that Mahikari's tekazashi came from the founder who, without conscience, told lies, fabrications, and irresponsible and nonsensical things including delusions, one can see that tekazashi itself is very dubious. 

Okada replaces the Shinto God with the God in the bible. Did he borrow someone else's odd ideas? Or, did he twist fragments of those sort of ideas into his own interpretation? In any case, he presents it as a fact. However, Ise Shrine doesn't say such a thing. They would be astounded to hear that Ise Shrine is the Mecca of the world, and that the time will come when all people of the world, starting with the Pope, have to visit the shrine and worship there.

While saying, "Yahweh is enshrined at Ise", "Ise is the Mecca of the world" and "The time will come when all people of the world have to visit Ise and worship there," Okada also says as follows in his teachings to promote building of the world shrine, Suza:

 - - - (omitted) - - -   there isn't any shrine for Sushin in the main family, I'm telling you. If there is, please bring it to me. A Shinto specialist, a buddhism specialist, or whoever.  What can we do about it?   - - -  "Mahikari" magazine, No.190, p20  

 I had an expectation of a shrine for Him existing in our main family land, but the shrine has gone. In fact, it has disappeared in our history, I'm telling you. --- Same as above, p21

When Okada mentions "honke (the main family)," it means Japan or the Japanese.  [Note2]    Here, he says there isn't a shrine for the main god (Sushin) in Japan. Moreover, he uses the expressions such as "has gone"  and "has disappeared", which indicate the premise that there was a shrine for the main god in Japan in the past. Well, when and where did such a building exist? Another question comes: which god is the god Okada calls "Sushin (the main god)" here? "Su-no-kami" "Sushin" or "Su-god" are the names Okada promoted to call his god. They were not the names from the ancient times. "The main god" in this context, whatever the name is, seems to indicate "the Creator God". Okada quite often mentions Yahweh or Jehovah as the Creator God in his teachings. "Yahweh is enshrined at Ise" is one example. This phrase, however, contradicts other sets of his own words, 'There isn't any shrine for the main god.' What he says is inconsistent. He just chats with confidence about things not particularly connected to the real world. This aspect should not be overlooked by saying "there may be depth in depth."

In addition, when Okada mentions 'history', it is 'history' in his own mind. It is not always the history of the real world. A similar thing can be applied to religions. Gods of the other religions Okada refers to, are gods in his own interpretations, and not necessarily gods of the other religions in the real world. That is probably why he can say without hesitation the things as follows.

There are many names - Messiah, Yahweh, Miroku, Amaterasu in Japan, and, other various names, too. But the thing is; all people worship one God.   - - - "Go-taidan-shuu" p194

Yahweh, Miroku, Amaterasu . . . . and so on. Though different names are used depending on different religions, all of them mean the same one god, the Creator God, according to Okada, who oversimplifies them into the same god, ignoring  the concrete and realistic aspects. Moreover, he means that that one god is his Mahikari God. The statement below indicates so, too.

 

. . . . it is necessary that mankind return to and unite with the truly existent Creator God.  . . . (omitted) . . .  The earth is one, and the Creator God is one.  . . . .   - - - "Daiseishu" p209 ~Japanese version / p188-189 ~English version 

For him, "the truly existent Creator God" is, of course, Mahikari's god, "Su-god." So, that means Okada is saying that mankind must return to and unite with the Mahikari God. He groups gods and the objects of worship of all other religions together indiscriminately, making them look more or less the same. But his God is the big original god of heaven and earth, and his Mahikari is beyond other religions and its teachings are for all mankind. Therefore, other religions should accept the Mahikari God and unite with Mahikari. This is what Okada claims by his words.   [Note3]     This claim, of course, comes from his own complacent ideas.

Furthermore, he says, "Never, ever enshrine any other gods but Sushin in the World Shrine."     [Note4]      What he means here by "Sushin" is clearly Mahikari God, "Su-god". In other words, the World Shrine, whether it is Sukyo Mahikari's or Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan's, is solely for the Mahikari God, not for God(s) of any other religions. This can be taken as repelling gods or objects of worship in other religions. It is trickery for him to talk as if his god were the same as, or not inconsistent with, gods or that sort of objects of worship in other religions.

To add to that, his God of heaven and earth demands people of all religions call Him Su-God. This God dislikes being called, Miroku, Amaterasu, Messiah or whatever else. This God, being annoyed with various names given to Him, which He claims cause misunderstanding, wants all mankind to call Him 'Su' from now on.  [Note5]    

Put those Okada's statements together. His ambition will become clear; to replace all existing religions with Mahikari, unifying the various names of gods and objects of worship in other religions into his god's name, "Su" or "Su-no-kami." He probably thought it very effective to have an extravagant shrine and show it off to the world in order to firmly establish Mahikari (and his own fame) .

The quote at the top includes the words: "Otherwise the time will come when horrible judgement will be given by God." This is Okada's favourite threat.  

One of the comments from the internet discussion site above says that the present Mahikari mentions its World Shrine only. Doesn't it mean that this cult group itself reveals this threat to be a bluff after all? Sukyo Mahikari has made the followers call Okada "Sukuinushi-sama (saviour)," and made a gaudy tomb "Hikaru-shinden (Okutsuki)" for him. However, Sukyo Mahikari doesn't seem to fully cherish the teachings and words of Okada, the founder of Mahikari (he is not the founder of Sukyo Mahikari, though. Sukyo Mahikari was founded by Ms Okada (Keishu).) Its followers might be saying now as Sukyo Mahikari's voice: Mahikari's World Shrine enshrines the god at the top - Supreme God. Therefore, this shrine is now the Mecca of the world. We don't know what Okada said in the past. Ise doesn't matter now."

Speaking of Okada imposing threats on the world, his God seems to be utterly fond of  destructive actions; His horrible judgement, Baptism of fire, about to cause the phenomena which mankind has never dreamed of,  the world-scale convulsions, to discard and incinerate what is no longer useful to Him . . . .  etc. etc.    [Note6]     In spite of this God's destructive nature, Okada says that He has a large hearted love, and that His love is thoroughly altruistic, and He gives only without expecting anything.    [Note7]     If Okada is talking about the same god, is his God Jekyll and Hyde?

 

[Note1]  Please refer to "Okada says,'one God namely many Gods' and "Call Me Su" (02/2008 ~Japanese).

[Note2]  Okada's teachings in "Mahikari" magazine, No.190, July 1978. "Mahikari", No. 240 (Sep. 1982), also has the similar outline of these teachings as Okada's, but some parts are taken out, and some rephrased, and there are even some inserted parts. Okada says that God ordered Moses, David and Solomon to build a shrine for Him. He further brings in a phrase 'a shrine for the Sun God' right after "My shrine" and "the shrine for Jehovah", meaning that they are in other words "the shrine for Sun God". According to Okada, God revealed that the reason He had protected David (it is Moses in No.240) was - - "the purpose was to have a shrine for the Sun God built in the western world." (No.190, p17 / No.240, p20 ) Then, Okada goes on to say:

What I have just told you is about the history of building a shrine for the main God, God in the branch (Eda), that is, the branch family in Europe.    - - - "Mahikari" No.190, p20

What I have just told you is a history of building a shrine for Sushin (the main God) in the branch family.   - - - "Mahikari" No.240, p24

[Note3]  Please refer to "Roles of religions and Mahikari" (03/2008 ~Japanese).

[Note4] "Mahikari" No.240, p23.  "Mahikari" No.190, p19 shows the phrase below:

- - - what we call Sushin should not turn into something different. We must keep an eye out so that He won't be replaced with another God.

[Note5] Please refer to "Call Me Su"(02/2008 ~Japanese). "Go-taidan-shuu" p188 and "Mahikari" No.263, August 1984, p36. 

[Note6] Please refer to "Go-seigen" p109.

[Note7] "God's love is thoroughly - - - -  ." Refer to "Mahikari" No.358, June 1992, p33.

- - - - Phoenix3000