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Tensho Kotai Jingu Kyo is a
religion founded by a charismatic individual called Sayo
Kitamura, she is known by Her followers as Ogamisama, (the
great god) (born January 1, 1900-1967).
She grew up in rural Japan and
at the age of 20, she married a farmer in the small village
of Tabuse. She had completed only six years of formal
education. Ogamisama had no religious convictions, until the
year 1943 when she then received revelations. Tensho- kotai-Jin,
a Shinto god descended into her body and she was told to be
the founder of the kingdom of God on earth. She began giving
daily sermons in July, 1945, after having gone through
strict religious austerities for several years. Their
religion claims she was chosen, just as were Buddha and
Christ who preceded Her, to be the modern day Savior of
mankind.
This brings up problems
immediately from a Christian perspective, since Christ the
Son was not chosen as the Buddha, he decidedly came to earth
from heaven in concordance with God the fathers plan.
Tensho- kotai-Jin is seen as God
of the universe equal to the Christian heavenly father and
the eternal Buddha. God is taught to be both male and female
pair and possessed Sayo Kitamura body to form a trinity.
Ogamisama's mission had Her go
throughout Japan, as well as to Hawaii and the U.S. mainland
several times. from November 1964, to July 1965.she went on
an Evangelical World
Tour that covered 36 countries lasting nine
months. , Her Teachings have continued to spread throughout
the world. They have branches mostly centered in the
Japanese- American communities, Hawaii being one of them.
For 23 years she gave what she
considered God's Message wherever She went. She is said to
have had powers to heal and prophecy.
Followers of Ogamisama consider
this a critical time having urgency to convey her Teachings
to establishing world peace. Her concept to establish the
kingdom on earth involved purging 6 roots of evil. Regret,
desire, hatred, fondness, love, and being loved excessively
. for salvation one needed to be rid of evil spirits and
karma was nullified with prayer. Odoru Shukyo is related to
the Lords prayer. Where they dance expressing inner bliss
after their spiritual purification.
Adherents strive to spiritually
purify their hearts and minds that they may fulfill their
purpose in service to God and their fellow man.
This certainly is a works base
righteousness that Jesus came to deliver man from. The
simple reason we cannot accomplish this with our fallen
nature no matter how good we can become.
They are active in evangelism
supported by a number of publications. Voice of heaven and
the main document the
Prophet of Tabuse which is a biography of
Ogamisamas life.
Ogamisama sayings
"Those who devote themselves to
the attainment of world peace should first have peace within
themselves and within their families."
"Everyday life is that of
spiritual discipline in which one bears the karma of their
past, present, and future. So, in the course of your life,
you may encounter various ordeals or difficulties according
to your past karma. Ordeals come to you, so that you can pay
your karmic debts, but at the same time, they are divine
guidance to correct your faults which have been the cause of
your negative deeds."
'Before you ask or require
others to change, change yourself first, then they will
change."
"The time is over for you to
only believe in God and ask for God's favor. Come up to God
by advancing along the path to God by purifying your soul."
The same old line of becoming
something we cannot. Gods favor is found in only one, "
Son of God" not another.
"Anyone can live in Heaven on
earth where there is no suffering and anxiety. As the
Kingdom of God spreads, the world of the devil must
inevitably disappear for it cannot win against the laws of
nature. Nature itself is God; God himself is nature."
This is typical pantheistic view
that all is God, if this is true he is getting older and
dying since the scientific law of entropy is in effect.
"In the spiritual world nothing
is more beautiful than sincerity. Those who want to advance
on the road to God should do everything with sincerity.
Sincerity is the only thing that you can offer to God which
He accepts and praises. It is the only thing God entrusted
in your custody. Everything else in the universe belongs to
God. "
By advancing spiritually while
maintaining their families and occupations, they believe
they can create a world of true sincerity and enlightenment
called God's Kingdom on earth. Sincerity is a human quality
that can be admired but one can be sincerely wrong. Case in
point, their religion.
When Sayo Kitamura died in 1967
her granddaughter Kiyokazu Kitamura (Himegamisama) succeeded
her. Hardly a comparison to Jesus who died and rose again.
Info from trac on Ogamisama And
the Encyclopedia of American Religions J.Gordon Melton
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