JAPAN'S NEW SECT
By GUENTHER STEIN Airgmyt.
JAPAN'S meteoric rise to power has been accompanied by a revival .of faith in her divine Mission. Within the ancient Shinto religion a number of new spiritual movements haire arisen which', joining faith to patriotism,' s'er've t6 'fortify the imperialist spirit of modern Japan. Araong these movements Tenrikyo, a sect numbering eight million adherents, is the most significant, It elaims. to be a World religion, and has begun to send missionaries abroad. The little town Thinbaiehi, the Mecca' of the new faith, is proudly' termed " the centre of the world." I found Tainbaichi in the beautiful hill country surrounding the ancient imperial city of Nara, not far from the great cotton centre Osaka. The town itself lanes' a typical Japanese scene a maze of narrow 114„aF§' ; small Wooden houses ; overflowing shops.' Crowds ' °I 'children,' shouting street-vendors, and busy ,house- wives carrying babieS on their backs. PreSently I noticed groups of uniforthed' women beating coloured badges: They'were novices of the Tehrikyo prieSthOod: Out of the 'oriental labyrinth I suddenly Caine upon 4, large square on which stood a of fortress-like' ouildings. The picture sUggeSted an American tin i Versi ty of the most 'modern type rather than' the' sacred place of an Asiatic religion: tie large briek'-arid;.stone buildings; ;Standing".each in a pleaSant expanse' of lawn, contained ' the col!(' ''s, libraries, and 'adthinistratiYe offices' of' the Teurikyo wet. in the baCkground was a grof,,, of temples. ',reefed, in curious contrast with the Seeolifr buildings. in the rich,' gabled style' of the Shinto tradition. It that the "holy' city," as the vast compound is called by its inhabitantS, hOuses an exceedingly efficient and Wealthy organisation. Tenrikyo is the youngest, of the thirteen sects of Shinto ; but it is bY far the largest and richest among them. I was missionary department, the schools, and the great library of scientific and philosophical' books which is', famous throughout 'the country. The young officers, of the sect speak fluent English. In their studies I stiW. book shelves stacked with the classics of England, and Germany, and with an astounding select inn of modern European and American literature. Iii the', administrath'e offices grave yoUng peOple in uniforms,. were at work on hundreds of typewriters and calculating maehines.
My obliging guides net led me to the chief temple, , cedar wood.. an impressive structure of light edar o Along , endlesS cloisters opening on charming gardens, over: floors of highly polished parquet,' we arrived at the inner gates. The temple nave,. supported by wooden', pillars and Panelled throughout in polished, light7colonred,, wood, had the size of a cathedral. A low screen separated the kneeling congregation, consisting mainly of women, from the' Priests who "iere Conducting the service to the sound of Muffled drUms. From time to time the congregation rose for a 'Short, solemn dance. Although there were several hundreds of people present, the huge auditorium appeared almost empty. ' News was brought that the 'High Priest had arrived' by the Tokyo express .and was ready to receive me. I was taken tb a modest house of the type Which Japanese call semi-foreign:" The floorS were' covered with' carpets, 'the room's' furnished in Western Style ; and to the' relief of the foreigner: there were comfortable .and immediately began a businesslike discussion of the sect.
This is the story of Japan's latest revivalist movement. Almost exactly one hundred years ago the son of a wealthy farmer in a little village near Nara was sowing wheat. Suddenly a dreadful pain paralysed his foot. He was taken home ; the physician failed to help him, and an exorcist was called in. Using a medium to reach the patient's soul, the faith-healer succeeded. But the pain returned. Again the exorcist was. called, and as he had been unable to bring his medium, the young man's mother, Miki Nakayama, took her place. She had hardly entered the trance when she assumed a solemn, prophetic attitude and pronounced a message of salvation : " I am the General of Heaven, the original God," exclaimed the ivoinan. " God has descended at the appointed time that he may save all men. I am his body." So the peasant woman became the founder of a new movement claiming to offer salvation to the world. The revelations and psalms written by her have become the " bible " of the Tenrikyo sect. The chief doctrine of the teaching is that Japan is the centre of the world, and that—an admission unique in Japanese religions—all nations are equally children of the Father, and should therefore be given the blessings of the true (TenrikyoY faith.
For decades the sect remained in the obscurity of the Villages. Its chance. came with the popular reaction to the materialism introduced by the .Westernisation of the country. Since the World War mysticism has attracted increasing numbers of Japanese. people, and Tenrikyo was 'carried on the crest of the wave. Apart from the Mystic belief in the divine message, the Tenrikyo religion consists of commandments common to most human faiths. It counsels the faithful to help each other, to .lead a cheerful life, to respect national institutions and the social order, and to maintain the traditional ancestor worship. There is also a belief, not particularly stressed, in the transmigration of souls. In short, the religion is simple, tolerant and comfortable. A typical illustration was given to me by my host. " In a cotton mill the girl workers complained that their dormitories were haunted by a ghost, which appeared every night to tidy the cloakrooms. It was assumed that the ghost of a char woman had been charged with this work in order to put the girls to shame. One night, however, the ghost was caught, and turned out to be a young follower of Tenrik3,o. The girl believed that every untidy place must cause untidy thoughts, and one could not cleanse one's conscience without clearing up one's house. The charwomen being too busy in the evening, she had done the work ' for the sake of the Father.' From that day," My informant added, " the factory paid higher wages to Tenrikyo girls."
The High Priest, who had talked with perfect frankness, is the great-grandson of the foundress, the position being hereditary. He told me that the sect had 60,000 pricsis and lay preachers, and controlled large funds. Apart from its work in Japan, attention is .giveri to missionary work abroad. There are many Tenriky6 followers nl China, Manchuria, and among the Japanese in America. Since 1927 thirtY-six TenrikyO churches haVe been estab- lished in the United States and Canada.
The Holy'. Script Of the sect contains a sentence which may give the cue to,its popularity as well as to its con7 Sick-Table political importance.. It runs : " Hitherto there have been Japan and foreign lands ; but hereafter there shall be naught but Japan."
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