is a syncretic, monotheistic, New Thought Japanese new religion that has spread since the end of World War II in Asia. It emphasizes gratitude for nature, the family, ancestors and, above all, religious faith in one universal God. Seichō no Ie is the world's largest New Thought group. By the end of 2010 it had over 1.6 million followers and 442 facilities, mostly located in Japan, Brazil, and the United States.

Taniguchi died in a Nagasaki hospital on June 17, 1985, at the age of 91. Today, the president of Seichō no Ie is ().

In the 2000s, the Seicho-No-Ie Fundamental Movement (生長の家本流運動) seceded from the headquarters. As of 2017, there are three factions of the original movement. The two largest factions are led by Masanobu Taniguchi, the president of Seichō no Ie, and by a group of elder teachers of Seichō no Ie known as Manabushi.

Scriptures and publications

thumb|right|Main temple in [[Saikai, Nagasaki]]

thumb|right|[[New York City Headquarters, East 53rd Street]]

The four holy of Seicho-No-Ie are:

  • . Taniguchi Masaharu claimed that it was divinely revealed to him by Kannon on December 1, 1930. There are eight sections: God (神), Spirit (霊), Matter (物質), Reality (実在), Wisdom (智慧), Delusion (無明), Sin (罪), and Man (人間). Similar to many Nichiren sects' views of the Lotus Sutra, this sutra is treated as a protective amulet that can be carried, read, or copied for protective benefits. In Uji, Kyoto, there is a hall for followers to copy the sutra.
  • : consists of the Divine Messages of Eternal Life and the Holy Sutra itself (two sections: Song of the Angel and Song of Eternal Life)
  • (): consists of the Divine Messages of Repentance and the Holy Sutra itself ("For Spiritual Healing")

The following two prayers are typically placed before and after compilations of the four sutras, respectively:

Other scriptures include:

Additional prayerbooks:

  • Daishizen Sanka (大自然讚歌)
  • Hichō Sanka (飛鳥讚歌)
  • Kanzeon Bosatsu Sanka (観世音菩薩讚歌)
  • Song in Praise of the Bodhisattva Who Refelects the Sounds of the World
  • Canto em louvor ao Bodisatva que reflete os sons do mundo
  • Jinrui Dōhō Daichōwa Rokushōkyō (人類同胞大調和六章経)
  • Banbutsu Chōwa Rokushōkyō (万物調和六章経)

The most important texts in Seicho-No-Ie are:

  • , which consists of 40 volumes (main edition, 頭注版) published since 1932; this is the religion's most important doctrinal text. There is also an abridged edition (愛蔵版) with 20 volumes.
  • , which consists of 11 volumes, was initially published from 1954 to 1958. It summaries key doctrines mentioned in the Truth of Life.

Seicho-No-Ie publishes a newspaper called Seishimei "聖使命, Sacred Mission"). It also publishes three magazines:

  • (a key tenet of New Thought denominations)

The is one of the main doctrines of Seicho-No-Ie. At Seicho-No-Ie's Sōhonzan head temple in Saikai, Nagasaki, there are seven stone lanterns representing the Seven Promulgations of Light.

Shinsōkan meditation

Meditation in Seicho-No-Ie is called shinsōkan (神想観), of which one type is inori-ai shinsōkan (祈り合い神想観, ). There is also the .

Associations

Some Seicho-No-Ie member associations are:

  • The is Seicho-No-Ie's international administrative headquarters, located in Hokuto, Yamanashi near Kai-Ōizumi Station at the foot of Mount Aka.
  • , Seicho-No-Ie's spiritual headquarters in Saikai, Nagasaki, hosts Ryūgū Sumiyoshi Hongū (龍宮住吉本宮), the religion's head temple where ancestral rites are performed. Established on November 21, 1978, the temple enshrines Sumiyoshi Daijin (住吉大神) and other Shinto kami. Prominent members of the Taniguchi family, including Masaharu Taniguchi, are buried at Sōhonzan. Sōhonzan has a garden, museum, and seven large stone lanterns representing the .
  • , a special head temple (or additional main temple) in Uji, Kyoto. It is located just to the southeast of Byōdō-in, within walking distance. is located inside the temple complex. Every August, the (annual ancestor ceremony) is held at this temple.
  • Tobitakyū Dōjō near Tobitakyū Station in Chōfu, Tokyo, with facilities similar to those of Uji Bekkaku Honzan. It is a round building resembling a tulou and has a shinsokan meditation hall, library, bookstore, cafeteria, administrative offices, dormitories, and various other facilities within a single building.
  • : Gardena, California (US headquarters); Manhattan, New York; North Miami Beach; Fort Lauderdale; Denver; Seattle; Honolulu. In Florida, Seicho-No-Ie members are mainly from the Brazilian community.
  • : Toronto and Vancouver
  • : Jabaquara, São Paulo (Brazil and Latin America headquarters)
  • : Frankfurt
  • : Taipei

See also

  • List of New Thought denominations and independent centers
  • List of New Thought writers
  • New religious movements

References

Further reading

  • Clarke, Peter B. (ed.), A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations and an Introduction to Japanese New Religions at Home and Abroad - Plus an Appendix on Aum Shinrikyo. Surrey, UK: Japan Library/Curzon, 1999. .
  • Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective. Surrey, UK: Curzon Press, 2000. .
  • Gottlieb, Nanette, and Mark McLelland (eds.). Japanese Cybercultures. London; New York: Routledge, 2003. , .
  • "Masaharu Taniguchi". Religious Leaders of America, 2nd ed. Gale Group, 1999. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008.
  • Seicho-No-Ie books
  • (selections from the Japanese original series Seimei no Jissō 生命の實相) by Masaharu Taniguchi (1961 English edition)