Oomoto

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Template:Short description Template:Other uses Template:Infobox religion

Nao Deguchi, the foundress of Oomoto
Deguchi Onisaburo, the co-founder of Oomoto
Chōseiden (長生殿) in Ayabe

Template:Nihongo,<ref name="Omoto faq">Template:Cite web</ref> also known as Template:Nihongo, is a religion founded in the 1890s by Deguchi Nao (1836–1918) and Deguchi Onisaburō (1871–1948). Oomoto is typically categorized as a Shinto-based Japanese new religion. The spiritual leaders of the movement have always been women within the Deguchi family,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> along with Onisaburō as its founding seishi (spiritual teacher). Since 2001, the movement has been guided by its fifth leader, Kurenai Deguchi.<ref name="Portrait">Template:Cite book</ref>

Oomoto's administrative headquarters is in Kameoka, Kyoto (Onisaburo Deguchi's hometown), and its spiritual headquarters is in Ayabe, Kyoto (Nao Deguchi's hometown). Uniquely among Japanese religions, Oomoto makes extensive use of the constructed language Esperanto to promote itself as a world religion. Oomoto has historically engaged in extensive interfaith dialogue with religions such as the Baháʼí Faith, Christianity, and Islam, since a key tenet of Oomoto is that all religions come from the same source (in Japanese: Template:Nihongo).<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

Oomoto was brutally suppressed by the Japanese government in 1921 and again in 1935, since the government perceived it to be a threat to its authority. After World War II, Oomoto was fully legalized as a registered religious organization. Various other religions have also been founded by former followers of Oomoto, most notably Seicho-No-Ie and the Church of World Messianity.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

History

In 1892, Deguchi Nao, a housewife from the town of Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, declared that she had a "spirit dream" during the Japanese New Year. She became possessed (kamigakari) by Ushitora no Konjin (艮の金神) and started to transmit the kami's words. According to the official Oomoto biography of Deguchi, she came from a family which had long been in poverty, and had pawned nearly all of her possessions to feed her children and invalid husband. After 1895, and with a growing number of followers, Deguchi Nao briefly affiliated herself with the Konkōkyō religion until 1897, since she did not yet have government approval for her religious movement.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

In 1898, Deguchi Nao met Ueda Kisaburō, who had previous studies in kamigakari (spirit possession). In 1899, they established the Kinmeikai together, which became the Kinmei Reigakkai later in the same year. In 1900, Kisaburō married Nao's fifth daughter Sumiko and adopted the name Deguchi Onisaburō. Oomoto was thus established based on Nao's automatic writings (Ofudesaki) and Onisaburō's spiritual techniques.<ref name="ProphetMotive">Template:Cite book</ref>

Since 1908, the group has taken diverse names — Dai Nihon Shūseikai (大日本修齋會), Taihonkyō (1913), and Kōdō Ōmoto (皇道大本) (1916). Later, the movement changed from Kōdō Ōmoto ("great origin of the imperial way") to just Ōmoto (大本, "great origin") and formed the Shōwa Seinenkai in 1929 and the Shōwa Shinseikai (昭和神聖会) in 1934.

Template:Ill, a teacher at Template:Nihongo, attracted various intellectuals and high-ranking military officials to the movement in 1916. By 1920, the group had their own newspaper, the Taishō nichinichi shinbun (大正日日新聞), and started to expand overseas. Much of its popularity derived from a method of inducing spirit possession called chinkon kishin (鎮魂帰神), which was most widely practiced from 1916 to 1921. Following a police crackdown, Onisaburō banned chinkon kishin in 1923.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Today, in present-day Oomoto, only the chinkon (鎮魂) aspect is practiced as a form of meditation, but not the kishin (帰神) aspect of spirit possession.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

News article covering the First Oomoto Incident in 1921
Photograph of site remains during the Second Oomoto Incident in 1935, published in the Asahi Graph

In March 1920, the Ōmoto-affiliated magazine Shinrei published an edition of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Japanese for the first time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Alarmed by the popularity of Oomoto, the Imperial Japanese government, which promoted kokutai, State Shinto, and reverence for the emperor, condemned the sect for worshipping Ookunitokotachi above Amaterasu, the sun goddess from whom the Emperor of Japan claimed descent.<ref>James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 469 Template:ISBN</ref> This led to two major incidents when Oomoto was persecuted under the lèse-majesté law, the Template:Ill, and the Public Security Preservation Law of 1925. In 1921, the first Template:Nihongo resulted in the Oomoto headquarters being destroyed, and Onisaburo and a few of his followers were imprisoned.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

From 1925 until 1933, Oomoto maintained a mission in Paris. From there, missionaries travelled throughout Europe, spreading the word that Onisaburo Deguchi was a Messiah or Maitreya who would unify the world.

In 1924, retired naval captain Yutaro Yano and his associates within the Black Dragon Society invited Onisaburo to embark on a journey to Mongolia.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/> Onisaburo led a group of Oomoto disciples, including Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. They were captured by the forces of Chinese warlord Zhang Zuolin, but were released upon realizing they were Japanese nationals. After returning to Japan, Onisaburo established the secular organization Jinrui Aizenkai (人類愛善会),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> also known as Universal Love and Brotherhood (ULBA), to promote universal brotherhood and world peace. Religious organizations from around the world, including the Baháʼí Faith, Cao Dai, Red Swastika Society, and Universal White Brotherhood, joined this movement.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

In 1935, the Second Oomoto Incident again left its headquarters in ruins and its leaders in prison. This incident was carried out far more intensively than the previous one in 1921, as the Japanese government sought to completely eradicate all traces of Oomoto shrines and materials.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/> Oomoto was effectively outlawed until the end of World War II. With the Second Oomoto Incident, Oomoto became the first religious organization to be prosecuted under the Public Security Preservation Law of 1925.

After World War II, Oomoto reappeared as Aizen-en (愛善苑), a movement dedicated to achieve world peace which was led by Onisaburo Deguchi's eldest grandson Yasuaki Deguchi (出口和明).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was registered in 1946 under the Religious Corporations Ordinance. Yasuaki Deguchi considered Onisaburo rather than Nao to be the main founder of the religion, and thus used Onisaburo's Reikai Monogatari as its main scripture.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1949, Oomoto joined the World Federalist Movement and the World Peace campaign.Template:Citation needed In 1952, the group returned to its older name, becoming the religious corporation Oomoto under the Religious Corporations Law.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since then, Oomoto has opened various international branches, including Oomoto do Brasil (headquartered in Jandira, São Paulo, Brazil).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Spiritual leadership

Oomoto's spiritual leaders, all of whom belong to the Deguchi (出口) family, are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Main Founder (active 1892–1918): Nao Deguchi (出口なお; 1837–1918); also referred to as the Template:Nihongo
  • Co-Founder (active 1898–1948): Onisaburo Deguchi (出口王仁三郎; 1871–1948); also referred to as the Template:Nihongo
  • Second Spiritual Leader: Sumi Deguchi (出口すみ子; 1883–1952), Onisaburo's wife
  • Third Spiritual Leader: Naohi Deguchi (出口直日; 1902–1990), Onisaburo's eldest daughter
    • Alternate Spiritual Leader: Hidemaru Deguchi (出口日出麿) (1897–1991), husband of Naohi Deguchi
  • Fourth Spiritual Leader: Kiyoko Deguchi (出口聖子; 1935–2001), Naohi's third daughter
  • Fifth Spiritual Leader: Kurenai Deguchi (出口紅; 1956–present), Kiyoko's niece, who has served as Fifth Spiritual Leader of Oomoto since 29 April 2001

Oomoto's spiritual headquarters, called Baishō-en (梅松苑), is in Ayabe, Kyoto, due to its association with Nao Deguchi's founding of the religion in Ayabe. However, its administrative headquarters, called Ten'on-kyō (天恩郷), is in Kameoka, Kyoto.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oomoto also has a mission center, called Tōkō-en (東光苑), in Taitō, Tokyo.

Scriptures

Template:See also The two main scriptures (basic kyōten 根本教典) used in Oomoto are:

  • Oomoto Shin'yu (大本神諭, 277 sections), composed during 1892–1918 (originally dictated by Nao Deguchi as the Ofudesaki; reinterpreted and edited by Onisaburo Deguchi to become the Oomoto Shin'yu)
  • Reikai Monogatari (霊界物語, 81 sections), composed during 1921–1934 (dictated by Onisaburo Deguchi)

Of the two, the Reikai Monogatari is by far the most commonly consulted and used scripture in present-day Oomoto.

Next in importance are two scriptures (kyōten 教典) composed by Onisaburo Deguchi during the first decade of the 20th century, namely Template:Nihongo (Template:Lit)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Template:Nihongo (Template:Lit).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There are also various other less commonly used texts, such as Izunome Shin'yu (伊都能売神諭, 37 volumes, composed during 1918–1919), and the Three Mirrors or San Kagami (三鏡, 844 chapters total) by Onisaburo Deguchi, which consists of the Water Mirror (水鏡, 249 chapters), Moon Mirror (月鏡, 212 chapters), and Jade Mirror (玉鏡, 383 chapters).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sacred sites

The summit of Mount Hongu in Ayabe
The Cave of Onisaburo Deguchi on Mount Takakuma

Oomoto has numerous sacred sites, some of which are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Festivals

Four major Template:Nihongo are held for each of the four seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Art

Oomoto and its adherents promote Japanese arts and culture, such as Noh theater, calligraphy, ceramics, and the tea ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> According to Onisaburo Deguchi, Template:Nihongo.<ref name="Handbook"/> This perspective was also shared by Oomoto follower Mokichi Okada, who founded both the Church of World Messianity and the MOA Museum of Art in Atami.<ref name="ProphetMotive"/>

Use of Esperanto

An inscribed stone in Kameoka with the official motto of Oomoto in Esperanto: Unu Dio, Unu Mondo, Unu Interlingvo ("One God, One World, One Language")

Template:See also The artificial language Esperanto plays a major role in the Oomoto religion. Starting from the early 1920s, the religion has published a large amount of literature in Esperanto. Onisaburo Deguchi reportedly introduced Esperanto back when he had interfaith dialogues with the Baháʼí Faith in 1921. Many Oomoto facilities in Kameoka, Kyoto have multilingual signs in Japanese and Esperanto. Today, Oomoto continues to publish numerous books, periodicals, pamphlets, and websites in Esperanto; some materials (translation of Japanese texts, etc.) are actually more extensive in Esperanto than in English.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The creator of Esperanto, L. L. Zamenhof, is revered in Oomoto as a kami. The Oomoto affirmation of Zamenhof's enshrinement as a kami is stated, in Esperanto, as follows:

Template:Lang<ref name="Oomoto-eo">Template:Cite web</ref>

The text above as translated into English is:

...[T]he spirit of Zamenhof even now continues to act as a missionary of the angelic kingdom; therefore, his spirit was deified in the Senrei-sha shrine.

Doctrine

The Template:Nihongo, also known as the shinjin itchi (Template:Lang), states that:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Poem quote

The original Japanese text of the Ōmoto kyōshi is: Template:Poem quote

The fundamental ways to reach God are the called the Template:Nihongo:<ref name="Handbook">Template:Cite book</ref>

Template:Nihongo are:<ref name="Handbook"/>

Template:Nihongo are:<ref name="Handbook"/>

A core Oomoto teaching is:<ref name="Handbook"/>

Beliefs and theology

Oomoto is essentially a neo-Shinto religious movement.Template:Citation needed Oomoto doctrine has also integrated kokugaku teachings and modern ideas on world harmony and peace.

God

In Oomoto, the one supreme God who created the universe is called Oomoto-sume-oomikami (Japanese: 大天主太神 or おおもとすめおおみかみ).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Oomoto means the "Great Origin", sume means "govern", and Oomikami means God. All kami are considered to be manifestations of this one God. In an account from the Reikai Monogatari, the universe began with the sudden advent of "ヽ", which is called "hochi". It then develops into "◉", called "su". This is the kotodama of "su" and is the great origin of God.

Kami

Members of Oomoto believe in several kami (minor deities or spirits). The most important are Ushitora no Konjin (the kami of Nao Deguchi's initial divine possession in 1892), Ookunitokotachi, and Hitsujisaru. Various religious figures from other religions, or even notable non-religious figures, are recognized as kami – for example, the creator of Esperanto, L. L. Zamenhof.<ref name="Oomoto-eo"/>

Cosmology

Oomoto's goal is the realization of the world of Miroku or Template:Nihongo ("the world to come"), which means heaven in the real world. It is expressed in various ways, such as Template:Nihongo (mentioned at the beginning of the Oomoto Shin'yu), "purification of the world", "the opening of Amano-Iwato of the world", "the world of clear quartz", and so on.

Oomoto recognizes two realms, the physical world and the Template:Nihongo, both of which are interconnected. In turn, the spiritual world consists of three parts:<ref name="Handbook"/>

Nao Deguchi's prophecies stated that events which occur in Ayabe would also occur in Japan or throughout the world.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Japanese government's suppression of Oomoto, consisting of the 1921 and 1935 Oomoto incidents, is considered to have been an omen of World War II and the consequent destruction of Japan.

Meal prayer

A bilingual Esperanto-Japanese prayer in appreciation of food at the Oomoto headquarters' cafeteria in Kameoka, Kyoto

In Oomoto, a prayer is often recited before meals, after which "itadakimasu" is said. The prayer consists of three tanka poems (known in Japanese as the "Three-Poem Song" 三首のお歌) composed by Oomoto's second spiritual leader, Sumiko Deguchi (1883–1952). In 1976, Oomoto's third spiritual leader Naohi Deguchi adopted the prayer for use before meals. The prayer in Japanese, along with a literal English translation, is as follows.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Japanese (original text) English (literal translation)
Template:Poemquote Template:Poemquote

The official Esperanto and Portuguese translations of the prayer, which do not always follow the exact meaning of the Japanese original, are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Esperanto (official translation) Portuguese (official translation)
Template:Poemquote Template:Poemquote

Notable followers

One of the more well-known followers of Oomoto was Morihei Ueshiba, a Japanese martial artist and the founder of Aikido. It is commonly thought that Ueshiba's increasing attachment to pacifism in later years and belief that Aikido should be an "art of peace" were inspired by his involvement with the sect. Oomoto priests oversee a ceremony in Ueshiba's honor every April 29 at the Aiki Shrine at Iwama.

Onisaburo Deguchi taught a type of meditation and spirit possesssion technique called chinkon kishin (鎮魂帰神) to some of his most devoted followers, many of whom went on to establish their own religions. They include:<ref name="Staemmler">Template:Cite book</ref>

More recent Oomoto followers during the late 20th and 21st centuries include:

  • Alex Kerr, American writer and Japanologist, worked for the Oomoto Foundation for 20 years starting in 1977.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Bill Roberts, American writer active at the Oomoto Foundation
  • Haruhisa Handa, founder of the religious organization World Mate
  • Yamantaka Eye, visual artist, DJ and member of avant musical group Boredoms

Oomoto-inspired religions

Various religions have been inspired by Oomoto, many of which were founded by Oomoto followers familiar with Template:Nihongo (Template:Lit) as practiced in Oomoto.<ref name="Handbook"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Since Oomoto believes that Template:Nihongo, these other new religious movements are not seen as heretical, but are in fact even encouraged.

Many of these religions have meditation and divine healing practices derived from Oomoto's Template:Nihongo. They include:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Various practices and teachings in Makoto no Michi are inspired by Oomoto, including similar spirit possession practices.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Makoto no Michi's sacred geography is derived from that of the Reikai Monogatari, in which Japan is viewed as a Template:Nihongo of the world. Hokkaido is viewed as the equivalent of North America, Honshu as Eurasia, Shikoku as Australia, Kyushu as Africa, Taiwan as South America, and so on; these equivalences stem from their common mythical origins during the creation of the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The geographic equivalents of the main Japanese islands and Taiwan with the world's continents are identical in both Oomoto and Makoto no Michi.

Further reading

Publications from the Oomoto Foundation:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category

Official websites
Online scriptures and encyclopedic materials
Others

Template:Oomoto bottom Template:Japanese new religions Template:Sect Shinto Template:Authority control

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