, or Nirwana Association, is a Japanese
new religious movement
A new religious movement (NRM), also known as alternative spirituality or a new religion, is a religious or spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious culture. NRMs can be novel in origin or th ...
founded in 1929. The number of adherents exceeded 200,000 in the 1990s. It is a
syncretic
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
movement, with influences drawing from traditional
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
and
Shingon Buddhist teachings. Its central deity is Gochi Nyorai (
Mahāvairocana). Gedatsu is the Japanese term for ''
moksha
''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...
'' or
enlightenment. Gedatsu-kai is a non-sectarian study, having no firm affiliation with any existing religious groups.
Founder and family
Gedatsu-kai was established by Seiken Okano (born Eizo Okano) in 1929. Okano was born in what is now Kitamoto, Saitama in 1881. Okano fell ill in 1925 with pneumonia, and upon recovering, expressed greater interest in religion. He visited Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples, eventually associating himself with practitioners of those faiths. In 1929, he was believed to have had a divine revelation, urging him to further his religious exploration; Okano founded Gedatsu-kai later that year. He dedicated the rest of his life to guiding others to the same spiritual awakening he had received. In 1948, Okano died, and was given the title "Gedatsu
Kongō Sonja" within the Church. Church members refer to him as "Kongō Sama" or "Sonja," and pay homage to him regularly through prayer.
His successor (referred to as Hoshu, or Dharma successor) is the late Abbot Seiho Okano, an affiliate of the revisionist lobby
, and the Chairman of the board of directors is Bishop Teruo Okano. Reverend Naoya Okano is affiliated with the Gedatsu Church of America.
History
Ine Kenyu Kiyota was a student of Seiken Okano, and was given the mission to spread Gedatsu-kai to the United States. Kiyota brought Gedatsu-Kai to California during the late 1930s. Upon the beginning of World War II, Kiyota, along with the Japanese and Japanese American populace in the United States, were forced into
relocation camps. Kiyota refused to pledge loyalty to the United States in protest of the internment, and was sent to the
Tule Lake Camp. Kiyota spent her time in Tule Lake practicing Gedatsu-kai, and spreading the teachings of Seiken Okano. Upon being released from Tule Lake, Kiyota founded the first branch of the Gedatsu Church of America in San Francisco.
After Okano's death in 1948, management of church affairs was passed to Bishop Takeo Kishida. In 1950, Kishida moved to the United States, passing church operations to individual congregations in the Tokyo area. Kishida purchased 20 acres of farmland in Sacramento, California, founding the Sacramento Branch, and dedicating the land as the ''goreichi'', or spiritual grounds, for the United States. In 1952, the church purchased a church building in Los Angeles, California, and founded its third U.S. branch. Kishida returned to his former position within Gedatsukai in Japan in 1964, and began alternating his service semiannually between Japan and the United States.
In 1961, the original San Francisco branch of the church dissolved, and the American headquarters moved to Los Angeles. In 1981, the Honolulu branch of the Gedatsu Church of America was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Beliefs and practices
The ultimate objective of Gedatsu-kai is for its sincere practitioners to achieve spiritual enlightenment, and to free one from negative
karma
Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptivel ...
. The central object of worship within the church is the Universal Life Force, sometimes referred simply in English as God. According to the church, the Universal Life Force gives all things life, having a similar role as most central deities in some major religions. One of the most important teachings of Gedatsu-kai is maintaining reverence to God and one's ancestors. Gedatsu-kai emphasizes that an individual receives blessings from their country, parents, teachers, society, and everything that has been created by the Universal Life Force, and that individuals must give thanks to the givers of those blessings. Seiken Okano expressed that every part of life is integrated with religion, and that all of an individual's experiences and actions directly effect one's spirit, and one must take that into account when living their daily life to gain a "true peace of mind."
An important part of Gedatsu-kai prayers is the ''Amacha Kuyo'', or ''Amacha Blessing''. The Amacha Blessing is performed by pouring
Amacha tea on a ''Kuyo-To'' (a wooden plaque inscribed with religious characters). The blessing is performed with intention for all spirits to receive, another part of giving thanks to ancestors. Seiken Okano's case of pneumonia in 1929 was supposedly healed by consumption of Amacha Tea.
The ''Hannya Shingyo'', better known as the
Heart Sutra, is a Buddhist mantra that is performed as a part of the regular prayer.
Members of the church worship three objects, which represent different entities within the study. The first is the Supreme Spirit of the Universe, and the second is Gochi Nyorai (
Mahavairocana Buddha), which means literally "Universal Buddha of Five Wisdoms." The Supreme Spirit of the Universe and Gochi Nyorai are intertwined, both representing the Universal Life Force. The difference lies in the specifics, with the Supreme Spirit of the Universe originating from Shinto, and Gochi Nyorai originating from Buddhism. The third object is Gedatsu Kongo Sonja, in respect to his role as the founder of the church.
The church holds multiple festivals annually to celebrate and appreciate the blessings they receive from ancestors and guardian spirits.
Gedatsu-kai is non-sectarian, which allows it to be practiced in conjunction with other religions. The church, especially in the United States, is open to members of other religions to partake in church services.
Location
![Gedatsu-kai Tenjinchigi Shrine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Gedatsu-kai_Tenjinchigi_Shrine.JPG)
Gedatsu-kai has branches throughout Japan. The church's administrative headquarters are located in
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...
, but its sacred grounds, or ''goreichi'', are located in the founder's home town in
Kitamoto, Saitama
is a Cities of Japan, city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 66,022 and a population density of 3300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
In east-central Saitama Prefecture, Kitamoto ...
. There are also several branches in the United States, where the organization is called "
Gedatsu Church". The largest branches are located in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, and
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
. The ''goreichi'' of the United States is located on the church grounds in Sacramento.
References
{{Reflist
Bibliography
*
Earhart, H. Byron. (1980)
Gedatsukai: One life history and its significance for interpreting Japanese new religions Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 7 (2-3), 227-257
* Earhart, H. Byron. (1983)
Review: Gedatsukai: Its Theory and Practice (A Study of a Shinto-Buddhist Syncretic School in Contemporary Japan) by Minoru Kiyota Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 6 (1), 154-156
* Hardacre, Helen (1991)
Review: Gedatsu-Kai and Religion in Contemporary Japan: Returning to the Center by H. Byron Earhart Journal of Japanese Studies 17 (1), 211-217
External links
Gedatsu-kai websiteGedatsu Church USA website
Japanese new religions