Healing Art for Tomorrow Part Ⅱ
Written by Mokichi Okada, 1943

Some people think that Johrei is a kind of religion and it works through faith but that isn’t the case. Here I will tell you the reason for it. Let me explain religion first. When a certain group is formed as a religious sect, the doctrine is built and the teachings are preached. If a person belongs to such a group, they have to follow its doctrine and act according to its teachings. They also have to worship the image of a religious founder such as gods, buddhas or Christ every morning and evening (as per original text). Although prayer formats and events differ from religion to religion, it is like that if you overlook it.

Then I give my opinion about what religious faith is. A person’s belief and trust in something gradually becomes strong as time passes. When their belief and trust reach the limit, they feel reverence for it. Then their reverence finally develops into the idea of religious faith. In this sense, the object of worship is not just limited to gods or buddhas. Everything can become the object of faith. For example, the rising sun can be the object of worship. ‘Bushido’ and science can be the objects of faith, too. In this sense, even western medicine could become the object of faith. The faith in medicine should be particularly said to be an absolute one. It could be said so because people leave their lives to it in relief regardless of its effect.

On the other hand, such religious aspects and faith are different in Johrei. Needless to say, it has no religious aspects. As for the faith, however, we cannot say that people don’t have it in Johrei. For example, when those who were informed by doctors that they are dying or suffering from incurable diseases are saved, they get the joy of their rebirth. Therefore, it would be natural that their strong emotion develops into the religious faith. However, they are not superstitious because they have such a natural idea for the effect of Johrei.

Here I would like to say something to doctors. If a person is cured with non-medical therapy, doctors must say that they are cured because they believe in it. Why do they take such a view? There is a reason for that. That interpretation would come from their many experiences in the field of western medicine. Speaking figuratively, if the patient takes the medicine that is prescribed by the trusted doctor, it especially works. In other words, the medicine prescribed by the famous physician is very effective but the one by the unknown physician is not even though they prescribe the same medicine. Doctors say that it often happens. This shows that not medicine but the patient’s idea brings such an effect. Doctors are convinced that patients are cured because they believe in their medical treatment. For this reason, it would be inevitable that doctors are dominated by such a preconceived idea.

As I repeatedly say, only Johrei can work in the same way on people whether they believe in it or not. It is proved by the fact that Johrei is especially effective for infants. Let me give you an example. Children’s dysentery is the most fearful disease for doctors. Its healing rate is less than 10 per cent in medicine. On the other hand, more than 90 per cent of children’s dysentery is cured by Johrei. This is clear proof. I always say that the war should win and in the same meaning, the disease should be cured. That is all.

Translated by N.H.