Miracles of Johrei
Written by Okada Mokichi, 1953
Reported by M.K. in Okayama on 16 January 1952
When I recall, it was someone else’s matter or like a dream. Twenty-five years ago, I married my husband as my aunt recommended although I didn’t know what kind of person he was. The day after we married, my husband came home after drinking a lot of alcohol. I was so surprised that I started to cry. My mother-in-law consoled me but such a thing often happened. I didn’t know what should I do and spent my days while thinking about it. Two months later, my mother died and left my little brother. I was at loss. I thought that I had heard luck and no choice but to be patient. He continued to drink a lot outside and then came home. Three years had already passed and he said one day, “You go home because you never get pregnant.” So, I had to go home. My mother was no longer there. Neighbours and relatives often visited me and persuaded me to go back to my husband’s house. A situation like that happened many times. Then I got pregnant and gave birth to a girl in 1929. The second daughter was born three years later. However, my bad luck continued. The elder daughter died due to a cold on 20 October 1932 and then the younger one died ten days later. I lost long-awaited children in ten days. It went without saying how sad I was. As for my husband, he drunk more than before and my mother-in-law blamed me and said, “Because of you, my son drinks a lot without working much. I really thought that there was no God nor Buddha. No one knew my suffering.
Soon after that, my mother-in-law had a heart condition. She was suffering for three years and finally died. I felt so lonely and adapted a two-year-old girl from my relatives. My father-in-law always had a weak stomach. He had all kinds of medical cares but he never got better. He finally suffered from paralysis. He continued to suffer for seven years and died. As for my husband, the older he got, the worse his drinking habit became. He drunk outside and then came home. He bullied me and my step-daughter. Then he mumbled and drunk again. He hit me with an empty bottle. When I went out of the house, he ran after me. When all alcohol drinks ran out, he ordered me to buy another one. When I didn’t go as there was no shop to sell alcohol beverage nearby, he said, “I go out to get alcoholic drinks.” Then he went out. He came home a few days later with an innocent-looking and went to sleep. In that case, he had a heavy headache and couldn’t get up. He said, “It was all my fault. I did something bad. I spent a lot of money.” He looked very regrettable and became pessimistic. So, I couldn’t offend him even though I got angry. I said to him, “You can get money when you work. Besides, you haven’t done anything wrong.” I consoled him like that. He seemed to become clear in his head in a few days. I expected that he became a decent person but he didn’t. He went out to dink again. He always did it when he got money. Such a situation had continued for twenty-six years. One day, He went to a shed and polished a spear. He told me to kill me or someone else with it. I thought many times that I wanted to be killed by train or die in the sea if I was not worth living. However, the old saying says that fortune is unpredictable and changeable. Where there is life there is hope. I have lived with this in mind until now.
The last autumn, Mr N in town F visited me when I threshed rice. He told me a lot about Sekai-Meshiya-kyo. He said, “Disease is cured just by holding up a hand.” “Johrei even changes human disposition.” I said, “Is that so?” I listened to him but thought that there were no such things to happen.” Autumn harvest was over after that. I thought that I could have a break but my husband showed up his bad habit again. He spent a lot of money and came home late by car. When he tried to enter a narrow path in front of the house by car, half of the car fell into the river. Even so, he pretended not to know it and just drank at home. Then he slept with his head under the futon. His feet stuck out of it. The car was pulled out of the river with the help of neighbours somehow under the rain afterwards. On the next day, he told me that he couldn’t get up because he had a headache as usual. Then he remembered Mr N and said, “Go and ask Mr N to come.” I replied to him, “I’m cutting the rush now. I will go in the evening.” He said, “Go right now.” So, I immediately visited Mr N. He lied down because of purification and said, “I will go at about 7 p.m. if I can.” However, he didn’t come at the promised time. Then my husband said, “I will go as I don’t bother him.” He wore a headband and went to see Mr N. I was worried but he came home. His headache was completely gone. He said, “I received Johrei from Mr A.” Then we knew that the fox made my husband drink a lot.
When I recall, I think that it was the first step for us to be saved when Mr N told us about Sekai-Meshiya-kyo. My husband visited the church the next day and received Johrei from Mr Y. Since then, he has stopped drinking a lot and never bullied us. He completely changed. In January 1951, my husband became a believer in Sekai-Masiya-kyo and so did I in February. On 11 March, we were honourably permitted to enshrine Dai-Komyo-Nyorai-sama. My husband has never held hands to gods nor buddhas but now never eats a meal without worshipping God every morning and evening. It will be a year since he started to walk around to help people every day. The neighbours are amazed at his great change. Now my life of suffering for twenty-five years has ended since I married him. Long-awaited happiness has come to me. My joy cannot be compared to anything. I just shed tears.
It is imperfect but my husband tries to help people and I do natural farming. We always talk about our faith and have fun every day. Thank you very much, Meshiya-sama. I was so glad to be saved that I wanted to report what we experienced even though my writing is poor. In the end, I thank everyone as well as Mr N and Y.
[Miracles of Johrei]
Translated by N.H.