Reported by S.H. in Nagasaki on 15 March 1953

Thank you very much for your continuous protection, Meshiya-sama. I became a believer in Sekai-Meshiya-kyo in October 1950. Since then, we live a happy life under your absolute protection. I cannot express how I feel grateful. Here I report the grace that my eldest son received. He is six years old. Meshiya-sama never blamed me even though I repeatedly did many things against his teachings but just gave my elder son a huge grace. I feel very sorry that his grace was too huge to be expressed in words. Thinking of those days still makes me shiver. I cannot do anything but just appreciate such a great blessing given by Meshiya-sama. My son was weak since he was born. He received medical treatment all the time but he had changed after we became a believer in Sekai-Meshiya-kyo. He grew up healthy until the terrible thing happened on 29 March. On that day, my grandmother suddenly brought my son back from my wife’s parents’ house. It was 1 p.m. He was going to see his grandparents but he became unable to pass water. He was writhing in agony and my grandmother was so upset that she couldn’t do anything. I had fortunately left home to prepare for night fishing. I was soon called back home. When I returned home, I found the doctor. He was taking the urine through a urethral catheter. It was about 3:30 p.m. My grandfather, who recently became a believer in Sekai-Meshiya-kyo, simply thought that it was all right for my son to take just urine through the urethra without using the medicine.

The doctor said, “He suffered from urethral stone. I give him an injection to melt the stone. The urine will come out spontaneously. If it doesn’t come out for more than eight hours, he would be in danger. So, please be just careful to the time.” He called attention to us like that and left. At that time, Mr K, who is branch chief of Sekai-Meshiya-kyo, was out for his work. I asked my family and the believers nearby to perform Johrei on him without interruption. However, I could hardly see him in agony. I called the doctor. It was about 6 a.m. on the 30th. It had already six hours passed since we had received the doctor’s warning. I had committed mortal sin again. The doctor took the urine in the same way as the last time. He said, “If your son doesn’t pass water for eight hours, you soon take him to the hospital.” Then he left.

Mr K’s wife visited us as he would be back late. She felt very sorry that my son saw a doctor. She was very disappointed but said to encourage us, “What’s done is done. You should deeply apologise to Meshiya-sama.” We all seriously apologised to Meshiya-sama and performed Johrei on my son again. Six hours had already passed but my son didn’t pass water. The critical time was nearly coming. My son got suffered more and more. As we hadn’t deepened the faith yet, we got hit with anxiety one after another. Just then, Mr K visited us. Like his wife, he was very disappointed that we had taken the wrong path. He said, “I felt very sorry. We had done outrageous thing.” He continued, “What’s done is done. We sincerely apologise to Meshiya-sama and rely on him all the way.” then he talked about faith and gave us notice. I realised how sinful we were and how shallow our faith was. I was stunned and soon visited the branch church to worship. I threw myself in front of the altar and apologised. Then all of us including other believers, my family and even my children, as well as Mr K went to our head family’s house next to the branch church and sat in front of the altar. We chanted a prayer to ask Meshiya-sama to forgive the sins we committed.

A great miracle had happened. What a tremendous grace we received! Just after we finished worshipping the next morning, my son had a few drops of urine at around 6 a.m. It means that four hours had already passed since the deadline of 8 hours warned by the doctor. “We have received grace!” We were overcome with emotion and threw ourselves in front of the altar to express gratitude. This grace gave us a burst of power. We regained our faith and continued to perform Johrei. From that time, however, my son’s belly extremely got swollen. His pain reached his limit of endurance. My wife and I had to see my weak and innocent six-year-old son in agony because of our sins. As we took the wrong path, God showed us the sufferings of my son. It is because we are his parents. When thinking so, I felt as if I drunk boiling water. My heart was nearly broken. I wished I could have taken over his pain. I wanted to apologise to my son, “I am very sorry. Please, forgive me. It’s my fault.”

The dreadful night dawned. My son still didn’t pass water in the morning on 1 December. His swollen belly hardened like a plank. His testicles and penis got bright red and swollen. Blisters formed on some parts of his belly and got swollen, too. He felt pain more and more. “Just hang in there. Just a little.” I encouraged him. He was suffering from severe pain. From that time on, even though he was a child, he seemed despaired and prepared. My son said, “Your words do nothing. You just made me consoled. I won’t be saved.” I am a sinful person but please forgive me that I sent a telegram to Meshiya-sama to ask him to protect my son. It was 8 a.m. I said to my son who was suffering from pain, “I just asked Meshiya-sama to protect you. So, you will soon feel better.” I encouraged him like that but the terrible idea still came to my mind sometimes. I knew that Mr K felt very sad as we did wrong things but it was intolerable　for me to see my son in agony. I didn’t care future but just wanted to make him pass water by medicine and feel him better for even a moment.

Believers, as well as Mr K, earnestly performed Johrei on my son. When looking at them, I was just ashamed of my weakness and indecision. I knew that my question made Mr K suffer but I couldn’t help asking him, “Is he all right?” He never became pessimistic no matter how terrible purifications I had. I had one which makes me shiver just thinking of it. I also experienced an unbelievably harsh purification beyond common sense. However, he always said firmly, “You are sure to have grace.” My son’s purification was not the case. He never clearly said all right. He just gave me an answer which made me more anxious.

More than ten people of believers and my family were in the room and just stared at my son with a sad look. The room was in complete silence. Then the silence was broken. Someone said with sighs from one corner of the room, “Uraemia is different from other diseases. It is terrible as it is a time-sensitive disease.” Mr K suddenly said in a strong tone, “It might be dangerous when eight hours pass at the doctor’s diagnosis. Since we have received the power of God who created human beings, does it matter even if he cannot pass water for a few days? We don’t mind if a person has a few litters bleeding. God has a great power to change a bean-sized lump into a few litters of urine. The reverse is also true. He definitely easily changes a few litters of urine into a bean-sized lump to make a person feel better. Rely on God earnestly, please.” I felt his strong belief from his words. It was already afternoon and then evening but my son had no drip of urine. His condition apparently got worse. He reproachfully looked at lots of toys given and said, “I don’t need them anymore.” He threw them away. His severe pain never stopped. The fourth day nearly ended but he had no urine and couldn’t eat anymore. We were filled with sorrow.

On the fifth day of the 3rd December, my son started to scream in intense pain from around dawn. I had no words to describe his agony. In the evening, he asked me, “Show me the photo of Meshiya-sama.” I showed my son his photo which was taken in the Hibiya Public Hall. He held trembling hands in agony and said, “Save me please, Meshiya-sama. Please, please.” Looking at his petition, everyone cried. We just sobbed and wept. We were stricken by grief. My son also repeatedly asked us to chant a prayer. I felt heart-breaking grief and burst out crying to him. My son said, “Why are you crying? Don’t be upset…” I was startled at his words, which I didn’t think a child like him said. Every time he had endurable pain, he asked us to chant a prayer and show him the photo of Meshiya-sama.

On 4 December, the sixth night had come since my son got ill. His condition was getting worse. Despite being busy, Mr K kept performing Johrei for the whole five days. He didn’t have proper meals nor took off his jacket to lie down. He literally performed Johrei on my son without sleep and rest. His face apparently got thin. I asked him again, “Is my son all right?” Given his feeling, I felt ashamed and terribly sorry to him. My son was gradually losing consciousness from the night and could no longer have the energy to complain of his pain. “We leave everything to God until the very end.” We chanted a prayer together.

Against our hope, his condition was getting worse every moment. He completely lost the spirit to complain of his pain around midnight. His breathing weakened. We couldn’t recognise whether he was alive or dead without paying careful attention. We couldn’t feel his pulse very much. His whole body cramped and his eyes were twitched. He became in a state of apparent death. The sobbing sound spread all over the room. It was unbearable for me to think that it was the last time to see my son, who was in a state of death. I held him in tears and called his name repeatedly. I behaved shamefully in front of people. Then Mr K said, “I do understand your feelings but please calm down. His condition doesn’t mean to be completely over. He suffers when you get upset and cry. Such behaviour is also impolite to God.” His speaking was so strong that it sounded cruel to me. He continued to say firmly, “Please, chant a prayer with me, everyone.” His words changed the air. We started to chant a prayer with him. After chanting it ten times or so, everyone no longer sobbed nor wept. The room was filled with sublime air. The atmosphere itself was sacred, which would be the state of unification between God and men. In such an atmosphere, Mr K calmly held his hand to my son. His attitude was dignity itself. My son’s sadly tight eyes were gradually relieved in several minutes. He steadily revived from complete asphyxia. “We’ve got grace. What a great divine power it is!” We all trembled with gratitude. We threw ourselves in front of the altar and expressed our gratitude to Meshiiya-sama.

On 5 December, Mr K left our house for the first time in six days. He returned to his branch church to look after new believers. Many people, as well as relatives, frequently came to see my son from the early morning. Everyone shed tears when looking at his miserable condition. Without noticing anything, my son was just hovering between life and death. Around noon, he had convulsions again the same as the last night. He ground his teeth strongly and started twitching his eyes. At around 2 p.m., we thought that my son would no longer recover. We discussed and decided to call the director of a certain hospital. We needed the death certification. He saw my son and immediately said, “Your son is just before death. I will give him an injection if you want but it’s too late even if I give him a penicillin injection. We might have something to do for him at the hospital not here. In any case, we cannot take responsibility. I am sorry to tell you but your son won’t live until this evening.” We all finally got prepared for his death. I felt sorry for Mehiya-sama but I absolutely gave him up without any single hope. When looking at his swollen body, I just wanted the doctor to take urine from my son even if he couldn’t be saved. Otherwise, we won’t be able to lay him in a coffin. While thinking of those things, my mother asked the doctor if he took the urine from her grandson. The director said, “His urine frozen. We cannot take it even if we use a rubber tube.” He left without any help.

If Meshiya-sama had not protected us at that time, we would have taken my son to the hospital. Then he would have had his whole body chopped, felt horrifying and fierce suffering and finally died. Thanks to Meshiya-sama, I felt oddly calm in my mind. We no longer worried about the death certification. My son was protected by Meshiya-sama and received Johrei by other believers as well as Mr K. They were so kind to him. I couldn’t describe their kindness without tears. I had no longer any desire. I had completely changed and I felt full of gratitude and satisfaction. I said to the believers, “I have nothing to regret even if my son dies. I will work harder for Sekai-Meshiya-kyo.” I felt calm and threw myself in front of the altar. I just asked Meshiya-sama to purify my son’s spirit.

I felt relieved and suddenly got hungry. I had a delicious meal for the first time in a week since my son started to have a purification. Meanwhile, relatives prepared for my son’s funeral the next day. They went to the village supply station and asked them to manage to get the food needed for the funeral. It was around 5 p.m. My son was nearly dying. We chanted prayer together again but no one asked God to save him. We just prayed for his peaceful death to purify his spirit. We wished that he would leave the world at the playful age of six without getting lost. We no longer felt his breath nor pulse. His arms and legs were getting cold. He just occasionally cramped. Around that time, Mrs K visited us instead of Mr K because he was occupied. She encouraged us and said, “The true power of God exists in its last one per cent. Let us rely on God to the last.” Two hours had passed since then. Around 7 p.m. I smelled something and pull off the blanket. My son did pass water. “He’s got grace. He did pee. He did pee.” My son passed water for the first time since he got ill. We all became wild with joy and shed tears with gratitude. We threw ourselves in front of the altar and expressed our deepest gratitude. We shared joy with tears. Thanks to Meshiya-sama, my son’s belly became normal. However, we were pleased not because we thought my son was saved but just because we could lay my son in the coffin smoothly and hold his funeral without showing his miserable swollen body. Mr K soon visited us after finishing the church matter. He was very glad to see his condition.

When I think back, my son had a purification from the night of 29th. Then the doctor had told us that he would have been in danger if he couldn’t have passed water for more than eight hours. However, He had been alive for 6 days since he couldn’t pass water. It means that my son didn’t pass water for one hundred forty-four hours. Then he had received a tremendous grace. I express my deepest gratitude to Meshiya-sama. We had been waiting for my son to pee the whole time but our wish didn’t come true. When we all gave him up, I finally let go of myself. Just at that time, my son received God’s grace. I just learnt how awful the attachment was. Our attachment did prevent my son from receiving grace. When thinking of it, I felt really sorry for him. He lied in a coma through that night but looked fun to us.

He was like a few-day-old baby the next day. He didn’t have a brain to feel pain nor want food. When we put the spoon with liquid food on his lips, he just opened his mouth and sucked it. On the 7th, he gained the knowledge of a half-year-old child. From that time, the room got full of stench. Lots of pus frequently came out of the root of his penis. He had a round shape wound around the testicles and penis. Then the wound was getting bigger. Because of the wound, the testicles and penis more than half got lower than normal position. Since he passed water on the evening of the 5th, however, he didn’t feel pain and got better day by day. Around that time, we felt hope and safe for his life, which we once gave up completely. However, we started to worry about the condition of his genital area instead.

On 9 December, my son gained appetite and passed water smoothly but what we worried about had happened. His testicles and penis became rotten and flowed like mud. They fell and touched on the mattress when my son lied on his back. At the same time, he had a few blisters with a diameter of 5 centimetres on his underbelly. They broke and pus came off. No one would want to see again his terrible condition. Everyone must have looked away from it.

A week passed since then. Before the dawn of the 16th, His penis completely came off from its root. Testicles also came off from its root and had no trace of their original form. Just white liner things had remained. The wound where they came off became the same size as the adult’s fist. We were worried if the intestine came out of the wound. I couldn’t describe how awful it looked. Thanks to Meshiya-sama, my son apparently got better day by day. So, everyone thought that he was recovering very well. Once seeing that wound, however, they felt very anxious. His life was saved. However, if he had lost his genital organ forever, what would happen to him when he grew up? Thinking of that made me sad as his father. I asked Mr K about his condition. He said, “Everything will become well under God’s protection. Just rely on Him and pray to Him.” As I was not an experienced believer, I could hardly believe that the lost thing would be restored. I just thought that a small urethral opening would be made somewhere and that would be all. When thinking so, I felt very sorry for my son. About ten days passed. Pus almost stopped coming off and nothing remained. However, the skin gathered from both sides of the area where testicles were and they gradually became the original shape day by day. As for the penis, its tip came out a little and he could pass water from it.

He recovered smoothly day by day and now it has been three months since he had a purification. Thanks to Meshiya-sama, his testicles and penis became almost the same as before. Here I conclude the report full of gratitude. Please use me for your divine work even a little. Thank you very much again, Mehisya-sama.

[Miracles of Johrei]

Translated by N.H.