Why the name "Perfect Liberty"?
"Perfect Liberty" was founded in Japan, but uses the name in English
throughout the world. Why?
How does PL regard Christianity or other religions?
What are my responsibilities as a PL member?
What is the concept of God in PL?
Does one need to convert to become a PL member?
Does PL have a holy scripture?
How do PL members pray?
What is a Church of Perfect Liberty Sunday Service like?
What are the special days of worship in PL?
What does Precept #3 mean when it says that people are "manifestations of
God"?
What is PL? Is it a 'Religion' or a ‘Cult'?
What is the role of a PL minister?
Do PL members have any special dietary restrictions or laws which they must
follow?
Are there any special medical treatment restrictions a PL member must obey?
What are the funeral rights of a PL member?
What about life after death?
Q: Why the name "Perfect Liberty"?
A: The name "Perfect Liberty" refers to being liberated from our negative mental habits which limit our self-expressions. These are habits which can cause stress, sickness and other problems. True mental freedom, or perfect liberty, is a state of mind we can attain when we successfully tap into our true God-given self. This is the state of mind of being free from our ego attachments. Our lives continually improve and we achieve greater enjoyment and success the more effort we make to practice this through following the PL teachings in our daily lives.
Q: "Perfect Liberty" was founded in Japan, but uses the name in English throughout the world. Why?
A: From 1936 until the end of World War II, our religious organization, then called Hito-no-michi (The Way Of Man), was unreasonably suppressed by the military government of Japan because it was popular and peace-oriented. Our leader at that time, the Second Founder (Kyoso), and some senior disciples were imprisoned, but in 1945, after the war ended, all of them were released and exonerated of any charges of treason.
In September 1946, the Second Founder re-established the organization giving it an English name, "Perfect Liberty," declaring that, "English will be the most popular international language from now on."
Q: How does PL regard Christianity or other religions?
A: PL respects all the world's religions. We believe that all true religions are just different paths to the same Creator - God. PL openly welcomes everyone whether they belong to another religion or not, and will not ask an interested person to give up his/her present affiliation in order to become a PL member. We believe the important thing is for people to have faith.
Q: What are my responsibilities as a PL member?
A: Service to one's country and to humanity as a whole is a cornerstone of the PL faith. The Church encourages members to be of service wherever or whenever needed for the sake of society and especially for the sake of "World Peace". PL teachings suggest that it's best if members abide by and uphold the “law of the land," and live striving to follow the PL teachings.
Q: What is the concept of God in PL?
A: In PL we call God Mioya-ookami, meaning "the creator of the universe." We view God or Mioya-ookami as the whole - everything. We can also say that God as infinite, all powerful, omnipresent and the essence behind the natural and divine laws of the universe. However, it is impossible for mortals with finite capacities to fully comprehend or accurately describe God.
The founders of the world's religions have each tried in their own way to describe the "Divine Reality." However, this description has always been influenced by the cultural background of each 'revealer.' Although there are many descriptions of God, all of these founders were trying to describe the same essence.
Although God is beyond our comprehension, nevertheless, He is felt and made known by all those who have grown spiritually and believe in Him. In fact, in PL God is an everyday practical reality. PL members are taught how to regularly listen to the "silent voice of God" also known as an "inspiration," "intuition" or "first thought". God's existence is real to all those who make the effort to be in tune with their true selves and with God.
In PL, we are taught that human beings are the manifestation of God. Our souls, come from God and when our bodies die our souls return to God. Although everything is a part of God (the whole), souls are more like a part of the essence of God. Therefore, all human beings have a spark of the divine within them.
We often say that God is like an ocean of water and we human beings are like drops of water, we have the same quality as God, but the quantity is different.
Q: Does one need to convert to become a PL member?
A: No. PL members come from many different religious backgrounds and are not asked to renounce their original faiths. We believe that all religions should learn to harmonize if we wish to achieve world peace. We teach our members to accept and appreciate our differences.
Q: Does PL have a holy scripture?
A: PL does not have a holy book like a Bible or a Koran. What it does have, however, are the PL 21 Precepts which were revealed by divine revelation to Tokuchika Miki, the Second Founder (Kyoso) of the Church of Perfect Liberty in 1947, as truths for humankind. The PL 21 Principles on the other hand, are the guidelines for enjoyable, faithful living in daily life based on the 21 Precepts.
A: PL members pray by performing the unique and very powerful Oyashikiri Prayer in front of their Omitama (PL prayer symbol). Members will do this prayer at least once in the morning and then again in the evening, but likely more often if they have special wishes or they need help in solving problems or curing an illness.
The hands above the head
movement of the prayer form, is similar to the prayer of the Tibetan monks,
while the position of the hands together under the chin with the head slightly
bowed, is common to many of the world's religions.
Both the chant "Oyashikiri" (Oh-yah-she-kee-reee) and the movements were revealed by divine revelation to our previous Oshieoya-sama (spiritual master) in 1958. Oyashikiri directly connects us to God, the life force, helping us to bring about our highest spiritual potential. There are many incredible testimonies about the blessings resulting from this prayer, many of which are more like miracles.
For more information click here to Bill Trotter's "Tell me About PL" - see section 3. "PL's Unique Spiritual Power"
Q: What is a Church of Perfect Liberty Sunday Service like?
A: PL Sunday Services, like all PL services, consist of both the ceremonial and informal parts. We will begin with the ceremonial part of the service that includes the opening Sacred Refrain, the reading of the PL Prayer and Morning Prayer, then closing with the Sacred Refrain. This takes about 10 -15 minutes.
The more informal part of the service often begins with a few PL songs, followed by testimonials from those members who wish to share their experiences on the results of practicing the PL teachings in their daily lives. The minister will then give a sermon or lead a discussion.
After this the members gather for refreshments and in the meantime the minister and hokyoshis (assistant ministers) will perform Oyashikiri Prayers for those members who request it for their special wishes.
For those who are interested in attending services, please follow our links below or go to "Contact Us" page to find out where your nearest church is located.
Q: What are the special days of worship in PL?
A: Members are urged to attend the monthly Thanksgiving Day Ceremony (21st of the month) and the ceremonies for the four main celebrations important to PL, these are:
- New Year's Day, January 1
- Kyoso Sai, [Founders’ Day] August 1
- The PL Anniversary [PL Sai], September 29.
- Oshieoya-sama’s Birthday, December 2
Attendance at other services is suggested for the members' benefit. Any minister, hokyoshi (assistant minister), or qualified member may conduct the regular PL services.
While group worship is encouraged, a member unable to attend services may conduct an abbreviated blessed version of the service alone, with his or her family, or with other members if he/she has a portable Omitama or a home altar. Some members will also conduct group morning and evening services in their homes.
The usual requirements for
home worship: (1) A portable prayer symbol (Omitama), 4" high, 2" diameter, in
a leather case (or the larger home Omitama); (2) The PL Prayer Book; (3) The
member’s book with their Divine Instructions (Mioshie); (4) The envelope for
offerings (Hosho).
PL members of other faiths are also free to observe and worship the special
days in those faiths such as Christmas for Christians, or Hanukkah for those
of the Jewish faith, to name several examples.
Q: What does Precept # 3 mean when it says that people are "manifestations of God."
A: Our souls come from God and when we die our bodies remain here, while our souls return to God. Although everything is a part of God (the whole), souls are more like a part of the essence of God. Therefore, all human beings have a spark of the divine within them.
Another way to say this is that God is like an ocean of water and we human beings are like drops of water, we have the same quality as God, but the quantity is different.
Q:
What is PL? Is it a
'Religion' or a ‘Cult'?
A: Often when people hear we are members of the Church of Perfect Liberty, a religion they have never heard of, they immediately ask suspiciously: "Is that like a cult?" In this use of the word ‘cult,' they usually mean the contemporary negative reference to the worst image of a cult as a group that is led by an egotistical, charismatic leader. Perhaps a ‘Jim Jones' type of organization, or the Japanese ‘Oomu Shinrikyo' cult which gassed a number of people in the Tokyo subway system several years ago.
In response to this question of whether or not PL is a cult, I'll explain some of the differences.
In most cults the will of the individual is subservient to the group — the group being all-important. This group will is normally whatever the leader on his/her whim, demands of the followers. Although a cult is supposedly based on spiritual or religious principles, any true spiritual or religious principles are usually only a thinly veiled disguise for what the leader needs to fill his own desires or abnormal perception of reality, which in some cases even leads to mass suicides like the well-known cult of Jim Jones.
First of all, in PL there is no ‘group will' other than that all PL members practice the same beliefs, just as Christians or Muslims do. Rather than being subservient to the ‘group will,' in PL on the other hand, we learn how to expand our own individuality to achieve greater levels of self-expression. This would not be permitted in a cult, where the only one allowed to express their individuality is the leader. Anyone else who attempts to do this is usually chastised, banned or punished.
In PL, our leader Oshieoya-sama is a very humble individual. He does not resemble a typical cult leader. When you speak to him, he waits patiently until you are finished before he even attempts to speak, and if he thinks you have something more to say he will stop speaking to let you go ahead. Oshieoya-sama is also there to serve the members and that's what he does, even unseen, day and night he continually removes the pain and suffering of members when they do the Migawari Prayer. This is not at all like someone trying to assert the power of their own ego. Cult leaders are not known to actively demonstrate this much compassion for their members. They tend to be very selfish people.
Another thing, cults usually have only a short history. You may find ones that have been in existence for perhaps 20 to 30 years, but most are very short-lived. The history of PL on the other hand, goes back well over 100 years.
Once a person becomes a member of a cult, it is often difficult to leave and coercion is often used to keep people in the group. Obedience is very important. There are also many cases of people being programmed or brain-washed to conform to a cult's perception of the world and then having to be de-programmed when they escape or are rescued. In PL, no one is ever coerced physically or mentally — it's free choice, just as the name implies — perfect liberty or freedom.
Many cults will often try to persuade their members to give up all their worldly possessions and donate them to the organization. PL members give through their Hosho envelopes and by other means, but the amount is a personal decision and no one is ever requested to give all their possessions to the Church. In fact, members are sometimes told not to give so much that they become financially strapped. Giving is encouraged, but to the extent the members wish to do so through our own sincere ‘heart felt' amount. It is also encouraged to assist the members in becoming more generous people and thereby learn not to be overly attached to material things. Again, this is in the sense of freeing members from their psychological attachments — not freeing them of all their worldly possessions.
Through their giving, PL members also learn how to treat money properly. By this form of teaching and practice, many PL members have actually become financially well off, not poverty stricken.
In many cults everything is very secretive and only the leader and perhaps several close trusted disciples know all or most of the secrets. These secrets are gradually revealed as a member demonstrates greater and greater allegiance to the leader and the group. In PL on the other hand, everything is very transparent to all members and to anyone else who wishes to know. There are no secrets!
In PL we practice the teachings openly in daily life within society and the teachings help us to improve our lives and to become better citizens. Within a cult the teachings are usually designed to draw its members further and further away from normal society and closer and closer to the group and its leader. Moreover, the teachings tend to draw people away from their own personal lives and individual traits into closer and closer interactions with the group until they emulate its characteristics.
These are some of the differences you will find between PL and what we usually refer to as a ‘cult.'
Q: What is the role of a PL minister?
A: PL ministers are administrators of the churches, they educate the members in faithful living, minister to their spiritual needs and function as leaders of the congregations. PL ministers are always available to serve their members in times of need for counseling, prayer and moral support. Their main duty is to convey the teachings of PL to members and non-members alike to assist them in living an “enjoyable life.” PL ministers are required to perform the PL Divine Rites, the Services, Ceremonies, all the PL rituals and devotions wherever they are stationed. They are invested with the authority for their particular mission by Oshieoya-sama. Once ordained, they are solely responsible to him. A PL minister may be male or female, and may also be single or married.
Q: Do PL members have any special dietary restrictions or laws which they must follow?
A: None. The church's teachings advise the practice of "healthful living" and moderation. However, PL teaches that food should be appreciated and enjoyed in order for it to be fully digested and benefit the body.
Q: Are there any special medical treatment restrictions a PL member must obey?
A: Generally no restrictions when performed by competent authorities. However, PL members usually receive the sacred Oyashikiri Prayer from the minister or a hokyoshi to ensure everything goes smoothly and they recover quickly.
Q: What are the funeral rights of a PL member?
A: This is a matter of individual choice. If the deceased member has made his or her wishes known to follow the PL ceremony, then the family would consult a PL minister to conduct this. A special Soul Transference Ceremony is held within 24 hours after death (before the funeral, the burial or cremation service). Then the family is assisted with the laying to rest of the remains and a PL funeral service may be held.
Q: What about life after death?
A: PL members believe that our souls come from God and will return to God when we die. We do not dwell on the afterlife, but rather focus on doing our best in our life here and now.
Here you will find the latest information and links to PL related sites such as links to the Japan (PL Holy Land) website, North American churches, South American churches current time, and more:
- Perfect Liberty, Japan (PL Holy Land)
- Perfect Liberty, North America
- Perfect Liberty, Argentina
- Perfect Liberty, Australia (this site)
- Perfect Liberty, Brazil
- Perfect Liberty, Canada
- Perfect Liberty, Peru
Church sites:
- PL Church in New York
- PL Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- PL Church in Hiroshima, Japan (in Japanese)
- PL Church in Shizuoka, Japan (in Japanese)
- PL Church in Shuto, Japan (in Japanese)
- PL Church in Miyagi, Japan (in Japanese)
- PL Church in Hachinohe, Japan (in Japanese)
-
PL Church in Otaru, Hokaido, Japan (in Japanese)
Other sites of interest:
- PL Health Checkup Centre Osaka, Japan
- PL Health Checkup Centre Tokyo, Japan
- PL Health Checkup Centre São Paulo, Brazil
- PL High School (PL GAKUEN), Osaka, Japan
-
Self Expression Yearly
English Magazine
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Copyright © 2003, Church of Perfect Liberty. All rights reserved.
Page last updated: 31/01/2003