Tokumitsu Kanada:
Spiritual Father (1863-1919)
The predecessor of the
Perfect Liberty Kyodan (religious organization) was the
Hito-no-michi Kyodan, but prior to this there was another
organization. These were the teachings of Tokumitsu Kanada,
who we call Kakuri-oya (Spiritual Father). He had a great
reverence and affection for Kobodaishi (a well-known
Buddhist priest who died about 837AD). Ever since Tokumitsu
was very young he followed Kobodaishi’s teachings by doing
many types of hard training in order to become his disciple.
He finally reached enlightenment of the truth of his
teachings and established the Mitake-kyo Tokumitsu Daikyokai religious
organization (Mitake-kyo is a branch of Shintoism because it
was the law in Japan that a new church had to go under an
already established religious organization.)
He predicted
that after his death, the eighteen precepts he had received
from God would become twenty-one to create a true religion.
On January 4, 1919, Tokumitsu Kanada passed away.
Tokuharu Miki: First Kyoso (1871-1938)
The First Kyoso, Tokuharu
Miki, was a Zen Buddhist priest of the Obaku Sect.
In 1912 he met Tokumitsu Kanada, who instantly cured his
chronic asthma by the Sacred Rite of Ofurikae (the power to
temporarily cure illnesses). Tokuharu Miki was so impressed
by this miracle, as well as by Kanada's personality and
profound teachings, that he decide to become his disciple.
In1916 he gave up his Buddhism (which had required many
years of hard training), in order to become one of his
disciples.
Before Tokumitsu Kanada’s untimely death, the First Kyoso
received a will from him, “Please plant a sakaki tree at the
place where I die and protect it as a Himorogi (sacred
tree). By doing this, you will meet a person with Makoto
(complete sincerity) who will complete my teachings.”
After Tokumitsu Kanada died, the First Kyoso followed his
will and planted a sakaki tree as a Himorogi in the place
that Tokumitsu Kanada finished his life. After protecting
this Himorogi for five years, visiting the site each day to
pray and look after it, the First Kyoso himself received
three more sacred precepts that completed the teachings. He
finally reached enlightenment in 1924, and established the
new Tokumitsu Daikyokai, also under the Mitake-kyo branch of
Shintoism.
In 1928, he moved it to another branch of Shintoism (Fuso-kyo).
Then, in 1931, he renamed it the Hito-no-michi Kyodan (still
under Fuso-kyo).
Hito-no-michi Kyodan’s teachings spread rapidly throughout
Japan, Korea, China and to other Southeast Asia countries
and the members quickly grew to over one million. However,
the military government hated this fast growing organization
and started suppressing it on September 28, 1936, the day
after the ceremony for the succession of the Second Kyoso,
Tokuchika Miki.
The First Kyoso prayed and asked God to cut short his life
by 30 years, so that by his sacrifice these teachings would
remain and true world peace would be realized sooner. Then,
in April of 1937, Hito-no-michi Kyodan was ordered to be
disbanded. The First Kyoso was arrested by the police,
tortured and given little food. His body became so weak that
he was temporarily released.
During the persecution of Hito-no-michi, on July 6, 1938,
the First Kyoso passed from this world.
Tokuchika Miki: Second Kyoso (1900-1983)
The Second Kyoso was born
April 8, 1900, in the Anrakuji Temple. April 8 was a
particularly significant date because it was also the birth
date of Buddha.
At 16 years of age, he became a kyoshi (minister) of
Tokumitsu Kanada’s religious organization, Tokumitsu
Daikyokai.
In June of 1929, the Second Kyoso was admitted as being able
to grant Mioshie for the members. The members celebrated
this occasion on July 21st, thus, the twenty-first became
the original date for the monthly Thanksgiving Service.
On September 27, 1936, a festival was held to celebrate
Tokuchika Miki’s being named as the Second Kyoso to succeed
his father.
On May 20th, 1945, the
Second Kyoso was imprisoned because of an unjust accusation
of lese majesty (treason). However, after the end of the
Pacific War his innocence was proven when the crime of lese
majesty was abolished and he emerged from prison a free man.
The following year, on September 29, 1946, he established
the PL Kyodan in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, in response to
the enthusiasm of the Hito-no-michi Kyodan members,
declaring the truth, "Life is Art." (In December of 1974,
“PL Kyodan” was officially renamed “Perfect Liberty Kyodan”
[PL became the short form]).
One year after the establishment of PL, the Second Kyoso
received the “Twenty-one PL Precepts” from God. These
twenty-one PL Precepts form the foundation of the doctrine
of the PL teachings, clearly showing the best way to live as
human beings in this era.
He worked hard for religious cooperation, organizing the
"Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan" and
chaired it for many years. He was also appointed by the
Ministry of Education of Japan to their Commission for
Religious Cooperation.
In 1953, the building of the PL Headquarters started in
Tondabayashi, and gradually the necessary facilities were
completed. Then, in May of 1958, the Second Kyoso received
and revealed the sacred “Oyashikiri” that concentrates all
the energy of PL to save people.
The Second Kyoso broadened the propagation activity to
include school education; family education; science areas
including: biology, medicine, and computers; the arts
including: tanka writing, modern poetry, painting, music,
movies, dancing, the tea ceremony and flower arrangement;
and finally, sports and publishing. He also put his energy
into seeking co-operation between religions and established
the Federation of New Religious Organizations of Japan (Shin
Shuren).
Three times he visited the
Vatican, meeting with both Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul
II to talk about world peace. Then in 1970, he supervised
the building the PL Peace Tower, a
180
metres (590 feet) high
non-sectarian monument, for world peace, dedicated to all
those from the beginning of human history who have died in
war.
On February 2, 1983, at eighty-two years of age, the Second
Kyoso returned to the spiritual world, thus closing the life
of a great religious leader.
Takahito Miki: Third Kyoso (1957- )
Immediately, after the death
of the Second Kyoso, in February 1983, Takahito Miki
succeeded as the Third Kyoso to continue teaching the
absolute truth.
In PL, we have an
Oshieoya-sama (spiritual teacher) during each era to explain
the teachings for that particular era. This is a unique
quality of the PL religion.
Takahito Miki demonstrated his intelligence and high state
of mind from a young age. When he was only 12 years old,
along with many undergraduate students he tried one of the
most difficult exams for a national computer degree and
passed. He continues to show us the joy of practicing the
"Way of human beings" in daily life.
Besides explaining the teachings of each era, Oshieoya-sama
also does a special oath to God for all members who pray
sincerely to reach God. This oath to God (Shikiri) is
absolute and results will always follow. Oshieoya-sama’s
Shikiri is the accumulated virtue of Tokumitsu Kanada, the
First Kyoso and the Second Kyoso. This virtue is due to the
life and death effort (Makoto) of the First and Second
Kyosos. You can observe that Oshieoya-sama’s Shikiri is
absolute when you practice the teachings. The beauty of
these teachings must be experienced by practicing them –
there is nothing to lose, but much to gain.
Follow these links below to
find out more about PL's history:
Page last updated: 31/01/2003