The Founder:
Gedatsu Kongo
Founder: Seiken Okano
Posthumous Name: Gedatsu Kongo
Born: November 28, 1881
Passed Away: November 4, 1948
Established Gedatsu-kai: 1929
Brief Biography of the Founder
The founder of Gedatsu-kai, Seiken Okano, was born in 1881 in Kitamotojuku, Saitama Prefecture (now Kitamoto City). Our founder had a deep affection for his parents and ancestors and was greatly devoted to his hometown. He was a man of great ambitions, and he committed himself fully to his society and country. After a life full of ups and downs, he achieved great success in the business world.
Later in life, in the wake of a serious illness in which he wandered between life and death, our founder experienced a mysterious event which opened his spiritual eye. His new-found insight directed him to seek spiritual training and gain divine enlightenment and religious faith. He realized that “true happiness for humans is not obtained through material things alone. Happiness is bestowed upon us when we lead a life of appreciation and requital by worshipping God and respecting ancestors.” In 1929, he received a revelation from God established the Gedatsu-kai.
Gedatsu is a religious study whose ultimate aim is to awaken our inner spirituality through the daily practice and expression of gratitude. The 20 years in which Gedatsu Kongo preached Gedatsu teachings were a turbulent time from when the world was heading to World War II until the end of the war.
He left for the spirit world on November 4, 1948. Then, Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto of the Shingon sect, where he had once studied there, honored his great achievements as a saint and bestowed him with the holy posthumous title of 'Gedatsu Kongo.' In addition, Sennyu-ji Holy Temple in Kyoto, the only family temple of the imperial family, bestowed him a corner of the precincts for his consistent spirit of protecting the spirits of the imperial ancestors and for his achievements during his lifetime. Then, in the corner of the precincts of the Sennyu-ji Holy Temple, "Gedatsu Kongo Memorial Tower" was built and his remains were enshrined therein. Gedatsu Kongo's memorial service is held there annually by thousands of members from throughout Japan.
Words of Founder
We bring you "Quotations of Gedatsu Kongo,"
selected randomly from the Teachings of Master Gedatsu Kongo. We hope that you find inspiration and guidance from the words of our Founder.
Where there is truth, where there is freedom of life and where love overflows,
there is also God, so there is nothing to fear.
Unless you let God's mind dwell in your own heart
you cannot get through to God.
Love is God, is power. Sincerity is also the essence of God.
The universe in its entirety is the manifestation of God,
and God resides in the interior of all things.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance to regard all things as Divine Beings,
and express profound respect.
This attitude is the beginning of religious faith.
Be mindful that God’s holy teachings are all around us.
Even in the expression of a single flower, there is ample material for enlightenment.
God uses people to show and teach you.
If necessary, God provides that person with hardships and stimulus.
What is given is what can be accomplished.
God won't give you what you can't overcome.
Man’s wish to draw nearer to God is desirable,
but to idly lean on God the year round is definitely not the way of man.
Even if laws created by humans can slip through,
The law of heaven is absolute and cannot be submerged.
Mind manifest as words; words become bodily expressions.
Seeds that are not sown will not sprout.
(It has come about because the seed was first sown.)
The key to purifying karma is to strive to sow good seeds.
You are saved only what you have saved. Given only as much as you have given.
Because man is born in the morning and dies at night,
so every day is rebirth (a new life).
Selfishness shall poison self, poison the family, poison the country
and further poison the world sparing none.
Whether you make most of yourself or kill yourself,
there is absolutely no one other than yourself.
Man doesn’t think of his own shortcomings and only thinks badly of others,
but this is wrong. Because all are mirrors,
whether good or bad if you consider them teachers, there’s no mistake.
Everything is the mirror of self.
Our bodies are the shines of our souls.
The souls of grandparents are the closest protector of self.
Without the peaceful rest of ancestors, there is no peace of mind for us.
When one becomes aware of being together with God,
as well as with ancestor spirits,
one no longer feels lonely or small.
One can commute or expiate one’s negative karma no matter how deep it may be.
Appreciation to parents fundamentally is that they gave birth to you.
Filial piety (honoring parents) is knowing the shortcomings of the parents
and not repeating them.
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A life of forgotten appreciation is like purposely eating dry weed
while standing on green grass.
In morality, there are three moralities.
1. Without effort, demand (immoral),
2. With effort, demand (moral),
3. With effort, no demand (highest moral)
You are free to draw as much water from the ocean as you wish
depending on the receptacle.
Perfect your receptacle of virtue. Virtue calls virtue, virtue gathers with virtue.
Virtue is solitude and yet not, it’s not such a lonely thing.
If what cannot be seen with the eyes is a wonder,
what can be seen with the eyes is more of a wonder.
In all matters, it depends on where you place the heart.
Ease becomes hardship or hardship become ease.
Within this world it is no good to look with the physical eye.
Look with the spiritual eye.
Illness is the supreme blessing to rectify oneself.
Sickness is not something that is cured, but something that vanishes.
Unhappiness befalls those who attempt to avoid it, misfortune befalls those who dread it.
It’s alright to be greedy. It’s just that it mustn’t be for selfish interests.
For people’s sake, for the world’s sake be real greedy..
It is said "to work", or “hataraku” because
it makes those around you (hata) comfortable (raku).
Riches are abundant. Gather them.
Through the virtues of one’s God given occupation, be allowed to profit big.
Use the profits for the sake of country and society meaning fully and cleanly.