Business, Thought, and Management Articles --- Onisaburo Deguchi and Reikai Monogatari --- Integration of Art and Religion
Onisaburo Deguchi is known as an artist who left a lot of artistic work. What was art for him? What did he tried to convey by many art works?
Onisaburo Deguchi is known as an artist who left a lot of artistic work. What was art for him? What did he tried to convey by many art works?
What is artistic for us? What does art bring to our lives? What does it give us?
What art brings to us, are probably dream, emotion, or hope. When we see a wonderful work of art, our hearts resonate. And we have dreams, emotions, hopes and so on in our hearts.
Art is closely related to religion. Various works of art such as architecture, painting, music, sculpture, poetry, novels, etc. are developing with religion.
However, in many religions art seems to be regarded as an incidental and secondary matter to the last.
Onisaburo Deguchi considered importance of art and seemed to believe that art was not an incidental one but was integrated with religion.
I have seen a couple of potteries which are works of art by Onisaburo Deguchi. When I saw that simple and straightforward beauty, I felt they were made by a person without a single point of cloud.
Perhaps it is what he was trying to convey, seeing art works, resonating, having dreams in our minds, emotions, hope, all of them.
*Return to Onisaburo Deguchi and Reikai Monogatari
Aspiring and Competent Young Managers
What kind of person was Kizaburo Ueda (later Onisaburo Deguchi)? Apparently when he was young he seems to have aspects as a young executive with good memory, good learning, ambitious and competent.
Reconstruction of the Concept of God
What is the concept of God in Onisaburo Deguchi? What are the relations with Japanese gods and holy spirits, bodhisattva / Kannon, world gods, or the god of Judea / Christianity?
Guru of a Religious Organization
Onisaburo Deguchi is widely known as a guru who has greatly grown Oomoto, a religious organization. The guru was said to be a psychic and a prophet, and was also regarded as a dangerous activist to the government at the time.
Integration of Art and Religion
Onisaburo Deguchi is known as an artist who left a lot of artistic work. What was art for him? What did he tried to convey by many art works?
Acceptance of Fate
Onisaburo Deguchi is exposed to various difficulties while concentrating on religious activities. He accepts them as fate and will continue to endure it all the time.　His patience was amazing, but at the same time a single question appears.
To Reflect
The Law of Heaven and Earth has five internal commandments and three external principles. Among them, coming to the beginning of the five internal commandments is to reflect, that is, "reflection". The Reikai Monogatari requires us to reflect more than anything.
To be Ashamed
In the five inner commandments of the Law of Heaven and Earth, the second one is to be ashamed. What does shame mean? What is required here and how is it to be ashamed?
To Regret
The third of the five internal commandments is to regret. The Law of Heaven and Earth is urging us to look after the past, to reflect on ourselves, to change our own minds.
To be Afraid
There are five internal commandments in the Law of Heaven and Earth. The fourth one is to be afraid. We are cheeky, are conceited and are acting selfishly. The Law has warned this and requires us to be afraid.
To Awaken
Now we introduce the fifth one of the five internal commandments of the Law of Heaven and Earth. That is to awaken. The law calls for all of us to be awake. You can see what you did not see and notice that you did not notice by awakening.
The Way of A Couple
Take a look at the three external principles of the Law of Heaven and Earth. First of all, it says "keep a strict adherence to the way of a couple that should be one husband and one wife". In other words, the Law stipulates that couple should be one husband and one wife.
Respect God ...
The second of the three external principles in the Law of Heaven and Earth is "respect God, honor seniors, love all things widely." The law prescribes first respecting God and honor seniors.
To Avoid Making Wrongs
Now the final one of the Law of Heaven and Earth. The third one of three external principles is, "to avoid making wrongs such as jealousy, slander, fraud, stealing, killing etc."
Source of Creating Disaster
What the Reikai Monogatari are going to tell us, is what is the source of creating all disaster, misfortune and conflict. Disaster, misfortune and conflict come from jealousy and desire that arise in our own mind.
Essence of Christianity
There are quotations from the Bible, and there are several expressions that make us feel Christian teachings in the Reikai Monogatari. In the story Christianity, Shintoism and Buddhism are joining, and it contains a lot of essence of Christianity.
Hint to the Future
The Reikai Monogatari is a part of what Onisaburo Deguchi saw when he left the body and went to the spirit world. This is the story about the events in the spirit world, and it reflects the phenomenon of this world and implies its future.
Role of Religion and Faith
The Reikai Monogatari gives us many suggestions and lessons. A very strange story changing in breadth and tide that is interwoven by the gods, is playing an important role that religion and faith should play in human society.
Rebuilding the Spirit
The wish of the Reikai Monogatari is the rebuilding of our spirit. This story includes a wish that people replace a spirit that has been poisoned by substance civilization at all, are afraid of the heavens and respect the gods.
