Month: May 2020

Minimalism and Spirituality

Have you ever heard the word “Minimalism”? 

Minimalism lifestyle has been calling much attention lately as a practice of awareness and intention regarding your belongings, time, and energy. I would like to share my thoughts about this way of life and mindset, and how Minimalism can be applied to Spiritual growth during these challenging times, in the spirit of Divine Light.

The origins and history of Minimalism as principles of reducing belongings in order to gain in areas of more importance dates back thousands of years. Many religious groups from Buddhism to Christianity have a practice of renouncing possessions to gain peace and spiritual enlightenment. 

In modern times the concept of Minimalism has mixed with an artistic movement and evolved into what is a common lifestyle today. Minimalism became popular in the 50’s and 60’s in America, as a simplistic trend first in music and then in art and design. The ideas were to remove all but the essential.

By definition, Minimalism as a lifestyle is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what is important, so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.

It doesn’t mean there is something wrong with owning material things. Minimalism is about the meaning we assign to the things we own. However sometimes we give too much meaning to our things, often negatively affecting our health, relationships, personal growth, and our role in contributing to the happiness of others.

As God’s minister, for many years, my work required traveling between Europe and Japan every three months. I decided to minimize what I carried with me during those trips. At the beginning, limiting things to my basic needs, was difficult but surprisingly I was able to live comfortably.

Also during those years the threats of terrorism in the world made me think about the importance of time. The time I have and how to focus my attention to important things in life. I decided I had to give myself a three month deadline to accomplish most of my projects.

As you can imagine as God’s minister there are many things I have to renounce to better serve God and others.  But in doing so and practicing Divine Teachings and Principles have showed me a new way to relate to things, people and God. And how to use time to accomplish what is important in life.

All of our belongings in the physical world demand something from us. Our time, our attention, our energy. And material clutter is not the only thing taking our time, attention and energy from us.  How about our mind clutter? Our negative emotional Clutter?

Material things, the abundant information we receive and the ways we react to changing circumstances in life can clutter our physical, mental and emotional aspects. They can take away our attention, energy and time. But what do we really lose when we give them too much meaning?

Here, we get to think about what is important as the foundation not only for Minimalism but also for ourselves in life. I found the answer in the spiritual practice of World Divine Light Organization.

Minimalism is practicing being intentional with the things we allow to take from us and practicing awareness of the things that make us feel full and that bring out our most authentic self. 

“Our most authentic self” is what calls my attention.  In that sense I think what we lose when we give too much attention to our belongings and mental and emotional clutters is our authentic sense of self.

According to our teachings we are God’s children.  That is our true nature, our most authentic self. The first Osienushi-sama, the founder of World Divine Light Organization stated that his life mission on earth was to remind people of who they truly are. He received many revelations from God during his lifetime.  The essence of our spiritual practice is synthesized in the Three Pillars of Truth.  That is Receiving Divine Light, Giving Divine Light, and Dedicating ourselves to Divine Light.

To me this is the key that opens the true meaning of life.

When we receive Divine Light we become more and more who we really are by clearing the cloudiness blocking us from our true self. The practice of receiving Divine Light scrubs impurities -Karma- we have accumulated through life times and inherited form our ancestors.

When we give Divine Light to others we help them realize their true nature as God’s children. We focus on giving to others as part of our spiritual growth.

When we dedicate our talents to the service of God and others we are helping God in the creation of the Spiritual Civilization.

I have found that practicing the Three Pillars of Truth is the best way of remembering who I truly am.  We call it living our life in Spirit Primary Principle. Focusing our attention only in the material aspect of our lives takes away not only time and energy.

We habitually lose our sense of selves when focusing our attention on material things as well as intellectual and negative emotional clutter.  According to Divine Teachings our mission in life is to realize our divine nature which is the source of eternal happiness.

Therefore, Minimalism to me is not just a matter of organizing my time and things but at the same time, clearing out what is valuable and important for me and my mission as a human being.  

As time goes by, some of the material things I valued highly or recognized as important to me vary going through the experiences in my life. Minimalism does not advocate getting rid of everything you own for we live in a material world and we have to use material things for a higher purpose.

Minimalism does encourage us to take a look at how our possessions, thoughts and emotions may actually be cluttering out our time and energy and taking away from us our most authentic self, our joy and happiness in life.

By practicing the Three Pillars of Truth you will find that gratitude plays an important role in enjoying freedom and quality of time with important people in your life. We have to be grateful for the Life God has given us.

Focusing on practicing the Three Pillars of Truth has helped me establish stronger relationships with God, myself and with others. It has centered my life and time in what is important and transcendental for humans throughout our history of spirituality in the world. It has cleared my path to happiness. Focus your life in what is important and always remember your most authentic self.

In the Goseigen, the following is a prediction of the coming age:

“The ‘haves’ who are elevated in the realm of the soul and spiritual body will be given more than before.”

I think what the Goseigen teaches us is already happening.

The visible world is a secondary realm, while the essence of everything is in the invisible spiritual world.

And your daily life is also just another manifestation of the spiritual side of you in the visible world.

Our physical body is also a mass of invisible waves, and the phenomena that happen in front of you are the reflection of your thoughts.

What the Goseigen tells us is that what we have in the world of the spirit will be manifested.

Of course, material objects and money are necessary for your living in this world.

However, they can never become the main subject of your life although material objects and money are necessary to advance God’s Divine Plan.

Therefore, the idea of “having it spiritually” will become more important in this age.

The good news is we know the way to have it spiritually as the “Three Pillars of Truth”.

Receiving truthfulness is one’s effort to receive the Light of God.

Giving truthfulness is to share the Light of God and teachings with your neighbors.

Dedicating truthfulness is to participate in the service of God.

The basics of those spiritual practices will never change, and our spiritual practice must always return to these basics.

Some of you may be worried about losing your job in the future economy.

However, if you pay attention to living in harmony with God, your life will surely move toward a direction that is in line with His Will.

It may become severely challenging; however, God surely shows you the way to follow in the end.

The secret to getting in tune with God is to be in contact with Divine Light daily.

We still can’t exchange Divine Light at the spiritual center yet, however, please continue to exchange the Light of God with your family at home.

If you are the only one in the family who has the Omitama, you can start from the neck points, avoiding the forehead (#8).

Being in touch with God’s Light is essential to enhance the vibrations that come from within you.

As the vibrations inside you rise, so do the vibrations that are brewing outside.

You will be sublimated into a giving self, and you will become the person to be given without asking for it.

Let’s stay firmly in touch with God’s light again this week.

Enjoy your life more, and stay tuned to World Divine Light.

Every time you say goodbye to a family member and “Have a nice day!” the invisible power of your words help protect them from accidents, injuries, and disasters. So, you can influence other people with the power of your words.

In the past, I was asked by two people about the same requirements for a task at work, and I had two completely different impressions from each one. After talking with the first person I felt guilty and very uncomfortable as he asked me why I had made a mistake. However, after talking with the second person I found a misunderstanding among the people involved. He asked me for ideas for future actions.

Although the requirements were the same, I experienced that the choice of words and the tone of talking can make a big difference in the impressions that people make, and that they affect the listener’s feelings and understanding.

Through this experience, I became more careful about the words I use when communicating, in order to establish harmony with others to promote understanding, respect and friendliness.

Rather than complaints, I use words of love and compassion for the happiness of the person. Even when I have to call the attention of someone, I want to do it with words of encouragements and motivation rather than put-downs and discouragement. That way both of us can make further progress.

Did you know that words you casually use in a negative way also affect you? The reason is that what you say becomes phenomena that not only affects others but eventually returns to you.

The words you say affect your brain. For example, when we say, “it is troublesome, I am tired, it is annoying,” our brain will recognize the same phenomenon as the words we say.

For example, when you wake up in the morning and say, “I’m tired, it’s a pain to go to work,” Your brain recognize what you said and you will feel tired no matter what. Your brain will recognize everything you do, see, or hear as a hassle.

On the contrary, when you wake up, if you say “I am grateful to wake up, to be healthy, to have family, to have shelter, to have food” and appreciate everything around you, then your brain recognizes what you said, and no matter what you do or who you talk to, everything you see is recognized as grateful.

Do you have a habit of saying “I cannot do that”? If there is something you don’t understand, or something that seems difficult, and you say “I cannot do that,” or “I cannot understand”. At the moment, neurons and electrical signals in the brain turn off. Then the problem that can be solved cannot be solved.

Nobody can do anything from the beginning if the person says, “I cannot do it,” doesn’t even try to do it. When the brain is switched off, you cannot do what you have the potential to do.

What words should I use instead of saying “I can’t do it,” when I have an obstacle or challenge? It’s about using words that focus on solving problems. “How can I overcome this challenge?” “How can I make it better?” “How can I enjoy it?” “Who can I ask to help me solve it?” By saying such a word, the focus is on solving or overcoming the challenging situation and not on the difficulties.

We should say, “How can I do this”? instead of saying, “It is impossible.” Just by changing to positive words, your thoughts will start changing. The connections in your brain will start improving and you will grow as an individual who is in control of your life and create happiness for you and others.

We use words every day. Words of love and compassion not only extend your potential, but can also energize others.

Try asking your brain to find the answers to positive affirmations like “Why am I so capable of facing any challenge? Or, why is today a special day for me? By asking positive affirmations your brain will find the answers and you will be filled with positive thoughts and answers to any challenge.

Whether you are a person who achieved your dreams or someone who gave up, you can transform yourself into someone who is satisfied with your decisions.

When I was a high school student, I belonged to the famous track and field club, which sends many athletes to national competitions. Many athletes longed to belong to this club and it was an honor to be member of this club.

While most of the fellows who joined the club were steadily surpassing their own records, I was struggling to exceed my personal best. After a lot of trouble, I decided to quit the club and gave up on my favorite sport.

The club coach encouraged me saying, “I believe that you have good qualities in track and field, so you have the potential to set new records in the future. But now you try to find a reason why you cannot do so. I see you are escaping from your weaknesses. When you face challenges in the future, do not give up on believing in your potential.  Instead of trying to figure out why you cannot do it, believe in yourself and keep your goals firmly”.

I regretted that I couldn’t stand up from my weakness and gave up on my favorite athletics. This bitter experience and the advice from the coach remained in my mind and became my driving force to stand up and face many difficulties in my life afterwards.

Those who realize their dreams and those who live satisfactorily without regrets, start by thinking “I can do it”. No matter how difficult it may be, it is important to believe in yourself. That you have the potential to make everything possible.

On the other hand, many people give up on their potential and do not take a challenge. Without showing their talents and abilities they end up doing nothing but looking at the difficulties and obstacles losing their confidence. They stop believing in themselves and eventually they become a person who doesn’t challenge anything.

Without believing in yourself, nothing will happen. No matter how much potential you may have, it is important to have a strong believe that you can accomplish anything. A clear image of yourself who has become able to be successful. Then, wisdom and ideas will come to your mind and you will be able to make things possible. Even if you face difficulties or challenges, you may have an invisible power. You may get inspiration to new methods or to a breakthrough.  A big change that will lead you to success.

Believe in yourself and keep a high vision of yourself. A high spirit. It is your driving force and will make your dreams come true. Now, can you think what is the highest vision you may have about yourself in any challenge?

If someone ever asks me if I want to go back in time and change the decision I made when I was a member of the Track and Field club in school, my answer is no. Because I have no regrets about my decisions that led to where I am today. All experiences I have been going through are my treasure. Sometimes I failed, and sometimes I didn’t get the results I expected, but no matter what the results, I always did the best I could. Especially bitter experiences enrich my vision of myself and helped me grow my hidden potentials.

Believe in yourself and keep a high vision and Spirit. Always doing your best is indeed your best quality. Make that your driving force and not only will your dreams come true but it will make you satisfied and happy with yourself growing in life!

Some times when I think about the highest vision I can have of myself I just pray to God and I ask him who am I… who you want me to be since you created all of us. I just open my heart to God’s vision of me and He always answers with Love…

Last week, I conveyed about the importance of attitude to tune in to God’s frequency.

Our Divine Light practice is meant to get in tune with the frequency of God.

We also approach this concept from a scientific perspective in the Divine Light Basic seminar.

When looking from the visible world into the invisible world, the human body consists of:

Cells;

Molecules;

Atoms;

and elementary particles.

A single elementary particle is not actually a physical particle.

It turns out that the subatomic particles, which were initially thought to be tiny, tiny particles, are merely masses of energy waves in motion.

In other words, our body is a collection of very small waves, and the material objects are also a mass of waves.

And the waves that come out of the soul are also waves, and the quality of the waves that come out of you is very important.

“I’m going to hit it off with this guy.”

“I don’t feel comfortable with this person…”

Those two different reactions depend on whether the frequency of both are similar or dissimilar.

This is why we must always strive to be in tune with God’s frequency.

When you constantly sublimate yourself to a person who is in tune with God’s wave pattern, it becomes easier for God’s vibrations to enter your spiritual world within, and you will be able to receive God’s protection and guidance.

Here, I would like to share with you the experience of a member from New York spiritual center.

COVID-19 epidemic has made the world upside down; businesses are drastically shutting down.

Some of my clients have gone out of business.

On the contrary, I got five new clients during this crisis.

I am self-employed and so grateful that my business is going upward.

I understand the most important thing is that I try to do divine service works in addition to my daily responsibilities.

While truly facing toward Su-God, I know that I can get through anything.”

How does that sound?

Due to the impact of the coronavirus, the global economy is expected to recede further from here.

And even though he runs his business, he anticipated lower sales, and he has actually lost some client contracts.

Strangely enough, however, five new client contracts have come in instead.

Is this just a coincidence?

There is a passage in the Goseigen that explains this phenomenon.

“The ‘haves’ who are elevated in the realm of the soul and spiritual body will be given more than before.”

We’ll continue with the interpretation of this passage next week.

Enjoy your life more, and stay tuned to World Divine Light.