Johrei Was A Very Important Part of My Life Growing Up

The Church of World Messiahinity, Meshusama and Johrei were a very important part of my life as I was growing up in San Jose, California.

My parents were deeply spiritual people and they taught me their spiritual values from the time I was very young.

When I got sick with a fever - my parents would channel Johrei to me.

When I scratched my knee skateboarding - my parents channeled Johrei to it immediately.

If there was danger - we channeled Johrei in that moment - and the danger went away.

There were so many experiences with the healing light of Johrei that proved to me constantly that it is a great truth.

My parents started attending Johrei and became members of the San Jose Johrei Temple - as an extension of The Church of World Messiahinity - when I was just a toddler. We went to the Johrei Temple every Sunday for services and it was so wonderful. As a child sometimes I felt like I didn't want to go - but after my parents and my brothers and I received Johrei - we settled down and felt happy inside. It was just what we needed.

I remember how beautiful and refined church services were. Some of the Japanese women dressed in kimonos who were to be a part of the ceremony - they would carry bamboo trays to honor the sacred ceremony we all came together to participate in. They carried a Sangetsu Flower Arrangement to place it on the alter. Often they would include trays that had food and drink we were about to eat for the midday meal that always followed the service. Each tray was carried to the Alter at the front of the room in a silent and slow moving reverent manner - I will never forget how they calmly walked and gently placed each tray on the alter. I watched with the eyes of a child something I didn't bear witness to in my everyday life - and it was profound in a way I remember to this day. The alter had a sacred scroll with a sacred Japanese Prayer written on it that had been blessed in Japan - from the Mother Church of the Church of World Messiahinity.

We all sat quietly and in stillness until each of the offerings were placed on the sacred alter. Then we would sing the Amatsu Norito Prayer -  Prayer of Heaven in Japanese. There were other songs that were very beautiful that would sing also - but the Amastu Norito Prayer of Heaven was the most powerful for healing and protection.

Then the Minister would stand and give thanks for all the offerings on the alter - and at the right moment he would pray for the light of God to come through him to bless us all with Johrei - and the healing that we needed and the peace we needed. He would then proceed to channel Johrei to the entire group attending the church service from in front of the room. He would stand in front of the alter because it was a protection and a channel for the white light of God to act for us all.

Then we would pair off with each other and channel Johrei to each other. My parents would always channel to my brothers and I - except that they had three children and there was only two of them. Often a person attending the service would offer to channel to one of us children - and my parents were always so grateful. The Japanese people were so wonderful to us. They loved our family and treated us always with great respect. It was a healing experience and we loved them in return.

At the end of the church service the same Japanese Ladies and Gentlemen would carry the bamboo trays from the alter to the kitchen. We would file out of the church room to socialize in another room. The Japanese ladies and all the women were in the kitchen preparing the food for our meal. The best part of this was the rice cakes wrapped in seaweed and sprinkled with some black sesame seeds - we also had sushi - and other traditional Japanese foods. My mother would always bring something to share for the meal - and it was always warmly welcomed and appreciated.