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.

Important Links For Johrei, Sangetsu Flower Arranging [Ikebana], and Organic Gardening

The Johrei Fellowship Tuscon Center
http://tucsonjohrei.org/

Receiving Johrei
http://tucsonjohrei.org/receiving.htm

Services and Classes - Johrei
http://tucsonjohrei.org/services.htm


Sangetsu North America
http://www.sangetsunorthamerica.org/

Sangetsu Founder - Mokichi Okada
http://www.sangetsunorthamerica.org/#!founder/cebe


More links will be added to this post - especially about organic gardening.
Thank you.

About Johrei And My Early Spiritual Life

My spiritual life started from the time I was born - I was blessed to have two parents who loved God – and they found a spiritual practice that appealed to them both.

My parents were members of the Church of World Messianity - it was a spiritual practice known for it's healing work – to channel the Light of God - Johrei.


The practice of Johrei came to America from Japan.
The founder, Meshusama, was a man humble with a life threatening illness - and in his quiet spiritual practices "Asked God to show him the way to heal himself."

Once Meshusama asked God to help him - the true spiritual power of love acted - and he was given a revelation of how he could heal himself through the use of Johrei.

Johrei is simply the spiritual power of the White Light – acting in and through the channeler – and it would bless the recipient with it’s healing power.


As a child my parents would take me to attend Johrei’s Sunday Services – we would chant prayers in Japanese. One of those prayers was The Prayer of Heaven – the Amatsu Norito. Another part of this sacred ceremony was to make a special offering to the altar of Flowers and Food – all to be blessed for the meal that followed. The Johrei Ceremonies are one of the most respectful acts of spirituality I have ever witnessed – I felt the people who attended loving God together as a group – in a refined way.

My experience and memory of this spiritual practice made a most profound affect on me as a child – I know that it shaped who I am as a person – and why I am always respectful of others.

I will never forget the feeling of receiving the white light of God being channeled to me – and how relaxed and at peace I felt because of it. My family attended Johrei Church regularly and my parents were very dedicated as members. Our family always left uplifted, happy and smiling.



I will be writing about the many experiences that our family had during our time attending the Johrei centers in California and Oregon.


With Great Love and Respect to Meshusama - and his center in Japan,
Sincerely,
Lori Hanson


ancient.goddess321@gmail.com