Seicho-No-Ie
Encyclopedia
Seicho-no-Ie, sometimes rendered Seicho-no Iye (生長の家 seichō-no ie seːtʃoː no i.e), is a syncretic, nondenominational, monotheistic, New Thought
religion, one of the Shinshūkyō
(or new religious movements) in Japan
that have spread since the end of World War II
. It emphasizes gratitude for nature
, the family
, ancestor
s and, above all, religious faith in one universal God
, inheriting its basic characteristics from Buddhism
, Christianity
and Shinto
. Seicho-no-Ie is the world's largest New Thought group. The phrase means "The Home of Infinite Life, Wisdom
and Abundance".
, working as an English translator, published the first issue of what he called his "non-denomination
al truth
movement magazine", which he named "Seicho-no Ie" to help teach others of his revelation
s. This was followed by forty volumes of his "Truth of Life" philosophy by 1932. Over the next forty years he published an additional four hundred–odd books and toured many countries in Europe
, South America
, and North America
with his wife Teruko, to lecture on his revelations personally. Ernest Holmes
, founder of Religious Science
, and his brother Fenwicke were of great assistance to Taniguchi. Fenwicke traveled to Japan and co-authored several books, with one called The Science of Faith becoming a cornerstone of the denomination.
Taniguchi died in a Nagasaki hospital on June 17, 1985, at the age of ninety-one. Today the president of Seicho-no-le is Masanobu Taniguchi.
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
religion, one of the Shinshūkyō
Shinshukyo
is a Japanese term used to describe domestic new religious movements. They are also known as in Japanese, and are most often called simply Japanese new religions in English. Japanese theologians classify all religious organizations founded since the middle of the 19th century as Shinshūkyō. Thus,...
(or new religious movements) in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
that have spread since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It emphasizes gratitude for nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, the family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, ancestor
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
s and, above all, religious faith in one universal God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, inheriting its basic characteristics from Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
. Seicho-no-Ie is the world's largest New Thought group. The phrase means "The Home of Infinite Life, Wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
and Abundance".
History
In 1930, Dr. Masaharu TaniguchiMasaharu Taniguchi
was a Japanese New Thought leader, founder of Seicho-no-ie.He began studying English literature at the University of Waseda, Tokyo. In parallel, he also studied the works of Fenwicke Holmes, and subsequently translated Holmes' book, The Law of Mind in Action into Japanese...
, working as an English translator, published the first issue of what he called his "non-denomination
Denomination
Denomination may refer to:*Religious denomination, such as a:**Christian denomination**Jewish denomination**Islamic denomination**Hindu denominations**Buddhist denomination...
al truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
movement magazine", which he named "Seicho-no Ie" to help teach others of his revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
s. This was followed by forty volumes of his "Truth of Life" philosophy by 1932. Over the next forty years he published an additional four hundred–odd books and toured many countries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with his wife Teruko, to lecture on his revelations personally. Ernest Holmes
Ernest Holmes
Ernest Shurtleff Holmes was an American writer and spiritual teacher. He was the founder of a Spiritual movement known as Religious Science, a part of the greater New Thought movement, whose spiritual philosophy is known as "The Science of Mind." He was the author of The Science of Mind and...
, founder of Religious Science
Religious Science
Religious Science, also known as Science of Mind, was established in 1927 by Ernest Holmes and is a spiritual, philosophical and metaphysical religious movement within the New Thought movement. In general, the term "Science of Mind" applies to the teachings, while the term "Religious Science"...
, and his brother Fenwicke were of great assistance to Taniguchi. Fenwicke traveled to Japan and co-authored several books, with one called The Science of Faith becoming a cornerstone of the denomination.
Taniguchi died in a Nagasaki hospital on June 17, 1985, at the age of ninety-one. Today the president of Seicho-no-le is Masanobu Taniguchi.