At this week's World Religions Café, Naohito Miura, a second-year master of divinity degree candidate and CSWR resident, recounted his summer field education experience in Brazil.
Building on his Café presentation in March, Naohito shared his reflections on how the philosophy of Meishu-sama or Mokichi Okada (1882–1955) took root in Brazil and continues to influence the lives of many followers. Meishu-sama was a twentieth-century Japanese philosopher and spiritual leader who envisioned a peaceful world free from disease, poverty, and conflict, and created prototypes of paradise on earth (chijō tengoku in Japanese) known by his followers as Sacred Grounds (seichi).
One such prototype of an ideal world—embodying truth, virtue, and beauty—was constructed and inaugurated by Johrei members in Brazil in 1995, forty years after Okada's death and the arrival of Japanese missionaries in Brazil in 1955. They promoted practices such as Johrei, Nature Farming, and appreciation of beauty through nature and art. Today nearly 500,000 Brazilian members practice the teachings of Meishu-sama and over 500 Johrei Centers are spread throughout the country. The Sacred Grounds of Guarapiranga (called Solo Sagrado de Guarapiranga in Portuguese) is situated about an hour's drive away from downtown São Paulo, providing communal space for worship and recreation for both Johrei members and the general public.
Naohito's field education site this summer was Faculdade Messiânica, a school of theology in São Paulo oriented towards the philosophy of Meishu-sama with offerings of undergraduate degrees in theology and graduate degrees in theology, education, and art. The school functions in partnership with Igreja Messiânica Mundial do Brasil and Fundação Mokiti Okada, the religious and non-profit counterparts, respectively, of the Johrei movement in Brazil.
Naohito focused his Café presentation on Nature Farming (shizen nōhō), an alternative form of agriculture advocated by Meishu-sama that avoids the use of agrochemicals and privileges spirituality and gratitude for the Creator. In Brazil, Nature Farming is not only practiced by individual Johrei members and families but also promoted through the activities of Korin and the Mokichi Okada Research Center (Centro de Pesquisa Mokiti Okada) located in Ipeúna. Korin, a for-profit Brazilian company founded in 1994, claims to follow Nature Farming principles and produce natural and organic products such as fruits, vegetables, coffee, eggs, and poultry, prioritizing the health of producers and consumers, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility.
Such intersections of religion, spirituality, education, agriculture, and business—in addition to the general phenomena of new religious movements in various parts of the world—were among the themes discussed during the Café. Mini flower arrangements were distributed to the CSWR residents thanks to the generosity of Rev. Roberto Oliveira, Natalie Oliveira, and Bianca Oliveira.
Naohito would like to express his deepest gratitude for the Office of Ministry Studies for making this experience possible and for the warm embrace and generosity of all Johrei members in Brazil.