The Power of the PL Faith

A few years ago I translated a book that consisted of testimonies from a former minister, Midori Oka and I thought, “Why does she have so many serious sicknesses even though she has an unswayable faith in PL.” Then 11 years ago I was given the opportunity to talk to her. We sat and talked for about an hour and she explained the reasons behind her illnesses and deeply expressed the blessing that she was still alive only because of her faith in PL.

She had joined PL when she was 13 years old and at that time her father was told by Reverend Tokuchika Miki (the Second Founder), that she could probably only live until 21 years of age saying her condition was like carrying a “bomb in her brain” and recommended that she do Misasage as a minister when she reached 21. However her father didn’t tell this to anyone and died when she was 19 years old.

It was almost the third year anniversary of her father’s death when he came to her in a dream that was very real every night for about three nights, wanting to talk to her about something. During the same time a door on the miniature housing that contained the older style PL prayer symbol, the Omitama, at their family altar made squeaky noises and kept opening by itself for three days without any family member touching it.

She discussed this strange happening with her mother and decided to request a Mioshie (a divine instruction). She went to her church to request a Mioshie but without noticing it she asked the minister, “Please recommend me to be a PL minister.” However at that time, somehow woman ministers were being discontinued even though there were already many women ministers. So she only had the choice of becoming a Divine Sister (DS) to do Misasage.

However, she didn’t want to be a DS and also the minister said something like, “I don’t think you are suitable to be a DS either.” She then went and talked to the chief minister and was told to get permission from her mother.

She went home and asked her mother but she sadly said, “If you become a minister, you won’t get married.” Her older brother was very angry and told her, “No way! I won’t agree for you to become a minister.” She flatly told them, “From today you can sever my family ties,” and she ran to the church. But her mother was waving her hands and she knew she would forgive her.

Previously when she was a high school student, one day she was walking along the street near her home with friends and a fortune teller called her to come over saying, “You, young lady, come here for a moment.” Then he told her, “You are going to die when you are 21 or 22. I can see death in your face even now.” She was shocked and asked him what she could do to stop it. He told her, “You seem to have a strong faith and it’s possible that if you become a minister to help other people you may live.”

She went home and told her parents about what the fortune teller said. Her mother told her she didn’t believe such things from fortune tellers. However her father said, “Well fortune tellers sometimes say things that make sense.” He also added, “You can be a minister in three years time if you want. I myself really wanted to become a PL minister.” Her older brother was also a PL member at that time but he didn’t say anything.

Even when he was in primary school her father had believed in peace for the world and disliked the war. All the students were brainwashed to believe that Japan was the strongest country and would win all kinds of battles because God was with them. He was even punished at school because of his belief in peace. One day he was confined to a room without any food and just given drinking water for two days. At the time he was only in grade three. He was told Japan was going to win all the wars and was forced to sign a paper that he believed Japan would win.

The city where his family lived got bombed severely with some of their friends and family being killed. However he worked hard, was a good student and never gave up hope, always believing in peace. When he grew up he was successful in his job and became a director of the national railway. More than anything he wanted to contribute for world peace as a minister when he joined PL. However the Second Founder told him that he had family responsibilities at that time and didn’t accept him to be a minister.

Midori Oka was finally permitted to become a minister after three years of strict training and she received her certificate to be a minister directly from the Second Founder. He said to her, “Your father didn’t tell you that you are holding three big serious abnormalities in your brain and it will be difficult for you to live any longer than 22 years of age. For this reason, I told him for you to become a minister, but he died keeping this thought without telling you.”

The Second Founder gave her a Mioshie and told her to be medically tested for her condition later on when she had the opportunity. But at that time she just did Misasage as a minister not having any complaints toward her ancestors for her condition, just appreciating her life always doing her best.

She also believed that she is alive, living like a medical guinea pig. She had an opportunity to receive a medical examination in Tokyo when she was in her thirties and was told it was a miracle she was still living because they did find three serious abnormalities in her brain.

When she was having so many Mishirases she was also told by the Second Founder that was because she had so much faith. She was cleaning up all the vices not only from her family but also from her husband’s family through her own body. She appreciated this and did her best effort to follow her Mioshies and received many Oyashikiri Prayers.

When I talked to her she was already over sixty years of age and in good health.

十数年前に丘みどりさんの体験談の本を英語に翻訳していて、これほど、ゆるぎないPL信仰がある方が何で何回も命にかかわる“みしらせ”を頂かれたか疑問に思っていました。それで、１１年前にお会する機会があったで、色々お伺いしたことがあります。本庁で１時間以上色々と自分の体験談で本に書いてないみしらせの理由を説明してくださいました。以下は私が直接聞いた丘みどりさんの体験談に書かれていない奇跡的にPL信仰で救われ献身された体験談です。

１３歳の時、家族は、鳥栖でPLに入会され、二代様に会っておられます。入会後、間もなく、二代様は、お父さまに“あなたの長女は、頭の中に異常があり、それは、頭の中に爆弾を抱えているようなもので、多分２１歳以上は生きれないと思うが、教師になった献身をさせたら命が救われる可能性がある”というような事を言われたそうですが、お父さんは、その事を言わないまま、この方が１９歳の時に亡くなられています。

お父さまが亡くなられ、3年忌の前に、御神霊の戸(昔のおみたまは、小さな家の形)がギイーと音を立てて3日間毎日一人で開き、その上、お父さんが夢枕に立たれるのが続いたので、お母さんと相談され、みおしえをお願いしようという事になり、一人で教会に行かれました。教会に着いたら、急に教師になりたいという気持ちになり、みおしえ願いではなく、先生に“教師にならしてください”と突然いわれたそうです。その頃、女教師は廃止されていたので、先生は、“女性は、今は教師にはなれないがDSになる道はある。でも君は、ブスだからDSに適しているかどうかは疑問だ”と言われました。本人もDSになるつもりはなかったので、どうしても教師になりたいと部長先生の所に行かれ、お願いされました。先生は、家族の許可を受けてくるよう指示されました。

家に帰り、話したらお母さんは、“教師になったらお嫁に行けなくなる”と悲しそうに言われ、お兄さんは、絶対反対だし、許可しないと言われたそうです。それで、みどりさんは、“家族の縁を切ってください”と言って、教会に走って行かれました。でも、お母さんは手を振りながら見送ってくださり、許してくださると思われました。

お父さまの生きておられる頃、この方が高校生の時、友達と町を歩いていたら、易者に声をかけられ“お嬢さん、ちょっとここに来なさい”と言われ行ったら、“あなたは死に顔で歩いている、多分、２１か２２歳位までしか生きられないだろう”と言われたので、ショックで、どうしたら生きれるか聞いたら、“すごい信仰心があるようだから、宗教家にでもなって生きる道もある”と言われました。家に帰って両親に話したら、お父さんは、“占いさんも、あてにならない事はない”そして“３年後に教師になればよい。お父さんも昔PL教師になりたかった。”と言われました。

お父さんは子供の頃から平和主義者でしたが、その頃の日本は小学生の頃から“日本は戦争に勝つ”という洗脳をされていました。神風が吹くから日本はどんな戦争にも勝つと教えられていたので、お父さんの平和主義は、学校で問題になり、ある時は、２日間学校に監禁され、食べ物を与えず、水だけ飲ませて最後に日本は絶対勝つという紙にサインをさせられました。３日後に家に帰されました。その頃、鳥栖は爆撃にあい、お父さんの友達の父や兄が死んでいった。それでも、お父さんは、一生懸命勉強し、卒業式では代表になった。終戦後、校長室に呼ばれ“あの頃は軍国主義だった。君は将来、人の上に立つ人になって平和のために役に立つよう”いわれた。

お父さんは、鉄道の重要は役職におられたが、機会があって二代様に会われ、教師を志願されましたが、二代様は、“君には家族があり、重要な仕事があるので”と教師になる事をゆるされなかった。

娘さんのみどりさんは、厳しい修業の末、教師の許可を頂かれる時、二代様に許可証を直接渡してもらい、その時、二代様は、“実は君のお父さんに、君は頭の中に三つぐらいの奇形があり、成長したら教師になるようすすめた事があったのだよ。お父さんは、その思いをもって亡くなっているのだよ”といわれた。二代様は機会があったら、病院で調べてもらうよう言われ、身体の事を不足に思わず、生きているという事だけでも、医学のモルモットのようなものだから、教師として、精いっぱいのみささげをし、決して先祖に不足を思ったりしないで、毎日を感謝で暮らすようお言葉をくださった。その後、３０代の頃、機会があって東京の病院で検査をしてもらったら、頭に３か所の異常があり、生きている事が奇跡だと言われた。

その後も、次々にみしらせを頂き、二代様に結婚してからは、本人の家族の不徳だけでなく、信仰があるので、御主人の方の不徳もこの方の身体に来ている事を教えてくださった。

いかなるみしらせにも感謝し、みおしえを頂き、祖遂断を頂きながら過ごしてこられました。このお話を頂いた時、すでに６０を過ぎておられたと思いますが、お元気でした。