From here, let us walk together through the correct steps to get to know your true life, true joy, and happiness.
As I wrote in the beginning of this book, our true Selves are consciousness and energy, and cannot be seen. The visible form of our selves is not our true Self. We are born into a visible, physical body for the purpose of discovering our true Selves. This is why we are born, but once born, we end up believing solely in our physical selves. So with this belief, we begin to live for our physical, superficial selves. We use our brains, hearts, and physical bodies, putting in all of our effort to live our physical lives. Unfortunately, however, this is where we make our mistake. We make the mistake of putting in all our effort, our brains, hearts, and physical body to nourish only our superficial selves. As a result, this one mistake leads to more mistakes. If only we were able to realize our mistake through seeing the negative results; unfortunately, we have a very difficult time doing so.
The reason we are not able to realize our mistake is because we have no awareness of having used our brains, hearts, and physical bodies for our mere superficial selves. In fact, we wonder why we ended with such negative results when we've put so much effort and hard work in for success. We are unable to see, nor accept, what affects us negatively as something positive and joyful, and, of course, this is perfectly normal. Naturally, we perceive negative results as being an inconvenience in our lives, not as something joyful. In fact, it would seem rather odd to think of something negative and inconvenient as positive and joyful. If we forced ourselves to feel this way, this would be dishonest to our true feelings. And pretending to feel joyful when one is not, or forcing oneself to feel happy, is also a negative energy.
We had never, in the past, taken what is negative to our eyes and viewed it as something positive that helps us see our own mistakes. We perceived negative events as simply negative. In doing so, we had accumulated more and more negative energy. The energy we emit from our true Selves is, of course, positive energy, but since we have believed in our false selves, the energy that we have been emitting has all been negative.
The first step is for us to realize the negative energy that we emit from our present physical body. To do this, you should reflect on your heart, and at the same time, work on reflecting on your thoughts toward your mother as well as reflecting on your thoughts toward outer sources of power. Continue to look at and reflect on your heart, which has been soiled and hardened with ignorance, egotism and greed.
At the beginning of the seminars, (from 1980s to 1990s), we had channeling sessions to assist people in looking at their hearts. Channeling is like having a cheat sheet, so to speak. It provides a clue to looking at your heart. Ideally, we really should reflect on our hearts on our own, without any help, but this is quite difficult to do.
One may reflect that, "I had this (certain) thought and through this thought I emitted this kind of feeling or vibration." However, this kind of reflection is at a superficial level. No matter how much reflection you do at the superficial level, you will never be able to reach further into your heart to find the deeper level of negative thoughts that exist. So, in order to reach deeper into our hearts, I provided a time in past seminars called "session of phenomena," to be used as a next step in reflection. I provided this time because I wanted people attending the seminars to be able to feel their own accumulated energy through their own physical bodies.
The sessions of phenomena are, in a way, a time for meditation. What happens when one turns their heart toward me, Taike, is something one can only experience at the seminar. Currently, I have my physical body, which is why I was able to conduct as well as attend the seminars. I did so because I wanted people to understand the significance of being able to physically attend the seminars with their physical selves. I am sure that everybody who attended the seminars felt that the time and space of the seminar was a very valuable time.
Consequently, this portion of the book is written in the same process as Part I. Therefore, Kayo Shiokawa turns her heart toward Tomekichi Taike's heart and consciousness and she typed this book. I will continue writing, while bringing up some of her experiences from time to time.
Because of my previous occupation as a teacher, I have often been referred to as "Teacher Taike." The "teacher" before my name is rather like a proper noun. It is most likely a continuation of having been a school teacher that "Teacher Taike" became my name at the seminars for the past twenty or so years. It seems people felt that "Teacher Taike" fit me better than "Mr. Taike." Please know that although I am called "teacher," it does not mean that I am above everyone else.
By the way, I must say that these seminars that have been held for the past twenty years have been quite peculiar. I say this because almost everyone who came to the seminars did not come with respect or reservation for the "teacher," but contrarily, came with feelings of "I will kill you, Taike!" or "Die, Taike!" And yet, I have held these seminars with these people for a very long time. And during the years, there were never any significant problems or incidents. That alone was also rather curious to me. In this way, these seminars were quite interesting.
Here, Kayo Shiokawa, who was also not an exception to this curiosity: In my memory, I recall first meeting her at a seminar in Okinawa over ten years ago. Unfortunately, I regret to admit that I have little memory of having met her before one certain incident. This incident was during a seminar held in Okinawa, but not during the seminar session.
She walked by, and as she passed, she uttered the comment, "Mr. ____ was much better." This Mr. ____that she referred to was the leader of a religious group whom she had revered even after starting to attend the seminars.
I later asked her about this incident and she replied, "I don't remember ever having made such a disrespectful remark." However, I, myself, had a very clear memory of it. My memory of the incident was not just of her words, but also of something that I had felt from her that moment.
Since then, it was not that I had been especially paying attention to her, but somehow, it seems that I had been occasionally speaking to her without being conscious of it. The reason that I can only say that it seems that I spoke to her is because I do not have much memory of doing so. These are the words that I learned later of having said to her:
"You sure are quiet today."
"What nice clothes you're wearing!"
"You hate me, don't you?"
"Is that person your mother? Or is that person your aunt?"
These words are not anything significant, but for her, they seemed to have made her feel contempt, to want to shout back each time, "Damn you, Taike!" It had, in fact, not really mattered what words I had chosen to say. My intention was that by speaking to her, it made her turn her heart toward me.
Of course, this would not have worked as easily for someone who was not attending the seminars. It would probably have made them wonder why I would say such strange things, and would make people keep a distance from me.
I, unfortunately, have to state that people who have never attended the seminars and have not done this study do not even know that the true nature of human beings is their consciousness. Of course, they have not worked on reflection of their own hearts. Also, they have not reflected on their mother or toward external sources of power either. My spoken words will not mean much to people who have not studied. But for people who have studied even a little, my words will hold meaning to them.
She had studied enough to react to my words. Being able to react indicated that one's consciousness is being honest to oneself. In this way, I give a little assistance for one to feel one's own accumulated feelings, or one's consciousness that is ready to come out. My hope is for everyone to be able to feel their own thoughts and feelings by becoming honest in their hearts, their consciousness.
I think of the physical body, or physical mind, like an armor and helmet. People securely protect their physical body or physical mind, so as not to reveal their true feelings and thoughts. This causes pain for their consciousnesses, their heart. So, their consciousnesses try to make their physical selves notice their existence. Their consciousness continues to send messages to those who wear and believe that their physical selves, their armor and helmet, are their true Selves. These consciousnesses try to communicate their painful condition by expressing it through physical illness, financial problems, family conflict, and societal and relationship conflicts.
I have been telling people to, please look at and reflect on your hearts. I have been telling people, "Do not turn your own thoughts outward. Turn them inward, and reflect on and listen to your hearts." I would like you to learn how to do this by attending the seminars.
Most people who attend the seminars and practice self-reflection on their hearts will became sensitive to feelings or vibrations. They will begin to make an effort to take a little of their armor and helmet off. You must first take off your armor and helmet in order to know your own energy. Everyone wears a thick armor and helmet in the form of societal values, cultural norms and practices, societal regulations and standards. We must first take off our armor and helmets and become lighter. Once you let go of these superficial values, you will be able to start to know who you are inside.
While you are wearing this armor of valuing the physical world's values, you may think that the world of consciousness is something very far away. You must first acknowledge that you have on such thick armor, of wanting to seek outer sources of power.
When I ask you to let go of society's norms and values, I do not mean for you to become senseless. I am not saying that you should become careless about your physical life. For example, you may have a role in your family as a husband or wife. Everyone has his role whether he is a parent, child, or sibling. And, of course, people have roles and duties at their work place as well as within society.
How you balance the roles in your life depends on your situation; it is to your discretion. You should do what is necessary in order to sustain your life, and at the same time be aware of the emotional/spiritual limitations and pressures that restrictive societal norms and values create.
There are, however, some instances that make it difficult for one to practice this study. Depending on some family cultural practices or the social environment in which you live, it may take some time for you to be accepted by people around you. For those who live in an environment where it is difficult to do this study, it may be difficult to work on these tasks. However, the environment in which you live is also a result of your own life choices. The objective is to learn how to find joy in your life environment. Take note, however, that this does not mean that you should attempt to find the best environment for you to live in to choose the best life circumstance in which to live.
I do believe that if you earnestly desire to do this study and realize inside yourself that this is what you were born to do, you will be able to find a way to overcome difficult obstacles in your path. I believe that this is the direction that the energy flows and it will lead you to it. However, if you do things with the desire to reap personal benefit, you will not have positive results. If you feel that your efforts toward this study are not progressing, simply accept the fact that you are still working toward the path, and continue to practice walking straight along the path.
Once the time is right, the conditions in the environment around you will change, and you will be able to move forward. The people in your living environment will be observing you. I believe that when the people around you observe your attitude toward your life, they will begin to understand and accept the way in which you are living with this study.
I have slightly wandered off the subject, but there is definite difference for those people like Ms. Shiokawa who have met me in person and have heard me speak. There is a phenomenal difference between someone who has attended a seminar and one who knows of me only through the website and books.
And yet, I am just an ordinary elderly man that you may find anywhere. I am sure there were many people who came enthusiastically to the seminar expecting to gain some sort of power from me, and then were disappointed, just as Kayo Shiokawa had been.
" Mr. _____ was much better," she said. I think that when she said this, she was expressing her candid opinion. It did not make me feel at all disappointed when she said this to my face. Perhaps this was because I knew that she had no expectations of me.
Many people came to the seminar with an expectation to seek salvation or to gain some sort of power or energy, but I believe that she just wanted to learn what this study was teaching, which is why she came and spoke so directly to me.
It is my joy to receive those thoughts from individuals who come to me in search of seeking the core, or truth of this study. This was a lesson not only for her.
To explain this simply, she was the one who chose to take the challenge of the lesson that I had to give. The lesson that I had given was the same one that I had been talking of throughout the seminars. This lesson was that there is a clear difference in the end result between one who comes to the study with a desire for personal gain, such as for salvation or power, and one who comes with the wish to learn about their truth, and continues to come to the seminars for that purpose.
And now, here is a key point. The most effective path is dependent on your own motive for choosing to do this study. I have always told people to continue to evaluate their motivation for coming to the seminars. This was because I wanted people attending the seminars to take seriously the fact that they would never have any positive progress, no matter how many times they were to attend, if their motivation for studying was simply wrong.
I can feel more than the average person of what it means to have been born, for your mother to have given you life. This was especially why I wanted people to truly value the opportunity of being able to attend the seminars and use their time wisely.
This is also why I have been extremely strict toward people who are channelers, and of the practice of spiritual channeling. It's not because I was picking on the channelers, but because I wanted them to seriously ask themselves, and to understand, what it means for them to have chosen to be born as one who is able to channel energies.
If you continue to attend the seminars, you eventually will become sensitive to energies and vibrations. It would become easy for you to become a channeler. But, if your motivation is to attend the seminars in order to become a channeler, this is a faulty and poor reason. If your motive is wrong, or if you are stuck at the level of being a channeler and doing channeling, you may be able to feel the energy accumulated inside you through the physical body, but you will not be able to move forward. You will only continue to stay at the same level. How long do you plan to stay at this same level?
I have been hoping for those who have come with the mistaken motive of wanting to become a channeler or wanting to seek help from channelers to reflect on that feeling so that they are able to move forward in the right direction. If you continue to only be attracted to new things that appear in front of you, you will end up stuck in the same place without any progress no matter how many seminars you attend.
This is why Kayo Shiokawa had to take each step forward with very sure footing. Back in those days, she wore a firm armor and helmet. Although, at first when she began attending the seminars, she had no sensitivity toward feelings and vibrations, I knew that she would become more sensitive to feelings and vibrations if she continued to attend, and I looked forward to her progress. Some time after having started attending the seminars, I observed her during a yamidashi session, a session in which one has the opportunity to release one's own negative energy in order to acknowledge it, and noticed that she was kicking her own aunt. At another time, she would very suddenly rush from her seat toward me; or just as I thought she had jumped up, she would start running about trying to escape from my finger pointed at her; and in this way she came to the stage of being able to recognize her own energy. Finally, she came toward me in a way as if wanting to attack.
After this condition, there is another stage. I believe that almost everyone who has attended the seminars has experienced it up to this point. The important part is after this point. If you have gotten to this point, you have acknowledged your own accumulated negative energy through your physical body. Now, the real question is "What to do after learning of your energy next?" Let us learn how to overcome this first hurdle together.
But first, let's briefly review reflecting on your mother and reflecting on outer sources of power. Reflection is not about reflecting on your spoken words or your actions, but about reflecting on the thoughts you have had and spread outward.
Key 1: Reflecting On Your Thoughts Toward Your Mother
This is done by reflecting and remembering, or thinking about, the thoughts that you use toward your mother, who gave birth to you. There are a few different ways to do this, such as writing your thoughts and memories into a notebook or typing them on your computer, but the important thing is to express your honest feelings and thoughts toward your mother.
To give more detail, try to remember your thoughts and feelings that you've had toward your mother through your relationship with her. Try to remember the things that your mother did for you, things that your mother failed to do for you, and things you have done for your mother.
You experience numerous thoughts and feelings through your relationship with your mother. For everyone, our mothers are an interesting existence. You will sense that your mother is someone that you may hate while at the same time very much love. And yet, you know inside yourself that, in truth, you really love your mother. To express this in different words, our existence of our mothers is simultaneously like a wall that blocks our way and at the same time envelops us warmly.
Key 2: Reflect On The Thoughts You Had Toward External Sources Of Power
People who have believed in and turned their hearts and thoughts to external sources of strength or power should first trace their path of travel of seeking various religions or spiritual practices. One should reflect intently on the initial motive for joining a religious group or starting a spiritual practice. One should also look closely at what was sought to gain from the practice or belief, as well as the kind of feelings, thoughts, and expectations one had toward their teacher, leader or founder. Try to remember these things, not just roughly and superficially, but in close detail on the actual emotions that you went through in your heart.
It is important to look candidly at only the facts of your religious or spiritual practice, and not get stuck on just reflecting on how much money you spent toward the religion or practice, or whether it was a good or bad belief or practice. Simply look at the facts. Most importantly, pull your heart out from your own ignorance, to realize that you have been practicing even this study as if it were an extension of those past religious and spiritual practices and beliefs.
People who have an attraction toward such higher powers, such as God, or (as common in Japan) Buddha, or powers from the outer universe often come to attend this study. However, without having realized the true state of their hearts of having sought outer powers, the direction of their hearts continues to remain without any change from the time before they started studying. I believe that, even presently, these people's thoughts toward the physical Tomekichi Taike are parallel to the way they sought, and continue to seek in their hearts, outer sources of power.
Both the feelings of reverence as well as the feelings of scorn that they have for Tomekichi Taike are really just two sides of the same coin. They are two expressions of the same condition in their hearts. You may feel that the physical Tomekichi Taike is a large barrier that blocks your path. Yet, this barrier needs to dissolve and disappear from your heart in order for you to understand the truth.
Through reflection on external source of power, please learn how strongly you hung onto the power. I would like you to know the difference between your religious leader and me, Tomekichi Taike, in your heart.