Let us begin with the specifics.
Here in Osaka lives an elderly man, now 86 years old, named Tomekichi Taike. Nearly thirty years ago, he stepped down from his role as principal at a public high school in Osaka Prefecture. Since then, he has traveled throughout Japan, holding numerous seminars.
At these seminars, he presented a central theme: "We human beings are consciousness—we are energy."
He spoke passionately to the participants, encouraging them to engage in the daily practice of looking into their own hearts so they might come to understand this theme for themselves.
In general terms, one might regard him as a teacher or spiritual guide. From a more religious perspective, some might even call him a guru. It would seem only natural that those who gather at his seminars do so in order to receive his teachings.
However, in these seminars, something quite different—something far removed from such common assumptions—gradually comes into view.
On the surface, the dynamics at these gatherings may appear to deviate significantly from conventional expectations. But as one continues the practice of "looking into one's own heart in everyday life," one will eventually come to understand and accept this difference from within.
What exactly does this mean?
It means that those who come to the seminars are not there with the soft-hearted desire to be taught by Tomekichi Taike. Rather, they come to realize from within their own hearts something shocking:
"I was born to kill Tomekichi Taike, and that is why I am here."
Naturally, there are also people who come seeking relief from personal struggles or suffering—still caught in a mindset of depending on others for salvation. And while such individuals are not few, over time, they begin to see that this seminar will not provide them with the kind of answers they are hoping for. Eventually, they drift away and resume their search—this time in another religion or teaching.
That's because, from the start, they viewed Taike in the same way one might view the founder of a religious group—simply as another leader to follow.
In other words, the motivation behind their attendance was misplaced.
There are, of course, many other forms of misguided motivation as well.
To continue attending the seminars without correcting that mistaken motivation is simply to cling to the presence of Taike or the seminar itself.
In such cases, true progress along the path he presents—one based on the recognition that "we human beings are consciousness and energy"—is extremely difficult.
However, to go into that here would take us off track, so let us return to the main point.
You might be thinking, "What in the world do you mean by 'I came to kill Taike'?"
And yes, such a notion will never make sense to your intellect.
But your heart knows.
You will understand it through direct experience.
For over twenty years, Taike has given of himself entirely—body and soul—to hold these seminars, with the sincere hope that others might come to know this truth through the experiences of their hearts.
I myself have been attending these seminars for twenty years. Over that time, I have come to verify for myself, through my own heart, the truth of what he taught:
We human beings are consciousness. We are energy.
This realization came not only through my experiences in the seminar halls, but also through events that unfolded in my personal life in parallel.
When I say, "I was born to kill Tomekichi Taike," I do not mean that literally. Of course not—it would simply be a crime if taken at face value.
What I mean is this: I hope that as many people as possible will come to recognize—through their own hearts—the fierce and overwhelming energy that resides within all of us, without exception. This is the energy that surges within the world of our consciousness, the world of the heart.
Unless we come to know this energy, it will be impossible for us to return to our one and only true home—the Mother Universe.
So where must we begin?
We must start by becoming aware, through our hearts, of the staggering energy we ourselves have created—energy born of ignorance, ego, and desire.
Yet this is not something that can be done easily.
That is precisely why Taike was here, why he held these seminars: to support that process.
By learning to look into our hearts and participating in the seminars, we each have the opportunity to come face to face—with intense clarity—with the immense energy we've nurtured over lifetimes, using the presence of Taike as a mirror.
This is the great reason why he spent more than twenty years of his life continuing these seminars.
And if you truly feel that energy within your own heart, you'll understand—it is the energy of destruction.
Such energy lies dormant within us, even as we go about our daily lives.
Such energy fuels our societies—governing the political, economic, cultural, and educational spheres in which humanity tirelessly engages.
Earlier, I said something that may have sounded incomprehensible: "I was born to kill Tomekichi Taike."
Let me explain more concretely what I mean.
When I saw Taike in person at a seminar, or simply heard his voice, a surge of raw energy would erupt from within me. If I were to put it into words, it would sound something like this:
"I'll kill you. Get out of my sight. I can't stand the sight of you."
"Move aside, all of you worthless fools! I don't need anyone's help. I'll kill him myself—Tomekichi, I'll destroy you!"
"What universe of yours? Don't make me laugh. My universe is far superior. My power is greater. Die, Taike."
Let me make it absolutely clear: there was never any personal conflict or trouble between us.
He never harmed me in any way.
And yet, every time I saw him or heard him speak at a seminar, this violent, seething energy would well up from deep within me. I experienced this many times.
What's more, I was not the only one.
Many others who attended the seminars had similar experiences—again and again.
It's a strange phenomenon, don't you think?
Why is it that, simply seeing or hearing one person—someone most of us had only encountered through these seminars—could cause such unspeakable rage, darkness, and hatred to erupt from within our hearts?
At first, I was baffled and shocked by this.
But over time, I came to understand:
"The lid to my own personal hell has been opened in this lifetime."
Once I understood this, the phenomenon no longer seemed strange or surprising.
Indeed, the sight and presence of this one man—Tomekichi Taike—had opened the lid of hell itself, dragging its contents into the light of day and shocking me to the core.
At first, I felt nothing but frustration and fury.
It was as though my insides were boiling with rage.
But looking back now, I realize: that was the beginning of my path home—back to the Mother Universe.
Through countless such experiences at the seminars—especially the intense emotional encounters I described above—I have, at long last in this lifetime, come to a clear realization within my heart:
"I have lived in error. I have expanded a pitch-black universe."
And so I can now say this with conviction:
Each and every one of us carries within our hearts a tremendous, fearsome energy.
It is this unchecked energy that gives rise to the many inexplicable incidents and tragedies we see in the world today.
Large-scale disasters, acts of violence, and shocking crimes—they are not someone else's problem.
They are the direct reflection of our own hearts.
By sincerely observing our hearts in daily life, by carefully tracing the flow of our own thoughts and emotions, we naturally come to see this truth.
We begin to recognize the sheer intensity of the energy within us—we come to know ourselves.
And this is why, whether we realize it or not, each of us has people in our lives who irritate us—people we find hard to get along with.
Those people, with their words or attitudes, provoke a reaction in us.
They stir up the negativity we carry and cause it to surface.
To the people right in front of us, we may project endless waves of negative energy.
But without the practice of looking into our hearts, we will never realize that it is our own energy that is erupting.
As a result, most people simply spew out their negative energy while pretending to be kind and good-natured.
When we say "the lid of hell has opened," it means that our hearts have finally made contact with the dark reality we ourselves have created.
And yes, that can bring about a deep despair.
But it is not a despair without purpose—it does not end there.
For the more we come to know the terrible energy we've produced,
the more we begin to feel something else emerging alongside it:
a warmth—a joy—that envelops even that terrifying energy.
And that warmth doesn't come from outside ourselves.
It rises from within.
We begin to realize that a vast, gentle, embracing version of ourselves is holding us in love.
We come to feel not only the destructive energy we have long carried, but also the presence of another self—
one that radiates warmth, kindness, and gentle energy.
In other words, we begin to meet our true selves.
And when that happens,
we naturally come to understand:
"Why are we born?"
"Why do we die?"
We begin to truly feel the reason we are here now, in this physical body.
When that realization reaches you, the meaning of this chapter's title—"The Heart of the Mother"—will begin to resonate deeply within you.
Now, let me speak a little more about this "Heart of the Mother."
Because we have spent so long believing that our identity lies in the physical form, we tend to associate the phrase "mother's heart" with something like maternal instinct or motherly love—the feelings that arise during pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.
But that is not quite what I mean here.
While the "Heart of the Mother" does indeed include the essence of maternal love,
it points to something far beyond.
It is not some special or unreachable realm.
Rather, it is a world most people have simply forgotten—
a world that lies dormant in the depths of everyone's heart.
I chose the phrase "Mother Universe" to describe this world.
Through this book, I hope to convey that the "Heart of the Mother," which surpasses all notions of motherhood and love, is directly connected to the energy of the Mother Universe—our one and only true home.
And I invite you to verify this for yourself—through your own heart.
Mother Universe.
Yes—the universe.
But what exactly is "the universe"?
This word alone evokes a wide range of images and associations for many of us.
As for me, whenever I thought of the universe, I've long carried a sense that I must have come to Earth from some other star.
If one interprets this idea through the lens of the physical world, it might conjure scenes from science fiction—of traveling across billions of light-years in a spaceship from a distant planet.
But that's not the feeling I've had.
What I've felt is something else entirely: the sense that I've crossed dimensions.
The world we live in now has three-dimensional characteristics—length, width, and height.
But the universe I feel is not of that dimensional nature.
It is not a place defined by planets or celestial bodies.
The universe I speak of is a world of vibrations.
Yes.
The universe is energy.
And the message I most want to convey is this:
That energy—the universe—is none other than us.
We ourselves are the universe.
I want each of you to feel this truth in your own heart.
Moreover, the "Heart of the Mother" and the universe are one.
The true energy of the universe is connected to the Mother Universe.
No—it is not just connected. It is one and the same.
Many people are fascinated by the universe.
Some are drawn to its power.
But directing your thoughts toward the universe while having forgotten the "Heart of the Mother" is a dangerous thing.
Please understand that the most important step is to first feel the Heart of the Mother.
It's true—the universe, as a world of vibrations and energy, will have a profound impact on us moving forward.
And that is exactly why we must begin by reawakening the warmth of the Mother within ourselves.
Let this be something you carry in your heart:
"The universe is not something far away. The universe exists within our hearts."
From that awareness, I hope you will begin to feel the universe—not in some extraordinary moment, but within the simplicity of daily life.
Think of the universe. Feel it.
And know that to think of the universe is to feel the heart of the Mother—
to remember her.
Let us now return from the idea of the universe to the reality of our daily lives.
Through the news we see and hear each day, I feel the following quite strongly—perhaps you do, too.
All human beings carry darkness within their hearts.
The constant stream of news we encounter each day reflects this truth.
One horrific incident after another appears—shocking events that make us recoil in fear and disbelief.
We wonder how anyone could commit such acts. We cry out in anger.
We demand justice and accountability.
But rarely do people realize that all of this is a reflection of their own hearts—of the inner world they themselves have forgotten.
And yet, this is reality.
It's not about "those people" or some special group of individuals.
This darkness comes from the hearts of people who have forgotten what is most important—their origin, their essence.
That darkness takes many forms: bullying the weak, child abuse, kidnapping for profit, child prostitution, patricide, infanticide, murder for insurance, fraud, spiritual scams, political bribery, collusion, organ trafficking, "compensated dating," gang assaults, drug trafficking, addiction—the list goes on.
Every day, society is shaken by such events.
And yet, within a few days, each case fades from public memory, replaced by the next.
Still, for those directly involved, these incidents are not so easily forgotten.
Whether victim or perpetrator, they leave deep, lingering scars on the heart.
Even when a perpetrator is sentenced—perhaps even to death—the pain and grief remain for those affected.
Sometimes, those who violated the rights of others stand boldly to claim their own rights, which only deepens the emotional wounds.
Even after a case is legally closed, the emotional burden continues for those involved.
Such wounds, once etched into the heart, are not easily healed.
In many cases, money becomes the only way to reach a resolution.
The emotions that swirl around money are powerful beyond words—
and yet, how tragic it is that we live in a world where money is often the only option left.
Meanwhile, in daily life, fierce competition rages on—whether in school entrance exams or economic battles.
In the broader world, actual warfare continues to claim countless lives, while the threat of nuclear weapons looms large.
From the smallest households to the entire planet, the energy of conflict has become widespread.
Is this what humanity calls progress—development, prosperity?
In the name of building a peaceful and harmonious society, we go to war.
How do you make sense of this contradiction?
Yes, values and perspectives shift over time.
Our social ties and relationships grow increasingly complex.
In such a world, it may seem admirable to strive for mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation in the pursuit of shared happiness and prosperity.
But is that truly how things will unfold?
Beneath the surface, the world is already in motion.
This undercurrent has already begun to surface—manifesting in natural disasters and human events alike.
We are entering a time of great upheaval.
The world is becoming more and more chaotic.
That moment is already upon us.
And that is exactly why we must turn inward—
to the place where the Heart of the Mother lies dormant within us all.
I believe this is the direction in which we are being led.