The Basic Teachings of Seicho-No-Ie
The basic principles of the Seicho-No-Ie teachings consist of three major components; (1) Only God-created perfect world exists (also referred to as the ‘True Image’), (2) All phenomena are manifestation of only mind, (3) All religions emanate from one universal God.
Only God-Created Perfect World Exists
The ‘True Image’ or the perfect world created by the one and only absolute God is the world that truly exists. The True-Image world is filled with God’s attributes and blessings. In this world, man is a child of God, and together, God, nature and man exist in grand harmony. In other words, what truly exist is only God and the perfect and harmonious world created by God. This is the definition of the True Image or the “Only God-Created Perfect World Exists.” On the other hand, the world we perceive and experience through the five senses as human beings is called ‘phenomenal world.’ The phenomenal world is a world temporarily created by our brain based upon limited information filtered through our senses (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin). Therefore, although there seems to be incidences of wars and terrorism, and other imperfections in this world, they are not the ‘True Image’ of the world truly exists because they are mere phenomena.
All Phenomena are manifestation of only mind
The environment we perceive, this phenomenal world is a world which we live in, is one that created by man’s mind. Here, the ‘mind’ can be referred to as the ‘word,’ which can manifest itself through three entities: thoughts in the mind, spoken words, and physical actions. By setting forth these three creative processes and accumulating these forms of actions (or karma), we are free to create our phenomenal world by this Law of the Mind, as we wish. The Law of the Mind is definite and just; therefore, when we use negative words, a negative world will manifest. Accordingly, if we wish to realize a world of goodness, we can achieve this by expressing God’s virtues of wisdom, love and life that exist in the True Image world, all through the power of the ‘word’ alone.
All Religions Emanate from One Universal God
The meaning of ‘All Religions Emanate from One Universal God,’ does not imply that all religions should be brought into one (i.e. Seicho-No-Ie). Rather, it accepts and embraces the fact that one Universal Truth expresses itself in diverse ways through various religions. Therefore, the explanation for the different religions that exist can be related to the cultural differences that exist around the world (for example, how people dress according to country, region, or ethnicity). Let us envision this idea as an egg that is presented a sunny-side up. The egg yolk in the center is the fundamental and universal Truth shared by each existing religion. On the other hand, the egg white or the peripheral part, changes in form according to culture, ethnic group, and time. When religions of the world recognize the common central part, the universal truth (the egg yolk), and appreciate the diversity of the various teachings and religions (peripheral part, the egg white) the conflicts among them will disappear. This concept is expressed straightforwardly in the teaching that ‘All Religions Emanate from One Universal God.’
These are the mindsets that will help you live a life with fulfillment, which derived from the basic teachings of Seicho-No-Ie.