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World Divine Light

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Not to be confused with Sukyo Mahikari or divine light.
World Divine Light
世界真光文明教団
Su-Za World Sōhonzan, the religion's headquarters
TypeJapanese new religion
OshienushiKatsutoshi Sekiguchi (関口勝利)
HeadquartersHiekawa, Izu, Shizuoka, Japan
FounderSakae Sekiguchi (関口榮)
Origin1963
Branched fromMahikari
Other name(s)World Divine Light Organization
Official websitewww.mahikari.or.jp (in Japanese)
worlddivinelight.org (in English)

World Divine Light (世界真光文明教団, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan), or the World Divine Light Organization (WDL), is a Japanese new religion (shinshūkyō). It is one of the Mahikari movement religions. Its headquarters, the Su-Za World Sōhonzan, is the largest of its kind in the Izu Peninsula.

World Divine Light is one of the several organizations that branched off from the original Mahikari religion founded by Yoshikazu Okada (known by Mahikari followers as Kōtama Okada) in 1959.[1][2][3][4] Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light (WDL) Organization to distinguish itself from Sukyo Mahikari, whereas in Japan it is known as Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan or simply Mahikari. The organization was registered in 1963, and in 1974 Sakae Sekiguchi became the Oshienushi or spiritual leader upon Okada's death. On the other hand, Sukyo Mahikari was established in 1978 by Keishu Okada.[5]

Spiritual leadership

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The organization's spiritual leader is known as the Oshienushi (教え主) or Oshienushi-sama (教え主様):[6]

  • First Oshienushi: Kotama Okada (岡田光玉; 1901–1974) (divine name: Seiō 聖鳳)
  • Second Oshienushi: Sakae Sekiguchi (関口榮; 3 March 1909–1994)
  • Third Oshienushi: Katsutoshi Sekiguchi (関口勝利; 1 September 1939–) (current leader)

Locations

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In Japan, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan is headquartered in Hiekawa (冷川), Izu, Shizuoka, located in the mountainous interior of the Izu Peninsula. Its main temple is the Su-Za World Sōhonzan (主座世界総本山, Suza Sekai Sōhonzan), which is often simply known as the "Su-Za" (主座 / ス座) ("Su" is the name of God, while 座 literally means 'seat'.).[7]

Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light Organization or WDL to distinguish itself from Sukyo Mahikari. World Divine Light has branches in Houston, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, New York, Chicago, Honolulu, and Vancouver.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Broder, Anne (2008). "Mahikari in context" (pdf). Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 35 (2): 33–362. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  2. ^ Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations, Surrey, Japan Library, 1999 ISBN 1-873410-80-8
  3. ^ Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective, Surrey, Curzon Press, 2000 ISBN 0-7007-1185-6
  4. ^ Swift, Philip (2021-07-03). "Bodies in place: the transformative atmospherics of lightscapes in Mahikari". Asian Anthropology. 20 (3): 173–189. doi:10.1080/1683478X.2021.1903134. ISSN 1683-478X.
  5. ^ Wilkinson, Gregory (2018). "11: Sūkyō Mahikari". Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements. Brill. p. 176–192. doi:10.1163/9789004362970_012. ISBN 978-90-04-36297-0.
  6. ^ "Oshienushi". World Divine Light Organization. 2023-03-04. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
  7. ^ "Mt. Fuji: 'A Diamond in An Engagement Ring' Soon to Be World Heritage Site". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  8. ^ "Holy Land". World Divine Light Organization. 2020-03-10. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
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