Johrei Fellowship

December 20, 2017

A long time member dedicates his life to service and lives successfully with a brain tumor beyond the predicted time.

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Eric Roth was born with a liver disease that affected his muscles. He had his spleen removed at age four and suffered from liver failure in his thirties. A softening of the hip bone required a crutch for walking.

Despite his illness, Eric was able to live a relatively normal life, serving in the Peace Corps in Fiji. Eventually he was led to Johrei. He studied in Japan for two years at the Sacred Grounds in Atami. He also enjoyed a career as a high school science teacher. He was a Johrei member for thirty years.

In 1991, Eric experienced difficulties speaking during a faculty meeting. His physician ordered a neurological examination, a CT scan and an MRI, which showed a mass the size of an egg in the left frontal area of his brain, near the speech center. A biopsy showed that the mass was a malignant tumor.

Three different surgeons made three different treatment recommendations: surgery and one-time radiation, radiation only, and radiation and chemotherapy. The most experienced surgeon volunteered, however, that none of these approaches would extend Eric’s life more than five years. Eric chose only to receive Johrei and to give service at the Los Angeles Center. Sometimes he received Johrei four times a day. By this time, other symptoms such as severe forgetfulness, headaches and articulation difficulties had appeared.

In December of 1991, Eric went to Japan to receive intensive Light. He also met specifically with Rev. Nakahara, a very sincere channel. She told him he would be all right, that he should concentrate on helping as many other people as possible. After his trip, Eric felt intermittent improvement of his symptoms. He continued receiving Johrei at home and receiving and giving at the Los Angeles Center.

In the fall of 1992, he experienced a high fever for several days, followed by diarrhea. His symptoms subsequently diminished. A follow-up examination was conducted the following February, showing that his tumor had shrunk to half its original size.

Eric eventually moved to Tucson, where he made many friends and gave thousands of hours of Johrei over several years. Much of his vocabulary returned, and he was able to take care of himself and to encourage other people. He died peacefully, having lived well, long past the predicted time.

Eric had befriended Harriet Peterson, who became a Johrei member and was able to be of service for over two years before she made her transition. Here is her story.

In 1989 I fell and injured my back, cracking some ribs. I had to wear a brace around my rib cage and chest that affected my breathing, so three weeks after the accident I was put on oxygen. Around that time, I also lost about eighty percent of my hearing. Altogether I was in hospitals and nursing homes for eighteen months with continuous pain and breathing difficulties.

Eventually my six doctors at two hospitals diagnosed me as being terminal, and I was released to my own apartment with long-term health care with an oxygen concentrator and a mobile oxygen tank. The next year, I met Eric Roth in the laundry room of the apartment building. He noticed that I was struggling and offered to give me Johrei. I was desperate to feel better so I agreed, and Eric began coming to my apartment regularly for three and a half months to channel to me.

After about thirty Johrei sessions the hearing in my left ear returned, my back pain disappeared and my breathing improved so much that I no longer needed oxygen and was able to go out again. I received my focal point at the age of eighty-two.

Eric and Harriet became best of friends, and Eric visited her often in the nursing home where she was eventually placed near the end of her life, as she had no other friends or family in Tucson. Before he made his transition, Eric asked Doris Adams to take over visiting Harriet. Here is Doris’s testimonial:

I moved in July 2010 to a new apartment. On that day my adult schizophrenic son had to have surgery to remove a mass from his leg, and on that day I came down with a very painful case of shingles, probably due to all the stress. The rash started under my ribs on the right side and spread around to my back, ending next to my spine. I experienced intense pain all over the right side of my upper body. The rash finally went away after three months, but the pain lingered for a year and a half, especially where the rash was but also in my shoulder.

I continued to receive Johrei regularly but had to ask for very short sessions because it seemed to intensify the pain. I began to feel very much alone in this experience, as if everything was too hard for me, that I had no support from family, and that all my regular activities were not helping me. I continued all this time to also go to church, a support group, exercise class, and to eat well, buy my despair was increasing. All the difficult themes of my life seemed to come to the surface in my mind, including my mother’s death when I was a baby, my abusive marriage, and the loss of relationship with all my sons because of money and emotional problems.

Finally, one day I observed my minister giving Johrei to another member and concentrating on the spine. He had been experiencing a deep purification and this seemed to help him. I asked her if we could try the same kind of Johrei on my spine and she agreed.

She asked that same member to give me Johrei intensively to my spine and we set aside an hour for the session. About halfway through, I began to convulse and cry on a deeper level than I ever remember crying in my lifetime. It seemed that I could barely sit up and I felt totally devastated. The Johrei giver and another member took very good care of me, showing me a lot of love and support and waiting for my emotional pain to work itself out. This took about an hour, with them sitting very close to me, hugging me and bringing me hot tea.

I went home and fell into a deep sleep. When I awoke I was still shaken. This feeling lingered for about two days, and eventually subsided along with some of my physical pain. After another similar Johrei session, about half of the pain is gone. Emotionally I am completely recovered from the feelings of trauma that surfaced and am feeling stronger, more positive and hopeful. I am profoundly grateful.

Doris used to travel yearly to New Zealand, and that year she asked me to visit Harriet in the nursing home while she was gone. I began going to see Harriet on Sundays, but it seemed like she was always sleeping and I did not want to disturb her. I would simply channel Johrei and leave. One day, however, I decided to bring my guitar and sing to her.

As I sang, I could see the color coming back into her face. She opened her eyes and said, “Play another,” so I did. Each time I came to see her after that, I would notice other residents standing around Harriet’s door to listen to the music. Eventually I decided to start playing in the activity room. The residents were so appreciative that I gave up watching Sunday football to continue.

During this time I lost my job and did not know where to turn. I went to the center every morning to pray and do hoshi. One day a new person came in to receive Johrei. She enjoyed the session and asked me what other kind of work I did. I explained that I was unemployed and that I volunteered by singing at the nursing home.

She replied that she was the director of a care home and invited me to play there. I said I would be happy to volunteer, but she surprised me by insisting that I would get paid. When I told my minister of this blessing, she referred me to someone who worked at another senior facility as the activities director. I called this acquaintance, who told me that she rarely had any free time in her schedule, but that if I could get there right away she would see me. She also hired me on the spot and spent an entire hour explaining how I could get more business.

Since then my business has grown and I am busy every day singing for the elderly and handicapped of Tucson. I still like to sing Harriet’s favorite song, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.” Thank you, Harriet. Thank you Doris and thank you Eric.

As I have met more people in the community through my music, I am occasionally invited to play at a private event. A few years ago I sang at a birthday party for Gwenn, a friend of our minister who has received many blessings through Johrei. Here is part of her story written by Gerry:

My friend Gwenn is an invalid who suffers from lupus and fibromyalgia. Her husband is devoted to her care, and a number of years ago he received his focal point so he could give her Johrei at home to help her with her pain. He does not come to the center often, but he does electronic hoshi behind the scenes. A few years ago, he converted a number of archival VHS Johrei class tapes to DVD format, a task that took many hours.

The following week, Gwenn was taken to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with gall bladder disease and admitted. However, pre-op tests showed that she had had a silent heart attack, so she was immediately moved to the cardiac unit. More tests revealed no blockages anywhere in her cardiac system. By then she had received many hours of Johrei from me and her husband.

The next day a physician came to perform an ultrasound in preparation for gall bladder surgery. After a while, he said he was embarrassed to say that he simply could not find her gall bladder. It seemed to have vanished. By then her pain had improved and she joked that the light of Johrei was blinding the technician and hiding her gall bladder.

After more tests she was diagnosed with an intestinal obstruction and told surgery was still necessary. I was unable to go see her every day, so Bruce stepped in along with several other local members and some visitors from Alaska. Gwenn said:

“My visitors told me that many people were praying for me through the prayer network. I lay in that bed, hour after hour and unable to sleep, visualizing a network of hands and arms of Light surrounding me, reaching out to form a cradle, holding me safely inside. I felt the love, the Light and the fellowship. The thought that strangers were coming to help me and praying for me, literally keeping me alive, was absolutely awesome. I understood the concept of fellowship as I never had before.”

Gwenn was eventually released from the hospital without having any surgery and with no lingering symptoms. Gwenn and her husband attributed their blessings to Johrei and to his hoshi. Recently, Gwenn’s husband was asked to make another set of DVDs for the archives. He gladly agreed and spent many hours on the project as before. And as before, a few days later Gwenn was rushed to the hospital, this time with a massive stroke. I was unable to go to the hospital, so Melissa agreed to go right away.

Here is Melissa’s description of what happened that day:

Being a fairly new member, I was honored to be given this opportunity, but at the same time I was nervous. Going into the hospital was stressful. I felt like I was intruding on the privacy of the patient, whom I did not even know. At the same time, I wanted to help if I could. I decided to have faith in the wisdom of Meishu-sama.

As I was walking toward the ER, I prayed to handle the situation appropriately. When I got there, the patient was surrounded by medical personnel. She seemed much debilitated. Her mouth was drooping on the left side, interfering with her ability to speak. She could not move her left arm or left leg, nor did she feel anything in those extremities. Needless to say, her husband was extremely distressed.

Another doctor arrived when I did. He performed a brief examination and I overheard the other doctors telling him that they had administered the medication that is given to break up blood clots and that it had not been at all effective. Too much time had passed with no sign of improvement and the medication could not be administered again for six months because of dangerous side effects, so they were bringing in a radiologist to conduct an invasive process to determine the extent of the damage in her brain. They were planning to put a line into her arm and move a camera into her head to view the damage and then do a procedure to clean out the blood vessels in hopes of breaking up the clot inside her brain.

I was unsure what to do because there were so many people surrounding her, but I said a prayer and began giving Johrei to her left foot. Within a matter of minutes, I saw a nearly imperceptible movement of the foot. I thought it might be my imagination, but slowly her entire foot began to move. The doctors saw that and began testing to see whether she had sensation in her leg. She noticeably perked up and said yes. Gradually the feeling in her extremities began to increase, and finally the left side of her face began to normalize. She became lucid and was able to understand what was happening. She was clearly relieved. I continued giving her Johrei throughout.

I could see the doctors visibly relax. The procedure was canceled, the radiologist was told not to come in, and she was admitted to the neurology department. Over the next several hours she was checked and tested further, and several people told her she had dodged a major bullet. They told her over and over how fortunate she was. They had also explained that she would most likely experience various severe side effects from the medication, however there were none.

As she answered more questions, her articulation improved dramatically and we could understand everything she was saying. I can’t believe I was there to witness it. I expected the Light to work, and at the same time I was amazed. It was the most auspicious event of my life.

Tucson Johrei Center

December 2017

December 20, 2017

When I first became a Johrei member I was guided and supported by Eric Roth, a longtime member who had moved to Tucson to be near Rev. Ajiki and to give service at the Tucson Center. Here is part of Eric’s story.

The first and only time I met Rev. Thelma Dowd, she made a huge contribution to my life. About a year after I received my sacred focal point she came through Phoenix to visit some long-time members who had moved here. It was quite an event for me, as until then there were only three other Johrei members in our entire area, and we all lived far away from each other.

That night was the first time I saw a home scroll and an ancestral shrine at another member's home. Somehow it turned out that Rev. Dowd and I were sitting at the table talking. Just being friendly, she asked me some questions about myself. I got tears in my eyes and confided that it upset me not to be able to give appropriate donations when receiving Johrei. She got up from the table and came back with a small wooden box with the word "Appreciation" on it. She told me that she understood my feelings, but really there was something more important than the amount of the donation I gave. She taught me that my attitude in giving was what really counted. The box was a small bank that began a wonderous process for me. Rev. Dowd told me to start by just putting a dime in whenever I felt grateful for something that happened in my life. She said that before I knew it, the money would grow and  I would have a dollar or two to contribute. She said the donation would have a wonderful vibration because it was filled with appreciation for the blessings. That changed everything for me. I instantly saw a new possibility in my life and went home full of hope.

Later, as I learned more about Meishu-sama's teachings, it started to sink in that the financial problems my husband and  I were experiencing were a purification. Joe was in commercial real estate and our finances were either feast or famine. My salary was steady but small. Money management for me had always been spending what was available and hoping for more. I had a lot to learn. Several times we seemed to be on the brink of breaking through all the obstacles, but it just didn't happen. The biggest disappointment was when a trusted buyer went back on his word. We had counted on his integrity and we lost a lot of money; it really hurt. Sometimes it was difficult to recognize the good things we had.

 When my stepdaughter and her husband took us to Mexico for a vacation and we saw children on the beaches selling trinkets, we realized just how much we had to be thankful for. During the next several years we each tried different jobs, some more satisfying and successful than others, and we both went through periods when we were unemployed. Somehow we always managed, but there were periods of fear and stress.

By that time, Rev. Ajiki had done quite a bit of counseling with me about financial purification. He said that Meishu-sama went through severe financial challenges and described them as one of the most difficult types of purification a person could undergo. Rev. Ajiki introduced me to a teaching entitled "Trust in God vs. Bondage." I still use it when circumstances seem to loom too large. He also told me to try not to worry. That helped me so much! I even used to worry that I was too worried and got caught up in a never-ending swirl. Rev. Ajiki said we were only human, that sometimes we worry, and that I should try to do my best.

He also taught me to pray the Prayer for Paradise on Earth every day. He said it had a wonderful, gentle, uplifting vibration. He also recommended that every morning and every evening I count all my blessings and thank God for them. At the time, I confessed that I really couldn't seem to locate any blessings in my present state of mind. Once again, he told me to “just try." The next day I was driving down the street and saw a man with no legs moving down the sidewalk on a platform. So, I started by saying, "Thank you God, that I have legs to walk. After that it gradually got easier until I hardly had time to count my blessings.

In 1991 our purification came to a peak and we decided to give up our house. It was not an easy decision. Joe found an ad in the newspaper for a government-owned  house in a nice area. It was supposed to be torn down for a flood canal, but the county was now renting it instead. When we arrived there were many other people looking at it, and we filled out an application as a lark. We were surprised when everything fell together and we got the house, especially when in the meantime we had been turned down for another place that we thought was perfect for us. With beautiful views of the Camelback Mountains and surrounded by natural desert, the house was a haven from the hustle of the city. It was the most spacious home either of us had ever lived in.

In February of  1991, our home became the new location for Johrei Fellowship in the Phoenix area. A year earlier, our group had dedicated a divine scroll in a rented space and we were ready to move when this opportunity came. Since the room for the scroll was in a separate area of our new home, people could come and go as they pleased. We had a weekly Johrei evening and a monthly service, with other events as needed. Although he is not a member, my husband supported all our Johrei activities, washing down the desert dust before gatherings, moving furniture and welcoming the Ajikis and the Starrons when they came to visit.

Gradually, our financial picture brightened. We would laugh and say, "Wow! Both of us have jobs at the same time!" My work circumstances improved tremendously. I went from working in a plant nursery to office work. At first I worked for people who were not emotionally balanced. When they laid me off, we laughed when I  talked about it at the next Johrei meeting. Poor Penny, no more emotional purification at work! I was actually hurt and angry that I had been let go. I was able to wear casual clothes there and now needed professional clothes for interviews.

One Sunday when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself I got a phone call from a friend. She said she had some clothes that no longer fit her and she thought they might fit me. Was I interested? Boy, did my attitude change fast! That afternoon I received a whole new wardrobe that I could wear to a more formal office. They fit perfectly, were in the colors that I wore, and included several dressy things. I felt the universe supporting me and showing me that things were working out the way they were supposed to. I found what seemed like the ideal job. At the end of the ninety-day trial period, expecting a raise, I was shocked when they let me go instead. Stunned, I called Rev. Ajiki. He told me that right now it was hard to see the big picture, but God's will was working. He said this was only the first chapter. Once again, it was time to read, "Trust in God vs. Bondage." As soon as I started thinking it was the right time for me to stay home and devote more time to Johrei, I found another job that I loved. It was the beginning of the next chapter.                                                                                                                                

Eventually I called Rev. Ajiki and told him I was feeling guilty for liking my job so much and wondering if it was taking too much focus away from Johrei. He laughed and said it was good to hear I was asking such questions. He said that focusing on Johrei would be even easier for me when my financial picture cleared up, so I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. "Actually," he added, "There's a spiritual relationship between you and every person you come into contact with at work. It' s all part of your mission. Do your best in everything and if the opportunity comes up, share Johrei." My employer at the time was hiring unskilled laborers, many in recovery from addiction. I tried to remember them in my prayers and to be especially kind to them.

My husband soon took his first salaried job in many years, and when he went to the first sales meeting in another state he was recognized for his excellent presentation on products he had just barely heard of! We both felt good about that. He was able to use the skills he'd gained over the years in real estate and to take a breather from sales. Gradually our financial situation eased. The first time I heard about the Sacred Grounds, I knew I wanted to go. It hadn't been feasible before so I started saving money to go in 1994. Meishu-sama taught that we should follow the Law of Order with money, including the value of saving for what you want instead of borrowing. The more I followed this principle, the more I learned about money.

After we dedicated our scroll at the new home, I  noticed  I was becoming less and less excited about Johrei gatherings. This was really disturbing. I just didn't want to participate, and began wondering whether Johrei was really the right path for me. What if I was supposed to be doing something else? That would be really embarrassing, considering that the Johrei center was now my house! I finally got so distressed that I called Rev. Ajiki again. He asked me what my first Johrei experience was like. I told him it really relaxed me and that  felt happy afterward. He told me I was probably beginning to experience a "core purification."  I really didn't know what that meant, and was relieved to hear that it indicated I was processing old toxins and clouds and that my lack of enthusiasm was simply resistance to the purification. This purification would last two and a half years.

Soon I began waking up almost every night at about 3:00 with breathing trouble, starting as a constriction in my lower abdomen. I had started smoking again a year earlier and I also felt generally upset, although nothing in particular was wrong. I just felt sad. I would get up, sit in front of the scroll giving myself Johrei, then I would cough and always ended up crying intensely. Afterward I was able to breathe again and could go back to bed. This happened every night, but luckily I would have enough energy to go to work the next day. Rev. Ajiki said I was having physical and emotional purification at the same time, which was a little unusual. We laughed and said I must be in a hurry. My symptoms got more severe, and my breathing became so difficult that it scared me sometimes. I also began to feel deep despair and utter hopelessness like something had happened that was irrevocable and out of my control. I would have coughing spasms that would bring up  lot phlegm, then I would sob like my heart was breaking. Rev. Ajiki suggested that I start spending weekends at the Tucson Center, which then was in the house where he and his wife lived. There he would give me Johrei, I would cough and cry, and then I would rest. This was repeated several times during the day. At night I would wake Rev. Ajiki up when I couldn't breathe, and he would give me Johrei for up to two hours.

Eventually the Tucson Center moved to another location where there was no room for guests, so I started staying with the Ajikis and the Starrons. Rev. Ajiki told me that my kidneys were clearing out a lot of toxins. I could feel a burning sensation as toxins moved up my back to my shoulders and the sides of my neck. Mrs. Ajiki called it, "climbing the mountain.” Then I would blow my nose and cough more. During the most difficult weekend, Pat Starron, who was not yet a minister, would get up every few hours and give me Johrei for an hour at a time. We would go to sleep for a while and then the purification would start again. I coughed so hard that night I was afraid I might choke to death. The next day I was exhausted, and I knew Pat was tired too. I was scheduled to stay at the Ajikis that night and go back to Phoenix on Sunday, but I secretly wondered how I would be able to withstand Rev. Aiiki's strong Johrei. I found out that the Light knows exactly what it's doing. Instead of having even stronger purification during the rest of the weekends  I felt comforted and healed each time I received Johrei. It was amazing to experience God giving me exactly what I needed.

The peak of my purification came soon after that. On a Thursday night in January of 1 992, I woke up feeling too tired to even go to work. Another member, Mary de Meritt, came over to give me Johrei. It became harder and harder to breathe, so we called Rev. Ajiki. At one point he asked me if I needed an ambulance, but I had not even begun to think in those terms. He said he would drive to Phoenix to give me Johrei. My stepdaughter, then a respiratory therapist, stopped by to check on me. By that time I was down on my hands and knees using all my muscles to breathe. She was very calm as she asked me a few questions, then she went and asked my husband to take me lo the emergency room. As we were driving to the hospital I became very frightened, which of course made it even harder to breathe. I realized that even if I were to live for only two more weeks in this condition, the end of my life would be unbearable. I saw that smoking was going to kill me if I didn't stop.

In the emergency room I was put on a respirator and breathing became easier right away. Later my stepdaughter told my husband that I would not have woken up if I'd lost consciousness then for any reason. My oxygen count was not enough to wake me up again. One doctor said I would be on medication for the rest of my life. I was so opposed to the idea that I wouldn't even allow a chest x-ray, and I was also worried about the bill since we didn't have medical insurance. But when Rev. Ajiki arrived, he said, “Do everything they tell you to do." He said my main job was to get through this experience and that I could purify the medicines later. I learned that day that enlightenment does not exclude common sense.

After four days in the hospital, I rested at home for two weeks. I was totally exhausted because my oxygen levels were so low. I never smoked another cigarette. I look back now and see that this emergency saved my life. I am so grateful for a second chance.  I took about half the recommended antibiotics, because I had learned from Dr. Weil that people who receive Johrei need less medication when it is considered necessary.

Thanks to Johrei, I am not one of those people who always need medication to stay alive. I don't want to wake up in the night any more, and I have quit crying as if my heart were breaking. Toxins have stopped “climbing the mountain” at such a fast rate, and I have days where I feel balanced and more peaceful than ever. I'm grateful that I no longer carry all the toxins and clouds that caused this purification, and I'm still in awe of what a long, steady process of purification I have experienced.

January 07, 2004

I was born a Johrei baby. I’d like to believe that I had chosen to be a member of this organization before I came to this earth plane. I was a happy, obedient child and did not question Meishu-sama’s teachings much. It all seemed natural to me. Generally, my life has been blessed with good health and happiness, thanks to Meishu-sama and to my parents for their many years of dedication to Meishu-sama.

However, there is one drawback in being a happy second-generation member. I didn’t have the life experiences that I needed to help other people with empathy and wisdom. I hadn’t experienced the kind of miracles that usually prompt non-members to join. I rarely feel energy when I give or receive Johrei and I had never had a serious enough problem that made me seek God’s help in the first place. As an adult, I knew that I would always be involved with Johrei, but I needed to develop my own faith and started searching.

When I was 18, Rev. Ron Kato started study sessions for youths every Wednesday night at the L.A. Center. I attended these sessions for several months. Ron was a young minister who had just been designated the youth leader in L.A. Only three or four of us attended every week, but this turned out to be perfect for me because I had always felt intimidated to talk in front of many people. We read one teaching and spent at least an hour talking about it. I found studying the teachings regularly extremely helpful in confirming my beliefs about Meishu-sama. I am grateful that Ron took the time to listen and explain the teachings thoroughly.

Unfortunately, the study sessions didn’t last long enough. The organizational purification caused Ron to leave Johrei Fellowship and for a while I was lost. I decided to focus on my school and part-time jobs for the time being. I was working my way through college, sometimes doing several odd jobs up to 45 hours a week. I lived on junk food and slept in my car in between classes. I started to lose my hair. As a result I had a breakdown: mentally, emotionally, and physically. My father suggested I take a leave from school to do hoshi at the Sacred Grounds in Atami. Anxious to get away, I immediately started packing.

The first two days in Japan were awful. I became sick from the long flight and my body became so stiff that I could hardly move. I stayed in bed the second day. My entire body was aching and I was unable to keep anything down. In the evening, a couple of girls in the same dorm dragged me onto a taxi. They took me a to a Johrei gathering at Rev. Tsugio Totsuka’s home. Reluctantly, I sat down on the floor to receive Johrei. My body became so heavy that I couldn’t keep myself up. Somebody carried me to the sofa where I lay half-conscious for quite a while. I remember seeing about thirty people channeling Johrei to me. After I regained full consciousness, I was taken back to the dorm, where I slept well for the rest of the night. The next morning, my arms were still achy but I felt well enough to go up to the Sacred Grounds. In fact, by evening I felt so good that I went bowling with my new friends. I believe that purification was necessary for me before I was allowed to enter the Sacred Grounds.

There were many other wonderful experiences during the ten months I stayed in Japan. Once I was invited to a Johrei gathering at Rev. Nakahara’s home. There were about eighteen people there, mostly members. She told us to give and receive Johrei over and over again as if it were matter of fact. I asked myself, “Johrei again? Why?” But as most Japanese people do, we did what we were told. We each received about five or six Johrei sessions. On my way home, I felt as light as if I were walking on air. From this experience, I have come to believe that sometimes we can receive more miracles with less talk, less reasoning and simply more Johrei.

Not only were the Johrei gatherings in Japan powerful, some of the lectures I attended were also. I attended two lectures by Rev. Nakahara: once at the Shinjuku Church and another privately at her home. Both times she talked about her faith in Meishu-sama. I found her attitude too rigid and too advanced for my level of understanding. The strange thing that happened both times, however, is that I couldn’t keep myself from dozing off. The light was that intense. The same thing happened to me when I attended a lecture given to ministerial trainees by Rev. Katsuichi Watanabe. Rev. Watanabe caught several of us sleeping and woke us up by saying, “It’s fine to sleep during my lectures. Some of the best ministers have slept through them.” Rev. Nakahara had told me that Meishu-sama speaks through her. Unfortunately I don’t remember what the lectures were about, but I believe my higher self was receiving guidance from Meishu-sama through these influential ministers.

It has been fifteen years since my stay in Atami and I have continued to receive blessing in so many ways. Once a Japanese minister told me that in order to make others happy, I have to be happy too. I have been striving to achieve that goal. I am happily married with three healthy children. We have a wonderful family life and have received many financial blessings too. I am also blessed with many good friends. My life is not perfect, but I have been able to attain much happiness because of Meishu-sama. When I need direction, he always answers through his teachings, or my ancestors give me answers through dreams or unusual events. Often these messages are not clearly spelled out, but I have been able to decode them through guidance from ministers, reading the teachings, or simply giving and receiving Johrei. Sometimes Meishu-sama points me in a direction I would rather avoid, but if I follow without resistance, I am always pleasantly surprised by the outcome. 

Recently I received such a message, which has led me to study Judaism and Christianity. My father was Christian and I used to read the picture Bible when I was a child. However, I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and most of my childhood friends were Jewish (as well as my adult friends). I have always felt an affinity to Judaism. Perhaps it is because I observed a passion for Israel and a desire to create a model nation. This aspect of Jewish belief is similar to the construction of sacred grounds as Meishu-sama advocated. I especially like the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, which was explained to me by a Jewish friend as “because of the actions of mankind, the world is in disorder, and it is up to each individual to act in such a way as to repair the world.” The idea that human beings are responsible for creating a better world is also a concept Meishu-sama taught. From my understanding, these Jewish concepts and the fact that Judaism is tribal-centered religion, that all Jews are descendants of Abraham, reflect a vertical, or shojo, religion. 

Christianity, on the other hand, is horizontal or daijo. A Christian does not have to be a member of a community as a Jew does. Anybody can become a Christian so long as he believes in Jesus Christ as the messiah. According to Christian thought, Jesus redeemed man from his sins, so if he repents, he would be able to enter paradise. From my understanding, Christianity embraces everyone in a motherly sort of way. Meishu-sama’s teachings also reflect this kind of daijo faith. Anybody can channel Johrei regardless of his background or belief. Good or evil, we are part of a divine drama, and we all play a part in the establishment of a paradise on earth. 

Every day I look up at the Izunome sign hanging in my living room, and think of the perfect balance of daijo and shojo attitudes of Meishu-sama’s teachings as a sphere. If I were perfectly balanced like a sphere I could move around freely like a ball. If I hit a wall I would simply bump off and continue to roll. If I didn’t have that balance, if I were rigid like a cube, I would simply stop at the wall. I believe Meishu-sama’s teachings have helped me to become somewhat like a sphere. Occasionally I come to a standstill or purification, but by reading Meishu-sama’s teachings or receiving advice from a minister, I start moving again with more momentum than before. Sometimes I start moving again by doing less thinking and simply doing more Johrei.

March 01, 2016

My name is Elaine V., I became a Johrei member 12 years ago and currently I volunteer at the Johrei Fellowship, Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida. I’ve suffered with headaches since I was 12 years old. As I got older, this condition became a severe migraine crisis every two months.

It was suggested by the Minister to try to overcome this purification with the help of Johrei, but I always ended up using medicines. Once I participated on a group who went to the Johrei Center inauguration in Orlando. During the whole trip I had migraines. It was one of the most painful migraines crisis I had, and this time, I did not bring my medicines. I received hours of Johrei from many of the members and from all Ministers in the group. It was the first time I endured this purification with the help of Johrei alone.

After this experience my migraines crisis only happened twice a year, it was no longer a constant problem in my life. My faith in Johrei became stronger. I received constant guidance from the Minister and participated regularly on Meishu-Sama Teachings Study Sessions. I was able to gradually reduce the use of medication. When a migraine crisis started I would only use Johrei, then only using medicine if I had to go to work. Last month (February 2016). I had a strong cold with high fever, sore throat, I was coughing and had a sinus infection. 

At the same time, I learned that a friend only 40 years old was diagnosed with breast cancer. That made me reflect upon a possibility – if I am having difficulty to overcome a cold with the help of Johrei, what would I do if I had to face a more severe illness? In spite of the headache behind my eyes, I decided to drive to the Johrei Center to receive Johrei, and later I received Johrei at home from my Mom who was visiting. Three weeks later I went to work driving my brother in law’s new car. When I left work with the intention to go to the Johrei Center, the car would not start. My brother in law gave me instructions over the phone but it did not work and he asked me to wait for one hour, so he could come and help me.

I went back to my workplace and passed the hand on my nose because I felt it wet. Blood was coming out of the right nostril – a lot of blood! Then clogs came out of my nose – three big clogs. At first I was scared and feeling dizzy, then I started to feel gratitude.  I knew this blood had to be expelled – it was a purification! Then I realized that I would be driving in a highway when it all happened! The new car did not work. By the way, next day the car worked perfectly. I continued eliminating phlegm for more 4 weeks. Later, the Minister explained that this kind of purification, when blood is expelled through the nose, is very good because it prevents strokes and heart problems. My life was saved!

Today I live with more gratitude than ever because I feel I am always protected by Meishu-sama.

I work as a chef at a busy sushi restaurant. When I first started, the business was in trouble and there was a lot of conflict among the staff members. I began to pray for the happiness of the staff. About a year and half later, many things had changed. The business had become much more successful and one person who really bothered me had quit. I got along well with most of the people there, but not everyone. It was still a problem.

I also began to channel Johrei to the business, the staff and the customers while I was driving to and from work. After about six months of this, the staff changed again and three problem employees quit. This made things much easier for everyone, but some of the people in the kitchen were unfriendly to the waitresses, making them unhappy.

During this time, I also moved my Divine Scroll from the bottom floor of my house to the top floor. A week later, one of the other sushi chefs quit. The following week, another chef quit and soon afterwards an assistant chef quit. The new people who were hired all get along with the waitresses.

In addition, I received a promotion and a raise. More recently, a staff member has become my assistant. I am happy to teach him what I know, but I did not ask for an assistant, nor did the manager ask him to start helping me. I am really enjoying my work now and so are the other people who work at the restaurant.

January 20, 2013

Two years ago, I had shingles around my midriff. It was very painful and still causes me discomfort after all this time, even though I have received a lot of Johrei. A couple months ago, I noticed something like a boil in the middle of my chest. As it got bigger, I developed a fever and intense pain in the affected area as well as more pain in the shingles area. Eventually over a week or so it developed into something that looked more like a tumor, with a lot of inflammation around it and pus in the center. It was about an inch and a half across.

After several days of fever and tiredness, the pus started oozing out of the center of the boil and around then I started to feel somewhat better. I continued to receive Johrei daily. Finally, however, a good friend expressed his concern that I may have cancer and asked me sincerely to see my doctor. I consulted my minister, who told me to follow my heart and later confessed that she too was worried that I had a tumor. 

My doctor knows I do not like to take medication. She has a background in alternative approaches, and she was very calm about the situation. She suggested a botanical preparation, which I did take to help with the pain. This helped ease my sense of worry and my concern about cancer disappeared.

I also developed a severe rash on both arms that made them look very puffy. It itched day and night. My minister told me that all of these symptoms were helping me to purify toxins from my brain and that I would get through it. Today, about two months later, my arms are almost normal, my boil is almost gone but still has a couple small blisters on it, and the shingles pain is less intense. My head feels better all the time and I continue to recover my sense of self. I also continue to give Johrei and receive it daily, as well as doing daily physical hoshi around the center. I am eighty years old and I do as much hoshi as I can. Helping at the center is a way of showing my appreciation for all the physical and emotional relief I have found here. I totally appreciate the support of all the people here. Recently my car was stolen, which added to my stress. I had inherited the car from a beloved family member and it meant a lot to me. Everyone prayed for me and the car was returned. With a few small repairs, it’s now like a new car to me. I believe it is a symbol for my life. 

May 15, 2014

About a month ago I had a severe intestinal purification that lasted altogether a week. I felt like I was literally going to pass away because I was so weak. A friend allowed me to stay at her home because I could not take care of myself.

During this time I sometimes started shaking, as if in extreme fear, although I was not particularly anxious. This whole purification repeated after another week, but this time the shaking was so bad that I became frightened. It got to the point where I wondered if I was losing my mental health. I was also overcome with a deep sadness, and I would cry all the time. I was barely able to work and was unable to eat much at all. I lost quite a bit of weight and really wondered if I would pull through.

I called my minster, who happened to be out of town, asking for help. I told her I was literally drowning emotionally and wondered if I should check into a mental hospital. I have four grown children and fourteen grandchildren. They have various problems, including drug abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism and poverty. There is also a history of sexual abuse in the family. My three daughters often are rude to me, critical of me, and accuse me of being the cause of their problems, but they also want me to care for their children, give them money and drive them around. When I first started coming to Johrei, they would make fun of me, and I have often felt as if I am the only one in the family, except for my son, who believes in God. I have felt like an outcast in my own family. As I was crying during these long days, I was feeling very sad about this situation and thinking it would never be resolved.

My minister had told me earlier that having diarrhea was a good purification, but when I told her about the crying and the shaking, she thought for a minute and then asked me about my mother. I had told her once before that my mother had a stroke at the end of her life. Before that she had long-term anxiety and became a medication addict. My minister asked me if my mother shook a lot, and I realized that she had. One of my earliest memories is of being told to be quiet, because my mother had had three nervous breakdowns and we were not supposed to upset her. Her whole body used to shake when she was anxious and even more after the stroke, when she was eventually put into a nursing home. The minister advised me to enshrine my mother's soul at the Sacred Grounds. She explained that this was a way for my mother to receive Light in the spiritual realm and to be relieved of any suffering that she might still be going through that might be reflecting on me and my family.

When my minister got back from her trip I was so relieved. She told me I could come to her house to receive Johrei since it was her day off. While I was receiving, I was looking at a statue of Kannon that she has on her home altar. Suddenly I saw my mother's face on the statue. It really startled me, and I figured it was just my imagination. When I got into my truck to leave, however, the radio was playing the song I used to sing to my mother in the nursing home. I was really surprised by this and felt like something was indeed happening spiritually.

A few days later I came to the center to fill out the enshrinement paperwork. My minister gave me Johrei, and I started shaking again. I started to cry, almost like a scream, and she decided that we should say a special prayer because my mother's spirit might be influencing me. She explained that a spirit's suffering can sometimes reflect in our purifications. Two other members were there and they prayed with us. They had to hold me up during the prayer because I began swaying back and forth and could easily have fallen. I started making a strange noise, almost like a howl, during the prayer. My back arched and my head was lifted up and off to the side. I still don't understand it, but it crossed my mind that in my loneliness I did not want to let go of my mother's spirit. After the prayer I felt better, but the shaking came back again later. I was lying down and my body was flopping around. I wondered if I should go to the emergency room, but I had already gone to urgent care on a previous day for the same thing, and they told me I was just anxious and depressed and that I should try to eat more often. They offered me some medication, which I declined.

All of this happened over about a month, and during that time I also had a respiratory infection that eventually resolved. My minister told me that I was just clearing toxins on several levels and that I was going to be fine. I wanted to believe her, but sometimes it was difficult. I was really worried and wondered if I could survive it all and was afraid that more Johrei would intensify my symptoms. Although I come to the center frequently to receive Johrei, I usually don't stay very long and often ask to receive for just ten minutes. This time, my minister told me I had to put more time into my Johrei practice and stop running off. I realized that receiving in general is difficult for me and have made the effort to stay longer at the center. 

Now that it is all over, I realize I feel differently about my mother. I feel free from her somehow even though I still miss her. During the last eight years of her life, she spent more time with my three sisters and one brother than she did with me. I had a falling out with my youngest sister, and my mother sided with her. I felt abandoned because my mother told me I could only come to her home when my siblings were not there and that I was not welcome over the holidays. Earlier, when I was a teenager and became pregnant, my mother was very cruel to me and would not let me sit with her at church. She did not want to be seen with me. I was depressed about this my whole life. After my mother had the stroke, I took it upon myself to visit her in the nursing home and there was much healing between us. We finally became close. Now that I have released her, I think I can be close to her without being tied to her suffering and maybe that all of our living family members can have a chance to heal. 

For the past several years, I have had severe headaches and feelings of dizziness in my head. Once I started receiving Johrei, I also started having nosebleeds, which the ministers have told me are helping my head. Frankly I had trouble believing this, but just in the past week or so, the head pain has subsided substantially and I no longer feel like the room is moving when I lie down. This is amazing to me. My depression is simply gone. 

The day after we enshrined my mother, my sixteen-year-old granddaughter and her friend were walking through the friend's apartment complex at 9:30 p.m. A man in a truck spoke to them and they changed their direction in order to avoid him. As they came over a small hill, they saw that he had parked his truck there and was getting out. He began chasing them and they ran away, becoming separated. The friend's cell phone was not working, but she was able to call 911 at one point. The girls hid in the bushes, where it was quite dark, but they could hear the man pushing the bushes apart looking for them.

My granddaughter is quite fit and has long legs. When the girls became separated the man lost sight of the  friend and focused on chasing my granddaughter. If he had found the other girl, who is shorter and not athletic, he would have been able to catch her easily. My granddaughter managed to outrun him, screaming for help, but she fell down three times. She was so scared and shaky that she had trouble getting up, but she said each time she felt an invisible hand pushing her up again. By this time the man was very close to her, but a resident who heard the commotion opened her door and yelled for the girls to come into her apartment. They had to jump over the wall of her balcony, and just as the man got there the sheriff also arrived.

The man has not been caught yet, but the police have identified him. My granddaughter had to have a lot of cactus spines removed from her knees, and she was scratched up and bruised from running into bushes and falling down in the dark. When I got the call from my daughter telling me this story, I was horrified. We agreed that our family has received a wonderful blessing and avoided the curse of sexual abuse in this situation. And, my granddaughter, who like her mother, was an atheist, says now that she knows the presence of God. I am not alone in my family any more. As soon as I could, I went to my daughter's home to comfort her and my granddaughter. I wish you could have seen us all hugging each other, crying and shaking but this time in relief. Just yesterday my other, oldest daughter came to the center with me and brought her baby. As she received Johrei everyone enjoyed watching him crawl all over the center. As a mother and grandmother, I could not ask for anything else but having them there in the Light. 

Just the other day I visited my minister to ask what was going on with me. I think she expected me to start telling her more problems, but instead I told her that I am on unfamiliar territory. This means that I am waking up in the morning with joy instead of sadness. I feel like nothing is missing in my life. My older daughter called me to say she is feeling the same way. She is cooking for herself instead of just eating junk food, and while we were on a walk I suggested she stop into a place I'd seen that is called Hope. We had no idea what Hope was, but she went in anyway. It turns out it's a place for people like her who need services and support. She will be able to get a bus pass so I don't need to drive her around any more. They also managed to get her a daycare scholarship, the last one available, so she can work to support the baby and her two other children. 

I also experienced a shift in my feelings about my sisters. Even if I am the outsider among us, it's all right with me now. It seems like my family is being taken out of the gutter and into a higher place. I love feeling the comfort of just being OK for a change. My daughter told me she wants more of this but it all feels weird to her. I told her, “It's not weird, it's God.” Recently I have felt something brushing against my arm, as if my mother is telling me she is with me. 

After about a month of exchanging with another new member, we had a surprising experience. My friend was giving Johrei to me and I broke into a sweat that smelled distinctively of Ketones, which I had been exposed to for a year at my former job. My friend has environmental allergies, and the toxins being released into the air affected her so badly that I had to leave her home. 

My original physical complaint was a breast lump, which is now smaller. I am overwhelmed, though, by the change that has occurred in my emotional and psychological state. I have been blessed with a very happy family life in the last yet years, but I have been plagued with anxiety and fear that I would never be able to realize my true place and purpose in life. I wanted desperately to make a positive contribution, but was so confused within myself that I couldn’t accomplish very much. Since receiving my Sacred Focal Point, I have seen resolutions that I would never have believed possible. I feel so strong and directed now and can hardly recall the dense periods of the past well enough to describe them here. 

One special example is with my mother and sister. There had always been some tension between them and I was always siding with my mother and not understanding my sister. Recently my sister called and asked if she and my mother could visit me. This surprised me, since it would entail a twelve-hour drive together for them, but I was pleased to see them both and we had a wonderful visit. Within this visit I was blessed with the ability to understand the interaction as it really is and not through my former prejudices (assuming my mother was always right). I gained enough peace from this new, deeper insight that I can now honestly love them both and not participate in their strife. I can center my attention on my love for both of them.

These and numerous other points of evolution have freed me from a self-imposed bondage, leading me to a deep belief in the power of Johrei, leading me to continue to practice the techniques and study the written material. I know that new adventures in self and world purification are ahead for us all.

March 20, 2004

I haven’t been to an ancestor’s service for a year, but this year I felt strongly compelled to honor my ancestors and to attend the service. I had the impression that my ancestors were urging me to attend, and that somehow this was also for my own benefit. At the service, I of course prayed for my ancestors’ well-being in the spiritual realm, but more specifically I prayed for my ancestors to help my elderly father here on the physical plane. One of my concerns for my father is his increasing memory loss (Alzheimer’s). I prayed that my ancestors would help him with his own well being, and help him to make healthy decisions for his old age. 

The week before, I had eaten alone in a Chinese restaurant. My fortune cookie predicted that I would soon receive a fortune. I read this fortune with amusement and curiosity, but thought little of it. Because of poor business circumstances since 9-11, I wistfully wondered if it could indeed come true.The day after the service, my wife and I received a letter in the mail from my father. He was writing, probably through his accountant, that he needed to give us both a large monetary gift in order to avoid estate taxes. This was a surprise to both me and my wife, because we were mostly concerned about his well being and weren’t really thinking about ourselves in this situation. We are deeply grateful to my father and to our ancestors and to God for this unexpected blessing and gift, and more than ever, we are convinced that God works in mysterious ways. In addition, I have noticed that my business is picking up.

July 03, 2013

A year ago this month, I attended the Johrei gratitude service at the Tucson center with my husband Bruce, who is an active Johrei member. He also attends my Christian church with me; this is how we support each other. On this day I was feeling tired and sad for no particular reason. I also had chest pain, but I came anyway to be with my husband. I was happy because he told me we would be able to see Japanese dance afterwards. During group Johrei at the service, I noticed that my breathing was becoming difficult. I didn’t tell my husband because I didn’t want to upset him. Instead I started looking around for Marian, a member who speaks Spanish, my native language, hoping she could give me Johrei. I stood up but didn’t see her. I did see Elizabeth, who also speaks Spanish, and asked her for two minutes of Johrei.

I explained that I was feeling very tired. We went into the activity room, and some people started coming in to eat, so we moved to the minister’s office. I was glad to go in there, thinking that if I fainted or fell down nobody would see me. I sat down on the sofa and Elizabeth sat across from me. She kept asking me if I was all right because my color was not good and she was getting nervous. She offered to call 911 or take me to the hospital but I said no. Finally she said she was going to call the minister. Those were the last words I was able to hear and speak. My eyes closed as if they had weights on them. In my mind I was speaking, but I was physically unable to talk.

Gerry: I had just sat down to watch our guest, a Japanese dancer, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me to go into my office. When I arrived, Nely was sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed and looking very pale. Her husband was with her, and we helped her into an office chair with arms so she would feel more supported and so we could give her Johrei more easily. She seemed to be semi-conscious. Three of us gave her Johrei at the same time, and I asked Bruce to say the Amatsu Norito out loud. 

Nely: I could feel my hands going numb and my feet becoming heavy. I also felt a strange sensation of coldness spreading through whole body and my stomach became totally numb; I indicated that I wanted someone to take my shoes off. It felt like my head was very heavy and large, but I couldn’t find a way to rest it and it kept rolling around. When my chin came down on my chest, I suddenly started thinking of my sister in law. She died about ten years ago and I was there when it happened. She had a severe allergic reaction and fell to the floor with her chin to her chest, unable to breathe; she never woke up. She was twenty-three years old.

Then I heard a loud voice telling me I was going to die. It kept repeating. I said no to the voice over and over finally it asked me if I wanted to die. “No,” I repeated. By this time someone had started to hold my head up. The voice became very angry and said, “You are going to die.” I said “No, I am going to see my family again.” (My family is in Guatemala and I have not seen my three children or my parents in almost ten years because of immigration laws.) The voice finally said, “Don’t talk to me anymore.”

Gerry: During this time, Nely was not able to speak, but she would occasionally move her hands and we could tell when she wanted us to remove her shoes by the way she moved her feet. We found out later that her sister in law was barefoot when she died. Karen, a minister trainee, had knocked on the door asking if she could help. It occurred to me that another spirit might be involved in this purification. By this time the dancing was over, so I asked Karen to go to the altar and say the Amatsu Norito.  An hour had already passed, and after another twenty minutes, I asked Karen to say the Amatsu Norito again, but louder this time, while we chanted it again in the office. Right after that, Nely started to come around. 

Nely: I don’t know how long I stayed there with my eyes closed. When I woke up I felt like I could breathe again but I had heavy chest pain. I was still very happy to be back and glad that I did not die. I saw the faces of the people who were there with me. I was able to remember everything that happened and I was very, very tired, but I was so grateful to be alive. I thanked God that this happened at the Johrei center and not somewhere else.

Later that week I had a doctor’s appointment and when the doctor examined me, she decided to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital. I said no, but agreed to go on my own and have all sorts of tests; everything was normal. The doctors there said my heart is in very good shape.

Afterwards I came to center with Bruce and Gerry helped us hold a special service for my sister in law. We also arranged for her soul to be enshrined. Right after that the chest pain went away and has not come back. Before all this happened, I used to dream about her and worry about her. Something changed at the center when I thought I was dying. I saw the picture of her when she was dying, but now I feel like she is all right. I know she is in peace now.

I think it really is going to happen that I will see my family soon. I am proud to know you all as my friends. You are like another family to me.

May 01, 2012

In August of 2009 I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. In December I received a call from my gastroenterologist and was told that I had end stage cirrhosis and should pursue getting on a liver transplant list. I walked around in a fog for several days as I realized I had a life threatening disease. After much research my daughter and I decided to go to MAYO Clinic in Rochester, Minn. for a liver evaluation. Once the appointment was made, my body seemed to give up and I became even more ill. I had problems with my balance,insomnia, loss of appetite, severe exhaustion and difficulty breathing because fluid was backing up into my lungs.

I left for MAYO on Feb.13. By the end of the first day they had moved me from ‘evaluation’ to the Liver Transplant Program. I was told that in the several months I had been treated in Tucson I should be showing some liver re-generation by then. Since that had not occurred and in fact I was getting worse, my doctor at MAYO said his job was to keep me alive long enough to get a transplant.  I returned home Feb 24 only to be med-vac’d on Feb.28 for emergency hernia repair. Because of the illness, I had accumulated fifty pounds of water in my abdomen. It was crowding my organs and caused an enormous hernia. At one time twenty-one quarts of fluid were removed from my abdomen. I finally came home after that surgery in mid March with lots of instructions and medications.

I was now much worse than before, probably because my liver was unable to eliminate the anesthesia from my system. It’s difficult to remember those days because my brain was affected, however I had deep faith in God because of my Christian belief and I had resigned myself to dying, although I did not wish to. I did not particularly feel grief or sadness at the idea, however I did feel disappointed. I learned later that my family did not expect me to survive.

After my return to Tucson, a new friend called me one day in May full of excitement. She said I must go to the Johrei Center and talk to the retired minister, Henry. It seems that Henry had witnessed the direct benefit of Johrei when his Mother was healed from severe liver problems. I did not know anything about Johrei, but I did know where the center was. Coincidentally, Johrei “happens” to be less than a half a mile away from my house!

When I met Henry I could not drive; I was using a cane and could not bear to sit on a folding chair. My upper body was emaciated from not absorbing nutrition and my lower body was filled with so much toxic fluid that it would seep out the skin on my legs. I also was having a lot of mental confusion that left me in distress and angry when I couldn’t remember simple things like how to retrieve phone messages. I knew there was a good chance I would die. The first time I went into the center I had to be helped and could not even walk to the front of the room, nor could I turn my own chair around. I felt exhausted after my first session and had to go home and rest, although I also felt less ill. It seemed my destiny to go to the center because it was so close and because a woman I barely knew had heard Rev. Ajiki’s story about his mother and mentioned it to me. I don’t believe in coincidences. The center seemed like a holy place I could feel the vibration of many prayers being said there. I did not understand the process of purification, nor was I well enough to keep track of my purifications because my brain was affected by the illness. I just knew I loved receiving Johrei.

I began coming to Johrei more when I could, and at a meeting at MAYO in December, they noted I actually showed improvement—not a lot, but also I hadn’t gotten even sicker. I had received 15-20 Johrei sessions by that time. The doctor said, “Whatever you are doing, keep doing it.” After 5 escorted visits to MAYO, I was finally able to travel on my own in May of 2011.The Doctors were astounded with my appearance and positive blood tests. When asked again about what I was doing for my health, I said lots and lots of people were praying for me. By this time I was able to identify the purification process and how I felt better after the episodes of diarrhea, frequent urination and exhaustion that I experienced.

The energy healings from Johrei gave me hope both physically and emotionally. Acupuncture with Energy work and Healing Touch were the other energy modalities that I used. All of this energy work comes from the same philosophy and I feel that they are quite compatible with each other. Johrei also has provided me with a spiritual home and a community of loving and caring people.

Those who met me in May of 2010 hardly recognize me today. My health continues to improve daily. Recently I became strong enough to undergo another hernia operation and this time I was able to tolerate the anesthetic well. Now that my physical pain is relieved, I realize just how much of a burden I had been carrying. I am able to stand up straight again and I am a different person now. While I still return to Mayo every 6-8 months for a checkup, all discussion about receiving a new liver has ended. The quality of my life has improved 1000 percent.

In December of 2011 I became a member of the Johrei Fellowship.I am enchanted by the idea of East and West coming together in this practice. I’ve always looked for similarities among religions. It is amazing to know that someone like Meishu-sama could envision the U.S. and Japan coming together to accomplish great things. I am inspired by this thought when I see the Izunome symbol at the center. I also love the idea that Johrei is a way of life rather than a set of rules. I had not felt such peace and the sense of having a spiritual home in a long time. In February of 2011 I was able to drive again for the first time in eighteen months. The first place I came was to the Johrei Center.

I had faith in God before, but now I feel it at a much deeper level. Before I was rolling toward death; now I am rolling toward life.I am so grateful for all the help and blessings from God through Johrei.