Exploration of the Right Mind is the exploration of Buddha-nature
Exploration of the Right Mind and the Principles of Happiness are the basic teachings of Happy Science. “Exploration of the Right Mind” is both the starting point and the objective of the spiritual training of all Happy Science believers and can be achieved through practicing
the Fourfold Path – the Principles of Happiness.
“Every individual has a diamond within, and this pure diamond represents Right Mind. To make your diamond shine brightly, you must put forth constant and tireless efforts. These efforts are exactly the same as the exploration of Right Mind; this is the spiritual discipline that allows you to discover your true nature.” From the book: The Science of Happiness
The “Right Mind” is a state of mind that accords with the laws of Primordial God (Buddha), the laws that govern the Great Universe. The “Right Mind” means God’s (Buddha’s) will itself. The “exploration” of the right mind is an “exploration” and endeavor to understand our true-nature, which is in fact a window into God’s (Buddha’s) mind. Furthermore, it is to understand what God (Buddha) hopes for humanity and to share that same wish. The humble attitude of trying to align your heart and thoughts with God’s (Buddha’s) mind keeps the validity of your spiritual practice in check and leads you to enlightenment. Enlightenment is a possibility open to every single person because everyone originates from God’s (Buddha’s) light. This is the meaning of Buddha-nature.
Why should we explore the Right Mind?
The practice of the exploration of the right mind can be summed up to mean the exploration of the
Principles of Happiness. But why is the exploration of the right mind so important? It is important because we are in essence our soul. When our earthly life comes to an end and we cast away our physical body, there is nothing that remains to us except our soul, our mind. With no longer a physical body to conceal our thoughts, our nature and character are revealed in its full entirety. Our state of mind reveals who we are, and, as the Spirit World is governed by the law that spiritual vibrations of the same level attract one another, we will find ourselves in a world inhabited by people with the same type of mind as ourselves, be it heaven or hell. That is why it is so important to strive to cultivate a beautiful mind, both for the sake of our happiness in this world and in the next. For that purpose, we are given the
Principles of Happiness – the Fourfold Path, which consists of the
Principle of Love, the
Principle of Wisdom, the
Principle of Self-reflection and the
Principle of Progress. These are the principles that assure your happiness in both worlds if you focus on exploring them and endeavor to practice them. It is also the way to enlightenment, which is, in fact, true happiness.
“What is Right” accords with the laws of Primordial God
What is considered “right” and “wrong” in Happy Science is not determined by people’s opinions or majority vote. Nor is it a something that can be measured against a set of commandments that tells you “you may do this, but not that.” It is a question of whether it accords with the laws of Primordial God (Buddha) that create the Great Universe. Understandably, people might resist the idea that the concept of what is right includes faith in a higher power and belief in the Spirit World. Although we do not intend to argue whether today’s scientific, medical or educational definiton of the word “rightness” is adequate to the point of making it difficult to live in this world, we would still like to point out that medical science has yet to discover the real reason that people are born, the meaning of death, or reveal knowledge about the world after death. In fact, exploring the spirit world is nothing less than the science of today and of the future.
The true meaning of “Rightness”
That being said, what we teach to be right is not necessarily the only “rightness” that exists. The messages of the divine spirits revealed in Master Ryuho Okawa’s Spiritual Messages present quality philosophies that lead people to happiness, but they do not necessarily share the same opinions and the method and content of their philosophies vary widely. The reason is because what brings the greatest happiness is different for each individual. Although an overall assessment of whether or not a religious group is right or worth believing in can be made by looking at its influence on society, the fact that so many different ways of thinking exist indicates that there are wide variations in people’s needs. So, the word “right” covers a huge range of meaning, but at the same time this diversity is aimed in one direction, toward the will of Buddha or God. This is the true meaning of “rightness.”
To read about the Principles of Happiness
