Medicine has made tremendous advances. Aircrafts are flying, trains are running every day, and there is an abundance of food.
For this reason, even though religion preaches, “You can only take your mind with you to the other world; do not become attached to material things,” you are still apt to think, “Nevertheless, what I see are the material things actually making advances, not the spiritual.” Therefore, you end up wanting to believe in the things of this world instead.
We will continue to see more developments in the 21st century and beyond, particularly as we approach the age of space exploration. Still, we need to strike the right balance between the material and spiritual.
Life in this world is like living out our entire lives within the confines of one school
The spirit world is the real world, while the physical world we live in is a place for our spiritual development to train our soul. Life in this world is like living out our entire lives within the confines of one school. Therefore, it becomes a problem when we forget about everything that exists outside of school, and mistakenly begin to think, “This school represents everything there is.”
School offers classroom, physical, and other types of education, and if you never leave school grounds, that will constitute society in its entirety. The sum experiences you acquired in this world will not exceed the human experiences you gained within this “school.” In contrast, the “true world,” the Real World that I am looking at, is one that is boundless.
Schools have all kinds of rules, such as school regulations, rules formed by the teachers, and curriculums that dictate how subjects should be taught. All of these things represent what is “rational” in this world.
All of these are no more than the rules inside a “miniature garden” world that is our school. We human beings actually exist within a far greater world that surpasses it in every way. Yet, people forget that there is such a world outside, as they become intent on competing for superiority within this miniature garden “school,” forgetting as they strive to achieve perfection within it.
Miracles occur to remind us about the spirit world
That is why miracles and other spiritual phenomena exist. They occur to remind us about the spirit world. They shake up our rationality to show us that there are indeed things which cannot be explained in terms of this world.
– Master Ryuho Okawa
“My Lover, Cross the Valley of Tears”
*Only available at your local temples
Faith is something that clashes easily with the common sense of this world. A religion that tries to reconcile with the common sense of the secular world is easy to live by and causes little friction. Nevertheless, faith can be faith only because it shows clearly about the world beyond this one. We will all be met with trials that will test us to see which we will choose – secular values, or the Eternal Truth. It is through these trials that our mind and body are strengthened. This lecture is a must watch to understand the meaning of life’s challenges and of faith.
Note: “My Lover” is an expression used by Master Okawa to convey the meaning, “my stray sheep.” It shows Lord El Cantare’s deepest love for His disciples.
