August 2026 Voice of the Divine Parent
- Aug 1
- 8 min read
Vol. 26# 8
On July 31, 1904, Rev. Yasuji Horio first worshipped at Amagi Church through divine intervention. He was twenty years old. He had been suffering from a gastrointestinal illness for several years. He visited multiple doctors and sought help through prayers, incantations, and various religious faiths, however his mind remained unsettled. He was consumed with pessimism and despair as hope for the future vanished. With an utterly exhausted mind and body, he finally cast himself down and entrusted himself to Rev. Matsutaro Yasutake, the first Head Minister of Amagi Church.
A period of searching for worries
Rev. Yasuji Horio spoke about the experiences he had when he first entered the faith. When he first started to attend worship, there were people who continued to practice with sincere belief. He heard stories of experiences and impressions of receiving blessings from Kami. As he listened, he continued to attend single-mindedly, focusing on understanding the teachings of the Head Minister. In the process, he was shown astonishing instances of divine blessings unfold right before his eyes.
After attending worship for about thirty or forty days, his mother returned with a grim expression one day.
She said:
“Rev. Matsutaro Yasutake said, ‘You can’t receive blessings because you don’t understand how wonderful it is to receive divine interventions of Kami.’”
“But what is wonderful if my son’s illness hasn’t healed?”
“It was embarrassing that he said it in front of so many people.”
Rev. Yasuji Horio understood what the head minister meant. However, his mother’s wish was simply that her child’s sickness would be healed. Naturally, her feelings could not easily follow. Even he himself had doubts at first, so he could not truly convince her yet. In his heart, he was thinking, “This is troublesome.”
Even so, a few days later, his mother would come to worship again. Gradually, she began to receive blessings. Eventually, his mother reached the point where she could truly say, “I’m genuinely able to thank the Head Minister.” His heart was moved after seeing this change.
The seasons passed, and it became the time when the blessings of heaven and earth were most fruitful. The fields grew abundant, and people’s lives began to fall into order. Yet strangely, his heart would sometimes be pulled downward into gloom.
According to the teachings of Konko Daijin:
“Practice faith with a sincere and considerate heart.”
“Instead of thinking about the pain you feel, be thankful and pray to receive blessings.”
“Look forward to the future without saying negative things.”
But at that time, he could not accept these teachings sincerely.
When events happened, he would tell himself:
“Maybe it only looks like that.”
“There might be another reason.”
Then he would try desperately to cancel out his doubts. It may sound trivial, but it was a source of genuine anguish for him. At last, he made up his mind. He decided to tell the head minister about his doubts without holding anything back.
It was late November, after the evening prayers were finished and the worshippers had gone home, he cautiously spoke:
“To tell the truth, I can’t seem to know whether Kami exists or not.”
The surprised Head Minister smiled and said:
“You’re thinking about something like that now?”
Then the head minister gave examples from Rev. Yasuji Horio’s experience—how he was free from illness and received divine blessings.
“Was it not because of Kami that your health improved?”
“If you say it was the effect of medicine, then have you ever experienced the affliction of Konjin?”
When he answered, “No, I haven’t,” the head minister said further:
“Since last summer until today, clear blessings have happened in many ways.”
“There are instances where young children were saved through their parents’ faith and undeniable evidence of divine intervention regarding the fields and silkworms.”
“If there were no Kami, then when you pray, nothing should happen.”
Then the head minister offered an analogy.
“At 11 o’clock at night in Amagi, most people would already be asleep and would have closed their doors. But if you knock and say “Hello,” someone inside will respond. If it’s an empty house, no matter how much you knock, there will be no answer.”
In short, the head minister was saying:
“Because Kami exists, a blessing manifest just as a sound rings out when struck. What do you think?”
He answered honestly:
“I cannot deny that there are strange spiritual effects.”
“But I can’t quite connect them to ‘Kami’s blessings that bring life to all things in heaven and earth.’”
After listening silently for a while, the head minister spoke with a gentle smile, but with strong conviction.
“If you keep going with your thoughts, things will end up like this.”
“Konko Daijin becomes a fraud, and the Divine Parent of the Universe is an accomplice.”
“Could something like that be possible?”
This means that even with Kami, you would not be truly living. Even if you were living, you would not flourish.
“Konko Daijin suffered from hardships with Kami’s heart—surely, he could never appear to be such a suspicious character.”
The Head Minister’s words were gentle, yet they struck him deeply. Rev. Horio said, “I am sorry. I am humbled.” He felt a wave of shame and remorse form in his heart. The night’s discussion ended at twelve. He thanked the head minister, rose from his seat, and returned home. It was cold enough to feel the chill of night. On the way back, what remained in his mind was the guidance he received to believe in the Founder.
Then he realized the true nature of his doubts. Kami’s existence can neither be heard nor seen. It was Konko Daijin who revealed the invisible Kami right before his eyes. The Divine Parent of the Universe is the deity whom the Founder perceived through direct intuition and spiritual realization. Konko Daijin expressed his awareness through words and deeds.
Rev. Horio thought, “I doubted this and could not acknowledge it rationally” and tried to cast it aside. That weighed more heavily on him than anything else. In particular, one remark had a strong impact: “Do you think the Founder is a fraudster?” Even if he did not consciously admit it, a sense of doubt remained somewhere in his heart. He realized that this doubt had weakened his faith.
And finally, Rev. Yasuji Horio concludes:
He allowed himself to be swayed by an immature mindset that viewed religion superficially. Because of that, he couldn’t fully trust the teachings and in the process, he hurt his own faith. Looking back now, he truly felt sorry. That is why he wants to sincerely apologize and share the true nature of faith with everyone.
1) “The beginning of faith is when everyone doubts” (This idea is affirmed)
Rev. Yasuji Horio had wandered through prayer, incantations (spiritual practices), and beliefs in kami—yet he had lost hope.
Before his trust in the Head Minister of the Amagi Church deepened, he was in a state where he could not fully believe or accept.
In other words, his initial doubts and inability to understand were not “abnormal”—they were treated as part of faith’s growth process.
Doubt is not an “enemy.” It appears along the way as faith is developing.
2) Divine Blessing is not a convenient result, but the work of Kami
The story shows his mother’s reaction, “My son’s illness hasn’t healed so what is there to be thankful for?”
Yet, she continues to visit the shrine and eventually undergoes a change that allows her to offer her sincere gratitude to the head minister.
Rev. Yasuji Horio also finds his spirits sinking as the seasons pass and suffers from doubt.
Divine blessings may not manifest all at once; rather, its true nature becomes visible as one’s way of receiving it matures.
3) The basis of faith is to try to overcome obstacles such as worry and doubt.
From the teachings of Konko Daijin, the following approach is indicated:
“When worried, practice faith with a sincere and considerate heart.”
“Instead of thinking about the pain you feel, be thankful and pray to receive blessings.”
“Look forward to the future without saying negative things.”
But when something occurred, Rev. Yasuji Horio thought:
“Maybe it only looks like that.”
“Maybe there’s another reason.”
He struggled to dispel his doubts with these thoughts.
The issue was not his “explanation of events,” but rather the “attitude of faith” (the orientation of his heart).
4) He learns the true nature of his doubt at a turning point in a conversation with the Head Minister
The decisive words come from Rev. Matsutaro Yasutake, the head minister:
“If Kami didn’t exist, nothing would happen even if you prayed.”
“A blessing manifest just as a sound rings out when struck.”
And the clincher: “Do you think the founder is a swindler?”
Then Rev. Yasuji Horio does a self-analysis:
“Kami is unseen—there is no voice or form.”
“That is precisely why Konko Daijin, the one who presents the unseen Kami through words and deeds, is the key.
His doubt sought to cast these thoughts aside because he could not understand and accept them in his head.
His doubt wasn’t denying Kami directly, but rather it was a reluctant heart that could not accept the connection between the Founder and the teachings.
5) The conclusion: “Apology” and “a wish to share true faith with everyone”
Rev. Yasuji Horio concluded:
He looked at religion too lightly and let himself be swayed.
He failed to commit fully to the valuable teachings, and it hurt others and himself.
He wanted to sincerely apologize and share true faith with everyone.
Let’s practice our faith by learning from these experiences too.
By Rev. Nobuharu Uzunoe
With a gentle, rounded heart |
Parents rely on their children, and children rely on their parents A relationship as natural as heaven and earth, Practice mutual reliance and interaction.
When parents nag, it stems from a wish for their child’s happiness. It is not easy to see things from a parent's perspective, But if you ask Kami for the ability to do so, Miraculously, you will be guided and find yourself able to shift your point of view. |
Exercises for the Mind/Heart/Spirit |
028 To the bedding that has taken care of me |
The bedding works hard for us while we sleep. Take a moment to say to your futon or bed, "Thank you for your care!" and express your gratitude as you neatly arrange them. This will surely help you sleep well. |
Daily Renewal of the Heart Poem by Rev. Matsutaro Yasutake (Founder of Amagi Church) |
“One truly learns the flavor of things by tasting them; the same holds true for the journey through life." 「ことごとに なめてこそ知れ 物の味 わたりゆく世も かくぞとぞ思う」 |
This poem conveys that the "flavor" of anything—be it food or the shifting nature of the world, with its joys and sorrows, can only be understood through direct experience. One must experience these events firsthand to truly understand them; it emphasizes that experiencing life in its entirety is what matters most. If you live with faith while experiencing life’s sour, bitter, and sweet moments, you will come to understand the suffering of others. Your own experiences can transform into a heart of compassion, enabling you to help those around you.
Announcements from the Konko Church of Gardena
Morning Service, cleanup, and Shinto-Kai meeting
On August 2, at 9:00 a.m., we will hold the morning service. After the service, let us clean the inside and outside of the church and purify our hearts. The Shinto-Kai meeting will be held after the cleanup. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Monthly Service and Farmer to Founder Study Group
The monthly service will be held on August 9 at 10:00 a.m. The study session for From Farmer to Founder- Biography of Konko Daijin will be held after the service. We will begin discussion on Chapter 6, page 111. Participants are asked to bring their books.
Gardena Church Work Committee Study Group
GCWC will be held on August 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please contact Rev. Uzunoe if you would like to participate.
Chicken Teriyaki Sale
The Chicken Teriyaki Sale will be held on September 20. Please see the flyer for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!
Announcements from the Konko Church of Los Angeles
Monthly service
The monthly service will be held jointly with Gardena Church on August 9 at 10:00 a.m. All families and individuals are warmly invited to attend.
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