Happy Science facts for kids
Happy Science logo
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| Formation | 6 October 1986 |
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| Founders | Ryuho Okawa |
| Type | Japanese new religious movement |
| Headquarters | 1-2-38 Higashi Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0022, Japan |
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Membership
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11 million (self-claimed) 38,000 (JGSS survey estimate) 30,000 (Kyoko Okawa's estimate) 13,000 (Hirohiro Okawa's estimate) |
| Ryuho Okawa | |
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Formerly called
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The Institute for Research in Human Happiness (until 2008) |
Happy Science (called Kōfuku-no-Kagaku in Japanese) is a new religious group that started in Japan. It was founded on October 6, 1986, by Ryuho Okawa, who used to work on Wall Street. His followers believe he is a very important spiritual being from Venus. Happy Science aims to bring happiness to people by sharing what they believe are important truths.
The Happy Science group includes many different parts. They have a publishing company called IRH Press, schools like Happy Science Academy and Happy Science University, and even a political party called the Happiness Realization Party. They also have three media companies that create entertainment like movies.
Contents
History of Happy Science
Ryuho Okawa started Happy Science on October 6, 1986. Before this, he had left his job at a company called TOMEN Corporation. The Japanese government officially recognized Happy Science as a religious organization in 1991.
Ryuho Okawa says that Happy Science wants to "bring happiness to humanity by spreading truth." Before he started the group, he wrote books that he said contained "spiritual messages." These messages were supposedly from famous religious and historical figures like Jesus Christ, Confucius, and Nichiren. In 1987, he published three main books: The Laws of the Sun, The Golden Laws, and The Laws of Eternity. These books, along with The Dharma of the Right Mind, are the main textbooks for Happy Science.
What Happy Science Teaches
The main teachings of Happy Science include "Exploration of the Right Mind," "The Fourfold Path," and the belief in El Cantare. Ryuho Okawa teaches that to be happy, people should follow "The Fourfold Path." This path includes:
- Love that gives to others
- Wisdom
- Self-reflection (thinking about yourself)
- Progress (always trying to improve)
To join Happy Science, a person needs to want to find the truth and help create love, peace, and happiness on Earth. They also believe in things like reincarnation (being reborn), angels, demons, heaven, hell, and even aliens. Members can attend special training courses to learn more and grow within the group.
Happy Science and Politics
Happy Science also has a political group called the Happiness Realization Party. This party shares political ideas such as supporting Japan's military, using nuclear weapons for defense, and strengthening the friendship between the United States and Japan. They also support spending money on things like roads, preventing natural disasters, building up cities, and creating dams. The party believes in careful spending of money and having leaders who show good values. As of 2018, the Happiness Realization Party had 21 local council members.
Who Happy Science Worships
Happy Science worships a being called El Cantare. They believe El Cantare is the "Highest God of Earth" and the "Lord of all gods." They teach that this being first appeared on Earth 330 million years ago. They also believe that El Cantare has been known by different names throughout history, such as Elohim, Odin, Thoth, Ophealis (Osiris), Hermes, and Shakyamuni Buddha. Happy Science followers believe that Ryuho Okawa is the current form of El Cantare.
Happy Science Locations
Happy Science has main offices, worship places, and missionary sites in Japan and other countries. Their worship places are called Shoja or Shoshinkan. In 1994, they opened their first branch outside Japan, called "Happiness Science USA," in New York. The organization now has branches in many countries, including South Korea, Brazil, Uganda, the UK, Australia, India, and Singapore. Besides places of worship, Happy Science also runs two boarding schools in Japan, located in Nasu and Ōtsu.
Happy Science in Anime Movies
Happy Science has created several animated movies to share their beliefs. These movies are often made by well-known anime studios. Some of their animated films include:
- 1991: Shiawasette Naani
- 1997: Hermes: Winds of Love
- 2000: The Laws of the Sun
- 2003: The Golden Laws
- 2006: The Laws of Eternity
- 2009: The Rebirth of Buddha
- 2012: The Mystical Laws
- 2015: The Laws of the Universe (a film series)
Images for kids
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Brazil Shoshinkan
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Australia Shoshinkan
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Sydney Local Branch
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Sohonzan Shoshinkan
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Chiba Shoshinkan ceiling
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Happy Science University
Happy_Science_Sydney-1a.jpg)
Happy_Science_Sydney.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Happy Science para niños
