On Sunday, May 24, 2020, 2020 Houshin＊ College Seminar was held via internet live broadcast!

The Power to Know Oneself — Beyond the Age of Novel Coronavirus

While the novel coronavirus is raging, the GLA has set up a system for each member to study at home through G. Live (live internet broadcasting).

Every year, the Houshin College Seminar (for GLA members aged 65 and over) has been held for two nights and three days at the GLA facility located at the foot of Yatsugatake Mountains and at headquarters across Japan. This year, however, it was held as a one-day seminar on G. Live (May 24), bringing together more than 6,000 participants from Japan and abroad.

At 1pm, the program began with a video message from Keiko Takahashi sensei.

Sensei stated that the spread of the novel coronavirus is the biggest problem since World War II, and that we are now living in a turning point of the era, which occurs once every 100 years. And she talked about the meaning of experiencing such a period, not as a youth or as a middle-aged person, but as an elderly generation. That is, to recall that we harbor eternal life, and to not lament over our physical decline and inconveniences, but to walk the path of evolution and growth of our souls, which we can accomplish at this very time. The important key to accomplish this is the Power to Know Oneself. Sensei also explained that the evolution and growth of the soul and to know oneself are inextricably linked, and that these steps will continue beyond this life and into the far future, and presented the theme of the seminar, “The Power to Know Oneself – Beyond the Age of Coronavirus.”

Working to Know Oneself

Following this message, the participants shared how GLA has promoted the countermeasures to the novel coronavirus, and then moved on to know ourselves through a video guidance from Sensei. Sensing sensei’s presence speaking directly to each participant through the internet, aroused the participants’ aspirations for their own evolution and growth with even one step or even a half step towards that.

In addition, there was a health lecture by a physician, a lecture from Total Life Legal Affairs on planning of the graduation of life, and a part of special memorial service where we can reunite with our deceased souls and walk together on the path of evolution and growth of our souls, making us deeply appreciate the fact that human beings harbor eternal life.

The Highest School of Life – Entrance Ceremony of Houshin College

At the entrance ceremony of Houshin College, which is now in its 33rd year, the GLA priest prayed for the start, of the 1,041 new student members from all over the country and abroad, and they were introduced with their individual photos. With a corsage of white flowers delivered in advance, smiles of joy at being admitted to Houshin College, the highest school of life, were shown on the screen one after another, making us realize that we are united as one in our motivation to learn the Study of the Soul even though we are far apart.

Takahashi sensei’s lecture – Going beyond retirement, rest of life, and an easy and self-content life, to the new era of soul training

After the break, Takahashi sensei gave a lecture.

Sensei said that the novel coronavirus not only infects the body, but also sucks the energy out from the mind by restricting the ability to meet and interact with people, and that it is necessary to raise the immunity of the mind as well as the body.

Then, saying that the reason why the members of Houshin College in GLA are energetic and active in their senior years is because they have a view of eternal life. A person was called to the stage and had his path of life introduced. Although he shouldered a ballast of life (weight, anchor) in his tough upbringing, through studying the Study of the Soul, the weight was lifted little by little, and he was led to the awakening of his soul’s aspiration. In spite of having a number of serious illnesses, the way he overcame them gave hope to each participant toward a new era of soul training, in which everyone would be able to evolve and grow as a soul no matter how old they become, beyond conventional wisdom and beliefs such as retirement, rest of life, and an easy and self-content life.

Sensei concluded the seminar with a powerful message: ” If the people over the age of 65 (approximately 36 million people in Japan), who account for 28% of the population of Japan, can draw on the power of their souls and become energetic in body and mind—- this is the form of the new country that Japan should be heading towards, and it is each and every one of you who holds that key.”

＊Houshin means enriched heart