Masaharu Taniguchi

Religious leader. Founder and first president of the new religious organization "Seicho-no-Ie." His real name was Masaharu. Born in 1893 (Meiji 26) as the second son of a poor farmer at the foot of Mt. Rokko (now Kobe City). Raised by his aunt from an early age, he aspired to be a writer and studied English at Waseda University, but dropped out when his foster family cut off his tuition due to his ideological wanderings and affairs with women. After working for a spinning company, he converted to Omotokyo in 1917 (Taisho 6) and was active under the guidance of its leader, Deguchi Onisaburo. In 1920, he married Emori Teruko (1896-1988), a follower of the religion, in the presence of the leader, but left the religion in 1922 and moved back to Tokyo. In December 1929 (Showa 4), he received a revelation to "know the true nature of life," and on March 1 of the following year, 1930, he founded the religion by publishing the magazine "Seicho-No-Ie." Since then, he has expanded his reach through his unique method of evangelism using literature.

[Minoru Sonoda June 19, 2018]

"The True Nature of Life" by Masaharu Taniguchi, 20 volumes (1932, Komyo Shiso Fukyukai)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宗教家。新宗教教団「生長の家」の創始者で初代総裁。本名は正治(まさはる)。1893年（明治26）六甲山麓(ろっこうさんろく)（現、神戸市）の貧農の次男に生まれる。幼時から叔母に養われ、文学を志して早稲田(わせだ)大学英文科に学ぶが、思想遍歴や女性問題により養家の学資を断たれて中退。紡績会社勤務の後、1917年（大正6）に大本(おおもと)教へ入信、教主出口王仁三郎(でぐちおにさぶろう)の下で活躍した。1920年に教主臨席で同信者江守輝子(えもりてるこ)（1896―1988）と結婚したが、1922年に同教を去ってふたたび上京。1929年（昭和4）12月に「生命の実相を知れ」との啓示を受け、翌1930年3月1日に雑誌『生長の家』を創刊して立教、以来独特の文書伝道により教勢を拡大した。

［薗田　稔　2018年6月19日］

『谷口雅春著『生命の実相』全20巻（1932・光明思想普及会）』

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