Questions & Answers

Yes. Happy Science is a religion, and part of its mission is to restore what religion is truly for — reminding us that we are more than our physical bodies, that there is life after death, and that the divine is real. Master Okawa also says these spiritual truths may one day become common knowledge for everyone.

Happy Science describes two missions for religion. The first is relieving poverty, conflict, and illness. The second is bringing down God’s teachings through a savior — since, in this view, it is through such teachers that humanity can hear the will of the Creator. A mission it especially emphasizes today is opening up a hopeful future for humankind.

No. You can become a member while continuing your own faith. Happy Science believes in one source behind all the world’s religions (El Cantare, the God of the Earth), so rather than a religion you convert into, it’s more like a tent that can include other beliefs. Recommended reading: The Golden Laws and The Nine Dimensions.

Yes. You’re welcome to visit, enjoy meditations, and attend gatherings without becoming a member. Some people come regularly and later choose to join; others simply enjoy visiting. There’s never any pressure — whatever choice you make is right for you.

As a student member you receive prayer books — including The True Words Spoken by Buddha, plus prayers to the Lord and to your guardian and guiding spirits — to recite daily. Members describe a natural rise in happiness, more inspiration and direction, and a sense of spiritual protection.

Student membership is for anyone who wants to begin learning the teachings, and comes with three prayers. Devotee membership is a deeper commitment: you receive five sutras and prayers and can learn to perform the rituals. You can start wherever feels right — the journey is entirely yours.

Bowing is a simple gesture of respect, rooted in the Japanese culture Happy Science comes from — a little like a curtsy in other cultures. Members often put their hands together and give a small bow when entering the prayer hall or before and after prayer. It’s never mandatory; do whatever feels comfortable.

Many members begin with the teachings themselves — finding them practical and life-changing — and over time come to see Master Ryuho Okawa as the core consciousness of El Cantare, the name Happy Science gives to God. It’s an exploration best taken at your own pace; the invitation is simply to keep an open mind.

In a sense, yes and no. Happy Science sees Master Okawa as the savior the world needs in this age of global challenges. But in its teaching he is not the spirit of Jesus himself — rather the origin that once sent Jesus. Explored further in the book Messages from Heaven.

Master Okawa wrote an autobiographical book, The New Resurrection, about a time he suffered a severe heart attack and was medically assessed as having no heartbeat, yet continued to walk, speak, and work. Happy Science later made a film based on this account.

Yes. Master Okawa has given many lectures in English and set a goal of delivering a thousand lectures in English and other languages. He prefers speaking directly rather than through a translator, so the meaning and power of his words can reach listeners’ hearts as directly as possible.

In recorded sessions, Master Okawa calls upon a specific spirit and allows it to speak through him before a live audience, later transcribed into books. Unlike a medium, he keeps his own awareness present — Happy Science describes him as a spiritual master rather than someone taken over. Some messages were recorded within hours of a public figure’s passing, unplanned.

Because prosperity is a real part of happiness in the modern world. Master Okawa — an experienced businessman before founding Happy Science — teaches success and management so individuals and communities can flourish, and so that prosperity can help lift others out of hardship.

In Happy Science, everyone has Buddha-nature and can grow spiritually — through stages such as bodhisattva and tathagata — with sincere effort and discipline. It teaches that enlightenment is a real path of training over time, not something achieved instantly.

Happy Science teaches that we reincarnate to gain different experiences and train our souls, living on earth and then returning to the other world across many eras. Master Okawa calls reincarnation “a system of love” — because it means every effort has meaning and there is always another chance to keep growing.

Yes and no. Happy Science uses an altar (Gohonzon) as a way to feel closeness with El Cantare, much as many traditions use sacred images to aid prayer and concentration. But in essence the object of faith is a spiritual being with no physical form; the altar simply helps deepen one’s faith and connection.

Happy Science describes four merits of reciting its main sutra, The True Words Spoken by Buddha: protection from negative spirits, help with healing, peace of mind, and — for those who continue a life of faith — assurance of returning to heaven. It’s written in simple language so anyone can understand it.

The Laws Series is described as the “spine” of Happy Science’s teachings. A new volume is published each December, pointing to the direction of the coming year on three levels: personal enlightenment, the path for nations, and the direction for the whole planet.

No. Money is neutral — what matters is the intention behind it. Happy Science teaches a healthy view of prosperity: wealth created and used with a good heart can relieve suffering and do great good. The emphasis is on mastering one’s own mind, not on rejecting wealth.

Happy Science sees rituals as meaningful ways to express faith and connect with God. Devotee members can perform two core prayers — El Cantare Healing and El Cantare Fight (to clear negative influences) — even at home, while ministers conduct many other ritual prayers for needs such as healing, protection, and prosperity. Each prayer also points the way toward one’s own right effort.

A great deal, worldwide — including suicide prevention, support for people with disabilities, anti-bullying and education programs, and relief for those facing poverty, discrimination, and disaster. Happy Science even produced a film, Heart to Heart, about this work.

Happy Science sees modern medicine and faith as partners rather than opposites. Its view is that medical science and religion work best in harmony, each supporting the other to bring healing and happiness — explored in the book Healing from Within.

Happy Science sees well-being as having both a physical and a spiritual dimension, and encourages a harmony of medical care and spiritual practice. If you are struggling, please also seek qualified medical or mental-health support — Happy Science offers a spiritual perspective alongside that care, not in place of it.

Happy Science doesn’t forbid alcohol and isn’t dogmatic about it. Its teaching offers a spiritual perspective — that heavy intoxication can weaken the connection between body and soul — and encourages using alcohol, like anything, with wisdom and moderation.

Happy Science has very few dietary rules and doesn’t require vegetarianism or veganism. It teaches that food in every form is a kind of nourishment and love, to be received with gratitude and used as fuel for doing good — noting that plants, too, have life.