Dharma Lectures

Dharma Lectures by Ryuho Okawa

Rebuilding Your Life (Subtitle & Voiceover / 45min.)

There is a Buddhist saying, “a resentful heart can never melt, as long as you nurse a grudge.” Faced with suffering in life, people tend to blame the outside, but this sort of emotion will never bring happiness or success. Living with such feelings, day after day, is like constantly feeding your soul doses of poison.

In this lecture you will learn how to escape these ill habits and achieve true happiness.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.46-47)

The Flower Blooms in the Mud (Voiceover / 31min.)

In this lecture, Master translates the core teachings of Buddhism into a modern context so as to make it easier to understand. In many cases, people are in blessed surroundings compared to those who are suffering under conditions of misery and poverty. But unable to widen their view, they look at the world from a self-centered perspective. Learn how to see yourself from a perspective beyond your own limitations and discover the small seeds of happiness in life.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no. 144-145)

Secrets of the Spirit World (Subtitle and Voiceover / 60min.)

Human beings repeat reincarnation and undergo spiritual refinement by experiencing different lives on earth. Through these lives we create karma. Learn how we can live better lives and accumulate wisdom of the soul and reap our negative karmas.

(Also available as booklet “Secrets of the Spirit World”)

Believing in the Future (Voiceover / 36min.)

Human history is actually formed by the collective thoughts of all those living on earth. If many people are thinking positively and looking forward to a brilliant future, the future of this world cannot help but be bright but, on the other hand, if people think negatively, this world will roll on toward crises, so everything depends on the mental attitudes we adopt. Learn how you can contribute in creating an ideal world on earth.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.76-77)

Living in Times of Light (Subtitle / 56min.)

Human beings have an innate desire to do good and perform great tasks; it is part of our nature, not something we learn in this world. We are born into this world with this aspiration, and the very fact that we can do good and contribute to the happiness of others makes us happy to be living this life. Learn how we can generate enough happiness so that this world abounds with it.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.62-63)

Boundless Love (Subtitle / 55min.)

“I do not mean to recommend that you observe the teachings of love just because Christianity and other religions teach that love is a wonderful thing. It is not my intention to force you to accept a set of dogmatically stated values. Each of you has your own innately wonderful nature and I believe in this beauty within each person. I would like to appeal to your true nature, the nature that exists within each of you.”

Love is a force that joins but we unknowingly build walls between ourselves and others. These walls are made of the ideas, beliefs, ideologies and prejudices that we acquire through living in this world from the time of our birth. Learn about the true nature of love and how we can find true love that is within us.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.58-59)

Serenity Within (Subtitle / 58min.)

Since you woke this morning, have you experienced any moments of serenity, even one or two seconds of tranquility? We feel joy in moments of tranquility. This is because we feel something sacred or unworldly. In serenity, our hearts and minds are released and entirely free from constraint, so we become more receptive to grandeur.

If we realize that happiness is not merely the satisfaction of acquiring things, and that great happiness lies in a mind that can remain tranquil, there is only one thing to do; to consider what we can do to maintain our peace of mind, whatever the circumstances.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.44-45)

Heaven and Hell (Voiceover / 60min.)

Humans have a ‘silver cord,’ a very fine thread stretching out of the back of our heads, which connects the soul with the body. When you experience ‘astral travel,’ your soul leaves your body, without dying. This extremely fine silver cord stretches out to any length, hundreds of feet or more. As long as it does not sever, your soul can return to your body. If it is severed, your soul can never return.

True death does not occur when the physical body stops functioning, but usually takes about one day after physical death.

In this lecture, you can learn about the world you will go after death and what will actually happen to you when you die.

(Also available as booklet “Heaven and Hell”)

The Ultimate Self-Realization (Voiceover / 59min.)

Usually self-realization seems to mean that a person should aim at realizing his or her earthly desires as fully as possible. However, to me the term 'self-realization' has a deeper and more mysterious meaning. My image of self-realization is too vast and mysterious to equate with the notion of the 'self' which is so widely used in today's world. The ultimate form of self-realization is, to me, like a wind that is infinitely pure and lucid, full of energy, that blows past people without expecting any of their recognition. I feel that the clearer this wind becomes, the higher its level of perfection.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.39-41)

The Truth About the Spirit World (Voiceover / 63min.)

In the spirit world, even though people may appear to be tens or hundreds of miles apart, if they share a close relationship, that is to say, if their hearts are close to each other, they can communicate with each other instantly by directing their minds. In the opposite case, people whose minds are distant from each other will feel a long way away even though spatially they are very close.

In this lecture, you will learn about the mysteries of the spirit world.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.146-148)

A Life of Truth (Voiceover / 60min.)

“What is the meaning of human existence, and what does it mean to be human? Where do we originally come from? Were we born by accident and are we just physical beings?” These fundamental questions about human existence are closely related to the meaning of life and our attitude to living.

To live a life of truth, it is necessary to establish a spiritual view of life as your starting point. Without it, you will not reach any conclusions, no matter how many arguments you accumulate about a life of truth. It is just like a child who builds a sandcastle. Discover the answers to important questions in life.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.68-69)

Awaken the Value of the Mind (Voiceover / 16min.)

Now, what are the things you can seek without limit in this limited world? They are the potential values that lie deep within the human mind. Everyone has these treasures within their mind.

Material wealth has indeed made people happy, but at the same time, it seems the sense of unhappiness has grown proportionally stronger. This is because the convenience people have attained through material things is accelerating the growth of their desire. Many people are unaware of the treasures hidden deep inside themselves. However, once they become aware of the existence of the mind and have discovered the values within it, they will find those values are the sources of infinite joy.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.130)

The Mind That Attracts Success (Voiceover / 18min.)

Humanity seems to have acquired a vast amount of knowledge and seems to be enjoying material prosperity. But it is important that you always go back to the basics. Returning to the starting point, you should be aware of the basic truth that without right faith, there can be no success or prosperity.

While you live in this world, it is not so difficult to achieve true success. You can be successful as long as you live in accordance with the laws of the universe. And the proof that you are living in harmony with the laws of the universe is that you give the best of yourself to the world, that you offer the best you can be to as many people as possible.

Love Blows Like the Wind (Subtitle & Voiceover / 43min.)

It is probably true that most of you cannot see spiritual beings of the other world. However, many of you may have thought about the idea of having a guardian spirit or that angels of light are constantly trying to help and guide you. Try to place yourself in the shoes of these spiritual beings.

Spiritual existences that cannot be seen are trying to help you. They are trying to make you happy. They are encouraging you and guiding you from the other world so that you won’t choose the path of unhappiness. They are making every effort, day and night, in order to bring you happiness.

However, you cannot see them. You even do not know whether or not they exist, and because you don’t know about their existence, you don’t appreciate their presence.

If you cannot understand this love like a clear wind, you will never be an angel. This love itself is the work of angels.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.142-143)

Love, Nurture, and Forgive (Voiceover / 61min.)

The phrase, “Love, Nurture, and Forgive” is very dear to me, and it fills me with courage. When I look back over past years and remember where I started out, these words always come to mind.

It all began back in 1981. In those days I was living a completely different lifestyle and never imagined that the time would come when it would be my job to teach spiritual truths. One day, however, I suddenly started to receive messages from another dimension, from a world that exists beyond this world on Earth. It was a totally unexpected reality that opened up before me, without any warning.

One of the messages that I received at this time was “Love, Nurture, and Forgive.” Based on the ideas expressed in this phrase, I was later to develop my philosophy of the developmental stages of love.

(Also available for reading in the book, “Love, Nurture, and Forgive”)

Beginning With Enthusiasm (Voiceover / 56min.)

The most important thing for a human being is ‘faith.’ We believe in the simplest thing. We depart from the simplest truth that “in the great universe, there is God who created this world and is watching over us,” and that “we, human beings, are children created by God.” The majority of the people cannot believe these simple words of truth that are only one sentence long.

By believing that God created the universe and human beings, and that He is still watching over us, our ways of living can be transformed into something wonderful.

Living in Eternity Now (Subtitle / 61min.)

“How do you perceive time?” I suppose most of you associate it with the clock, as I did for quite a while, but time cannot always be measured by the clock.

Although everybody is given 24 hours a day, when you look back at the past, you often wonder if every single day really consisted of the same amount of time. There are some days that pass too fast to remember while others are imprinted deep in the memory. What does this mean? Doesn’t it mean that time begins to have other implications, when it is perceived by the mind? Time is not only measured by the clock; deeper meanings and values are also involved. Find how to turn your “time” into gold.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.48-49)

About Achieving Success (Voiceover / 65min.)

I’d like to make this message as simple an introduction to success as possible, hoping to provide some clues for those who have just started to study Buddha’s Truth.

In this lecture, you will learn the qualities you should have in order to achieve success.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.118-121)

The Source of Invincibility (Voiceover / 67min.)

People are constantly trying to find out how the times they live in will evolve. They think about what is of true value, and the direction in which they should be headed, and they seek someone who can give them answers and guidance. So to be an outstanding leader, you need to be able to point others in the right direction. Many people in this world are uncertain of how to make the best use of their abilities, their time and their money. A leader must be able to explain future trends and what people need to do in the present concisely and accurately— this is the mission of those who have truly awakened.

Learn what you need to do to be a leader.

(Also available for reading in the book, “Invincible Thinking”)

Revolutionizing Your Perspective (Voiceover / 49min.)

You may have read other religious books in the past and noticed that the majority of them tend to focus on the duality of good and evil, the good heart and the evil heart, good thoughts and evil thoughts, good actions and evil actions, and so forth. Religions all share this propensity for duality, and when they speak of human beings they divide them into good and bad, with the teaching that when they die they will go either to heaven or hell.

People, particularly those interested in spiritual matters, quickly perceive the difference between good and evil and so they tend to think in a dualistic way. As a result, they have a tendency to divide everything into black and white. Some do not feel secure unless they categorize what is around them, including people and circumstances, as good or evil. Regrettably, when you look at the world in this way, there is the possibility of dismissing things that hold great potential. This is quite a loss.

(Also available for reading in the book, “Invincible Thinking”)

How to Win Against Fate (Voiceover / 42min.)

Some of you may wonder if it is possible to win against fate. However, everybody has probably asked themselves at least once whether destiny actually exists, and whether we really are bound and driven by it. Human beings are more easily influenced by the negative than the positive. Many people become trapped by their own habitual patterns, and it is as if they are hurtling downhill on a roller coaster. If we investigate the cause of this, we will find that in most cases, there is a specific pattern to their thinking.

Discover how to overcome this tendency and WIN against fate.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.114-115)

The World of Eternal Life (Voiceover / 20min.)

Life in the three dimensional world is a kind of school, a place of learning for the soul. However, most people mistake this transient world for the real world and forget and ridicule the true real world.

Learn about the truth of life and accumulate wisdom to live through this world.

(Also available for reading in “Happy Science Monthly” no.129)