Editing Ryuho Okawa (section)

====Rivalry with Aum Shinrikyo====
Happy Science came into a bitter rivalry with the cult [[Aum Shinrikyo]] dating back to 1990, when Happy Science criticized the cult and its leader [[Shoko Asahara]].<ref name=astley1995pp343-344>{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|pp=343–344}}</ref> Okawa called Asahara a frog, referring to Asahara's aquatic yogic acts. In response, Asahara criticized Okawa for not having undergone ascetic training and having a lack of doctrinal knowledge.<ref name=astley1995p373>{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|p=373}}</ref> In 1991, when Happy Science was going through heavy criticism from the public, academic {{ill|Hiromi Shimada|ja|島田裕巳}}, a critic of Happy Science, appeared to favor Aum Shinrikyo over Happy Science.<ref name=astley1995p368>{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|p=368}}</ref> Shimada favored Asahara because he went through ascetic training and had familiar knowledge of the doctrine of Buddhism.<ref name=astley1995pp368-369>{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|pp=368–369}}</ref> Okawa was criticized for having little knowledge of his own teachings and having faked his spiritual messages. He was challenged to prove his supernatural powers. Asahara published a book mocking Okawa's superficial knowledge of Buddhism. After the book's publication, Happy Science and Aum Shinrikyo were invited to a live television debate, but Okawa declined to participate.<ref name=astley1995p369>{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|p=369}}</ref> The hostility between the two groups culminated in an assassination attempt on Okawa by Aum Shinrikyo in February 1995.<ref name="nytimes2020">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/happy-science-japan-coronavirus-cure.html | title=Inside the Fringe Japanese Religion That Claims It Can Cure Covid-19 | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=16 April 2020 | access-date=12 April 2021 | author=Kestenbaum, Sam | archive-date=15 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315215500/https://www.nytimes.com/article/happy-science-japan-coronavirus-cure.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=chronology>{{cite web|url=http://www.nonproliferation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/aum_chrn.pdf|title=Chronology of Aum Shinrikyo's CBQ Activities|date=June 2016|publisher=Monterey Institute of International Studies|access-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411091246/https://www.nonproliferation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/aum_chrn.pdf|archive-date=11 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="astley1995p=373">{{Harvnb|Astley|1995|p=373}}</ref> Aum members attempted to kill Okawa by putting the nerve agent [[VX (nerve agent)|VX]] in the air conditioning system of his car. The perpetrators did this by injecting the agent into the car's ventilation system with a needle-less syringe. The attempt failed for unknown reasons.<ref name=chronology />