Editing Happy Science (section)

==Teachings==
The basic teachings of Happy Science are "Exploration of the Right Mind", "The Fourfold Path", and El Cantare belief. According to Okawa, in order to obtain happiness one must practice the Principles of Happiness known as "The Fourfold Path": love that gives, wisdom, self-reflection, and progress. The only requirement to join Happy Science is that applicants must have "the aspiration and discipline to seek the truth and actively contribute to the realization of love, peace and happiness on Earth".<ref>{{Cite web|title = Happy Science - About Us|url = http://www.happyscience.com.sg/index.cfm?GPID=3|website = Happy Science Singapore|access-date = 2015-12-13|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111248/http://www.happyscience.com.sg/index.cfm?GPID=3|archive-date = 4 March 2016}}</ref> Among other teachings, they believe in the existence of reincarnation, angels, demons, heaven and hell, and aliens.<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=18 April 2020 | 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> Members of Happy Science attend training courses ({{nihongo||研修会|kenshūkai}}) and {{nihongo|"qualification seminars"|資格セミナー|shikaku seminā}} in order to increase their level within the group's hierarchy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Baffelli |first=Erica |date=24 June 2017 |title=Contested Positioning: "New Religions" and Secular Spheres |url=https://nichibun.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=pages_view_main&active_action=repository_view_main_item_detail&item_id=6755&item_no=1&page_id=15&block_id=22 |journal=Journal of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies |publisher=Japan Review |volume=30 |pages=140–141 |via=Nichibunken Open Access}}</ref>

At the same time, the organization's political wing, the [[Happiness Realization Party]], promotes political views that include support for Japanese military expansion, support for the use of nuclear deterrence,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.hr-party.jp/blog/381.html |title=The Happiness Realization Party |publisher=En.hr-party.jp |date=2012-09-21 |access-date=24 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413190128/http://en.hr-party.jp/blog/381.html |archive-date=13 April 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and denial of historical events such as the [[Nanjing Massacre]] in [[China]] and the [[comfort women]] issue in [[South Korea]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Liberty Web|url = http://eng.the-liberty.com/|access-date = 2015-12-13|language = ja|archive-date = 29 May 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130529050229/http://eng.the-liberty.com/|url-status = live}}</ref> Some other stances include support of infrastructure spending, natural disaster prevention, urban development, and dam construction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.hr-party.jp/proposal|title=Happiness Realization Party|website=Happiness Realization Party|access-date=2016-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403145828/http://en.hr-party.jp/proposal|archive-date=3 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> They also advocate fiscal conservatism, strengthening the US-Japan alliance, and a virtue-based leadership.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.hr-party.jp/position|title=Happiness Realization Party|website=Happiness Realization Party|access-date=2016-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612015800/http://en.hr-party.jp/position|archive-date=12 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, the Happiness Realization Party had 21 local councilors.<ref>{{cite book|title=About Japanese 50 new region|date=2017-04-19|publisher=Takarajima|isbn=978-4800270443|edition=Japanese}}</ref>

===Object of worship===
Happy Science worships a deity named El Cantare who they believe is the "Highest God of Earth, the Lord of all gods". They believe that the being was first born on Earth 330{{nbsp}}million years ago and that it is the same entity that has been worshipped at different times as [[Elohim]], [[Odin]], [[Thoth]], Ophealis ([[Osiris]]), [[Hermes]] and [[Shakyamuni Buddha]], with Okawa himself as the current incarnation.<ref name="nytimes2020" /><ref name="vice" />