Editing World Divine Light

{{Short description|Japanese religious organization}}
{{Distinguish|Sukyo Mahikari|divine light}}
{{Expand Japanese|世界真光文明教団|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox religion
| icon                    = 
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| name                    = World Divine Light
| native_name             = 世界真光文明教団
| native_name_lang        = ja
| image                   = Izu Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan 01.jpg
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| caption                 = Su-Za World Sōhonzan, the religion's headquarters
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| type                    = [[Japanese new religion]]
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| orientation             = 
| scripture               = 
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| governance              = 
| structure               = 
| leader_title            = ''Oshienushi''
| leader_name             = Katsutoshi Sekiguchi ([[:ja:関口勝利|関口勝利]])
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| headquarters            = Hiekawa, [[Izu, Shizuoka]], Japan
| territory               = 
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| founder                 = Sakae Sekiguchi ([[:ja:関口榮|関口榮]])
| founded_date            = 1963
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| separated_from          = 
| branched_from           = [[Mahikari movement|Mahikari]]
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| other_names             = World Divine Light Organization
| publications            = 
| website                 = {{URL|https://www.mahikari.or.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}<br/>{{URL|https://worlddivinelight.org/}} {{in lang|en}}
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{{nihongo|'''World Divine Light'''|世界真光文明教団|Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan}}, or the '''World Divine Light Organization''' ('''WDL'''), is a [[Japanese new religions|Japanese new religion]] (''shinshūkyō''). It is one of the [[Mahikari movement]] religions. Its headquarters, the Su-Za World Sōhonzan, is the largest of its kind in the [[Izu Peninsula]].

World Divine Light is one of the several organizations that branched off from the original [[Mahikari]] religion founded by [[Kōtama Okada]] (born Yoshikazu Okada) in 1959.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2962|title=Mahikari in context|author= Broder, Anne|format=pdf|year=2008|volume=35|issue=2|pages=33–362|access-date=2010-08-04|journal=Japanese Journal of Religious Studies}}</ref><ref>Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). ''A Bibliography of Japanese New Religious Movements: With Annotations'', Surrey, Japan Library, 1999 {{ISBN|1-873410-80-8}}</ref><ref>Clarke, Peter B. (ed.). ''Japanese New Religions: In Global Perspective'', Surrey, Curzon Press, 2000 {{ISBN|0-7007-1185-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Swift | first=Philip | title=Bodies in place: the transformative atmospherics of lightscapes in Mahikari | journal=Asian Anthropology | volume=20 | issue=3 | date=2021-07-03 | issn=1683-478X | doi=10.1080/1683478X.2021.1903134 | pages=173–189}}</ref> Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light (WDL) Organization to distinguish itself from [[Sukyo Mahikari]], whereas in Japan it is known as ''Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan'' or simply ''Mahikari''.  The organization was registered in 1963, and in 1974 Sakae Sekiguchi became the ''Oshienushi'' or spiritual leader upon Okada's death. On the other hand, Sukyo Mahikari was established in 1978 by Keishu Okada.<ref>{{cite book | last=Wilkinson | first=Gregory | title=Handbook of East Asian New Religious Movements | chapter=11: Sūkyō Mahikari | publisher=Brill | date=2018 | isbn=978-90-04-36297-0 | doi=10.1163/9789004362970_012 | pages=176–192}}</ref>

==Spiritual leadership==
The organization's spiritual leader is known as the Oshienushi (教え主) or Oshienushi-sama (教え主様):<ref>{{cite web | title=Oshienushi | website=World Divine Light Organization | date=2023-03-04 | url=https://worlddivinelight.org/new-to-wdl/oshienushi/ | access-date=2025-01-29}}</ref>

*First Oshienushi: [[Kotama Okada]] ([[:ja:岡田光玉|岡田光玉]]; 1901–1974) (divine name: Seiō 聖鳳)
*Second Oshienushi: Sakae Sekiguchi ([[:ja:関口榮|関口榮]]; 3 March 1909 – 1994)
*Third Oshienushi: Katsutoshi Sekiguchi ([[:ja:関口勝利|関口勝利]]; 1 September 1939–) (current leader)

==Locations==
In Japan, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan is headquartered in Hiekawa (冷川), [[Izu, Shizuoka]], located in the mountainous interior of the [[Izu Peninsula]]. Its main temple is the {{nihongo|Su-Za World Sōhonzan<!--Q131983515-->|主座世界総本山|Suza Sekai Sōhonzan}}, which is often simply known as the {{nihongo|"Su-Za"|主座 / ス座|}} ("Su" is the name of God, while {{linktext|座}} literally means 'seat'.).<ref>{{cite web | title=Mt. Fuji: 'A Diamond in An Engagement Ring' Soon to Be World Heritage Site | website=myemail.constantcontact.com | url=https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Mt--Fuji---A-Diamond-in-An-Engagement-Ring--Soon-to-Be-World-Heritage-Site.html?soid=1102771162576&aid=-_E7CVboBEw | access-date=2025-01-31}}</ref>

Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light Organization or WDL to distinguish itself from [[Sukyo Mahikari]]. World Divine Light has branches in Houston, Los Angeles, [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]], New York, Chicago, Honolulu, and Vancouver.<ref>{{cite web | title=Holy Land | website=World Divine Light Organization | date=2020-03-10 | url=https://worlddivinelight.org/new-to-wdl/holy-land-suza/ | access-date=2025-01-29}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan}}
*[https://www.mahikari.or.jp/ Japanese official website]
*[https://worlddivinelight.org/ World Divine Light Organization] (international)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19981212030729/http://www.mahikari.org/ Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyodan former website]

{{Japanese new religions}}
{{New religious movements}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Religious organizations based in Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese new religions]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 1963]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Izu, Shizuoka]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Shizuoka Prefecture]]
[[Category:Mahikari movement]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 1960s]]