Hidemaru Deguchi

Hidemaru Deguchi (出口日出麿; December 28, 1897 – December 25, 1991) was the Third Alternate Spiritual Leader of the Oomoto religion. He was born in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture and was the husband of Naohi Deguchi, the Third Alternate Leader of the Oomoto religion. During the Second Oomoto Incident of 1935, he was arrested, imprisoned, and tortured by the Japanese police authorities.

He was also referred to as the Sonshi (尊師, "Revered Teacher").

Quotes

Deguchi, Hidemaru (1966). In Search of Meaning. Kameoka: Tenseisha. (1994 English translation by William E. Gilkey and Masamichi Tanaka from the Japanese original Ikigai no tankyū 生きがいの探求, which consists of selections of Hidemaru Deguchi's diaries written from 1919 to 1929)

• In the very fact that I have been granted life on earth in this manner and moment, I have no doubt that I have some sort of task to complete here. By no means am I here to attain worldly glory and perform brilliant exploits. I believe that one way or another, by the age of fifty or sixty, I must leave behind some mark of my existence here for later generations. It is not important that this labor be appreciated. Even if I am unable to succeed at anything, I must leave behind the evidence of my efforts in trying.
  • Foreword

• All exists, all is provided in this universe

As you like, as you choose,

You can attain anything in this universe.

Nothing exists, nothing is provided in this universe;

As you hate, as you avoid,

All will vanish from this universe.

Mysterious universe, this universe.

All exists, and all vanishes from this universe

What you think is what you will find,

What you bear in mind will spring into existence.

Nothing exists beyond this,

Nothing happens outside this.

• p. 178