I write this account of my experiences in the Japanese religious cult, Mahikari, from a viewpoint of love. Please use this book as your guide so that you do not have to experience the same pain and anguish that my family and myself went through. Please do not go down this same road. It will be far easier for you to live and experience what we did from the comfort of your armchair at home. Believe me.

I have always been a seeker of the truth, sometimes perhaps with a little too much zeal, but I will always endeavour to get just that one step closer to it. Truth never changes, only man's manipulation and perception of it does. Its multiple facets shine eternally bright, and this brightness will dazzle us all from time to time, sometimes even to the point of blindness.

Fortunately for mankind, this blindness is usually only temporary, although its effects can be devastating. This is to warn us that blindness can re-occur as we think we are getting closer to the light.

Simple words such as love, truth, light and God can convey powerful feelings or messages. Perhaps this is because they share the same universal apex.

One cannot deny that there is change in the wind. This wind is increasing in velocity, fanned by breathtaking advances in science, technology, communications, education and ease of travel. It is not so much the wind's velocity with which we should be concerned, but more the direction it may take us. The route to any destination is important, and it is not good to be subjected to undue suffering and confusion along the way, as this could result in arriving at a totally different destination. In our spiritual search, this almost happened to us.

Truth and God are synonymous, just as a moth in the dark is to a street lamp, so is man to God.

This is immutable.

At some stage in our lives, and in some way, we will all be troubled by contact and the subsequent effect of a cult or its members upon our lives. Perhaps you are reading this book because that has, or is, already happening. Perhaps others are reading in readiness for when that time comes.

At different periods during our lives we will be young single adults, will perhaps marry and have children. We may become grandparents. We all have a wider family circle consisting of either children, brothers, sisters, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews etc. If you are not influenced by a cult directly, at least one member of your immediate or wider family circle surely will be. In this regard, believe me, prevention is better than the cure.

Whatever your reason may be for reading this book, you are in for an adventure as I take you deep into a mysterious and secret world of intrigue and illusion. I hope these experiences which we will share together may challenge you to see certain aspects of truth and reality from a different perspective.

A prized and beautiful diamond is only fully appreciated when it has many facets all cut at different angles. Each facet in itself barely gives an indication of the wondrous inherent beauty than when the diamond is viewed whole and complete. If one gets too preoccupied and bogged down examining just a few aspects of truth, the universal light may shine very dimly indeed.

Perhaps when we choose our life's journey, it required us to have some contact with Mahikari, and even maybe with each other. We should not make the mistake of relinquishing our free will and freedom to choose. We are all responsible and masters of our own destinies. To deny this is not truth. I was dazzled by everything I saw for 17 years to a point of total blindness, but like many ailments which afflict the human race from to time, this blindness can be cured. Now I'm beginning to see.

Just as a qualified health practitioner has studied various texts and manuals in order to make your body whole again, I sincerely ask you to use this book as a text in a similar way to cure your blindness. I had no relevant qualifications or texts to study when I commenced my missionary activities with Mahikari, but my experiences accumulated during those 17 years, mostly as a leader, may qualify me as a guide to lead you back to a new starting point. Please, take my hand and follow me.

"There can be no freedom of religion unless there is freedom of mind."

THOMAS JEFFERSON

When I first began to write my manuscript, I was mainly concerned with exposing some 'not-so-nice' practices of the Mahikari cult. No sooner had word got out that I was writing up my experiences than I was swamped with offers of assistance.

Before long, hitherto unknown facts began coming in over the internet from places all over the world, all adding yet another piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

Two years later I realised I had put my pen aside as the picture we were collectively piecing together was becoming simply too dark and unimaginably gross. Only lately, in the closing days of 2004, have I felt compelled to once again add more relevant pieces.

But I must sincerely thank all the fearless individuals who contributed so much, starting with my wife Wendy for her constant support with research and typing whilst still having to play the role of mother to our six children.

Thanks to my children for keeping me in the here and now as I often sought to drift further afield, into other realms, seeking ever more answers.

Thank you to the international team of ex-members and investigators who uncovered important facts previously masked by oriental mysticism, misrepresentation, and big black lies.

My heart goes out to those investigative reporters in Japan still struggling, and having to deal with their own country's failure to deal with this situation well before it manifested as it did. These reporters helped enormously filling in the missing bits - the darkest bits, and some now publish with unlimited freedom over the internet - the new enemy of deception.

This has taught me to beware of any person or group espousing the evil of the internet or seeking to control it. It has become the new medium of free speech and freedom of ideas and knowledge accessible to all who wish to use it with a mature heart. This opportunity is unprecedented in the history of humankind, and without it this manuscript would not have been possible.

Oh, how wonderful it was to be driving north back then. With the warm sunshine filtering through the sub-tropical forest canopy overhead, and flickering upon my face, I could feel the sun's rays strengthening with each passing day that I was on the road. The weather in Sydney that winter had been un-seasonally cold, and I was earnestly looking forward to the sunshine. I had been working in Canberra and Sydney as a photographer for some years. It was 1968. Opportunities abounded, and like everyone I was gainfully employed and busily accumulating money, and all the worldly goods this prosperity would allow. I had the latest model car, and enough money in my pocket to allow me to choose what ever I wanted. All the signs seemed to read that things would just get better and better. Australia surely was the lucky country. The only hiccup at this time was Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. This was of particular interest to me since my name and birth date were in that year's conscription ballot for possible active service in Vietnam. It was compulsory for all males to register their names and birth dates in the year they turned 20.

Much was to hinge on this ballot. For many it would be a death sentence, and naturally it played on our minds, even for those who may have been eager to go. I knew either way for me, it would signal a major directional change in my life. If I lost, it was almost certain I would be shipped off to fight in somebody else's war. If I won, I was going to take advantage of my freedom and accumulate various experiences, meet interesting people, and travel. But not to Vietnam!

For now, I felt this would be more fulfilling; besides I could always accumulate material things later in life, since work was easy to get; opportunities were everywhere, and nobody had any reason to suspect this would not continue.

On a particular day in 1968, I sat glued to the radio. If I was to be conscripted, my birth date would be announced on national radio along with birth dates of other young twenty-year-olds whose numbers also had come up in the ballot.

The stern voice coming over the radio frightened me!

"My God! Was my fate being decided on national radio?" I thought.

Between each announcement there was a long pause until the next set of birth dates were read out. A silence was no doubt also experienced in the homes of thousands of other Australians, as they, too, waited and listened with baited breath. At times, the silent pauses seemed more frightening than the announcements.

"Why are they taking so long? Are they looking for my date of birth?" I thought, trembling with anxiety.

"No, my number didn't come up!" Yes! I was to be free! Or so I thought.

Driving north in eastern Australia is, in itself, an enjoyable experience. A good sealed road winds its way along the coast, sometimes right at the ocean抯 edge, whilst other times passing over rugged rainforest-covered mountains.

The entire route that I was to take from Sydney to just north of Cairns, where the road in those days ended, was dotted with towns, villages and large cities. There was no hurry, and stopping for a rest at a deserted beach and swimming in the clean warm waters of the southern Pacific Ocean was a regular and enjoyable event. I worked here and there along the way and was forever heading north.

Finally, I could go no further. I was as far north as one can get whilst still remaining within Australia. I turned 21 years of age on Thursday Island, at the very tip of far north Queensland. I had found a job at the huge Comalco bauxite mine at Weipa, a few hundred kilometres to the south on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Unbeknown to me, it was to be here that I was to begin a long and arduous journey of self-discovery. Finding myself was not all that I was to uncover along the way.

The early years of this odyssey took me to the most remote parts of the Australian continent, beginning with a year as a deckhand on a small tugboat, the Norma M, plying the warm, calm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Norma M operated out of Weipa, a virtual outpost of humanity, since the only way in or out was either by fortnightly coastal trading vessel or weekly flights from Cairns.

Whenever necessary, day or night, I undertook a variety of tasks in the little steel tug on the waters of the Gulf with my skipper, an ex-pearling lugger skipper from Thursday Island. A typical day would be ferrying a marine navigation pilot to an awaiting bulk ore carrier, then assisting in berthing the carrier alongside the loading dock. One day I remember the Norma M rendezvousing with a Russian mother fishing trawler in the Gulf, and observing Australian Government officials handing over navigational charts. This was at the height of the Cold War. Every day was an adventure to me.

Bert was an expert skipper, having spent most of his life skippering pearling luggers and diving for pearls around Thursday Island and the Torres Strait Islands.

It had been an extremely hot day. We had been called out this particular night to escort a huge ore carrier through the channel, around several bends in the river, and assist with the berthing at the ore-loading jetty. It was pitch black when we finally moored the Norm M at the end of our shift.

"Look, Garry!" Bert exclaimed, accompanied with his typical childlike smile. I knew he was smiling, since all I could see of his black face in the dark were two broad rows of white teeth.

"Look at my hands! Look! See how they're glowing!" he further exclaimed.

For a moment I was baffled at the sight of both his hands momentarily sparkling in the darkness.

"The phosphorus in the sea is unusually bright tonight. It happens like this sometimes!" Bert exclaimed, and continued, "especially after a long period of hot sun."

Repeatedly he dipped his hands into the sea, pulled them out, and for just a split second, they sparked with thousands of tiny delicate green-white flashes.

"Look at my leg, Garry!" Bert was now getting more excited in his own way as he swung his leg in and out of the water. "I haven't seen it this bright for a long time," Bert said.

By now he was splashing seawater over his body. I couldn't resist and joined in.

"Bert! Look at me! My hands! They're glowing just like yours. Let's wave and see what it looks like."

And for several moments we played like children with the highly phosphorescent water of the warm shallow water of the Gulf.

"These sparkling flashes of light come from the sun, isn't it amazing. The sun set several hours ago and now you can see its energy in the dark. Tiny micro- organisms in the sea have absorbed so much of this energy in the form of light! What would we do without the sun?"

Bert was quite the philosopher when he wanted to be - which was quite often.

"The sun is too dammed hot up here, if you ask me," I replied in an insensitive, yet honest sort of way.

"People like you come up here from down south, from your big cities or wherever. It's all rush, rush, no time to stop and look at what nature can show you," Bert exalted.

I felt ashamed of my insensitive remark.

"Okay, Bert, I'm Sorry, I know what you're saying. I agree with you. I'll try and be a better student from now on."

Thus began my education in matters of a more esoteric nature.

Because of the nature of our work, we often had long periods where we simply plied the highly phosphorescent waters of the Gulf.

Bert and I would regularly spend endless hours discussing all sorts of topics, and often this would end with Bert sharing his understanding and experiences of his native dreamtime, lore and legends. I suspect he wasn't allowed to tell me everything since this was probably taboo.

"Sometimes powerful spirits come and check on us, to see how we are behaving and getting along," Bert once said in a way that caught me by surprise.

"Some are so powerful, they can appear as lights just above the ground. Sometimes they will stay off in the distance, and sometimes they come real close," he went on explaining.

"I've never seen lights like that, have you?" I asked.

"Often!" came his quick reply.

"How come I haven't seen any, and I don't know of anybody else who has either?" I asked respectfully.

"It's got a lot to do with belief and respect. Firstly, you don't believe in things that you can't see, and if you did, you wouldn't respect them anyway," came his impatient reply.

Month after month as we sailed together, I was gaining a wonderful insight into the beliefs of his people's mysterious world of lights, spirits and powers. He even told me how they can attract spirits to themselves or others, and even how to use these spirits.

Like all good things, this skipper-deckhand, teacher-student relationship was drawing to a close. It was time to think of moving on. I was still young, impatient and restless. In a way, I think Bert was proud of us both, since he had succeeded in broadening my horizons considerably.

"Since you're not as ignorant as when you first arrived, I want to show you something else before you leave. Something visible this time," Bert said with a hint of affection and remorse in his voice. He continued.

"On our next day off we'll have a look, okay?"

"Okay by me, Bert" I said, thinking, "what else can he show me in this remote place that I haven't seen already?"

A few days later we borrowed a battered four-wheel-drive car and set out in a southerly direction through the moderately timbered savannah terrain. About an hour later, we stopped.

"From here we have to walk a while."

For his age, Bert was very fit and agile. We stomped our way through the waist-high grass, occasionally stubbing our boots on a variety of undetected rocks and logs. To make the going easier for myself, I found it better to literally follow in Bert's footsteps, made as he forcefully penetrated the thick grass. It was extremely hot and humid and I was grateful that at least the whole area was flat. Flatness is a feature of this part of Cape York, and I estimated that we were about 5-10 kilometres inland from the waters of the Gulf.

It wasn't long before the texture of the ground underfoot began to change. The grass was disappearing quickly, giving way to a ground cover of seashells.

"A little strange," I thought to myself, "why are all these identically shaped shells lying on the ground here, and so far inland? Perhaps the sea washed them up over a long period of time. After all, a feature of this terrain is its flatness."

By now, Bert and I were striding together side by side. Suddenly we both stopped. The moderate tree density, which was also a monotonous feature of this area had given way to a clearing a little smaller than a football field.

"We've found it!" he exclaimed, "it's been so long since I've been here."

We stood together at the base of a four to six metre in height mound consisting entirely of opened sea mussels, all seemingly identical in variety and shape, all about five centimetres in width.

"Look over there, Garry!" he again exclaimed, "the whole area is covered in these mounds!"

The words, "what? how? why?" flashed through my mind.

"It's a mystery, Garry! Think about it! These mounds are nothing but shells all placed here like this. Let's climb them and take a closer look."

It was true, these huge, almost circular mounds, with their base diameters of about thirty metres, were nothing but shells, all identical in shape and size.

"Somebody or something must have put them here," Bert explained, and continued to reveal more of the mystery to me.

"Look over here, a bulldozer has cut into one of the mounds so that people could have a look inside. See! It's nothing but shells, all the way to the bottom!"

"The sea couldn't have caused this, and they couldn't get here by themselves, so the local Aborigines must have eaten them all and left them here," I said, feeling not very convinced at my attempted explanation.

In due course we climbed several of the mounds and simply surveyed this unusual spectacle in a state of wonder. The sheer volume of the shells had managed to keep the vegetation at bay. Only a few undernourished saplings were able to gain a precarious foothold on, and adjacent to, the mounds.

"What do you think, Garry?"

"It must have taken thousands of local Aborigines thousands of years to eat them all and then place them here," I replied.

"It's still a mystery to me. Australian Aborigines are generally nomadic. It's not possible that they could have collected and eaten so many in such a localised area and then taken the trouble to place all the shells in this one spot. Generally, the shells would have been collected along the shores and eaten probably within a few kilometres of where they were found, and simply discarded. To carry the empty shells and stack them in just this one spot over a period of what must have been thousands of years just doesn't add up!" explained Bert. "It has to have been something else; it just doesn't add up," he repeated.

In a state of awe, we spent some hours crunching over the well-preserved shells in the hot tropical sun. My mind was beginning to struggle with its well-trained and orderly perception of reality. Bert had challenged this perception on the many occasions we had discussed his own lore, legends and beliefs as we sailed the Gulf together. But this phenomenon in which I now stood ankle deep was real, tangible and defied all explanation.

"I bought you here for your future education. Don't ever forget or doubt what you have seen," he continued. "I could see you were beginning to question and look deeply into things as we worked together all those months out there on the boat. You're only young, and you must be careful. Up till now, a lot of what I explained about our customs and beliefs you didn't automatically believe, then, on the other hand, you didn't disbelieve either. This showed me that you had some faith in yourself. I believe this is more important than having blind faith in what others, including myself, may want you to believe. What others say may or may not be true. It's important to try and understand why they want you to believe in what they say. If you're not careful here you can get into big trouble. Faith in anything or anybody must grow silently and slowly, and only then does it probably contain some truth.

"The mystery behind all these shells has been explained to me in more that a dozen ways. A scientist will have his explanation, an engineer another, so, too, an archaeologist or an anthropologist. In all sincerity, they will believe their theory to be the truth, and for a variety of reasons known only to themselves, each will endeavour to persuade others to believe him or her. Even I have my theory," Bert confided.

"And what is that, Bert?"

"I'm keeping that to myself for now, Garry, if you don't mind."

"Okay, Bert, sure," I replied as respectfully as I could to my personal skipper-philosopher.

"When I have proof, then I'll tell you. Then maybe I'll never have proof," he went on to add, "if you've lost something valuable, naturally you'll look long and hard, and in all kinds of places. It's only natural. Suppose you lost your wallet in the garden this morning. You would have to retrace your footsteps, perhaps several times. Maybe you would poke around in the grass with a stick. Naturally you would uncover all sorts of creatures and things - things that you didn't know were there before. It's highly likely that you might even disturb a sleeping snake in the grass. It's possible you could disturb the snake long before you found your wallet. The fright may even deter you from looking altogether," Bert concluded with a chuckle and two broad rows of white teeth.

This is preety much who I am.

I remember it all too well. It was a perfect summer day in early December 1976. I had never experienced an alternative lifestyle festival before. This was something new not only to me, but no doubt also for many of the conservative citizens of Australia's Federal capital, Canberra, the host city. Approximately 15 minutes by car from the nation's Federal Parliament buildings, a new and alternative way of living and thinking was being rehearsed. At the time, I didn't really understand these new concepts, ideals and methods synonymous with the notion of alternative living, so what better way to learn than to go and have a look for myself.

Even back then, like many others, I was aware of a growing dissatisfaction and frustration amongst many people concerning the direction society was heading. On occasions, I had been in heated discussions on this very issue myself. Many were rightly arguing how things needed changing. Some even talked of alternative ways. Such were the 70's.

The site of the festival was conveniently located on the flat banks of the gently flowing Cotter River. Its waters were clear and inviting on such a warm summers day. The site was studded with marquee tents, circular domes and display tables and covered an area of about five acres. Combined with the vivid colours of early summer and the colourful garb of the thousand or so in attendance, it was truly a kaleidoscope of colours and form. My wife Wendy and daughter were also with me. Our ears were challenged by the sounds of beating drums, clashing symbols, continuous chanting and musical instruments - some we had never heard before. The short drive from the urban sprawl of our typical Canberra suburb, to this spectacle of sight and sound, was inadequate to prepare our senses sufficiently. For the first time ever we observed such things as earth bricks being baked in small portable kilns, people in seemingly trance-like states, different methods of power generation, various forms of massage, healing and much more.

In spite of my recently acquired Canberra suburban conservatism, deep down I knew I wanted to be a part of this challenge to the status quo. I was delighted and surprised to discover that so many others shared my deep convictions about the need for change and had the courage to publicly display their wares and idealism. But to be honest with myself, I knew that the continuous clashing of symbols and endless religious chanting was not how I wanted to add my contribution to change. Somehow I knew one day I would find a way that would suite me.

For some hours, Wendy, my daughter and I strolled through the festival grounds looking at this, sampling that, and generally taking time to listen, observe and experience.

As we became hot, we simply swam in the refreshing Cotter River. Many other festival participants had the same idea, and we all cooled and refreshed ourselves together.

"The teachings of Mahikari are for all mankind, to unite families, nations and religions. The light of Mahikari can heal and solve all kinds of problems."

I think those were the words I could barely hear through all the din of excited chatter, megaphones, singing and the constant drone of religious chanting and drum beating.

"The teachings of Mahikari say that a new age is quickly approaching, and we need to prepare ourselves and others to be part of this coming exciting age."

The words were becoming louder and clearer above all the commotion as we walked, obviously getting closer to its source.

"Simply by doing a three-day seminar, Mahikari can teach you to heal yourself and others using the light of God. Anybody can learn how to do it. I'm in the medical profession and have a few degrees. I've been studying the effects of this light in Japan. What I discovered is truly remarkable, and I want to share all this with you."

I could now hear the words loud and clear. Through all the commotion, I was now able to see the source of these promising words. Andris, as he later introduced himself, was standing with a microphone in one hand and facing a gently sloping shaded embankment. Seated in the inviting shade were about fifty or so festival participants, all in various degrees of attentiveness.

Some sat as if transfixed by Andris抯 words, some chatted quietly amongst themselves, whilst others lay outstretched in the shade, perhaps asleep or maybe even high on drugs. Wendy and I decided to join this shaded yet colourful audience. We, too, stretched out, blending into the shade and colour, and listened.

"What I experienced with Mahikari in Japan will astound you; people were cured of all sorts of diseases and problems simply by radiating God's light to them. Incredible things happened. Mahikari gives answers to such questions as; why are we here? What is the purpose of being a human? What happens when you die? And do spirits exist?"

By now he had caught our attention. I had no answers to these perennial questions either. I guess, like many other inquisitive people, they remained unanswered, too. I had of course, heard much religious dogma over the years, but many of these questions still remained unanswered to me.

"I went to Japan for two years to study medicine, and whilst there, by chance, I came across Mahikari, and I now firmly believe Mahikari is far more effective in solving all sorts of problems than the medical profession can ever be," he confidently extolled with an air of authority.

"This is interesting, a medical man giving up his, no-doubt, well-paid and prestigious career all for the sake of an unknown organisation from Japan, and this guy was serious! How curious," I naturally thought to myself.

Andris spoke in a most sincere and convincing way, undaunted by the spectacle of colour and noise all around. At times, other people would come in under the shade and listen, whilst others would simply get up and walk off. This I couldn't understand. "Didn't they hear what he was saying?" I surprised myself saying to Wendy.

Wendy remained silent - listening.

"What I find most exciting is that anybody, regardless of race, religion or age, can easily learn this amazing healing technique in just three days. Even a non-believer can do it and become a healer simply by attending this seminar." Andris added convincingly.

By now his audience seemed to be paying more attention than before.

"That's right, even if you have doubts or don't believe in God, you can still do it. Your experiences will eventually awaken you to God. I was a bit like that myself, but my experiences in Mahikari have taught me that God does exist and he has a plan for us all." Andris now continued with more practical information. "If anybody would like to learn how to heal and be a part of this new age, there will be a seminar in Canberra next weekend. A Japanese instructor will be coming to teach how it's done and to bestow this amazing power upon all seminar participants."

"To be honest, I like the concept of a better world. I do believe in an invisible dimension even though it's a mystery to me. My previous conditioning and experiences had aroused an interest in mysterious and unexplained phenomena. I had been unable to obtain satisfactory answers and recognition for my convictions through the channels of traditional religion," I rationalised with myself. "Perhaps some of my questions could find their answers coming form the east - Japan. I wonder what Wendy is thinking?"

"I'll be here for a little while after this talk, so if anybody is interested in the seminar or wants to know more, let's have a talk after," concluded Andris.

Wendy and I sat in the soothing shade thinking over the words we had just heard. "It sounds interesting and non-threatening to me," I said.

"I've never heard of Mahikari before." Wendy spoke for the first time and continued, "this guy must be genuine if he gave up his medical career for Mahikari."

"You never know, we might even learn something new," I said, feeling a little more convinced.

"It can't hurt to find out a little more. Ask him how much it costs to do the seminar," said Wendy.

"Okay, what harm can it do. I'll go and have a chat with him."

By now Andris had finished his talk and was surrounded by four or five people who, too, had decided to approach him for more information.

A variety of questions were forthcoming. Wendy and I had merely to stand amongst this small group and listen to both the questions and the answers.

"It costs $75, and that covers everything: it starts on Friday at 9am and finishes at 5pm for the three days. Bring your lunch. Here is the address. It's in town in a public hall. That's right, everybody will be able to radiate God's light after the seminar. Yes, it is something new and unique. You will learn everything about it during the seminar. This will be the first Mahikari seminar to be held in this part of the world, and you people will be the first to learn this unique technique. People are coming from all over Australia, even some professional health workers, and at least one doctor from Sydney."

Questions flowed and the answers followed in this manner for about ten minutes.

"So, if you抮e interested, you know the details, and there's my phone number on that poster. I'll see some of you on Friday. Bye."

Andris concluded, and proceeded to depart the scene.

"I suppose if we don't tell anyone what we're going to do, I could handle it," I said to Wendy.

"If you're going to do it, so am I. We can always pull out whenever we want. After all, it's a free country," Wendy added.

We tried not to give it much thought during the days preceding the seminar, for fear of disappointment.

Neither of us had attended any kind of self-improvement or higher-awareness course before, so we were full of excitement and eager anticipation by the time 9am Friday morning came around.

Including Wendy and myself, almost one hundred people were seated in the public hall somewhere in downtown Canberra, waiting for the seminar to begin. Overhearing some of the murmured conversations permeating the hall, I managed to glean that we were indeed in the company of naturopaths, nurses, psychics, a doctor or two, hypnotherapists, and a variety of inquisitive people who had come from various parts of Australia. An air of sincerity and respectability was obvious, and we both felt secure and at ease seated amongst such company.

Shortly after 9am, Andris Tebecis, together with Hara-san, the Japanese lecturer, and Murakami-san, his female interpreter, appeared on the stage. Full of smiles, they immediately gave us a deep, sincere bow in the Japanese tradition. Andris took hold of a microphone and in a clear, confident tone began the introductions as well as some words of welcome to us and our special Japanese guests, Hara-san and his interpreter, Murakami-san.

We were also introduced to another young Japanese lady, Yasuko Shimada, who had arrived in Australia from Japan a few years earlier attempting to establish Mahikari here. Yasuko was obviously delighted at finally witnessing the genesis of something she had strived so hard to bring about. Finally God was going to permit Mahikari's expansion in this part of the world.

"Both Hara and Murakami-san have been with the Mahikari organisation since its early beginning about twenty years ago. They now travel all over the world holding these seminars. Unfortunately, Hara-san doesn't speak English, but to compensate for any inconvenience, we are blessed with the company of his charming interpreter, Murakami-san, who has excellent English. Because of language and cultural difference, things may seem a bit Japanese during these next few days, but don't let that worry you."

Murakami-san now took hold of her microphone and began to speak. "Good morning everybody. Mr Hara and I are so pleased to be here in Canberra holding this first Australian Mahikari seminar. We are very happy to see so many participants. I would like to congratulate Andris for his great efforts and courage, who single-handedly brought you all here this morning. We are looking forward to spending these next three days with you. I hope we can all learn many wonderful things from each other. I still see myself as a student, too, and I hope to learn much from you. You are all true pioneers in establishing the coming new age."

When Murakami-san had finished, Hara-san rose to his feet holding his microphone and began to speak. "Good morning everybody. I so happy to meet, too."

An embarrassed chuckle was respectfully suppressed by many participants. The contrast in dress between our "teachers" and us "students" was striking. Hara-san was wearing a dark suit, white shirt, thin dark tie and had short cropped black hair. Murakami-san was dressed in an ultra-conservative long dress and had medium-length black hair.

In western culture, it was fashionable in the late seventies for males to have long hair and dress in a variety of colours. Females, too, went for colour, freedom of expression, and often a tantalising over-exposure of flesh.

"Shall we begin?" Andris announced in a rather formal manner. "Since our guests are Japanese, we shall commence the seminar in their traditional Japanese way. Hara-san will say a prayer to ask for guidance and protection. Please stand!" We all stood. Behind our teachers on the stage was a framed Japanese scroll hanging on the wall just above head height.

With perhaps a little too much pomp and ceremony for my liking, the three on stage turned in perfect unison towards the scroll and bowed reverently. Hara-san slipped off his lace-less shoes and took a few well-choreographed steps towards the scroll and stopped. A second or two later he performed a series of bows, followed by some loud claps. I felt a disrespectful chuckle rise from within. Feeling somewhat ashamed, I fought to smother it before it got the better of me. "We're all Australians here, why doesn't he tone it down a bit?" I thought, half verbalising the words through the side of my mouth, aimed towards Wendy standing next to me.

No sooner had I corrected my loose thoughts when the three on stage broke into a rhythmic Japanese religious chant. I felt so embarrassed and was relieved when at last all the pomp, ceremony and chanting was over. Finally we took our seats and waited for the seminar to commence.

Once again Andris took the microphone and assured us that this is how it is done in Japan, so don't be overly concerned, and that we will learn about the significance of prayers, and how to pray correctly, later in the seminar. So, for now, just sit back and open your minds to what you are about to hear.

And so began three days of spiritual indoctrination for the one hundred or so participants, including Wendy and myself, from 9am to 5pm daily.

Hara-san spoke only Japanese, and seemed to be following a text placed in front of him on his desk. Murakami-san translated into English with a slight American accent, which I found quite captivating.

To me, the teachings were both a mixture of satisfaction and disappointment. Some of my questions were being answered, much to my delight, whilst on the other hand, other beliefs were being challenged.

I did believe that we all shared a common origin, and that we should all unite with one another, as opposed to the factionalised mentality which prevails today. Their explanation of reincarnation did make some sense. If you are born once, why not several times? If you do good and progress in this lifetime, then next time you will reincarnate into even better circumstances, and the reverse would occur if you committed bad deeds. This sounded sensible enough to me.

Throughout the seminar, we were reassured that if we were having difficulty with some of these concepts, we shouldn't get unduly concerned as we will still be able to transmit God's light. What we don't believe or understand now will become apparent later as we progress spiritually.

Their concept of karma wasn't too difficult to handle. To me, it sounded the same as accumulating spiritual wealth in the storehouse of heaven, or conversely being judged severely by God when you die because of accumulated bad deeds and going somewhere like hell. Their Eastern way of explaining things seemed so much more comprehensible and liveable to me, and I assumed that if you believed in these concepts, you would automatically want to live them.

Avoiding polluted food and toxic chemicals sounded sensible. Allowing the body to rid itself of ingested chemicals and medicines and the like made sense.

And so on, hour after hour, these and other topics were taught in great depth. By 5pm on the first day, I had begun to take notes. I was starting to make some sense of it all. The first day of the seminar concluded with a repeat performance of those on stage doing their synchronised Japanese chanting, bowing and clapping.

"Guess I'll just have to learn to live with all that," I caught myself justifying to Wendy.

Amazingly, we were both seated and eagerly awaiting the seminar to begin at 9am the next morning. Much lively debate and discussion echoed through the hall, as participants excitedly shared their different perceptions of yesterday's teachings. People could be heard referring to particular passages in recently read books, or making comparisons of certain topics covered yesterday, with what they already believed, or had experienced. The room was abuzz with spiritual explanations, interpretations and anticipation. Everybody had their story to tell, and considering we were all strangers yesterday, I was surprised how open and forthright everybody had become with each other.

At 9am sharp, we stood and silently observed another repeat performance of synchronised bowing, clapping and chanting in front of the hanging Japanese scroll. It didn't seem to jar so much this morning, since I was eagerly looking forward to another day of possible answers and challenges. Once the opening ritual was complete, I could sense a more relaxed aura envelop the participants. I could even hear muffled outbursts of excited laughter as we waited. Andris, sensing the more relaxed and receptive atmosphere, decided to spend a few moments in light conversation with everyone. This gave us all an opportunity to get to know something of each other, too. Andris began to speak.

"Who's into yoga?" A few hands would rise.

"Who's into meditation?" Again a few hands would rise.

"Who's into theosophy?" Again more hands.

"Who's a vegetarian?" And so on for a short while he continued, until it seemed that almost everybody had raised their hand at least once. Rounding off with a touch of mirth "Who's normal?" Everyone chuckled when only Wendy and myself raised our hands - to the delight and laughter of all.

As yesterday, we continued with in-depth studies of a wide variety of esoteric topics, and, as predicted, it was a day of both answers and challenges. We covered the relevant and interesting topics such as true health, happiness and harmony, to name a few. At times it became difficult to maintain adequate concentration hour after hour, so occasionally we would stand up to stretch and swing our arms about. This would cause the sudden outbreak of many simultaneous conversations, which were often difficult to quell when asked to be seated once again.

"We are now going to take you on a grand tour of the world of spirit," Murakami-san translated in a voice which had more volume and feeling than that of Hara-san. Everyone, including Wendy and myself, were eager to go on this grand tour, judging by the sudden stillness in the room.

"The divine teachings say that most people are either disturbed or possessed by a variety of spirits," said Murakami-san bluntly. You could have heard a pin drop.

"This is going to be interesting," I thought to myself.

"Firstly, it is necessary to have a good understanding of how the world of spirit operates, and to study its different levels. This is what we shall now study," Murakami-san explained.

Two or three hours later we returned from our spiritual journey, which had taken us from the darkest depths of hell to the illuminated heights of heaven. We were introduced to a variety of beings at several of the many levels, and we studied the many reasons why they were in those levels. Also, we studied the many levels of the world of spirit and how they all affect us. I found it very interesting studying about all the different types of spirits, ranging from the high-level deities to guardian spirits, ancestor spirits, animal spirits, earthbound spirits and possessing spirits.

I could sense this topic was proving to be quite a challenge for many, but surprisingly, I was able to maintain an open mind to much of what was being taught on this subject of spirits. What I couldn't handle at the time, I decided, I would deal with later.

In spite of my relative conservatism, I was bouncing along okay. Many years ago, I had experienced certain phenomena, which, at the time, was simply explained as "the work of spirits." I recalled how ten years earlier, whilst a student in central Wales in the UK, a newspaper reporter friend of mine invited me to accompany him and two policeman to a supposedly haunted house in the district. I remember how, at the time, I didn't hesitate in accepting his invitation, since it's not everyday that one gets invited to participate in investigating a haunted house.

It was a typical UK council-type house, with bedrooms upstairs and living area downstairs. The house looked rather drab and was set in an estate full of equally drab-looking houses. The occupants had recently complained about strange knocking sounds which occurred every night around 10pm. These knocking noises could be heard in several locations throughout the house. It was as if some children were playing tricks on the occupants by making the noises which came from different locations. The occupants also claimed that, on occasions, crockery would fall mysteriously from the sink or kitchen bench tops.

We all arrived around 9pm one particular evening and were invited inside. I couldn't help but notice how the inside of the house matched the drab exterior. Only the man of the house was in residence, since his family had had enough of it all and only recently moved out. They were applying to the housing authorities for alternative housing and staying with relatives in the meantime.

The police and my journalist friend asked the man of the house a variety of questions in connection with these strange noises. He explained how, around 10pm each night, the noises would commence, as they had always done for the past several months. I sensed a feeling of disbelief coming from the policemen. Even so, I was glad that they were there. My journalist friend was taking notes of the conversations.

Right on schedule at 10pm, knocking noises commenced coming from an upstairs bedroom. One policeman made for the bedroom, whilst the other went outside with a flashlight. A few moments later they both returned, having found no source of the noise. Meanwhile, I simply sat riveted in an armchair. The noise changed location, and again the police would carry out the same procedure of one going to the source of the noise whilst the other went outside. The noise occurred in four or five locations in all.

The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end when the police endeavoured to communicate with "the noise" by duplicating the knocking sound using the butt of their flashlights. It was not clear who was duplicating who, but, to me, it became clear that whatever the source of the noise, it wasn't something from this world. After about an hour of this performance, it became apparent to all present that no physical explanation could be found.

The next day's local newspaper carried a full and accurate report of the previous evening's events. My name was also included in the story, and I was reported as being a "reliable witness".

Shortly afterwards I returned to Australia, but I did hear later how an exorcist had been called in to see if anything could be done.

"Everybody please stand up and stretch for a few moments. Many people seem to be nodding off," boomed Andris's amplified voice over the PA system.

It was so good to stand, stretch and feel my head begin to clear again.

Feeling more rejuvenated, we once again continued to delve deeper into the unknown depths of the world of spirits.

"Because of our spiritual impurities, we all attract, and are possessed by, all kinds of spirits." I was shocked by these translated words coming from Murakami-san, who was beaming brightly as if trying to console us, realising we were finding the going a bit tough.

"As time passes, you will see how these evil possessing spirits will manifest in people. Sometimes people may shake and contort their bodies. Some may even speak in strange foreign languages," Murakami-san continued with her translating.

I remembered that I had seen these kinds of phenomena before, and I assumed it was this that we were now studying. As a student, I had visited a Spiritualist church in the UK, wherein, after some hymn-singing and inspirational speaking, a person who was referred to as a medium or a channel would then stand or sit in the altar area and appear suddenly to become possessed by some other entity. This entity would then speak through this person, often in a strange accent, about a wide variety of topics, often of a personal nature.

I had also attended healing services at suburban Pentecostal churches. In a similar fashion, after some singing and inspirational talking, congregation members were invited to come forward to receive the holy spirit and be blessed. At which time, most of those who did come forward seemed to lose control of their bodies. Some fell to the floor, whilst others spoke in foreign tongues.

"This demonstrates the love and power of the holy spirit," the minister would remind his congregation. " This must be what we are now studying," I thought to myself, becoming more curious by the minute.

By the time we had completed the study on spirits, spirit possession, and how they control people, it was 5pm.

Naturally, there were many questions from the participants concerning this topic, and for an extra hour it was agreed that we could have an informal question-and-answer session on this very important issue. Wendy and I sat thoughtfully and quietly listening intently to both questions and answers which flowed back and forth in great abundance.

"I believe people attract those spirits and that kind of phenomenon to themselves. It's got nothing to do with God's light or the blessing of the holy spirit. Because people tune into that sort of thing, of course it will eventually start happening to them. They shouldn't do it. It's got nothing to do with God. It's only playing around with animal spirits, hypnosis or whatever!" came these words from an obviously annoyed elderly gentlemen seated directly behind us. Ken was his name, and I had gathered from overhearing some of his conversations with others around us that he professed to be some kind of free-thinking theosophist.

With Ken's words persisting in my thoughts, Wendy and I departed for the day, feeling rather weary and mentally exhausted.

If only we had listened to Ken!

The final day of the seminar began predictably with the same morning prayer ritual, although this time we were invited to join in if we wished. I made a half-hearted attempt to clap what I thought was the correct number of times and at the right moments, all along hoping that others would not see. I was surprised to see how many others were happy to make an attempt, too.

After morning roll call it became clear that almost twenty participants hadn't returned for this final important day. I noticed Ken wasn't present.

"Good morning," came the hearty greeting from Andris. "Yesterday we studied many exciting and important topics. The subject of spirit possession is very interesting and most important to understand. Because most spirits that possess people hate the light of God, it's only natural that they will struggle and manipulate people to avoid the light. So don't be overly concerned that many participants have dropped out. This, in itself, is an example of spirit disturbance that we studied yesterday. It is also their karma. So congratulations to you all who made it today. God has chosen you as his seed people to help construct the new holy civilisation."

Without any time to fully comprehend the meaning behind Andris抯 words, we were asked to open our notebooks and prepare to take notes.

"This morning we are going to study the origin of Mahikari, and about the life of the holy man whose mission it was to give these precious teachings and power to us," translated Murakami-san with a fresh morning smile. After a short pause she continued. "The holy man who has made all this possible is known as the 'great saviour'.(1) He was born as Yoshikazu Okada in 1901, in Japan. When he completed his schooling in 1920, he attended a military academy of the Japanese Imperial Army, where he spent his youth. For much of his adult life he was a military man, and in particular, he served as an equestrian flag bearer to the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

"In 1941, he returned to Japan from active duty in Indo-China, now Vietnam, because of a recurring medical problem. Upon his return to Japan, he was also diagnosed as having a chronic gastrointestinal disease, pyelitis, which is an infection of the kidneys, kidney stones, and caries of the vertebrae. Highly acclaimed surgeons gave him only three years to live. Realising his hopeless predicament, he decided to turn to God and serve mankind in whatever way he could for the remainder of this life.

"Mysteriously he didn't die after the three years as predicted by his doctors, and continued to seek God. He didn't belong to any religion and 'was certainly not an official of any religion.'(2)

"In the early hours of the 27th of February, 1959, he began to receive revelations from God. Amongst these many revelations, he was ordered to take on the spiritual name of Kotama, which means 'ball of light'. God revealed to him how he must raise his hands and allow God's light to flow from them in order to purify people and to prepare as many people as possible for the next holy civilisation. He was also ordered to bestow this amazing power upon others, who in turn would become seed people. In order for this to occur smoothly, he was commanded to establish the Mahikari organisation, of which you are all now members. At first, our great saviour doubted these revelations, and that he could transmit God's light through his hands. Initially he raised his hand to a blind dog, and miraculously the dog improved and could again see.

"So, from that day on he dedicated the rest of his life to spreading these teachings, which he received as revelations from God, throughout the world. Because of his great efforts, you are now permitted to hear many of these divine revelations and give God's light. God saved him from all his diseases and he lived until June 1974. Ten days before his death, it was further revealed that his only adopted daughter, Keishu, should be his successor and carry on his divine work and spread the revelations day and night. This is what she does to this very day. Keishu had asked me to transmit her love and appreciation to you for all your efforts, and welcomes you into this big happy family of love and light. Because of the heroic efforts of our great saviour and Keishu, Mahikari is now blossoming throughout the world. You are the seed people for this part of the world - congratulations!

"You have been specially selected by God for this mission. Since it is such an important mission that has been given to you, you will be tempted and receive many trials. Be particularly aware of the efforts of evil spirits, who will try and confuse your thinking. These spirits cause so much disturbance in people. They cause all kinds of misfortune, for example, they can cause car accidents and financial difficulties. Because you are now going to be serving God in his divine plan, you will receive special protection, as God needs you to save and help others. We must be very grateful to our great saviour, as it is through him that we receive this wonderful power and protection." Finally Murakami-san concluded translating Hara san's words, which he read from his text monotonously.

Fortunately for us all, Hara-san never used a microphone, as his voice just droned on and on for the full three days. Whilst on the other hand Murakami-san had plenty of expression, not only in her charming voice, but facial expressions as well, and this helped enormously to maintain our attention.

The seminar was getting close to finishing. The idea of myself and Wendy becoming chosen seed people and receiving special protection began to gel quite smoothly by now. I began to get used to the idea, and with each passing hour this was further reinforced as we heard fascinating stories of other members who had been spared from all kinds of disasters and misfortune.

"Of course these stories are no doubt real. Even though I didn't know these people personally, I believe them. Now that we were all working for God, what's the point of lying or exaggerating? What can anyone hope to gain in doing so?" I thought convincingly to myself.

Feelings of excitement and anticipation were obviously beginning to well up in us all. "Yes! We all wanted to make the world a better place. Yes! We would do our utmost to fulfil our special missions as seed people. Yes! We would be faithful and offer our allegiance to our great saviour. Yes! We would be brave and courageous. And yes! We would receive special protection from God, who needed us," were the collective thoughts and aspirations now firmly implanted deep within our minds! It had taken a mere three days, and we were now ready for action.

To conclude these three days of continuous and challenging study, we were all presented with a small gold-plated pendant. It was explained that in order for us to be illuminated with God's light and to be able to transmit it to others, it was necessary to wear this pendant or talisman at all times. It would also help prevent possession and interference from evil spirits, who are now actively seeking out people who are crucial in helping God fulfil his plan.

"Wear it at all times, even when you are asleep. Don't allow spirits to manipulate or possess you," came Murakami's ominous words.

"Look after it as if it were more precious than your own life. It is bestowed upon you by the grace and mercy of God. Don't drop it, get it wet, or give it to anyone. It connects you to God by a special golden spiritual cord, so if you don't care for it correctly, this cord will be severed. Evil spirits that have been unable to disturb you would then be allowed to take their revenge. Taking these precautions to care for your divine talisman is a small price to pay when you consider the power of salvation you have, not to mention the marvellous protection you will receive day and night."

With those remarks from Murakami-san, we were guided to form a queue, and one by one in alphabetical order we presented ourselves in front of Hara-san, who ceremoniously hung the divine pendant, suspended on a chain, around our necks.

In our naive state of spiritual bliss, no words or any amount of reasoning could have forewarned us that that cheap and weak metal chain, now around our necks, would become impossible to remove or break for seventeen long years.

This chain was to become our spiritual yoke, under the weight of which, Wendy and I would have to stagger and stumble until exhausted almost to the point of destruction. It is a yoke which most members of Mahikari will never be able to cast off.

The seminar concluded with applause, hugs and kisses all round.

The Japanese religious cult, Mahikari, had spawned its first generation of 87 new members in Australia - Wendy and myself included.

"Only we can change the world. Everybody is possessed and disturbed by evil spirits. Only we know what is to come. God's judgement day is approaching fast, and we are God's chosen seed people. We will be brave and raise our hands just as our great saviour had done. God will protect us," were typical of our thoughts now being fertilised by our great saviour's revelations.

I now knew we were here on a mission, and so armed with such convictions, we both commenced our divine activities. Firstly, we would save our relatives and then our friends. Surprisingly, it wasn't too difficult to manipulate many of them into allowing us to bless them with the light or holy spirit, and to explain to them the divine revelations. We would regularly visit those who were open to us.

Then, just as Murakami-san had promised, it suddenly happened. One particular relative, whom we had blessed with the light or holy spirit through our hands, did indeed begin to move, and her body shook in an involuntary manner. At first, this movement was slight and almost unnoticeable, but after a few moments it grew in intensity until it was obvious that what was occurring was, in fact, our first experience of spirit possession. At the time, I was blessing Wendy's older sister.

"It's just as Murakami-san has said, these teachings would become true through our actual experience," I exclaimed with great excitement to Wendy. "All that we learned at the seminar must be true. Here is the proof!"

To us, this incident was living testimony that Wendy and I were indeed on a mission. We were chosen seed people, and that everybody must be possessed! The uncontrollable spirit-possession movement continued for another five minutes or so, then gradually began to subside. Wendy and I had mixed feelings of fear, awe, excitement and relief, as we had never come face to face with a possessing spirit before.

We knew we didn't have these powers before, and we were quickly learning that our great saviour had indeed bestowed upon us a mysterious power, and it had only taken three days!

Eventually the spirit-possession phenomenon in Wendy抯 sister completely subsided and she was again able to open her eyes and talk.

"What was that?" she exclaimed, looking extremely startled. "It wasn't me!"

"It's just as our great saviour teaches, people are possessed by evil spirits which are out to harm and destroy their lives," answered Wendy, more confident now that the teachings were becoming a reality.

"This phenomenon proves that everything our great saviour says is true." Wendy added.

Wendy抯 sister was deep in thought as she began to ask question after question concerning our great saviour and the revelations.

It wasn't long before she, too, was studying our seminar notes and what Mahikari literature we had, as she was determined to attend the next seminar and become a seed person herself. Wendy blessed her sister with divine light or the holy spirit often, and regularly the strange uncontrollable spirit-possession phenomenon would recur. On occasions, it would manifest in a variety of different ways.

The influence that this phenomenon had upon the three of us served to draw us even closer to our great saviour, and the will of God. Amazingly, it seemed only like yesterday that we were just regular people going about our normal affairs, and now after just three days both of us suddenly possessed a mysterious invisible power. Incredible! In reality, it wasn't just the two of us. Eighty-five other adults throughout Australia were also realising that something mysterious had occurred to them, too, for they were experiencing similar phenomena.

"How blessed we are!" I would regularly exclaim.

Since we were now seed people prepared by God to save the world, it was our duty to tell everyone how they, too, could be saved. One by one, we systematically visited all our relatives and friends. We had to save them all, since it was now our duty. Naturally, we encountered a variety of reactions. Some listened patiently for us to finish, others were happy to be blessed by the holy spirit, whilst others warned us that perhaps we were caught up in something that could only lead to regrets. One friend actually insulted us by saying that, in his opinion, we had both been brainwashed.

"How could they think like that? If only they knew what we know, they would be grateful for the fact that we care enough about them to try to save them," I said to Wendy one day after being instructed by a close friend never to broach the subject again.

"Our great saviour says that not everybody will be saved; it depends on your karma," Wendy would say to console us both on such occasions.

And so, week by week, the contact with our relatives and friends gradually diminished, except of course, with those few who themselves were interested to learn more. It was towards those few, that from then on we would direct our attention.

Some three or four weeks after the seminar, I received a call from Andris Tebecis, the seminar coordinator, inviting all the local Mahikari members to come around for a get-together. Naturally Wendy and I agreed, as we were eager to relate our recent experiences, and to hear how other members were getting along. The get-together proved an exciting event, since almost all the local members, which consisted of about forty in all, related their experiences, awakenings and aspirations. Here, Wendy and I realised that even though we may have lost a few friends recently, we had in fact gained another forty who all shared our same mission and ideals. We had indeed been born into a new family of seed people.

Andris explained how the other forty or so members were mainly from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin, and that one family was soon to return to Malaysia.

At the meeting everything sounded so exciting, and we all decided to collect money to rent a modest house for a centre where others could come to be blessed and study the revelations, too. Wendy and I eagerly volunteered to go on a roster on certain days, along with many others.

It seemed most members, like us, had a friend or two, who also wished to become seed people and tap into this power. Andris抯 announcement that he was organising another seminar, to be held in about a month, was greeted with a round of applause. We were all very aware that we had a lot of work ahead of us. A centre had to be established, enquires had to handled, rostered days at the centre had to be coordinated, as well as the taking care of seminar candidates.

What a glorious mission we had been bequeathed. We all resolved to do our utmost, and of course, be vigilant against the ever-present evil spirits who were plotting to confuse our minds. It seemed we had all, by now, experienced some form of their manifestation whilst administering the blessing of the holy spirit.

Andris mentioned how his wife didn't share his same beliefs and conviction towards Mahikari. He explained how he had done his best to awaken her, but, alas, to no avail, and since his mission was now indispensable in coordinating Mahikari activities in Australia, he needed complete freedom to carry out his divine responsibilities. This wasn't possible considering his present marital predicament, so he had reluctantly decided to get a divorce.

"The future of one marriage must never be allowed to interfere with the salvation of an entire country," Andris justifiably explained.

"Of course not!" was our silent reaction.

Within two weeks of this first gathering, we had established a modest centre in a small Canberra suburban house. Wendy and I were on roster for two afternoons a week, from 2pm to 7pm. Other members were rostered with us to help cope with the steady flow of visitors, seminar candidates and members, who themselves wished to receive the holy spirit.

"It's best to receive the holy spirit or divine light every day, if possible. The more you receive, the more quickly you will become purified. The more purified you become, the happier and healthier you become. It's quite simple really. The more purified you are, the more difficult it is for evil spirits to possess and harm you," Andris would explain.

Naturally, Wendy and I would take time to be blessed every day, and in turn we would regularly bless our only child, aged three. Our faith and trust in the great saviour grew enormously, since it was being nurtured and reinforced by the ever-present and visible spectacle of spirit manifestation. Often, after only a few visits, a newcomer would begin to display the usual visible characteristics of a person possessed by spirits. Generally, the movement or sounds would be mild at first. The unpredictability of its outward form was a source of constant excitement and amazement to us all. It was customary for a person when being blessed by the holy spirit to sit or kneel quietly on the floor with closed eyes. A member of Mahikari would then raise his or her hand and hold it stationary about thirty centimetres from the recipient's forehead for about fifteen minutes. The power which the great saviour had bestowed upon us was truly remarkable, as it was common for recipients to begin to sway violently, fall over, thrash around on the floor, speak, often in a foreign language, scream, occasionally hit someone, or struggle to move away from the giver of the holy spirit. Often, several different forms of manifestation would occur in the receiver during the same session.

Later we observed how more experienced members of Mahikari would sometimes hold conversations with these manifesting entities. These conversations would be spellbinding to all those who observed, but generally they contained little substance, though the spectacle of the event both enthralled us and reaffirmed our commitment to our master and mission.

The second Mahikari seminar was approaching quickly, and activity at the centre increased as interest was growing rapidly. It appeared that we had another seventy people or so eagerly awaiting to become seed people. This number also included thirty individuals who would be coming from interstate. They had been prepared by members from the first seminar, after they had returned home to their respective cities. We were all being swept away by this sudden excitement, expansion and feelings of awe at our newly acquired power and missions.

Being faithful to our roles, Wendy and I nurtured three candidates, including Wendy抯 sister, for the second seminar. We knew God would be pleased with our efforts, and our karmic debts would have been lightened considerably.

"I can't understand why some of my friends say I'm fanatical. Can't they see the good I'm doing? I guess their spirit disturbance doesn't allow them to see. Perhaps God doesn't want them as his chosen seed people," was how I was now trained to think.

Within two months of the first Mahikari seminar, a further seventy people were re-born as seed people. Out of these, thirty would return interstate, and one young man would return home to New Zealand.

As with the first seminar, these candidates consisted of a broad range of people from all walks of life and with varying backgrounds. Many were mature professional people, who, I imagine, like myself, were prepared to try anything to make a better world.

We older members were encouraged to re-attend the second seminar, as we were told that we would pick up teachings that we didn't really hear the first time, even thought the contents were identical.

"Hearing the teachings again and again will make them your flesh and blood," Andris explained in an encouraging voice, and naturally this is exactly what we wanted.

For another three full days, the second seminar proceeded from 9am to 5pm daily, with Hara-san reading from the divine text in Japanese whilst Murakami-san translated into English.

"The world as we know it is about to come to an end, just as Jesus Christ prophesied in the bible. We must purify ourselves quickly, as well as look for other seed people like yourselves, who will survive this catastrophe and construct the next holy civilisation," said Murakami-san. "In order for us to function as an effective organisation, I would like to explain the structure of Mahikari and how you can help it grow smoothly," she continued. "The structure of the organisation is like a pyramid. On top we have God, then comes our great saviour. In this physical world, we have Keishu at the top of the pyramid, and directly under her are many bishops. These bishops are in charge of particular regions either in Japan or overseas. Some of them don't have a region to administer, but instead are heads of a particular department within the headquarters in Japan. For example, there is the head of the publications department and overseas expansion department, and so on. Bishops that have a region to administer have several ministers under them who look after the centres in their region. These regions cover all Japan and the whole world. You can also have assistant bishops and assistant ministers.

"Since we are a spiritual organisation with God at the top of our pyramid, the divine power flows through our great saviour from God to Keishu into the physical world. She then channels the power down to us through our divine talismans via her bishops and ministers. So it is extremely important to maintain this structure in order to keep the channels open and flowing with abundant divine power. If you by-pass your minister or bishop placed above you, the power can't flow, and you get cut off. Members are the base of the pyramid, and the larger the base, the larger the pyramid becomes. The higher the top goes, the more power and protection we all receive from God," Murakami-san concluded.

"What if one of the ministers or bishops above me isn't doing a good job, or we just don't get on?" came a question from a new candidate.

"God is in charge of this situation. There is no need to worry. If you are experiencing such a problem, realise that it is your training or trial. Just follow obediently, since you are tapping into the divine power, and we should only be concerned with that. Also be aware that such a problem could be your unresolved karma, or a disturbance by your possessing spirits," Murakami-san replied, and proceeded to continue.

"Since all bishops and ministers are especially appointed by Keishu, who is God's representative on earth, she does not make mistakes in such matters. Keishu is guiding her bishops and ministers spiritually day and night, so what they say or do is what Keishu and God want to say or do.

"It's important to follow their guidance in an obedient way, even if you don't fully understand at the time. Realise that it's through this hierarchical structure that you receive the power. So keep your channels wide open.

"Please understand that this seminar is only just a beginning. Now that you have established a centre, we shall hold regular study sessions and go into more depth regarding these topics. I hope you can all attend them regularly and learn exactly what Keishu's and our great saviour's plans for you are. We have higher level seminars in Japan, but before you can attend them you must fully understand the basic teachings delivered at this primary level. The teachings at the higher-level seminars are very profound and advanced, and participants are blessed by being bestowed with even greater power," concluded Murakami-san.

"When do you know if one fully understands these basic teachings and is ready to study at a higher level?" came a question.

"We will know you are ready when it's clear to us that you are living these teachings. In other words, when they have become your flesh and blood. One way to gauge that is when you have introduced at least seven people to become seed people. Then you are ready," Murakami-san replied.

"More power! Wendy and I are almost halfway there!" I thought proudly to myself.

"We are hearing teachings and experiencing phenomena which are only permitted to a select few. To learn the inner secrets of God is truly a blessing, and the privilege must be earned," Murakami-san added.

That was the moment when Wendy and I decided we would devote ourselves more seriously to our great saviour and earn the privilege to learn the secret teachings.

I was more 'fortunate' than most, since I was self-employed and this allowed me to arrange my daily work schedule to be available each afternoon at 2pm. Of course, this would mean a drop in income, but I could never allow a few dollars to stand in the way. We had a mission to accomplish. We were being saved, and we were protected from spirit disturbances.

From that day hence we both assisted at the centre six days a week from 2pm to 7pm, as by now it had become a very busy place indeed. Often visitors had to wait their turn to receive the blessing of the holy spirit, and as they waited, they would regularly witness the various forms of spirit manifestation in others. This, of course, heightened their expectations that they, too, would soon be blessed and special. Meanwhile, we older members simply played out our roles as spiritual pioneers.

Each week we began to hold study sessions, which were conducted by Andris, who had assumed the role as coordinator. When Andris had been divinely guided to discover Mahikari in Japan, he received much personal tuition from various bishops within the overseas expansion department. These bishops no doubt saw in Andris a wonderful opportunity to spread the divine spirit to Australia and possibly beyond. He had been prepared accordingly, and supplied with whatever printed teachings and revelations of our great saviour that were available in English. We all looked towards Andris as our mentor, since he had had a very distinguished medical career at the John Curtin Medical Research Centre, Canberra, and because of the spiritual training he received whilst in Japan. Other than Andris, there was nobody amongst our ranks who had more Mahikari knowledge or experience. We were all more than happy with this arrangement. The weekly study sessions were generally well-attended, and were about two hours in duration. Wendy and I made it a point never to miss one. We started learning some of the Japanese prayers, their meanings and spiritual significance.

"Since the Japanese language as we hear it today is derived from the original language of the Gods from ancient times, it's important to get the pronunciation correct, even though you don't understand the meaning of the words," Andris explained.

Although their language did indeed sound strange to our ears, we endeavoured to pick up a few common Japanese expressions and adopt some of their customs. Many members began experimenting with Japanese cooking and flower arranging. I began to take formal Japanese language lessons. It wasn't long before we were using Japanese people as our role models, and we were now thinking that since Mahikari began in Japan, anything of Japanese origin must be special. This attitude served to further alienate us from mainstream society. This didn't concern us anymore since we were creating a new God-centred society, and we knew that only those with ears to hear would listen, and everybody else would simply have to deal with the wrath of God and their own spiritual disturbances.

We had indeed developed our own unique spiritual cliches, slogans and by-words. What made ours most unique was the fact that they contained many Japanese words extracted from the divine revelations. What mystery and power we had over others.

It was around this time that one of our early pioneers, Yasuko Shimada, returned to Japan. I was under the impression that she felt she had completed her role here and was looking to serve the divine plan in other ways. Such devotion.

Activity at the centre steadily increased. More visitors were preparing themselves to become seed people, and further seminars were being planned. Phone calls were constantly coming from members in all the capital cities seeking further contact and information regarding future seminars and our weekly study sessions. These studies were now regularly attended by several members from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Being isolated from the Canberra centre wasn't going to deter them from awakening to the significance of their sacred missions, too. These members absorbed every word like a dry sponge, and it wasn't long before divine cliches and by-words began to sound in those cities, too.

Our small modest centre was now also fulfilling the role as headquarters. This, combined with all the comings and goings of the locals, made it apparent that we would soon outgrow our current accommodation.

My daily activities at the centre began to involve other tasks, such as obtaining office equipment, taking telephone calls, coordinating rosters and handling money.

"To be permitted to offer money to God, to help fulfil his plan to save humankind, is a wonderful blessing," were Andris抯 opening words at a weekly study.

"If money donations are made willingly and with a good attitude, realise that this is a wonderful way of communicating with God directly, showing gratitude, offering apology and erasing sins and impurities. The divine revelations say that we all have very deep financial karma, so what better way to erase this karma than by donating money to God's organisation. Putting it simply, the more difficult it is for you to give money, the more you should give. This just shows how deep your financial karma really is. Evil spirits will try and prevent you from erasing your karma because their influence over you will be decreased. Therefore, donating money saves you from all kinds of spirit disturbances. How blessed we are! Don't have a stingy attitude when it comes to money. 'Give and it will be given', our great saviour says.

"What he means by this is that because we are seed people, God obviously wants us all to have success in our mission. So, even if you donate your last dollar, God will arrange for even more money to come to you. We have all witnessed the power of the holy spirit, so we must have faith in what our great saviour says. There are eight different types of donations you can make, and I hope you can make them all at least once a month. Some donations you would make each time you visit a centre to either give or receive the holy spirit. This is offered with gratitude in advance so as not to give the feeling to God that we are paying for his power that we have just received. Other donations are offered for protection, apology, to ask for something special, and to maintain a centre.

"One particular donation is a fixed amount and is offered monthly. This is offered to express gratitude to God for the power we receive from him. If we don't offer this donation, God could easily sever our spiritual cord which connects us to him. If this happens, evil spirits will, at last, be able to seek their revenge on you. I know of many cases where this has happened, so it is important to offer this donation no matter how difficult your financial situation may be. Regarding donations in general, our great saviour says that to make a donation really means that you are permitted by God to make them. So, we should be utterly grateful when we are allowed to do so. At first, some people may not be permitted to make donations, or the amount they offer may be very small, but as their spiritual levels rise, God will eventually permit them, and the amounts they offer will increase.

"From a practical point of view, we must realise that in order to create the new holy civilisation, it will require a lot of money. So, I hope you are all permitted to offer generously," Andris taught to a packed centre of members, candidates and curious visitors.

"Where does all the money go?" came a question from a visitor, which both shocked and upset my sense of righteousness.

"I'm surprised that somebody could ask such a question considering what I have just been saying. But if you think it will help with your salvation, I'll answer. Since Keishu is God's representative on earth and has been bestowed with the responsibility of saving humankind, we should have nothing but gratitude for her. A collective way that we can express this is to send her all the money, except money specially donated for the maintenance of our centre. She will use this money in order to carry out world salvation. So, your donations made here are, in fact, helping to achieve world salvation. We have registered Mahikari as a charity in Australia for this purpose.

"A few other points I forgot to mention earlier; when you make a donation, use only clean new notes, and don't use coins. We only offer clean notes so that we don't offer anything to God that may be dirty or impure. Place it in a clean envelope and label what kind of donation it is and print your name on it. This way I can see who may be having difficulties understanding particular donations, and I can give guidance accordingly. For example, if a person is experiencing particularly severe spirit disturbance, God may be allowing this to occur because the person isn't expressing enough gratitude or apology. One way I can help solve the problem is to see what kinds of donations that person is offering.

"God may be demanding that the person demonstrate more gratitude or apology with deeds. One effective way for that person to express these would be to make donations in balance with the problem. If a person has deep financial karma, perhaps he or she was destined to become bankrupt later in life, but if the person awakens to the depth of the financial karma and voluntarily donates much of what he or she already has for the salvation of others, naturally the karma or the spiritual debt will be lessened. So in this way, instead of, say, having to go bankrupt, just by making sincere donations, bankruptcy can be avoided.

"In Japan, I heard of many cases concerning people who were experiencing financial hardships, but in spite of their difficulties they offered donations with an attitude of gratitude and apology, and step by step their difficulties disappeared. According to our great saviour, we all have accumulated terrible karma of all kinds. If we don't erase enough of this sufficiently by the time the new holy civilisation arrives, we will not qualify to be a part of it. The two most effective ways of erasing this accumulated negative karma is by finding other seed people and donating money so Keishu can expand her great works of world salvation," Andris finally concluded after two hours of intensive study.

A great sense of urgency and purpose now gripped us all, each knowing what was expected. Some members decided to re-arrange their schedules to allow extra time for divine service, others would seek extra paid employment for donation purposes. We had no choice. If we wanted to be a part of the new holy civilisation, the new millennium, we had to earn it. God has given us his power, the means by which we could gain admission, and nothing else mattered any more.

These sentiments were carried by visiting members to all Australian capital cities, New Zealand and by an audio taped message to members in Malaysia.

We were on fire. A fire fanned by regular communications and personal visits by ministers from Mahikari's international expansion department in Japan.

Within six months of becoming members, Wendy and I had, between us, gathered fifteen seed people, and a flourishing centre in Canberra had been established and was already in danger of becoming outgrown. Mahikari gatherings were being conducted in almost every capital city in Australia. Future seed people were now waiting to become members in Malaysia and New Zealand.

So moved and dedicated were most members to the power of the spirit and all its visible and myriad forms of manifestation, that they made great efforts to interest others in becoming seed people. My father and mother-in-law were now seed people. Initially, my father-in-law had many obstacles to overcome, since he was a veteran of military campaigns to oust the invading Japanese army from New Guinea and Borneo during World War II. He could not forget the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese soldiers upon his fellow comrades and had suffered from continual nightmares ever since. He was hoping that the holy spirit might help alleviate his problem, and since the Japanese Mahikari ministers that he had met were from a younger generation and so friendly, he finally accepted his mission to become a seed person.

Members were quick to awaken to the depth of their financial karma, and this was reflected in the one-way cash flow to Keishu in Japan, which grew enormously.

"Today we are going to study what kind of attitude to have when you are studying and practising divine teachings," were Andris抯 opening words at a weekly study.

"Firstly, it's necessary to abandon all your preconceived ideas about God, religion and things of a spiritual nature. Just listen to and follow our great saviour. This is essential if you want to be saved. The more you question and doubt what he says, the longer and more difficult will be your path to salvation. Your commonsense is based upon your conditioning and preconceived ideas, and this is what you must now abandon. Because of our deep spiritual impurities, our perception is completely different to that of God's, so if we continue to use our own reasoning or commonsense, we will go astray. That is why it is necessary to simply follow the teachings of our great saviour, since what he teachers is God's will. In this way, the great gap between you and God will gradually be bridged. Open your hearts and minds to these divine teachings. You have nothing to worry about. For example, if you calculate that you may be offering too much money or devoting too much time to God, our great saviour says, 'God has a divine calculator and knows the condition of our spiritual bank account. Just strive to maintain a good credit in your spiritual account. That's all that matters.' Because God needs you to work for him, he won't let you go without indefinitely," Andris explained.

"I recently came across a book entitled, 'Dojo, Magic and Exorcism in Modern Japan'. I haven't finished it yet, but in it the author says some not-so-nice things about Keishu. Have you read the book, and is it true?" came this most untimely and insensitive question from a seminar candidate.

"I have heard about the book. I understand it was written by a university academic, who typically, wouldn't have any feelings for things of a spiritual nature. He probably doesn't even believe in God, so what he writes can be of no use to us.  Simply read and study our saviours teachings or other Mahikari publications. If we don't, we will only become confused and led astray. He says other spiritual books may contain some fragments of the truth, and since you may recognise those fragments, you will fall into the trap of believing that everything else in such books must be true, too. That would be a grave mistake. Just follow what our great saviour says in an obedient way and you will be okay. The great power of the holy spirit that he has bestowed upon us is testimony to the truth of what he teaches," concluded Andris with a feeling of confidence, knowing that the subject would never be broached again.

Typically, those studies became opportunities to share experiences and awakenings, and to hear of the progress of expansion activities. Greater numbers of members began traveling from distant cities, and would always depart feeling inspired by the supremacy of our saviour, and blessed with incredible divine protection.

Peter, Ann and Anthony had traveled several times from Melbourne to Canberra to attend these studies. Being young students without a car, they would hitchhike, taking about ten hours each way. They were so thirsty for divine teachings, that practical considerations, like being car-less, and constantly short of money was of no consequence. What wonderful examples they were to us all.

"See you in a few weeks everybody. We're now hitching back to Melbourne. Here's hoping for a nice divine arrangement to get us home smoothly," were Peter's parting words.

"Obviously relying on God's divine calculator. How blessed and protected they must be," I thought as we bade them farewell at the door of the centre.

It wasn't until Wendy and I arrived at the centre punctually at 2pm the following day, that we heard the news.

"The man who picked them up hitchhiking just outside Canberra had a head-on collision with a fully-laden truck. They're all dead! The truck driver is okay. The police say the driver was speeding and crossed onto the wrong side of the road whilst negotiating a curve and hit the truck head-on at high speed. All four are dead! The police say some of the bodies are unrecognisable. They had only been travelling about an hour. I have reported the matter to Mahikari headquarters in Japan. They asked a lot of questions, and they said they'll get back to me," explained Andris solemnly.

As everybody eventually got to hear the tragic news, naturally they were extremely shocked.

"How? Why?" were everybody's immediate reactions.

"But weren't they seed people blessed with special protection?" were the questions flashing in our minds, demanding satisfactory answers.

It had become a period when spiritual interpretations of any event, no matter how minor or seemingly insignificant, abounded. "It's their karma. Intense spirit disturbance. A warning to us all to try harder. Perhaps they had higher duties to preform in the world of spirit. Maybe our great saviour wanted them with him. Perhaps it's a sacrifice," were typical of the steady stream of spiritual interpretations striving to justify why such a tragic thing could have occurred. Particularly to us - of all people!

"This tragic accident is a test of our faith, so be strong and realise the depth of your sins and impurities. I contacted headquarters in Japan immediately when I heard the news to ask for guidance. Their reply was that such a severe admonition could only have been allowed to occur if they had been involved in homosexual activities or various forms of illicit sexual behaviour. They also said that this incident is a warning to us all, because God can only use purified people to help construct the new holy civilisation. We must all make greater efforts to purify ourselves with the holy spirit, and by spreading the divine work of salvation. As we know, our great saviour teaches that the method by which we die, or the condition of our body at the time of death, is an indication of the level of the world of spirit that we go to."

Andris concluded transmitting the divine guidance he had received from headquarters in Japan, and instructed everybody to pray for the salvation of their souls - now suffering in hell.

Wendy and I began to realise how our sins and impurities were much deeper than we had originally calculated. This was further reinforced when Andris referred us to the teachings of our great saviour, which clearly indicated that although the seed people of the holy civilisation may receive great blessings, we must also understand that we have greater negative karma than other people. That is why God, in his mercy, has selected us as his seed people! Knowing this meant that there could be no turning back. From this tragic incident onwards, it was decided that in future, we would screen seminar candidates. We didn't want to invoke the wrath of God again. From now on, candidates would be required to fill in a questionnaire relating to their marital status, sexual preferences and domestic living arrangements. It was hoped that this information provided by candidates would alert us to any possible homosexuals, lesbians, or people living in sinful de-facto relationships, who were planning on becoming members.

The words "God will not tolerate such activities" were now ringing in our ears. We didn't want to cause any harm to those who couldn't or wouldn't conform. Again and again it was pointed out to us that we were creating and nurturing a very spiritually pure and select group of people.

By now we were all ready to believe and do anything.

The great saviour's wish was our command, and it became our responsibility to transmit this to others, particularly to new candidates.

Integration and communication with the real world was now becoming more difficult. We eyed all visitors to the centre with suspicion, lest they be sexual sinners. We had been instructed to create a pure civilisation for the next millennium using only willing subjects. There was not enough time left for long rehabilitations. Our everyday speech was loaded with divine cliques, often containing Japanese words which made us quite difficult to understand. But this is the way we now wanted things. We became quick to offer our personal spiritual interpretations for any incident. These interpretations were delivered unsolicited, and often totally clashed with another's interpretation of the same event. But this didn't matter, since there was always the possibility that all were correct. Who could ever prove us wrong?

It got to the point that if one simply bumped one's head, a veritable volley of spiritual interpretations would be forthcoming.

This simply served to slowly whittle away one's self esteem, and many members preferred to remain silent about their own problems in fear of being overwhelmed by a gush of interpretations.

The recently introduced questionnaire had somewhat stemmed the flow of seminar candidates, and this allowed us some breathing space to prepare a solid organisational structure for future expansion both in Australia and overseas.

Andris and I had become quite close by now, and it seemed only natural when he asked me to act as his assistant.

"Garry, Mahikari headquarters have asked me to spend a few weeks with them in Japan for training to become a minister. I feel truly honoured and blessed that our great saviour should select me. Whilst I'm away, will you take care of everything? You basically know the ropes anyway," asked Andris, knowing that I, too, would feel equally honoured to take the helm, if only temporarily.

"We pioneers must be constantly aware that our negative karma is far greater than most people's, so God expects more of us," were Andris抯 words to all members as he departed for his training visit, and expected ordination in Japan. We all felt so blessed that at last we would soon have our own Australian minister.

"Our missions are more sacred and important than I could have ever imagined, Garry," Andris extolled one month later upon his triumphant return.

"I'm now an ordained Mahikari minister. I met with Keishu in Japan on a few occasions, and she told me she is expecting big things from us, and that Australia has a special mission," he explained in his new-found voice. "Please prepare yourself to visit Japan soon, Garry. I told her about you, too."

I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy that I, of all people, had been bought up in conversation with Keishu - God's representative! Naturally, I interpreted this to mean that God was watching me with great expectations, and I resolved that I, too, would visit Japan as soon as God would permit.

"Since I'm now a minister, and in keeping with how things are done in Mahikari, I have to be addressed as Reverend Andris Tebecis from now on. If you address me as Reverend, you will receive the divine power and protection of a minister who has an open channel to Keishu. If you simply address me as Andris, you only receive the guidance and power of Andris," the new Reverend Andris Tebecis explained to all and sundry.

During his absence, activity at the centre had continued to increase on all levels, and many matters required immediate attention.

"We really have to begin arrangements to find a bigger centre. Some of the neighbours are complaining about all the cars parked outside, as well as the noise. It's the Japanese chanting and hand clapping; sometimes you can hear it a hundred metres or more away. The centre simply isn't big enough any more," I explained to Reverend Andris Tebecis during one of our cosy planning meetings. The urgency of finding a new and bigger centre was also felt by all members, and it was decided that we would focus all our attention upon this project until we found one.

I was now playing the second-in-charge role in all matters. Keishu had heard about me from Rev Andris Tebecis whilst in Japan, and I was determined that she would hear more from me in the future.

Months later, suitable premises had been found which could accommodate around three hundred people in the worship room. The premises also allowed for a similar-sized area which could be divided into offices, study and work rooms. God had led us to find exactly what we needed. Although the new centre was rather larger than we needed at the time, we reminded ourselves of our great saviour's words. "A small object requires a small container; a large object requires a large container."

"Our large container will naturally be filled in time. Have faith," guided Rev Tebecis.

"As we studied at the primary seminar, Keishu is the top of our pyramid and we are the base. As we expand the base, the top of the pyramid, in this case Keishu, goes even higher, thus even greater power flows down to us. In Australia, the Canberra centre is the top of a pyramid, too. If that is allowed to go higher, the base, meaning the membership in Australia, will get bigger, and greater power of salvation will occur. So, I ask you all to help us establish our new centre in Canberra. We require many thousands of dollars to achieve this. It's a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate your sincerity to God, erase your negative karma and receive greater protection from evil spirits. People who are permitted to make heroic efforts now will truly be seed people for the next holy civilisation," were some of the contents of Rev Andris Tebecis抯 studies on the significance of donations to members and others in all Australian capital cities.

It was only natural by now that all members longed to be seed people, erase their negative karma, and be spared from the terrible influence of evil spirits, and, as expected, money came flooding in from each city a week or two after Rev Andris Tebecis抯 visits.

If members didn't have immediate cash it was okay to take out a loan, and many did. Some young families borrowed $2,000 to $5,000 each. One such family had five children and borrowed $5,000.

"God needs the money now, and besides, God's last judgement is due anytime," was a common thought at the time, and which justified such donations.

Between four and five hundred people were permitted to attend the grand inauguration ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new Canberra centre. Special guests included local politicians and many other local dignitaries. Keishu sent one of her bishops to represent her and deliver a special address she had prepared. Members were present from every state in Australia, as well as New Zealand and Malaysia.

"A giant step in the advancement of God's divine plan spanning billions of years has truly been taken today," were some of the words contained in Keishu's special address. And we were all major participants! How blessed we all were!

Moving speeches followed, and members related how, in spite of severe shortages, God had permitted them to contribute large amounts of money. Some had sold valuable household items, even including cars. Others had taken on extra paid employment. One dear elderly lady had sold cakes at the local shopping centre. The speeches filled everybody with deep emotion, overflowing with gratitude for being permitted to be a part of this giant step forward in mankind's salvation. There was hardly a dry eye anywhere. God was so happy with us.

"Since in the realm where God resides, naturally everything is of the highest quality and in great abundance. This centre is as close to God's realm as you will find anywhere in Australia. We have spared no expense in trying to duplicate God's world, thanks to everybody's efforts. When you visit the centre, realise that this is as close as you can get to being in heaven," were Rev Andris Tebecis抯 closing words.

Members were then invited to savour what had been constructed for them. It was true; it was a most luxurious and lavish place in which to serve God. Mahikari in Australia had finally come of age.

"Garry, now that we have completed our new centre, let's commence running our centre like a real Mahikari centre," Rev Andris Tebecis explained.

"You mean the way they do in Japan?"

"It's not just the way they do it in Japan, it's the way all centres are operated, whether in Japan, the USA or in Europe. We can do it in a step-by-step manner. We could hold a series of studies to teach everybody," Rev Andris Tebecis explained convincingly.

Within two weeks, everybody had learnt a new divine routine, which required the removing of shoes at the door, washing hands, signing in, offering donations in front of the altar accompanied by the correct combination of bows and claps, then greeting everybody, aloud, from a kneeling position at the rear of the worship room. It took a little while for everybody to master God's correct order, but if this is what God wanted, who were we to question. Rev Andris Tebecis encouraged and reassured us step by step to master the correct procedure to be followed at all centres.

"No matter where you may go in the world, this is exactly how it's done at all Mahikari centres."

Administration now entered a new era. As a real centre, we had responsibilities to fulfil, such as paying the rent and filling our large new container.

Headquarters in Japan was very helpful in offering their guidance as to exactly how these responsibilities are to be those of the members.

"Members must make monetary pledges just as God has pledged to create a new holy civilisation," would be their divinely inspired words of encouragement for us to follow.

"Now that everybody's donations are being properly recorded, we can give guidance to those who are lacking in this area," suggested Rev Andris Tebecis. "So make sure the administration side of things runs smoothly. On my next trip to the outposts, I'll hold studies on the importance of supporting Canberra - the top of the pyramid."

Mahikari outposts had simultaneously sprouted in all states, and were nurtured by Rev Andris Tebecis抯 regular visits. We began to make an excellent team. I would take the helm during his long and frequent absences. Meanwhile, Rev Tebecis would speak at public meetings, hold study sessions and occasionally appear on TV throughout Australia.

"I'm so impressed with the attitudes of our members in the other states, because without their generous support we wouldn't be able to pay our rent," I had explained to members. "They really seem to understand the significance of supporting the top of their pyramid. What faith and dedication this shows. God must be truly happy with them. Rev Andris Tebecis calls me almost daily from a different city, and reports what wonderful arrangements and blessings they are receiving. We shouldn't forget Keishu, who is the top of our pyramid. To express our gratitude and apology we should do our utmost to support her."

I was now the de facto second-in-charge of Mahikari Australia.

Members were so awakened to their holy missions that recruitment activities were forever increasing. Every state in Australia now had a flourishing centre, with daily activities and routines all based precisely on what they had experienced whilst attending the Canberra centre.

Recruitment activities commenced in New Zealand and Malaysia, and plans were prepared to spread the divine spirit to other neighbouring countries, too. Communications with Mahikari headquarters in Japan occurred on an almost daily basis, and it was becoming clear that similar expansion and recruitment activities were happening globally, and in parallel to what we were experiencing here. In one of these communications, the formation of a breakaway splinter group in Japan was mentioned. To dispel any misgivings that might arise over this matter, it was pointed out to us that since Mahikari was so positive and powerful, it was inevitable that others would try to duplicate it.

"That's human nature, as opposed to divine nature," Rev Andris Tebecis reassured me, and continued. "Since it's a matter of little significance, there's no need to concern ourselves. Rather than confuse everybody, headquarters suggests that we don't mention the matter to members." The subject was never discussed again.

It was around this time, some two years since the genesis of Mahikari in Australia, that Rev Andris Tebecis was appointed as a seminar lecturer. Up till now, all seminars were conducted by a variety of visiting Japanese ministers who had been bequeathed with this special and coveted responsibility. So it was a day of great rejoicing when Rev Andris Tebecis commenced his first seminar at the centre, packed with around three to four hundred members and candidates.

"God is truly pleased with our efforts. From now on, it will be so much easier to prepare seed people. God has permitted this region to have its own seminar lecturer. This will allow us to all elevate spiritually so much more quickly. Please don't take this lightly," extolled Rev Tebecis in front of his mesmerised and captive congregation.

It came as no real surprise, when a few months later Rev Andris Tebecis called me into his office to discuss my future ordination, too.

"Garry, God is allowing such rapid expansion, I have to visit Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. There are dozens of people in those countries waiting to become seed people. I want you to visit Japan for a few weeks with the view of becoming a minister."

"Of course! I feel so honoured that God may be going to select me to play a leading role in his plan," I eagerly responded.

"Reflect deeply upon this matter. Remember what our great saviour teaches: 'The fact that you are one of my ministers indicates that you have far deeper sins and impurities than other people, but God in his great mercy has offered you his hand of salvation to work for him with greater responsibility. Only in this way is it possible for you to be saved'." quoted Rev Andris Tebecis, testing my resolve.

"Seems like God is offering me his hand, so how can I refuse it. I'd better brush up on my Japanese, too."

"This year I would like to prepare a select group of members to make a spiritual pilgrimage to Japan. When these members return, they will add a great deal of stability to our organisation, as well as being an inspiration to others. The staff at headquarters in Japan will make the various arrangements for us, and God may even permit us to meet Keishu. Meeting her would be the most important and significant event in anybody's life. It's the same as coming face to face with God, so it's not to be taken lightly. Members who qualify to go on this pilgrimage must attend a study on the significance and supremacy of Keishu beforehand," Rev Andris Tebecis explained to members in all centres, as he travelled throughout Australia urging everybody to seriously consider this divine invitation.

Later that year, twenty-two Australians, including Wendy, our new-born son and myself, touched down at the congested Haneda international airport in Tokyo.

"God has been preparing and polishing your souls over many reincarnations for this pilgrimage. Because of various unseen divine arrangements and your special deep relationship with God, you have been permitted to visit Japan, the land of the origin of the human spirit," greeted Rev Tanaka, head minister of the international department upon our arrival at a reception given in our honour.

"The fact that you are here in Japan also means that you have a deep spiritual relationship with this sacred country. You will discover the truth of my words during your stay here. You have been hand-picked by God to be the forerunning soldiers in his holy crusade against the dark forces of evil. Please, for the sake of your countrymen, do your best to learn as much as possible during your brief visit to Japan." concluded Rev Tanaka in his surprisingly clear English.

In typical Japanese tradition, other formal speeches of welcome followed one after the other.

Each speaker from the headquarters staff would, in turn, extend to us a warm friendly greeting followed by inspirational words reinforcing our holy missions. Everybody was so warm and friendly and eager to hear first-hand accounts of our activities in Australia.

Many of the staff members knew some English, whilst a few spoke it fluently. After all the formal activities had been dispensed with, a lavish party was thoroughly and wholeheartedly enjoyed by all. This provided a wonderful opportunity for us all to get to know each other, exchange cultural perspectives and share our common ideals of building a holy civilisation. Feeling relaxed and at home, I attempted to converse in my childlike Japanese, much to the delight of our hosts.

"Tomorrow you will all meet Keishu. She may even shake your hand. You've had a long journey and a busy day, so we shall conclude all activities for the day and rest. After tomorrow's anniversary ceremony, all foreigners will have the opportunity to meet Keishu, God's representative on earth. Please wear your best clothes and clean underwear. During your prayers this evening, pray that your mind and attitude will remain pure in her presence. Keishu has the ability to read your thoughts; she will know exactly what is in your mind, so please don't disappoint her. When it's your turn to greet her, you must bow down low, so that your eyes are not above hers.

"When you greet her, you may look at her face, but do not stare. If she extends her hand to you, hold it gently. When she releases her grip, you must do likewise immediately. Don't ask her any questions, but you may say a few words of greeting if you wish. Often people report feelings of great heat in their hands afterwards. Some even experience miracles, but whatever happens, spiritually you will be a different person.

"What you will receive spiritually from her will be in accordance with your faith and devotion to her," were Rev Tanaka's awesome words of guidance as we toasted a final 'kampai' with our new-found comrades and prepared to depart for our hotel.

It's an exciting feeling waking up in an exotic foreign country. Added to this sense of excitement was the knowledge that this afternoon we were all going to meet Keishu, God's representative on earth, a divine being whose sphere of influence was now felt in almost every country on earth. She had been bequeathed the role of directing humanity back on the narrow pathway towards God. She conversed regularly with God, and we were about to meet her face to face. Perhaps even touch her. She knew we were coming, and she even knew about me!

Dressed in our finest clothes, and clean underwear, we arrived around 9am at the Nikon Budokan in Tokyo, the venue for the annual anniversary ceremony. What a magnificent sight was to befall us. The first indication that we were approaching the venue were the long queues of buses, which, we were told, had traveled from every part of Japan that night. All the main routes leading to the huge building were lined with members of the Mahikari youth corps, all of whom were dressed in green blazers, green caps and white trousers or white skirts. As each guest passed them by, they bowed reverently with precision timing. When our small bus carrying twenty-two foreigners passed them by, their bows were followed by a combination of spontaneous waving, shouting and pointing. We felt so at home.

Upon alighting from our bus, we were confronted with a great volley of cheers and applause. A brass band could be heard in the background playing a medley of striking military tunes. The youth corps was practising marching in readiness for the grand entrance into the massive building.

Thousands of people were milling around in the huge car park, waiting their turn to form a queue and enter. We were led through all the commotion to a sheltered waiting area and asked to remain there until we would be requested to enter in an orderly group. Eventually it became clear that everybody was grouping into their respective centres and preparing to enter as groups. Our turn would arrive soon. A long line of green-blazered youth corps members began marching accompanied by the stirring sound of the brass band playing military marching music. We were told to ready ourselves, as all visiting foreigners were to follow the youth corps members.

Young Japanese ministers-in-training shuffled amongst us, arranging us as best they could to form some resemblance of a three-abreast queue. We were given our signal to move off immediately after the large European contingent.

As we entered the huge auditorium, I almost lost my breath. Twenty thousand Mahikari members rose to their feet accompanied by a thunderous applause.

I could hear the booming voice of an announcer introducing each country in turn as they entered. It seemed as if every country on earth was represented. Since this was to be Australia's debut, the crowd seemed to go wild when I heard 'Australia!' announced. What a spectacle of sound, sight and colour. Flags representing each region or country were placed in front of the altar area as each group entered. I could see our national flag prominently placed towards the centre. Australia was now a part of God's plan. The deafening applause continued until well after all the foreigners had taken their reserved seats towards the front. Just as suddenly, the applause ceased, as if an invisible or silent command for silence had been given. Now was the time for deep contemplation and reflection before Keishu would appear on the stage area in front of the altar. The central focus of the altar was a large, and now-familiar Japanese scroll. This type of scroll is displayed at all centres and seminars, and is inscribed with two large Japanese characters, MA and HIKARI, meaning TRUTH and LIGHT.

During this period of silence, I could hear the occasional muffled sobbing of someone becoming overwhelmed by their feelings of awe, gratitude and apology. It was also a good opportunity for me to look around the gigantic auditorium, and I could see row upon row of foreigners of all colours and nationalities.

"Keishu will be entering soon. Please tune into God and clear your minds of all unnecessary thoughts," came a timely announcement through our multilingual headphones. This was followed by a further thirty minutes of silence.

"Keishu is now approaching the altar. Please close your eyes!"

Two minutes and two hundred heart beats later, I heard the announcer say, "Open your eyes! We shall now commence the ceremony. Everybody please pray together!" I could see Keishu clearly only about ten metres from me. We commenced to pray.

For around thirty minutes, twenty thousand Mahikari members from every corner of the world concentrated intensely on reciting Japanese prayers, whilst focussing every other level of their being upon Keishu. We were as one, and one with God. How special we were in this sacred country of the Gods.

"This ceremony is now over. Congratulations everybody! Keishu will now deliver the divine teachings," came an announcement. This signalled many members to produce pens and note pads in readiness to take notes. Keishu was now in front of her special microphone. God was about to speak!

"Thank you all for coming today in spite of your busy schedules," were her opening divine words, followed shortly by some words of welcome to the Australian visitors. Again my heart pounded strongly in my chest. I knew that just by her thinking about Australia would result in wonderful miracles and blessings for us all. "Our presence here today will herald the step-by-step solving of spirit disturbance which afflicts most Australians," we were thinking as one body.

Keishu spoke further about the approaching time of God's judgement and the unprecedented purgings which humankind will soon encounter. She elaborated more on these purgings and how they were necessary before a new civilisation could be established. "In fact, any tragedy is God's method of purging or clearing away what is no longer acceptable or useful for his divine plan," explained Keishu.

My mind flashed back to the three young Mahikari members from Melbourne who died tragically in the car accident shortly after leaving the Canberra centre. I could see how God was already purging the earth, and how they had no place in his plan. Finally it was all coming together in my mind.

When Keishu completed her delivery of the divine teachings, the congregation once again burst into a thunderous applause.

"Keishu is now leaving. Please close your eyes!" came an announcement. For the next two hours we listened to heart-wrenching testimonials from selected members, followed by inspirational speeches, and finally we were treated to some lively traditional Japanese entertainment. By the time it was announced that all the politicians and distinguished guests were about to leave, it seemed that there wasn't a dry eye to be seen anywhere. It must have been around 3pm when the announcer finally directed the Australian contingent to rise and make its way to the exit, again accompanied by the thunderous applause of twenty thousand members.

"SAYONARA!! SAYONARA!!" gradually replaced the applause as everybody stood to bid us farewell. Tears flowed.

A young Japanese minister-in-training guided us into a large reception area, where we were instructed to wait with the other four hundred or so foreigners. This provided a wonderful opportunity for us all t