The Oldest Memory - President Ryuho Okawa's Guideline of the Heart 190 -

Sept. 19, 2020（Last Update: June 13, 2026）

President Ryuho Okawa's original work "Guideline of the Heart" is serialized in the Happy Science's publication Monthly 'Happy Science'. Posters are displayed at branches nationwide, and it is widely known as the monthly face of Happy Science.

For those who want to read the Guideline of the Heart in the monthly magazine, you can also find it in Monthly 'Happy Science' October 2020 issue.

In this month's "Guideline of the Heart," President Ryuho Okawa shared memories of feeling loneliness during his childhood. I spoke with Mr. Naoru Takabatake, who is engaged in sacred duties in Yoshinogawa City, Tokushima Prefecture, where President Okawa was born, about what he learned and felt from this month's "Guideline of the Heart."

高畠直（たかばたけなおる）

聖地エル・カンターレ生誕館 open_in_new 担当部長
（兼）聖地・川島特別支部 open_in_new 支部長

1958年、徳島県出身。大阪芸術大学を卒業後、インテリアデザイナーを経て、91年に幸福の科学に奉職。支部、拠点開発局、儀典（ぎてん）芸術局などを経て、2014年より現職。

In this month's "Guideline of the Heart," President Ryuho Okawa reminisces about his childhood loneliness, but I thought he must have felt warmth from his parents' hands and backs. In fact, President Okawa has a deep gratitude towards his parents and often expresses his thanks during his Dharma talks.

Realizing parental love through reflection

As for myself, I was able to appreciate my parents after encountering Happy Science at the age of 28.

At that time, President Okawa preached about "love reflection," where one reflects on what has been given by parents and those around them and what one has returned. When I actually reflected, scenes I had never seen before came to mind. It was the scene of my mother praying while crying in the middle of the night when the woodworking shop run by my parents was on the verge of bankruptcy.

(They raised me with great effort...)

My heart became warm, and tears flowed endlessly. It was only after practicing the reflection method taught by President Okawa that I realized my parents' love and truly thought from the bottom of my heart, "From now on, I will live a life of giving back."

Without making excuses about parents or environment...

In this "Guideline of the Heart," the term "problem child" appears, but local people who know about President Okawa's youth all say in unison, "He was excellent and studied well." Additionally, many who came from overseas for a pilgrimage to the sacred sites and visited President Okawa's birthplace and town were surprised and moved, saying, "President Okawa worked hard to pave the way from such a small place." Even though President Okawa felt loneliness and hardship in a harsh environment, his efforts have become a source of courage for believers both domestically and internationally.

Such dedication of President Okawa is also depicted in the movie "Believing in the Dawn." open_in_new (to be released in October). You can also trace his footsteps at the "Special Memorial Hall" in the El Cantare Birthplace. I hope you will visit the sacred sites and theaters and experience the "dedication" that lies beyond this "Guideline of the Heart."

This content is reprinted and edited from Monthly 'Happy Science' No. 404.

The popular "Guideline of the Heart" is featured in Monthly 'Happy Science', and subscriptions are also available, so please take advantage of it!