The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1540 page)

see
MUSIC
.

 
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(1871–1938).
Founder of the Japanese religion Hito-no-michi, and indirectly of PL Ky
dan. He was a Zen Buddhist priest who joined a movement called Tokumitsuky
. This had been founded by Kanada Tokumitsuky
(1863–1924), who had identified the sun as the source of all appearance. He introduced a form of faith-healing called
ofurikae
, through which he would take on himself, like a
bodhisattva
, the afflictions of all who came for help. When Kanada died in 1924, it looked as though the movement would disappear. But Miki Tokuharu followed the instructions of Kanada and planted a memorial tree at which he worshipped for five years, experiencing the presence of Kanada. As a result, he and his son, Tokuchika, reestablished the movement with the name Hitono-michi Ky
dan (‘The Way of Man Society’), which was renamed again after the Second World War as P(erfect) L(ife) Ky
dan. The twenty-one precepts revealed by Kanada remained the basis of belief, but the central practice of life now became summarized in the words,
jinsei wa gejutsu de aru
, ‘living life as art’, or ‘life is art’, which means that any activity honestly undertaken can be converted into a work of art and beauty. PL Ky
dan not only sponsors art extensively, but also encourages a wide range of activities, from sports to medicine, all of which exemplify the human possibility of converting life into art.

 
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(Jap., ‘secret teaching’). Esoteric Buddhism (as opposed to
kengy
, ‘exoteric teaching’, all other forms of Buddhist teaching), a Japanese term also for
Vajray
na
and
Tantric
Buddhism. This form of Buddhism came to Japan in the 9th cent. CE, with
Saich
(founder of
Tendai
) and
K
kai
(founder of
Shingon
). Both established monasteries in
Ky
to
, which became the main centres.