The Story of Light

The Story of Light
— What Can Sacred Light Tell Us? —

The radiance behind a statue of the Buddha. The halos surrounding the heads of Christian saints.

Across different eras and cultures, sacred figures have often been depicted with light.

What is this light?

Is it a symbol of holiness? Or could these images reflect light that people have actually experienced?

Throughout religious history, we find stories of encounters with light.

A Radiance He Did Not Know He Had

The Bible tells us that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai after speaking with God, his face was radiant.

He himself was unaware of it. Yet those around him saw the radiance and were afraid to approach him.

An encounter with the divine, expressed as a person’s own radiance—it is a story that brings the image of a halo to mind.

A Light from Heaven That Changed a Life

Paul, who later became a Christian missionary, also had a dramatic encounter with light.

Then known as Saul, he was persecuting Christians. But while traveling to Damascus, he was suddenly surrounded by light from heaven.

It became a turning point that changed the direction of his life. He went on to spread the very faith he had once persecuted.

“I Saw Light”—The Words of Muhammad

The Prophet Muhammad is also reported to have spoken of light.

In a collection of hadith—accounts of the Prophet’s words and deeds—Muhammad is said to have been asked, “Did you see your Lord?” His answer was: “I saw Light.”

The account offers few details. Even so, this brief response to a question about an encounter with the divine leaves a lasting impression.

Stories of Light Are Still Being Told

A radiant face. Light from heaven. And light felt during prayer.

These experiences cannot all be regarded as identical. Yet across different times and faiths, people have continued to share accounts of encounters with light.

Even today, some describe feeling enveloped in light—and finding their hearts profoundly changed.

“I Was Born Loved”

Consider the experience of Mr. H, a craftsman who makes traditional Japanese sweets.

He lost his mother when he was just two months old. Growing up, he carried a deep loneliness in her absence. Although he worked hard to master his craft, he lacked confidence and gradually closed his heart to others.

Eventually, he discovered the teachings of Happy Science and began praying at home every morning and evening.

One day, during his usual prayers, thoughts of his late mother came to him. He describes sensing her feelings flowing into his heart, as though he were enveloped in golden light.

At that moment, he realized something:

He had been loved by his mother from the moment he was born.

Tears flowed, and the sense of worthlessness he had carried for so long faded away. His heart filled with gratitude—not only toward his mother, but also toward Buddha and the people he had encountered throughout his life.

After this experience, his approach to work changed as well.

He began making each sweet with care, wishing happiness for the people who would buy it. He became more considerate when teaching younger colleagues and more willing to listen to others’ ideas.

For him, the feeling of being enveloped in light became a turning point: he discovered his own worth and began opening his heart to others.

The Connection Between the Soul and Light

What, then, is the relationship between this light and our souls?

In The Laws of the Sun, Ryuho Okawa teaches that the soul has the capacity to gather, absorb, emit, and amplify the light of Buddha.

“The second quality of the soul is its role or nature as the center that concentrates and disperses the light of Buddha. What, then, is Buddha's light? It is His energy that fills the great universe. (…) It is the soul's nature to be able to concentrate, absorb, emit, and amplify this light of Buddha. We consider those who can absorb and emit a large amount of Buddha's light as having plenty of light. They are the ones known as ‘the light of guiding spirits（Angel）.’”

— The Laws of the Sun, p. 56

The stories we have explored invite wonder. They also speak of the power of light to transform people’s hearts and lives.

Some find their lives taking an entirely new direction.
Some discover, in the midst of loneliness, that they are loved.
And some begin living with a wish for the happiness of others.

Could these stories of light also tell us something about our own souls?

With a profound understanding of the soul’s capacity to perceive light, Master Ryuho Okawa has woven his books into a systematic body of teachings through which readers, too, can experience that light for themselves.

This Weekend’s Seminar: The Story of Light

In this weekend’s seminar, we will explore what spiritual light is, what it means to experience it, and how we can bring that light into our daily lives.

Join us as we explore the mystery of light and the possibilities within our souls.

We warmly look forward to welcoming you.