- I have faith in a specific religion. In other words, I am a member of the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai. However, a specific religion (including the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai) neither monopolizes religious truth nor is it the ultimate embodiment of it.
This statement is related to the previous one (Imaoka’s statement six). However, it is more specific as it assumes that one associates oneself to a religion. Free religion allows me to be part of any religion as long as I can see the religion not as the sole source of truth. In meditation, I should ask myself: “Do I honestly feel like associating and committing myself to a religion? Can I truly have faith on this religion?”
I am currently exploring jiyu shukyo in the context of unitarianism. After zen, this is the only religion that I truly resonate with. But I haven’t reach the point of complete faith as I still need to learn a lot about it. For now, to have faith is to maintain a sense of openness to Imaoka, free religion, and wherever this could bring me.