World Divine Light

Not to be confused with Sukyo Mahikari or divine light.

World Divine Light (世界真光文明教団, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan), or the World Divine Light Organization (WDL), is a Japanese new religion (shinshūkyō). It is one of the Mahikari movement religions. Its headquarters, the Su-Za World Sōhonzan, is the largest of its kind in the Izu Peninsula.

World Divine Light
世界真光文明教団
Su-Za World Sōhonzan, the religion's headquarters
Type	Japanese new religion
Oshienushi	Katsutoshi Sekiguchi (関口勝利)
Headquarters	Hiekawa, Izu, Shizuoka, Japan
Founder	Sakae Sekiguchi (関口榮)
Origin	1963
Branched from	Mahikari
Other name(s)	World Divine Light Organization
Official website	www.mahikari.or.jp (in Japanese) worlddivinelight.org (in English)

World Divine Light is one of the several organizations that branched off from the original Mahikari religion founded by Kōtama Okada (born Yoshikazu Okada) in 1959.^[1][2][3][4] Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light (WDL) Organization to distinguish itself from Sukyo Mahikari, whereas in Japan it is known as Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan or simply Mahikari. The organization was registered in 1963, and in 1974 Sakae Sekiguchi became the Oshienushi or spiritual leader upon Okada's death. On the other hand, Sukyo Mahikari was established in 1978 by Keishu Okada.^[5]

Spiritual leadership

The organization's spiritual leader is known as the Oshienushi (教え主) or Oshienushi-sama (教え主様):^[6]

• First Oshienushi: Kotama Okada (岡田光玉; 1901–1974) (divine name: Seiō 聖鳳)
• Second Oshienushi: Sakae Sekiguchi (関口榮; 3 March 1909 – 1994)
• Third Oshienushi: Katsutoshi Sekiguchi (関口勝利; 1 September 1939–) (current leader)

Locations

In Japan, Sekai Mahikari Bunmei Kyōdan is headquartered in Hiekawa (冷川), Izu, Shizuoka, located in the mountainous interior of the Izu Peninsula. Its main temple is the Su-Za World Sōhonzan (主座世界総本山, Suza Sekai Sōhonzan), which is often simply known as the "Su-Za" (主座 / ス座) ("Su" is the name of God, while 座 literally means 'seat'.).^[7]

Outside Japan, it calls itself the World Divine Light Organization or WDL to distinguish itself from Sukyo Mahikari. World Divine Light has branches in Houston, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, New York, Chicago, Honolulu, and Vancouver.^[8]