Venerated Enlightened Seishi Onisaburō Deguchi (vegetarian): Messenger of the Divine Word, Part 1 of 3

Seishi Onisaburō Deguchi (vegetarian) was a venerated enlightened Master, seer, artist, and visionary. With the Reverend Kaiso Nao Deguchi, He was the co-founder of a spiritual movement called Oomoto, meaning “Great Source” or “Great Origin.” Deguchi Onisaburō was respectfully called “Seishi,” meaning spiritual Master.

Born Kisaburō Ueda in 1871 to a poor farming family in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, He was a sickly child who remained bedridden until about age nine, causing Him to begin elementary school later than His peers. However, Kisaburō possessed an extraordinary memory and keen intuition. Even as a young child, He could instantly answer any question posed by the village adults. Amazed by His insight, they affectionately nicknamed Him “the child prodigy,” “sharp ears,” and “Eight Ears.”

When Kisaburō turned 22, in 1893, He went to Sonobe to study veterinary medicine. However, Kisaburō could not reconcile Himself to the killing involved, and in 1894, He abandoned the program. During His roughly two years in Sonobe, He also studied pharmacy and learned classical Japanese literature from a scholar named Okada Korehira. During this period, Kisaburō read voraciously and immersed Himself in the Kojiki, national classics, and medical texts at Korehira’s residence in Nanyou-ji Temple, which housed a rich library. Known for His fearless spirit and strong sense of justice, Kisaburō defended the weak and challenged the powerful, standing up for those with no one else to protect them.

Kisaburō realized that, though He sought righteousness, His actions brought both relief and resentment. This insight marked His awakening toward spiritual understanding. A man in Western clothes then appeared before Him and, after a brief exchange of words, carried Him away in spirit to the sacred shrine atop Mount Fuji. The Celestial being introduced himself as Matsuoka Fuyō, a Divine messenger of Konohanasakuya-hime no Mikoto, the goddess of Mount Fuji. In Japanese mythology, Konohanasakuya-hime is revered as the Deity of Mount Fuji, blossoms, and purity, and is believed to quell the mountain from erupting. Following this Divine guidance, Kisaburō entered the nearby sacred Mount Takakuma to undertake spiritual training. It was March 1, 1898, (February 9 by the lunar calendar), and Kisaburō was 26 years old.

Through this initiatory experience, Kisaburō awakened abilities of clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, prophecy, mind-reading, and other supernatural powers. Kisaburō came to understand the true essence of His spirit and became aware of His mission as a servant of God. From the Divine messenger, He received the following revelation: “In this degenerate age of chaos or at the end of the world, when false gods run rampant and the world leans toward darkness, You must study the pure and sacred Way of the Divine, purify Your spirit, and become a noble missionary who will sound the trumpet of the Divine Way to awaken the world. […] No matter what disaster you face, never retreat. Believe that everything is the Divine Plan of God. Do not allow any temporary failure or hardship to cause You to stray from the Divine Path or change Your resolve. Obey the Will of the God Maitreya for as long as Your life continues, and expand this will throughout the world. The Gods will illuminate Your path and accompany You, protecting You so that You may fulfill this mission.”