Shoko Asahara: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Shōkō Asahara (麻原 彰晃), March 2, 1955 is the founder of the controversial Buddhist religious group Aum Shinrikyo.

Early years

Shoko Asahara was born in as Chizuo Matsumoto (松本智津夫) in a large and poor family of a tatami mat maker in Japan’s remote Kumamoro Prefecture. Partially blind since birth, he was enrolled in a school for the blind as a child. Mr Asahara’s graduated in 1977 and turned to the study of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. He married in 1978.

His religious quest reportedly started in these early times, when he was intensely working to support his family and dedicated his free time to study of various religious concepts, starting from Chinese astrology and Taoism. Later Shoko Asahara practiced the Indian esoteric Yoga and Buddhism.

Very little is known about this period of his life.

Shoko Asahara’s attitude towards religion was not typical for Japanese. While religion does not play a significant role in the lives of ordinary Japanese except in days of religious ceremonies such as funerals and weddings, Mr. Asahara’s goal was to ‘achieve the ultimate enlightenment’, so frequently mentioned in ancient religious scriptures, from the very beginning. He studied seriously and tried various schools, meditations and approaches to find the way that is really effective. Mr Asahara’s approach is illustrated by Agonshu example.

In the early 1980s, Shoko Asahara joined Agonshu, a Buddhist religious group. The most serious of its religious practices was 100-days practice of offerings. Those who offered money every day for a hundred of days consequtively were promised enligtenment. Despite the financial hardships, he completed the practice. The enlightenment never came. He later recalled the story on a number of occasions to his disciples to illustrate the importance of faith: despite the serious doubts regarding the effectiveness of practice and the religious organization itself, he continued to practice as exactly he was told till the last day without compromises.

Several years passed and Mr Asahara’s efforts started to bring results. He continued to live in a small one-room apartment in Tokyo’s Shibuya district with his wife and two daughters. It was during that period when his first and closest disciples followed him.

He started teaching them yoga. Financial hardships remained severe as Shoko Asahara refused to accept any pay for his coaching – this was in clear contradiction to religion, only those who attained enlightenment can accept material offerings, the scriptures dictate.

People who knew Shoko Asahara during this period characterize his as an uniquely understanding, kind and compassionate person. One of them remembers that during one of her visits the foodstock of Mr Asahara’s family was completely used up and all that was left was some carrots. To motivate the hungry disciples that haven’t had their dinners to stay and train a little longer, he cooked a carrot salad. The fresh carrots went to disciples, but rotten ones that were not fit for the dish he ate himself, smiling. Having heard about the unusual yoga teacher, friends of his disciples also started to attend.

In 1987 Asahara returned from India and explained to his disciples that he attained his ultimate goal: the enlightenment. The immediate disciples offered money that he was now able to accept and thus financially helped to organize an intensive yoga seminar that attracted many people interested in spiritual development and lasted several days. Mr Asahara himself coached the participants. The group started to grow exponentially. There was no monastic order as such at the time.

That year Shoko Asahara officially changed his name and applied for registration of the group, “Aum Shinrikyo. The authorities were initially reluctant to grant the status of a religious organization and dragged the registration process up. The group was granted legal recognition after an appeal, in 1989. The monastic order was established and many of the followers decided to join.

The doctrine of Aum Shinrikyo is based on original Buddhist sutras (scriptures), known as Pali Canon. Besides the Pali Canon, Aum Shinrikyo uses other texts, such as Tibetan sutras, Yoga-Sutra by Patanjali and Taoist scriptures. The sutras are being studied together with comments to them, written by Shoko Asahara himself. The learning system (kyogaku system) has several stages, similar to university education: only those who complete a preliminary stage can move on and advance to further steps of they successfully pass the examination. The collection of publications that are being studied comprises several bookshelves.

Shoko Asahara has written many religious books himself. The most known are: Beyond the Life and Death, Mahayana Sutra and Initiation.

Shoko Asahara’s teachings stress the importance of ascetic practice, similar to those of a Kargyudpa, a Tibetan Buddhist school. Modern technology such as computers and CD players is being used to complement the ancient meditations. To justify the achievement of a certain stage of religious practice, practitioners have to demonstrate signs like cessation of oxygen consumption, reduction of heart activity and changes in electromagnetic activity of the brain. The intensive practice (retreat) rooms are equipped with corresponding sensors.

Main article: Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway

On March 20, 1995, Tokyo Subway System was attacked by the nerve gas sarin. Twelve commuters died from intoxication, thousands suffered from its traumatic effects. Authorities accused Aum Shinrikyo in the attack, as well as in a number smaller-scale incidents. Tens of disciples were arrested, Aum’s facilities were raided and soon the court issued an order on Shoko Asahara’s arrest. He was discovered in a very small completely isolated room of the building belonging to Aum, meditating.

Shoko Asahara is currently imprisoned and faces 27 murder counts in 13 separate indictments. According to the theory of the prosecution, he has given orders to attack the Tokyo Subway in order to seize the political government and become a king of Japan. Many of the accusations vanished in the course of a trial for lack of factual base. However, as some of the disciples testified against Asahara, he was ruled guilty and sentenced to death on February 27, 2004.

The trial has been called the "Trial of the century" by the Japanese media. Yoshihiro Yasuda, the most experienced attorney in Shoko Asahara’s defence team, was arrested and could not participate in the defence (acquitted shortly before the end of the trials). Human Rights Watch criticized the isolating of Yasuda. Currently Shoko Asahara is defended by court-appointed lawyers.

Shortly after the beginning of the trial, Shoko Asahara cooperated with his defence counsel and provided explanations regarding the doctrine, aims of the organization and other matters. Later he resigned from the post of the representative of Aum Shinrikyo, in order to defend the group from forceful dissolution. Since then, Shoko Asahara ceased to speak even with his family members and spends his days in meditation.

The legal team appealed the ruling, the trial is expected to move to the Supreme Court.