Finding Something Better than Wealth
As Told by Shozo Mima
In 1946 I returned to Kyoto, Japan, after spending four years in Manchuria and China fighting in the second world war. Actually I was fortunate—millions didn’t return.
Back home our country was devastated. Whole cities lay in ruins. The people were confused and suffering from hunger. Mothers could be seen searching for scraps of food for their starving babies. Yet, at the same time, the rich could always buy what they needed on the “Black Market.” I knew what it meant to be poor, and never wanted that again. So making money became my chief goal in life.
But, as you will see, I found something better than material gain.
My mother died when I was three and I was brought up by my grandmother. We lived in a country area near Kyoto until I graduated from middle school at age 16. I didn’t like schooling very much, so decided to help in my father’s small business that consisted of selling items made of straw, such as straw bags, ropes, mats, and so forth. I remained there until Japan entered the second world war. Then in 1941, at the age of 20, I was called to the army.
In those days I used to wonder a lot about what happens to a person when he dies. Many of us youngsters were preoccupied with death, because we knew that young men who went to war would probably be killed. I felt it to be unfair that older people should enjoy life, and I should have to die in my youth. Even though Shintoism was a prevalent religion in Japan at the time, it had never provided me with anything that helped me spiritually.
After returning from the war, in keeping with Oriental custom, I married the widow of my brother who was killed in the war. Shortly afterward she died of tuberculosis. Following another Japanese custom, my father arranged through a go-between for marriage to my present wife, Mitsue.
My education was limited. And I wondered what I would do for a living. Having lost most of our material possessions during the war, what counted to me now was financial security, yes, making as much money as I could. Ingenuity and hard work were the key to success, I felt, not necessarily a good education. In time I started a new business that had to do with transporting container boxes of fresh vegetables and fruits from growing areas to the market.
I worked hard day and night trying to build up the business. And it did begin to succeed, although I wasn’t getting wealthy as I had hoped. Then, I began to pay a price for the hard-driving, unreasonable pressure that I was putting on myself. I became very sick, and was hospitalized.
For weeks my wife had to care for me. I thought my sickness was incurable, and that I might die. So again I started to be preoccupied with death, and what happens to a person when he dies.
DOES RELIGION HAVE THE ANSWERS?
To find an answer, I turned to religion. Earlier in life I had learned something about Shinshu Buddhism, so now I again became interested in it. Buddhism teaches that there is a world of immortal spirits, and that everyone who dies becomes a part of this spirit world. It also teaches that the spirits of some persons will be tormented in “hell.”
I believed this, and so was convinced that humans have an immortal part of them that survives death to live on in a spirit world. I desired assurance that this supposed inner life of mine would not depart to some place of torment, but would enjoy a happy future after death. However, to my great disappointment, the one who was teaching me the Shinshu Buddhism religion died, and I wasn’t able to get the answers that I wanted.
Still I continued to search for the way of salvation by attending other Buddhist meetings. I even went to some Protestant and Catholic churches. Interestingly, I found that these taught much as the Buddhists do, namely, that a person may either spend his afterlife in a place of fiery torment or enjoy salvation in heaven, depending on the type of life that he had lived while on earth. But the answers were not satisfying. Also, I could see the selfishness and greed of these churches and stopped going to them.
During the time that I was sick, Lois Dyer, an Australian missionary of Jehovah’s Witnesses, called on me. She offered to study the Bible in our home free of charge, and I gladly accepted. But as the study progressed, my joy turned to pain.
This was particularly because of the Bible teaching that the human soul is not immortal. Lois read to me such scriptures as Ezekiel 18:4, which says: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” I was very angry to hear this, so I even tried to quit the study. Also, the study at times seemed difficult, causing me to ask: “Why must one study such difficult things to gain salvation? Isn’t there a simpler way?”
Lois explained that, due to falsehoods taught by religions for hundreds of years, misconceptions are deeply rooted in people’s hearts. Careful study is, therefore, needed to distinguish between truth and error. She also said that only truth will lead people to eternal salvation.
After her explanation, I began to recognize the real need of serious study in order to learn God’s truths. This scripture in the Bible impressed me: “If you keep seeking for it as for silver, and as for hid treasures you keep searching for it, in that case you will understand the fear of Jehovah, and you will find the very knowledge of God.” (Prov. 2:4, 5) Now I began to enjoy the Bible. As we examined its teachings, what we studied began to make sense to me.
I could see that it is true, humans are souls, and that at death the soul dies. The dead are unconscious. (Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps. 146:4) But Almighty God has the power to resurrect persons back to life, and his sure promise is that he will do this. (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15) The Bible also clearly teaches that this earth we live on will be transformed into a beautiful home to be inhabited by humans obedient to God. (Rev. 21:3, 4) These Bible teachings began to make a deep impression on me, and to affect my life.
Soon I recuperated and was able to get back to work to bolster my sagging business. But my viewpoint toward gaining wealth, as well as toward Buddhism, had changed. I started to preach to the Buddhist priest about the things that I was learning from the Bible. This caused my father to get angry and he expelled us from his home. So we remodeled one of the rooms of my business office and moved in there.
PURSUING A DIFFERENT GOAL
In those days the meeting place of Jehovah’s Witnesses was one hour away by streetcar. It was a public place, a small rented Japanese-style room, about four by seven meters (13 by 23 feet) in size. People in adjoining rooms would be playing the Japanese chess game of Go, or learning the use of the abacus, and would make a lot of noise. I was impressed by the sincerity and enthusiasm of those who attended the meetings, including many young people, who paid close attention to the study material despite the distractions.
I will always remember the first Memorial of Christ’s death that I attended in 1955. As you may know, it is called “the Lord’s supper” or “the Lord’s evening meal.” (1 Cor. 11:20) Not knowing what kind of meal would be served, I attended with another Bible student wearing my best suit and without having eaten supper. On our way home, we both were very hungry!
Then I began attending the semiannual circuit assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses that lasted for two or three days. While away attending them I would worry about my business. But the happy association with the fine people there had become more important to me than making money.
It seemed logical that if the Bible contains the way of salvation, the only right thing to do is to share its truths with others. In time I progressed to helping others to study the Bible in their homes. My first regular study was with a painter. One particular snowy night, as I was on my way home, questions came into my mind: “Why should I be doing this at such a late hour? Why can’t I just enjoy my own salvation? I know the importance of the work, but why . . . ?”
So, as I trudged through the snow, I prayed to Jehovah about the matter. Then I remembered what the missionary had told me when I asked her about a simpler way to salvation. She said: “God is love, and selfishness and hatred are from the Devil.” Yes, most people are engaged in the selfish pursuit of wealth. But I could see that this preaching work is something very unselfish; it is God’s work. By it Jehovah wants to gather people who will listen, and to train them for salvation.
At that moment I more fully understood the love of God, and the importance of our labors of love. Before I retired that night I thanked Jehovah heartily for the understanding that he had given me. That experience I remember clearly until this day.
MEETING PROBLEMS SUCCESSFULLY
I now began to have more opposition from family and relatives, as well as from other associates. A principal reason was my nonparticipation in activities that so often have religious features, such as funerals.
My wife did not like the changes I made and asked for a divorce, which greatly shocked me. However, I was able to reason with her about the foolishness of such an action. Later she, too, started to study the Bible. I was so happy when she dedicated her life to Jehovah and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1957.
It was especially difficult to bring up our two young girls in the way of true Christianity, for people in our community are zealous for unchristian religious festivals to which children are very much attracted. I tried to teach our daughters why certain celebrations and practices are not pleasing to God. We would review with them what we learned at our Christian meetings on our way home, and I often commended them if they remembered well. This encouraged them to pay attention. Also, my wife and I were very conscious to live lives consistent with our teaching, and always to set good examples for the children.
A BETTER, HAPPIER LIFE
In 1957, at an assembly in Osaka, it was announced that the missionaries in Kyoto would leave for other assignments. During the assembly the need of full-time “pioneer” preachers was discussed. So I started to think about whether I could be a pioneer by planning my time wisely.
When we returned home, I tried pioneering on a temporary basis, working in my business part time. Then I hired a man to look after the business for me while I was out in the preaching work. After a year the business was doing just as well as the year before. So I started to pioneer on a regular basis. Later, in 1964, I decided to sell the business. From the proceeds of the sale, and by working part time at a fish breeding and raising company I have been able to support my family and continue in the pioneer work to this day.
I have experienced so many benefits from following Jesus’ counsel to ‘stop storing up treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:19, 20) One of them was the construction in 1965 of a Kingdom Hall on my property.
When I first associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses there were only 10 Kingdom publishers in Kyoto meeting in that small rented room. But now there are nine thriving congregations, with over 700 publishers and 96 pioneers in Kyoto! And there are six fine Kingdom Halls. All this growth of Jehovah’s worship I have witnessed and shared in during the past 23 years.
A rewarding experience I’ll never forget was attending the 1958 international convention in New York city’s Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. By watching about 180,000 people the opening day I could understand that Jehovah God is certainly gathering people of all languages and nationalities together as his true worshipers.
It has been a particular pleasure to see the spiritual growth of ones with whom I’ve studied the Bible. Some of them are now serving as pioneers, and are helping yet other persons to learn the way of salvation. My wife has been a faithful companion these many years, and we regularly enjoy the preaching work together. Our two daughters are now married, and both of them have had a full share in pioneer service.
When I think back to when my chief goal in life was to become wealthy, there is no comparison as to how much happier I’ve been since I changed my goal. Truly there is nothing that can match the contentment and satisfaction that come with using one’s life in the service of our Grand Creator.
[Picture of Shozo Mima on page 12]