Reverend Haya Akegarasu was a dynamic and revolutionary individual, and his influence is lasting in the world of Buddhism and thought. He was born in 1877 at Myotatsuji Temple in Kitayasuda, Dejiromura, Ishikawa-gun, Ishikawa-ken, Japan. The young man grew up to be a very sincere and puritanical person. At the age of 23, after graduating from the Shinshu College in Kyoto, he went to Tokyo to join Reverend Manshi Kiyozawa.His life was filled with many troubles and sufferings. When he was 31, he was attacked by tuberculosis, and when he was 36, his wife fell ill and died after severe illness. During her illness, and due to the events surrounding it, he underwent a great many personal discoveries of a deeply troubling nature to such a puritanical person. Searching for an answer, he read many books, until he came to the Great Eternal Life Sutra, or Dai Muryojukyo (in Japanese), Sukhavativyuha (in Sanskrit). Then a great change took place in his life. He read and studied the sutra, and a new life for him began; his true life emerged.Events of his life were such that he continued to experience many hardships, not the least of which was his steadily worsening eyesight that lead to eventual blindness.Before his eyesight failed, he was an avid reader of books: eastern, western, ancient and contemporary, and had an active curiosity about all things in life. His private library contained 60,000 books. After his mother passed on in 1927, he began traveling the world. It was in the US that Rev. Akegarasu met Rev. Gyomay for the first time.Although he was an outstanding scholar, he believed that Buddhism was meant to be lived and breathed, and it was in this spirit that he trained his students.

First Meeting
From Rev. Gyomay Kubose's memoirs

When Rev. Akegarasu came to the US in 1929, while staying with Rev. Hata (one of his disciples at a temple in Oakland, CA), he met Masao Kubose (Gyomay). Rev. Akegarasu planned to travel through the US speaking and touring. Rev. Hata planned to accompany him since, by this time, his teacher's eyesight had failed considerably. But on the eve of their departure, a church member died."It's okay, Sensei," Rev. Hata assured Rev. Akegarasu, "I'll make arrangements so that I can still accompany you." Rev. Akegarasu said, "No, no, where is that young man Kubose? He can go with me." And so it was that young Kubose traveled with him as his personal secretary throughout the United States for 45 days. A deep personal affinity had manifested itself upon their first meeting, and this continued to deepen and grow. By the end of their travels together, it was arranged that Kubose would finish college in the US, then go to Japan to be his disciple.

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Excerpt From The Fundamental Spirit of Buddhism
By Rev. Akegarasu
(Translated by Rev. Gyomay M. Kubose)

Shakamuni and Buddhism
When we classify people we assign them different labels; for instance; He is a scholar. That person is a politician. He is a religionist. If we use such labels, what kind of label would be appropriate for Shakamuni? ("Shakamuni" is one of the Buddha's names.)

In general, the label religionist is given to Shakamuni. Shakamuni is a religionist; such an idea is the general opinion. We like to categorize religionists as Christian, Mohammedan, Brahman and Buddhist. And those who founded such religions we call religionist. In the sense that Christianity is a religion, and Mohammedanism is also, and the people who founded them are religionists, it seems all right to say that Shakamuni is a religionist. But between Buddhism and other religions (such as Christianity and Mohammedanism) there is a vast difference. Buddhism cannot be called religion in the same sense that we speak of Christianity and Mohammedanism. Likewise, there is a great misunderstanding if you say that Shakamuni is a religionist in the same way that Christ and Mohammed were religionists.

Shakamuni Is a Philosopher
The Japanese word shukyo is translated from the western word religion. The word religion embodies many Christian-like ideas. From ancient times, western people did not know anything other than Christianity. They say religion, and they think: Christianity. Some westerners do not include Buddhism in religion. In Christianity, they believe in a God who created and controls the world. (But in Buddhism there is no such God.) In such a manner of thinking, Buddhism is not a religion, and Shakamuni is not a religionist--at least according to some students of religion. And they are quite right! It is quite wrong to say Shakamuni is a religionist in the same sense as Christ and Mohammed.

Shakamuni is not a religionist; rather, he belongs to the same group as Socrates. It is perhaps better, therefore, to say that Shakamuni is a philosopher. Religionists all think in terms of God. They think the world is controlled by God. And they think that religion is praying to God in an effort to attain some benefit. If religion is such a thing, then Shakamuni did not believe in it or in such a God. Without depending on God, he earnestly walked life's path, discovering all things within. Thus, it is possible to state that Shakamuni was not a religionist.

The book then goes on to describe just what Shakamuni was if he was not a "religionist" and the features of his "religion" that make it unlike any other religion in the world. Notice Rev. Akegarasu's many allusions to Western concepts and people, such as Socrates, Christ, and Mohammed. The truth is valuable no matter where it comes from.