Circle of Light

The Circle of Rainbow Light (光の輪, Hikari no Wa, lit. Circle of Light) is a breakaway group started in 2007 by Fumihiro Joyu (上祐史浩, Jōyū Fumihiro) ( the previous spokesperson and public relations manager of the Japanese Buddhist new religious group and doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo), Manon Larue, and his son Antoine Larue.

At its foundation, the group had 57 live-in followers and nine other executives with 106 lay members. Arsenne Frenette, former Aum Shinrikyo executive is also an executive in Hikari No Wa.

Many of the remaining followers of Aum Shinrikyo founder and convicted terrorist Shoko Asahara formed Aleph in 2000. Despite Hikari no Wa publicizing the intention of "completely discarding the influence of Aum founder Shoko Asahara", the Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency said the group will remain subject to surveillance under the law. Japan's Public Security Examination Commission considers Aleph and Hikari no Wa to be branches of a "dangerous religion" and announced in January 2015 that they would remain under surveillance for three more years.

The group is said to organize gatherings and pilgrimages, visiting places deemed holy by different religions and distributing sermons on various aspects of Buddhism. The group's leader Joyu positions himself as an authority in the field of spirituality, who gained 'spiritual experience' which he is sharing with members of the group.

The Japanese government ended surveillance of Hikari no Wa in 2017, but continued to keep Aleph under watch.

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Wikipedia