Aum Shinrikyo

Aum Shinrikyo was a Japanese religious group founded in 1984 as a yoga club by Shoko Asahara, who proclaimed himself as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and Shiva. The sect's teachings include aspects from those of Christianity and Buddhism. The group is known as a dangerous cult and a terrorist group; it and its members have committed or have been accused of being involved in numerous illegal acts, including kidnappings, assassinations, murder, using chemical weapons for mass murder, and attempting to use biological weapons for mass murder.

Cult members who desired to leave often couldn't. One cult member was abducted and killed in 1995 after trying to leave the sect. Buddhist religious leaders have denounced the cult, saying that it is not a legitimate Buddhist sect.

In March 1995, Asahara's sect attacked Tokyo subways with nerve gas, killing 13 people and injuring at least 6000. The cult's leader was arrested; Asahara was put on trial in 1996 and sentenced to death in 2004, but has yet to be executed. Many cult members involved in the terrorist attack were also later executed.

In 2002, the cult changed its name to Aleph, which later split into two groups, Aleph and Hikarinowa. Current day cult members no longer support the former group's acts of terrorism, but the Japanese government continues to keep the two groups, which still view Asahara as a prophet, under surveillance.

Teachings

Aum Shinrikyo's teachings were drawn from a variety of texts, including Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, and Christian scriptures, with the Book of Revelations from the Holy Bible used to justify the cult's teachings of an impending doom.

The cult incorporated concepts from Eastern religions like Karma and reincarnation. It taught that bad Karma could be removed from individuals when they suffer, which led to members abusing eachother.