66. Safe Childbirth

When Take, wife of Kisaburo Maegawa, was pregnant with her first daughter Kimi, she returned to the Residence to receive the Grant for Safe Childbirth. Oyasama said:

“Welcome home!”

and She further taught Take:

“At the time of delivery there will be no need for help from others.”

When Take began to feel labor pains no one else was at home. Therefore, in accordance with the words of Oyasama, she boiled the water, prepared the bathing tub, cut the umbilical cord, took care of the afterbirth, gave the baby her first bath, and dressed her all by herself without any help from others. With the full divine protection of God the Parent she was able to deliver her child safely.

Note: The birth date of Kimi Maegawa was January 25, 1880. It is assumed that Take received the Grant for Safe Childbirth in the previous year.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 57–58

Translation of “Sawa’s note “

“Submitted by Shikinori Daikyokai in 1973. Kisaburo was born in Hokiji, Tawaramoto. He was the first head minister of Shikinori Daikyokai.”

My take

Anecdotes 66 is striking in two ways: First, Oyasama appears to accurately anticipate that Take Maegawa would give birth alone without others present. Second, it is amazing that Take had the focus necessary to give birth by herself without any assistance from anyone.

When my wife gave birth to our daughter earlier this year, there was a doctor and at least three nurses present. I couldn’t imagine how it would have been if my wife had to give birth without any assistance.

That Take was able to do what she did can be interpreted in two ways: either it was all due to the blessings from the Grant of Safe Childbirth she received or that people in the past were made of tougher stuff than those of us living today. Perhaps this is not an either/or proposition in terms which is a more viable interpretation; they may be equally viable. Or, as the closing sentence asserts —  “With the full divine protection of God the Parent she was able to deliver her child safely” —  the case at least must be made that Take’s ability to manage on her own was possible precisely because of God’s constant protection.

Bibliography

• Tenrikyo Church Headquarters. 1976. Anecdotes of Oyasama, the Foundress of Tenrikyo. Tenri: Tenrikyo Church Headquarters.

Further reading

(on Grant of Safe Childbirth)

• Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 34: Tsukihi Has Granted It
• Fukaya, Yoshikazu. 2009.”Grant for Safe Childbirth.” In Words of the Path: A Guide to Tenrikyo Terms and Expressions. Tenri: Tenrikyo Overseas Department, pp. 49–50 (online version).

(On Maegawa Kisaburo)

• Takano, Tomoji. 1985. Disciples of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo, pp. 24–28.