Verse 5

五ツ　いつまでしん／＼゛したとても　やうきづくめであるほどに

五つ　何時まで信心したとても　陽気尽くめである程に

Itsutsu / Itsumade / shinjin / shita totemo / yōki / zukume de aru hodo ni

Five / Always / believing / even if [you] do / joyousness / brimming

The gist of this verse is: No matter how long we have believed or displayed the outward motions of faith, it is important that our heart-minds brim with joyousness.¹

One commentator elaborates on this verse as follows:

“Itsumade means a lifetime. Shinjin is not to believe temporarily but to have an eternal faith. We are taught here that the more we have faith, the more our lives should brim with yoki (joyousness). Yoki means to be physically fit, to live a long life free from financial and material worries, to have family members be united in mind, and wholeheartedly enjoy one’s life’s journey. A person who has faith but is not brimming with joyousness must come away with the insight that they have taken a wrong turn somewhere on the path of faith.”²

Yōki-zukume

“Yoki” (joyousness or spiritual radiance) was covered in Song Four, verse 5. “Zukume” is a phrase meaning “full of,” “overflowing,” or “brimming with.”³ One commentator explains that it means “no stoppage or rest.”⁴

“Yoki-zukume” is a phrase that appears several places in the Ofudesaki. Here are just two examples:

When [Kami] accomplishes the sweeping of all humankind, you will be spirited and full of joy.

3:54

From now on, firmly replace the mind and become the mind of joyousness.

14:24⁵

Shinjin

A particular commentator explains “shinjin” (believing) in the following manner:

“As long as we believe in this path, we must be yoki (spiritually radiant) in all situations and at all times. It is inexcusable to worry, brood, or allow oneself to rot spiritually while believing in Kami. Believing in this path amounts to being content with and rejoicing over one’s day-to-day life. Oyasama underwent Hardships in a state of spiritual uplift because she wanted us to savor this joy.”⁶

Oyasama once explained “shinjin” in the following manner to a person who demonstrated great devotion to his mother:

“Faith in [Kami] (Kami-san no shinjin) is to believe in [Kami] just as you do in your own parent who gave you birth. Then your faith will become genuine.”⁷

Verse 6

六ツ　むごいこゝろをうちわすれ　やさしきこゝろになりてこい

六つ　酷い心を打ち忘れ　優しき心に成りて来い

Muttsu / Mugoi kokoro o / uchiwasure / yasashiki kokoro ni nari te koi

Six / cruel heart-mind / cast away and forget / kind heart-mind / become

Verse 6 is an appeal/command for us to cast away a cruel heart-mind and adopt a kind and generous heart-mind instead.

Oyasama once taught:

“Become a person with a gentle heart. Save other people. Change your habits and temperament.”⁸

One commentator writes that if we brim with the joyousness and spiritual radiance described in verse 5, there is no reason for us to be cruel to others and we will naturally brim with calm kindheartedness.⁹

Mugoi

“Mugoi” means to be impatient, short-tempered, hard-hearted, argumentative, repressive, and insensitive to how one is tormenting another.¹⁰ “Mugoi kokoro” refers to a heart-mind that is uncompassionate¹¹, tyrannical, merciless¹², cold¹³, self-indulgent, assertive of one’s rights at the expense of others¹⁴, and only cares for one’s own well-being.¹⁵

In the Ofudesaki:

The thought that all is well if the present is well for the self alone, is entirely mistaken.

3:33

Note that the corresponding hand motion for mugoi is the osae or “press” motion, a motion pressing downward¹⁶, symbolizing the strong oppressing the weak.¹⁷ Because the dancer also makes a right step here, mugoi also represents the act of stomping on others.¹⁸

Whereas much has made of pollution in recent years, one commentator notes that “mugoi” heart-minds creates as much damage to society as factories emitting smoke and environmental waste.¹⁹

Uchi wasure

Commentators note that “uchi” is a prefix strengthening the following word “wasure.”²⁰ One commentator equates “wasure” (forget) with sweeping the heart. Repeating this sweeping leads to a replacement of the heart-mind.²¹

In the Ofudesaki, we are taught:

From now, [Cosmic Space-Time] requests you, everyone in the world, to replace your mind firmly.

12:91²²

Yasashiki

A yasashiki kokoro is a heart-mind that wants to save others, a considerate heart-mind, a heart-mind deeply sympathetic of others, a submissive heart-mind, and a heart-mind of self-reflection.¹⁰ It is a heart-mind that causes a person to consider one’s duties to society and works to fulfill one’s responsibilities before asserting one’s rights.²¹ Having a yashiki kokoro is to always be physically healthy and is appreciated by Oyagami and other people. Pleasing Oyagami grants one a long life.²⁵

The corresponding hand motions for “yasashiki” is the drawing of a semi-circle with both hands, symbolizing a “round” (marui) heart-mind that has the compassion to hold someone in a warm embrace.²⁶ In Japanese culture, “roundness” symbolizes the elimination of jagged and rough corners and edges.²⁷ It represents harmony, softness, and perfection.²⁸ To give an analogy, in Song Six we are asked to trim away the sharp and rough edges of a cruel heart-mind like we trim away the rough ends of our fingernails and toenails, leaving a surface that is round and smooth to the touch.

References/notes