Hastening the gathering of the Service performers and sweeping the heart for this purpose (the high mountains, useful timber, the central pillar, [Kami] and the high places, Nihon and Kara), continued
(60) From now on, I shall resume my hastening for the Joyous Service. This might not be easy to understand.1
(61) I have already told you and told you what is known to Me. The teachings have been told, but you know not what they mean.
(62) Until now, you have not seen whatever I told you, because the day had not arrived.
(63) From now on, as the time has come, you will see it just as I tell you.
(64) Listen! In the evening of the twenty-fifth day in the thirty-sixth year, [Kami] will cleanse your heart.2
(65) Ponder this: no matter how clear the water may be, if you put mud into it, it will become turbid.
(66) Unless the muddy water is purified quickly, there is no way to put in the central pillar.
(67) If only the central pillar is quickly put in, everything will be settled firmly forever.3
(68) [Kami], who began this world, teaches the truth. Never take it to be false.
(69) Even until now, there have been teachings, ethical and ancient, but there has been no one who knows the origin.4
(70) So should it be, for there should be no one who knows the course of the path in the muddy ocean.5
(71) Step by step, I shall tell you things unknown since the beginning of this world.
(72) Though I teach solely of things unknown, there is nothing I teach that is untrue.
(73) On the eleventh, the nine will be gone and hardship forgotten. I await the twenty-sixth of the first month.
(74) By that time, the core will be settled and greed forgotten. Let all performers assemble and prepare for the Service.6
(75) Day after day, the mind of [Kami] hastens to show you free and unlimited workings quickly.
(76) From now on, the performers will assemble and do the Service. This will truly settle Nihon.7
(77) Since My aim is truly single-hearted salvation, there is nothing at all for you to fear.
(78) If you dare to stop all works for single-hearted salvation, the regret of [Kami] will appear as a disorder of the body.8
(79) Ponder well! Never think that these preparations for [universal forms of salvation] are human workings.9
(80) Until now, you have not been able to understand anything. There was nothing but human thinking.
(81) From now on, I shall compare the minds of those in high places with the mind of [Kami].
(82) Do not take this talk lightly. [Kami] truly cannot bear to look on.
(83) Know that the strength of [Kami] will be pitted against the strength of those in high places from now on.
(84) Have your strongest come against Me. [Kami] has twice the strength.
(85) As [a true Kami] is going out to the fore, know that every arrangement will be made.10
(86) Until now, those of Kara have done as they pleased with Nihon. What can be done about the regret of [Kami]?11
(87) Hereafter, Nihon will do as it pleases with those of Kara. Be aware of it, all of you.12
(88) Root and branches of the same tree: branches will break, yet the root will prosper.13
(89) Until now, those of Kara were said to be great, but from now on they will only be broken.14
(90) Look at Nihon! It is thought to be tiny, but when the root appears, you will be overwhelmed with amazement.15
(91) This power cannot be thought of as being human strength. It is the power of [Kami] which nothing can match.16
Notes
- OC 3:60: I shall again hasten the Joyous Service. But you do not have the slightest idea why I do so. ↩
- OC 3:64 *Note: This was a prediction that on the 25th of a certain month in the 36th year since the Teaching was founded (1874), a number of people would come to clean the Residence. During the time, it was rare for people from outside to come to clean the Residence. However, on the evening of the predicted day, a man named Yosuke came to worship with his wife Toyo from Tatsuta along with a woman named Fusa (mother of Kanbei). Seeing the Residence precincts littered with trash and feeling that it was unseemly for the precincts to be so dirty since the next day, the 26th, was the Service day, they thoroughly cleaned the area before going home. On the night before, Toyo had suffered from a pain in her chest and decided to go to Jiba and pray to Kami for a recovery as she had done before. At that moment the pain had completely disappeared. Thus was their motivation to come to worship. This verse is teaching that this episode is just one of many more to come where Oyagami will provide the care and tending for people to cleanse their hearts. ↩
- OC 3:66, 67: Unless everyone quickly purifies their minds, the core of the faith, the Kanrodai, cannot be built and the person who will become the core of the path will not be able to live at Jiba.
*Note: This is a verse hastening the identification of the Jiba, the spot to place the Kanrodai and Kami’s wish to have the first Shinbashira, who is to lead the path to live at Jiba. (Refer to notes for 3:8 and 9) ↩
- OC 3:69: Although people talk about teachings ethical and ancient, there is no one who truly understands how this world was formed.
*Note: “Teachings, ethical and ancient” (shingaku koki) first refers to the ethics movement known as Shingaku, or “Heart Learning” which was propagated at the time through lay sermons and lectures. “Koki” refers to teachings that were conveyed or recorded in writing from times of old. ↩
- OC 3:70: It is natural that people do not know of the time when human beings were created. The very beginning humans were created from a life in a muddy ocean. There is no way for anyone to know what happened at that time. ↩
- OC 3:73, 74 *Note: This verse is a preordination of Oyasama withdrawing Her physical being. Because the oppression from society directed toward Oyasama was gradually increased in severity and this would result in delaying the growth of the path, She took it upon Herself to shorten Her physical life by twenty-five years decrease persecution from the world to spread the path. Thus She instructed to everyone to purify their minds, settle the Shinbashira, construct the Kanrodai, and quickly make preparations that will allow the Service to be completed and the performers to assemble before this date arrived. However, the people at the time did not understand this message and it was not until much later when they were first able to realize this deep intention on the part of Oyagami:
“Sah, sah, see the truth that I began after I had written with the writing brush concerning the 26th of the first month. Sah, sah, if you listen and try to understand the truth, reflecting on both the truth that I opened the portals of the Shrine on the 26th of the first month to level the world and the instances of things being taken away, then, sah, sah, you will be able to see the truth with clarity” (Osashizu, March 10, 1889). ↩
- OC 3:76: From now on, once the performers assemble to conduct the Kagura Service, people’s minds will become purified, and I, Oyagami, will also become spirited in mind. Then, minds of those of nihon will certainly settle in harmony. ↩
- OC 3:77, 78 *Note: Because this path is the true teaching of single-hearted salvation, Oyagami is hastening for followers to quickly spread it upon advancing their spiritual maturity. Yet nearby followers tended to be withdrawn, hesitant to face society and frightened at the government authorities. Because this was delaying the spread of the path, Oyagami is telling nearby followers to ponder that anything done to stop Kami’s work toward single-hearted salvation will surely manifest itself as Kami’s hastening in the form of a physical disorder. ↩
- OC 3:79: Fully think it over. These preparations which I am undertaking and exerting My mind solely for the purpose of manifold forms of salvation is not the work of a human being. Because you do not know of anything and everything that I have done until now, your human thinking leads you to you doubt all that I do. ↩
- OC 3:81–85 *Note: Although Oyagami is hastening for the path of single-hearted salvation to spread, the local authorities subjected the path to persecution and nearby followers were concerned of this. Unable to stand by and watch this lack of initiative on their part, Oyagami was about to prepare to have those in high places realize Kami’s true intention since the people in high places truly misunderstood the truth of the path. Also, these verses are encouraging followers to put their minds at ease, for no matter how Shinto and Buddhist priests strongly criticize and oppose the path of single-hearted salvation with their human wisdom and power, Oyagami would thaw and dispel such opposition with warm parental love and as long as Kami was revealed into the open, the path of single-hearted salvation would advance through every conceivable form of divine protection. ↩
- OC 3:86: Until now, I am truly frustrated at how human thinking has run rampant, allowing some to obstruct My teachings as they please.
*Note: “Nihon” refers to the place where Oyagami’s teachings are first taught, consequently the state where Oyagami’s true intention becomes clear. “Kara” refers to places where Oyagami’s teachings will go and spread to next, consequently, the condition describing Oyagami’s teachings are still not known. (Refer to note for Ofudesaki 2:47) ↩
- OC 3:87: All of you, be aware beforehand that from now on, I shall freely and unlimitedly direct My single-hearted parental love for the sake of your salvation, telling My true intention to you and to places that do not know My teachings. ↩
- OC 3:88: To compare the root and branches of the same tree, branches will only break and the root will only grow and prosper.
*Note: During one of Oyasama’s fasts, when someone expressed concern if it was okay for Her to fast as much as She did, She answered, with words similar to the following message: “The mind is the root. The body shall never wither if only the mind is connected to Oyagami.” ↩
- OC 3:89: Until now, people have been called great simply from the human thinking that considered the knowledge and skills of these people to be superior, even though they have not heard the teachings of Oyagami. Yet from now on, such people will abandon human thinking and follow Oyagami’s true intention once they awaken to it.
*Note: “will only be broken” (oreru bakari ya) refers to the process of breaking the self-centeredness of human thinking and become attached to Oyagami’s true intention. ↩
- OC 3:90: Until now, you may have taken this place where I began My teachings lightly. Yet My true intention has been revealed into the open, and if the minds of people are completely purified and replace with the mind of single-hearted salvation, a great number of people will come longing and yearning for this place. ↩
- OC 3:91: Because these absolute workings of Mine that cannot be considered human power but are manifestations of My divine power, the minds of a great number of people will cannot help but be impressed by them.
3:86–91 *General summary: Considering the circumstances of the world when these verses were written in 1874, Oyagami is severely urging self-reflection on the part of human beings that are now fighting and hurting one another because they are promoting their own self-interest upon having forgotten the truth behind human creation that everyone in the world must respect and help one another as brothers and sisters. Oyagami is prompting people to have faith that allows all of humanity to advance on the path of single-hearted salvation and head toward the harmonious Joyous Life. (Refer to note for Ofudesaki 2:40) ↩