15. “Give All Your Possessions to Others”

When Izo moved into the Residence, Oyasama said:

“Give all your possessions to others. There is no need for you to bring a single thing. God will provide everything you need at the Residence.”

So Izo gave away most of his possessions. The only items that he brought with him from Ichinomoto were eight sliding doors, ten tray tables, a corner cabinet and 20 layers of bedding.

Because Izo was a poor carpenter, he had very few possessions to give away. But years later, many of his neighbors in Ichinomoto preciously held on to what he gave them and showed them to others, saying, “This is something Izo gave us when he moved.”

(From Shinpan Izo Iburi den pp. 72–73)

• Next installment in this series: 16. “Six Shall Live and Serve”

*Note: This post has been revised since its original publication.