Category Archives: Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 88

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, ,

88. From a Dangerous Place

The events of this story took place in late autumn of 1881. Unosuke Tosa was saved from near shipwreck close to Okushiri Island off Hokkaido. His ship docked at the port of Osaka, and on the same day he returned to Jiba to offer his thanks to God. He worshiped before the Kanrodai, offered his thanks to God the Parent, and vowed to carry out his firm resolution in the future.

He was so happy that he told the seniors at the Residence in detail the story of his having been saved. One of those who was listening, interrupted and asked whether that event had occurred at a certain time on a certain day in a certain month. When Unosuke calculated the date of his salvation, he realized it was exactly the same day. According to the senior, “Oyasama opened the sliding door and stood for a while facing north, waving an open Service fan, calling to someone to come,

‘Ho there! Ho there!’

I thought it was very strange. Now that I have heard your story, I understand what She was doing.” At this, Tosa was so touched with emotion that he could not contain himself. He made his appearance before Oyasama and, bowing deeply before Her, offered his gratitude, “Thank you for saving my life.” His voice trembled, and his eyes were so filled with tears that he could not clearly see Oyasama’s face. Oyasama spoke to him in a gentle voice and comforted him, saying:

“I brought you home from a dangerous place.”

Tosa then and there decided to leave his lifelong work as a seaman and made a firm resolution to dedicate his life to the single-hearted salvation of others.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 74–75.

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 88 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 87

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, , , , ,

87. Because People Like You

Oyasama had previously told Izo Iburi to return quickly to the Residence to live. But because he then had three children, when he thought of the future he worried so much that he could not make the decision to move.

His second daughter, Masae, soon became afflicted with an eye disease, and his only son, Masajin, suddenly became unable to talk. Recognizing this as a warning from God, their mother, Osato, saw Oyasama and told Her “Although we wished to return to the Residence as soon as possible, we could not make the move because the people of Ichinomoto were so kind to us. Your words are uppermost in our minds as we reluctantly pass each day without complying with your wish.” Oyasama said to her:

“Because people like you, God also likes you. While people regret to see you leave, God also regrets not seeing you here. As long as people are fond of you, God also sees promise in you.”

Osato then said, “However, our children are still so small. Please wait until they grow older.” Oyasama told her:

“It is because you have children that you have joy and promise. There would not be such joy and promise if there were only the parents. Please return quickly.”

“We will certainly return,” Osato promised. By the time she arrived home the two children had already received wonderful blessings and had completely recovered their health. In September 1881, Osato and the two children who had been saved preceded Izo in living at the Residence.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 73–74

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 87 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 86

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, ,

86. Great Salvation 

Jyujiro Okamoto’s eldest son, Zenroku, and his wife, Shina, of Nagahara Village in Yamato Province, had had seven pregnancies. Of these, only two children, the eldest son, Eitaro, and the youngest daughter, Kan (who later became Yuki Kami), survived. The other five had either died early deaths or been miscarriages. The eldest son, Eitaro, was saved from fever in 1879, and as a result Zenroku and his wife became very zealous in their faith.

Shina faced a serious problem around August 1881. A messenger came from a farmer named Tarobei Imada, who owned about fifty-four ares of rice fields in Shoji Village, about four kilometers north of Nagahara Village, with the request: “We have just had our first son, but are having difficulty nursing him because of lack of milk. We realize this is an unreasonable request, but will you please take care of the child and nurse him at your home? Please agree to take care of him.”

Unfortunately Shina had no more milk of her own by then, so she could not accept this other child. They declined, saying, “We are very sorry, but we cannot take care of the child.” “But please, couldn’t you somehow take care of him?” was the repeated plea. Being at a loss for an answer, Shina said, “Then let me first ask Oyasama.” She returned to the Residence at once and was received by Oyasama, who said:

“No matter how much money you may have, or how much rice you may have in the storehouse, it cannot be given to an infant. There is no greater salvation than to care for and raise another person’s child.”

“Yes, I understand. But I don’t have any milk anymore. Should I undertake to care for child even then?” Shina inquired. Then, there were these words from Oyasama:

“If you just have a sincere desire to take care of the child, God will give whatever is needed because the gift is in the omnipotent hand of God. You need not worry.”

Hearing these reassuring words, Shina resolved to rely on God completely. So she told the Imadas, “I will take care of the child.”

The child was brought from Shoji Village at once. Shina was astonished when she saw him. He must have been fed only on rice water and sugar water. He had been one month premature, and was now a little more than three months old, skinny, without the strength even to cry, just barely able to whimper.

Shina embraced the child and tried to nurse him, but milk would not flow so soon. The child became peevish and bit her nipple. She was worried for a while because she did not know what to do.

This continued for two or three days, and then, marvelously, her milk began to flow. Thanks to her milk the child grew stronger day by day and became quite healthy. Later Shina took this robust child to the Residence. Oyasama embraced him and rewarded Shina with these words:

“Shina, you have done a good thing.”

Shina personally experienced the truth that one can receive God’s blessings by obediently following Oyasama’s words. Shina was then twenty-six years of age.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 71–72.

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 86 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 85

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, ,

85. Too Heavy a Load for a Child 

The time was late in the spring of 1881. Kei [Matsui], then thirty-one years of age, had been spending her days and nights in tears for several years because honeycomb-like holes had progressed to the roots of her teeth and had reached the bone. One day the fragrance of the teachings of God was spread to her by a tin-smith and his wife who happened to be passing by. As instructed by them, she poured water into a rice bowl, prayed, “Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto,” and drank the water. The pain subsided instantly. After two to three days she received the marvelous salvation of complete recovery from the suffering that had lasted for years.

Walking a distance of about twelve kilometers from Kihara of Miminashi Village in Shiki County, she returned to Jiba to express her gratitude and was granted an audience with Oyasama. Oyasama noticed that Kei’s eldest son, eight-year-old Chusaku, had carried on his back a nine-pound round rice cake for offering, and She said:

“Well! Welcome home! Oh, it is too heavy a load for a child!”

Chusaku took these words to his heart and, remembering them throughout his life, endured all kinds of hardships while striving for the single-hearted salvation of mankind.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 70–71.

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 85 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 84

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, , , , , , ,

84. In the Southern Half of the Province

When Koiso Yamanaka was to be married to Ihachiro Yamada of Deyashiki in Kurahashi Village, her father, Chushichi, asked Oyasama about the marriage. Oyasama said to him:

“I am not sending her to be married. Rather, I am sending her to the southern half of the province to spread the teachings as none have spread it there yet. However, it all depends on her heart.”

The Yamanaka parents were hesitant about this request because the Yamada family was living deep in the heart of the mountains, but Koiso was married on May 30, 1881, after saying, “Let me be married as God desires.”

Koiso then found that Isa Yamamoto, a relative of the Yamada family had been bedridden for more than five years due to the paralysis of her limbs. Koiso prayed to God for her recovery and repeatedly gave her sacred water. The following year, when Chushichi Yamanaka came to visit them, Isa was marvelously healed. She rose to her feet, all her joints cracking, and was able to walk by herself. In her village Koiso also found a girl named Naragiku Tanaka who had been blind for more than seven years. Koiso prayed to God for the girl’s recovery, each time washing her eyes with sacred water. Soon, she received God’s blessing. The mention of Koiso’s cure of the cripple and the blind girl became so well-known throughout neighboring villages that many people came to see her one after another.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 70

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 84 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 83

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, ,

83. Many, Many Years

Yosaburo Miyamori received an urgent call from Oyasama while he was working in the rice fields of the Residence. It was so unexpected that he wondered what it was all about. He hurried to Oyasama in his work clothes. Oyasama bestowed the sazuke on him then and there.

“Thank you for having worked these many, many years,”

were the words given to him by Oyasama in appreciation.

Note: It was in May 1881 that Yosaburo Miyamori was granted the sazuke.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 69

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 83 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 82

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, , , , ,

82. Yoisho!*

In 1881, the stones for the Kanrodai were being brought from Takimoto Village just east of Jiba. Umejiro Izutsu of the Shimmei-gumi [Confraternity] was instructed to haul the stones down a mountain, and Shirobei Umetani of the Meishin-gumi [Confraternity] was to haul them from the base of the mountain to the Residence. Tokichi Ueda and more than ten other men from the Hyogo Shimmei-gumi [Confraternity], who happened to be at the Residence just at that time, joined Shirobei’s group to haul the stones between Furu and the Residence.

The stones were being carried on nine carts. One of them got stuck at the gate of the Residence. At that very moment, Oyasama appeared from Her room and shouted:

“Yoisho!”

Upon hearing Her voice, everyone pushed together with all their might and the cart rolled in easily. All were deeply moved by the solemn and inspiring presence of Oyasama.

 

*Heave!”

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 69.

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 82 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 81

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

81. Now, Help Yourself

Sasuke Uehara, accompanying his sister Ishi, and his uncle Sakichi and his wife, returned to Jiba on May 14, 1881. They were happy to be granted an audience with Oyasama. Oyasama was very pleased. She Herself served to each of them small dishes containing bamboo shoots, young taro, and burdocks cooked in soy sauce, and then poured the offered sake into a sake cup that had the design of the moon and sun with a cloud.

“Now, help yourself,”

She offered.

At that time Sasuke was a vigorous young man in his thirties. Oyasama, after explaining various things about the teachings to them, quickly and gently extended both of Her hands, grasped Sasuke’s wrists, and said:

“Try to shake them loose.”

Sasuke felt his body grow numb and all he could do was to bow deeply saying, “Mercy, please.”

His sister, Ishi (later Ishi Tsujikawa), in her later life reminisced, “Her solemn appearance at that time can in no way be expressed with words. I was awestruck and I instinctively bowed my head.”

Sasuke, who at that time had been personally shown the warm parental love and the power of Oyasama, began to hold a firm belief and strived for the single-hearted salvation of mankind.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 68

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 81 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 80

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

80. The Two of You Together

In 1880 or 1881, Tamezo Yamazawa, then twenty-four or twenty-five years old, returned to the Residence with his brother, Ryozo. Oyasama, who sat in the raised room in those days in the building called Place for the Service, said to them:

“Try to pull me down from here, the two of you together. I do not mind falling off,”

and She stretched out Her hands.

They hesitantly held Her hands, one of them Her right hand and the other Her left one. They pulled Her hands as they were told, but Oyasama remained sitting straight not even slightly disturbed. Instead, the harder they pulled, the closer they were drawn to Her. They were astonished and realized that She was really more than human and indeed the Shrine of God the Parent.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 67–68

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 80 →

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 79

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

79. Children Who Return

Oyasama once told Jirokichi Kita the following:

“Among the many children who return to Jiba some people pack things and take them in carts; some put things in a wrapping cloth and carry them on their backs; some put as many things as possible in a torn wrapping cloth and carry them in their arms; and some lose everything before they reach home.”

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 67

Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 79 →