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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 138

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138. You Must Treasure Things (mono wa taisetsu ni)

Oyasama endured hardships in police stations and prisons about seventeen or eighteen times. Gisaburo Nakata accompanied Her several times.

On one such occasion, She had a scrap of writing paper brought in and She made twisted paper strings out of it. With it, She wove a net basket to carry a sake bottle. It was very strong and beautifully made. When She left the jail to return home, She gave it to Nakata, saying:

“You must treasure things. You must make good use of everything. Everything is a gift from God. Now, keep this as your family treasure.”

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 112

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 137

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

137. A Single Word (kotoba hitotsu)

Oyasama taught Isaburo Masui the following:

“Some are good within yet bad without, and there are also people with the opposite character. To be sure, anger, selfishness and irritability are unadvisable. A single word is important. One achieves harmony in the family by the way one breathes in and out to form the very words one speaks.”

Further:

“Isaburo, you are gentle and sociable to everyone outside your house. When you are home and face your wife, you become angry and shout at her; that is the worst thing you could do. Never do it again.”

Masui suspected that his wife might have complained about him, but on considering that God knows and sees through everything, he simply decided he would never get angry again. Thereafter, he was never irritated by anything his wife said.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 111-112

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 136

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

136. Now, Go Forth with This (sā, kore o motte)

Once when Oyasama had returned home from prison and had changed Her clothes, She gave the red kimono-undergarment that She had been wearing to Gisaburo Nakata, who had accompanied Her home. Oyasama said:

“Now, go forth with this to save others. Any and all sick persons shall be saved.”

Gisaburo was very happy. He placed the red garment in a kerchief and carefully wrapping it around his body, he busily engaged himself in efforts to save others. When he lightly stroked the afflicted areas of a sick person with the red garment, chanting, “Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto, Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto,” everyone received God’s blessing at once, no matter how serious the illness had been.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 111

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 135

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama

135. With Round Minds (mina marui kokoro de)

Around the year 1883 or 1884, Kosaburo Kubo, grateful for the cure of his son Narajiro’s eye disease, returned to Jiba with his wife and son. Oyasama, wearing Her red garments, was sitting calmly in Her room. Kosaburo, his wife, and son, who had been led into the room by an intermediary on duty, knelt before Oyasama. They were awestruck by Her reverent manner and were so overwhelmed with gratitude that they could not raise their heads.

However, Narajiro, being only a child of seven or eight, began to look around without restraint. Soon the grapes placed beside Oyasama caught his eyes. As he was staring at them, Oyasama quietly picked up a bunch and gave it to Narajiro, saying:


“It is nice of you to return. Here are some grapes for you. Like these, in the world, everybody is to relate to each other with round minds. This is a path to be followed joyfully by looking forward to the delight in the future.”

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 110

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 134

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama

134. Recollections (omoi-de)

About 1883 or 1884, Tamae, granddaughter, and Moto, great-granddaughter, who was two years younger,’* appeared before Oyasama and begged Her, “Grandma, please give us a snack.” Oyasama shaded Her eyes with Her hand and looked toward them, saying:

“Ah, Tama and Omoto. Wait a minute, dears,”

and She took something out from the small cupboard in the back and placed it in the palm of their hands. It was always sugar candies.

On another day, the two of them went to visit Oyasama as usual, and She said:

“Tama and Omoto, won’t you two come here? Let me carry you,”

and She carried both of them on Her back. In their childlike minds both were impressed with the thought that their grandmother was so strong.

* Tamae was then seven or eight, and Moto was five or six.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 109-110

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 133

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

133. Consider the Future Long (saki o nagaku)

Tamezo Yamazawa heard the following from Oyasama around 1883:

“If you think the future is short, you must hurry. However, if you think the future is long, you need not hurry.


“Haste will not result in being early. Slowness will not result in being late.


“Tanno* is true sincerity.”

* Tanno: to rejoice in the perception of God’s love in all life’s experiences.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 109

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 132

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama

132. To Be Eaten Deliciously (oishii to iute)

Nakata, Yamamoto, Takai and other people who worked at the Residence went to catch small fish in a nearby brook from time to time. There they often caught loaches, chub, shrimps, and other brook fishes. When they cooked them in soy sauce with vegetables and showed them to Oyasama, She picked up the biggest one and said, as if She were talking to a child:

“Allow yourself to be eaten deliciously by everyone, and come back the next time, advanced.”

Then She told the people present there:

“Thus, when you persuade the largest one to consent in this way, it is natural that afterward all will consent.”

She further taught:

“Everyone, when you eat them, please say, ‘delicious, delicious,’ to them. If you eat them with delight, due to the principle of giving joy, the next time they will be advanced. Each time they are reborn, they will progress closer to man.”

Oyasama gave these same instructions whenever there were rabbits, pheasants, mountain fowls and other game given as offerings by various fraternities.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 108-109

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 131

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131. On the Side of God (Japanese title: Kami no hō ni wa)

Oyasama said to Naokichi Takai, Yosaburo Miyamori, and others who worked at the Residence:


“Let’s have a contest of strength,”


extending Her arm. She said:


“Press down as hard as you can.”


However, not only were they unable to force Her hand down, but when Oyasama used just a little of Her strength and grasped Her opponent’s arm, his arm became numb and lost all strength. Then Oyasama said:


“Twice as much strength is on the side of God.”


Further, She said:


“Can you do this?”


pinching the skin on the back of a young man’s hand with Her forefinger and her little finger. The skin was pinched so hard that it was very painful and it turned black and blue afterward.

On another occasion, She put Her hands together in perfect prayer position in the middle of Her back as we do in front of our chest.

These are Miyamori’s reminiscences.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 107-108

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 130

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

130. Fine Dust (Japanese title: Chiisa na hokori wa)

It was around 1883 that Naokichi Takai, who was in his twenties, was sent by Oyasama to save a sick person who lived about twelve kilometers south of the Residence. When he was instructing the man about the cause of illness, the man challenged Naokichi, saying, “I have done nothing wrong in my life.” Naokichi said, “I have heard nothing from Oyasama about such a situation yet. I will go back at once to ask.” He then ran the twelve kilometers back to the Residence to ask Her, and She explained to him in this manner:

“I will tell you. Suppose you have a new house built and you seal up the windows so that no one can enter. The dust will still settle so thick on the floor that you can write a letter in it when you do not sweep it up for, say, ten or twenty days. You know that a mirror will stain. You sweep piles of dust when it is noticeable, but leave fine dust because it is hard to see. When the fine dust becomes embedded into a mirror, it will stain the mirror. Tell this story to him.”

Takai said, “I thank you very much,” and hurried back the twelve kilometers to the sick person. He conveyed Oyasama’s words saying, “I was just told this story.” After he was finished, the patient apologized to him, saying, “I now understand what you say quite well. Sorry, I was mistaken.” From that time the patient began to believe in God and was completely cured of his disease.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 107

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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 129

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama

129. Healing of the Skin Disease (Japanese title: Hana-kaisen no o-tasuke)

In 1883, when Yasu, the eldest daughter of Seijiro Imagawa, was nine years old, she contracted a serious contagious skin disease of the variety that became infected with pus. Accompanied by her parents, she returned to Jiba and had an audience with Oyasama. Oyasama called to her:

“Come over here.”

When Yasu timidly moved forward, Oyasama said:

“Come closer, come closer.”

Finally, when Yasu had moved to Oyasama’s side, Oyasama moistened Her own hands with Her mouth and then stroked Yasu’s whole body three times, each time chanting:

“Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto.”

Then, again three times and three times again, She stroked Yasu and chanted in the same manner. Yasu, although young, was overwhelmed and felt the graciousness of Oyasama with her body and mind.

The next day, when Yasu woke up, the skin disease had marvelously disappeared, without leaving a trace. Even though Yasu was only a child, she thought, “What a truly wondrous God!”

Yasu’s feeling of gratitude for Oyasama’s compassion in not minding even such a filthy condition as hers was, grew deeper and deeper as she grew older. It is said that in performing her duty as a yoboku* she always recalled this feeling of gratitude and strived to respond to the compassion of Oyasama.

* Yoboku: literally: ‘timber’, referring to those who engage in missionary work consisting of healing and spreading the teachings of God the Parent.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 106


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