17. The Law of Nature
Around 1866 or 1867, Oyasama often said:
“This path cannot be followed by human thinking. It is the path that is being formed by the law of nature.”
Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 13
Category Archives: Oyasama
Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 16
16. The Child’s Concern for the Parent
Kiku, mother of Isaburo Masui, became ill. Her condition gradually worsened and reached the critical stage. After waiting impatiently for daybreak, Isaburo left Izushichijo Village early in the morning and, walking about five and a half kilometers, he returned to the Residence. When he was received by Oyasama, he asked, “Please, save my mother from her illness.” Oyasama replied:
“I am sorry, Isaburo, in spite of your request she cannot be saved.”
As this reply came from Oyasama Herself, he excused himself from Her presence, saying, “I see, I understand,” and returned home. However, when he saw his mother suffering from illness, he was overwhelmed with the thought, “Oh, I want her to be saved at any cost.”
Therefore, he again returned to the Residence and asked earnestly, “Please, I beg of you, I wish to have my mother saved however difficult it may be.”Oyasama replied again:
“Isaburo, I am sorry, she cannot be saved.”
When Isaburo was so told by Oyasama, he was convinced for the time being that nothing could be done. However, when he came home and again saw his mother suffering, he could not bear to sit by and do nothing.
So again, he trudged back the five and a half kilometers. When he arrived at the Residence it was already dark. He was told that Oyasama was already in bed, but he implored again, “I understand that my mother cannot be saved but somehow, please, save her.” Then, Oyasama said:
“The child comes for the sake of his parent to ask that the life, which cannot be saved, be saved at whatever cost. This is sincerity itself. If sincere, God will accept.”
With these gracious words, Kiku, Isaburo’s mother, was saved from the life that could not be saved otherwise, and lived to be eighty-eight.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 11–12
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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 15
15. These Seeds
Late at night on February 7, 1866, Oyasama, already in bed, suddenly said:
“Take out the crockery pot stored under the altar.”
When the pot was presented to Her, Oyasama called in Chushichi Yamanaka, and said to him:
“I have granted you various privileges until now. However, you might not be able to understand fully if I just tell you. You may worry about falling short of needs when you go along the divine path. You need not worry about anything. You will not be in want even if you wish to be. I will give you positive, positive, positive proof.”
Then Oyasama gave the crockery pot to him. She further instructed:
“Here are seeds which will multiply ten thousandfold. Sow these at your residence, Chushichi of Mamekoshi Village.”
On the following day, when Chushichi went to thank Her, Oyasama was pleased to see him and said:
“This grant is the treasure of your family and of the path. You must be very happy!”
He had been granted a list and four seeds. The list read: wheat — six kilograms, rice — about seventeen kilograms, personal allowance — sixty kan* and sake — about eleven liters. These were granted as eternal seeds. Each of the four seeds was a six centimeter square, white paper packet which was bound on four sides with white string. On the face of each packet respectively was written: “seed of wheat,” “seed of rice,” “money for medicine,” and “money for wine and seed of oil.” Oyasama Herself wrote these words with a writing brush. She also bound the packets with string, chanting:
“Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto, Namu, Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto.”
It was witnessed that the string did not go through if She stopped chanting. Thus, She gave him the proof that he would never be hard-pressed for the needs of life as long as he followed the path.
(Note)
* Sixty kan = about 320 U. S. dollars.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 10–11
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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 14
14. Dyeing
One day Oyasama instructed:
“Do the dyeing tomorrow morning.”
Kokan immediately began to make preparations. Just that evening, Chushichi Yamanaka in Mamekoshi learned of it through the Invocation of the Fan. His wife, Sono, immediately made preparations, woke up early the next morning before daybreak, and returned to the Residence with some earth* and pieces of cloth in a bundle over her back. She greeted Oyasama and told Her the reason for returning.
“Ah! That’s marvelous! Just last night my daughter, Kokan, and I were talking about the same thing,”
Oyasama said, and was delighted. Similar incidents occurred several times.
The dyeing was done with water from the well northeast of the very place which was later determined as the Jiba, where the Kanrodai was to be erected.
“Draw water from the well,”
Oyasama said. So water was drawn from the well. The earth was rubbed on the cloth and the cloth was soaked in water. It was soaked and dried, and dried and soaked two or three times until the dyed material became a beautiful binroji** color. The water from the well had a metallic taste.***
(Notes)
* When Oyasama visited the home of Chushichi Yamanaka in August 1865, She noticed that the earth from the bank of the stream which ran along the east side of the house would be suitable for dyeing. She therefore expressed a desire to have some of it. Thereafter, that earth was brought to the Residence many times. It is said that the earth was from a compost of bamboo leaves in the bamboo forest.
** Binroji refers to the nut of the betel palm tree which grows in India and Malaysia. In Japan, the meat of the nut was dried and used for dyeing, and produced a dark black color which was called ‘the binroji color.’
*** In Yamato Province there were many wells with water that had a metallic taste. However, water from other wells did not produce as beautiful a dye as that from the Residence.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 9–10
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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 13
13. Sow the Seed
Tosuke Maeda and his wife Tatsu of Anryu Village, Settsu Province, were peddling flower seeds under the name of Taneichi. They had had many children one after another, and they did not want to have more. But in 1865, Tatsu was again expecting a baby. Then Tatsu heard of a god in Yamato Province who would bring about an abortion, and so she went there. However, she did not arrive at the place of that god, but was guided by an unknown force to Shoyashiki Village. There she was granted an audience with Oyasama, who said:
“You are the Taneichi (literally, ‘seed market’), so you will sow seeds.”
What do you mean by sowing seeds? asked Tatsu. Then Oyasama taught:
“It means to go here and there and talk of Tenri-Ō.”*
Referring to the expected baby, Oyasama added:
“It will not do to abort the child. The baby will be a boy, the heir to the Maeda family.”
These words struck home to Tatsu and convinced her of giving up having an abortion. When she returned home, she told her husband Tosuke of Oyasama’s words and he too was convinced. From that time on they often returned to Jiba and received teachings from Oyasama. The baby was born on June 18th of that year and was named Tojiro.
Both husband and wife told people of the divine name of Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto wherever they went to sell their flower seeds. Moreover, when they met a sick person, either the wife or husband would return to Jiba to pray for that person. All the sick people they prayed for were saved.
(Note)
* God the Parent
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 8–9
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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 12
12. The Sazuke (Divine Grant) of Fertilizer
Oyasama said to Chushichi Yamanaka:
“As you are following the path of God, in your farming you must not have enough time to fertilize sufficiently,”
and then She bestowed the Sazuke* of Fertilizer on Chushichi. She continued:
“Concerning the Sazuke of Fertilizer, it is not the substance itself, but the truly sincere mind of each person which is effective.”
Further, She said:
“True or false, try it and see.”
As soon as Chushichi got home, he chose two fields and fertilized one sufficiently with the usual night soil, fertilized the other only with the Sazuke of Fertilizer, and decided to wait for the result.
Soon, August passed and September came to an end. The field fertilized with the night soil became thick with green rice plants which promised a rich harvest in the fall. On the other hand, the field fertilized with the Sazuke of Fertilizer seemed lifeless. The stalks were short and stubby and they had turned a slightly reddish color. Chushichi could not help but doubt, “After all, it seems like the night soil is more effective than the sazuke.”
However, at autumn harvest time, the rice plants from the usually fertilized field were infested with insects and some were even empty. In contrast, none of the rice plants from the field of the sazuke were infested with insects and none were empty, although the stalks were a little shorter. It was discovered that the sazuke field actually yielded more rice at harvest time.
(Note)
*Sazuke: a divine grant for salvation bestowed by God the Parent. When it is administered to any person suffering from a physical or mental illness, the person is saved and given the marvelous blessing of God the Parent.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 7–8.
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Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 11
11. God Has Drawn You to this Residence
It was about the middle of January 1864 when Chushichi Yamanaka was thirty-eight years of age. Chushichi’s wife, Sono, had been suffering from severe hemorrhoids for over two years. Her condition became so critical that for several days she could not even drink any liquids. Two doctors had given up hope of recovery. Just about this time, Chushichi learned about the teachings of God from Seibei of Shiba Village. He immediately returned to the Residence* and was granted an audience with Oyasama. She said:
“You have an innen** with God and God has drawn you to this Residence. You need not worry about your wife’s condition. I will save her in an instant, but in return, you must be willing to serve God.”
(Notes)
* In Tenrikyo, Jiba, or the Residence, is the place of Creation. Therefore, it is said that a person ‘returns’ to Jiba even if it is the first time that he goes there in his life.
** Innen: literally “destiny” or “cause and effect.” Man’s original innen is to live a joyous life. Being allow free will, man has used his mind to pursue selfish goals, incurring dust which results in bad innen. In order to change his bad innen into a good one, man must gain merit by using his mind in accord with God’s will.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 6–7.
Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 10
10. The Long Way Around
In 1863, when Kiku Masui was thirty-nine years old, her husband, Isaburo, caught a slight cold. It developed into a stubborn case of asthma. Kiku was so religious by nature that she visited almost all the places of pilgrimage and worship within eight or twelve kilometers of their house in order to pray for her husband’s recovery. Still, he did not get well.
Then, Senkichi Yaoi, a next-door neighbor, advised her, “Kiku, you seem to have been to various places of worship one after another. Now, why don’t you go to the god in Shoyashiki?” Kiku felt as if she were being drawn to God by an invisible string, and she hurried to Jiba* at once. The seasonable time had come for her.
When Kiku was admitted into Oyasama’s room, Oyasama said warmly:
“I have been waiting for you, waiting for you,”
as if welcoming Her own child who had come home from afar. Then Kiku said, “I have been to so many places to pray until now.” Oyasama said:
“You have come the long way around. What a pity! You could have met all those gods if only you had come here,”
and She smiled gently. When Kiku heard these words, she felt that Oyasama was truly the Parent. She was deeply impressed and moved by an inexpressible feeling of adoration which penetrated into her heart.
(Note)
* The Residence
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 5–6. Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 10
Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 9
9. According to the Parents’ Minds
Toward the middle of July 1863, when Yoshimatsu, the eldest son of Chusaku Tsuji, was four years old, his face became pale and he was in danger of death. Oryu, Chusaku’s mother, came to pray, carrying her sick grandchild on her back. Oyasama saw them and said:
“His parents should bring him instead.”
So Masu, Chusaku’s wife, carrying the boy on her back, came to pray.
“I will save the child according to the parents’ minds,”
was the teaching of Oyasama. The boy was completely restored to health in four or five days.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, p. 5
Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 8
8. By a Slight Illness
On May 6, 1861, Koto Nishida had a toothache. She left home to visit an Inari temple in Senzoku. Senzoku lies to the north of her house, but she was walking to the east without intending to do so, and happened to meet a friend of about the same age. This friend had married into the Okuda family in Bessho. She asked Koto where she was going, and then told her that if she would pay a visit to Shoyashiki, any illness could be cured. So Koto made a pilgrimage to Shoyashiki at once. She arrived toward evening. Oyasama greeted her:
“Welcome home. I have been waiting for you.”
Further:
“I have given you guidance by a slight illness only.”
Then, telling her the divine teachings, Oyasama gave her the sacred powder of roasted grain. By the time Koto got home after listening to the divine teachings, the toothache had completely stopped. She did not pay a visit to Shoyashiki for some days. Then, her eyes began to hurt violently. Immediately, she visited Oyasama, who said to her:
“I have given you guidance through an illness.”
Oyasama taught Koto the divine teachings step by step, and prayed for her. The pain stopped by the time Koto left to go home.
For the following three days Koto visited Shoyashiki to clean the Residence, bringing her lunch with her. That was the beginning of her faith in Tenrikyo. Koto was thirty-two years old that year.
Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 4–5