Category Archives: Honseki: Anecdotes

Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 25

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25. Inquiry Posed at the Workplace by the Meishin-gumi Confraternity

Beginning in 1880, Oyasama began to send followers asking for Her advice on worldly matters to Izo, saying,

Of matters concerning dust, go to the workplace.

In 1883, the Kyoto Meisei-sha Confraternity gathered followers under the legal pretense that they would be holding Shingaku sermons (a type of life philosophy developed by Ishida Baigan and others that became popular among townsfolk and peasants in late 19th-century Japan). Disciples in Jiba felt this was a good method to quickly establish legal status for the path.

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 24

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24. Oyasama’s Protection After the Service for Rain

Masanosuke Iburi once asked his grandmother Yoshie Nagao, daughter of Izo, the following question, “Please tell me about the time when the Service for Rain was conducted during Oyasama’s physical lifetime.”

And Yoshie explained the event as follows:

“It was in the summer of 1883, when I was 18. There was a great drought, so great that the wells of every household completely dried up and both humans and farm animals were being affected by it. The farmers were particularly in a desperate situation. Even though they usually never gave us the time of day, they sent the village head as their representative to ask if a prayer for rain could be conducted as a final resort.

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 23

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23. A Command to Stop Working in the Fields

It is written that between 1882 and 1887 Izo did farming and forestry work and for these five years, he never had the luxury to sit and relax at a meal but ate his meals standing near the oven. But according to Yosaburo Miyamori (1857–1936):

“The Residence was not a busy place as it is now. So when Izo first moved to Jiba, it was not like he had a set schedule of tasks to do each day. He would help out when we went out into the fields. He also helped to dig ditches and plow the rice fields.

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 21

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21. Izo’s Perseverance Working in the Fields

After Izo stopped working as a carpenter, he began to work in the fields. Despite the fact that he was unaccustomed to using a hoe, he worked alongside Shinnosuke Nakayama, the first Shinbashira, in doing physical labor and polishing rice grains. Although he was aware he was not good at farm work, he resolved to work at least half the amount of a typical farmer and worked no matter how hot or cold it was.
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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 16

Honseki: Anecdotes, Translations,

16. “Six Shall Move In and Serve”

When the Iburis were in the process of moving into the Residence, Oyasama said,

“You may think your family consists of five people, but six shall move in and serve.”

At first it was a mystery to Izo and Sato what Oyasama’s words meant. They were only a family of five. Who could this sixth person be that Oyasama was referring to?

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