Category Archives: Teachings and Stories of Tenrikyo Forebears

The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 71

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations,

The following is a translation of Part 71 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the November 2008 (No. 479) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 71: Offer What Happens to Flow Down (Part 2 of 2)

In 1922, Yasu Yoshifuku, a student enrolled in the six-month Bekka course at Tenri Seminary, obeyed Rev. Michioki Masuno — the headmaster of Tenri Seminary and the head minister of Shikishima Daikyokai — who instructed her to “Collect donations in three days and three nights.”

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 70

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 70 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the October 2008 (No. 478) issue of Taimo , pp. 36–37. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 70: Offer What Happens to Flow Down (Part 1 of 2)

In 1922, Yasu Yoshifuku enrolled in the six-month Bekka course at Tenri Seminary. Since it was a year after the official inauguration of the preparatory period leading to the 40th Anniversary of Oyasama (that was to be held in 1926), the Tenrikyo congregation as a whole was passionately occupied in pre-anniversary activities. The words “40th Anniversary” were deeply inscribed in the mind of every follower, with Yasu being no exception. She willingly forewent sleep, waking every morning at 2 a.m. to head to the offering preparatory room at Church Headquarters and frantically devoted herself to hinokishin until her dormitory finished their daily toilet-cleaning sessions that began at midnight.

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 69

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 69 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the September 2008 (No. 477) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 69: “If the Spirit Lives, the Body Will Live”

In 1893, Kichitaro Matsumura contracted a severe case of dysentery. He suffered from diarrhea several times a day, which left him emanciated in a blink of an eye. Although he went to see a number of doctors, they all concluded that his case was beyond help. The first Shinbashira took the time to visit Kichitaro and said: “Matsumura-san, you’ve really lost weight. Do you have anything to tell me while you have the chance? I’ll listen to anything you have to say.”

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 68

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 68 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the August 2008 (No. 476) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 68: In the Face of a Knot

In 1912, Masayoshi Ando enrolled himself in the eighth session of the six-month Special Course (Bekka) at Tenri Seminary. One day at the seminary, one of his classmates received a telegram saying, “Mother is critically ill.”

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 67

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 67 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the July 2008 (No. 475) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 67: A Pure and Innocent Faith

Eigoro Furuta first heard the teachings of Tenrikyo from Sasuke Uehara in 1886. They were teachings of a kind that he had never heard before, yet each of them penetrated his heart one by one. He continued to visit Uehara after coming home from work to listen to the teachings over the next three days.

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 66

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 66 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the June 2008 (No. 474) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 66: Prepared to Risk His Life

“I will do it.”

Yosaburo Miyamori was prepared to risk his life.

In September 1880, police surveillance over the Residence became increasingly severe and it troubled Shuji very much. Out of his desire to allow followers to perform the Service in the open and prevent Oyasama sentenced to police detention, Shuji decided to create a religious fraternity named the Tenrin-O-Kosha affiliated with the temple Jifukuji located on Mt. Kongo.
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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 65

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 65 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the May 2008 (No. 473) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 65: The Reflection of Sincerity

Yoshi Nakagawa spent her days and nights engaging in salvation work while living outdoors. Talk began among her devout followers to rent a place for her.

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 64

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, , ,

The following is a translation of Part 64 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the April 2008 (No. 472) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 64: “People Are Treasures, People Are Important”

On the alcove post in the room of Chujiro Okuma, the second head minister of Keijo Daikyokai, there was a strip of paper with the words “hito wa takara, hito wa taisetsu” — “People are treasures, people are important.” Rev. Okuma was a man who walked the path of a true person of faith and lived true to these words by wrapping his followers and those belonging to Keijo’s affiliate churches with unfathomable parental affection.

We would like to present an episode involving Rev. Okuma and a young live-in seinen named Shigeharu Yamamoto.

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 63

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 63 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the March 2008 (No. 471) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision

Part 63: “Record It In Your Mind”

A Mankichi Miyoshi lived across the street from the home of Tokichi Ueda, the head of a Tenrikyo confraternity in the section of Imadezaike in Kobe. While Mankichi’s vision was incapacitated for 18 years, he regained vision in the corners of his eyes due to Zenkichi Tachibana’s salvation work (o-tasuke).

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 62

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, , , , ,

The following is a translation of Part 62 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the February 2008 (No. 470) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 62: A Resolution to be Single-Heartedly Dedicated to God

The Shiwaku Islands in the Seto Inland Sea comprise 28 islands of various sizes. The islands are renowned for their panoramic, scenic beauty. The name “Shiwaku” is said to have derived from “shio-waku” (literally, “gushing current”), which describes the swift ocean currents that flow between these islands. One of the central islands of Shiwaku is Honjima. In 1896, the man who transmitted the path to this island was a missionary named Eisa Sato.

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