“I Am Tenrikyo”

Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Translations

The following is an excerpt from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 142–143) by Koji Sato, professor at Tenri University and instructor at Tenri Seminary. Note: This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

“I Am Tenrikyo”

A true person of the faith would be someone who walks the walk and talks the talk. It would be shameful if someone said, “I think your teachings are wonderful, but when I see that so-and-so is a follower, it makes me think twice….” There is no meaning in being a follower of the path unless people say, “I have no idea what the teachings are about, but when I see so-and-so, it must be a truly wonderful faith.”

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 35

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

The following is a translation of Part 35 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the November 2005 (No. 443) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 35: The Faith of Yoshi Nakagawa (3 of 3)

Yoshi, who just gave birth to her third child Mitsunosuke, had made a promise to take a blind old lady to Jiba. The day that Yoshi made this appointment happened to be three days after she gave birth. In normal circumstances, a person would have either been forced to postpone or cancel the appointment altogether on the premise of having just given birth. But Yoshi was different. She had not only made a promise to this old lady; she had made a promise to God as well. The people around her tried to persuade Yoshi from doing so but she paid no attention to their pleas.

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Post-26 Report (May 2008)

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Second Installment of “Savoring the Realm of the Mikagura-uta” Lecture Series

The second lecture of “Savoring the Realm of the Mikagura-uta” lecture series sponsored by the Oyasato Institute for the Study of Religion was held at 13:00 on May 25. The lecturer this month was Yoshinori Sawai and he was assigned to discuss the so-called “First Section” or Section One (Dai-issetsu) of the Mikagura-uta: Ashiki o harōte tasuke tamae Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto (“Sweeping away evils, please save us, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto”).

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 53

Honseki: Anecdotes, Translations,

53. Before a Timely Talk

The Honseki was often afflicted physically before the delivery of a Timely Talk. It did not matter whether it was day or night. Yet this more frequently occurred at night. Rin Masui or one of the seinens (male attendants) on duty would massage him at such times, either stroking his chest or rubbing his back. Continue reading Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 53 →

Offering With a Sincere Heart

Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Translations, , ,

The following is an excerpt from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 123–126) by Koji Sato, professor at Tenri University and instructor at Tenri Seminary. Note: This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Offering With a Sincere Heart

We human beings are able to enjoy life because God the Parent works without a single moment of rest to provide us with divine protection. No amount of gratitude we have for the Master Lender is too excessive.

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 34

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations, ,

This is a translation of Part 34 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the October 2005 (No. 442) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 34: The Faith of Yoshi Nakagawa (2 of 3)

The following is an account of the birth of Yakichi and Yoshi Nakagawa’s third child Mitsunosuke. By this time Yoshi had gained the reputation in her area as a miracle worker through her salvation work. Yoshi was so busy that she nearly had no time to sleep as she devoted herself toward saving others up to her expected date of delivery. However, once she gave birth, Yoshi would no longer be able to engage in salvation work. So Yoshi offered the following prayer: “God, while I apologize for making such a selfish request, I ask that you somehow allow me to give birth after I am finished with helping this particular person.”

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 52

Honseki: Anecdotes, Translations,

The following is a translation of an excerpt from the writings of Eitaro Imamura (1894–1969), who held several positions throughout his career as a Honbu-jun’in (Tenrikyo Church Headquarters senior official), such as superintendent of Akita, Aomori, Iwate, and Wakayama dioceses, president of Tenrikyo Doyusha Publishing Co., head of Publications Approval Office, and first head minister of Jibun Branch Church.

52. Scenes from Nighttime Timely Talks

Night fell quietly upon the Residence. There were no longer any signs of worshipers as the night wore on, wrapping the Residence in a veil of peaceful silence.

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Merit That Cannot Be Seen By the Eye

Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Translations,

The following is an excerpt from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 121–122) by Koji Sato, professor at Tenri University and instructor at Tenri Seminary. Note: This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Merit That Cannot Be Seen By the Eye

Once, Oyasama asked Koiso Yamanaka:

“Do you wish to have merit that can be seen by the eye? Or do you wish to have merit that cannot be seen by the eye? Which do you wish to have?”

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The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 33

Footsteps of Our Predecessors, Translations,

The following is a translation of Part 33 of the series “Senjin no sokuseki” (Footsteps of Our Predecessors) from the September 2005 (No. 441) issue of Taimo, pp. 34–35. This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.

Part 33: The Faith of Yoshi Nakagawa (1 of 3)

A woman, obviously from the countryside, walks the streets of Tokyo in shabby clothes. She carries a baby on her back who, weakened from an empty stomach, is only able to occasionally whimper at best. She walks while tightly gripping the handle of a faded umbrella. She walks briskly under the bright sun with the baby’s diapers placed out to dry on top of her umbrella.

Here we see a glimpse of the youthful missionary days of Yoshi Nakagawa, the first head minister of Tohon.

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 51

Honseki: Anecdotes, Translations,

51. Rin Masui Becomes the Honseki’s Personal Attendant

After the passing of Izo’s beloved wife Sato on March 18, 1893, the need for find someone to wait on the Honseki arose. A request for Divine Directions was already posed on March 24, asking, “Is the personal attendant of the Honseki to be a man or a woman?” Yet God the Parent gave no clear answer, only encouraging everyone to put their minds together and come to a collective agreement on the matter.

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