Tag Archives: attentiveness/consideration

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 46

Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama,

46. Everything from This to That

One day a follower brought a large fish for an offering. After the fish was offered, Shuji asked Rin Masui to prepare it. Rin looked for a carving knife but could not find one. Then Shuji said, “Orin, is it a carving knife you are looking for? There is a large vegetable knife in the kitchen. Use that to prepare the fish.” There was no carving knife.

Rin thought, “How inconvenient,” and one day asked to have the day off, and returned to Kawachi. As that day happened to be the day of Otaiya at Yao,* she immediately went to Yao and bought a carving knife, a thin fish-slicer, a pair of scissors, and other useful household items. She returned to the Residence and presented them as a gift from her. Shuji and Matsue were so delighted with the presents that Shuji said, “Such nice things! I want to show them to Grandmother.** Come along with us,” he urged. When they met Oyasama, Rin first thanked Her for the day off. Oyasama accepted the presents and said:

“Orin, you have given thought to everything from this to that. Oh, I am grateful. Oyasama was very pleased.”

It is said that Rin, overwhelmed with the graciousness of Oyasama, bowed, pressing her forehead against the tatami-mat and shed tears of gratitude.

 

* Otaiya at Yao refers to a string of roadside stands which open between the Temple of Yao and the Temple of Kyuhoji on the eleventh and twenty-seventh of each month.

** Oyasama.

Anecdotes of Oyasama, pp. 40–41 Continue reading Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 46 →

Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 70

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 (senior official of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters), such as superintendent of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, and Wakayama dioceses, president of Doyusha, head of Publications Approval Office, and first head minister of Jibun Bunkyokai.

70. A Bale of Rice and a Sack of Charcoal

Our family moved into the Residence from Osaka about the year 1891. When my mother went to the kitchen the next morning, she found a bale of rice and a sack of charcoal. No one had the faintest idea about who had brought the items. Sato came by at about ten in the morning and asked, “Iye-san, did you find the rice and charcoal?”

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 68

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 (senior official of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters), such as superintendent of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, and Wakayama dioceses, president of Doyusha, head of Publications Approval Office, and first head minister of Jibun Branch Church.

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The Truth That I Do Not Tell and Cannot Tell

Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Translations, ,

The following is an excerpt from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 137–142) 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.

The Truth That I Do Not Tell and Cannot Tell

There are times when people are able to understand each other without saying anything out loud. In a majority of cases, it is likely an unspoken agreement to help one another, ala, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” There is also the Japanese proverb, “The eyes speak as much as the mouth.” Words between lovers can often seem unnecessary.

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Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 45

Honseki: Anecdotes, Translations,

45. Encouraging a Spirit of Kindness

There was a particular seinen (young male attendant) who would fall asleep and miss making the rounds while on night duty. This became a hot topic of conversation and the Honseki walked in when a few seinens were in the middle of discussing it. He then asked them:

“Who do you think is at fault? The person who fell asleep or the person who is awake?”

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