Tag Archives: guidance

Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 74

This is an excerpt from the 2006 September Monthly Service Sermon by Honbu-in Toshimi Imamura (All have I done here is post the excerpt here. I have no knowledge of who did the actual translation of this sermon.)

74. Source of an Abdominal Pain

One cold winter day, the Honseki was awkwardly plowing one of the fields that had been returned to the Nakayama family after being mortgaged. While taking a short break and leaning on the plow, all of a sudden he experienced a sharp pain in his abdomen. While ruminating on possible causes as well as possible repentances to make, one thing came to his mind. During that time, people visiting the Residence were few and far between, and the circumstances made it impossible to provide financial assistance for those dedicating themselves at the Residence. Although Izo’s family ate their meals with the Nakayamas, they had trouble getting by without any money of their own. Yoshie Nagao reportedly commented, “There were times when we children asked for allowances, and our parents did not even have a two sen coin.” Therefore, Osato griped about the family’s hardships on more than a few occasions. On one of those occasions, she said: “Considering our present difficulties, we would be so much better off if you went back to carpentry; that way, instead of filling our minds with complaints day after day, we could joyously make financial contributions to God the Parent.”

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Salvation of the Mind

The following is an excerpt from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 36–39) by Koji Sato (佐藤浩司), assistant professor at Tenri University and instructor at Tenri Seminary. Note: This translation is tentative and may require further revision.

Salvation of the Mind

These days, there are more people who have joined Tenrikyo upon being moved by its teachings. Yet when the faith first began, most of the people who came to Oyasama were those who wished to have their illnesses cured or their troubles resolved. Continue reading Salvation of the Mind

The Life of the Honseki Izo Iburi, Part Seven

The Iburis Move Into the Residence

It has been said that Oyasama began to urge Izo to move into the Residence as early as 1867 or 1868. From about 1875, the year Kokan passed away for rebirth, the Residence increasingly became a busy place and Oyasama’s requests became ever more urgent. Although Izo would verbally accede to Oyasama’s requests, it took many years before he actually carried out this promise. At first it may take us by surprise that Izo, who was so widely known for his sincerity and honesty, would take so long to do so, but truth be told, there were many reasons for this.

Continue reading The Life of the Honseki Izo Iburi, Part Seven

A personal instance of divine guidance in action

A personal example that may shed some light on how Tenrikyo followers think.

I have a six-month old infant son. The other day my wife and I noticed that a portion of flesh near the nail of his left thumb was green. I first thought was: Oh no, my son is turning into the Hulk. I then imagined how amusing it would be to see my little baby Hulk wrecking havoc throughout Tenri. I quickly snapped back into reality, however.
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