The following is an excerpt of “The Life of the Foundress” by Yoshinaru Ueda as it appears in Tenrikyo: Its History and Teachings (1966), pp. 25–8. Note that this excerpt has been slightly revised to reflect current translation styles.
The content below more or less corresponds what appears in The Life of Oyasama, Chapter Three, Four, and Five. Continue reading Life of the Foundress, Part 4
二ツ ふしぎなつとめばしよハ たれにたのみはかけねども
二つ 不思議なつとめ場所は 誰に頼みは掛けないけれども
Futatsu / Fushigi na / Tsutome basho wa / tare ni / tanomi wa / kakene domo
Two / wondrous / Place for the Service / anyone / request / although not make
三ツ みなせかいがよりあうて でけたちきたるがこれふしぎ
三つ 皆世界が寄り合うて 出来立ち来るがこれ不思議
Mittsu / Mina / sekai ga / yori-ōte / deke-tachi kitaru ga / kore fushigi
Three / All / the world / will gather together / That it comes to be built / this is a wonder
Continue reading Song Three, verses 2–4
Song Three is one of two Songs that use the open folding fans. Whereas the fans now have a red-orange disc1 on a white background and brings to mind the Japanese flag, they supposedly represent the Sun2 in addition to the Moon and the Sun.3 Folding fans from the late 1880s and 1890s had the Sun and crescent Moon.4 It is unclear when or why the church leadership adopted to use the folding fans with a red-orange disc, but it may worthy to consider a change away from the present convention sometime in the future.
一ツ ひのもとしよやしきの つとめのばしよハよのもとや
一つ 日の本（火の元）庄屋敷（初屋敷）の つとめの場所は世の元や
Hitotsu / Hi no moto / Shoyashiki no / Tsutome no basho wa / yo no moto ya
One / origin of the Sun / in Shoyashiki / The Place for the Service is / the world’s origin
Continue reading Song Three, verse 1
The offer by the Iburis of donating an altar shrine in appreciation of Sato’s recovery from post-delivery complications transformed into a plan to build a place of worship. The plan was enthusiastically received and the followers quickly acted to bring the plan into reality.
The leading followers at the time met and made a list of tasks to be assigned. The list went as follows: Chushichi Yamanaka, construction expenses; Izo Iburi, labor; Chuyemon (Chusaku) Tsuji, roof tiles; Saemon (Gisaburo) Nakata, six tatami mats; Isaburo Nishida, eight tatami mats.
Continue reading The Life of the Honseki Izo Iburi, Part Three