Anecdotes of Oyasama 122
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Anecdotes of Oyasama 122 presents the contents of "As Long as There Is Virtue," a selection from Anecdotes of Oyasama, published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in 1976. The content below appears between page 100 and 101 of the print edition.
Text: English translation and original Japanese
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122. As Long as There Is Virtue A great drought struck all of Yamato in the summer of 1883. At that time, Isaburo Masui, who was still farming in Izushichijo Village, was staying at the Residence every day to help with the farm work. By and by, a messenger from his own home came to ask Isaburo to return home, saying, "At the village people are busy drawing water into the rice fields. They are complaining that all the villagers are out doing the work except Isaburo. Can't you come home just for a while to show your face?" Isaburo had already resolved, "I do not care what happens to my own field," so he flatly refused, saying, "It was very kind of you to come but I cannot leave," and sent the messenger back home. However, later, Isaburo thought, "I am contented because I feel that it is the best thing for me to be able to put even a bucket-full of water into the field of the Residence during this drought. But if my neighbors are discontented on account of this, it will not do." So he reconsidered, thinking, "I already said 'no,' but I will go back and at least show my face," and he went to tell Oyasama his decision. Thereupon, Isaburo received these words from Oyasama:
When he went back, the whole village was in great commotion day and night with everyone busily drawing water from the wells in the fields. Isaburo and his wife, Osame, went out together to the fields and drew water until late into the night. However, no water was drawn into Isaburo's own field; it was all drawn into the fields of others. Osame mixed the water she had received from the water hole near the Kanrodai with the water from her house, and day and night, twice a day, she sprinkled it around her family rice field with a dried rice stalk. A few days later, Osame, wondering how her family rice field was faring, made the rounds before dawn and to her surprise found the field which she had not watered filled with water rising from the ground. Osame remembered afresh the words of Oyasama and was deeply moved with the realization that Oyasama's words were indeed always true. That year, the crop of the entire village was bad but the Masui family was blessed with a good harvest of about twenty-two kilograms per are. |
一二二 理さえあるならば 明治十六年夏、大和一帯は大旱魃であった。桝井伊三郎は、未だ伊豆七条村で百姓をしていたが、連日お屋敷へ詰めて、百姓仕事のお手伝いをしていた。すると、家から使いが来て、「村では、田の水かいで忙しいことや。村中一人残らず出ているのに、伊三郎さんは、一寸も見えん、と言うて喧しいことや。一寸かえって来て、顔を見せてもらいたい。」と言うて、呼びに来た。伊三郎は、かねてから、「我が田は、どうなっても構わん。」と覚悟していたので、「せっかくやが、かえられん。」と、アッサリ返事して、使いの者をかえした。が、その後で、思案した。「この大旱魃に、お屋敷へたとい一杯の水でも入れさせてもらえば、こんな結構なことはない、と、自分は満足している。しかし、そのために、隣近所の者に不足さしていては、申し訳ない。」と。そこで、「ああ言うて返事はしたが、一度顔を見せて来よう。」と思い 定め、教祖の御前へ御挨拶のために参上した。すると、教祖は、
と、お言葉を下された。 こうして、村へもどってみると、村中は、野井戸の水かいで、昼夜兼行の大騒動である。伊三郎は、女房のおさめと共に田へ出て、夜おそくまで水かいをした。しかし、その水は、一滴も我が田へは入れず、人様の田ばかりへ入れた。 そしておさめは、かんろだいの近くの水溜まりから、水を頂いて、それに我が家の水をまぜて、朝夕一度ずつ、日に二度、藁しべで我が田の周囲へ置いて廻わった。 こうして数日後、夜の明け切らぬうちに、おさめが、我が田は、どうなっているかと、見廻わりに行くと、不思議なことには、水一杯入れた覚えのない我が田一面に、地中から水気が浮き上がっていた。おさめは、改めて、教祖のお言葉を思い出し、成る程仰せ通り間違いはない、と、深く心に感銘した。 その年の秋は、村中は不作であったのに、桝井の家では、段に一石六斗という収穫をお与え頂いたのである。 |
