Anecdotes of Oyasama 144

Anecdotes of Oyasama
Author: Various authors Date Published: 1976 Pages: 159 (English ed.) Anecdotes Index

Anecdotes of Oyasama 144 presents the contents of "The Virtue Which Reaches Heaven," a selection from Anecdotes of Oyasama, published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in 1976. The content below appears on page 116 of the print edition.

Text: English translation and original Japanese

144. The Virtue Which Reaches Heaven Oyasama was detained in Nara Prison from March 24 through April 5, 1884. Chuzaburo Koda was also kept in custody for ten days. While imprisoned, Chuzaburo was ordered by a jailor to clean the toilets. When he came back to Oyasama after he had finished cleaning, Oyasama inquired: "Koda, what do you think of having been brought to this kind of place and even having been made to clean such filthy places as toilets?" "I think I am serving God whatever I do. So I am very happy," he answered. Oyasama said: "You are right. If you do something with gratitude, no matter how hard or unpleasant it may be, your virtue will reach heaven. Virtue which is accepted by God will be turned into joy. But no matter how hard or trying the work that you do may be, if you do it complaining, 'How hard it is, how I hate it,' the complaints will also reach heaven and be returned to you in kind."

一四四　天に届く理 教祖は、明治十七年三月二十四日（陰暦二月二十七日）から四月五日（陰暦三月十日）まで奈良監獄署へ御苦労下された。鴻田忠三郎も十日間入牢拘禁 された。その間、忠三郎は、獄吏から便所掃除を命ぜられた。忠三郎が掃除を終えて、教祖の御前にもどると、教祖は、 「鴻田はん、こんな所へ連れて来て、便所のようなむさい所の掃除をさされて、あんたは、どう思うたかえ。」 と、お尋ね下されたので、「何をさせて頂いても、神様の御用向きを勤めさせて頂くと思えば、実に結構でございます。」と申し上げると、教祖の仰せ下さるには、 「そうそう、どんな辛い事や嫌な事でも、結構と思うてすれば、天に届く理、神様受け取り下さる理は、結構に変えて下さる。なれども、えらい仕事、しんどい仕事を何んぼしても、ああ辛いなあ、ああ嫌やなあ、と、不足々々でしては、天に届く理は不足になるのやで。」 と、お諭し下された。

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Additional Materials

• Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama, no. 144, Tenrikyology.com
• Truth That Reaches Heaven Tenrikyo.or.jp
• Joyously Accepting Everything as God's Gift Tenrikyo Newsletter