Anecdotes of Oyasama 45

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

Anecdotes of Oyasama 45 presents the contents of "Wrinkles of the Mind," a selection from Anecdotes of Oyasama, published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in 1976. The content below appears between page 39 and 40 of the print edition.

Text: English translation and original Japanese

45. Wrinkles of the Mind Oyasama did not waste one sheet of paper, not even an old scrap of paper. She carefully smoothed the wrinkles even out of the paper that had been used as gift wrappings and placed them under Her cushion to be used again. Oyasama taught: "If wrinkled paper is left as it is, it can be used only as toilet paper or as paper to blow one's nose, but if its wrinkles are carefully smoothed out, it can be used in many ways. Once it is used as toilet paper or paper to blow one's nose it cannot be retrieved and used again. The saving of a man also follows this principle. It is to smooth the wrinkles of man's mind with the truth of the teachings. When the mind becomes completely wrinkled, it becomes like the toilet paper. Saving such minds, rather than discarding them, is the principle of this path." Once when Rin Masui came to see Oyasama and asked for permission to copy the Ofudesaki, Oyasama said: "Do you have any paper?" When Rin answered, "I will go to Tanbaichi and buy some," Oyasama said: "It will be late if you do so. Let Me bind some for you." She then took some sheets of paper out from under Her cushion and disregarding the difference in their sizes, She selected those that had no writing on them, and bound them Herself. Then saying: "Sah, I will read it to you. Write it on this," Oyasama read the Ofudesaki. Rin picked up the writing brush and wrote. It was a copy of Part IV of the Ofudesaki, and to this day it is preserved as it was originally bound, with the paper irregular in size.

四五　心の皺を 　 教祖は、一枚の紙も、反故やからとて粗末になさらず、おひねりの紙なども、丁寧に皺を伸ばして、座布団の下に敷いて、御用にお使いなされた。お話に、 　 「皺だらけになった紙を、そのまま置けば、落とし紙か鼻紙にするより仕様ないで。これを丁寧に皺を伸ばして置いたなら、何んなりとも使われる。落とし紙や鼻紙になったら、もう一度引き上げることは出来ぬやろ。 　 人のたすけもこの理やで。心の皺を、話の理で伸ばしてやるのやで。心も、皺だらけになったら、落とし紙のようなものやろ。そこを、落とさずに救けるが、この道の理やで。」 と、お聞かせ下された。 　 ある時、増井りんが、お側に来て、「お手許のおふでさきを写さして頂きたい。」　とお願いすると、 　 「紙があるかえ。」 と、お尋ね下されたので、「丹波市へ行て買うて参ります。」と申し上げたところ、 　 「そんな事していては遅うなるから、わしが括ってあげよう。」 と、仰せられ、座布団の下から紙を出し、大きい小さいを構わず、墨のつかぬ紙をよりぬき、御自身でお綴じ下されて、 　 「さあ、わしが読んでやるから、これへお書きよ。」 とて、お読み下された。りんは、筆を執って書かせて頂いたが、これは、おふでさき第四号で、今も大小不揃いの紙でお綴じ下されたまま保存させて頂いている、という。

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