Guidance

Guidance (also “divine guidance”) is the standard gloss for the Scriptural term tebiki てびき. Literally meaning “lead by the hand,” tebiki refers to the notion that illness, troubles, and calamities are not forms of divine punishment but amount to God the Parent’s way of drawing people to the path leading to the Joyous Life. It may be noted that “guidance” is also a common translation of the non-Scriptural term “michibiki” 導き.

Other terms related to tebiki include iken (admonition), michi-ose (road sign), o-teire (care), and yo-muki (call for service).

Although not mentioned anywhere in the publication, tebiki (divine guidance) is a constantly reappearing theme in Anecdotes of Oyasama.

Appearances of “tebiki” in Scripture

• Ofudesaki 02:007
• Ofudesaki 02:022
• Ofudesaki 03:139
• Ofudesaki 05:020
• Osashizu 1895-03-18
• Osashizu 1896-02-07
• Osashizu 1898-07-30
• Osashizu 1901-11-21 (actually “te-hiite” 手引いて”)

External links / References

(pages nos. refer to hardcopy equivalent)

• Entry “Divine guidance (tebiki)” from Words of the Path by Yoshikazu Fukaya (pp 78–9)
• Entry “Divine Guidance” from A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms (pp. 73–4)
• Excerpt of “Chapter Six — Divine Guidance” from The Doctrine of Tenrikyo, pp. 45–9.