Instruction Three (130th)
Instruction Three is an "Instruction" from the Shinbashira Zenji Nakayama written for the "three-year, one thousand-day lead-up toward the 130th Anniversary of Oyasama (January 26, 2016). It was announced at the Autumn Grand Service Sermon delivered on October 26, 2012.
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In anticipation of the 130th Anniversary of Oyasama to be observed in 2016 (Tenrikyo 179), I would like to share some of my thoughts in the hope that they will be useful to all Yoboku and followers as they make decisive efforts to grow spiritually and conduct their activities in unity of mind. Oyasama revealed the ultimate teachings to save all people throughout the world. She devoted Herself to single-hearted salvation with Her heart filled with parental love for all human beings, Her children, and left us with the path of the fifty-year Divine Model. During those years, Oyasama made all arrangements for the path, such as teaching the Salvation Service and revealing the origin of all things. On the lunar calendar date of January 26, 1887, She withdrew from physical life to hasten people's spiritual growth and their implementation of the Service, which She had been urging. Since then, true to Her words "[I shall] save the world from now, "She has been taking the lead at the forefront of world salvation while continuing to guide us, as ever before, by virtue of Her eternal life. The significance of observing the anniversaries of Oyasama is to respond to Her boundless parental love with decisiveness. This is a season when each and every Yoboku should, with a fresh mind, take to heart the true intention in founding the Teaching, enhance his or her awareness of being a Yoboku, a useful timber for building the Joyous Life World, and accomplish genuine work while striving to follow the Divine Model. The Joyous Life is a state of the world where, first and foremost, all human beings, the children of God the Parent, live together while helping one another. In addition, we read: Greed is fathomless like muddy water. When your mind is completely purified, Then comes paradise. If only the mind is purified completely, there will be nothing but delight in everything. These verses tell us that the Joyous Life is also a way of living that entails purifying the mind. Greed, which knows no moderation, can lead people astray, give rise to conflict, disrupt the harmony of the world, and even threaten the future. The ever-growing tendency to think that all is well if it is well for oneself is progressively weakening interpersonal ties; indeed, even family bonds seem fragile in today's societies. This tendency is contrary to the Joyous Life. It is our duty as people who follow Oyasama's teachings to work for world salvation by conveying the intention of the true Parent to those who have worries about the uncertainty of the future with no spiritual guide to help them. Now is the time for all of us followers of the path to stand up and show people a way of living based on purifying the mind and helping one another. We should thus pour our energies into reconstructing the world. Let those of us who are Yoboku study and internalize the teachings and put them into practice each day to become people who effortlessly make the truth of the teachings self-apparent to the local community. Let us ensure that our own families—including husband and wife, who represent the truth of the embrace of heaven and earth—are living in accord with the teachings and implementing mutual help. In this way, let us expand the circle of the Joyous Life, starting right where we are. Let us also keep our minds connected to our churches, visit our churches, and participate in the performance of the service, which is the mission of each church. Let us work together with our church head ministers as the core to demonstrate a model of the Joyous Life to our local communities. Concerned about our future, God the Parent urges us through various knots, or challenging situations, to replace the mind. Whatever I do, it is solely from Tsukihi's single desire to save you. This verse teaches us that everything God does is motivated solely by the parental love that desires to save all human beings. All misfortunes and difficulties are expressions of the parental love that desires us to cleanse our hearts. We should not only reflect critically on ourselves but also work proactively for the salvation of others by accepting that, through the challenging situations that have arisen, we are being urged to help others be saved. In fact, staying always focused on helping to save others is a prerequisite for being followers of these teachings that are aimed at world salvation and is also the true way to achieve salvation ourselves, as can be seen from Oyasama's words "Through saving others, you will be saved" Salvation work begins with paying attention to those around us. If we find people who are suffering from illnesses or other problems, let us first pray for a solution, speak proactively to them, and reach out to them. We can administer the Sazuke with utmost sincerity to those who are ill and listen to what is on the minds of those who have worries. We can give support to those people, convey the voice of the Parent to them, and guide them so that they can change the orientation of their minds. Moreover, let us continue guiding and nurturing them until they join us in working for the salvation of others. Let us keep working tirelessly toward the realization of the world of joy where God and humankind dwell in perfect union, a world where all people throughout the world are aware of the Parent of Origin and are awakened to the truth that all human beings are brothers and sisters so that they can live harmoniously together while helping one another. Over the "three years, one thousand days" leading up to the 130th Anniversary of Oyasama, I hope with all my heart that all of us Yoboku, who are Oyasama's instruments, will maintain a full awareness of our mission and strive to carry out our work, thereby bringing joy to the ever-living Oyasama. October 26, 2012 (Tenrikyo 175) |
立教百七十九年、教祖百三十年祭を勤めるに先立ち、思うところを述べて、全教“よふぼく”の仕切っての成人と一手一つの活動に資したい。 教祖は、世界一れつをたすけるために、“だめ”の教えを啓かれ、子供可愛い一杯の親心を以て、“たすけ一条”にお通りになり、五十年にわたる“ひながた”の道をお遺し下された。 この間、“たすけづとめ”を教え、万事の元を明かして道の次第を整えられ、明治二十年陰暦正月二十六日、かねて仰せの“つとめ”の実行を尚も急き込み、人々の成人を促して、現身(うつしみ)をかくされた。以来、「今から“たすけ”するのやで」とのお言葉通り、存命の理を以て、今も変わることなく、“世界たすけ”の先頭に立って私達をお導き下されている。 この限りない親心に仕切ってお応えすることこそ、教祖の年祭を勤める意義である。心新たに、“よふぼく”一人ひとりが立教の本旨を胸に刻み、“陽気ぐらし”世界建設の“よふぼく”としての自覚を高め、“ひながた”を目標に実働すべき旬である。 “陽気ぐらし”は、何よりも親神様の子供である人間が、互いにたすけ合って暮らす世の在り様である。また、 よくにきりないどろみづや こゝろすみきれごくらくや （十下り目 四ツ） 心さいすきやかすんた事ならば どんな事てもたの しみばかり （十四 50） と仰せられるように、“陽気ぐらし”は心を澄ます生き方でもある。 慎みを知らぬ欲望は、人をして道を誤らせ、争いを生み、遂には、世界の調和を乱し、その行く手を脅(おびや)かしかねない。我さえ良くばの風潮の強まりは、人と人との繋がりを一層弱め、家族の絆さえ危うい今日の世相である。まさに“陽気ぐらし”に背を向ける世の動きである。 心の拠(よ)り所を持たず、先の見えない不安を抱える人々に、真実の“をや”の思いを伝えて世界をたすけることは、この教えを奉じる者の務めである。 今こそ、道の子お互いは挙(こぞ)って立ち上がり、人々に、心を澄まし、たすけ合う生き方を提示して、世の立て替えに力を尽くすべき時である。 “よふぼく”は、教えを学び身につけ、日々実践して、土地所の成程の人となろう。天地抱き合わせの理を象(かたど)る夫婦をはじめ、己が家族の在り方を正し、たすけ合いを実行して、足元から“陽気ぐらし”の輪を広げよう。 また、教会に心を繋(つな)ぎ、足を運んで、その使命である“おつとめ”を勤めるとともに、会長を芯に、“陽気ぐらし”の手本たる姿を地域に映そう。 時として、親神様は子供の行く末を案じる上から、様々な“ふし”を以て心の入れ替えを促される。しかし、 とのよふな事をするのも月日にわ たすけたいとの一ちよはかりで （十二 78） と、全ては、ひたすら一れつ人間をたすけてやりたいとの親心からであると仰せられる。 あらゆる災厄や難渋は胸の掃除を求められ る親心の表れである。自らを省みることはもとより、見せられる事柄を通して、人だすけを促されていると受け止め、積極的な“おたすけ”を心掛けたい。また、常に人だすけを心掛けてこそ、世界“たすけ”を掲げる教えの信仰者であり、それは「人たすけたらわがみたすかる」と仰せられるように、自らが真にたすかる道でもある。 “おたすけ”は周囲に心を配ることから始まる。身上・事情に苦しむ人、悩む人があれば、先ずは、その治まりを願い、進んで声を掛け、“たすけ”の手を差し伸べよう。病む人には真実込めて“おさづけ”を取り次ぎ、悩める人の胸の内に耳を傾け、寄り添うとともに、“をや”の声を伝え、心の向きが変わるようにと導く。更には、共々に人だすけに向かうまでに丹精したい。 世の人々が元の親を知り、一れつ兄弟姉妹(きょうだい)の真実に目覚めて、互いに睦(むつ)み合い、たすけ合う神人和楽の陽気世界の実現を目指して、弛(たゆ)むことなく世界の“ふしん”を進めよう。 教祖百三十年祭へ向けての三年千日、教祖の道具衆たる“よふぼく”お互いが、その使命を自覚し、任務(つとめ)に邁進(まいしん)して、御存命の教祖にお喜び頂きたいと願ってやまない。 立教百七十五年十月二十六日 真柱 中 山 善 司 |
