The Life of Oyasama
| The Life of Oyasama |
|---|
| Preface |
| Chapter One |
| The Shrine of Tsukihi (1837–1838) |
| Chapter Two |
| The Early History of Oyasama (1798–1837) |
| Chapter Three |
| On the Way (1838–1852), (1853–1854), (1862–1864) |
| Chapter Four |
| The Place for the Service (1864), (1865–1866) |
| Chapter Five |
| The Salvation Service (1866–1882) |
| Chapter Six |
| The Identification of the Jiba (1869–1873), (Jan–Nov 1874), (Dec 1874), (1875), (1876–1877) |
| Chapter Seven |
| Buds Sprout from Knots (1878–1880), (1881) |
| Chapter Eight |
| Parental Love (pp. 121–124), (pp. 124–131), (pp. 132–137), (pp. 137–146), (pp. 146–157), (pp. 157–165), (pp. 165–168) |
| Chapter Nine |
| The Hardships of Oyasama (Jan–Sep 1882), (Oct–Dec 1882), (Jan–Jun 1883), (Jul–Dec 1883), (1884), (1885), (Jan–Apr 1886),(May–Dec 1886) |
| Chapter Ten |
| The Portals Opened (Jan 1–11, 1887), (Jan 12–13, 1887), (Jan 18–Feb 18, 1887) |
The term "kohon" happens to label this biography as a "manuscript edition." The explanation for this is that "more detailed research and studies remain to be made on the numerals, notes, words, and phrases"[1] that appear in it. This suggests that there is a potential for further revisions to be made to the text in the future when significant discoveries regarding the life and times of Tenrikyo's founder ever come to light.
Kohon Tenrikyo Oyasama Den was first published in 1956 (the year of the 70th Anniversary of Oyasama) and revised in 1981 by Church Headquarters. It was finally published after many aborted attempts to compile a biography on Miki Nakayama, the first which began from the 10th Anniversary of Oyasama 60 years earlier. Kohon Tenrikyo Oyasama Den was compiled largely based on the Ofudesaki and other preserved historical documents that include Oyasama-gyoden (The Biography of Oyasama), an early work written by Shinnosuke Nakayama, the first Shinbashira.
The preface explicitly reveals that The Life of Oyasama was compiled for the purpose to provide "the standard for all people of the world to appreciate and practice the Divine Model."[1] The Divine Model refers to the life of Miki Nakayama from when she is said to have become the Shrine of Tsukihi or the mouthpiece of God the Parent on 10/26/1838 (lunar calendar), until her "withdrawal from physical life" on 1/26/1887 (lunar) at the age of 90, which totals to approximately 50 years. The Life of Oyasama also describes, in Chapter Two, the life of Miki Nakayama before she became the Shrine of Tsukihi.
Contents
The Life of Oyasama contains 10 chapters:
- Preface
- Chapter 1 — The Shrine of Tsukihi
- Chapter 2 — The Early History of Oyasama
- Chapter 3 — On the Way (3 sections)
- Chapter 4 — The Place for the Service (2 sections)
- Chapter 5 — The Salvation Service
- Chapter 6 — The Identification of the Jiba (5 sections)
- Chapter 7 — Buds Sprout from Knots (2 sections)
- Chapter 8 — Parental Love (7 sections)
- Chapter 9 — The Hardships of Oyasama (8 sections)
- Chapter 10 — The Portals Opened (3 sections)
English Translated Version
The English translation has gone through three editions:
- First Edition (10/26/1967)
- Second Edition (4/26/1982, 255 pages)
- Third Edition (1/26/1996, 242 pages)
- Second Printing (12/26/2006)
External links
- Fukaya, Yoshikazu. "The Life of Oyasama." Words of the Path: A Guide to Tenrikyo Terms and Expressions, pp. 27–28.
- The Life of Oyasama (in Japanese) 教祖伝
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Preface to the Manuscript Edition." The Life of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo—Manuscript Edition (third edition). Tenrikyo Church Headquarters.
