Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-4
| 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) |
Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-4 presents a portion of the contents of Chapter Eight from The Life of Oyasama as published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters. The title of the chapter is "Parental Love."
Unlike earlier chapters, Chapter Eight offers little information on Oyasama's life. It mainly functions as a summary of the Ofudesaki.
The content below is equivalent to pages 137 to 146 of the print edition.
Note: The print edition of has been split into seven sections on this wiki due to length of text. The chapter is split as follows:
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-1 (pp. 121–124)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-2 (pp. 124–131)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-3 (pp. 132–137)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-4 (pp. 137–146)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-5 (pp. 146–157)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-6 (pp. 157–165)
- Life of Oyasama Chapter 8-7 (pp. 165–169)
Contents
Text
Part seven
Advancing to part seven:
Any salvation whatever is all through the Service. If only you do just as Tsukihi says. . .
If your mind is sincere, Tsukihi will assuredly save you.
On salvation this time: this is the beginning of My salvation truly assured.
The mind of Tsukihi urgently hastens. You close to Me, also, prepare your minds for the Service!
This preparation is not just for any one thing. The Service is for any and all matters.
The Service: it is not always the same. I shall teach you the hand movements for each purpose.
Thus, from the desire for universal salvation, God the Parent urges that preparations for the Service be made.
Joy in everything is all by the Service. I shall teach you every kind of marvel.
In preparing to teach you the Service step by step, I shall sweep clean everyone's innermost heart.
Thereafter, your mind will become spirited day by day, and I shall teach you the hand movements for every Service.
What do you think this Service is? It is from My single intent to save you in childbirth and from smallpox.
What do you think this salvation is about? I shall teach the Service to free you from smallpox.
By this Service which teaches the path quickly, all minds in the world will be purified.
How are you hearing this talk? It is solely about the preparations for the salvation of the world.
Ofudesaki 7:94–100
In addition to the Service for Universal Salvation, God the Parent taught the hand movements for other kinds of Kanrodai Services to answer specific prayers. These are: Safe Childbirth, Smallpox, A Child, Cripples, Fertilizer, Germination, Insect Pests, Rain, Cessation of Rain, Harvest, and Rebellion. There were, including the Service for Universal Salvation, twelve Kanrodai Services taught by God the Parent, assuring good health, long life, rich harvests, prosperity, and lasting peace—thus nothing was left undone in assuring the Joyous Life.
Part eight
The term "Salvation Service" appears in part eight:
Because of this, the Salvation Service cannot be performed. Oh, the regret in the mind of Tsukihi!
Part nine
Part nine deals chiefly with the center for the Service, the Kanrodai:
To say what I shall speak about from now on: it will be solely about the Kanrodai.
What is called the Kanrodai at the present time is but a mere model.
From now on, I shall teach you clearly, step by step, solely about the preparations for the Kanrodai.
Make the base of this Stand three shaku across and six-sided with a mortise at its center.
Until now, I have taught you various things, but they are all preparations for setting up this Stand.
If only this Stand has been put firmly in place, there will be nothing fearful or dangerous.
Should anyone dare to stop what is ordered by Tsukihi, his own life will be stopped.
When you see it, you will be truly satisfied and know that Tsukihi's teachings are indeed marvelous.
As soon as this Stand is completed, the Service will be done. Nothing will remain that cannot be realized.
About this Stand: I do not say when or how, but when it is completed, the Service will be done.
If only this Service is begun, nothing will remain that cannot be realized.
Watch! Tsukihi will surely bestow the Gift, the Food of Heaven, without fail.
In whatever matters, unless there is clear proof of the truth, it should remain questionable.
As we progress toward spiritual maturity, preparations for the Kanrodai will also proceed. And when the Service performers perform the Service around this Stand, their minds as one, God the Parent will bestow the Gift, the Food of Heaven, and answer any prayer whatsoever.
From now on, I shall teach you everything in detail step by step. Do not go against My words.
Do not wonder what it is that I am saying. It is solely about the preparations for the Kanrodai.
This Stand is to be made one block atop another. The uppermost is to be two shaku and four sun.
Place a flat vessel on top, and I shall surely bestow the Food of Heaven.
On whom do you think the Food of Heaven is to be bestowed? It is to be bestowed on the Parent who began this world.
There is no one who knows the mind of the Parent who is to receive the Gift from Heaven.
On whom do you think the Food of Heaven is to be bestowed? It is to be bestowed on the Parent who began this world.
There is no one who knows the mind of the Parent who is to receive the Gift from Heaven.
After Tsukihi surely ascertains the mind, then the Food of Heaven will be bestowed.
Once Tsukihi has bestowed it, the rest is up to the mind of the Parent.
If preparations for the Kanrodai are advanced in accordance with the words of God the Parent, the blocks placed one atop another, and a flat vessel placed on the uppermost block, then the Food of Heaven will be bestowed on the Parent without fail. Then the Parent will bestow it on everyone in due accord with one's mind, allowing one to live the full span of life in good health. Thus, this world will become the world of the Joyous Life.
Part ten
Proceeding to part ten, we find teachings dealing mainly with the Service of the Kanrodai.
Step by step and day by day, the mind will become spirited. What a rich harvest will appear in Yamato!
Day by day, hasten to begin the Service. You will escape any danger whatever.
However serious your illness may be, you will all be saved by the Service done single-heartedly.
As to the Service to be done, it is none other than the Service of the Kanrodai.
What do you think this Stand is? It is the Parent of Nihon.
If you but sincerely think this to be true, Tsukihi will discern it and assure anything whatever.
Since I, Tsukihi, give My assurance, there will not be even a single error in a thousand.
By the performance of the Service, rich harvests and good health are assured as well as the salvation from any illness and the warding-off of all disasters. Such is the Service of the Kanrodai. It is indeed the Service which is the root of the world of the Joyous Life. If we have faith in this truth, then God the Parent will assure us of free and unlimited blessings.
How are you hearing this talk? It is about the Service of the Kanrodai.
Do not think of this Service as being trivial. I desire as many as thirty-six people.
In time, I shall need nineteen performers for the Kagura Service, including those for the musical instruments.
God the Parent teaches that ten people are to perform the Service with the Kanrodai as center and nine, the musical instruments, and when Teodori performers and Gakunin are included, seventy-five Service performers will be needed in all.
Truly settle your mind and ponder. I make this a firm request of you, My intermediaries.
To construct this Stand, Tsukihi is making preparations for the performers step by step.
When the performers are fully assembled, the Stand, also, will be completed of its own accord. Stand, also, will be completed of its own accord.
Urging the intermediaries to settle their minds, God the Parent hastens to assemble the Service performers, teaching that when the Service performers have assembled, the Kanrodai will come into being of itself.
Further:
To explain what this path is about: Tsukihi will teach them the hand movements of the Service, and then,
When Tsukihi takes them forth all over the world, the Stand will be completed of itself.
After God assembles the performers and teaches them the hand movements for the Service and then takes them forth all over the world, the Kanrodai will come into being of itself. Thus, in order to hasten the completion of the Service, and, while hastening the performers to assemble, God urges the followers to practice the hand movements.
If only this is surely completed, the Service each month will be done without error.
If only the Service is done without error, the Gift of Heaven, also, will be given without fail.
This path is a path of true sincerity and is difficult to follow. Everyone must ponder well.
When the Kanrodai comes to stand, then the Service each month will be performed without error. If the Service is performed without error, then the Gift of Heaven will be bestowed without fail. If one's mind is firmly settled, every blessing will be bestowed exactly as asked, God assures us.
You may not know where these performers are. Tsukihi will discern them and draw them all forth.
No matter where these people may be, Tsukihi will do this by free and unlimited workings.
After the performers are assembled step by step, I shall discern their sincerity and assign their roles.
To explain what the roles are to be: ten for the Kagura and others for the musical instruments.
If only this assemblage is quickly completed, nothing will remain that cannot be achieved.
Although no one knows where these Service performers can be found, wherever they are, God the Parent will freely draw them forth. After the performers have been assembled, one by one, God will discern the sincerity of their minds and will assign them roles in the Service. First, the ten for the Kagura will be assigned and then the performers for the musical instruments. When the required number of performers is filled, nothing impossible to accomplish will remain. Thus, God assures us of free and unlimited blessings upon the completion of the Service.
