Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-1

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 9-1 presents a portion of the contents of Chapter Nine from The Life of Oyasama as published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters. The title of the chapter is "The Hardships of Oyasama." The “Notes” below are footnotes from the print edition.

The content below is equivalent to pages 170 to 174 of the print edition.

Note: The print edition of has been split into eight sections on this wiki due to length of text. The chapter is split as follows:

1. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-1 (January–September 1882)
2. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-2 (October–December 1882)
3. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-3 (January–June 1883)
4. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-4 (July–December 1883)
5. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-5 (1884)
6. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-6 (1885)
7. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-7 (January–April 1886)
8. Life of Oyasama Chapter 9-8 (May–December 1886)

Text

Over steep mountains, through tangles of thorns, along narrow ledges, and through brandished swords, if you come,

Yet ahead through a sea of flames and a deep abyss, you will arrive at a narrow path.

After following the narrow path step by step, you will come to a broad path. This is the trustworthy main path.

This talk is not someone else's concern. It is a matter of your own and your single-heartedness with God.

Even though the construction of the stone Kanrodai was at a standstill, the deep emotion caused by its bright prospect carried over into the new year, 1882. On the other hand, from the beginning of that year, Oyasama repeatedly said:

A sign for a sign! A sign for a sign!

十五年二月の御苦労 The Hardship of February 1882

The followers, made uneasy, wondered what was going to happen, when, in February, the Nara police served summonses on Oyasama as well as on Matsue, Ryojiro Yamazawa, Chusaku Tsuji, Gisaburo Nakata, Isaburo Masui, and Risaburo Yamamoto. As a result, Oyasama was fined two yen and fifty sen, and the others, one yen and twenty-five sen each. At that time, an officer said to them: "No matter how hard we try to control you, you will not listen. Then continue your belief with all your might. We shall use all our might to stop you. It will be a contest of endurance."

Before this incident, in September of the previous year, Izo Iburi's wife and children had moved into the Residence, and on March 26 of the present year, 1882, Izo, himself, left Ichinomoto Village and moved into the Residence, thus marking the start of their devotion at the Residence as a family.

かんろだいの石取りい The seizure of the Kanrodai stones

Without warning, on May 12, Yukinari Uemura, inspector of the Osaka Prefectural Police and chief of the Nara Police Station, accompanied by several officers, came to the Residence, removed the two completed sections of the stone Kanrodai and confiscated these together with fourteen other articles including some of Oyasama's clothing.

List of Seized Goods

• 1 stone Kanrodai: two sectioned and hexagonal; the top stone measures two shaku and four sun across; the bottom stone, three shaku and two sun across; both are eight sun thick.
• 1 kimono, muslin, quilted, crepe
• 1 kimono, calico, quilted
• 1 kimono, muslin, crepe, lined
• 2 kimono, same material, unlined
• 2 undergarments, same material
• 1 kimono, calico, unlined
• 1 waist sash, crepe
• 1 bed
• 1 set of bedding, printed calico, one large piece and one small piece
• 1 seat cushion
• 2 undergarments, red

The above articles are seized as evidence for the crime of bewitching people by prayers and charms during October 1881.

May 12, 1882

At Mishima Village, Yamabe County

Yamato Province

Yukinari Uemura

Police Inspector, Osaka Prefecture

Witnesses:

Matsue Nakayama, commoner

Mishima Village, Yamabe County

Ryojiro Yamazawa, commoner

Niizumi Village, Yamabe County

In this way, the construction of the stone Kanrodai, which God the Parent had looked forward to for so many years, was not only stopped but the stones were taken away

Despite this, it was taken away by My children who knew nothing. Behold My regret!

What do you think My regret is about? The matter of the Kanrodai is My greatest regret.

It is thus taught that the reason such people who cannot understand the intentions of God the Parent have taken away the stones for the Kanrodai is because of the slowness of all humankind, the children of God, to grow spiritually, and because of the dust piled up in their hearts.

Hereafter, unto all places in the world however far, in the high mountains as well as in the low valleys,

Know that I shall sweep the heart of each of you in the world step by step.

Therefore, God gives strong warning that, hereafter, the hearts of all people throughout the world will be swept without regard to position or rank, thus urging in earnest the spiritual growth of the followers. Then God, giving sign for sign, taught the verse "All humankind equally purified" and hastened for the construction of the minds of all human beings.

After the two stone sections of the Kanrodai were taken away, a pile of pebbles was made. Many followers took one of these pebbles home, after replacing it with one they had cleaned and brought with them. There were many instances of marvelous healing when the pebbles were rubbed on a painful or ailing part of the body. From about this time, Oyasama gave Timely Talks more frequently and ended the Ofudesaki with the following verse:

I earnestly request each and everyone of you to ponder deeply over these teachings.

The desire in the parental heart is that everyone, whoever, will refer to the Ofudesaki and ponder deeply so that we can come into accord with the will of God the Parent, not missing the seasonable time, and, with the mind firmly settled, live the Joyous Life in high spirits. Thus, while teaching benevolently of the determination and readiness necessary for the future, Oyasama continued training the followers through the Timely Talks. Thus did Oyasama hasten for the completion of the Salvation Service. Now that the Kanrodai was taken away, the control by the police, which had been concentrated on the performance of the Service, was directed at Oyasama Herself.

On June 18 of that year, 1882, Oyasama went to the home of Eijiro Matsumura in Kyokoji Village, Kawachi Province, for three days, to visit Matsue's elder sister, Osaku, in connection with her illness. Shinnosuke, who had been officially adopted into the Nakayama family on September 23 of the previous year, became its legal successor on September 22 of the present year.

External link to Japanese text of Chapter Nine

第九章　御苦労