Ofudesaki Part 02

Ofudesaki
Author: Miki Nakayama Date Published: 1998 Pages: 486 (English ed.) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 unnumbered set

Ofudesaki Part 02 presents the cover page inscription, an outline, and summary of the 2nd part of the Ofudesaki. Ofudesaki Part 2 was written in the third lunar month of 1869.

Cover inscription

Part 2	dai ni gō	第貳号
From the 3rd month in the 2nd year of Meiji, the year of the Serpent	Meiji ni mi no toshi san-gatsu	明治貳巳年三月
An old woman of 72 years	nanajū ni sai rōjo	七十貳才老女

Thoughts on a Thematic Outline of the Ofudesaki

This outline is based on what is found in Thoughts on a Thematic Outline of the Ofudesaki by the second Shinbashira Shozen Nakayama.

Part 2: The settling of illness and other troubles by means of the Kagura Service

1. The time for and the meaning of the Service 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
2. Hastening the gathering of the Service performers 6, 7, 8
3. Drawing forth the Service performers and cleaning the Residence 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18–9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
4. Settling troubles within and without by means of the Service
   1. Purifying the pond in the high mountains 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
   2. Kara and Nihon 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47

Part summary by Yoshitaro Ueda (2008)

From Michi no dai: Foundation of the Path 32:47–8, 56 (Delivered on January 28 and February 27, 2008 at Seminar for Chairwomen of Directly Supervised Chapters and Diocese Chapters)

This part tells us that God will make the minds of all people in the world spirited by opening a broad path and that the foundation of this broad path is the Joyous Service, which is indeed the means of bringing about universal salvation. In Part 2, God works to assemble Service performers through health disorders and urges that places for conveying God’s truth be set up—places that serve as mission facilities. Further, Part 2 declares that God will purify the minds of those in “high mountains” and, using the metaphor of Kara and Nihon, tells us that God will bring a settling to the world by distinguishing between Kara and Nihon. We are told that this will be accomplished through the workings of God the Parent and involves the Kanrodai.

In terms of making arrangements for the Service, a major theme of Part 2 is to assemble Service performers. By using this theme, this part teaches a variety of things.

Part 1 and Part 2 are understood to have been written in 1869. Part 3 was written in 1874, so it would appear that there was a five-year hiatus. However, given that the historical event that provided a topic for verses 43 to 45 was apparently the serious illness of Ichibei Matsuo’s eldest son—something that served as the backdrop for Anecdotes of Oyasama 25, which presents a story that happened in 1872—the writing of Part 2, which began in 1869, could thought to have lasted until 1872.

Verse 46—“Among the high mountains, the distinction between those of Nihon and those of Kara is also to be made by the pillar”—focuses on the “pillar,” which is taken up in Part 3, whose theme is to “put in the pillar.” Thus, we may say that, although there was a gap in time, the Ofudesaki is consistent in terms of content as it progresses from Part 2 to Part 3.