Origins No. 289 September 2015 The 45th Annual Tenrikyo Bazaar was held at Tenri Cultural Center on August 30. The Tenrikyo Bazaar is known as one of the biggest bazaars in Hawaii because there were over 30 food items as well as used and brand-new items including handmade mats and pillows. Furthermore, music bands and mochi pounding performances were held in the huge tent. Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters of Hawaii 1 RELAY ESSAYS by Bishop & Mrs. Yamanaka & Board of Directors Tsunenori Ichise In the Osashizu on January 13, 1892, account. If the person leaves it as it is, it would be 6,000 dollars of deficit in a year. Although merit is not visible, the Usually, those people are not only ungrateful accounting is as dependable as if it were for it, but they also think their work easy and done on paper. Whatever is surplus I good, and even try to find an easier way. return. Whatever is short, I will collect. They will get greedier and want to get more The balance in each account is very money with less work. However, such a way clear. of life increases deficit in heaven’s account more and more. I think most of us are concerned about our The followers of the path should feel joy household expenses as well as the balance of being kept alive from the teaching of “a of our savings and checking accounts each thing lent, a thing borrowed.” They should day. However, not many people realize that do any kind of work with joy and spirits, there is a much more important account book having the mind of bringing joy to others in in heaven. accord with the teaching of “work (hataraku) Various things happen every day. We, makes those close to you comfortable; for human beings, are moved from joy to sorrow that, it is called hataraku (hata: those nearby, by the happenings, and even Tenrikyo raku: comfortable).” There may be a follower followers tend to forget the truth: “Although who gets paid 2,500 dollars, but his work merit is not visible, the accounting is as is actually worth 3,000 dollars. Although dependable as if it were done on paper. the follower seems to be losing 500 dollars, Whatever is surplus I return. Whatever is the person is actually saving 500 dollars in short, I will collect. The balance in each heaven’s account every month. account is very clear.” In addition, we forget We read in the Osashizu, to face God the Parent and Oyasama squarely and to interpret or judge things by applying What saves others is the truth of the the teachings as our mind’s ruler. mind of sincerity. If a person whose work is actually August 9, 1888 worth 2,500 dollars gets paid 3,000 dollars each month, the person may feel he/she is Single-hearted salvation is the truth of benefitting from it. However, in fact, there sincerity alone. The truth of sincerity would be 500 dollars of deficit in heaven’s alone is the truth of heaven. Because 2 3 it is the truth of heaven, I accept it at a return at once by God the Parent without once and give a return at once: this is setting off the deficit. The Osashizu says, the one truth. April 17, 1890 The seeds you have sown have all been accepted by God. All seeds accepted by If you listen and understand at this time, God will sprout. resolving to follow the path no matter January 28, 1891 what may happen, I will accept your resolve at once. I can see it wherever The merit accumulated through you may be. Quickly make the resolve. dedication cannot be dropped, cannot If you do, there is no telling what kind be abandoned. of virtue it will lead to. December 17, 1888 January 14, 1892 These words tell us that the virtue you have Accepting your hardship joyously is accumulated will sprout surely, and even if joyous acceptance. You can accumulate you try to drop it, you cannot. virtue, I say. I accept it, I say. March 6, 1895 In the Anecdotes of Oyasama No. 65 “Drawn Here to Be Used,” These words tell us that in heaven’s account it is not surplus or deficit of figures, Whatever you do, do it with the thought but virtue according to the sincere mind that that you are serving God. Whatever you you devote. We are taught that listening and do God will accept ten thousandfold. understanding while resolving your mind will be received as virtue. Joyous acceptance In addition, in the Osashizu, does not only work off causality or mental dusts, but it also will be received as virtue by ...I have promised ten thousand grains accepting your hardship joyously. for each grain of seed. Because the sincerity of single-hearted December 3, 1893 salvation is the truth of heaven, God the Parent accepts it at once and gives a return The virtue we humans have accumulated at once. I think this tells us that the sincerity cannot fail to be deposited in the heaven’s of single-hearted salvation does not matter if account free from human errors. God the one’s account in heaven has surplus or deficit. Parent not only accepts the virtue but Even if it has deficit, the sincerity of the mind also accepts it ten thousand fold. It is as of saving others will be accepted and given if depositing only one dollar of virtue and 2 3 getting ten thousand dollars of deposit in you had during the work is important. This your account later. If a bank clerk did it, the tells us however big work you accomplished, clerk would be fired soon. In the Osashizu, it will be accepted as deficit in heaven’s account if you did it with complaints. Effectiveness is not visible at once. For us as humans, we do not know whether Miracles come from miracles. there is surplus or deficit in our account in September 21, 1893 heaven. We can only speculate the balance through the daily blessings we receive …unimaginable from any angle from God the Parent and our relationships whatever is God. with others. When God returns our virtue April 3, 1904 by showing a miracle, we should interpret that the balance has turned zero. If you are We are taught that the sincerity of single- shown ten thousand dollars of miracles on hearted salvation is accepted and given only one dollar of virtue, the balance will a return at once. The virtue you have be zero. Those who have zero of balance accumulated or the effectiveness you have in heaven’s account are still better than me. devoted cannot be seen at once, but it will When I think about the blessings I receive come out as a miracle. This miracle may be every day and the causality of my previous God and the return from God. lives, my account in heaven must have deficit. In the Anecdotes of Oyasama No. 144 Despite this, I am shown miracles every day. “The Virtue Which Reaches Heaven,” It may be difficult to accumulate virtue each day. When we think about deep parental love You are right. If you do something of God the Parent and Oyasama, it may be with gratitude, no matter how hard or even arrogance wanting or trying to make unpleasant it may be, your virtue will the heaven’s account surplus. No matter reach heaven. Virtue which is accepted how hard we human beings work, God will by God will be turned into joy. But no accept it and return it to us ten thousand fold. matter how hard or trying the work that We cannot even get close to the parental you do may be, if you do it complaining, love of God the Parent as such. We should ‘How hard it is, how I hate it’, the understand that “The balance in each account complaints will also reach heaven and is very clear” is encouragement for us. These be returned to you in kind. words also remind us of having the mind of gratitude and repayment for the blessings. These words do not mention about what We would like to spend each day with such kind of work it is. The truth of mind alone is a mind of sincerity so as to bring joy to God the matter. In other words, what kind of mind the Parent and Oyasama even a little. 4 5 August Monthly Service Prayer Appearing before You, God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I (Shugo Yamanaka) Bishop of the Mission Headquarters of Hawaii speak with reverence on behalf of the Hawaii congregation. God the Parent, since You revealed Yourself to this world by receiving Oyasama as the Shrine, You have manifested the truth of origin of human beings and taught us how to proceed on the path towards the Joyous Life through Oyasama’s Divine Model. Furthermore, with Your free and unlimited workings, You have been guiding us on the path towards spiritual maturity by sweeping away the dusts of our minds and by giving us adequate trainings in each seasonable time. For this we are truly grateful. Thus we express our gratitude to You daily, as we strive in our work towards world salvation. Today is the day we are granted to conduct the August Monthly Service at this mission headquarters. We the service performers will unite our hearts as one to perform the Seated Service and the Dance with Hand Movements joyously in high spirits while earnestly praying for world salvation.