May I express my sincere appreciation to all of you for returning to Jiba from various parts of the world, both within the country and overseas, to attend today\u2019s Oyasama 140th Anniversary Service. As we have now duly completed the performance of the Service, I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you. May I have your kind attention, please.<\/p>\n
The anniversaries of Oyasama began to be observed as a result of Her withdrawal from physical life. Chapter 10 of The Life of Oyasama<\/em> begins by saying that, on the evening of New Year\u2019s Day in 1887, Oyasama staggered momentarily as She came out of Her bath. On January 4, Her health suddenly took a critical turn, so the followers requested Divine Directions through Izo Iburi. Then the following response was given:<\/p>\n Sah, sah, the time is fully ripe and pressing. I have already told you everything but you have not understood at all. No matter how much I explain, there is no one who understands. This is My regret.<\/p>\n Osashizu, January 4, 1887<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Oyasama then stopped breathing, and Her body suddenly became cold. The followers were shocked. Realizing that this was due to their error of not performing the Service despite Her urgings, they began to perform the Service in apology.<\/p>\n Thereafter, whenever Oyasama\u2019s physical condition worsened, those close to Her repeatedly held discussions. Then, they consulted with the first Shinbashira regarding the performance of the Service. The first Shinbashira did not readily answer their query. I imagine that he had to deliberate on various aspects of the matter. Then, on January 13, he went to Oyasama\u2019s bedside and made his inquiry.<\/p>\n During an ensuing dialogue, Oyasama said that he should already know what She had to say and urged him to carry out what She had been telling him to do. Then, in response to the first Shinbashira\u2019s request for a directive that would uphold both the directions of Oyasama and the laws of the country, She said:<\/p>\n [B]ecause Tsukihi exists, the world exists. Because the world exists, things exist. Because things exist, your bodies exist. Because your bodies exist, law exists. Although the law exists, to resolve your minds is primary.<\/p>\n Osashizu, January 13, 1887<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In the beginning, Tsukihi, God the Parent, created the world and human beings. Laws are what human beings created. You are saying that you cannot perform the Service due to laws, but settling the mind in ways that fully accord with God the Parent\u2019s intention is of primary importance. Oyasama thus taught the early followers about the frame of mind they ought to maintain to move forward toward the Joyous Life, a frame of mind that entails placing the settling of the mind before laws. This instruction was not simply intended for those who were at Oyasama\u2019s bedside at the time; it is a cornerstone of our faith that we, as followers today, should also bear in mind.<\/p>\n From January 18, the Service was performed every night to pray for Oyasama\u2019s recovery. However, on the night of February 17, Her condition worsened. On February 18, which was January 26 by the lunar calendar, Oyasama\u2019s condition grew extremely critical. Then, with firm resolve, the followers performed the Service in broad daylight. Not a single police officer came, and the Service was thus safely completed. The followers were buoyed in high spirits and confident that divine protection would surely be granted. However, when they heard the news of Oyasama\u2019s physical withdrawal upon returning from the place for the Kanrodai, they fell into a state of utter shock and despair. When they regained their senses, they made an inquiry for Divine Directions. The following words came:<\/p>\n Sah, sah, I shall level the ground. Has everyone assembled, has everyone assembled? Listen and understand well. All that I have said until now was put into a container of truth. But now God has opened the portals and stepped out. Because of My love for you, My children, the Parent shortened Her life by twenty-five years to step out and save the world from now. Observe well. Observe well what the path has been and what the path will become.<\/p>\n Osashizu, February 18, 1887<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n As I said at last year\u2019s Autumn Grand Service, the second Shinbashira\u2014who often quoted the Divine Direction that says, \u201c[T]he principle of the founding and that of the ending are one in truth\u201d (Osashizu, February 29, 1896)\u2014explained on various occasions that it was precisely out of parental love for all human beings, Her children, that Oyasama taught us the path to the Joyous Life and withdrew from physical life in order to hasten our spiritual growth.<\/p>\n Out of parental love to save us and guide us toward the Joyous Life, Oyasama began revealing the ultimate teaching. Over the span of fifty years, She made arrangements for the path of single-hearted salvation by demonstrating the path of the Divine Model. Moreover, She withdrew from physical life by shortening Her natural term of life so as to actively save the world from that point onward and to hasten salvation. Thereafter, by virtue of Her eternal life, She has continued\u2014and will continue through endless generations\u2014to guide us. The significance of observing an anniversary of Oyasama is, therefore, to once again ponder over Her deep parental love and respond to it by making progress in spiritual growth.<\/p>\n In anticipation of today\u2019s anniversary, I announced the Instruction to encourage all of us followers to make decisive efforts to carry out activities for single-hearted salvation in unity of mind with our sights set on the Divine Model so as to make further progress in our spiritual growth. I trust that, over the last \u201cthree years, one thousand days\u201d activity period, all of you dedicated yourselves to the pre-anniversary activities with utmost sincerity. I would like to say thank you very much for all your efforts. I am truly grateful. I imagine that the more earnestly you had worked, the more spirited you felt in welcoming today\u2019s anniversary.<\/p>\n Today marks the closing of one chapter, but there is still a long way to go on the path to the Joyous Life. As a guidepost on our long journey, we have designated a special anniversary period every ten years to set a goal for the entire Tenrikyo community and thereby sought to advance both spiritual and material construction by directing our minds toward our shared goal. This is how the path has become what it is today.<\/p>\n The special activity period leading up to the anniversary has now come to an end. We are now going back to ordinary times, but it will not do to go back to how things were three years ago. I feel that we must continue to walk the path by building upon the efforts we have made over the past three years.<\/p>\n Today marks the beginning of a new chapter of our journey. I would now like to conclude my remarks by asking all of you to continue to walk the path in high spirits. Thank you for your kind attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" May I express my sincere appreciation to all of you for returning to Jiba from various parts of the world, both within the country and overseas, to attend today\u2019s Oyasama 140th Anniversary Service. As we have now duly completed the performance of the Service, I would like to take this\u2026<\/p>\n\n