Once when someone who had a severe pain in her forefinger came to the Residence to ask Oyasama for help, She said to her:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the Residence of Origin where human beings were first created.\u201d People return to Jiba\u2014where the Residence of Origin is\u2014for various reasons and by various means. Some people return to Jiba to attend the Kagura Service even if this entails asking their companies for time off. Some people drive through the night to return to Jiba because of an irresistible urge to see Oyasama as soon as possible. Some take a plane to return to Jiba from overseas. Some bring their families in the hope of helping their children experience how wonderful Jiba is. Some bring a friend who is going through an extremely tough time. Some may return to Jiba as if to run away from something, having no other place to take refuge.<\/p>\n Returning to Jiba is taking a break to come home from our life journey. In our lives, there are times when we face one crisis after another and start wondering whether we were born to go through these experiences. We might then lose sight of ourselves in the process.<\/p>\n At such times, it seems wise to take a break to return to Jiba, where we can have a good look at ourselves. Returning to Jiba\u2014the place where humankind was created\u2014means returning to the origin of humanity. Returning to our origin gives us greater clarity with which to see where we stand at present and to look ahead. This in turn helps us see which direction we should be heading.<\/p>\n Jiba is a place where we can restore our simple openness. Here we no longer need to put on a show of bravado or keep up appearances. We can let our hair down and return to being who we really are. We can become free from whatever is weighing on our minds and feel refreshed and revitalized. This gives us a greater sense of spaciousness and well-being, which helps us accept things for what they truly are.<\/p>\n Jiba is a place where we can restore our loving-kindness. Enveloped in the warmth of God the Parent and Oyasama, we find ourselves praying not for ourselves but for others. Our hearts go out to those who are suffering, and we become more accepting and loving toward others. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish others to find joy and be saved.<\/p>\n Jiba is also a place where we can restore our strength. This is because we can feel Oyasama close to us. Relying on Oyasama frees up our energy being used to engage in worry. We realize that we can remain unaffected by anything that happens. We feel a surge of courage to live our life with straightforwardness and honesty.<\/p>\n How wonderful it is to have a place to go home to! How grateful we feel that there is someone always waiting for us to return home!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Once when someone who had a severe pain in her forefinger came to the Residence to ask Oyasama for help, She said to her: \u201cThis is the Residence of Origin where human beings were first created.\u201d Anecdotes of Oyasama, no. 182 People return to Jiba\u2014where the Residence of Origin is\u2014for\u2026<\/p>\n
\nAnecdotes of Oyasama<\/em>, no. 182<\/p>\n