{"id":751,"date":"2011-08-19T00:25:37","date_gmt":"2011-08-19T00:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.tenrikyo.org\/?p=751"},"modified":"2011-09-14T07:07:31","modified_gmt":"2011-09-14T07:07:31","slug":"tenri-university-president-masahiko-iburi-lectures-on-tenrikyo-in-malaysia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.tenrikyo.org\/?p=751","title":{"rendered":"Tenri University President Masahiko Iburi Lectures on Tenrikyo in Malaysia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Tenri University President Masahiko Iburi recently paid a courtesy call to the International Islamic University Malaysia, which is located in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, and, at the request of this university, gave a talk on Tenrikyo to students and faculty members in the field of religious studies. This was the first time someone from Tenrikyo was invited to lecture on its teachings at a religious institution in a Muslim region.<\/p>\n

Rev. Iburi\u2019s visit to the International Islamic University was part of his tour of Southeast Asian universities, a tour he was undertaking in an effort to further develop Tenri University\u2019s international exchange programs. He wished to visit this Malaysian university partly because Tenri University Graduate Makoto Sawai, 27\u2014who majored in religious studies at Tenri and is now a Ph.D. student at Tohoku University\u2014is currently on a short-term study program at the International Islamic University. When President Iburi approached the university, some faculty members and others requested that he give a talk on Tenrikyo\u2019s teachings.<\/p>\n

The International Islamic University Malaysia is a comprehensive university founded in 1983. It is counted among the most respected universities in the Muslim world and currently has some 20,000 students, many of whom come from the Middle East.<\/p>\n

The first contact between Tenrikyo and Islam took place when the second Shinbashira visited a mosque in China before World War II. Thereafter, he contributed to developing Islamic studies in Japan. He was instrumental in establishing the Society for Near Eastern Studies in Japan.<\/p>\n

President Iburi\u2019s lecture is seen as very important by the Religious Studies Department of Tenri University. \u201cAlthough the dialogue between Tenrikyo and Christianity has been actively pursued, there has not been such an opportunity to engage in dialogue with Islam,\u201d says the head of the department. \u201cIn this sense, I believe that the invitation President Iburi received to deliver the lecture is highly significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Great Interest Shown in the Teachings <\/strong><\/p>\n

Rev. Iburi\u2019s lecture, delivered on July 19, was entitled \u201cThe World View of Tenrikyo\u201d and comprised five parts: \u201cThe March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami,\u201d \u201cThe Teachings of Tenrikyo,\u201d \u201cJapan\u2019s Postwar Reconstruction and Modern Society\u2019s Problems,\u201d \u201cDVD: \u2018The Four Seasons of the Home of the Parent,\u2019\u201d and \u201cAn Overview of Tenri University\u201d<\/p>\n

In the part on the teachings of Tenrikyo, he placed emphasis on Oyasama. \u201cIn Tenrikyo we seek to model our own lives on Oyasama\u2019s life,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are taught to follow Her model path, which is characterized by . . . accepting all things, lavishing love upon everyone, and being compassionate in guiding people.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to explain several key terms used in Tenrikyo, such as \u201cthe Joyous Life,\u201d \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed,\u201d \u201cthe dust of the mind,\u201d \u201cYou are saved by saving others,\u201d and \u201cthe Jiba-Kanrodai.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the question and answer session that followed his lecture, a number of questions were asked, including some that were related to eschatology, such as \u201cGiven that the world is bound to end, how do you envision the construction of the Joyous Life?\u201d and \u201cWhat will happen to humans when they die?\u201d President Iburi answered each question carefully and thoughtfully.<\/p>\n

According to Mr. Sawai, Muslim students show a strong interest in Tenrikyo, which, like Islam, is a monotheistic religion, and, even after President Iburi\u2019s session was concluded, they raised various questions such as whether or not Tenrikyo followers fast.<\/p>\n

On the afternoon of the 19th, President Iburi paid a courtesy call to the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia. Ambassador Shigeru Nakamura, who met with President Iburi, expressed expectations that Tenri University will further increase exchanges with universities in Malaysia as well as promote inter-religious dialogue proactively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tenri University President Masahiko Iburi recently paid a courtesy call to the International Islamic University Malaysia, which is located in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, and, at the request of this university, gave a talk on Tenrikyo to students and faculty members in the field of religious\u2026<\/p>\n

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