{"id":8885,"date":"2021-11-22T13:59:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T04:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.tenrikyo.org\/?p=8885"},"modified":"2022-05-19T10:04:49","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T01:04:49","slug":"insights-into-the-anecdotes-tokichi-izumita-1840-1904-anecdote-114-you-went-through-much-difficulty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.tenrikyo.org\/?p=8885","title":{"rendered":"Insights into the Anecdotes: Tokichi Izumita (1840\u20131904), Anecdote 114: \u201cYou Went through Much Difficulty\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Anecdote (Summary)<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One day, Tokichi Izumita was held up by three highwaymen on the Jusan Pass. At that time the teaching of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed,\u201d which he had often been taught, flashed across his mind.<\/p>\n

He obediently took off his coat, kimono, and everything just as he was told. Putting his wallet on top of his clothes, he knelt and bowed respectfully before them. \u201cPlease take them all,\u201d he said. When he raised his head, the three highwaymen were gone.<\/p>\n

They must have felt uneasy because he was too obedient, and they left without taking a single thing. Izumita then put his clothes back on and continued to Jiba.<\/p>\n

When he was granted an audience with Oyasama, She said: \u201cYou went through much difficulty. Because you have achieved harmony in the family, I grant you the Sazuke of Ashiki Harai. Receive it.\u201d This was how Tokichi was granted the Sazuke.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Life As Seen by an Expert Missionary Who Helped Save Many <\/strong><\/p>\n

by Masahiko Imamura, Head Minister of Nakatsu Grand Church<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tokichi was born on May 10, 1840, in Oimazato Village, Higashinari County, Osaka, (now a section of Osaka City known as Oimazato, Higashinari Ward). His parents passed away when he was four years old. Nicknamed Kumakichi, he was thereafter raised by the Yamamotos in Ikaino Village, Higashinari County. It is said that he was brought up along with the Yamamotos\u2019 son, Ihei, as if they were brothers. Ihei was later to introduce him to the path of faith.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGoing Out to Make Repayment\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tokichi suffered from stomach cancer in 1877. Yet he loved drinking so much that he could not stop it until, at last, his condition was hopeless.<\/p>\n

It was then that Ihei, who had already embraced the faith, conveyed to Tokichi the teaching of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed\u201d for the first time and said: \u201cWhat you like can become your enemy. You won\u2019t be saved unless you stop it.\u201d Tokichi was impressed by the profound teaching\u2014the likes of which he had never heard before\u2014and resolved to quit drinking, which Ihei described as Tokichi\u2019s \u201cpotential enemy.\u201d Then he received a vivid blessing in one week. Later, Tokichi returned to Jiba with Ihei and was granted an audience with Oyasama for the first time.<\/p>\n

Tokichi did not know the love of his own parents, who had passed away when he was still a little child. God the Parent\u2019s vivid blessing and Oyasama\u2019s warm parental love touched his heart, making him aware of the preciousness of life, which is sustained by God.<\/p>\n

Having returned to Osaka, Tokichi visited those suffering from illnesses. He referred to this salvation work as \u201cgoing out to make repayment.\u201d Yet, nobody was willing to follow the path no matter how earnestly he engaged in salvation work. Tokichi started wondering if he was useless because he did not seem to be of any help in salvation work. He went to the Echigo region\u2014which was far away from Osaka\u2014looking for a new place to do missionary work. His salvation work, however, did not go well there either. He then returned to the Residence, longing for Jiba. The first part of anecdote 64, \u201cSmoothed Out Gently,\u201d took place on that occasion. Tokichi found Oyasama smoothing out small pieces of crumpled paper on Her knee, and She said: \u201cThese crumpled pieces, if smoothed out gently like this, become neat and can be used again. Nothing is useless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delighted and spirited, Tokichi went back to Osaka and engaged passionately in salvation work. Whenever his confidence was shaken, he would pour cold water over himself to encourage himself. He would even immerse himself in a river for many hours in the middle of the night in the coldest season of the year. He sometimes remained in the river all night, holding on to one of the posts of the Tenjin Bridge.<\/p>\n

One day, when Tokichi returned to the Residence, Oyasama said, \u201cKumakichi, on this path you must not torture yourself.\u201d Listening to these words filled with parental love, he was struck anew by the preciousness of the truth of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed\u201d\u2014an experience that deepened his faith in single-heartedness with God. Soon after that, Tokichi was blessed with one person after another starting to follow the path.<\/p>\n

In 1882 Tokichi became the head of \u201cTen\u2019e Fourth Fellowship.\u201d The followers called him the \u201cbarefooted leader\u201d as he did not bother to carry any spare sandals despite frequently commuting between the Residence and places where he engaged in salvation work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Always Finding Joy in Helping Save Others<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was around that time that\u2014as we read in the anecdote appearing at the beginning of this chapter\u2014Tokichi was held up by three highwaymen on the Jusan Pass on his way back to Jiba, although he had nothing stolen. Then after arriving at the Residence, he received the truth of the Sazuke, the Divine Grant, from Oyasama, who said: \u201cYou went through much difficulty. Because you have achieved harmony in the family, I grant you the Sazuke of Ashiki Harai. Receive it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tokichi now became even more enthusiastic about salvation work. He went on to guide and help save a lot of people. On January 26 (by the lunar calendar), 1887, when Oyasama withdrew from physical life, he participated in the Service as a singer by responding to the instructions of the first Shinbashira, Shinnosuke Nakayama, \u201cOnly those who are willing to risk their lives should take part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later a turning point in Tokichi\u2019s life came after Sanjiro Fushimi\u2019s encounter with Tenrikyo. Sanjiro ran a lamp shop in Nakatsu in the Kyushu region. One day he visited Osaka and worshiped at Senba Branch Church where he listened to the teachings of God. He then expressed his desire to \u201chave these wonderful teachings of God conveyed to people in Nakatsu.\u201d At that time, however, nobody affiliated with Senba could go to Kyushu to engage in missionary work, so Tokichi said, \u201cI will go.\u201d It was in November 1890, when Tokichi was fifty-one years old.<\/p>\n

He must have decided to go to Kyushu partly because of his desire to make repayment for the blessing by which he had been saved from illness and partly because of his joy at being used for salvation work and at having been granted the truth of the Sazuke as well as having received Oyasama\u2019s words filled with parental love, such as \u201cNothing is useless\u201d\u2014just when he was wondering if he was of no use\u2014and \u201cKumakichi, on this path you must not torture yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he arrived in Nakatsu, Tokichi started missionary work, staying in a room on the second floor of Fushimi\u2019s house. Then instances of wondrous salvation appeared one after another. On January 31, 1893, Tokichi received permission to establish a church under the name \u201cThe Office for Missionary Activities in Nakatsu,\u201d which was the beginning of what is now known as Nakatsu Grand Church.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Caught in a Predicament<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is no exaggeration to say that Tokichi lived a life of full devotion to salvation work. We cannot deepen our understanding of the anecdote appearing at the beginning of this chapter without considering his total devotion to salvation work. In this regard, there is an instructive story.<\/p>\n

One day in 1882, when Tokichi, who at the time was a steamed potato vendor, visited the Komatsus as usual to obtain water, he found their son Komakichi (who was later to establish what is now Mitsu Grand Church) suffering from cholera. Tokichi immediately poured water from their well over himself and offered a fervent prayer to God the Parent, and Komakichi received the blessing of a swift recovery.<\/p>\n

On the following night, Komakichi and his father came to thank Tokichi and tried to give him rice and sugar candy called konpeito<\/em>. Yet Tokichi refused to accept them and said, \u201cIt was not I but God who saved you.\u201d He went on to say, \u201cIf you feel grateful, you can join me in my salvation work to make repayment to God.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story shows that Tokichi was firmly convinced that the source of salvation was God the Parent, that one could receive blessings through the workings of God the Parent, and that the only way to make repayment for the blessings received was to help others be saved.<\/p>\n

When Motoyoshi Ibaragi (who later became the head minister of Kita Grand Church) visited Tokichi to ask him to save his daughter who was suffering from an illness, Tokichi said: \u201cWho created the suffering child? Anything that exists in the world can be repaired by its creator. The fact that you cannot cure your child of her illness is proof that you two, husband and wife, did not create the child. The creator of humankind is God, whom we call \u2018Tenri-O-no-Mikoto.\u2019 Because God created not only humankind but also all things in this world, God will cure any illness if you pray to this God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Half a year later, when Ibaragi visited Tokichi because his child fell sick again, Tokichi instructed him saying: \u201cFaith in this path is not about praying for divine favors for oneself as prayers in shrines or temples might be. God desires us to grow spiritually to a point where we realize God\u2019s intention and cultivate the mind of saving others, rather than keep asking for help as a child would. We cannot say that we are following the path unless we grow spiritually as befits the length of time we have followed the path, such as one month, six months, and so forth. You cannot receive the blessing of a cure as you did at the beginning.\u201d Thus, Tokichi taught people that they should realize the intention of God the Parent and respond to it, thereby enabling themselves to further their spiritual growth, and that spiritual growth should be the purpose of faith and was, in fact, what would allow them to receive God\u2019s blessings.<\/p>\n

It must have been because Tokichi\u2019s faith was so strong that, when he was held up by three highwaymen, the teaching of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed\u201d suddenly flashed across his mind. He always kept in mind that the source of salvation was in the truth of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed.\u201d Therefore, even when he faced that predicament, he must have tried to implement the Divine Model of Oyasama. The anecdote appearing at the beginning of this chapter captures a telling moment in Tokichi\u2019s life, which was constantly devoted to putting Oyasama\u2019s teachings into practice. This, I think, is why Oyasama expressed Her appreciation to him for his efforts to advance his spiritual growth, saying, \u201cYou went through much difficulty,\u201d and granted him the truth of the Sazuke.<\/p>\n

I wonder if those of us living in this day and age tend to be negligent in implementing the teachings in our daily lives. We may think that it is impossible to follow the path in the way early followers such as Tokichi did. Even though times and social conditions change, however, the fundamental fact remains that human existence is sustained by God the Parent, who is enabling us to be alive.<\/p>\n

Our image of Tokichi Izumita may be as a great missionary who helped save a lot of people. In fact, however, his attitude to the faith was simple and clear. His salvation work was based on his gratitude for the blessing of life and his joy at realizing that all were kept alive by God. We can see this attitude to the faith in the way he conveyed the truth of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed\u201d to others and made repeated efforts to explain it in an-easy-to-understand way until they were fully convinced of it and were able to base their behavior on it.<\/p>\n

Making repayment to God the Parent, more than anything else, was the key means by which Tokichi sought to grow spiritually. Especially since there is a tendency these days to treat life lightly, we would do well to once again take to heart the teaching of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed\u201d and to strive to make repayment for the blessings we constantly receive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

From Itsuwa no kokoro tazunete\u2014gendai ni ikiru Oyasama no oshie<\/em>, published by Tenrikyo Doyusha Publishing Company<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Anecdote (Summary)   One day, Tokichi Izumita was held up by three highwaymen on the Jusan Pass. At that time the teaching of \u201ca thing lent, a thing borrowed,\u201d which he had often been taught, flashed across his mind. He obediently took off his coat, kimono, and everything just\u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,188],"tags":[242,241,240,243,244],"class_list":["post-8885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-anecdotes","tag-highwaymen","tag-ibaragi","tag-izumita","tag-nakatsu","tag-sazuke-of-ashiki-harai"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t