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(Summary)

There are only 8 months left till the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama. In the Instruction Four, the Shinbashira says:

The period of “three years, one thousand days” that leads up to an anniversary of Oyasama is a time for us to actively move forward on the path of single-hearted salvation by implementing the teachings with our sights set on the Divine Model.

The Divine Model is the path that Oyasama Herself went through as an example for us. There are many stories noted in the Anecdotes of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo. I would like to share a few examples.

7. OFFERING WITH A SINCERE HEART

The following occurred at a time when the Nakayama family was living in the depths of poverty. One day at the end of the

year, a follower brought some small, beautifully made rice cakes in the finest of boxes and said, “Please, offer this to Oyasama.” Kokan, Oyasama’s youngest daughter, promptly took it to Her. Oddly, Oyasama only said:

“Oh, is that so?” and did not seem to be particularly pleased.

About two or three days later another follower came. She brought out a package in a plain kerchief and said, “Please, will you offer this to Oyasama?” In it were only a few sweetened rice cakes in a bamboo wrapping. Kokan as usual took it to Oyasama. Thereupon, Oyasama said:

“Please, offer it to God the Parent at once,” and seemed very pleased.

The following fact became known later. The follower who had brought the finely made cakes was well to do. She had made some rice cakes for New Year’s, and as there were some left over, she took them to the Residence as an afterthought. The follower who had brought the plain cakes was poor, and barely able to make enough rice cakes for New Year’s. However, her family said, “This is also the blessing of God the Parent. First of all, let us make an offering.” They took the first freshly made rice cakes to the Residence.

Oyasama had known what was in the heart of each of these two persons.

There were many such incidents. Later, many followers began to bring the rare seasonal foods grown in their localities to Oyasama when they visited Her. Oyasama always appreciated the sincere heart with which the followers brought these offerings more than the offerings themselves.

Further, when things were presented to Her with arrogance, She often gave them to those nearby. When, on occasion, She did eat them, She said:

“It has no taste at all. It tastes as though we are forcing ourselves to eat when we do not want to eat.”

160. SELECTING A PERSIMMON

It was autumn, the season of persimmons. Osame Masui happened to be in the presence of Oyasama and there was a tray full of persimmons in front of Her. In trying to select a persimmon from the tray, Oyasama looked at them from this angle and that. Observing this, Osame thought, “Even Oyasama chooses the best in selecting a persimmon.” But the persimmon that She selected appeared to be the worst of the lot.

She then offered the tray with the other persimmons to Osame and said:

“Now, please take one.”

Observing Oyasama’s actions, Osame thought, “It is true that Oyasama makes Her selection, but what She chooses is different from that which we humans choose. She chooses the worst one for Herself. This is Oyasama's parental love. She leaves the tastiest ones for Her children, wishing them to have the pleasure. This is truly the parental love of Oyasama.” Osame was impressed by Oyasama’s thoughtfulness and she ate her persimmon as told by Oyasama, while Oyasama ate another.

Osame said that she would never forget for the rest of her life the way Oyasama was on that day.

Next, the Instruction Four mentions that this is “a time for us to actively move forward on the path of single-hearted salvation.” “Single-hearted salvation” could mean helping those who are troubled by physical illnesses and other problems to be saved. It can also mean relaying the teachings to children who will shoulder the future of the path and making sincere efforts to make sure the path is relayed from parents to children, children to grandchildren and rather, so that the path is further widened. These are also ways to conduct “single-hearted salvation.”

The key points I took away from Rev. Shimamura’s talk from the Vertical Mission Seminar today was to: “relay the origin of the family’s faith (to the children) regardless of whether they understand it or not;” to “relay your understanding of one’s causality, even if it is hard to talk about;” “to talk about the everliving Oyasama;” “let children know that once they reach the age of 15, their usage of the mind becomes their own responsibility.”

Instead of saying, “They won’t understand yet,” but for the sake of the future, I pledged in my heart once again the importance of relaying the faith to Boys and Girls Association members without giving up.

Let us work diligently, by helping one another cheerfully and joyfully and by being united in mind, until the very last day of our “three years, one thousand days” pre-anniversary activity period.

(Summary)

I would like to talk about the day of origin of my family faith and about our family causality.

I am the 5th generation of my family faith. My great-great-grandfather, Rev. Kikutaro Shimamura, the 1st person to start our family faith, entered the faith in 1888. My great-great-grandfather was originally form Kochi Prefecture but he was running a business in Osaka at that time. He was suffering from severe hemorrhoids. The record indicates that he had bloody pus, and as such, it appears that it was anal fistula rather than just simple hemorrhoids.

While he was suffering from the illness, he hears about the faith from someone, who was also from Kochi. He told my great-great-grandfather, “This God is the God of Origin who created everything in the world and human beings. This God is also the God in Truth who not only lends us the body but also provides with divine providence everyday.” Upon hearing the talk, my great-great-grandfather thought, “If this God provides us with the divine providence since the human creation and also for forever in the future, I am very certain that this God can cure any illnesses. If I cannot be helped by this God, there should not be any other way for salvation. I’m now determined to rely on this God at all cost.” He, then, pledged to his heart to follow the teachings. And after returning to Jiba three times, he received a complete cure. However, the guidance by God the Parent continues.

As he continues to run his business, he suffers from a lung disease, which was an inflammation of the membrane covering the lungs. This lung disease would not become severe by itself and in most cases, its development is triggered by illnesses such as cancer, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. Around this time, the record indicates that my great-great-grandfather spat up blood, so he might have had tuberculosis. I hear that the anal fistula can develop from tuberculosis as well. Therefore, it is highly likely that he had tuberculosis, which was a fatal disease at that time. It is easy to imagine how serious his condition was.

The symptom began with pain in his right lung and he had high fever from time to time. The condition eventually worsened to a point where he had bloodstained sputum and he became completely bedridden.

At that point, there was a missionary who visited my great-great-grandfather. He talked about the divine intention contained within my great-great-grandfather’s illness. He said: “Pondering from the pain in the right lung, I presume you are hurting the feeling of your mother, your wife, or someone working for you.”

In fact, my great-great-grandfather got married in Kochi shortly before he suffered from the lung disease. However, he told his wife, “Even if I take you to Osaka with me, there is no place where the two of us can live. I will be back in a month or so to come pick you up. So please wait for me,” and he left for Osaka by himself, leaving his wife all alone. He realized what he had done. He sincerely apologized to God the Parent and wrote apology letters to his wife and his parents.

Then, his condition began to improve. Out of his indebtedness of gratitude from getting better, he made a spiritual resolution to “help 1,000 people be saved and to take them back to Jiba,” and he returned to Kochi and diligently engaged in missionary and salvation work. He eventually received the blessing of a cure from the lung disease.

This is the day of origin of my family faith. If an elderly person five generations ago did not receive the blessings of cure from God and did not engage in missionary and salvation work to repay the blessings he received, I would not be here today. Considering that point, I should never forget the origin of my existence.

I would like to talk about one more instance of realizing my own causality. There is a situation in my family that has been continuing in which, every other generation is unable to have children and has been adopting. My great-great-grandfather was unable to have children and my great-grandfather entered the Shimamura family through adoption. My grandfather was born and he is the 3rd, but my grandparents didn’t have any children and my father was adopted by marriage. Then, I was born and I am the 5th generation in the faith.

So, if we are talking about patterns, I fit the pattern of not having children. One might think, “How absurd to think about patterns,” but it has always stuck in my mind and something that I have always considered it to be my causality.

Presently, we are in an era in which diversity is important to us, and there are people who have made the choice not to have children. That should be respected. On the other hand, there are those who wish to have children but are having a difficult time. I, myself, was born because my father came to the church as an adoptee. When we think about it in that sense, blessings come in varying forms. This is something that happened to our Shimamura family over the generations and I hope you will understand that I relayed this story only to share with you that I came to the realization that this was my causality.

When my wife and I got married, I thought that maybe there was actually no such causality and that God might bless us with a child right away. However, things were not that easy. A year passed, two years passed and we still could not conceive. Three, four, five, six years; the years went by. I thought maybe we could not have children in this lifetime after all. I was passing the days with such thoughts when, seven years ago, we were blessed with a baby boy. It was in our 8th year of marriage. After so many years, we received a blessing.

In thinking about our present situation, I am grateful for the accumulation of faith over the generations. Oyasama said,

. . . virtue is more deeply planted in the second generation than in the first one, and deeper still in the third than in the second. By becoming ever deeper, it will become virtue which lasts forever. It depends on the mind of a man whether it lasts for one generation only, or for two or three generations, or forever. By the continuation of this virtue even a bad innen becomes a good one.
(Anecdotes of Oyasama, 90: Deeper in the Second Generation Than in the First)

As the generations in the faith deepen, one’s causality becomes better. These words of Oyasama really resonate with me. Because my ancestors worked diligently in the faith and passed the faith on from the first generation to the fourth, cancelling out their causality a little bit at a time, I think we are so blessed today.

Some people may think, “Whether the child follows the faith or not can be left up to the child. The child can think for themselves.” However, I feel that real blessings can not be shown like that. Of course, passing on the faith is not an easy thing. First of all, I feel that it is important for parents to have strong faith and not give up their wish to have their child carry on the faith no matter what.v

Something else that I am reminded of after having been blessed with a child is the importance of being connected with the Jiba.

I served a position for the Young Men’s Association Headquarters for several years. When I first started working there, I was told several times by a worker who was senior to me, “If you work diligently in Jiba, you will be able to conceive.” In fact, three months after my duty in Jiba was over, we found out that my wife was pregnant. We were really grateful.

Oyasama said:

Unite your heart solely to Jiba. If you unite your heart solely to Jiba, then roots will spread to four sides. If the roots spread to four sides, even if one side decays, three sides will remain. If two sides decay, two sides will remain. Strong buds shall sprout.
(Anecdotes of Oyasama, 187: Solely to Jiba)

By connecting one’s heart solely to the Jiba, strong roots will spread. No matter what kind of knot may come, one will be able to keep from falling and persevere. Eventually, a strong bud, a large blessing can be received. How grateful I am for these wonderful words!

Even if it is hard to return to Jiba directly, going to a nearby church and connecting one’s heart to the Jiba while engaging in various faith practices can count as connecting to Jiba.

Setting Jiba as the focal point, connecting one’s heart to the Jiba and sowing seeds are very important things to do in the vertical mission.

One must diligently and patiently relay to their children the origin of the family’s faith, causality of the family, and the teachings of Tenrikyo, regardless of whether they understand it or not. The parents must also continue on with the faith that has been passed on through generations with a strong conviction that doesn’t give up. Furthermore, it is important to connect their heart solely to Jiba.v

In the Divine Directions, we find,

In this path, faith must be reflected in the minds of children while they are still young.
(Osashizu, Nov. 16, 1900).

Boys and Girls Association activities are not something that reap results overnight, but they are activities that are continued with a long-term perspective. If asked whether blessings will be seen right away, that may not be so. However, when the children grow up and they face a turning point in their life, I want them to be able to think, “I have Tenrikyo. I’m going to go to a Tenrikyo church.” And, I want them to receive wonderful blessings. We are enjoying planting one seed at a time as we look forward to future buds. Such are the activities of the Boys and Girls Association.

I would like to ask for your assistance and support in vertical mission, Boys and Girls Association activities, and especially this year’s Children’s Pilgrimage to Jiba so that the children’s lives will be firmly connected to this path and be a bright one.

Thank you for your kind attention.

(Summary)

I want to talk about Tenri Judo today.

In the first year of the Reiwa Era, on October 26, 2019, we had the honor to invite the head coach of Tenri University Judo Team, Mr. Takamasa Anai, to the “Welcome Home Lectures” held at the Honjima Followers Dormitory.

What left a distinct impression on me from Coach Anai’s lecture was his words, “although there may be unrewarded hard work, there is no such thing as wasted efforts.”

At the London Olympics in 2012, as an athlete, Coach Anai was expected to win the gold medal, but he lost in the second round. He became very depressed and even was overwhelmed with thoughts of quitting judo altogether. But with the support from people around him, the next year in 2013, he won his second national championship and then retired. He was then appointed as the coach of the Tenri University Judo Team, as well as being selected to be a member on the Tokyo Olympics Planning Commission’s Athlete Committee.

In the world of competition, you can have many years of effort and hard work until you actually become successful and win. In addition to it, the pre-anniversary activities for Oyasama’s Anniversary is our backup support. Even if you don’t receive immediate results, your efforts are certainly not wasted, and when the season comes, I’m sure it will bear fruit.

Going back to Coach Anai, I heard that there are many promising students who joined in Tenri this year, in hopes of being coached by him. I look forward in anticipation of seeing many people gather in Tenri, to “Aim for an Ippon, a decisive victory, in Judo.”

Even if your efforts are not rewarded, or you don’t see the results that you were hoping, if you just follow the path, and if you just make the efforts, I believe you will definitely be shown good results. Believe that your efforts are not wasted and give your all toward the remaining pre-anniversary activity period.

(Summary)

When I was a child, the Honjima Followers Dormitory was located near Tenri Shopping Arcade (Hondori). The Followers Dormitory had two separate buildings built across the street from each other. There are not many people who remember the old Followers Dormitory anymore.

I went to school from the old Honjima Followers Dormitory. My father, Kan’ichiro Teramoto, was working at Followers Dormitory, and was a driver for the third head minister, Rev. Toshitsugu Katayama. When I was a child, I remember that when my family sat around a table for a meal, and as my father picked up his chopsticks to eat, a young live-in staff (seinen) would come and said, “Rev. Katayama is going out.” Then, my father would put down his chopsticks at once and flew away. This happened not once, not twice, but often.

I used to think, “Why didn't he just take at least a bite and then go?”

When I was a little older, I once asked my father why he would fly away when the Rev. Katayama calls him. My father replied, “Rev. Katayama is working diligently for Jiba and the Church Headquarters. Because I see his dedicated service up close, I dedicate myself to serving Rev. Katayama single-heartedly.”

At that time, the construction of the “Oyasato Yakata” building complex as well as other facilities around Jiba began one after another. I was still a child and had no way of knowing this, but I can only imagine how busy Rev. Katayama must have been at that time, working for the Church Headquarters and taking care of the subordinate churches of Honjima Grand Church. I am convinced that Rev. Katayama always worked single-heartedly for Jiba.

During such busy days, the construction of the Moya 46 Followers Dormitory began, and the opening ceremony of the new dormitory was held on June 24, 1975, which was 6 months from the 90th Anniversary of Oyasama. As we will observe the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama before long, this year marks its 50th year since the current Followers Dormitory was constructed.

Looking back 50 years ago, my mother was appointed as a manager of the dining hall when the new Followers Dormitory was constructed. At that time, Mrs. Kozue Katayama, the wife of the third grand church head minister, Rev. Katayama, gave my mother a piece of advice. A part of what Mrs. Kozue told my mother was, “Whatever is fine but please make sure you feed the Besseki lecture attendees whenever missionaries bring them back.”

I think my mother always kept the words in mind and did her daily tasks.

My mother told me about this and I took Mrs. Kozue’s words to heart as I also started to work at Followers Dormitory when I was young. However, as I got older, I started to think the meaning that lies behind the words—the hardship that church and missionaries go through to bring back Besseki lecture attendees and Mrs. Kozue completely understood how difficult the path would be and also to provide compassionate care to those people.

I think this comes from Mrs. Kozue’s vast parental love as the mother of Honjima.

At Followers Dormitory, followers who yearn for Oyasama return to Jiba not only from within Japan but also from distant overseas, and stay there.

Oyasama said,

Whoever comes to this house shall never leave without being filled with joy. To Me, the Parent, all human beings in the world are My children.

In order to bring joy to the followers who return to Jiba and to Followers Dormitory, I believe we must serve without forgetting the heart of the Oyasama. When I think about how I should go about this to ensure followers return with joy, I feel it begins with sincerely welcoming them—with a spirit and attitude of “Welcome home.”

Although I am now away from Followers Dormitory and return to Jiba as one follower from a church, when I do return to Followers Dormitory, I want to warmly greet the followers with a heartfelt “Welcome home” and treat them with that same welcoming spirit.

Lastly, I would like to quote a portion of the sermon delivered by the Church Headquarters Director-in-Chief, Rev. Yoichiro Miyamori, at the Spring Grand Service held this January.

In his sermon, Rev. Miyamori said, “Each of us Yoboku are intermediaries who convey the intention, the heart of Oyasama. What we are conveying is ‘returning to Jiba.’ She asks us to ‘speak to people even when you meet them on a street corner,’ so even if we can only say the words, ‘Would you like to return to Jiba?’ that is fine. God says, ‘I do not tell you to do anything difficult or to do something without a model to follow (Osashizu Nov. 7, 1889),’ so now is the time to express our invitation to return to Jiba in our own words and with our own will.

In the Divine Directions, we are taught:

What is called the Origin, Jiba, is not found anywhere else in the world. The more thought you give to this truth, the deeper the truth will become.
(Osashizu Oct 11, 1895)

For those of you living far away, it may be physically difficult to return to Jiba multiple times. Even for those living close by, if you are busy and have time constraints, it may be difficult to return many times.

What truly matters is the heart with which we return to Jiba and the devotion we maintain toward Jiba throughout the year until the day of the anniversary. It also matters how much we share our passion for returning to Jiba with others. No matter where we are in the world, the more we feel that Jiba is a special place, the deeper we perceive the blessings of God the Parent

There are people around me who are suffering from illnesses and other problems, although I have been missing opportunities for salvation work. After listening to Rev. Miyamori’s sermon, I would like to, with refreshed mind, muster up the courage to invite those people to “return to Jiba,” and to exert effort to convey the will and the heart of Oyasama even little by little.

This month, there is Oyasama Birth Celebration Service and also in May and November, we have Shidokai Besseki Attendance Group Pilgrimage. There will also be Oyasama’s 140th Anniversary approaching. There are big opportunities to return to Jiba. I wish to receive the truth of the Jiba and make effort to bring at least one person, if not more, to Jiba, and also hopefully number of times so that I may be able to bring delight to Oyasama. By doing so, I hope to make this Anniversary of Oyasama an opportunity to bring peace of mind to Oyasama. I would like to do my utmost until the day of the Anniversary in high spirits.

(Summary)

Every year, when the Major League Baseball season begins, there is something I look forward to.

That is receiving daily updates on my smartphone about Shohei Ohtani hitting home runs, stealing bases, and his outstanding performances.

It goes without saying that his ability to perform at the highest level in the world is the result of his daily training and hard work, but I am also deeply drawn to his personality.

If there is a piece of trash on the ground, he quickly picks it up and puts it in his pocket, and on the field, he never steps on the line but jumps over it. This is a sign of humility to the staff members who work behind the scenes to draw lines properly.

I am sure that this kind of mindset is because, since his childhood days, he naturally learned to be humble in daily life from his parents.

I believe we have a similar mission.

It is important for us to show a humble attitude in walking the path, so that the children who will be following the path in the future —including our own children, needless to say—can learn how to think about things and act on them based on the teachings.

In our daily lives, not only should we say in words, “God the Parent is leading us to the Joyous Life,” “We learned how to live the path of the Joyous Life through Oyasama,” “The Joyous Life is a world in which we help one another equally as brothers and sisters,” but we must also show our faith in our attitude through daily occurrences. By seeing role models, we should hope that the children will grow up to be splendid Yoboku.

Oyasama said, “Because people like you, God also likes you. While people regret to see you leave, God also regrets not seeing you here. As long as people are fond of you, God also sees promise in you.”
(Anecdotes of Oyasama 87: Because People Like You)

April marks the beginning of a new school year for children. I am sure some will be starting a new lifestyle. During this time of the year when things are in transition and people are emotionally unstable, let us remind ourselves our mission as parents who walk ahead of others on this path.

I ask for your continuous support.

(Summary)

Today I will talk about tanno, which I believe is the key to our Joyous Life.

First of all, who is Joyous here today?

And who here is not having such a good day today? Well, if you didn’t have a good day today or yesterday, it is probably because something didn’t go as you had planned or hoped, or wanted.

However, whether we had a good or bad today or yesterday, had absolutely nothing to do with that day being good or bad.

Because as Oyasama, taught us:

Every day is a good day. There are no bad days. The days that your minds are spirited are the best days.
(Anecdotes of Oyasama 173: All Days Are Lucky Days)

Therefore, in Tenrikyo, there is no such thing as a “bad” day. It all just depends on how we perceive that day to be.

I believe that tanno is the key to the Joyous Life for each and every human being on this planet.

Now what is tanno? What do our scriptures say about it? And what did Oyasama say about it?

First of all, let me tell you what tanno is NOT.

It is not mere resignation, or just putting up with, with a bad situation,. Also, tanno is not something that you can tell someone to do. It has to well up from inside yourself

Now, let’s see what The Doctrine of Tenrikyo has to say:

Tanno is not merely to be resigned nor is it just to persevere. It is to recognize God’s parental love in all event. . . into an ever firmer determination to live joyously each day. Thus, even illness or troubles become nourishment for the mind and… afford us the opportunity to. . . advance in our faith.
The Doctrine of Tenrikyo, Chapter 8, p. 59

Next, what do our scriptures say about tanno?

First of all, the word “tanno” does not appear in the Mikagura-uta. Secondly, “tanno,” again does not come out in the Ofudesaki either.

And finally, in the Divine Directions, the word “tanno tanno” comes out in 1,283 times. I counted and read every one. We can see here that Tanno is very important to settle in mind when putting the teachings into practice.

Let’s now look at what some Divine Directions say about tanno.

Practice tanno in whatever you see. Practice tanno in whatever you hear. This is how you should lead your life.”
Osashizu, June 21, 1890, 9:15pm

Only when there is sincerity does the mind of tanno settle. There is nothing more acceptable than tanno. Tanno is sincerity. Sincerity is the truth of heaven.”
Osashizu, May 13, 1890

Tanno is repentance for past life negative causality. If it is only for one generation, this cannot be called tanno.
Osashizu, November, 19, 1897

I say that tanno is sincerity. If I accept it, you will have a promising distant future, generations after generations to come.”
Osashizu, May 17, 1898

So in these Divine Directions, we see that tanno, will not only erase our personal negative causality, but if our tanno is sincere, it will be accepted for all our future generations.

Further, complains between married couple occur quite often in our daily lives. I found an interesting Divine Direction.

The one truth of tanno should practiced between husband and wife. I say this is to be practiced mutually. Sah, I tell you, that if you settle this one truth firmly in your minds from now on, everything shall go well as you wish.
Osashizu, July 19, 1897

God promises that if the mind of tanno settles between married couple, everything shall go well as you wish.

The next question is how can we better practice tanno. The Divine Direction instructs us also in this,

Ponder and become fully joyous and practice tanno. As long as you have complaints, tanno cannot be practiced.
Osashizu, August 21, 1899

In order to practice tanno, we cannot be complainers, first of all. In fact, complaining is the exact opposite of practicing tanno.

Next,

Without positive anticipation, you cannot practice tanno.
Osashizu, December 22, 1897

In order to practice tanno, we need to positively look forward to a bright future. We must think positively.

Next, I’m going to talk about some of my recent personal challenges with tanno. Lately, maybe over the past half year or so, things have not been going well for me financially, emotionally, physically, martially, family-wise, and most importantly, church wise. I was a bit depressed and wondered what God wanted to tell me. But I have been trying to look at things with a mind of tanno, and view my problem through the lens of “A big problem, small problem.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job as a head minister and I am proud to be a Tenrikyo minister. However, sometimes, I feel as if I have been a failure as a head minister.

When I was a young man, I was very proud to work for Sony Headquarters in Tokyo, and I thought that someday, I would become the vice-president or president of a large multinational corporation with ties with Japan.

However, I had always thought that I had never achieved my personal goals in life.

Then a few months ago, my niece called SP church for the first time in almost 7-8 years. She asked how I was doing and how the church was doing. I explained that it’s so-so, but that few people come to the church since the pandemic, and that church is struggling and how I never achieved my own personal dreams.

Then she said something that really made me smile and feel good about myself.

She said, “Uncle Marlon, You are helping people through your work, even if it’s only one person at a time. And Uncle Marlon, think about it! Did you realize that you have already achieve your dreams?”

I said, “How?” She replied, “Well aren’t you the president of SP church? And isn’t Tenrikyo a large Japan based multinational corporation and aren’t you using your language skills in your job?”

And I thought about it, and I said, “You know, I never thought about it that way! You’re right! I am living my dream! Thank you for letting me see that!”

Just with those simple words, I transformed my view of myself, and my role as a head minister. I am now able see myself through the lens of Tanno, Joyous Perception.

Another thing that gives me hope is our SP church member, Zephyr Natalie Spencer. She just graduated the 1-year Oyasato Fusekomi Course this month, after having graduated from the 1-year TLI Japanese Course last year. From this Spring, she will be working at the Overseas Department.

Her hope is to someday work at Church Headquarter’s Translation Section to translate Oyasama’s teachings into English for the rest of her life.

I am very sure that she is the first trans-person to work at the Overseas Department

It is hard to believe that it was only three years ago, in April of 2022, that she visited a Tenrikyo church for the first time ever, at America Dendocho.

Somehow, I was the first person to administer the Sazuke to her, and she later went to America Spiritual Development Course, and became a member of our SP Church. The same year, in October of 2022, she became a Yoboku, and she now regularly administers the Sazuke and does missionary work whenever she can.

She is the pride of SP Church. And if she becomes the only person I ever ever help in my life, I have good reason to be proud to be a minister.

Therefore, I try to now give thanks. I choose to perceive the blessings of God’s blessings in all things.

However, as of late, my wife and I still get into silly arguments. I now believe that God is trying to show me something that I need to change about myself. We just need to be more kind to each other and more happy with each other, and be more joyous.

In the Mikagura-uta, the Songs for the Service, we are taught:

Settle the minds of the two of you in one accord!
Then any and everything shall be realized.”
Mikagura-uta IV :2

Husband and wife working together in hinokishin;
This is the first seed of everything.
Mikagura-uta Song XI:2

Married couple being united in mind and diligently working together in hinokishin, this becomes the first seed of everything.

Toward the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama, we all should have made our own individual spiritual resolutions. Let us all do our best to keep our spiritual resolutions, and show Oyasama our spiritual growth.

One of my resolutions has been to maintain a mind of tanno as much as possible, and to improve my relationship with my partner in life, the love of my life, my wife.

I would like to end with the message that we all have a bright future to look forward to, because God the Parent and Oyasama want only for us to lead the happy and joyous life, and that the key to this happy and joyous life is being able to practice this mind of tanno.

We get to choose whether we practice tanno or not, nobody can do this for us, and nobody can force us to do it.

This is my homework for myself, to learn to practice what I have been preaching to my church followers—to find joy in all occurrences, tanno. I will continue to try to do my best for that.

Let us all try to practice tanno more and more in our daily lives, because every day is a “good day,” it just depends on how we perceive it.

I thank you for your kind attention.