Tenrikyo - The Reason of Heaven

This universe is the body of God.

Ponder this in all matters.

X: 81- 85

Day by day, I shall make every effort solely for

the preparations to make everyone in the world spirited.

Moonsun’s day by day, moment to moment and tireless efforts to make the preparations for all human beings continues to even to this day and this moment. Recall that the plan is to train “intermediaries” to return to the origin and Moonsun’s free and unlimited workings.

So that Moonsun’s intention can be easily understood, the description of the human condition is thus reduced to two contrasted general states of mind:  “spirited” (having single-heartedness with Moonsun’s free and unlimited workings as the foundation for all thought) and “depressed” (having the self-centered imagination only as the foundation for all thought).

 As the minds of the world are spirited step by step,

the growth of all crops, also, will be spirited.

This is certainly good news for agriculturalists and for the rest of us who depend upon their efforts for sustenance. And, for those who are more inclined to wringing metaphors out of poetry, there is also the interpretation that our human thoughts are “seeds” that yield two general types of outcomes (“crops”): spirited or depressed.

To explain how these minds are to be spirited:

Moonsun will go forth, taking My workers along.

 Moonsun works in the world through instruments and intermediaries (“taking my workers along”). It is this single-heartedness with Moonsun and the free and unlimited workings that flow from returning the mind to its origin that will make it possible for Moonsun’s intermediaries to open new paths of single-hearted salvation appropriate for time place and maturity for everyone in the world. In that way, step by step, all human beings can become spirited and enjoy the free and unlimited workings that flow from the origin as the joyous life.

 Until then, you will all hear of various things

here and there and one after another. 

Whatever you hear, I told of it all beforehand.

Ponder over it.

 Moonsun makes declarations of certainty, which to our self-centered imaginations  perhaps look like predictions, of two general types. First, there are the promises of true satisfaction, joy and free and unlimited workings that flow from the purified mind that has returned to its origin. Second there are the observations of the deep dissatisfaction and evil (unwanted things) that can flow from viewing the world with the self-centered imagination alone as the foundation for our thinking. 

We are asked to ponder. To me it seems as though Moonsun has accurately portrayed the human condition. The way the human condition was when these poems were written, the way the human condition is now and the way the human condition can be changed so that all human beings can look forward to a prosperous and joyous future.