All of you, please calm your minds
and become truly convinced of this talk.
| List of terms: |
|
Japanese Tenrikyo Term |
English Meaning - Says Me. |
| God - A sacred or divine personage or power. In Tenrikyo, the reference is usually to the one and only God of Origin, God of gods. All that is, was or ever will be. This entire universe is the body of God. The truth of that assertion is to be found by making ones' mind one with God's mind. It is the proven truth which is known and understood by the human mind that has settled the self-centered imagination and returned to its original pristine condition. Back to Top: | |
| Tenri-O-No-Mikoto | God - A Japanese name and honorific title for the one and only God, or if many gods are assumed then a name for the Supreme Being or Chief God. This universe is the body of God. Back to Top: |
| Tsukihi | God - Moonsun - The truth of any and everything - taught as a graphic metaphor. The one light illuminating all that appears to change in the one reflected light, identified, known and understood through one's own mind. All human beings are invited to return to their origin and become Single-Hearted - Shrines of Moonsun. Everybody in the world sees the same Moon and Sun by whatever name they are called. The are two parts to the universe "things" - which we ordinarily know and the light that illuminates them and by which things are known. That conscious light we ordinarily take for granted. The total truth of all things is then Moonsun. This universe is the body of God. Back to Top: |
| Oyasama | God - God the Parent - An ever living model of the way to become a Shrine of Moonsun as well as a perfect model of parental love to be known and understood. All human beings are equally children of the Parent of Origin. There is no discrimination between the children as concerns the love of the Parent. The intention of God the Parent is to provide all human beings equally with the means to live a free and unlimited joyous life. This universe is the body of God. Back to Top: |
| Moto | Origin - truth of origin - The truth that is known and understood by the human mind when the self-centered imagination is removed, totally quieted or calmed. Also known as returning to the origin. The truth of all things. |
| Jiba | God - The place where all human beings are created - The place that human beings are invited to return to know and understand. The root and core of the mind revealed through the mind like clear water. Back to Top: |
| Kanrodai | God - A stand to receive heavenly dew - to be set up at the Jiba of origin - Currently the Stand cannot be set up because the water is too muddy (the state of the mind) to determine a secure foundation for it. An object to attach the self-centered imagination to so that it can be brought to a standstill. In truth the Parent of Origin. This universe is the body of God. Back to Top: |
| Innen | Causality - The way the universe works. One action leading to another from the beginning until now. To Top: |
| Kawaii | Love - Specifically God's indiscriminate parental love for all human self-centered imaginations equally. The teaching of the Reason of Heaven is a model demonstration of that parental love. In practice this indiscriminate love for all equally equates to the tireless effort of God, working through intermediaries, to do whatever it takes to provide all human minds with the methods and means to return to their origin and single-heartedness with God. This is often expressed as doing what is appropriate for the time, the place and the level of spiritual maturity of all who would wish to hear and return. Many who would make their minds one with God's mind and intention strive to know and understand the Model of Parental Love as a sure method in itself for returning to the origin. This is often expressed as the teaching that by saving other you will be saved. |
| Tanno | Acceptance of causality as the way the world works and freely working that causality so that it yields a joyous life .Back to Top: |
| Kashimono Karimono | Human beings are things borrowed, lent - The whole universe is the body of God - The task is to fundamentally know and understand that by identifying and replacing the self-centered idea which is currently understood, with the truth that remains when that idea is quieted. Back to Top: |
| Sazuke | Power - The indescribable - unimaginable power of the truth of origin. Single-hearted salvation. Though this term does not appear in the Ofudesaki it is an example of expressing the teaching in a way appropriate for time, place and level of spiritual maturity. The sincere administration of the Sazuke replaces the self-centered imagination with the truth of origin bringing the power of that truth to bear on problems for which there is no worldly common solution, such as incurable illness. Back to Top: |
| Tsutome | Service - The work required for replacing the foundation of the mind, and returning it to its original pristine condition Back to Top: |
| Yokigurashi | Joyous Life - The intended use of the marvel that is the human self-centered imagination. A life that is free and unlimited in its workings. Back to Top: |
| Yokiyusan | Joyous Life - The intended use of the marvel that is the self-centered imagination - Life characterized as a joyous picnic with music. Back to Top: |
| Kami Ichijoo | Single-heartedness with God - The mind that has returned to its origin. The mind that has returned to its original pristine condition. The mind of a three year old child. Back to Top: |
| Mizu | Water - a metaphor for the human mind. Pondering this metaphor we can be enlightened by the words "clear" or "muddy". Back to Top: |
| Hi - Mizu - Kaze | Fire - Water - Wind - A graphic metaphor for the causal action between the truth of origin and all things, both material and mental. Back to Top: |
| Satori | Spiritually Awakened - the state of a mind that has returned to, knows and understands the truth of its origin A mind at one with the truth of origin. Back to Top: |
| Yamai | Illness - This is something that happens to the self-centered imagination. From the point of view of the truth of origin there is no such thing. Back to Top: |
| Shi | Death - This is something that happens to the self-centered imagination. From the point of view of the truth of origin there is no such thing. Back to Top: |
| Mune | Heart - This is the light of consciousness that illuminates the self-centered imagination. The metaphor provides an image of the innermost heart covered with and depressed under a layer of dust or self-centered thoughts. Though goal is to sweep it clean and expose its full natural power and beauty. Back to Top: |
| Kokoro | Mind. The concern is for the state of the mind either "clear" or "Muddy". Since the state of our mind becomes the state of our world its state is the fundamental concern of this teaching. Back to Top: |
| Ne | Root - A metaphor for the self-centered imagination as the
cause of our experience of illness and trouble.
Root - A metaphor for the truth of origin. Back to Top: |
| Shin | Core - A metaphor for the truth of origin to be found at the core of the mind. Back to Top: |
| Oomichi | Broad Path - A metaphor for a path of single-hearted salvation that is opened and maintained by people who understand God's intention, means and method. A broad path accommodates a large number of people in all times and places. Back to Top: |
| Hosomichi | Narrow Path - A metaphor for the opening of a path of single-hearted salvation in the midst of misunderstanding of God's intention, means and methods both from within the path and from outside of the path. A narrow path accommodates the needs of a small number of people in a particular time and place and level of spiritual maturity. Since the Narrow Path is mixed with misunderstanding it take a great deal of effort to keep it from being overgrown with weeds. Back to Top: |
| Honmichi | Main Path - The quick, direct, guided and well marked path back to the truth of our origin. This path is the same for all human beings regardless of time, place or level of spiritual maturity. It shows the way to awaken to a free and unlimited joyous life through the identification and removal of the self-centered imagination. Back to Top: |
| Takayama | High Mountains - A metaphor for the people who control and shape public opinion as well as a metaphor for the relationship between the self-centered imagination and the truth of origin. One rising out of the other like a pond in the high mountains. Back to Top: |
| Sundaru mizu | Mind like clear water - The mind like clear water is the mind that has been returned to its original pure, pristine condition. The mind in which the self-centered imagination as been settled or removed. The mind like clear water is a perfect reflection of the mind of God. Back to Top: |
| Hokori | Dust - A metaphor for self-centered thoughts. The image is one of accumulation due to neglect. We are instructed to regularly sweep the dust from our mind. Back to Top: |
| Gomoku | Dirt, debris - Another metaphor for the accumulation of self-centered thoughts. The metaphor is of a pond, the source of which is pure water but which over time becomes chocked and blocked with accumulated mud, debris, garbage and junk. We are instructed to clear the mud and debris returning the water to its original pure condition. Back to Top: |
| Meme no omou kokoro | Self-centered mind - The obstacle to knowing and understanding the truth that the whole universe is the body of God. The purpose of the Service is to remove this obstacle so that the truth of origin can be revealed. Back to Top: |
| Shinjitsu | Sincerity - The ability to return the self-centered imagination to its origin and remain there. Single- hearted Sincerity is the truth of Heaven. Back to Top: |
| Kayashi | Returns - Our experience of the results of causalities set in motion at the beginning of time as wall as those that we ourselves set in motion. Back to Top: |
| Tanomi | Prayer - In this path no sincere prayer goes unanswered. However the key to the meaning of prayer here is the meaning of the term sincere. Back to Top: |
| Hoo | Magical arts Incantations - Magical arts and incantations are not highly regarded in this path. To Top: |
| Ogami | Formulas of worship - Single-hearted salvation is not brought about by formulas of worship. Back to Top: |
| Kitoo | Exorcism - Single-hearted Salvation is not brought about by the casting out of evil spirits and the like. Back to Top: |
| Ukagai tateru | Oracles - Single-hearted Salvation is not brought about by consultation with oracles.. Back to Top: |
| Moto no Innen | Causality of origin. - God the original and continuing cause of all that exists or will exist. Back to Top: |
| Juyojizai | Free and unlimited workings - The self-centered imagination is bound to the causality of the body and the causality of its own thoughts and actions. The truth of origin can be masked by those two causalities and covered by them as dust might cover a light bulb but the truth of origin and the mind that knows and understands it are by their nature free and unlimited in their workings. Back to Top: |
| Shoko tameshi | Tested proof - These days this is known as the "Scientific Method". Everyone who settles or removes their self-centered imagination finds the same truth. The truth that is known and understood in the mind like clear water. The truth that is often stated as the understanding that this universe is one single being. Back to Top: |
| Kusa | Weeds - A metaphor for the self-centered thinking that encroaches upon and gradually chokes the narrow path of single-hearted salvation. Back to Top: |
| Sekainami | Worldly common - Our ordinary day to day self-centered thinking. All human thought based on the foundation of the self-centered imagination. The foundation and reasoning of our worldly common thinking is the idea that we are a separate being - apart from the universe. This idea permeates all of our thinking in all matters. It is the opposite of the truth of heaven - The truth that any and everything of this universe is one single being. Reasoning from that point of view in all matters is the reason of heaven. Back to Top: |
| Kotowari | Warnings - The state of our mind becomes the state of our world. In this path we are often warned that the returns on our own self-centered thinking are mixed with good and evil and as such may not ensure a free and joyous life for us. Back to Top: |
| Sooji | Sweep - A metaphor for the purification of the mind. It is intended that the self-centered imagination be quickly identified and then swept clean away, revealing the core of the mind in its pristine and natural condition. Back to Top: |
| Dandanto | Step by step - There is a step by step order to the path of single-hearted salvation. Though the steps can be passed through very quickly they still must be passed through and in the correct order. Back to Top: |
| Yoboku | Timber - Literally wood - a metaphor for minds that are suitable for use in opening and maintaining new paths of single-hearted salvation appropriate for time, place and level of maturity for all human beings. Again metaphorically, material to be used in the construction of a new world of joyous life for all. A mind that has received the truth of origin. Back to Top: |
| Shian suru | Ponder - Those who would know and understand this teaching are instructed to think over everything from their innermost heart. This is way of thinking is called deep self-reflection and strives to go deeper than ordinary ideas to the identification of their origin. Back to Top: |
| Tenrikyo | The Reason or Truth of Heaven - The way of reasoning in all matters from the point of view that any and everything of this universe or any other universe is all one being. An organization dedicated to spreading that truth to all human minds by teaching various methods to calm, quiet and replace the self-centered imagination, the very marvelous idea that is by its nature the negation of that very real truth. Back to Top: |
| Nangi | Suffering, hardship, troublesome or distressing situation, difficulties. The path or point of view of the self-centered imagination has for many unintentionally led to a path of suffering and hardship. Hence "suffering comes from your own mind." This is in contrast with the path of single-heartedness which is a path of joy in all situations. Back to Top: |
| Hinokishin | A daily or moment to moment contribution to the joy that is intended in the creation of human beings. Replacing self-centered thought with the truth of origin in any and all circumstances. Though this term does not appear in the Tip of the Writhing Brush it is an expression that appears in the Mikagura-uta and is one of the fundamental methods of the Reason of Heaven for the realization of single-hearted salvation and a joyous life. Back to Top: |
I would like to thank the Translation Committee of the Tenrikyo Church Headquarter, also Akio Inoue, Matthew Eynon, Susumu Mori and Damon Smith. Without being able to access their translations and indexes this kind of exercise would be very difficult for a person who does not speak or read Japanese. Obviously they are not responsible for the way I have interpreted these terms but their efforts to make them available have made it much easier for me to "play" with them.
