Tenrikyo Dynamic Mission - LOST
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but their minds are all as if in a haze.
It will soon be seen. Without a moment to look aside,
the dust will disappear as if you were dreaming.
When this dust is completely swept away,
nothing will remain but universal salvation.
If we take a moment and reflect on the workings of our self centered imagination I think that it becomes apparent that until otherwise convinced we only think true thoughts. If we at some point change our mind about a truth that is stored in our self image "knowledge bank" then our new knowledge and whatever new views flow from it also become true for us. As long as things are going the way we want them to it is very nice to be always right and only think true thoughts.
Among the truths that occupy our self-centered imagination and that sit in our "accumulated store of self knowledge" are those that act as principle truths. Principle self-centered truths tend to be deeply held and form a foundation for other self-centered truths that can built up from them. Principle truths tend to be "understood" and it is not necessary for us to consciously bring them to mind in order for them to form a foundation for our thinking. Repeatedly exercising the truths that we have accumulated can either strengthen or weaken their principle foundations. Though many of us hold onto first principles that we think of as old or traditional, even imagining some of them to be "natural truths", the history of our species is in fact one of constant change and adaptation. Sometimes that change is abrupt and sometimes it is gradual. The one thing that is certain is that it is a continuous process.
From true first principles flow all sorts of reasonable truths and for each of us when those reasonable truths are held as a part of our self image we tend to defend them as if questioning them is an attack on our own self. When we look at the long journey of our human species we see that there is a great deal of resistance to changing principle truths though holding on has turned out to be like building sand castles and change, either gradual or abrupt, has been constantly with us. As a species our ability to adapt to change is one of our greatest strengths. The more we are free to adapt to change the more we can enjoy God's free and unlimited workings.
Because we only think true thoughts it is possible that over time our self image can become cluttered with "natural" principle truths and the reasonable truths that are accumulated and piled up on them as their foundation. Some of the truths that are bundled as our self-image may even be contradictory but because we only think true things we don't have much of a problem with that. I think that at one time or another we have all experienced the frustration that accompanies self-centered truths that cannot be realized and certainly we are all aware of the kind of problems that flow from attempting to force self-centered truths on each other.
As a result of the number of truths that have accumulated in our self-centered imaginations there are times in our life when we may experience the feeling of being lost in our own thoughts without any clear idea of a good way to successfully move forward. Since no two human minds are exactly the same our responses to this condition may vary across the entire spectrum of human emotions and responses. Words that come to mind to describe that kind of situation are depressed, desperate, trapped, angry, misunderstood, panic-stricken, dysfunctional, hyper, oppressed, powerless, confused, victimized, crushed, used, down, fearful, exploited, bound, beaten, in a rut, in a jam, stuck, unable to focus and the like; all of which are words describing the opposite of being free and unlimited in our life options. In general when the cause of our situation is sought we tend to either blame ourselves, blame others or vacillate back and forth between the two.
The very success of the human self-centered imagination as it strives to find satisfaction and happiness among the truths that it has created and accumulated has an unintended down side which as we develop an ever greater capacity to damage ourselves and our environment is increasingly becoming a source of suffering on both the individual and collective levels. Often when that condition becomes unbearable we may begin to look for help in finding the both cause and the way out of our predicament. Desiring to realize happiness, relief and satisfaction we may be attracted to a teaching that promises to reveal the original cause of all things in detail, the truth of our self and the one truth that is the cure for all of our dissatisfactions and ills at a single stroke.
I will teach you the original cause of all things.
The teaching that flows through the Tenrikyo dynamic promises to be a sure guide for quickly showing all people in the world equally, regardless of time or place, the way to successfully break out of lost, depressed and desperate circumstances and enjoy free and unlimited workings in any and all matters. Of course it would be nice if we could magically realize our expectations and our dreams in all matters, so to make sure that we clearly understand what is being offered, the Tenrikyo Dynamic Mission maintains a Model Story and a Model Life so that we can compare our intentions and expectations with a model of the actual free and unlimited workings that flowed from the single-hearted salvation that was demonstrated through Miki Nakayama and which is offered and taught by our original parent, the original cause of all things as it exists at the core of our mind.
Make sure you will not be remorseful later.
Long have you wandered on your path until now.
You must be very tired of it.
Finally this time, a trustworthy place of worship
has begun to appear. Be convinced of it!
Following instructions as given we can, with a calm mind, turn to the "Model Story" first of the Nakayama family's intentions and expectations prior to the replacement of Miki's Nakayama's mind and make ourselves familiar with their expectations and intentions as they looked for a remedy for the illness and suffering that was disrupting the functioning of their family. After familiarizing ourselves with those expectations and intentions we can then think deeply about them and compare the expectations and intentions of the Nakayama family with our own current expectations and intentions. There is a very good chance that though modified somewhat by time and place our current expectations and intentions will be seen to be very similar to Nakayama family's expectations and intentions as they were prior to the replacement of Miki's mind by the one truth of origin, single-heartedness with God.
As we calm down our imagination with its expectations and intentions we begin to understand that single-heartedness with God, the truth of origin that exists at the core of our mind is the promised "trustworthy place of worship". The realization of the free and unlimited workings that flow from that one original cause are then available to us depending entirely upon our sincere willingness to let go, even for a moment, of the self-centered truths, expectations and intentions that we are lost in and to ponder the truth of our original, natural state of mind, settling it as a new, permanent principle foundation for our future self-centered imaginings in all matters. So that there will be no error in our effort we are taught that the state of mind that we are to use as a new foundation is none other than the state of mind metaphorically described as the "mind like clear water". By comparison all of the principles, concepts, ideas and truths that rise up from the one truth of origin are changeable, "worldly common" and neither a "trustworthy place of worship" or a stable foundation for our thinking.
Ponder this in all matters.
At this time, as God is openly revealed,
I shall teach you any and all things.
So long as you remain unknowing that the body is
a thing borrowed, you can understand nothing at all.
The very amateur (sorry it's the best I can do) graphic representation at the top of this page employs some of the graphic metaphors that can be used to describe the regrettable part of the otherwise totally marvelous human condition and the way to repair it. The overall image is of a human mind that is lost in the darkness of its own imagination. The dark circle that looks like a nose is mean to represent the Moon, a metaphor for our self centered imagination which is partially illuminated by an unknown and unseen Sun, a metaphor for our original consciousness. The "Stand" below the Moon is on a slant to indicate that it is not on a secure foundation nor can a secure foundation be found with the current muddy and dusty condition of the self-centered imagination.
The overall image is intended to show that when the dark, dusty and even muddy imagination is identified, cleaned up and settled, the true origin of the light reflected as the self-centered imagination is revealed as the Sun (our original consciousness). That realization is the setting up of the "Stand" on the firm, unchanging and trustworthy foundation that is the knowledge and understanding of the original cause of any and everything. Metaphorically that complete knowledge and understanding of the origin of all things is Moonsun (the apparent two as one). The "Kanrodai"(the stand that sits firmly on the Jiba identified and revealed is the proof of having returned to the knowledge and understanding of the truth of origin). The "Jiba"(the place where human beings are created. Our ideas of a separate self rise out of the Jiba), the Parent of origin" (the original consciousness that is the true parent of all human beings equally.