Tenrikyo

"Buddhists try to escape from their life, while Christians attach greater importance to their life in heaven than to that on earth. As for believers of Tenrikyo, however, the greatest emphasis is always put on this life on earth. Neither life nor death can exist independently of God the Parent."

"It may be said that pantheism and theism in world civilization were derived from the Aryan and Semitic races, respectively. These two still form the backbone of the Western ideas which have been dominating the world since the Industrial Revolution, which ended in favor of a mechanical civilization. And it is natural that the people of the Western sphere of civilization view from no other perspectives than these two. As for us people of the East, we have traditions quite different from those of the West, and view from perspectives unlike those of Westerners."

"It may be that Japan is only a speck on a world map drawn by Europeans, but the country consisting of a chain of islands has played and is still playing an important part because of its situation lying east of the continent in the Pacific Ocean. From a cultural point of view Japan is an eastward limit of penetration, and a treasure-house, so to speak, in the history of world civilization. Another important thing is that Japan stands out as the first country in Asia which adopted modern mechanical civilization and carried it to the Asiatic Continent."

"The Japanese nation is, generally speaking, so generously disposed towards any system of thought that varying contradictions are kept on with no inconvenience whatever; it seems as if the Japanese nation were gifted with special capacity for tolerance. For instance, religions present an apt example of tolerance on the part of the Japanese nation."

"It may safely be said that the Japanese people embrace all of the greatest religions of the world. In Japan there are various stages of belief, from primitive Shamanism to Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism, Mohammedanism and Shintoism originating in Japan. And they co-exist with no bloody strife, each having its own ardent followers. There is nothing like such religious wars as were seen in European history."

"Tenrikyo is a unique faith which is neither theistic nor pantheistic. The Kami (Deity) of Tenrikyo, “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto,” is, to speak exactly, umgreifend and all the universe lives in His bosom. The Kami of Tenrikyo may be perceived as a crossing of pantheism plus determination of space, and theism plus determination of time. A pantheistic god is immanent, while a theistic god transcendent. But an umgreifend god is both immanent and transcendent. A pantheistic god is rational, while a theistic god irrational. An umgreifend god, is, however, transrational. An intellectual understanding of such a god is possible up to a certain point, but beyond it. In other words, a relative man is able to comprehend only a part of the functions of an absolute god. The mysterious god who is beyond human intellectual understanding is one who gives us light from far beyond the limitation of human thinking. Such being the case, the god is not one which blinds modern scientific people but which lights up their way. Once they lose sight of the light, they will fall into a dark world. Human civilization will be ruined unless supported by such a god."

"As for the revelation of the Semitic race, which comes under the former category, such an address was made solely with divine authority and without any regard to human thinking, seems to be filled with many contradictions. We are, frankly speaking, in blank dismay when we come across such fundamental doctrines of Christianity as the conception of the Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of Christ. Is there no other teaching to persuade us a little further?"

"A transcendent deity will speak what man cannot understand, and man is forced just to obey. A pantheistic deity will never speak to man, but will leave all to human thinking. However, in the case of the umgreifend deity He and man are enabled to talk with each other. The umgreifend deity, appealing to human wisdom, will try to win persuasion. But after all He both negates and transcends human wisdom, and discloses His true intention in a way that man cannot perceive."

"A transcendent deity is not connected with man, while an immanent deity is connected with man. An umgreifend deity is, however, both connected and disconnected with man. To speak in greater detail, the umgreifend deity reveals Himself not only to His believers but to those who wish to know Him. He tries as far as possible to appeal to human wisdom, gives persuasion and satisfaction and waits anxiously in the expectation of human evolution."

"God the Parent “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto” may be called an “umgreifend Deity” and likened to a circle of infinite diameter."

"The deity who guides us must, and must not, be among us mankind; He must be both immanent and transcendent. In other words, He must be the Deity who renders satisfaction to human wisdom on one hand, and leads us up to things too high to give satisfaction to it on the other. Again, He must be apparent as well as hidden. Such a deity is umgreifend. It may well be said that a pantheistic god is apparent while a transcendent god is hidden."

"“Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto” god is the umgreifend Deity, both pantheistic and theistic, both immanent and transcendent."

"それは、恐ろしい蔭の力を以て、弓き廻されるような感じで、不可抗力と言うべきで、甘露台様御自身、意識して行動せられたのでは無かったのである。宵から夜半まで無我夢中に歩き廻られて、突然、甘露台様が立ち止まられた。そして、座敷の中央へ出られた時、「此処は甘露台や」と思われた。"

"If the path is cleared from up above, can the people down below get near? If the path is cleared from down below both the people up above and the people down below can easily get near, can they not?"

""Oh, I am so glad to see you have come. God the Parent lent a hand to bring you home. You had a hard time, slipping at many places. However, you were joyful. Sah, sah, God the Parent accepts fully, fully. Whatever you ask, it is accepted. God protects you. Enjoy it, enjoy it, enjoy it!" So saying, Oyasama grasped Rin’s cold hands with both Her own. It was something more than warming them over the brazier. Rin was moved with gratitude and awe at the inexpressible warmth of Oyasama."

"Early rising, honesty, and work. There is a great difference in merit between being awakened and waking up someone else. Working in the shadows and praising others is honesty. If you do not put into practice what you hear, you will become a lie. Work on top of work, saying to yourself, ‘Just a little more, just a little bit more’; this is not greed, it is work that comes from true sincerity."

"That is it. Did you notice those pumpkins and eggplants? They are big, aren’t they? The plants bear fruit because the flowers bloom. Not a single plant bears fruit without its flower. Now ponder deeply. The world says woman is unclean, but there is nothing unclean about woman. Man and woman are equally children of God and there is no discrimination. Woman has a duty, a duty to bear children. Her monthly period is the flower. Without the flower there is no fruit. Understand this well. Take the pumpkin; if its big flower is gone, that is the end of it. In many things, there are flowers that bear no fruit. But to bear fruit without any flower is impossible. Ponder deeply. There is nothing unclean about it."

"If, doubting God's words, you believe this Grant to be false, it will indeed be false. Yet, if you truly believe that you have received this Grant from the Parent and do just as God says, you will be blessed, regardless of whether there is usually good or bad in your mind. The bad will appear elsewhere. In the case of childbirth, you will be blessed with a rapid and easy delivery if you just discard doubt from your mind and follow the teachings of God. But if you harbor doubt and fear, even though there be no wrongdoing in your mind, then the wheel of fear will be set in motion and your fears will be borne out."

"我は元の神・実の神である。この屋敷にいんねんあり。このたび、世界一れつをたすけるために天降った。みきを神のやしろに貰い受けたい。"

"June 9, 1907 (April 29, lunar calendar), 9:00am [...] I am fully satisfied. The Seki is satisfied, is satisfied. At this moment, as the Seki's position becomes critical, all of you have gathered to seek the resolution for his illness, and united your hearts in spite of your problems, to pray for his recovery once again for ten more years of life. I commend your sincerity. It is a sincerity deserving of My free and unlimited workings. You need not worry whether he will recover or not. Firmly calm your minds. All of you take heart and rejoice, take heart and rejoice."

"How thankful, what a delicious meal. (おおきに ごちそうさん ōkini, gochisō-san)"

"Among these heretical bodies, perhaps the most prosperous and assertive is the Tenri Kyōkwai, that is say [sic], "The Church of the Heavenly Reason." Viewed from one side, it appears to represent in an intense form a reaction from the allegorizing tendency of modern Shintō scholars; but as will appear later on, it has by no means successfully resisted the influence of modern civilization. The story of the growth of this sect possesses much interest, not merely from the light it sheds upon the religious condition of the mass of the Japanese people, but also because of certain psychological phenomena which have been associated with it and which have exerted in the past and, indeed still exert, a powerful influence upon the religious life of Japan."

"Far the biggest of these modern religious movements which already boasts of a history of more than one hundred years and which covers all the Japanese isles with thousands of temples, is the Tenrikyō 天理教: the Religion of Heavenly Wisdom (or Divine Reason), founded in 1838."

"Tenrikyo is a unique faith which is neither theistic nor pantheistic. The Kami (Deity) of Tenrikyo, “Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto,” is, to speak exactly, umgreifend and all the universe lives in His bosom. The Kami of Tenrikyo may be perceived as a crossing of pantheism plus determination of space, and theism plus determination of time. A pantheistic god is immanent, while a theistic god transcendent. But an umgreifend god is both immanent and transcendent. A pantheistic god is rational, while a theistic god irrational. An umgreifend god, is, however, transrational."

"The sign of God's blessings: the Divine Model."

"Whoever may come, God will not retire. It is natural that you are filled with anxieties at present, but after twenty or thirty years have passed, a day is sure to come when all of you will admit the truth of My intention."

"You shall do as God of Origin wills and comply with My demand. I shall save all humankind if you will listen to Me; but if you should object to it, I shall destroy this house so completely that not a trace of it will remain."

"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."

"Now I shall begin to build a new world. Celebrate the occasion with Me!"

"Whatever I intend to do, I shall test it first on My own family."

"However wretched you may be, never say you are wretched, for I shall never make beggars of you."

"There is no need for a shrine. Start building something small. [...] It is to be one square tsubo. This structure of one square tsubo is not for human habitation. [...] Additions can be made depending on your minds."

"この所に、おばあさんは居らん。我は天の将軍なり。"

"January 13, 1887 (Dec. 20, 1886, lunar calendar) Sah, sah, because Tsukihi exists, the world exists. Because the world exists, things exist. Because things exist, your bodies exist. Because your bodies exist, law exists. Although the law exists, to resolve your minds is primary. Sah, sah, where there is sincerity, you shall receive sincerity. You may not know what My sincerity is. It is My providence—fire, water, and wind. Sah, sah, you are to purchase My sincerity. Purchase My sincerity with your own sincerity."

"February 17, 1887 (Jan. 25, lunar calendar), night Sah, sah, I shall begin to level the ground completely. Sah, sah, with the portals opened, opened, I shall level the ground all over the world. Sah, I shall step out to level the ground. Sah, sah, shall I open the portals and level the ground? Shall I close the portals and level the ground?"

"This path cannot be followed by human thinking. It is the path that is being formed by the law of nature."

"You know there is the Fudesaki. What do you think of it? The seventeen parts of the Fudesaki were not completed in a short while. God spoke into my ears, saying, ‘Do not look at any writings, even the charge book from a bean curd shop.’ I wondered why. Then God said, ‘Brush, brush, take up the brush.’ I took the brush up for the first time at New Year’s when I became seventy-two years old. And when I took the brush up, My hand moved by itself. From heaven, God did it. After what was to be done was finished, My hand became numb and it could not be moved. God said, ‘Calm Your mind, and read this. If You find something You cannot understand, ask Me.’ I added brush strokes when I found something I could not understand. That is the Fudesaki."