1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年一月十九日 補遺

人間という、人間は一代と思うたら頼り無い。何をしたんやらと
言うなれど、道と言うたら末代と言う。又所に名称というは末代
の理。この一つ理楽しみ。人間何度同じ生まれ更わり、生まれ更
わり、この順序聞いて楽しみ。······人間は一代、名は末代の理。
末代の理もだん／＼ある。この道始めて道々に心を寄せて、所
に名を下ろすは末代の理、将来続く理。これ聞き分けて楽しんで
くれ／＼。

明治三十四年一月二十七日

身上悩む／＼。身上悩むやない。心という理が悩む。身上悩ま
すは神でない。皆心で悩む。

356
明治34年・1901

January 19, 1901, supp. vol.*

If you think of human beings in terms of a single lifetime, then

you will feel disheartened. You will end up wondering, “What on
earth have I been doing?” Yet the path is eternal. Also, what is
called “church name” at a specific place is a truth of eternity. 1
This one truth is a source of delight. Human beings undergo re-
peated births and rebirths—hearing that this is the way things
are, you can rejoice. . . . Human beings may seem to live only for
a lifetime, but a church name is a truth of eternity. There are a
variety of ways in which a truth of eternity appears. After you
began following the path, people’s minds came to be bound to-
gether on the path; then, a name bestowed on your locale is a
truth of eternity, a truth that will last forever. 2 Understand this
and take delight.3

January 27, 1901*

You speak of bodily suffering. Yet it is not the body that suffers.
It is the principle called the mind that suffers. God never causes
any bodily suffering. You all experience suffering through your
own mind.4

1
The preceding two sentences have previously appeared with a slight variation in
Sermons and Addresses (96–05), p. 168.
2
The preceding part of this passage has previously appeared in Sermons and Ad-
dresses (86–95), p. 199.
3
This entry is from Questions and Answers, pp. 183–184.
4
Tenrikyo Online, TT 4.58 “Suffering”; TENRIKYO, September 2006, p. 3.

357
 1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年二月四日

世界大恩忘れ小恩送る、というような事ではどうもならん。 ······
日々に理を忘れて理が立つか。理があるか。

席話するは、席に出てするも同じ事、道理神の話である。天より
映す話である。

明治三十四年二月十日

いんねんの理が分からねばどうもなろまい。かりものと同じ一つ
理である。成るも一つ事情、成らんも一つ事情、これから聞き分
け。

明治三十四年三月七日

どんな事も心に掛けずして、優しい心神の望み。 ······人に満足
さすは、教祖の理。

358
明治34年・1901

February 4, 1901*

It will not do to forget the great favor in the world and get caught
up in small favors.5. . . If you forget the daily providence, how
can you uphold the truth? How can you be true to it?6

When the Seki speaks, it is the same as God proceeding to this

Seat and speaking. He speaks reason; he speaks God’s words.
Heaven is having him reflect those words.7

February 10, 1901*

Not understanding the truth of causality will never do. Causality

refers to the same one truth as a “thing borrowed.” Something
that comes about is a manifestation; something that does not
come about is also a manifestation. From this, understand.8

March 7, 1901*

Don’t let anything weigh on your mind. A kind and gentle heart
is all God desires. . . . What brings people satisfaction is the truth
of Oyasama.9

5
The preceding sentence has previously appeared in TENRIKYO, May 2001, p. 2.
6
The preceding two sentences are a previously unpublished translation.
7
The last three sentences have previously appeared in Tenrikyo Online, TT 4.48
“Reflecting”; TENRIKYO, October 2005, p. 3.
8
TENRIKYO, May 2001, p. 3.
9
Tenrikyo Online, Sermons by Honbu-in, “Oyasama Birth Celebration Service
Sermon 2006 by Y. Terada.” The parts before and after the ellipsis appear in two dif-
ferent places in this sermon.

359
 1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年三月十一日

何も彼も皆いんねん同志、いんねんという。親子の理、いんねん
理聞き分け、善い子持つも悪い子持つもいんねん。

明治三十四年三月二十六日 夜 補遺

皆夫婦と成るもいんねん、親子と成るもいんねん。

明治三十四年五月二十五日

濁り／＼付いてはならん。濁りはどうもならん。仕切りて道の理
治めて、どうでもという精神薄いから、人の心に流れ、人の心に
流れて、この道立って行くか行かんか、よく聞き分け。······寿命
縮めて席に出て働きしたらこそ、世界やれ／＼と目醒ますように
なったもの。教祖存命の間から年限幾年経ったか思やんしてみ
よ。

360
明治34年・1901

March 11, 1901*

People in any relationship share the same causality. Understand

that the bond of parent and child is the bond of causality.
Whether one has a good child or a bad child is entirely due to
causality.10

March 26, 1901, night, supp. vol.*

All couples are couples because of their causality. That a child is

born to a couple is also due to their causality.11

May 25, 1901*

It will not do to let the mind become muddy. Muddiness is trou-

blesome. Settle the truth of the path with decisiveness. Because
you lack commitment, you drift into human thoughts. When you
drift into human thoughts, will this path be upheld or not? Listen
well!12. . . Shortening My life, I stepped out to work through the
Seki: this awakened the world. Think over how many years have
passed since Oyasama was physically present.13

10
Tenrikyo Online, Sermons by Honbu-in, “Oyasama Birth Celebration Service
Sermon 2006 by Y. Terada.”
11
Tenrikyo Terms (1979), p. 23.
12
The preceding part of this passage has previously appeared in TENRIKYO, Octo-
ber 1997, p. 4.
13
The preceding two sentences have previously appeared in Sermons and Ad-
dresses (86–95), p. 211.

361
 1901—Meiji 34

今日まで教祖存命、教祖日々入り込んで話する。理は軽軽しい
事やない／＼。······心だけ日日受け取って、日に／＼話する·····
·。教祖存命一つ治めさしたは容易やない。

裏は鍛冶屋、表大工。鍛冶屋、大工、柱にして、今日の日まで上
ぼりて来たわい。しんばしらは鍛冶屋、そこでしんばしら、表大工、
皆んな筆に残りある。又一つ、止めに出てあろうが／＼。
なか／＼これ三十八年以前、九月より取り掛かり、十分一つ道
よう／＼仮家々々、仮家は大層であった。一寸ふしあった。皆退
いて了た。大工一人になった事思てみよ／＼。八方の神が手打
った事ある／＼。八方の神が手を打ったと言うてある。
それより又一つ／＼あちらからこちらから、だん／＼成って来た
る間、丸九年という／＼。年々大晦日という。その日の心、一日
の日誰も出て来る者も無かった。頼りになる者無かった。九年の
間というものは大工が出て、何も万事取り締まりて、よう／＼随
いて来てくれたと喜んだ日ある。

362
明治34年・1901

Oyasama, everliving, has been entering the Seki and teaching

you day after day. You should not take the truth lightly. . . . The
everliving Oyasama accepts your mind alone and teaches day af-
ter day.14. . . It was not an easy task to make you settle the truth
that Oyasama is everliving.15

Blacksmith at the back, carpenter at the front. The blacksmith

has come to the present day by being supported by the carpenter
as the pillar. The Shinbashira is the blacksmith. The Shinbashira
is at the back. Carpenter at the front. It is all recorded by the
Writing Brush. Also, it is mentioned at the end of the Mikagura-
uta.16
Thirty-eight years ago in September we began the building of
a temporary place for the Service. Although it was only a minor
project it was indeed fraught with difficulties. We encountered
difficulties and everyone who was helping disappeared. Think
how it was when the carpenter was left to carry on all by him-
self. There was one occasion when the gods of all eight direc-
tions, in admiration for the carpenter, clapped their hands in ap-
plause.
Think how it was for the carpenter during the months it re-
quired to complete the building. People returned to help the
project but only in small numbers. Think of how the carpenter
must have felt during the nine years on each New Year’s Eve as
he wound up his year’s activity. Think of how it was when no
one showed up to help. There were times we rejoiced, saying
people come to help only because the carpenter devotes himself
so and takes charge of everything.17
14
The preceding three sentences are a previously unpublished translation.
15
The preceding sentence has previously appeared in Sermons and Addresses (86–
95), p. 211.
16
This paragraph is a previously unpublished translation.
17
The last two paragraphs have previously appeared in Commentary on the Mi-
kagura-uta, pp. 107–108. An alternative translation for the preceding three sentences

363
 1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年五月二十五日

丸九年という／＼。年々大晦日という。その日の心、一日の日誰
も出て来る者も無かった。頼りになる者無かった。九年の間とい
うものは大工が出て、何も万事取り締まりて、よう／＼随いて来
てくれたと喜んだ日ある。これ放って置かるか、放って置けるか。
それより万事委せると言うたる。そこで、大工に委せると言うたる。

明治三十四年五月二十六日 午後六時五分

神はたゞ救けたいが理。難儀さそう、不自由さそうという親有る
か無いか。よう聞き分け

明治三十四年六月十四日

遠慮は要らん。遠慮は先になって枷になる。道の曇りになる。

二十年三十年間同じよう通りたとて、理が無くば何もなろまい。
十年の者でも、二十年三十年に向かう理もある。これ聞き分け。·
·····言葉は道の肥、言葉たんのうは道の肥／＼。······遠慮気兼
は要らん。遠慮気兼はほこりのもとやで。

is given in the next entry, with three additional sentences at the end.

364
明治34年・1901

May 25, 1901 [alternative trans.]*

The last day of every year, every year for nine consecutive years.
The mind on that day. There was nobody else who came to help.
There was nobody else to rely on. During those nine years, only
the carpenter came and took charge of managing everything.
Those were days when I rejoiced that he was at last following
Me. How could I leave him? How could I forget his dedication?
That is why I said that I leave everything up to him, leave any
and every detail up to the carpenter.18

May 26, 1901, 6:05 P.M.*

God desires solely to save you. That is the truth. Is there a parent
who intends to have her children go through hardship or difficul-
ties? Understand well!19

June 14, 1901*

You need not be reserved. Not saying as much as you would like
out of deference will in the end become shackles. It will become
a cloud over the path.20

If one has spent twenty or thirty years engaging in the practice in

the same manner without ever acquiring the truth, the effort will
not bear fruit. On the other hand, after spending only ten years,
some are coming close to bringing forth twenty or thirty years’
worth of fruit. Listen and understand this. 21. . . Speech is nourish-
ment
18
Previously unpublished translation. See previous note.
19
Previously published with variation in TENRIKYO, December 1998, p. 4.
20
This paragraph has previously appeared in Dust and Innen, p. 26.
21
The preceding part of this paragraph has previously appeared in TENRIKYO, July
1997, p. 4.

365
 1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年六月二十五日

めん／＼はどうなってもこうなってもというは、捨言葉という。····
··何しても／＼構わんと言うは、捨言葉と言う。

明治三十四年六月二十五日

めん／＼はどうなってもこうなってもというは、捨言葉という。····
··何しても／＼構わんと言うは、捨言葉と言う。

明治三十四年七月三日

それより道の理に精神立ち替わりて運ぶから、大難小難と言う。

366
明治34年・1901

ment on the path. Speech in joyous acceptance is nourishment on

the path.22. . . You need not be reserved nor have too great a re-
gard for others’ feelings. For, these are the origin of dusts.23

June 25, 1901*

To say that you don’t care what will happen is to take a parting
shot. . . . To say that it doesn’t matter what you do is to take a
parting shot.24, 25

June 25, 1901 [alternative trans.]*

It is reckless to say, “I don’t care what happens to me.” . . . It is

reckless to say, “I can do whatever I wish, whatever I wish.”26

July 3, 1901*

Because you live with the mind that has returned to the truth of
the path, calamity becomes mere misfortune, I say.27

22
The preceding two sentences have previously appeared in TENRIKYO, December
1999, p. 4.
23
The last two sentences of this passage are cited in Dust and Innen, p. 26.
24
An alternative translation for this passage is given in the next entry.
25
This entry is from TENRIKYO, December 1999, p. 4.
26
Dust and Innen, p. 35. See note 24 above.
27
Dust and Innen, p. 37.

367
 1901—Meiji 34

明治三十四年七月十五日

龍頭が狂うたら皆狂うで。狂わずして、日々嬉しい／＼通れば、
理が回りて来る。なれど、こんな事では／＼と言うてすれば、こん
な事が回りて来る。回りて来てから、どうもなろうまい。

明治三十四年九月二十五日 補遺

若い者じいとして居て世界固めらるか。固められん理は世界に
ある。皆若き者しいかり働かにゃならん。たゞじいとして居ては、
世界鮮やか花咲こう道理は無い。

明治三十四年十月十四日

古きというはおら年限何年なると言うても、理が無くばどうもな
らん。

情に流れんようにせにゃならん。人間心の情に流れてはならん
／＼。

368
明治34年・1901

July 15, 1901*

If the leader goes astray, everyone else will go astray. 28 If the

leader serves in joy each day without going astray, truth will pre-
vail. But if the leader is depressed, depression will prevail. When
depression prevails, nothing will come out of it.29

September 25, 1901, supp. vol.*

If you young people sit around doing nothing, how can the world
be settled? That which prevents the world from being settled is to
be found in the world. All of you young people must work hard
to reach out. If you merely sit around doing nothing, there is no
way for the vivid flowering of the world to occur.30

October 14, 1901*

As for so-called elders, even if they boast of the many years they
have spent, those years do not mean anything unless they em-
body truth.31

You must not be swept along by your sentiments. You must

never be swept along by human sentiments.32

28
The preceding sentence is cited with minor variation in Sermons and Addresses
(96–05), p. 54.
29
This entry is from Growing Spiritually Day by Day, p. 140.
30
Sermons and Addresses (96–05), pp. 282–283.
31
This paragraph has previously appeared in TENRIKYO, July 1997, p. 4.
32
This paragraph is cited in Reference Materials for the Course for Head Minister
Candidates, p. 35.

369
 1901—Meiji 34

370