What is the purpose of religion? To spread God’s truth. Often, it is very difficult to convince others of new teachings. Unfortunately history reveals that many religions have spread their truth, sometimes by force, at the suffering of the people they want to save. In the Ofudesaki, God tells us to spread God’s teachings by performing the Service. This Service, the Joyous Service, God has granted us this prayer to save the world. But just by performing the Service, we cannot spread the teachings to save others. God throughout the Ofudesaki tells us that God is preparing the early followers to perform this important Service. By preparing, God was helping them to purify their minds of evil thoughts. We must purify our own minds and save ourselves before we can save others. By attaining the Original mind, we are saved. God tells us that when we attain the Original pure mind, only joy will come from God and our own hearts. It is this truth that we must spread to the world.
What is the Original pure mind and how do we attain the pure mind? The Original pure mind is the mind without greed, arrogance, regret, covetousness, and self-love. In the Ofudesaki, God gives us the ingredients to attain the pure mind. God tells us frankly that it is difficult to attain the Original pure mind. God compares this task to digging a large root. God tells us that when suffering, or illness occurs, we must not blame others or God. But we must ponder our own minds of evil thoughts. This from a personal experience is very difficult to do. These obstructions that occur in our lives are messengers of our own fates that come from our own hearts. We reap what we have sowed. More on the heart/soul will be explained in future posts. God tells us that if we do not act on our evil thoughts when these obstructions appear, we can gradually purify our minds. God calls this the path of the heart, or the path of the Original pure mind.
Only when we attain the Original pure mind, will our prayers become effective to spread God’s teachings. In many cases today, we are placing the cart before the horse. We need to purify our minds first before we can successfully spread God’s truths. Only when God accepts our pure mind, will our prayers to save others become effective.
“Evil thoughts sweeping, save them please, Heaven’s truth Saving God.”
Ashiki o haraute tasuke tamae Tenri-O-no-Mikoto
In summary, God’s teaching is very simple, “the pure mind results in a happy life”. As a religion, this is the truth we must spread to the world.
*The most accurate English translation of the Ofudesaki is available on Amazon (5 STEPS TO SELF-HEALING)
Heaven's Truths, in Living the Joyous Life 