In the Ofudesaki, God talks about a harvest (ryuuke). I know that agriculture was important to the lives of the early followers of Tenrikyo. But I believe instead of a harvest of crops, God is talking about a harvest of people to save. Another word that also maybe misunderstood is narimono, or instruments for the Service that we are told to be important. But I believe nari mono can refer to the harvested people that we attain by performing the Joyous Service. Throughout the Ofudesaki, God is telling us how we can spread the teachings to save others. How do we harvest people to come to our places to save? Performing the Joyous Service is one answer, but what else?

God tells us we must understand the mune (soul/heart) to attain the Original pure mind (shinjitsu). Shinjitsu is the Original pure mind given to the first parents that started human beings. This is a mind without disappointment, covetousness, self-love, greed, and arrogance. God tells us that when we attain the pure mind, that only joy will come from our hearts/souls (mune). But what is the mune?

What is the soul/heart (mune) that God tells us we do not understand in the first verse of the Ofudesaki? The soul/heart is an entity in our body that collects the negative energies that are created from acting upon our negative thoughts. It stores them, and eventually releases the negative energies as our negative fates or illnesses. We reap what we have sowed because of our own soul/heart (mune). It is this heart/soul that separates from our lifeless body when one dies. It takes with it the negative thoughts and their negative associated fates to our next lives. Death does not cancel our negative thoughts and their associated fates.

What do we do when negative fate comes from our own heart/soul? Do we suffer because of our previous actions that we can not remember. God tells us ponder our own minds for negative thoughts, instead of blaming others, or even  God when adversity occurs. When we do this and not act on our negative thoughts, we can gradually purify our minds.  When we are able to purify our minds, only positive fates will come from our own hearts/souls. Even your current suffering and obstacle will be eliminated. Now we have the pure mind, what do we do?

When our own minds are purified; then we can spread God’s teachings to others. First we must tell people about the Original pure mind and the heart/soul, so they can purify their own minds to attain health and happiness. This spreading of the teachings is called hinokishin in the Mikagura-uta. But we all know that it is very difficult to change people’s mind on new concepts like the mune and shinjitsu.  This is where God tells us that God will help us make people understand the mune and Original pure mind, to help them attain health and happiness.

First and most important, we must spread God’s teachings of the heart/soul to others. But as told before, it is difficult to convince people. God has granted us the Joyous Service, which is a prayer asking God to help us sweep the negative thoughts of the people we have spread God’s truths to. To these people who are able to understand the teachings, God places illness as guidance to help them further understand the heart and the Original pure mind, so they can purify their minds by themselves.  But to the people that cannot understand the teachings, or refuse to acknowledge God’s truths of the mune and shinjitsu, God will not guide them. What will be the purpose of guidance, if they cannot understand why guidance is given. These people are called “ Kara” in the Ofudesaki. Hopefully they will become nihon in the future.

In summary, the Joyous Service by itself will not bring upon a harvest of new members. One must understand that God wants us to spread the teachings of the Original pure mind and the heart/soul to the world. This understanding of the heart/soul and the mune will bring upon joy to the world. After we have spread the teachings to others, then we must perform the Joyous Service. God will then place illness as guidance to the people who can understand the concepts of the Original mind and heart/soul. These people (kari mono)  will them come to our places of worship to be healed of their illness, and will be further instructed on the heart/soul and the Original pure mind, so they can purify their minds by themselves.

Hopefully we are not wasting our energy by performing the Joyous Service. God is preparing us for the Service, by purifying our own minds, and encouraging us to spread the teachings before performing the Service.