Just something interesting. When you board an airplane , there is a recording or announcement of a flight attendant about what one should do when an emergency occurs. They tell us to place the oxygen mask on ourselves before placing it on our children. As parents, we need to save ourselves first, so we can place the mask on our dependents, especially if we have more than one child to save. This is like in the teachings of the Ofudesaki, we must save ourselves first, before we can save others. Where did our religion come to believe that we must save others to be saved ourselves. The following is from Tenrikyo Church Headquarter’s translation of verse 3-47:
Ponder from your innermost heart to understand.
Through saving others, you will be saved. 3-47
This is the original Japanese:
(wakaru you) (mune no uchi yori) (shiyan seyo)
(hito tasuketara) ( waga mi tasukaru). 3-47
But if you translate it to English word for word:
To understand the workings (of God’s guidance), the soul’s interior what comes from,ponder do it (to attain the pure mind)!
A person if saved (by attaining the pure mind), one’s own body to save. 3-47
OFUDESAKI-GOD'S TEACHINGS 