The word “douri” appears in the Ofudesaki. What is douri? In the dictionary, it is translated as the truth. What is the truth that is mentioned in the Ofudesaki? The truth is the thoughts in one’s own mind. It is these thoughts that influence our behavior, and determines our fates.In the Ofudesaki are the following verses about the thoughts in one’s mind.

(kore o mite)(nani o kitemo)(tanoshime yo)

(ikana hanashi mo)(mina kono douri). 3-27

This seen (of God’s guidance), what is heard also, enjoy!

What kind of talks also, all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind).

(nani nitemo)(mina ichiretsu wa)(kono douri)

(Kami ga juuyou)(suru to omoe yo). 4-131

What like also, all everyone, this the truth (of what thoughts in the mind),

God the blessings (of guidance), to do think!

(kore saika)(hayaku satori ga)(tsuita nara)

(nani ni tsuitemo)(mina kono souri) 5-16

This on occasion, quickly understanding, appeared if so,

to what appears (of guidance) also, all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind).

(kono saki wa)(itsu ni naritemo)(kono douri)

(juuyojizai o)(hayaku shirasuru) 7-39

From now on, when to occur also, this truth (of what thoughts in the mind,

the blessing (of guidance), quickly to inform.

(imamade mo)(nani o oshiete)(kitaru no mo)

(mina kono douri)(hajime kaketa de) 8-74

Until now also, what teachings, to come of (guidance) also,

all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind), beginning started.

(kore kiite)(ikana mono demo)(tokushin se)

(Tsukihi juuyou)(mina kono douri) 11-21

This listen, any kind of person however, be convinced.

God the blessings (of guidance), all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind).

(kore mitara)(donna mono demo)(tokushin se)

(nanimo hanashi mo)(mina kono douri) 12-125

This if seen (of God’s guidance), what kind of person however, be convinced (of what thoughts in the mind).

Of what talks also, all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind).

(Kono hanashi)(aizu tateyai)(deta naraba)

(Nani ni tsuitemo)(mina kono touri) 17-74

This talk, the signal establishing (by the Service), appeared if so,

by what one acquires (of guidance from God) also, all this truth (of what thoughts in the mind).

In summary, God places illness as guidance depending on the amount and kind of negative thoughts one has in the mind. One needs to ponder the illness received, and not act upon these negative thoughts that are in one’s mind. God wants us not to act upon these negative thoughts when suffering (negative fate) appears from one’s own soul.This is how one purifies the mind. When the mind is purified, only positive fates will appear from the soul. Therefore one is saved.

Someone asked me why cancer, or other catasraphic illnesses appear in our lives: and what remedies besides seeking medical care is available in our teachings.

Unlike religions like Islam and Christianity, we have an explanation why suffering or joy exist in the world. It is karma, causality, or innen that explains this. Simply we reap what we have sowed. It is time, many times through different reincarnations that hides this truth of the effect of our actions.  It is our own soul that God wants us to understand, as it is the entity that collects our negative fates, stores them, and eventually manifest back to us when the right opportunity arises. Many times this opportunity may not occur until our next incarnation. It is not God that punishes or rewards us.

But unlike other religions that tell us that we must suffer for our past deeds, the Ofudesaki tells us something different. God tells us when suffering appears, instead of blaming others or God, we should ponder our own minds for the negative thoughts that we have previously acted upon, resulting in our current suffering.  When we do this, and not act upon these thoughts, we can gradually purify our minds. When the mind is pure, only positive fates will appear from one’s own soul. When this happens, one is saved.

The question is, does one have to believe in God to be saved?  Absolutely not. We just have to purify our minds of negative thoughts, which was discussed in the previous paragraph.  So where does God appear in our religion?

God plays a primary role in the spreading of the teachings to others. God has given us two special prayers. These prayer are not about pleasing, and praising God. God does not want worship or praise. God wants us to all have joy in our lives. God has given us two special prayers because it is difficult to convey the teachings of the soul, and the pure mind by mouth only. By the Youki-tsutome, a short prayer asking God to save others, God places illness as guidance depending on the amount and kind of negative thoughts in the mind. These are the thoughts that they will act upon, creating their negative fates that their own soul collects, stores and eventually manifest back to them as sufferings. God by these illness is showing people their future suffering if they do not remove their negative thoughts.

If people understand God’s guidance, they come. to our places of worship to heal their illness. God has granted us a second prayer (osazuke) that heals these illness placed by God. They are they healed, and further given instructiions on how to purify their minds. This is how the teachings are spread to the world. God is vital in this process.

All this information is in the Ofudesaki. God tells us how to purify the mind, and also gives us the instructions to save others.

It is interesting that church leaders place importance on the performance of the Service. What is this Service? It is the Yorozuyo and 12 dances that they emphasize to the congregation. Not only the step to step movements and memorization of the Japanese words, but also the Japanese instruments that accompany these dances. Also, church leaders place emphasis on the Japanese attire that the participants must wear. All these requirements will leave only the most faithful members and their dependents to participate in the religion. This is why Tenrikyo will never become a major religion, and influence the World. Do not get me wrong, Tenrikyo people are good people because they do understand most of God’s teachings, but unfortunately they do not understand all of them, especially how to spread the teachings.

Are these ritual and ceremonies in the Tenrikyo Religion required? In the Ofudesaki, the main scripture in the Tenrikyo Church, the Service mentioned is not the Yorozuyo and  12 dances that Oyasama created. It is the Youki-tsutome and the Kagura Service. It is also called the seated service and teodori. Church leaders tell us that this Service is asking God to help sweep our negative thoughts. But in the Ofudesaki, God tells us the ingredients to sweep our own minds by understanding the fates that come from our own souls. God tells us that the Youki-tsutome is a Service asking God to sweep the minds of others that we have spread the teachings to. This Service is effective only when we have purified our own minds. When God accepts our prayer, God places illness as guidance depending on the amount and kind of negative thoughts in their minds. It is these thoughts that they will act upon creating their negative fates that their own soul collects, and eventually returns back to them as suffering. God by these guidance is showing them their future if they do not remove their negative thoughts. This is why God wants the world to understand their own souls.

What happen when illness appears? Some will ignore the illness, and not understand or refuse to understand God’s guidance, and continue their evil actions. Others will understand God’s guidance, and come to our places of worship to heal their illness. We perform the osazuke to heal them, and further instruct them of their own soul to purify their minds. This is how the teachings are spread to the world.

Again if our teachings are to spread to the world, we must go back to the basic teachings that are in the Ofudesaki.

教会の指導者が「おつとめ」の執行を非常に重視していることは興味深いことです。

では、その「おつとめ」とは何でしょうか。現在、教会で重視されているのは、「よろづよ八首」と十二下りのてをどりです。信者には、一つ一つの所作を正確に覚え、日本語の歌詞を暗記し、それに合わせる鳴物の演奏まで求められます。さらに、参拝者は決められた和装を着用することも重視されています。

このように多くの条件が求められる結果、実際に参加できるのは、熱心な信者とその家族に限られるようになります。そのため、天理教は世界的な大宗教となり、世界に大きな影響を与える宗教になることは難しいでしょう。

誤解しないでいただきたいのですが、天理教の人々は神様の教えの多くを理解している善良な人々です。しかし残念ながら、その教えのすべてを理解しているわけではありません。

では、このような儀式や形式は、本当に天理教において必要なのでしょうか。

天理教の根本教典である『おふでさき』において、「つとめ」として説かれているものは、おやさまが定められた「よろづよ八首」と十二下りのてをどりそのものではありません。神様が説かれているのは、「ようきづとめ」と「かぐらづとめ」です。また、これらは「ざづとめ」と「てをどり」とも呼ばれています。

教会の指導者は、このつとめは「神様にお願いして、自分たちの心のほこりを掃き払っていただく祈り」であると教えています。しかし、『おふでさき』では、神様は自分自身の心を掃き清める方法をすでに教えておられます。それは、自分の魂から現れる因縁を理解することです。

さらに神様は、「ようきづとめ」とは、自分たちが教えを伝えた相手の心を掃き清めてくださるようお願いするつとめであると教えておられます。このつとめは、まず自分自身の心を清めた者が行ってこそ、その祈りが神様に受け入れられます。

神様がその祈りを受け入れられると、相手の心に積もった負の思いの種類や量に応じて、導きとして病をお見せになります。その人は、その負の思いによって悪い行いをし、その結果として生まれた悪い運命を自らの魂が積み重ねていきます。そして、その積み重ねたものが、やがて苦しみとなって本人に返ってきます。

神様は病という導きを通して、負の思いを取り除かなければ将来どのような結果になるのかを示しておられるのです。だからこそ神様は、世界中の人々に自分自身の魂を理解してほしいと望んでおられます。

では、病が現れたとき、人はどうするのでしょうか。

ある人は病を無視し、神様の導きを理解しようとせず、あるいは理解することを拒み、そのまま悪い行いを続けます。一方で、神様の導きを理解した人は、病を治していただくために教会へ足を運びます。

私たちは、その人におさづけを取り次いで病の回復を願い、さらに自分自身の魂について教え、その人が心を清められるよう導きます。このようにして、神様の教えは世界へと広まっていくのです。

もう一度申し上げます。もし神様の教えを世界中へ広めたいのであれば、私たちは『おふでさき』に記されている基本の教えへ立ち返らなければなりません。

『おふでさき』には、「よう」と「じゅうよう」という言葉が現れます。これらの「よう」は、神が人を導くために現される守護・導きとして読むことができます。

また、「き」は「木」と訳すことができ、人々を象徴していると考えられます。つまり、神は人々（き）に導き（よう）を現し、自らの魂を悟り、心を澄ませるよう導かれるのです。

このように考えるなら、「ようきづとめ」とは「よう（導き）」と「き（人々）」から成るつとめであり、「Joyous Service（陽気なつとめ）」という意味ではありません。

これは、神がお受け取りくだされば、私たちが神の教えを伝えた人々（き）に、導き（よう）として病をお見せくださるよう願う祈りです。

もう一度言えば、このつとめは、自分自身の心を掃き清めていただくよう願う祈りではなく、私たちが教えを伝えた人々の心を神がお掃きくださるよう願う祈りなのです。

(mina sorote) (hayaku tsutome o) (suru naraba)
(soba ga isameba) (Kami mo isamuru) 1-11

Word for word translation:

All assembled, quickly the Service (Youki-tsutome), to do if so,

nearby if spirited, God also to be spirited.

Church Headquarter’s translation:

When all are assembled and quickly do the Service, as those

close to Me become spirited, God, also, will be spirited.

The Service, the Youki-tsutome is not a prayer to save ourselves. It is a prayer to save others.

Our religion should be the most easiest to understand religion. In the Ofudesaki, God teaches us to understand the soul (mune). What is the soul?  It is our own soul that monitors our behavior. Because of the soul, we eventually reap what we have sowed. It is not God that punishes or rewards us for our actions; it is the soul that does this. It is time that makes it difficult to understand karma, as the effect of our actions may not occur immediately, but may occur in the distant future. This is because the right opportunities may not manifest until in the future.  It is our own soul that carries our unmanifested fates and their associated thoughts to our next destination. This is why suffering and joy appear, and why we have different mindsets when we are reborn. To summarize, when the mind is pure of negative thoughts, only joy and health will appear from our own soul. God wants us to attain the pure mind. When the mind is pure, one is saved!

The soul is our basic teaching, but  we are a religion because we have two special prayers that help people understand the soul. God has granted our religion two special prayers to help people understand their own soul. First God tells us when we understand the soul to purify our own mind. We must then spread the truth of the soul, and pure mind to others. Then we must perform  the Youki-tsutome. This is a prayer asking God to save the people we have spread the teaching to. How does God save others? When God accepts our prayer, God places illness depending on the kind and amount of negative thoughts in one’s mind. It is these negative thoughts that they will act upon in the future, creating their negative fates that their soul collects, and eventually manifest as suffering. God by illness as guidance is showing people their future if they do not remove their negative thoughts.  If people understand God’s guidance, they will come to our places of worship to heal their illness. We perform the Osazuke to heal their illness, and further teach them so they can purify their own minds. This is how the teachings of the soul is spread to the world. Again our teachings are very simple.  But unfortunately like many other religions, we have placed more importance on pleasing God  with ritual and ceremonies, then with the basic truth. God does not want to be worshiped. God only wants God’s children to live the Joyous life. Understanding one’s own soul should only bring joy and happiness.

私たちの宗教は、最も理解しやすい宗教であるべきです。『おふでさき』では、神様は私たちに魂を理解するよう教えておられます。では、魂とは何でしょうか。

魂とは、私たち自身の行いを見守る存在です。魂があるからこそ、私たちはやがて自分の蒔いたものを刈り取ることになります。私たちの行いに対して罰や報いを与えるのは神様ではなく、私たち自身の魂なのです。

因縁（カルマ）が理解しにくいのは、時間が関係しているからです。私たちの行いの結果は、必ずしもすぐには現れません。遠い将来になって初めて現れることもあります。それは、その結果が現れるための適切な機会が将来まで訪れないことがあるからです。

私たち自身の魂は、まだ現れていない運命と、それに結び付いた思いを次の行き先へと運びます。だからこそ、生まれ変わると苦しみや喜びが現れ、人それぞれ異なる考え方や心の傾向を持つのです。

要するに、心から負の思いがなくなれば、自分自身の魂から現れるのは喜びと健康だけになります。

魂は私たちの教えの根本です。しかし、私たちが宗教である理由は、人々が魂を理解できるよう助ける二つの特別な祈りを神様から授けられているからです。

まず神様は、魂を理解したなら、自分自身の心を清めるよう教えておられます。そして、魂の真理と清らかな心を他の人々に伝えなければなりません。その後で、「ようきづとめ」を勤めます。

ようきづとめとは、私たちが教えを伝えた人々を神様がお救けくださるようお願いする祈りです。

では、神様はどのように人々を救われるのでしょうか。

神様は私たちの祈りをお受け取りになると、その人の心にある負の思いの種類や量に応じて、導きとして病をお見せになります。それらの負の思いは、その人が将来実際に行動へ移す思いであり、その結果として負の運命が生まれます。その運命を魂が受け取り、やがて苦しみとなって現れます。

神様は病という導きを通して、「負の思いを取り除かなければ、このような未来になります」と人々に示してくださるのです。

人々が神様の導きを理解すると、病を癒していただくために私たちの信仰の場へ足を運ぶようになります。そこで私たちは「おさづけ」を取り次ぎ、病を癒していただくとともに、さらに教えを伝え、その人自身が心を清められるよう導きます。

このようにして、魂の教えは世界へ広まっていくのです。

改めて言えば、私たちの教えは非常に単純です。しかし残念なことに、多くの宗教と同じように、私たちは基本となる真理よりも、儀式や祭儀によって神様を喜ばせることのほうを重視してしまっています。

神様は礼拝されることを望んでおられるのではありません。神様が願っておられるのは、神様の子供たちが陽気ぐらしを送ることだけです。

自分自身の魂を理解することは、本来、喜びと幸せだけをもたらすはずなのです。

Song 7 of the Mikagura-uta is talking about places where we can go to spread the teachings of God and expect to attain new members to save.. God is telling us that because the Residence (location of the Origin of human beings)  exist, every seed planted will sprout. What does this mean?

One must save others to save oneself is the common phrase that Tenrikyo leaders often tell their congregation. But in the Ofudesaki, God tells us we must purify our minds first. When our minds are purified from the negative thought, we are saved. Only health and happiness will appear from our own souls. God then tells us to spread the teachings to others so they can save themselves. God then tells us to perform the Youki-tsutome asking God to help these people sweep their negative thoughts away. How does this happen? When God accepts our prayer, God places illness as guidance to the people we have spread the teachings to. God places illness depending on the amount and kind of negative thoughts in the mind. It is these thoughts that they will likely act upon that causes their negative fates that their own soul collects, and eventually distributes back to them as suffering. God by these illness is show these people their future if they do not remove their negative thoughts.  When people understand God’s guidance when it appear, they will come to our places of worship asking us to heal their illness. We heal their illness by the osazuke, and further instruct them of the teachings so they can purify their minds. This is how we save the world.

In summary, we must save ourselves before we can save others. We are not doing this now. This is why our religion does not increase in membership.

「人をたすけて我が身たすかる」という言葉は、天理教の指導者が信者によく語る言葉です。しかし、『おふでさき』では、神はまず私たち自身の心を澄み切らせるよう教えられています。心から陰気な思いが取り除かれると、私たちは救われます。そして、自分自身の魂からは健康と幸福だけが現れるようになります。

その後、神は、この教えを他の人々に伝え、彼らが自らを救えるようにしなさいと教えられています。さらに神は、人々の陰気な思いを掃き払ってくださるようお願いする「ようきづとめ」を勤めるよう教えられています。

では、それはどのようにして実現するのでしょうか。

神が私たちの祈りを受け入れられると、教えを伝えた人々に、お導きとして病をお与えになります。その病は、その人の心にある陰気な思いの量や種類に応じて現れます。それらの思いは、やがて本人が行動として表しやすいものであり、その結果として悪い運命を生み出します。そして、その運命を本人の魂が受け取り、最終的には苦しみとして本人に返していきます。

神は、その病を通して、もし陰気な思いを改めなければ、その人にどのような未来が待っているのかを示されます。

人々が病として現れた神のお導きを理解すると、病を治してほしいと願い、私たちの信仰の場へと足を運びます。私たちは、おさづけによってその病を癒し、さらに教えを伝えて、その人自身が心を澄み切らせることができるよう導きます。

これが、世界をたすける道です。

要するに、私たちはまず自分自身を救い、その後で他の人々を救わなければなりません。

Church leaders tell us the Youki-tsutome or daily prayer is about the sweeping of our own dusts or negative thoughts. But is this true? In the following verse God tells us that this Service is about the beginning of God’s guidance (juuyou, you, or yo).

(kono tsutome) (kore ga kono yo) (hajimari ya)

(kore sai kanota) (koto de aru nara). 15:29

This Service, this is these workings (of guidance), beginning.

This on occasion realized, by the occurrence (guidance) to exist if so. 15:29

Church leaders translate this as:

This Service is the beginning of this world.

If only this is realized. 15-29

Again the confusion arise from the word yo or you which is often interchanged in the Ofudesaki. Yo translates as world, but due to the syllable requirements in waka style poetry yo can also translated as workings of God’s guidance.

Also the verses that follow also confirm my translation of yo as workings of blessings of God. This Service is not the beginning of the world. By the performance of this Service with a pure mind, it brings forth God’s guidance to the people we have spread the teachings to.