What makes your religion special?

Posted on July 3, 2013 by heaventruth

If someone asks what makes your religion so special, what would you say? What separates your religion from all the others?

In the Heaven’s Truth Church (Tenrikyo), we believe that God created mankind to live a joyous life. It is this origin that we must firmly believe in for our prayers to be answered.

Some may ask why is it so important that we must understand why humans were created?  If we believe the origin, it would be difficult for us to take advantage of another human being.  We will be going against God’s wishes if we pursue our happiness at the expense of others.

Imagine if in the past history of the world, if people sincerely believed in this origin. There would have been no crusades, no holocaust, no slavery, and no wars. Imagine a world at peace.

As mentioned before, for our prayers to be answered we must believe in the origin that all mankind was created to live a joyous life.  What do we pray for?  We pray that God helps us sweep evil (greed, arrogance, and self love) from our hearts.

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Be Spirited!

Posted on July 2, 2013 by heaventruth

 

The following is a verse from the Osashizu concerning Causality.

You feel it is more than you can bear. Listen well and understand. The path (cause and effect) is the truth for eternity. You must quiet the mind and settle it in the heart. Day after day, you wonder why things turn out the way they do. Instead, be spirited. July 3, 1900

In summary, we cannot stop the effect of our previous actions or thoughts. But we can accept them spiritedly when they sprout; realizing that we can have a joyous future by our actions and thoughts of  today. Remove evil (greed, arrogance, and self love) thoughts from your minds today.  Be spirited and look forward to a joyous future!

 

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Can I find a better spouse?

Posted on July 2, 2013 by heaventruth

Sometimes we feel that we are in control of our destiny and future. For example, some people divorce thinking that they can find a better mate. But unfortunately they end married to the same type of person. We sometimes are puzzled and anguish by the behavior of our children.  In the Osashizu are the following verses:

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. March 11, 1901

All couples are couples because of causality. That a child is born to a couple is also due to their causality.  March 26, 1901

In summary,  we are shown the results of our past lives due to the law of cause and effect. Good thoughts and actions result in joy, and bad thoughts and actions result in suffering in the future. Sometimes what we don’t want to happen occurs in our lives; and what we wish for does not occur. This is the law of cause and effect. But if we are to believe in this law, we do have control of our future. The seeds planted now (cause) will sprout in the future (effect). It behooves us to plant good seeds  to have good relationships in the future.

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Why Does the Baby Cry?

Posted on June 28, 2013 by heaventruth

Sometimes when events happen in our lives, we are at loss to explain the reasoning behind the event.  The following is a verse from the Osashizu (Tenrikyo):

This crying at night: you say it is the child crying. I have already instructed you in every situation. Listen carefully. Anything whatsoever is the persuasion of God. In the Tip of the Writing Brush, as well, I have already informed you of everything. You read it but do not understand. Why is it that the baby cries at night, cries at night? What is God persuading you to do? The rain may fall, the wind may blow, spring days may be balmy. In a single year, there are all kinds of days. You wonder why the baby cries. If you only think of the present moment, how unlikely that you will see! How unlikely that you will understand! Listen and understand well.

The preceding verse is inferring to the law of cause and effect. Good thoughts and actions result in future joy, and evil (greed, arrogance, and self love) thoughts and action result in suffering. When events occur in your lives, evaluate the circumstances at present, but also evaluate your past actions and thoughts. Your present circumstance may be related to your past actions and thoughts. Why does the baby cry at night?

Heaven’s Truth Church/Tenrikyo Church

 

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The Ultimate Truth

Posted on June 27, 2013 by heaventruth

All religions profess that they have God’s truth. But what is God’s truth? In the Heaven’s Truth (Tenrikyo) religion, we must first believe from our hearts that all mankind was created to live a joyous life. This truth, gives us our spiritual starting point.

Even our prayer (Joyous service) represents the beginning of mankind. It is this origin that is the most important truth in our eventual salvation. Going further in understanding, it is the cause of the origin that we must believe from our hearts. God created all mankind to live the joyous life. This is the ultimate truth.

From my understanding, our prayer serves two purposes. First it makes one aware that mankind was created by God to live the joyous life. Second, it is a prayer to God to help all mankind sweep evil (arrogance, greed, and self love) from their minds. When this happen, all mankind will be purified from the innermost heart and live joyously.

The destiny of our world depends on the propagation of this special prayer. In the Tip of the Writing Brush is the following:

To explain what this path is about.

God will teach them the hand movements of the service (the cause of the beginning of mankind).  10-31

 

When God takes them forth all over the world,

the stand will be completed of itself (the joyous world will occur) 10-32

 

This is why our prayer in our religion is the most important for the world’s salvation. We must spread God’s ultimate truth of the joyous life.

 

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True Joy

Posted on June 26, 2013 by heaventruth

There are two types of joy. There is joy created by selfishness, and there is joy created by bringing happiness to others. The following is a quote from the Osashizu December 11, 1897:

There is God-guided joy and self-serving joy. You cannot follow through with self-serving joy, even if you try to. Only when your joy brings joy to others, can it be called true joy. If you enjoy yourselves while causing others to suffer, this cannot be called true joy.

Heaven’s Truth Church/Tenrikyo Church

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Be Spirited

Posted on June 20, 2013 by heaventruth

A new survey says that 13% of the American population is on anti-depressant medication. This is an astounding number of people who are chronically depressed.  Many of us go through temporary depressions from a loss of a love one, divorce, or stress from everyday life. But the depression eventually has an end point.

In the Tip of the Writing Brush is written:

As God is revealed and teaches the truth of all things in detail,

the minds of all in the world will become spirited. 1-7

As your minds become spirited step by step,

In the world, there will be prosperity everywhere. 1-9

Being spirited has many definitions, but all of them are positive. Spirited may be defined as a stage of euphoria, or happiness, as opposed to depression which is a state of gloom, and loss of hope.

How do we become spirited? Some try to reach this stage by taking drugs and alcohol. Others try to pursue wealth and power to attain happiness. For me sometimes a strong cup of coffee makes me spirited. But usually these methods are not lasting and do not produce happiness.

In the Tip of the Writing Brush, there is s simple recipe of  becoming spirited. The ingredients are God’s teachings. They are the path to remove greed, arrogance, and self love from the mind. When these evils are eliminated, one will be spirited. Finally, when the whole world becomes spirited, God promises a world of prosperity and happiness.

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The Root of Cancer/revised

Posted on June 19, 2013 by heaventruth

We have almost eliminated smallpox, and other plagues that disseminated the world in the past. Yet we still have diseases that shorten the lives of millions of people on this earth. With billions of dollars and years of research, we still have not conquered cancer, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, or HIV.

In the Tip of the Writing Brush is written:

Step by step, I am solely making preparations

truly to save the world. 4-36

After that, you may stay as long as you wish,

without illness, death, or weakening. 4-37

According to the Tip of the Writing Brush, God is preparing to save the world by helping mankind sweep the evils (greed, arrogance, and self love) from their minds. When this is accomplished, suffering including disease will be eliminated.

In conclusion, research and money spent to relieve the sufferings in the world is necessary and commended; but should we not also place as much or more resources to promote  religion and God to eliminate evil from the minds of the world? We need to help people understand the root of the sufferings in this world (the law of cause and effect). When arrogance and greed is swept from all of  our minds, science and medicine may eventually be allowed to eliminate all  disease.

Heaven’s Truth Church/Tenrikyo Church

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The Root of Cancer

Posted on June 19, 2013 by heaventruth

Advances in science and the medical field have improved the quality of life for many. We have almost eliminated smallpox, and other plagues that disseminated the world in the past. Yet we still have diseases that shorten the lives of millions of people on this earth. With billions of dollars and years of research, we still have not conquered cancer, muscular dystrophy, or Alzheimer’s disease.

In the Tip of the Writing Brush is written:

Step by step, I am solely making preparations

truly to save the world. 4-36

After that, you may stay as long as you wish,

without illness, death, or weakening. 4-37

According to the Tip of the Writing Brush, God is preparing to save the world by helping mankind sweep the evils (greed, arrogance, and self love) from our minds. When this is accomplished, suffering will be eliminated.

In conclusion, research and money spent to relieve the sufferings in the world is warranted and commended; but should we not also place as much or more emphasis on religion and morals to eliminate evil from the minds of the world? We need to help people understand the root of the cancers that cause the sufferings in this world. When arrogance and greed is swept from our minds, science and medicine may eventually eliminate all  disease.

Heaven’s Truth Church/Tenrikyo Church

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Blind faith

Posted on June 18, 2013 by heaventruth

In this world, there are many that are adamant on their beliefs concerning religion. Even from the same religion, there are people that interpret the teachings differently, and have their own beliefs. Because of their stubborn and unwavering faith, it makes it difficult for them to understand people that have other views and beliefs.

In the Tip of the Writing Brush is the following:

Though I have gathered many and different people,

those that have qualities of a distorted mirror will not do. 3-50

The distorted mirror does not allow one to see an accurate reflection. Similarly, a mind that is distorted in thinking  may have a difficult time understanding other views and beliefs.

In this world, there are many people that cannot understand or refuse to understand new information that is given to them. In politics, some refuse indisputable facts and continue to support their candidates. In religion,  it is very difficult to change the mindset of a follower, even when faced with factual data. This may be attributed to blind faith.

Faith, I believe is built from our experience and is transitory. Some events make our faith stronger, other events may make it waiver.  But faith without experience becomes blind faith, which makes the mind like a distorted mirror.  This type of mind may have difficulty understanding other religions and beliefs.  This type of faith may be detrimental in finding salvation, especially if one’s beliefs are erroneous.

In summary, having faith is something that is positive in our lives. But realize that sometimes our beliefs may be erroneous. That is why we must keep an open mind to other teachings and beliefs. God and  life experiences give us an opportunity to challenge and support our existing faith.  It is this faith that is based on experience that will bring salvation to all mankind, and peace to the world.

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