OFUDESAKI-GOD'S TEACHINGS

How do we say grace before we partake in our dinners. Of course there are many families that say nothing before their meals.  The first to be thanked is usually God in our grace. But sometime we take for granted all the efforts that were used to put the food on our tables.  The following is a quote from Oyasama upon seeing animals such as fishes or pheasant served at the meal:

Everyone, when you eat them, please say ‘delicious, delicious,’ to them. If you eat them with delight, due to the principle of giving joy, the next time they will be advanced. Each time they are reborn, they will progress closer to man.

This may be  unusual for most people to say thanks to the food we consume. For those who believe in evolution and reincarnation, this may make sense; but even for those who do not believe,  giving thanks to nature may not be out of the norm.

The following are observances from a friend:

Appreciate the many people and their efforts that helped bring and prepare the food on our plates.

The plants and animals we are about to eat once harbored life. Have compassion for them as we are partaking their life when we eat them.

Appreciate the blessings of heaven and earth that allowed everything to grow before becoming the ingredients for the food we are about to eat.

Appreciate the workings of the body that digests the food we partake, turns it into nutrients, and discharges what is not necessary. *

In summary, food goes in and comes out. Fortunately it is not as simple as it sounds.  By the grace of God, many remarkable events and tasks must  occur before we have digested the last morsel of food.  Imagine also  the myriads of things that must of occurred before that meal  is placed before us.  We have much and many to be thankful for!

* Resource from Tenrikyology.com

How important is it for people to work? May it give them a purpose in life? Whether it be a job outside or a job taking care of the household, it appears that working hard is very important for the sustenance of happiness.

The importance of working is emphasized in the following. One day Oyasama took three unhulled rice grains and placed them one after another in the palm of a recent follower’s hand, saying:

This one is for rising early, this one for honesty, and this one for hard work. Hold these firmly in your hand. You must make sure that you never lose them.

Another time she was quoted:

Working hard out the sight of others and praising others is honesty. If you do not put into practice what you hear, you yourself will become a lie. If you continue to work, saying to yourself, ‘Just a little more, just a little bit more’; this is not greed, it is work that comes from true sincerity.

Early rising is a no brainer. When we wake up early, we can prepare to work more and accomplish more. Praising others for their hard work, while also working hard without complaining to others will bring joy to God. It is this mind set of people working together that will bring joy to the world.

The current economy of  unemployment and  welfare increases the number of people who resign to waking up late, watching endless hours of television, and succumbing to some of the vices of the street. This is why it is important to find these people a purpose of life, or to find them jobs. When more people are working hard with a positive attitude, there will be less crimes, and more joy and sharing of our prosperity.  The three virtues of life may be early rising, honesty, and hard work.

* source from Tenrikyology.com

Have you experienced co-workers who complain about every task they accomplish. Besides irritating their co-workers, nothing usually gets accomplished by their tirades. There is a story in the Anecdotes of Oyasama, which concerns a follower of the religion.

During this time, Chuzaburo was ordered by a prison guard to clean the toilets. When he returned from toilet cleaning, Oyasama asked him:

“What do you think of having been brought to this kind of place and even having been made to clean such filthy places as toilets?”

When Chuzaburo answered, “I think I am serving God whatever I do. Considering this, I am very happy,” Oyasama gave him the following instruction:

“You are right. If you do something with gratitude, no matter how hard or unpleasant it may be, your virtue will reach heaven. Virtue, which is accepted by God, will be turned to joy. But no matter how hard or trying the work that you do may be, if you do it complaining, ‘How hard it is, how I hate it,’ the complaints will also reach heaven and be returned to you in kind.                            ”Anecdotes of Oyasama 144, “The Virtue

No matter how difficult our jobs, or how unpleasant it may seem to others, if we work hard with a positive attitude, we sow a happy future. But if we complain while we work, the negativity may result in an unhappy future.

How do we gain and continue this positive attitude? If our minds are pure (without greed, arrogance, and self love), it becomes easier for us to have a spirited mind, even in conditions, which may depress others. It is with this pure mind that one must work hard to sow a seed of joy.

* Source from Tenrikyology.com