Tenrikyo Dynamic Mission CLEAR OR MUDDY

The teaching that is the Tenrikyo Dynamic Mission is very simple. The one and only topic of importance is the fundamental principle upon which the state of our mind depends.

The fundamental principle which currently gives rise to the state of our world is our idea of a separate autonomous self. This can be called our self-centered imagination.

Many of us are increasingly unable to find joy in the way that the state of our mind gives rise to the state of our world. When trying to realize satisfaction and happiness in the world we depend upon using our mind, the state of which is either metaphorically "clear" or "muddy."

A "muddy" mind is made up with bundle of our everyday self-centered thoughts, truths and imaginings about what we like and don't like. They can be described as the truths of our mind and by logical extension, they are the truths of our world.

When compared with the prototypes of human beings that have come before us, our self centered imagination is about as marvelous as it gets, which makes settling and clearing it, even for a few moments, rather difficult for us to do.

A "clear" mind on the other hand is the perfect reflection of God's mind. The consciousness that our self-centered imaginations appear in is God's mind. From that point of view things are seen clearly without the distortion of imagined truths and concepts.

The goal of the Tenrikyo Dynamic Mission is to teach ways to settle or purify the "muddy" mind settling it as the "mind like clear water" or a clear reflection of God's mind, our original consciousness, for just long enough for us to be able to know and understand the truth of our origin. Our origin or the truth of origin is another name for God's mind, the one consciousness that all self-centered imaginations and indeed the entire universe rises up within.

Since no two self-centered imaginations are exactly the same, in order to "capture", "filter" and settle all of the different imaginations of the world as "clear water" it will be necessary to develop and use "all means". In this regard several model means specific to a particular time and place have been demonstrated. The development of new means is the task of those who would willingly serve as instruments dedicated to the completion of the work ("tsutome") of completely settling our self-centered imaginations just long enough to understand and ponder the ramifications of what remained.

Now at last, I shall fully reveal the mind's core step by step.
Take notice!

This universe is the body of God.
Ponder this in all matters.

So long as you remain unknowing that the body is
a thing borrowed, you can understand nothing at all.