Newpath Tenrikyo dynamic mission terms - Intention

Intention: Defined as the purpose, design, aim, end, objective, goal - that which one proposes to accomplish or attain. We have three very good examples of how intention figures into the creation, understanding or misunderstanding of the model path of single-hearted salvation.

First: We know from Miki's model story that the intention of the Nakayama family in hiring the services of Ichibei Nakano was to purchase a cure for the family's ills through Ichibei's use of ritual magical incantations. The cure that was intended was meant to be for the Nakayama family only and was understood to be effective on the occasion that it was purchased, any later illnesses or problems would require the purchase of an additional incantation. In the twelve months prior to October 24th, 1838 Ichibei had performed nine incantations for the Nakayama family. They were expensive and not something that everyone in the village would have been able to afford.

Second: After October 24th, 1838 people who came to visit Oyasama, for many years there were very few, did so with the same intention that the Nakayama family had prior to October 24, 1838. Though Miki had become the Shrine of Moonsun and as such had changed dramatically and had an entirely different understanding of such things, no one else had changed and so it was reasonable to suppose that they too were, just like the Nakayama family was, interested in obtaining a magical or miraculous cure for themself or someone close to them and that the cure prayed for was intended to be good for the present circumstance only. It is perhaps also worth noting that there were some that thought that Oyasama's efforts intended something evil and that like other gods that they knew of had the power to use curses and visit the evils of illness and troubles on people.

Third: Finally the model path makes it very clear that no one, either at the beginning of the "narrow path" or after forty-nine years of tireless effort was able to understand God the Parent's intention of finding ways so that by all means any and all human beings equally could, if they wished, awaken to single-heartedness with the free and unlimited power of the truth of origin and settle the foundation of a new creation of a world of joyous life naturally by its own accord.

That contrast can be summarized as the initial intention of those seeking a miraculous cure for a particular self-centered need on an as needed basis verses God's intention to show the way to expose, know and understand the true heart of the Parent of origin that exists at the core of our mind and in that way bring relief and salvation in all matters and circumstances to all human beings equally.

I imagine that the statement that no one understood is intended to be very broad and inclusive however it would seem to me that Izo Iburi and, according to him, perhaps forty others were able to understand God's intention. And it is because of their sincere efforts that we are able to today to recognize and focus on the intended goal of employing all means to teach single-heartedness with the truth of origin to all the minds of the world and to participate in restoring the path of sweeping only.

| Back to Menu |