Newpath Tenrikyo - Tenrikyo Dynamic - STRIVING TO MATURE

THIS UNIVERSE IS THE BODY OF GOD.
PONDER THIS IN ALL MATTERS.


Emerge from the muddy water and evolve
Day by day, your innermost heart will be purified and understanding will come.

You will come to see the truth as you mature.

STRIVING FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE TENRIKYO DYNAMIC BUT IT IS FAIRLY RARE IN THE WORLD.

Ordinarily our self centered imaginations are drawn to shared beliefs and consensus realities. In common terms those shared beliefs and consensus realities are held in categorical containers such as personal experiences, general education, philosophies, political parties, religions, sects, cults and cultures. Though they can be categorized they are not limited to those categories and are broadly used as principles to guide our thinking in all sorts of situations. Generally speaking all one needs to do to belong to a consensus reality is to share the beliefs that make up that shared reality. Because of that, philosophies, political parties, religions, sects, cults and cultures tend to strive for continuity of tradition and the maintenance of the absolute truth of the shared beliefs.

In contrast the teaching that is the Tenrikyo Dynamic strives to promote radical change in the way in which the world is perceived in all matters. To accomplish that radical change in perception the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaches a path that is meant to be quickly followed to maturity and the radical outcome of a complete change in the foundation of our thinking. The Tenrikyo Dynamic is then all about completely removing all of the ideas and beliefs that occupy our self-centered imaginations, quickly and briefly, just long enough for us to be able to enjoy what remains as knowing and understanding the true origin of the human mind.

Now ponder! From now on you must replace your mind.
It will not do, not to ponder and resolve!

The Path of the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching is then by definition "dynamic" in its execution and in its intent. The intent of the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching is the utilization of all means to show the way to quickly and totally purify the human self centered imagination and replace its foundation with the knowledge and understanding of the true origin of the mind. In the terms of metaphor this purification of the mind is described as crawling out of the "muddy water" or settling the "muddy water" until it is completely clear.

Sincere effort in this task is immediately answered with help from God's mind as it exists at the heart and core of every human mind and for that matter at the heart and core of everything that exists.

Though it is springwater that fills the pond in the
high mountains, yet at its spout, it is mixed with mud.

When you calm your mind step by step and ponder,
It will change into clear water.

I shall go into the water in the mountains and make it clear,
whatever kind of water it may be.

To that end the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching maintains a model path that was crafted to be appropriate for the minds of villagers living on the Yamato plain in the mid to late 19th century. The model path itself though cast in the 19th century is also dynamic as it demonstrates several different ways that were used to address a variety of different imaginations in a particular time and place as well as demonstrating a variety of different the means to help those self centered imaginations mature to the point that they might quickly step out onto a path of single-hearted salvation through a totally sincere, purified mind.

The Model Path ("Hinagata") maintained as the blueprint for the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching is applicable to the self-centered imaginations of people living in any time and place. As it is Dynamic, it is never static and always hastens the quick replacement of the foundation of the self-centered imagination by what ever means work to purify the mind and return it to its original pristine condition. From that awakened point of view a mind can re-enter the world with a free and unlimited point of view that can easily distinguish between the original and the imaginary, the good and the evil. That free and unlimited point of view is something that in most circumstances static belief systems cannot provide.

Hereafter, I shall speak in the metaphor of a path, not indicating any place in particular.

The instant that a self-centered imagination begins a sincere effort, work or service ( "tsutome") of intentional purifying the mind, that mind begins to change, mature and evolve. The instant that a self-centered imagination pulls back from or tries to stop the progress of that radical change, that self-centered imagination immediately gets stuck because it is either unwilling or unable to further mature. In the terms of the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching that regrettable action is described as sliding back into the "muddy water".

Any kind of human mind, anywhere at any time can avail itself of the help of its true and original parental mind by sincerely striving to quickly mature and awaken to the free and unlimited workings of a joyous life, just as it has always been intended for us. As this path may seem difficult to understand or to follow our original parent has provided "intermediaries" around the world to show the way. Those intermediaries can be easily identified as they are always talking about and striving to find new means for hastening maturity for the purification and settling of the self-centered imagination back into the original parental heart, becoming single hearted ("kami ichijoo") with the true origin of the mind, the mind and intention of God that exists at the core of our being.

There is perhaps no one who knows
what exists inside the body.

Today, being aware of nothing,
all people remain in a common worldly state.

But what path will be seen tomorrow?
The core of your mind will become apparent.

As a child I was not a very good student, none the less I always looked forward with great anticipation to the great adventure of a new school year. Though I took going to school for granted my parents had to make sacrifices and a great effort so that I would be able to receive an education and gradually mature in good order. My parents were not the least bit interested in anything that they knew would hold me back and always supported any efforts, within my capabilities, that I might make to further my knowledge, understanding and maturity.

There were of course limits. My family like all of the others in our community had values that were anchored in moral and ethical teachings of some antiquity. In that regard there are basic variations on two different approaches to truth. One approach is flexible in attempting to make ancient teachings, morals and ethics fit into current environments while the other is inflexible and insists upon adhering to traditional truths as being fundamentally true. 

My parents like so many others were rocked and shocked by the War that destroyed human civilization on a scale never before experienced and as a result were much more open to a new world view than they might otherwise have been. Even more so is the Tenrikyo Dynamic teaching that works in response to the hastening and guidance of the original parental heart of all human beings equally.
From now on, please quickly make preparations
truly to purify your innermost heart.
Just as it has always been the case, there will be many sincere minds working to keep things they way they are now, without striving for the maturity that comes from exploring the origin of the human mind having given up the free use of their mind and instead choose to remain bound to anchored to self centered truths, ancient traditions and truths of the world.

Why are you depressed?
It is because those in high places know nothing.

Unaware of this, the whole world follows them in all matters
and is depressed.

It is actually an easy matter to ignore fettered minds and go about doing our own work at maturing and completing the work that needs to be done in finding the origin of own mind. Maturing to single heartedness with the true heart of our parent, the original cause of all things that exists at the origin of our mind may seem to be too difficult to do but to do it only takes our true sincerity. The freedom and happiness that flows from knowing and understanding God's free and unlimited workings is the natural state of our mind and we all naturally have the ability to return to the truth of our origin if we truly and sincerely want to.

This talk is not someone else's concern. It is a matter
of your own and your single-heartedness with God.

"This path is the path of single-hearted salvation. You should always be hearing or speaking about this."
The 3rd Shinbashira - Sermon at the Spring Grand Service January 26, 1991

Because we have free use of our mind, that is our self-centered imagination, we have to allow our self to mature and awaken. Though we selfishly may want to have it both ways and hold onto our self centered dream and single heartedness at the same time, to awaken we have to sincerely allow our self to let go of our self centered dream and wake up.

It will soon be seen. Without a moment to look aside,
the dust will disappear as if you were dreaming.

When this dust is completely swept away,
nothing will remain but universal salvation.

"We should aim for the joy of being able to look at everything in the spirit of single-heartedness with God. We ought to work at allowing the mind to mature so that we can base our feelings and emotions on our single-heartedness with God." The 2nd Shinbashira - August 24, 1963

| MENU |