Tenrikyo Fundamentals - Literature review Example

Tenriko Sometimes transliterated as Tenrikyo, when considered in comparison with longer established religions, Tenriko is both one of the world’s newer religions and one with fewer members than many. Like many other participants in the New Religious Movements group ( Shinshukyo)such as Agonshu, Mahikari and Omoto it is heavily influenced by earlier religious ideas (Smith and Parish, undated) . Some would even argue that it is still not a separate religion, but remains a branch or sect of Shinto. The name comes from Tenri ,which means "heavenly wisdom" in Japanese, or “heavenly intelligence ( Morrigan 2013), and Kyo meaning "teaching, and so Tenriko is the teaching of heavenly wisdom as put forward by a benign deity. In its earliest days was mainly a grass roots peasant’s movement, with a strong shamanic element. It set out to meet the needs of ordinary people and also drew its support in the main from the lower stratas of Japanese society. Followers of Tenriko have faith in God, who is known by several names. This God has expressed his divine will through Nakayama Mikis part as the Shrine of God, together with other less important leaders who followed her, such as Honseki Izo Iburi, known when young for his carpentry skills, and who took over Tenriko leadership on the death of the foundress. Morrigan ( 2013) discusses the fact that, despite its female founder, Tenriko can be seen as sexist with leadership often being handed down the male line, father to son , whether or not the new leader is the most suitable , and clearly sees this as something that has gone wrong. Having researched lists of clerics Morrigan has found ( 2013) no sign of a church led by a woman , or any movement asking for the advocating for a greater inclusion of women in leadership in Tenriko. Similarly to the situation found in too many other faiths , and in particular in Christian churches , women tend to have their own organizations and activities, although officially training for ministers is open to both males and females and the idea of equality is an important tenet of the faith. It seems likely that the more patriarchal practices which have crept into Tenriko have occurred as it became established as an officially recognized part of Shintoism and also had to survive the difficult times of the early 20th century, which of course included Japan’s involvement in two major wars, as well as the country’s economic collapses during the Great Depression and as a result of World War II. According to Dempsey ( 2013) although there are now followers in many countries, this new religion began in Japan in the mid-19th century, and is based upon revelations to a woman called Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as Oyasama. The exact date of the church’s founding is 10/26/1838, the date on which Miki’s husband Zenbei felt he was complying with the wishes of God by accepting his wife as a shrine, that is he was accepting that God was actually dwelling inside his wife. They had married when Miki was only 13, and she has been described as a perfect and virtuous housewife. The events described took place more than 30 years after their marriage ( Let us reason ministries, 2009). In her 40’s a Shino priest was called to the home to carry out some form of "mystical ritual" in order to cure both Miki and her husband. At this time she went into a trance and had her first revelation. She spoke as if the voice of God was actually speaking through her. Tenrikyo Church World Headquarters can be found in the city of Tenri, in central Japan. I tis built around Jiba, the place where, according to ancient tradition humankind was first created by God the Parent and, so, symbolically, and according to the faith of believers , is therefore the ancestral home of all people. According to the doctrine of Tenriko ,:- In the beginning, the world was a muddy ocean. Tsukihi, God the Parent, finding this chaos unbearably tasteless, thought of creating human beings in order to see the Joyous Life and thus share in that joy.( Doctrine of Tenriko, Chapter 3, The Truth of Origin). Many of the elements of belief held by followers can be found under the heading Tenrikyo Fundamentals ( translated by Koji Sato, undated) . It includes such important topics as there being no distinction between males and females as both are created by God ; the need to have a humble mind; the necessity of passing on the message from one generation to the next ; making efforts which fit in actions with what you say , that is religion isn’t just about words or even beliefs, but is about actions, about living out one’s faith. . Tsukihi is one of several names followers give to their god, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto being another name meaning the “Esteemed Sovereign of the Heavenly Intelligence” (Morrigan 2013). According to ‘Let us reason ministries ( 2009) God first showed himself as Kami (the cretaor) and later as Tsuki-hi . This means the moon/sun God and is said to indicate the way God works all the time , both night and day, rather than being a pagan reference to nature worship. He may also be referred to Tenri-o-no-mikoto (Lord of divine wisdom) also called Oyagami or God the parent. This may seem a large number of names, but in Islam there are said to be 99 names, and in Judaism the Old Testament has many names for God, often referring to particular aspects of him, such as protector, shepherd or creator. Within this faith there is great emphasis upon the idea of the "Joyous Life," This Joyous Life is described as being like a Heaven on Earth, with all humanity living together in peace and harmony. The living out of this Joyous Life is, therefore, the purpose of mankind’s existence. The faith focuses the believer upon works of charity and the avoidance of negative thoughts. Selfless and thankful actions are known as hinokishin. Although such actions help men and woman they are seen as bringing glory to God. According to Kobayashi the words “gratitude”, “ “moderation” and “mutual help” are the key words of Tenriko. Tenriko is monotheistic, with a God-parent called Tenri-O-no-Mikoto ( Tenriko 2010). This idea of god as a parent is a concept familiar to Christians who are taught to call God Father. He is said to have created the world in order to lead man towards a life of joy and power, and that he himself is happy to watch them achieve this state. If God is parent it also follows that all mankind are equally his children, whether males or females. Out of these basic ideas comes the teaching that every human being borrows a body on a temporary basis, but the heart is the person’s own. It teaches that the joy we get in life depends upon the state of the heart. The many problems which beset mankind such as diseases, wars and social issues, are claimed to be because people try to live godless lives and omit the idea of the existence of god and the protection that is said to provide. Suffering is said to occur as a warning to people that their hearts are not in true accord with the will of their parent-God Tenri-O-no-Mikoto. Suffering can therefore be seen as a form of divine guidance . Tenrikyo teaches that any human thoughts that are different from God’s intention can be said to be mistaken. By comparing such thoughts to dust, the faith of Tenrikyo encourages its followers to sweep away any dust which accumulates on a daily basis in order to see God’s intentions more clearly. Dust comes in various forms – hate, anger, miserliness, covetousness, selfishness or self-love, arrogance, greed and bearing grudges, all of which can be self-destructive in any life. This dust ( Nokuri) , is not usually noticed, but nevertheless settles down in a person’s mind and soul, unless they deliberately remove it. Its presence means that the individual lives a life which is self-serving life, and so one which is in opposition to the will of God . The believers are also encouraged to watch out for signs of falsehood and flattery. Yet this is not a religion about sin, guilt and the need for forgiveness, but a much more positive view of the life of faith centered upon joy in living. The spread of Tenriko around the world is seen by followers as a way of bringing peace to the world by staying within God’s will and experiencing the joy God wants for his creation. Tenriko has no savior as in Christianity, but the individual has to work out his own salvation by keeping his life free from the accumulation of negative thinking. According to Tenriko follower Kobayashi ( 2012,):- We often say that “through saving others, we will be saved. ” If a person that we want to help saved do not have the mind of gratitude or is not saved, we cannot say that we are saved. On the other hand, even if we do not do something special, people around us feel grateful and saved, we can say that we have helped them without being aware of it and we ourselves are also saved. The religion teaches that without having a mind which is grateful it becomes impossible to either save others or to be saved. From this mutual help cannot be put into practice and so the Joyous Life, God’s wish for his created people, will not be achievable. Kobayashi goes on to state that the purpose of faith is so that people can come to be able to understand the purpose of God in whatever situation they may face and so are enabled to strive forward into the Joyous Life. It is not about realizing personal dreams or to satisfy our human demands. With regard to Oyasama she took on a life of poverty, giving away her possessions, and those of her family, to anyone in need. Her husband died in 1853 and from that time on time she began to teach and also performed faith healings including painless childbirth , the blind regained their sight and the insane regained their sane minds. All this was done in open view. Such amazing actions resulted in the attraction of many followers. She taught them that illness originates in the mind. She began to be perceived by her followers as a living goddess. This fits in with ancient Japanese ideas as described by Morrigan ( 2013) when female deities were very important. The same writer also points out that within worship both female as well as male dancers and musicians are considered necessary, so Tenriko cannot continue without both men and women. The worship is based around ecstatic dancing to music , as well as a number of shamanistic practices concerned with levels of consciousness. It is not a free for all. Which instruments are to be played, who is to play them, how many dancers there should be, all are according to a previously agreed regime. Reincarnation is one of the beliefs held, but it is the joyous life sought and lived which remains the main focus. The religion has spread throughout Japan and beyond. Let Us Reason Ministries ( 2009) see it as Shinto with additions, and the Japanese government gave it official status as a sect of Shintoism in 1908, after it had for some years been considered an offshoot of Buddhism ( Universal Life Church Monastery, 2013). Many would see it not as a sect or part of any other religion , but would see it as a quite separate faith, with some components of Shintoism, but also aspects of Buddhism and Christianity, and in the years following the Second World War Tenriko was removed from the list of Shinto sects and finally became officially an independent religion ( Universal Life Church Monastery, 2013). Yet there are still some links. One teaching is that buds sprout from knots, which as seen metaphors for difficulties and problems. From this comes the idea based upon a framework from Buddhism , that it is important to let go of any dissatisfactions or worries, and instead to trust absolutely in the boundless father love of God" These ideas can be found in the scriptures, primarily the Ofudisaki and also the Osashizo ( Find the Data, 2013) . The Ofudisaki was not written in ornate language, but reflects its rural and feminine beginnings and was written in colloquial language of the time and primarily used the hiragana style, which is considered to be a female style of writing. This is as opposed to Japanese Buddhist sutras which are written in kanji, a more formal style. The scriptures, as in many other religions , include an origin or creation myth, in this case based upon a combination of evolutionary ideas and mythology. It has God looking out over a vast and murky ocean. There were creatures within the ocean and God eventually made from earlier, now deceased creatures, the seeds which later produced humanity. Humans do not however emerge fully grown, but gradually develop over long periods of time. It describes how, when humans were finally five feet tall and fully developed, they began to speak. Let Us Reason MInistries ( 2009) states that :- God the Parent thought of creating us human beings so that, by seeing our Joyous Life, God might share in that joy. Oyasama eventually died at the age of 90. Her followers however may not see her as dead. They prefer to refer to her as having withdrawn from sight. She is said to be still alive and waiting for the time when Tenrikyo becomes the faith of the whole of mankind. Followers continue to prepare three meals a day for her and even prepare her daily hot baths. At all times, both day and night, priests of Tenriko guard the door behind which she is said to have withdrawn. Let Us Reason Ministries ( 2009) quote her as having said " Now I shall step out and save the world. Observe well. ". Today Tenriko has spread around the world with, according to Find the Data (2013) possibly as many as 500000 followers although numbers seem very vague, and the truth could be as low as 10000 of the faithful. Let us Reason Ministries( 2009) puts membership worldwide as high as 2350000, with perhaps 15000 churches. Smith and Parish ( undated say that the faith claims to have some 2 million followers worldwide , with 1.75 million of these living in Japan. Morrigan cites Peach as having said ( 2013) that :- Contemporary Japanese women are drawn to the new religions in far greater numbers than to traditional religions, and the majority membership of new religious groups is female. Tenriko must be particularly attractive to them as it is the largest of the current religions in Japan to have had a female as its founder. In the 21st century Tenriko is practiced mainly in Japan as one would expect, due to its relatively recent emergence there, and its links with traditional Japanese Shintoism. Another focus area is Brazil, and there are groups in many other places, especially within Asia. According to the website ‘Religion in Japan, ( 1996-2013) for most Japanese people religion is not that important, although they may attend a shrine, whether Buddhist or Shinto, from time to time and take part in some festivals. McQuaid ( 2000-2001) also states that these new religions, especially the very latest ones, are often viewed with suspicion. Most people ,there and elsewhere, still have not heard of this particular faith , but for its followers it gives them what they require, a God who loves them and wants what is best for them. References Dempsey, L. (2013) Religions on the Rise: From Juche to Bahai, Retrieved from http://www.bookish.com/articles/from-juche-to-bahai-6-religions-on-the-rise Doctrine of Tenriko,(June 2012), quoted by Kobayashi, H., Monthly Service Sermon, Tenriko Europe Centre, Retrieved from http://www.tenrikyo.fr/en/lecture/?p=1206 Find the Data, 2013, Retrieved from http://religions.findthedata.org/l/46/Tenrikyo Koji Sato ( translator) (undated) Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Retrieved from http://tenrikyology.com/tenrikyo-fundamentals/ Let Us Reason Ministries,(2009) Tenriko, Retrieved from http://www.letusreason.org/Cults6.htm McQuaid, J.(Undated) , A View of Religion in Japan, Japan Society, Retrieved from https://www.japansociety.org/a_view_of_religion_in_japan Morrigan, S.,(2013) Places and roles of women in modern Japanese religions: a case study from Tenrikyo, Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/1398343/Places_and_roles_of_women_in_modern_Japanese_religion_a_case_study_from_Tenrikyo Religion in Japan, 1996-2013, Retrieved from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html Smith, A. and Parish, K.,(undate) New Religions, Japanese Religions , Retrieved from http://jpnreligions.weebly.com/new-religions.html Tenriko, 2010, Retrieved from http://www.tenrikyo.or.jp/eng/?page_id=33 Universal Life Church Monastery, (2013) Tenriko, Retrieved from http://www.themonastery.org/guide-to-divinity/tenrikyo Read More