Oyasama once gave Her great-grandson Sotaro Kajimoto a tangerine segment after removing the white pith, opening the segment, and turning it inside out. She placed it on Sotaro’s finger, saying:
“The kite cries ‘toh, toh,’ and the crow, ‘caw, caw.’”
Anecdotes of Oyasama, no. 192
This scene vividly portrays Oyasama’s disarming, unaffected demeanor.
Oyasama loves children. Children love Her, too.
Young children exude a refreshingly dazzling innocence.
Yet their innocence can easily be lost if some malicious person sows unwelcome ideas into their minds. Their innocence is vulnerable because of their lack of experience in the world.
On the other hand, there is a different kind of innocence in those who have been through the highs and lows of life—those who, after being driven to their wits’ end by the adversities of life, found a way forward by embracing faith in Oyasama. Having faced and overcome life’s challenges, they have been strengthened and transformed. Their innocence is rock solid and cannot be destroyed by any words anyone says. As they live sincerely each day, their faith crystallizes into something that may be referred to as the “mind of a three-year-old.”
Like a spring breeze, Oyasama’s deep, pure smile must have swept away the mists of hopelessness and let light flood into the hearts of those who came to ask for help and salvation.