At the May 27 meeting of the Kanamekai (association comprising the head ministers of all directly supervised churches), Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Yoshitaro Ueda announced that the Mission Department of Church Headquarters will hereby promote the effort to help all Yoboku to learn and utilize the teachings of both the ten aspects of God’s complete providence and the eight dusts in their daily lives. He said that head ministers and Yoboku are encouraged to memorize the two sets of descriptions to be made and distributed by Doyusha. Followers outside Japan are asked to contact the nearest mission headquarters or mission center in their region regarding the availability of these descriptions in Japanese or other languages.
This effort was initiated as a way to conform to the intention of the Shinbashira. For in last year’s Autumn Grand Service Sermon, the Shinbashira said: “In the past, those who embraced the faith were immediately told to go out to spread the teachings, and, apparently, those who had just completed the Special Course of Tenri Seminary would go out to spread the teachings basing themselves only on the teachings of the ten aspects of God’s complete providence and the eight dusts of the mind. . . . Not only are these teachings reliable, but they also systematically explain the immense providence that is given both within the human body and in the world at large every day. Moreover, these teachings provide us with clues as to how to ponder over the meaning of knots of illnesses and other problems that we experience. In particular, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude for God’s parental love behind likening our mistaken uses of the mind to dust and teaching us that this dust can be swept out by reflecting critically on ourselves in our daily lives. These teachings are very closely related to our everyday lives. I think that it is because our predecessors directly experienced and were convinced of the truth of these teachings that they wanted to convey them to others in the hope that those people might also learn them and internalize them.”
At the Kanamekai meeting, Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Ueda said: “Until 1948, it was a prerequisite for anyone wishing to attend the Besseki lecture to have memorized descriptions of the ten aspects of God’s providence and the eight dusts. Yet only a few Yoboku are sufficiently knowledgeable of these descriptions today. It is our wish for everyone involved on the path to memorize these descriptions so they may further savor, implement, and utilize them in their daily lives.”
Further, Rev. Motoyoshi Tomimatsu, head of the Mission Department, said: “I believe it is important to read these descriptions out loud every day after morning and evening services. We ought not to merely memorize these descriptions but convey them to others while being fully mindful of them ourselves. We’d like the Tenrikyo community as a whole to promote this effort as just one way for all Yoboku to implement their faith and grow spiritually.”