On January 25, Tenrikyo Young Men’s Association held its monthly meeting at Yoki Hall. There were about 400 attendees, including chapter chairmen from directly supervised churches and dioceses as well as members of the steering committee.
This year, the association will continue to promote the same guideline that was announced last year: “Take on challenges for world salvation.” The newly added sub-guideline reads, “Let us settle in our heart the teaching of ‘a thing lent, a thing borrowed’ and move forward in salvation work by taking advantage of our unique qualities.” Also announced at the meeting was the concrete goal for association activities: “Listening to it a thousand times, conveying it a thousand times”—referring to the teaching of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed.”
At the meeting, Association President Daisuke Nakayama took the podium to address the participants. He spoke about three important aspects of the teaching of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed”: how our body is a thing borrowed from God the Parent, how all things and people around us are also things borrowed from God the Parent, and how our state of mind is reflected in all these things. After noting how this year’s guideline and sub-guideline specifically focus on the mind, he said, “It is indispensable for all of us, who are working for the salvation of others, to take the lead in settling in our heart the teaching of ‘a thing lent, a thing borrowed’ as we take on challenges for world salvation.”
President Nakayama then pointed out that, when we engage in salvation work, it is essential to share our experience of how we received divine blessings or how we were able to change the orientation of our minds. He urged the attendees to reach out to anyone who is suffering or facing a challenging situation in the world by sharing their experiences of how they received blessings through the teaching of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed.”
President Nakayama concluded his speech by saying, “We would like us to boost our efforts to take on challenges for world salvation by both pursuing the faith through the teaching of ‘a thing lent, a thing borrowed’ and engaging in ‘salvation work by taking advantage of our unique qualities.’”
Association Chairman Yuzo Yaoi then took the podium. In relation to the activity goal, “Listening to it a thousand times, conveying it a thousand times,” he announced the launch of a YouTube channel called Senben (A thousand times), which is designed to help viewers learn and explain the teaching of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed.” The YouTube channel, which started on February 1, broadcasts faith experience speeches by committee members of the Young Men’s Association Headquarters on the topic of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed” from Monday to Saturday (in Japanese). “My hope is that this will be a useful resource for directly supervised chapters, diocese chapters, and individual members,” said Chairman Yaoi.
The major activities for this year will include the 96th convention to be held on October 27 in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters. Also, the Oyasato Construction Young Men’s Association Hinokishin Corps will conduct the monthly 24-day corps and 3-day corps.