A publication entitled Reference Materials for “The Life of Oyasama” was published by Tenrikyo Overseas Department on April 18 in commemoration of Oyasama’s birthday. This 134-page book, compiled by the Translation Section, is designed to be utilized as a companion volume to The Life of Oyasama, Foundress ofTenrikyo—Manuscript Edition. This new publication comprises three sections: 1) Glossary; 2) Maps and Illustrations; and 3) Chronological Index.
The 65-page Glossary not only supplies brief explanations for key terms appearing in The Life of Oyasama but also illustrates them with 85 black-and- white photographs and diagrams.
The second section, Maps and Illustrations, comprises 35 maps, diagrams, and black-and-white photographs.
The third section, Chronological Index for The Life of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo, is a 32-page timeline based on a chronology compiled by the Research Section and published by Shuyoka in 1997. It includes the major events occurring in The Life of Oyasama, thus covering the period between Oyasama’s birth in 1798 and Her withdrawal in 1887. Page numbers are given after each entry to help the reader locate the corresponding passage in the third English edition of The Life of Oyasama.
The book is printed in B6 format (5 in. x 7.2 in.).