The August Monthly Service of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters was performed on the 26th in the Main Sanctuary, with Successor-Designate Daisuke Nakayama serving as chief officiant on behalf of the Shinbashira.
In the Service prayer, Rev. Nakayama first expressed gratitude to God the Parent for creating the world and human beings out of the desire to see us live the Joyous Life as well as for nurturing us with the complete providence—including the providence of fire, water, and wind—for a long period of time. Continuing, he said: “All of us Service performers as well as church head ministers and other Yoboku will make layer upon layer of efforts to settle our minds while always keeping the Divine Model in our heart in our everyday lives. We will devote ourselves with utmost sincerity to spreading the fragrance of the teachings and helping save others.” Referring to the “Missionary Work Month for All Churches,” for which September is designated, Rev. Nakayama said: “All Tenrikyo churches will pledge to engage in missionary work to spread the ultimate teaching leading to true salvation to every corner of the world. We are determined to make progress in our spiritual growth as befits the current season.”
The prayer was followed by the joyous performance of the Kagura Service and the Dance with Hand Movements. After the Service performance, Honbu-in Nozomu Itakura took the podium to deliver the sermon.
At the outset of his sermon, Rev. Itakura spoke about how Oyasama’s anniversaries have been seen as critical junctures in our journey toward the realization of the world of the Joyous Life. He then noted that, following the 70th Anniversary of Oyasama, which had focused on thoroughness in ensuring restoration and on the effort to grow spiritually, the second Shinbashira, Shozen Nakayama, declared the “beginning of a new journey toward the Joyous Life.” Rev. Itakura then noted that, as we continue to follow the same path, we may lose the passion that our predecessors had and may even forget the very idea that we should be moving toward the Joyous Life. “It is important for us to take steps forward in the correct manner while always keeping in sight the ultimate goal of the realization of the Joyous Life World,” said Rev. Itakura, stressing the importance of taking every opportunity to return our thoughts to the origin.
Rev. Itakura moved on to talk about the continued uncertainty in the international situation, which, in his view, is a challenge that is occurring due to a lack of knowledge of the truth that we are all brothers and sisters. Noting that it is a serious knot facing the world as a whole—which should be seen as one big family—he quoted from the Ofudesaki and noted that the performance of the service is something that only those of us who know the true teachings can conduct. He then said, “I would like to ask all of you followers of the path to unite your minds as you continue to pray sincerely for a settling to be brought to the world even a day sooner.”
Rev. Itakura went on to say that the Osashizu teaches us that it is important for followers of the path to unite their minds when a huge knot is shown, whether it be within or outside the Tenrikyo community. Rev. Itakura then emphasized that those of us followers of the path, who are brothers and sisters among brothers and sisters, are encouraged to connect our minds together, implement a way of living focused on the Joyous Life, which entails helping one another, and reflect it to wider society.
Toward the end of his sermon, Rev. Itakura said that all followers are encouraged to step up their efforts of missionary work during the “Missionary Work Month for All Churches.” “Let us reach out to those who are wandering about on the mind’s dark paths because of their concerns about the uncertain future and thereby walk together with them on the single path that leads to the Joyous Life,” said Rev. Itakura.
