Tenrikyo Ofudesaki So the Days Come and Go
It
is thought that this Poem was written in about 1876, by that time Miki, then seventy-eight years old
had been, for almost forty years, working tirelessly to try and find ways to open just a narrow path
to show those who sought her aid a way to quickly return their mind, to its original pristine condition,
by settling their self-centered imagination, so that the power and joy of
the true origin residing at the "heart" and "core" of their mind could be
revealed; however, apparently dispite her tireless efforts most of those who
heard her her teaching and hastenings were unable to understand her
intention.
When I ponder this problem two tests of my own understanding of that intention come to mind. We have already touched upon the first one; that is, I can compare my mind with the original parental mind as it resides at the heart and core of my mind and make adjustments to my mind to bring it into accord. That test of course assumes that I already know, by way of the mind like "clear water", the parental mind residing at the heart and core of my mind. I in fact do but for the sake of this discussion let's assume that I don't; which brings to mind the second test.
Lacking the certainty that is provided by the first test, I can use the second test and run through the various reasons for misunderstanding the intention of the teaching that are shown in the Poems and see if I am purposely clinging to or unwittingly harboring any of those misunderstandings; as well as the common truths of the world that reasonably flow from them and decide whether I need and want to keep them or dispose of them in the course of completing the service or work necessary for preparing my mind for awakening.
We are perhaps used to reciting ancient and ethical teachings to guide and correct our behavior in the world. This teaching does not however use those past approaches so useful in the childhood of our species but instead this teaching provides examples of the way in which we use our mind to process information and create truths of our world; as well as the way in which our imagination works to provide us with our self images or imagined identity. The goal of the work then being the revelation of our original self; which though we are unaware of it has been there all along, buried under an accumulation of imagined truths of the world that depressingly may no longer serve to provide us with the joy of living.
who is able to understand my intention.