Tenrikyo-Ofudesaki - Of Its Own Accord -
The
original consciousness shines by its own light, that is to say, of its own accord.
Nothing exists prior to it, it is fundamental.
Our self-centered imaginations are ordinarily unaware of the original one
because we are so enthralled with the marvelous instruments, including our
own imagined self, that are reflected within it that we don't want to turn
away from them for even a moment in both our waking and dreaming states.
We routinely and constantly mistake the transitory and impermanent as being fundamental and often suffer as a result of the experience of their free and unlimited changes. That is particularly true of our experiences that we call illness, trouble, weakening and death.
To give us a break and provide an opportunity for self-centered imaginations equally to know and understand our true fundamental origin and identity, various "services", ways of working, are provided to calm the self-centered imagination. The completion of any one of the those "services" is resultant in exposure of the fundamentally pure and unchanging original consciousness that is known and understood through the "mind like clear water". That original consciousness is here now. It is always present, take a moment, smile, return to the original conscious foundation and awaken to the warm parental embrace and real truth of self. Settle that fundamental truth and then go back out and engage in the joyous play.
the truth will be seen of its own accord.
