Tenrikyo Ofudesaki - The Purpose of Persons, Places, Things and Concepts As Poetic Metaphors-
The performance and completion of the Service is central to the methodology
of Tenrikyo "the Reason of Heaven". The Service or Work that is hastened has
to do with the current state of mind, metaphorically described as
being either "clear or muddy", of a person who has sincerely decided and is
determined to either do the work of settling their self-centered imagination
and awakening; in so doing replacing the foundation of the self-centered
imagination with the original consciousness
foundation that resides at the heart and core of their being; or declining
to do the work and sincerely remaining as they are; continuing to rely instead
solely on the unstable foundation for their thinking and
experience of the world that is provided by the self-centered imagination
continuing to function without any knowledge or understanding of its true
origin and identity.
The model of the Path opened as the Reason of Heaven is one of the creation of multiple opportunities to hasten maturity and awakening but unlike some of the earlier ethical and ancient teachings of the parental mind, never involves the use or the threat of force. In creating opportunities for quickly awakening all human minds to the truth of their origin it is necessary to employ metaphors and analogs that attract our common thinking but which never have a common meaning. This is explained as the difference between the common shallow worldly pondering ("dust") and the sincere deep pondering settling as the point of view of ("the mind like clear water").
Since the truth of origin and the ways to awaken to the truth of origin have never been taught to us, our original parent works tirelessly to model ways that are appropriate for the time, the place and the level of spiritual maturity of all of the minds of the world equally; as well as working tirelessly in the search and cultivation of human minds that are willing to sincerely act as instruments in the preparing the minds of others for the completion of the Services and the awakening of the joyous life that is intended for all equally.
Every detail of the teaching that is the Reason of Heaven is a model of hastening ways for the sincere performance and completion of any of the Services and in so doing quickly awaken to single-heartedness with our original parental mind and the joyous life that flows from that point of view.
You close to me, prepare your minds for the Service!