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Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters of Hawaii

Origins No. 329 Jan 2019

Best Wishes for a Joyous New Year!

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This Month’s Message: "Tell Others How You Were Saved" by Rev. Tomozo Hirano

Oyasama once said:“Earnestly tell others how you were

saved.” Anecdotes of Oyasama, no. 100

Imagine your little children telling their friends such things as:

“My dad is great! Every day he works hard at his company to take care of the family. Because of him, we don’t have to worry about anything.”

“When I was sick with a fever, my mom was so worried she stayed next to me all night. She helped me drink water and put a cool damp cloth on my forehead. I was so happy. She also

made me soup that tasted so good. I’ll never forget it. I could recover so quickly because of my mom.”

If you hear your children boast about you and tell others how grateful they feel to you, don’t you feel happy? You might even be moved to tears.

So imagine the delight of God the Parent and Oyasama when we tell others how boundless God’s workings are and how Oyasama saved us. This can be a wonderful way of making repayment for the blessings we receive and showing our love for God the Parent and Oyasama.

New Year's Greeting from Bishop Shugo Yamanaka

A Happy New Year to everyone in the Hawaii Congregation!I hope everyone has welcomed the new year with a bright clear mind like the Hawaiian sky.

Thank you very much for your sincere efforts in the cause of our path and your cooperation in various events and activities at Dendocho last year. Let each of us firmly continue and accumulate our Joyous Life daily and convey the joy of faith to our family members and people around us—especially our young ones who will shoulder the Path in the future—so as to keep expanding the circle of the Joyous Life further.

While our journey toward the realization of the Joyous Life World is taught as “endless construction,” meaning it is to continue forever, it is essential to accumulate our steady efforts daily. Let us live each day firmly trusting in the guidance of the everliving Oyasama and following Her Divine Model as our very examples. Let each of us have a sense of pride and mission as a follower of this path and settle firmly in mind the truth of “a thing lent, a thing borrowed,” which is fundamental to the Teaching, thus truly savoring the joy of being kept alive. And let us strive each day to sweep away the dusts of the mind so as to keep spreading the circle of mutual help with purified minds and gentle caring hearts.

I humbly ask for your continued support and cooperation this year.

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Appearing before You, God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I (Shugo Yamanaka) Bishop of the Mission Headquarters of Hawaii speak with reverence on behalf of the Hawaii Congregation.

God the Parent, with Your boundless providence, You have been guiding us each and every day, and with the quick passage of time, we have already come to the day to perform the final monthly service for this year. Reflecting upon this year, we would like to express our deep appreciation for the many blessings and guidance You have bestowed upon us throughout this year. We the service performers, together with our brothers and sisters of the Path in Hawaii, will unite our hearts as one in singing the Songs for the Service with sincerity and performing the Seated Service and the Dance with Hand Movements joyously in high spirits while earnestly praying for world salvation. As You watch us, we hope You will be spirited as well.

From the afternoon on the 21st through the 24th of this month, the Oyasato Seminar Course II will be held. The young participants, who will be carrying the future of the Path in Hawaii, will devote themselves to learning the teachings at Dendocho. With approximately 15 days remaining this year, we hope to conduct the year-end activities in a smooth manner and welcome in bright spirits the coming new year. At the same time, expressing our gratitude once again for Your profound parental love shown to us during this year, all of us church head ministers and Yoboku, in the face of the severe knot of the Shinbashira’s illness, shall seriously reflect upon our ways up until now, become aware of what we are lacking, and resolve to make further efforts from now on.

Together we vow to accord with Your desire for all humankind to live the Joyous Life, and as instruments of Oyasama, we will walk firmly on the Path of single-heartedness with God, single-hearted joyousness and single-hearted salvation here in Hawaii. Pondering deeply over God the Parent’s intention conveyed through various matters in our daily lives, each and every one of us shall resolve our minds and single-heartedly continue to devote ourselves for the tasks of the Path in Hawaii while uniting our hearts as one. May You, God the Parent, accept our sincerity, and we ask that You guide us further toward the advancement of the Path in Hawaii and the reconstruction of the world into a truly peaceful Joyous Life World, even a day sooner, where everyone will come to know of the Parent of Origin thus awakening to the truth of universal brotherhood & sisterhood and live together in harmony helping and caring for one another. Together with all present, I sincerely pray that You bless us so.

December Monthly Service Prayer

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I am feeling grateful that we have just joyously and spiritedly completed the final monthly service for the 181st year of the Teaching. As I have been assigned to deliver today’s sermon, I would like to ask for your kind attention.

On this very day last year, I was at my own church thinking about delivering this sermon, so I opened the Tenrikyo website. The first thing I always look at is “Today’s Word from the Parent” which publishes words taken from the Divine Directions. The words I saw were:

If you say, a year from now, it may seem far away. But, it will pass in a moment.

June 21, 1890 (Unofficial Interpretation)

My first thought was, “What a timely message,” and in this moment I am recalling how true that was.

Now during the month of December, most people often reflect on the past year and events or think about all kinds of things in preparation for the coming year. Also at the same time, in December it is a time for major cleaning. It’s the time when special effort is made giving attention to

neglected areas, also unnoticed areas are scrubbed from corner to corner so that one can greet the new year with good feelings. So today I would like to share about the major cleaning of the mind.

As many of you know, it is always important for us, the followers of the path, to reflect humbly on ourselves and purify our minds in order to make the spiritual growth. We are simply taught that this could be accomplished by sweeping the dust of our minds. Furthermore, the selfish uses of the mind are referred to as the “eight dusts”.

I’m sure those of you here can all easily recite the eight dusts. Personally reflecting on this, they are rather simple and consequently easy words to understand, yet I think I have not reasonably given it enough thought daily. And surely, like a dust producing machine, my mind is accumulating dust from the time I wake

Mission HQ December Monthly Service SermonMrs. Satoyo Hisao Spouse of Head Minister of Maui Church

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until I go to bed. For me, whenever I am busy or finding it difficult being flexible, for example the day before our monthly service or on the morning of, I think I tend to build dust especially during those times. This is truly inexcusable. Normally we should be working with a perfectly clear mind, instead we cloud the most important day when we can pray for blessings and the vessel is not ready to receive divine blessings.

In the Ofudesaki we are also clearly taught,

But the innermost heart of everyone of you is covered with piles of dust.

VIII:61

Unless this dust is cleanly swept away, the deep concern of Tsukihi will be to naught. VIII:62

By all means, we humans must sweep the dust of the mind and purify our minds to receive the blessings. Not to inhibit dust accumulation, but it is urging to constantly sweep before it accumulates unconsciously. If I become defiant and say it is of my nature that I fail to make even a slight effort to sweep, this will unmistakably not meet the wishes of the Parent. It is important to earnestly practice the teachings. If we do this, it will explicitly become as it says in this Ofudesaki verse,

If only the dusts are cleanly swept away, then I shall work marvelous salvation. III:98

Also, there are words of warning that says, “there is nothing more scary than dust within sincerity.” There remains a verbal instruction from Oyasama,

“Apply special thought daily toward the use and attitude of your mind. Depending on the use of mind, it can result in virtue as well as dust. You may go along thinking it to be sincerity or truth, however, true sincerity can be mingled with dust within. It is called, the dust within sincerity.”

(Unofficial Interpretation)

One may not recall doing anything wrong, and instead, one may do things thinking it is good, however in the eyes of God it can surprisingly be a mistake. It is difficult to self-reflect when you are thinking you are doing something good, and consequently it is difficult to reform. This is the scary aspect of what we consider ‘dust within sincerity’.

Now, how can I sweep dust away? It is something we figure out on our own. The dust could be swept away right after we realize it and reflect on what we have done. However, because we don’t realize it right away, it accumulates one after another. In

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the beginning it may be a small speck of dust, but in no time the filth becomes huge. It is important to become aware of it before that point.

Also, it is easy to notice other people’s dust. However, it is difficult to point that out amongst husband and wife, parent and child or close friends. Human thoughts of worry takes precedence thinking what they would think if we told them. On the other hand, if someone pointed it out to us, would we readily accept the advice? We must be careful not to accumulate dust even further. In the Ofudesaki it says,

Throughout the world, God is the broom for the sweeping of the innermost heart. Watch carefully.

III:52

After all, it is difficult to convey our thoughts to others if we just say it on the spur of the moment. We must all keep an attitude to see other people’s dust as stemming from within ourselves. And if we utilize God’s teaching as a measure for discussion, I feel truth will follow through.

Also, dust is not only something accumulated just yesterday or today. There is dust that has accumulated over many generations. These are not just a slight speck of dirt, but have formed into a clot. These become the so called “bad causation”

which are shown to us through ill health and troubles.

Oyasama teaches us through Her fifty-year Divine Model, the way to completely rid the dust within the human mind so we can attain the Joyous Life. Therein an even most important method is the ‘service’. An example of this is written in this Ofudesaki verse,

The dust is difficult to sweep away. But if you only begin the Service...

XIII:22

It says, it is difficult to sweep dust, yet you only have to begin the service. If the service is performed earnestly, the dust within the human mind can be swept to the very depths of the heart. It is important to apply effort toward changing your life style to one that is joyous and spirited.

There is no reference to ‘dust” within the songs for the service. I once heard a story from a predecessor, “Greed is the base of the eight dust. Because greed is at the base, the remaining seven will sprout.” Within the songs for the service, the word “greed” is repeated over and over. I feel it is referring to all dust of the mind. It urges us to forget greed and rid ourselves of greed. I feel it is filled with the overflowing desire of the Parent for us to be completely purified and saved even a day sooner.

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The service comes in some variant forms but no matter where it is performed, we must perform it receiving the truth of the Kagura Service, which is performed at the Jiba. I hear that even if you are far away, as long as the heart of the one performing the service is praying in alignment with the Jiba and Kanrodai in mind, even if the distance is great, the truth of Jiba and the power of God the Parent will move.

Some younger people or those new to the faith may be thinking prayer is conducted only at a church or mission station where a shrine of God is present. However, daily prayers expressing appreciation can be conducted anywhere or even by oneself.

It has been 10 years since my second son attended college in the midwest, and from the beginning he has performed the morning and evening services as much as he can. As parents, we didn’t necessarily instruct him to do that, but gratefully he attended the Oyasato Seminar and learned this. He actually heard of seniors doing it and decided to do it himself. As a mother, at first I was worried about sending him to a place where there was no Tenrikyo church nearby, but when I learned he was doing the service every day, my worries disappeared. I feel if you constantly connect your heart with God, in an hour of need, you will be protected. There is nothing more grateful for than this.

There is nothing that surpasses having many people attending the service at Dendocho or church, yet there are many who experience difficulty attending due to circumstances at work or school. Whatever the circumstance, I feel it is important for you to give at least 10 minutes of your complete attention to God daily. Of course your daily appreciation is important, and by reflecting on your mistakes and the things that brought you joy each day, wouldn’t we be able to feel even more closer to the everliving Oyasama? I feel if we make it a habit to surely keep God within our hearts, when we are troubled or lost, we will be able to obediently accept the words saying, “If you lean on God, there is no danger”.

In the coming New Year, do not forget the mind to be able to receive blessings, and let us go through each day with spirit and joy. (translation by J. Imoto)

To provide information related to Tenrikyo services, activities, and events in Hawaii for the congregation and the people of the State of Hawaii.To inspire and initiate interest in having faith in religion, namely Tenrikyo, by conveying the Truth of the Jiba in words, in the manner and heart of God the Parent and Oyasama.

TENRIKYO NEWSLETTER MISSION STATEMENT

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For more information:FB: oyasatoseminaralumniTwitter: @OyasatoAInstagram: @oyasatoseminaralumni

Oyasato Seminar Alumni in Hawaii in June 2019

Dendocho Board of Directors The following nine people have been

appointed to serve as Dendocho’s Board of Directors for a three-year term from January of this year:

Rev. Melvin Iwata (head of Haleakala Church), Rev. Takatoshi Mima (head of Koshinokuni Hawaii Church), Rev. Tsunenori Ichise (head of Joyous Mission Station), Rev. Colin Saito (head of Honolulu Chruch), Rev. Owen Nakao (head of Pearl Church), Rev. Mark Hisao (head of Maui Chruch), Rev. Setsuo Kakitani (head of Kochi Makoto Church), Rev. Yasutsugu Miyauchi (head of Asakusa Hawaii Church), Rev. Tyron Inouye (head of Hawaii Central Church).

English Class of ShuyokaThe Spiritual Development Course English

Class will be held from late March for three months. Due to the time required to obtain a visa for over 3-month period, it is advised that those who wish to enroll in this class contact Mission Headquarters as soon as possible.

Dendocho January Grand ServiceSunday, January 20th, at 9amThe Sermon will be delivered by Rev. Chuichi Fukaya.Head Ministers Meeting will not be held.

Oyasato Seminar English Course IIFrom December 21 to 24, Oyasato Seminar

Course II was held at Dendocho. Trevor Teruya, Amber Barnum, Robert Lau, and Kyana Kawasaki completed the course. Natsumi Sawada from Australia and Michelle Inouye served as the staff.

This year’s Courses I & III will be held in Jiba from July 10 to 25. (Pre-Seminar Orientation on July 8 & 9) The application is available at Dendocho and the deadline for submission to Dendocho is January 20.

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Tid BitsAssociations’ Reports

WOMEN’SASSOCIATION

Happy New Year! Thank you for all your support in the WA activities throughout 2018. In anticipation of the WA 110th Anniversary of its establishment in 2020, this year we will be holding Pep Rallies; Oahu venue will be held on Sep. 28 and Maui venue on Sep. 29. Please encourage each other and your members to participate in this important event.

Let us follow Oyasama’s Divine Model and continue walking towards the Joyous Life World and unite our efforts in achieving the guidelines of the WA. Please make a resolve to return to Jiba in April 2020.

Nuuanu Hale VisitationJanuary 12th (Sat) 9:30 a.m.

New Year’s PartyJanuary 14th (Mon) 10:00 a.m.

Musical Instruments PracticeJanuary 15th (Tue) 9:00 a.m.

WA Hinokishin at DendochoJanuary 26th (Sat)

*January Grand Service luncheon hinokishin is assigned to Godo-B group.

YOUNG MEN’SASSOCIATION

Hawaii YMA Chair Kyle KikuchiHappy 2019 Everyone! My how time flies!

First of all thank you very, very much for the time, sweat and sincerity you have all given to the Hawaii YMA! 2018 was amazing! Let’s continue helping others with our open hearts and minds. As we start this new year fresh and rejuvenated please continue making daily efforts to grow spiritually through “filial piety, harmonious husband-wife relationship.” Let’s make a resolution for 2019 to be better people, better sons and daughters, better parents, better workers and better friends. Let us be the change we want to see in the world. Let us all be Joyous Yoboku, for the Joyous Life World is a lifetime commitment that we will reach little by little each day. Thank you all for your love and support and dedication. God the Parent and Oyasama are proud of you. Mahalo and have a Happy New Year!

Mochitsuki@Royal Hawaiian Hotel January 3rd (Thu) 10:00 a.m.

Mochitsuki@Princess Kaiulani HotelJanuary 5th (Sat) 10:00 a.m.

Mochitsuki@JCCH Ohana FestivalJanuary 13th (Sun) 11am (first batch)

Monthly MeetingJanuary 16th (Wed) 7:30 p.m.

Ofudesaki Study Session at DendochoJanuary 30th (Wed) 7:00 p.m.

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YOUNGWOMEN’S CLUB

From YWC Chair, Sally KawasakiHappy New Year and wishing you all a

happy, healthy prosperous 2019! I would like to thank you all for your support in 2018 and for your continued support this year.

BOYS & GIRLSASSOCIATION

BGA Leadership Camp & New Year TCC Cleanup & BBQ Picnic

Our annual leadership camp is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 27 at Dendocho, with the park cleanup & BBQ picnic on Sunday at the Tenri Cultural Center. The Leadership camp will start promptly at 9:00am with participation in the monthly Yohaishiki in the sanctuary. Please be at Dendocho by 8:45am before the start of the service. The training activities will promptly follow the service including the instrument practice in the social hall. The camp welcomes all students ages 12 and older. Registration application and camp fee of $10 is due no later than January 20th – please submit to the Dendocho’s office.

The New Year Park Clean up and BBQ picnic starts at 10:00am on Sunday at TCC. This free event is open to all children and their families. To help us with the menu planning, we need an approximate headcount of people’s attendance. Please let Dendocho or your respective churches know of your family’s attendance. Desserts are welcomed!

For more information, contact Rev. Audrey Suga-Nakagawa at 722-8885 or audsn@hawaii.rr.com.

Spring Camp - MARK YOUR CALENDARThe Annual BGA Spring Camp will be

held at the TCC campus from March 22 (Fri) to 24 (Sun). We had over 100 students last year and hope to see you all there.

UNICEF COLLECTIONThank you to all for your generous

collection and contributions to the Children’s UNICEF fund. We collected $410 this year in which were donated to the International Office in New York on behalf of the BGA members. Mahalo for your annual support of this important organization that helps children around the world.

Oahu Venue Saturday,Sep.28at9:30am@Dendocho

Maui Venue Sunday,Sep.29at10:00am@MauiChurch

Women's Association Pep Rallies

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I’vebeenwatchingTheGreatBritishBakingShowonNetflixlately.Bakinghasalwaysbeenmyfirstloveinculinarydelights.SoIamcompletelylovingthisseries.Iwasagainintroducedtousesoflemoncurdandrecalledhowgreatittastesonscones,biscuitsorevenasimplesliceoftoast.Thatcoupledwithagreatcupofteaorcoffeeissublime!IthoughtI’dsharethisbecauseofcoursethesimplertherecipe,thebetter.Tart&tangy,itwillsurelymakeagreatspreadforyourbreakfasttable!Enjoy!

1CupWhiteSugar3Eggs1CupfreshLemonJuice3Lemons,zested1/2CupUnsaltedButter,melted

The Hungry Reporter

Microwave Lemon Curd

Directions:Ingredients:1. In amicrowave-safe bowl,whisktogether the sugar and eggs untilsmooth.

Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest andbutter.Cookinthemicrowaveforoneminute intervals, stirring after eachminuteuntilthemixtureisthickenoughtocoatthebackofametalspoon.

R emo v e f r om t h emicrowave,andpourintosmall sterile jars. Storeforuptothreeweeksintherefrigerator.

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Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDHonolulu, HI

Permit No. 570

Tenrikyo Hawaii Dendocho2920 Pali HighwayHonolulu, Hawaii 96817Phone: (808) 595-6523, fax: (808) 595-7748e-mail: origins@tenrikyo-hawaii.comTenrikyo International Website: http://www.tenrikyo.or.jpTenrikyo Online: http://online.tenrikyo.or.jpMission HQ of Hawaii: http://www.tenrikyo-hawaii.com

1st Tue NewYear'sDayService MissionHQ 10:00a.m.3rd Thu MochiPoundingatRoyalHawaiianHotel 10:00a.m.5th Sat MochiPoundingatPrincessKaiulaniHotel 10:00a.m.7th Mon MonthlyNioigakeDay Meet@MHQ 9:00a.m. WAComm.Meeting MissionHQ 7:00p.m.8th Tue TenriCulturalCenterGrandService TCC 9:30a.m.12th Sat WANuuanuHaleVisitation Meet@MHQ 9:30a.m.13th Sun MochiPoundingatJCCHOhanaFestival 11:00a.m.14th Mon WAMonthlyMeeting&NewYear'sParty MissionHQ 10:00a.m. Kamina-nagashiinWaikiki Waikiki 10:00a.m. TCC&BunkoJointComm.Meeting TCC 7:30p.m.15th Tue WAMusicalInstrumentsPractice MissionHQ 9:00a.m.16th Wed YMAMeeting RainbowHale 7:30p.m.17th Thu Rev.ChuichiFukayatovisitHawaii(untilJan.21) BGAMeeting RainbowHale 7:30p.m.18th Fri TruthofOriginStudySession MissionHQ 7:00p.m.19th Sat TSAHinokishin&Sleepover MissionHQ 6:30p.m.20th Sun MissionHQJanuaryGrandService MissionHQ 9:00a.m. SundaySchool/AlohaBandPractice MissionHQ KyokoGakuenHostFamilyOrientation MissionHQ 1:00p.m. AlohaBandCamp(untilJan.21) RainbowHale22nd Tue BishoptoreturntoJiba(untilFeb.1)26th Sat Yohaishiki/MusicalInstrumentsPractice MissionHQ 9:00a.m. BGALeadersCamp(untilJan.27) RainbowHale 27th Sun BGANewYear'sTCCCleanup&BBQ TCC 10:00a.m.30th Wed YMAStudySession MissionHQ 7:00p.m.

January Calendar 2019