Vol. 23 # 7
Konko Daijin’s faith and Mediation
The faith of Konko Daijin is also said to be the way of Mediation. Let us consider what it means to receive mediation while understanding the teachings of Konko Daijin.
On November 15th, 1859, Konko Daijin was asked by Kami,” There are many people like yourself, who have sincere faith in kamis, but still have many problems. Help these people by performing Mediation. This will assist Kami and save people. People exist because of Kami, and Kami exists because of people. Thus, Kami supports people as Kami’s children, and people support Kami as their parent. There will be eternal prosperity through mutual interdependency.”
After receiving this Divine Call, Konko Daijin quit farming and helped people in need at his house. He listened to the sufferings and difficulties of people who came, and mediated to Kami on their behalf. Kami teaches that, "People receive Divine Blessings and live within the Universe," and "the protection of Kami resides within our hearts," aiming to solve human difficulties, with Kami and people working together.
Kami wishes for us to, "Take care of our parents and our children through mutual fulfillment " by virtue of Konko Daijin’s Mediation. Just as human parents and children talk with each other, Kami wishes for us to consult and communicate with Kami to receive true blessings. This communicative relationship between Kami and people is expressed as "aiyo kakeyo".
Let's take a historical look at the origins of aiyo kakeyo.
Aiyo Kakeyo An old dialect of the Bitchu region. It is said that this word originally came from the shouts that two people would make when carrying a heavy load on their shoulders in order to get in tune and have the same strength. By combining these shouts, it is possible to move heavy objects that cannot be done by one person alone. This word was mainly expressed in “Kami’s Revelation” as a word that expresses the relationship between Kami and people. Kami exists because of people and people exist because of Kami. Everyone will become forever prosperous through the relationship of people and Kami. Parents pray for their children, and children pray for their parents. Like Heaven and Earth, practice mutual reliance. The expression “mutual reliance” is an attempt to deduce the meaning of “aiyo kakeyo” by showing the above mentioned interdependence between Kami and humans (living by relying on each other and living by helping each other) Taken from the Scripture Dictionary By Yoshitsugu Fukushima |
For the fulfillment of Kami and people, we must seek mediation and ask Konko Daijin, “What kind of faith should we practice to receive "true blessings" from Kami? How should we tackle this problem?" Always seeking and respecting Kami’s instructions results in the “fulfillment of Kami and people”.
The path of “Aiyo Kakeyo” is described as seeking mediation in all aspects of life while consulting Kami, being aware of the blessings and the way of heaven and earth, as well as fulfilling one’s wish within the triangular relationship between Kami, Konko Daijin, and oneself. Seeking mediation, relying on Kami, and trusting Kami is considered living in a "Kami-centered world."
There is a reason why people encounter hardships. Konko Daijin says, "Turn to Kami for everything. People can betray you, but you can always depend on Kami. Kami will listen to any request that you may have and bestow divine blessings.” VU76
Konko Daijin tells us that if we rely on Kami, Kami will do what is right for us. Living in a human-centered world means ignoring Kami and relying on people. Living in a Kami-centered world means relying on Kami and entrusting everything to Kami.
Konko Daijin admonished, “Long ago, this was a spiritual world. Now, the world is a human-centered world. People believe that they are living due to their own strength, and many are going against Kami’s teachings. Difficulties and sufferings are caused by people's own heart. Whether or not they can live in a peaceful world also depends upon their own heart. Kami will teach people how to live in a faith-centered world." Oboecho 24:25-1, 2, 3
In this teaching, Kami points out that although humans are alive and live amidst the blessings of Kami, people try to do everything based on their own thoughts and beliefs. Although everything belongs to Kami including our homes and land, people believe they are the owners which may lead to problems when permission is not asked of Kami.
What inevitably arises from ignorance of the Way of the Universe is the unconscious severance of the relationship between Kami and people. That is to say, from this comes the self-centered idea that everything around us belongs to someone, and that everything we do is the result of our own doing. The things that we own such as land and materials, agricultural products, marine products, industrial products, as well as our currency, already existed within heaven and earth. If our relationship with heaven and earth is lost, it will result in the idea that everything we possess is our own property. Konko Daijin admonishes this belief as follows, “Everything belongs to Kami, yet you think that it is all yours. You think you have control over things. But acting without asking Kami will result in hardships. Pray to Kami and apologize for your past irreverences. You will receive divine blessings.” VU73
From the point of view of "the Way of the Universe", the severance of the relationship between Kami and people is considered to be “irreverent as it is the result of the mistakes in our way of thinking and actions based on not knowing the way of the universe.” Our irreverence indicates that we are disrespecting Kami and this is the cause of hardships. In this way, the faith of Konko Daijin considers the root cause of human suffering to be disrespect or ignorance.
To seek Mediation is to make inquiries of Kami through the Mediation of Konko Daijin, obtain Kami’s permission, and receive mediation for the results. The relationship between people, who are seeking mediation, and Konko Daijin, from whom mediation is being sought, is important. Seeking Mediation and advancing one’s faith while always having a relationship with Kami means “living together with Kami and working together through Aiyo Kakeyo”. This is the faith of Konko Daijin and the wish of Kami.
Announcements
July Monthly Service for Gardena Church
The monthly service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on July 13. After the luncheon, we will hold the Konko Daijin Biography study group. We will discuss chapter 4. Please read this section and bring any thoughts and questions to the group.
Faith Training Institute
The KCNA FTI will be held from July 14 to July 16. The lecture content will be Nature of Kami, Kami's work, Humankind, Irreverence to Kami, Human Suffering, and Heart of Kami. There will be seven classes, one and a half hours per class. If you are interested, please join us. It is recommended that all classes be attended. For more information, please contact Rev. N. Uzunoe.
Funeral of Mr. Terumasa Oka
Mr. Terumasa (Ted) Oka passed away early in the morning of June 18. His funeral will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, July 17, at the Konko Church of Gardena Service Hall.
July Monthly Service for Los Angeles Church
The monthly service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 23 at Gardena Mediation Hall.
Morning Service, Cleanup, & Shintokai meeting (for August)
The morning service will begin at 9:00 a.m. on August 6. After the service, let us clean the inside and outside of the church together. After lunch, the Shintokai meeting will be held. At 1:30pm, we will hold the Conference Committee meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
2023 KCNA Conference
The KCNA Conference will be held from August 18-20 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. If you have any questions, please contact the conference committee at conference@konkofaith.org. We hope to see you there!
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