Vol. 23 # 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Clean up Day for the Memorial Service
Clean up Day for the Memorial Service will be on March 5, at 9 am. These services are not only for the church and minister but provide an opportunity for all believers to celebrate and be festive. Let’s prepare for these ceremonies with everybody helping each other.
Spring Memorial Service
We would like to invite you and your family to attend the Spring Memorial Service on Sunday, March 12, after the Charnel House Service at 10:00 am at the Konko Church of Gardena.
This Memorial Service is held to appreciate and honor Rev. Isao Goto and Rev. Tomoyo Goto’s years of dedication to the church. Appreciation and acknowledgement are also extended to the missionaries who devoted themselves to propagating the Konko faith at the Gardena Church and to the success of the Konko Churches of North America. We include appreciation for the Mitama spirits of all believers and their ancestors, and the pioneers and veterans of this country. It is because of them that we have life and are able to receive the blessings we enjoy today. Let us show our appreciation to these Mitama who have paved the way for us, and for the great virtue they have passed on to us.
There will also be a Charnel House Service on Sunday, March 12 at 10:00 am. All of us are building our lives through the foundations laid down by our ancestors. We, in turn, should try to strengthen those foundations for our children and future generations. The Spring Memorial Service is a time for us to remember our ancestors and all the people who made contributions to this great land—the efforts and sacrifices they made for us—as well as to show them our appreciation.
KCNA Southern California Regional Seminar has been postponed
The KCNA Southern California Regional Seminar has been postponed due to the unstable weather. The location will be the same, Konko Church of Lancaster. The new date is Saturday, March 18, 10:00-2:00. Let us consider this delay as a blessing from Kami. Please make an effort to join us.
“Isshin” [wholeheartedly, single-minded]
Tenchi Kane no Kami and Konko Daijin require us to be wholehearted in our faith. “Isshin” is very important when practicing faith. This month, let's think about Isshin while touching on the teachings of Konko Daijin.
1. Follow Kami Earnestly
To follow Kami earnestly doesn’t mean to rely on Kami along with other deities or amulets, but to set your belief and heart in one belief system without being led astray.
2. Without Hesitation in my Heart
Even if you become devoted to Kami, you may become hasty and frustrated about the future and various doubts may appear during the advancement of your faith which will lead to distrust in Kami. We must strengthen our hearts to prevent doubts.
3. Reveal Kami in my Heart
Isshin means to be single-hearted and work with effort. Although “Isshin” indicates devoting oneself sincerely to Kami, Konko Daijin’s interpretation is to wholeheartedly reveal Kami in our heart and to connect oneself to Kami.
4. The hearts of Kami and people become one. Kami’s wish is to achieve mutual interdependency with people in the world.
"Isshin" indicates becoming one with Kami. “Isshin” portrays a lifestyle where Kami and people wish to convey and pray for the same goals. Kami wants to convey and actualize the principle of mutual interdependency (aiyo kakeyo) between Kami and people. We demonstrate “Isshin” by moving forward toward these goals with determination.
The Divine Reminder contains four different meanings for “Isshin.” The four teachings below from Voice of the Universe reflect the four different meanings expressed above.
221 People exist because of Kami, and Kami exists because of people. Therefore, you should pray to Kami about everything, whether it is an emergency or not. Practicing faith is to have a heart like Kami in your everyday life. Praying to Kami by putting your hands together is not the only way to practice faith.
Having a single heart means depending only on Kami. Remove all doubt. In order to receive blessings, you must be single-hearted.
222 Until now, people did not realize that Kami relied on them as much as they relied on Kami. They did not know how to receive messages from Kami. Now people can receive divine blessings if they pray single-heartedly because Kami lives in their hearts.
Practice faith in Kami. Like the constant activity of the Universe, the workings of Kami are continuous. Konko Daijin prays single-heartedly to Tenchi Kane no Kami.
223 Thought it is said that a strong will can move mountains, your single-hearted faith can make any request come true.
224 Don’t let your faith wander. Straying in your faith to receive divine blessings quickly is like taking an unfamiliar road for a shortcut. Stay on the main road by practicing a single-hearted faith.
Let me introduce Nishina Shika, who practiced a single-hearted faith.
On the night of December 24, 1866, my husband Matsutaro had a sudden, sharp pain in his abdomen. Though the pain went away temporarily that night, he became sick and bedridden.
From January second the following year, I went to Konko Daijin’s Worship Hall every day and prayed.
Once, Konko Daijin imparted, "When the children of samurai warriors in Okayama were playing together, they noticed that one of them had a bamboo sword. They teased that child. 'So you have a bamboo sword. What can you do with that?' He answered, 'Don't say such a foolish thing. Why don't we fight it out? But since no one should lose his life, let's try to split spilt that rock to see who wins.' They agreed and the children with superior swords tried to split the rock. But all of their swords snapped. Then the child with the bamboo sword exclaimed, 'What's the matter? Watch this.' He struck his sword and split the rock in two. The rest of the children were struck with amazement.
Being single-hearted is truly great, but in your case, it's still lacking. Your husband's life will reach a critical point on February eight, at two o'clock in the morning or afternoon. If you lack single-heartedness, you shall regret it later."
I then practiced faith more earnestly. However, Konko Daijin imparted, "Your faith is still lacking. It will soon be February eight."
Later, Konko Daijin told me, "If you don't practice faith to the utmost, it will be too late for your husband." I asked, "What should I do to receive the divine blessing from Kami?" "Practicing faith by following someone's advice won't result in divine blessings. You must have a faith that was born out of your own will," he answered.
On February seven, Konko Daijin questioned, "Tomorrow will be a critical day for your husband. Can't you practice faith single-heartedly enough to reach Kami?"
On the way home, while thinking about how I could practice faith to convey my single-heartedness to Kami, I thought about going to worship without clothing.
When I told this idea to my mother, she opposed it. But being so determined, I thought, "For this husband, whom I will stay with for life, I will do anything, even if people call me crazy." My husband's elder sister, Saita Risu, who happened to be visiting, declared, "It's for my younger brother." And our maid also said, "It's for my employer." The three of us decided to go together.
Then my nephew Hamazo, who was my neighbor, said, "There might be trouble if there are only women so I will go too." And so the four of us decided to go.
While discussing how we should worship, I suggested, "Let's take off our clothes, put on a loincloth, tie a sacred rope around our waists, and pour water over ourselves at a nearby shrine. Then let's run to the Worship Hall while chanting purification prayers."
When we arrived, Konko Daijin praised, "Shika, today, your single-heartedness has reached Kami. Your husband will be completely cured. You are a truly single-hearted woman."
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