Tenrikyo is a Japanese new religion which is neither strictly monotheistic nor pantheistic, originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as "Oyasama". Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, ...

, the Joyous Life (''yōki yusan'' or ''yōki gurashi'') is the ideal taught by spiritual leaders and pursued through

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

and abstention from greed, selfishness, hatred, anger and arrogance.

Theologically Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

, the Joyous Life functions as the purpose of human existence preordained by

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

during the creation of human beings and as the means for the

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

of humankind.

Etymology

The term "Joyous Life" refers to several related terms that appear in Tenrikyo scriptures and historical documents in the original

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. In the ''

Ofudesaki The Ofudesaki (おふでさき, "Tip of the Writing Brush") is the most important scripture in Tenrikyo. It is one of Tenrikyo's three scriptures (''sangenten'' 三原典), along with the '' Mikagura-uta'' ("The Songs for the Service") and the '' ...

'', the term is written as ''yōki yusan'' (よふきゆさん), while in the ''

Osashizu In the Tenrikyo religion, the Osashizu (Japanese: お指図) ("Divine Directions") is a written record of oral revelations given by Izo Iburi. It is one of the three scriptures (''sangenten'' 三原典) of Tenrikyo, along with the '' Ofudesaki'' ...

,'' it is written as ''yōki asobi'' (陽気遊び) and ''yōki gurashi'' (陽気ぐらし). Early outlines of the Tenrikyo teachings use the terms ''yōkinaru yusan asobi'' (よふきなるゆさんあすび) and ''yōki yusan'' (陽気遊参). The characters that make up ''yōki yusan/gurashi'' are as follows: * ''Yō'' (陽) is "positive", the same character as ''Yang'' in the Chinese

Yin and Yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...

. * ''Ki'' (気) is "spirit" or "energy", the same character as Qi in Chinese. * ''Yusan'' (遊山) is "an outing to the mountain or fields" (lit. excursion), implying an outgoing life. * ''Gurashi'' (暮) is "livelihood", implying life in a more day-to-day sense.

History

See

Theology

Creation

At the focal point of Tenrikyo's ontological understanding is the positing of ''original causality'', or ''causality of origin'' (''moto no innen'' もとのいんねん), which is that God the Parent created human beings to see them live the Joyous Life (the salvific state) and to share in that joy. Tenrikyo teaches that the Joyous Life will eventually encompass all humanity, and that gradual progress towards the Joyous Life is even now being made with the guidance of divine providence. Thus the concept of original causality has a

teleological Teleology (from and )Partridge, Eric. 1977''Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English'' London: Routledge, p. 4187. or finalityDubray, Charles. 2020 912Teleology" In ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' 14. New York: Robert Appleton ...

element, being the gradual unfolding of that which was ordained at the beginning of time.

Salvation

The Joyous Life is understood as the salvific state which individuals can work toward through prayer (i.e.

Service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...

, ''

Sazuke The Sazuke (おさづけ ''Osazuke'') refers to a prayer in which a Tenrikyo follower asks for divine intervention to heal an ailment. Etymology In the original Japanese, the term is preceded by an honorific prefix and is written in hiragana: ...

'') and practice in

everyday life Everyday life, daily life or routine life comprises the ways in which people typically act, think, and feel on a daily basis. Everyday life may be described as mundane, routine, natural, habitual, or normal. Human diurnality means most peop ...

(i.e. ''tannō,'' ''hinokishin'').

''Tannō''

''Tannō'' (たんのう), or "joyous acceptance," is the spiritual practice of the Joyous Life. It is the state of mind which accepts all occurrences in one's daily life positively and as the intention of God, including hardships.

''Hinokishin''

''Hinokishin'' (ひのきしん), or "daily contribution," is the physical practice of the Joyous Life. It is an expression of joy and gratitude that materializes in the world through service for one's community or surroundings.

Eschatology

Tenrikyo doctrine and tradition assert the spiritual maturity of humankind will gradually improve over many rebirths and countless millennia, and by so doing will grow in more joy and bliss and will get closer to the world of the Joyous Life. It is said that when the hearts of humankind have been adequately purified, God will inaugurate the world of the Joyous Life by bestowing a sweet dew on the basin to be placed on top of the ''

Kanrodai In the Tenrikyo religion, the Jiba (ぢば) is the ''axis mundi'' where adherents believe that God created humankind. The spot is located in the center of the main sanctuary at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, located in Tenri, Nara, Japan. It is mar ...

,'' which when consumed, will allow people to live the full lifespan of 115 years without illness or misfortune, and die painlessly to be reborn. Therefore Tenrikyo

eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that negati ...

maintains a

progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...

and a

millenarian Millenarianism or millenarism (from Latin , "containing a thousand") is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming fundamental transformation of society, after which "all things will be changed". Millenariani ...

Etymology

History

Theology

Creation

Salvation

''Tannō''

''Hinokishin''

Eschatology

References

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading