was the second spiritual leader of the

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 Orig ...

religion. He is also known as the ''Honseki'' (本席, ). After the death of

Nakayama Miki was a nineteenth-century Japanese farmer and religious leader. She is the primary figure of the Japanese new religion Tenrikyo. Tenrikyo followers, who refer to her as Oyasama (おやさま or 親様), believe that she was settled in the Shrine ...

(Oyasama) in 1887, he was the spiritual leader while Oyasama's son Nakayama Shinnosuke became the administrative leader, the ''

Shinbashira The shinbashira (心柱, also 真柱 or 刹/擦 ''satsu'') is a central pillar at the core of a pagoda or similar structure. The shinbashira has long been thought to be the key to the Japanese pagoda's notable earthquake resistance, when newer co ...

''. Having received the "grant of speech" from Oyasama, Iburi dictated the

Osashizu In the Tenrikyo religion, the Osashizu (Japanese: おさしづ, also お指図 or 御指図, "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 ...

, additional divinely inspired instructions on the creation and maintenance of a Tenrikyo community.

Life

Early years

Iburi was born in

Murō, Nara was a village located in Uda District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of 2005, the village had an estimated population of 5,939 and a density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. ...

in 1833, but was forced to leave when his family became despondent. He moved to Ichinomoto Village (櫟本) in modern-day Tenri, and sought out a wife. His first wife died in childbirth, while the second arranged marriage to a

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

addict was quickly annulled. His third wife became gravely ill after childbirth, which led him to seek Tenrikyo. He became a member after his wife was healed and went to see Oyasama every day, supporting her during times of religious persecution.

As ''Honseki''

Upon the death of Nakayama Miki in 1887, Iburi continued in his role of ''Honseki'' as the main spiritual leader of Tenrikyo. Rin Masui (増井りん, 1843–1939), a widow, became his personal attendant in 1893. Iburi presided over a period of rapid expansion for Tenrikyo, which saw it reach villages throughout Japan. In 1896, eight percent of all Japanese citizens were dues-paying adherents of Tenrikyo. Iburi petitioned the government to be separated from the

Sect Shinto refers to several independently organized Shinto groups that were excluded by Japanese law in 1882 from government-run State Shinto. Compared to mainstream Shrine Shinto, which focuses primarily on rituals, these independent groups have a more d ...

group Shinto Honkyoku; this petition was granted in 1908.

Final years and death

It was Iburi's intention to continue the ''Honseki'' position by passing on spiritual leadership to a worthy successor, while the ''Shinbashira'' position was passed on in the Nakayama family. On June 6, 1907, three days before Iburi's death, the Tenrikyo Church headquarters announced that Naraito Ueda (上田ナライト, 1863–1937), who had been a close follower of Nakayama Miki since the 1870s, would succeed the current ''honseki''. However, she became ill, and in 1918 she reportedly became insane, so the ''Honseki'' position ended with Iburi. Afterwards, the Nakayama family consolidated spiritual and administrative leadership with the ''Shinbashira'', who would always be a male member of the Nakayama family. Iburi's last words were reportedly . He was said to have died sitting up with his hands on his lap.

Family

His three children Nagao Yoshie (永尾よしゑ, first daughter born in 1866; died 1936), Iburi Masae (飯降政甚, second daughter born in 1872), and Iburi Masajin (飯降まさ忍, second son born in 1874 after his first son died during childhood)Tenrikyo Overseas Department (2010). ''A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms''. pp. 150–1. Tenri, Japan: Tenrikyo Overseas Department. (Translated selections from the Japanese book ''Tenrikyō jiten'' 天理教事典) are referred to in Tenrikyo as .

Life

Early years

As ''Honseki''

Final years and death

Family

References

Further reading