Summary of the Shinji (June 1, 2020) from Kyōshu Seishisha Tomomarukō Sensei

Shinja Kokoro no Michi Benkyōkai based on the Shinji for 1st, 15th and the 23rd every month is a spiritual guidance that is necessary to understand the flow of society we live today.
Let us recapitulate the Shinji from Kigansai (January 1, 2020) to refresh our memory and understanding of the guiding principle that Kami revealed for this year.
Here is a part where Kami foretold what is going to happen in 2020.

 

The state of the world (society) will continue to change.
The power (change) of the times is at work to harmonize nature (the universe).
Live each day knowing the kokoro to give back to society and remain unconsumed by the changes.

 

Kami has kept warning us that the world has gone under great confusion because the world has become so disorderly and unsystematic, creating an imbalance over time. Therefore, Kami showed how important it is to know and understand the principles because there exists an order of how things ought to be in this world. And here, Kami had given us a Shinji at the beginning of the year that the power (change) of the times is at work to harmonize nature (the universe). And what we are experiencing with the pandemic is just one of the many changes that is at work to harmonize the universe. So perhaps, we have to keep in mind that the search for a vaccine to fight the new virus is not the end of the story—until the universe returns to its orderly state, many more changes are still yet to come.

 

People often only see the science behind the problems we have as a global community—such as the issue of global warming, the changes in weather patterns and marine pollution to name a few.  But these problems have become so overwhelmingly big that there is no one definite solution to solve the issue. As a result, people have made changes in their lifestyles which created a ripple effect that effected the entire global community.
What we want to come across here, is that there are still more changes of time that is yet to come. And the changes in one place affects the entire world as we saw in the recent pandemic. So therefore, in order for us to be unconsumed, we need to live with a kokoro to give back. Otherwise, we will be easily consumed by all the changes.

 

With this in mind, let us move forward to the learnings for June.

 

The theme for June is to deepen our understanding that the teachings are what leads our life to one without regrets. In other words, we need to truly understand how important it is to live by the teachings. And for the first Shinji of the month (June 1) it is focused on the values of living with the teachings as a family, and how to use the principles in our life. The theme may sound repetitive over the course of time, but this shows how we may be reading the Shinji and think we understand the principles, but not understanding it deeply enough to really make it a part of our life. Therefore, it is  recommended that you learn the Shinji today to reflect your kokoro to see how much you are truly absorbing the words of Kami.   

 

And also, why do you think we are given this theme on focusing to understand that the teachings are what leads our life to one without regrets?  Simply because, there is no regretful feeling left when life is lived with the teachings. To live life without regrets, the involvement with the family is relevant—as a father, as a mother and as a child. If each family member can interact and be involved with each other in the right way, you can live your life without regrets, but you will lose focus on how to interact and be involved unless you keep learning the teachings and reminding yourself with the principles taught through the words of Kami.

 

We mentioned earlier that to live with a kokoro to give back is important especially in times of changes. And basically, the ‘kokoro to give back’ is about how you interact and involve with other people. The involvement with others is learned through the interactions with the family, and that is why Kami has always placed a focus on the family. And this is how you can live without being consumed in times of changes.

 

The first part of the Shinji shows the important kokoro to have.  To show us those important kokoro, Kami pointed out two things to realize.
The first can be read from the following phrase.

 

The person (people) whose kokoro (life) is supported by the teachings is protected.
Their encounters with family members, relatives, shinja, and the people in the world will deepen.

 

To comprehend the teachings correctly and to practice them in the family environment are important. Then, the unmei of each person is honed and the strengths of each person will be surfaced as a result.  And therefore, the practicing of the teachings to deepen the relationships among the family naturally spreads to other relationships creating good environment both on the inside and the outside of the house.
A person who lives to make this effort will not suffer major illnesses, or even if they do get into some kind of problem, they will be supported by many people and overcome. On the other hand, a person who does not make the effort to deepen the relationship with the family, they will become an outcast.  Unable to receive support from the people around them, they will end up being consumed by the changes. 

 

The second point to realize.

 

Kami’s teachings are needed to return a world, which has no principles and has gone against and strayed from the path, back to the correct path.

 

Time will run out and you will miss getting on the right flow if you take the teaching of Kami as a religious doctrine. The teaching of Kami is the principle of life that every human being needs to understand and follow. So therefore, it is not a religious belief for just a small group of people to be practiced. We need to understand, what we are learning as the teachings are important principles that transcends all boundaries and needs to be practiced by all human beings. People will go against and stray from the right path unless the teachings are acquired correctly into one’s life.  Which means, that the power of the unmei will not surface to protect your life in the right direction. That is why it is so important to place the teachings as your guiding principle of life.

 

The following are two understandings we need to take in. And the first is told in the next phrase of the Shinji.

 

The more life is lived by the principles, the jittai of the human being is corrected and transforms to a life full of meaning and purpose.

 

The Shinji writes, the more life is lived by the principles; this indicates how important it is for the teachings to be a natural part of our way of life. What is expected of us is to have the conviction to live with the teachings. If that can be done, the jittai of the human being is corrected. And when the jittai is corrected, the unmei is honed at the same time, so therefore you will experience a life filled with meaning and purpose.
The second point of deep understanding comes next.

 

Knowing this truth, now is the time for families to visit the church often and to make the effort to create a home where a kokoro of harmony is fostered.

 

Now is the time to make the effort as a family to create a family environment filled with warmth and comfort. To do so, please utilize the environment of Shinji Kyōkai. This will help you experience a life of fulfillment led by the teachings; which is exactly the theme of this month. And it ties to the last phrase of the Shinji which shows us an important principle.

 

Human beings will attain a life without regrets when understanding is gained from the teachings.

 

Let us keep this one principle in mind to spend the month of June.

 

There are so many opinions and criticism that are dividing our society today. We hear talks about discrimination in a timing when we all need to come together and unite. Now is the time to see what is right, and live to come together. We don’t know what lies ahead of us. And whatever that is, none of us can overcome alone. That is why Kami is showing us how we must live and how we can live to bring people together to cooperate with each another.
I was driving along the oceanside the other day, and the ocean was very calm and beautiful. The trees were green and the sky was blue as it can get. The power of nature is definitely surfacing and moving greatly. That is why we need to live with a kokoro to give back. And when the time comes; when the world reaches its state of balance your heart will be filled with a sense of security and gratitude.