Summary of the Shinji (June 15, 2020) from Kyōshu Seishisha Tomomarukō Sensei

As there is an increase in chances of massive typhoons and torrential rains causing natural disasters all over the world, people say it is not normal. The idea comes from human beings’ egocentric point of view. Typhoons and heavy rains occur to cool down the heated parts of the earth and to bring the earth into a natural state. Human beings experience high fever when they are faced with an infection or virus. However, the high fever helps your body to fight off infection and that will bring your body back into a healthy state. Like this, any natural phenomenon occurs to stabilize the environment.

 

Kami often teaches us that society is in the midst of great changes. It means that human beings have gone against nature, the principles of life, so the power that pulls back the world to its natural state is working. Who is to be blamed? Typhoon or high fever are just a reaction the nature is taking to heal itself. What needs to be questioned is the act of human beings who have gone against the nature to cause all these changes. This applies to our situation with the new coronavirus, or the protest against civil rights. We must realize that these are all happening to bring our society into a better balance, and back to normal―how things should be.

 

Kami foresees what this year will be and teaches us how our kokoro ought to be each month. The theme from January to March were Live Life Supported by the Principles, Move with the Flow of the Times and Gain Meaning and Purpose, and Do Not Be Consumed by the Changes, Give Back to Society.

 

Those themes imply not to take Kami’s teachings as a religious doctrine, but place it close to your heart as your guidance, principles of life, that helps you understand how the world works. If you live without Kami’s teachings, you will be consumed by the changes since the flow of time will change dramatically. Human beings think about the change egocentrically and take it as ‘abnormity,’ but the change happens in order to bring this world back into how it should be that fits with the principle. Therefore, if you live a life following the principle, you will not be consumed even if the flow of time changes largely.

 

And practice the teachings in your family first. This is the theme of April; Strive To Create a Family That Lives by the Principles. Those who follow the theme must be living without having their kokoro wavered even if their life style changes; stay at home, business shutdowns, remote working. They, moreover, would take these changes as good opportunities; deepen the tie with family and give back to society. In addition, the encounters with people would be lighting their life. This was the theme for May; Cherish Your Encounters with Others.

 

And June, the theme is The Teachings Guide Us To a Life without Regrets. Kami teaches us how important the teachings are. Let’s take a look at the Shinji for June 15th.

 

The first part shows us what we should realize now.

Know the condition (truth) that human beings live a finite period of time (an era), their kokoro guided by their unmei-jittai.

 

Kami once showed us the ephemeralness of human life saying, “A human life is born in the morning and ends in the evening.” Tomomaruhime Sensei taught us that it would be such a waste not to cherish each and every day because life is fleeting and finite. Life is short and comes to an end in the blink of an eye no matter how much we argue. Kami is urging us to be aware of this.

 

The next shinji also tells us what to realize.

But society does not have the means to hone and raise the kokoro (unmei-jittai).
Herein lies the reason why society does not come together and people lose their way and suffer.

Society does not have the means to hone and raise the kokoro. That is why the difference between the light and the darkness in people’s lives occur. For the families where the members are learning and practicing the teachings, they live brighter days, adapting well to chaotic situations. On the other hand, those who continually go off the path not knowing the workings of this world will allow their lives to wither. People who diffuse discontent and dissatisfaction irresponsibly, people who criticize others in a very offensive manner, people who force others with an excessively strong sense of justice; they will be kicked out when society becomes stabilized.

 

The following part tells us what we must deeply understand. We must make this a part of our life.

The principles become the support in your life, and a life guided by the unmei begins.

 

Unmei is the strong points, or the parameters of one’s life Kami has bestowed to each and every person. A life guided by the unmei is a life filled with joy, meaning and purpose experienced through extending one’s strengths and contributing to society.
The teachings of Kami are the mainstay of our life that will lead our finite lifespan to be a fulfilling set of time.

 

Though Shinji Kyōkai is a religious corporation, this organization does not show any man-made religious precepts or dogmas. What is important is to treasure the teachings that the true Kami reveals. Otherwise we would not be able to grasp the turbulent flow of society that is going under great changes.

 

And the next part tells us the principles. The principles are the immutable workings of the world that give us the ultimate moral directives we should conform our way of thinking to.

When human beings consciously live a life that is one with their unmei, the environment changes for the better, they live days filled with joy, meaning and purpose.

 

It is important to see your unmei, or the parameters of your life and to live being conscious that your life will bloom when you make use of your strength. Your unmei will lead any environmental changes to work positively for you, which will enable you to live life filled with joy, meaning and purpose. Kami teaches us that this is the ultimate way of living we should pursue.

A typhoon itself is not abnormal. It is a phenomenon where violent rainstorms balance the overall environment on the earth, cooling down the excessively warmed parts of the planet. When we understand this, we realize we should be thankful for this, because it is a healing process through which the earth returns to a balanced state. Tomomarusai Sensei used to tell us that we should embrace it and prepare for typhoons when they approach, because they are unavoidable. This is the kokoro that lives by the principles.

 

When we are conscious of our own unmei, we will learn many things and grow even in this pandemic situation. This is made possible only when we learn and live by the teachings. This is what Kami is teaching us with the theme for June; The Teachings Guide Us To a Life without Regrets.