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

Kami foretold that this year, society would continue to change greatly. And as was predicted, people’s kokoro all over the world are being swayed in the great changes. Countless people are consumed by the changes of environments occurring to them one after another, and they worry and lose their way. Even in the midst of severe changes, however, people who could grasp how to live through the teachings have been able to move forward in life steadily.
Based on the Shinji for Kigansai, we deepened the learning of Kami’s teachings, and it is time to look back on our life, report the annual result to Shinkon, and express our gratitude for the enormous protection.
For August, Kami showed the terminus of what we should deeply understand this year with the last paragraph of Shinji from Kigansai.

Life is in Kami’s hands—strive to be the person (human being) who completes their life journey knowing that the time spent living as a human being is precious.

As the conclusion of this Shinji, Kami has given us three pieces of Shinji on 1st, 15th, and 23rd.
Life is a sacred time that is beyond human knowledge and given in Kami’s hand. The reason why it is precious is because everyone has their own lifespan protected by unmei which is given by Kami. Everyone has been given an unmei, or a lifespan, or the strength to be of use to society.
We need to aim to be the person who completes their life journey. To achieve it, we should learn the teachings as a family, and create a family that hones each unmei, without allowing it to wither. If we could achieve it, we could make the best use of the given unmei within a limited lifespan and walk the significant and sacred life.
Therefore, the theme for August, which is a terminus of the year, is “Life is a sacred time to live.” Kami showed three Shinji for the theme. The first Shinji revealed for August 1st consists of awareness, deep understanding, and awareness.

The first paragraph is awareness. Kami asks us to look back on whether we could do this.

The pillar that supports life is the unmei.
Do you truly understand this one principle?
There are many people who walk the path (life) and leave behind regrets of their own accord and repeatedly feel remorse when incidents occur.
How are you doing?

The first phrase “The pillar that supports life is the unmei.” is the ultimate principle of life. What supports everyone’s life is not property, position, title, but unmei which is the strength to be of use to society. Kami asks us whether we grasp this ultimate principle from the bottom of our hearts.
If we could not be aware that unmei, in other words, our own strength, is the precious thing to support our life, we seek things which are not our specialty, and strive to achieve things beyond our parameters that is beside the point. This means that we proceed to walk the path and leave behind the regrets of our own accord. For example, if a person who has an ability to take care of things cautiously gets a job that demands speed, it is a way of living that goes beyond his parameters. Then it brings him worries or confusion, soon leading him to feel remorse. Kami points out there are many people like this and asks How are you doing? The important thing is we grasp the way of living to become one with the strength from the teachings and try to do it.

The next paragraph is understanding. What we must learn and practice now.

To the Shinja
You must learn the teachings and try to make the best of them in your kokoro (life).
The more deeply the teachings are learned, the kokoro of human beings moves before something occurs and a kokoro of awareness is experienced.
If you are aware, your response will change.
It leads to the correct interaction, the correct thought, the correct behavior.

What decides the happiness or unhappiness is the movement of the kokoro for each and every moment. The teachings are not to be learned as a doctrine or instruction, but it is needed to be made the best of in the movement of our kokoro. Kami declares the more deeply the teachings are learned, the correct movement of kokoro is learned and the kokoro of human beings moves before something occurs.
Tomomaruhime Sensei often took this story as an example. When a person somehow stopped walking, a stone fell in front of him and he was narrowly saved. If he did not stop walking, the stone would have hit his head. The moment of awareness is not about learning, knowledge and experience, but the movement of our kokoro led in Kami’s hand.
What we must do now is to learn the teachings and make them a part of how we live with kigan, and endeavor to correct our jittai. If we could make this effort, the movement of our kokoro will be protected so that we can be aware before something occurs, thus leaving behind no regrets.

We need to live by Kami’s teachings anyway, and let’s improve our ways of perceiving, feeling, and living itself. Then, we will come to have the correct interaction with nature, people, and things. In the daily news, there are many examples of people not having correct interactions. If there are something they do not like, they criticize and deny others that “that action is strange.” In each background, however, there will be its reasonable circumstances. All you have to do is to act calmly, doing what you should do and what you should be concerned with. Let’s be aware of the correct interaction, the correct thought, the correct behavior.

The last paragraph is awareness. This is the conclusion of the entire Shinji for Kigansai we have learned this year.

The unmei is the strength (life force) that Kami has given to each person—realize that it is the strength to live each day without regrets.
All (people) who live their lives supported by the teachings, the strength of the unmei is drawn out and the kokoro that leaves behind regrets does not occur.
Without straying off the path, you will make the best of your encounters with people each day.
Because you are in Kami’s hands, you will live a life guided by your unmei.
Many miracles will be experienced and understanding about the wonders of the spiritual world will increasingly deepen.

The last part of the Shinji for Kigansai taught us to strive to be the person (human being) who completes their life journey. If we hone the power of our unmei and show our ability correctly, we will be of use to society, fulfill our life force that Kami has given each person, and walk a life without any regrets. Moreover, the life will be worth living and we will feel happy from the bottom of our hearts, in other words, the time spent living as a human being is precious. Life is happiness if you are of use to people and experience the joy of living until the end of your life. No matter how old, just a word from grandfather and grandmother might be a great encouragement for the family. Kami wishes everyone to live a life with such presence.

Unmei is a life force given to each and every one of us, and it is a lifespan. Live their lives supported by the teachings, that is to say, if we think in terms of Kami’s teaching and act upon what happiness is, the unmei is drawn out and the kokoro that leaves behind regrets does not occur. When the unmei is drawn out, our jittai would be suppressed.

It means a momentary movement of kokoro is protected. For example, what happiness is that a short-tempered person becomes not sullen when he is mentioned something that was not in his intensions. Therefore, to learn the teachings on our own motive and hone the unmei is important.

In the world, there are countless people who could not make the best of the ties and encounters with people, have human relationship problems, and bring about worries of their own accord. Without the understanding of the teachings, they have wrong involvements with others and go off the path. Only if we are involved with others based on the teachings we could make full use of our unmei without staying off the path. This means you will live a life guided by your unmei.
Kami greatly keeps an eye on everyone’s kokoro. When we strive to make the best of the teachings, Kami protects the movements of our kokoro by Kami’s power. First, we are not swept away by emotions and our kokoro is not upset. Our kokoro is protected and we could live with calm kokoro. It means Many miracles will be experienced and understanding about the wonders of the spiritual world will increasingly deepen.

To live life as a human being means to complete their life journey given by Kami. It is not a difficult thing. To worship Kami from the bottom of your hearts and live your life with a belief. Then your will to live by the teachings will become unwavering conviction. And finally, your way of living will be corrected and you could spend days one with your unmei. This is the way of living that achieves kaiun.