Summary of the Shinji (September29, 2020) from Kyōshu Seishisha Tomomarukō Sensei

We have now entered the period of Kōju Shinja Sanpaiji (*1).  And with all the learnings acquired over the year, we believe that your kokoro has gained more strength and has moved forward. However, despite the timing, if you are in the midst of a problem and finding yourself trapped in thoughts of despair, this Shinji revealed for September 29 will help you see the bigger picture and guide you to find a clue to solve the current situation. When we are faced with a problem, we tend to look for the easy way out. But think of it as an opportunity to reflect and move forward with a better self. In other words, overcoming a problem is your chance to change yourself and live better. We want you to never stop moving forward to reaching kaiun.

This Shinji can be divided into two parts; both including a part that identifies the deep understanding and an important realization. Let us start with the deep understanding.

Know the kokoro (behavior and manner) to live in the age of Shinkon.
The effort to connect the Kokoro no Michi with the understanding of the principles of the path is what brings forth the power of unmei; keeping you away from accidents and disasters.
Abide by the path and the light will shine through.
This one principle lays here.

This part of the Shinji describes what it is to be protected by Kibō no Michi. Abide by the path and the light will shine through; as this one principle says it all, if you strive to abide by the teachings of Kami, Hotoke and Hito no Michi, you will receive the protection given by the power of Kibō no Michi and carry on with your life to kaiun (*2). The kokoro (behavior and manner) to live in the age of Shinkon is to strive to abide by the path and live right. And as a result, your strengths filled with good points will surface and help give you a life with meaning and purpose, leading to a life filled with fulfillment.

To achieve this, you need to continuously learn the teachings and gain the understanding of the principles of the path. In other words, learn and use the teachings for your self-betterment, and naturally take in what is taught through the teachings to your way of life. And the effort to improve yourself will bring forth the power of unmei.  It is because you live along the path, your jittai (*3)  will be suppressed, and your unmei (*4)  will be surfaced. And as a result, your life will be free from serious accidents and disasters.

This is the principle of Kibō no Michi. So therefore, it is not correct to rely on the protection through the power of Kibō no Michi only when you find yourself in trouble. You need to always live by the teachings to allow yourself to receive the protection at all times.

We all live under different circumstances, and often go through many different issues that come forth in life. When issues come up, we need to take our time to reflect, understand what we are seeing or not seeing, and elevate ourselves. Abide by the path and the light will shine through; understand this one principle and trust that as we follow and live by the teachings, there is salvation.

Once we understand the importance to aim to become a person who can receive the protection through the power of Kibō no Michi, the next step is the realization.

To the Shinja
How is your kokoro (behavior and manner) this year as we enter the period of Kōju?
Deepening the understanding of the Shinji—the principles, was it a year where your wishes were granted?
Realize that there is truth in yourself.

Thriving to become a person who receives the protection through the power of Kibō no Michi is what needs to be done. For that purpose, there are the monthly teachings as a guidance to take definite steps. And as we reach and enter the period of Kōju, Kami asks how is your kokoro (behavior and manner)?

Did you try your best to live by the teachings? If you have deepened the understanding of the Shinji—the principles, and lived with the awareness to live by the teachings, this year must have been a year where your wishes were granted; in other words, where your strengths and abilities have surfaced, shared, and felt by many. 

You cannot dismiss your own parameter and unmei when hoping for your wishes to be granted. For instance, it is wrong to ask Kami not to get caught by the police despite violating the speed limit. The right thing to wish in your life is for your own unmei to surface to be shared to the rest of the world. In doing so, it is important to deepen your understanding through the teachings, have the right focus of life, and try to become a person who can extend their abilities for something good.

If you have lived within your means and have not let your jittai take over you, life should have been without any serious disasters or any setbacks this year. And this is a sign that you are successfully correcting your jittai based on the teachings. However, if you are standing feeling a little perplexed, now is the time to realize and make some changes. What you are feeling and where you are today is the result of how you have lived this year, and realize that is the truth of the self at the moment.

The second half of the Shinji contains the deep understanding and a realization. We begin with the deep understanding.

Learn the teachings, observe your kokoro (behavior and manner) and correct them.
You will see more and more of the kokoro to kigan, allowing your awareness to become a deep understanding in your heart.

This is what needs to be done in order for you to receive the protection through the power of Kibō no Michi. Learn the teachings, observe the state of your kokoro at the moment and correct them. It isn’t right to learn the teachings and use them to judge other people such as your own family or your boss. Teachings are meant to be reflected upon yourself—not upon others. And if you find any shortcomings, work on it to improve.

However, kokoro is difficult to handle at times. That is why you kigan. If you can see what is necessary and what needs to be modified, you can kigan correctly. You will see the kokoro to kigan and with the blessings, the teachings will become much easier to be practiced. Your life will be elevated as you learn the teachings, kigan, and live with love. The important thing is to bring your awareness to a deep understanding and make the effort to hone yourself and make the teachings a part of your daily life.

Having the direction of life, the next is a realization.

The more people live by the teachings, they will cherish their involvement with the family.
They see the responsibility and the position, strengthening their kokoro of what is to be human.
The effort made to practice the teachings at home will hone and bring out the family’s kokoro.
The life of family members will be protected in the hands of Kami where there exists harmony in the family.

The more you learn the teachings and live by the teachings, your strengths will flourish and your weaknesses will be suppressed. This leads to better relationships with people, thus you will be able to enjoy the harmony you can create with other people. Among them all, the harmony you create with the family is the most relevant. Your happiness roots in the involvement with the family. The more you learn the teachings, you will find significant changes in how you interact and involve with your family; and at the same time, this is the effort you must make as you learn the teachings.

Then you will start to see your responsibility and your position better. You will see clearly what your position and your role are in the family. And this is important to be a better father, better mother, a better child, or better grandparents. This is exactly the kokoro of what is to be human—a life spent without going beyond one’s parameters.

Happiness is rooted in the harmony of a family. This is because in a harmonious family, the husband and wife are in good relation, the parents and children are in good communication, which helps attain good health among the family members. If everyone is healthy, work will go well and everyday life will be protected, and there will be hopes for the future. The unmei of each family member will be honed and brought out.  The family will prosper as the life of family members will be protected in the hands of Kami.

(*1) Kōju Shinja Sanpaiji: The year begins with Shinnen Shinja Sanpaji in January. Then comes the Kōei Shinja Sanpaiji in May. Kōju Shinja Sanpaiji is the period between September 23 through November 15, which is the period to give thanks for the protection and to report to Kami with gratitude of all the blessings received.

(*2) Kaiun: It is to live by the teachings to bring out the unmei given to you from Kami, and suppress all the bad/negative jittai passed on to you from your parents and ancestors, and achieve true happiness promised by your unmei. 

(*3) Jittai: It is one’s manner and behavior and the way of life that becomes both the good and bad attributes that get left in the family line. It becomes the quality that determines how the following generation live their lives. It is the inherited predispositions, temperament, and characters that influences one’s unmei.

(*4) Unmei: It is the power and the ability to be useful to society that Ōyamanezunomikoto has given to each human being. If a person lives in accordance to their unmei, many will be touched by his/her talents and abilities, which leads him/her to find a meaning and purpose, and achieve true happiness. However, in many cases the jittai that are handed down from the parents and ancestors, combined with how one chooses to live, suppress the talents and abilities of a person.