The Ten Aspects of Gods Providence

Good morning. I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to attend the March Monthly Service here at Tenrikyo Pearl Church and thank you for your kind and sincere offerings. I am sure God the Parent and Oyasama is really happy to see you all here today and to have performed the service with joy and in high spirits!

THE TEN ASPECTS OF GOD’S PROVIDENCE

In January, we talked about how we forget our obligation to God and last month we discussed how we can remember and fulfill our obligations to God the Parent through the performance of the Service. Today, we will explain the ten aspects of God’s Providence to gain a greater appreciation for how God works to keep us alive.

If you recall we talked about the blessings of natural phenomena, such as: fire, water, and wind; and about how we are kept alive by these wonderful blessings. These three important workings are part of the ten aspects of God’s Providence.

Please turn to page 8 in the purple booklet ‘The Path to the Joyous Life.’

Let us read together, the’

TEN ASPECTS OF GOD’S PROVIDENCE

Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto

in the heavens, manifests as the moon; in the human body, the providence of the eyes and fluids; in the world, the providence of water.

Omotari-no-Mikoto

in the heavens, manifests as the sun: in the human body, the providence of warmth; in the world, the providence of fire.

Kunisazuchi-no-Mikoto

in the human body, the providence of the female organ, of skin and joining; in the world, the providence of joining in general.

Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto

in the human body, the providence of the male organ, of bones and support; in the world, the providence of support in general.

Kumoyomi-no-Mikoto

in the human body, the providence of eating, drinking, and elimination; in the world, the providence of the rise and fall of moisture.

Kashikone-no-Mikoto

in the human body, the providence of breathing and speaking; in the world, the providence of wind.

Taishokuten-no-Mikoto

the providence of cutting off the ties of the child to its mother at birth, and also of cutting off the breath of life when one passes away for rebirth; in the world, the providence of cutting in general.

Otonobe-no-Mikoto

the providence of pulling out the child from its mother during birth; in the world, the providence of pulling forth in general.

     Izanagi-no-Mikoto
     the model of man, the seed.

     Izanami-no-Mikoto
     the model of woman, the seed plot.

By assigning sacred names to each of the workings or functions, God the Parent clearly explains God’s complete protection.

The providence of water is called Kunitokotachi-no-Mikoto. It is represented in the sky as the moon’ probably because it affects the tides in the oceans. As some of you know, the human body is two-thirds water. A baby has 77% water. In the body water helps to transport nutrients and waste products in and out of cells. It is necessary for all digestive, absorption, circulatory, and excretory functions, as well as for the utilization of water-soluble vitamins. If we do not drink water for three days, we would die. In the world water play important roles as rain fall, streams, glaciers and the oceans. 70% of the earth is covered with water.

     According to Rev. Yoshinaru Ueda in his booklet ‘Tenri-O-no-Mikoto: What is the Character of God?’ he writes: ‘When we get a headache, we must change the state of our mind and become just like pure water; in other words, we must become gentle, humble, and sincere. When the providence of water is appreciated and sinks deep into our mind through self-reflection, the headache will disappear.’ This is the providence of water.

     The providence of fire is called Omotari-no-Mikoto. It is represented in the sky as the sun; for obvious reasons. It represents all fire in the world: fire from a match, burning charcoal for a barbeque, burning gas on a stove, a car engine, and electric power plant, and heat from electricity.

     In the human body, this providence maintains normal body temperature which is about 96.8 degrees F, no matter how the temperature changes on the outside. But if you had a fever of 108 degrees, you are in very critical condition. You are struggling for your life. It is beyond human power to maintain normal body temperature. You would be constantly adjusting yourself. Of course for extreme temperatures, we are helping to maintain body temperature by wearing light or heavy clothing.

     The providence of joining is called Kunisazuchi-no-Mikoto. In the human body it is the providence of the female organ and of skin and joining; in the world: the providence of joining in general. The skin protects us from the outside heat and cold and from bacteria and viruses. Kunisazuchi is represented by the animal ‘turtle’ which is very stable and has a low profile, meaning that it has a gentle and humble characteristic which is basic to developing and maintaining relationships or ‘connecting’ with other human beings. When you can maintain a gentle and humble attitude it is easier to ‘connect’ with a good job, good income, good spouse, good friends and good luck.

     Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto is the name given to the providence of support. In the human body it is the male organ and of bones and support. It helps us to stand erect. In the world it helps to support anything that stands by itself such as trees and plants. The providence is represented by the orca or killer whale which is a vigorous, spirited, courageous, and strong animal. We can see that masculinity encompasses these characteristics and that males should embrace and nurture these attributes to fulfill their respective role.

     Kumoyomi-no-Mikoto: in the human body it is the providence of eating, drinking and elimination; in the world it is the providence of the rise and fall of moisture. The rise and fall of moisture describes the natural cycle of water. The rain or snow falls from the sky. It runs through streams and rivers to lakes and oceans. The sun shines on the water and evaporates into fog and clouds. This natural cycle is due to the providence of Kumoyomi.

     In the human body, it is the digestive system, the stomach and intestines. The food we eat is digested in the stomach and then passes through the intestines where the nutrients are taken and the waste is discharged through the bladder and bowel movement. The providence is represented by the eel which is long and slippery. This aids in the passing of food and liquids through our digestive system. The same way our digestive system discards food wastes, we should discard the negative things in our life. We have a tendency to retain our resentments, anger at people, and bad things that happened to us. We should learn to let go of these negative feelings and retain only the nutrients or those things which help us to grow spiritually.

     Kashikone-no-Mikoto: in the human body it is the providence of breathing and speaking; in the world it is the providence of wind. The function of breathing and speaking in our body mean the system of organs which consists of our wind pipe, lungs, diaphragm, throat and voice box.

     When the weather is nice the wind blows in a gentle breeze, but a tornado or hurricane can damage cars and houses. When husband and wife argue the ‘tornado’ in a home can damage things also. Dishes go flying and doors slam shut. Not only things get damaged, but also feelings get hurt, especially if there are children. God wants us to keep a calm mind and speak positive things and in a gentle voice. In this way we can maintain healthy wind pipes and lungs.

     Taishokuten-no-Mikoto is the providence of cutting. It plays an important role at birth in cutting the umbilical cord and in passing away for rebirth as in cutting off the breath of life. It is represented by the globe or puffer fish which has sharp teeth and is poisonous unless prepared properly. Passing away may seem frightening or undesirable, but in passing, we wish that it could be done quickly without prolonged pain and suffering. Also we need cutting as in preparing for a delicious meal, we need to cut off our bad causality and we need to cut wood and other materials to make things. On the other hand we should avoid making ‘cutting remarks’ that make other people look and feel bad.

     Otonobe-no-Mikoto is the providence of pulling out the child during birth and in the world it is pulling forth, such as the growth of the human body and the growth of crops, plants, trees and livestock such as pigs, cows, chicken and even sea animals.

     Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto are the ninth and tenth sacred names, representing the models of the first man and woman, the first couple.

     These ten aspects of God’s providence work together in unison to provide complete protection for humankind. Because of these providences, we are able to stay healthy and pursue the joyous life.


Announcements

1. I would like to thank all of you who came out to help at the Tenri Cultural Center Hinokishin day on February 19th. We had six people come out from Pearl Church and 150 people overall. The cultural center is becoming more active in the community and it was time to beautify the place. Thank you very much!

2. It’s been 17 years since this church was built and there are many rooms that haven’t been repainted, so we have begun to repaint those rooms. This past month, thanks to your support and the hinokishin effort of those living here, we were able to repaint 5 rooms including the kitchen and dining room. We will continue after the BGA Spring Camp.

3. This coming Sunday is Dendocho’s March Monthly Service at 9am.

4. The BGA will be having their annual General Meeting and Spring camp on March 24-26. That’s Saturday-Monday. Monday is Prince Kuhio Day. We encourage all children to attend this very important activity. Please see me or go online for the camp application at www.tenrikyo-hawaii.com

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