Good morning. I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to attend the July 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 VIRTUE THAT CANNOT BE SEEN BY THE EYE
Human beings consist of a mind, body and a soul. The seed of a human being is the soul and it is the core of our existence. We can build a high rise building because there is a firm foundation in the ground; that is, the contractor pound long piles of concrete into the ground. Also there are many big trees in Hawaii. The tree can grow tall because they have large and deep roots. That is why they don't fall down easily even though there is a strong wind. The same way, as humans beings we exist in this world by virtue of the soul and by the destiny created by the virtue of the soul.
There are two different types of virtue. One is the right brain or talented, athletic, skillful and musically inclined people by nature. Those people have virtue by nature, by birth. These are inherited through your parents or through your genes and also from past life causation or karma. Moreover, to develop one's ability even more, we can practice and polish up our skills. However, there is limit to this ability.
Another virtue is a person's integrity or honest, good personality, a person who is loved by others and is trustworthy. This is the type of virtue that the more you accumulate, the more you will gain. It depends on your mind on how much you can accumulate and there is no limit.
But how can we accumulate virtue? Here is a story from the Anecdotes of Oyasama.
Oyasama taught Izo Iburi as follows:
"Izo-san, you must accumulate the invisible virtue when following this path. No matter how hard you work in front of the eyes of others, God will not accept your work if you skimp your work in private or speak ill of others behind their back. If you receive a reward from others, after doing a good thing, the virtue you earned is paid off. She taught the path of accumulating the invisible virtue in this way. In other words, the invisible virtue can be called "fusekomi" which is dedication or planting seeds of sincerity."
That is, accumulating the virtue in the soul. Fusekomi is similar to people training for a marathon. In order to build up their strength and stamina, they run everyday. The practice of the mind of saving others is Fusekomi. The practice without changing the mind. The practice of accumulating the virtue of true sincerity that cannot be seen by the eye.
Those people who accumulate virtue in their soul are fortunate with meeting good people and whatever they wish will come true. When we try to do something, we need good people and those people who have virtue will meet good people such as a good boss, good friends, good teachers and good coworkers. These depend on how much virtue you have in your soul.
On the other hand, what is the situation for the person who doesn't have much virtue? No matter how wealthy or how much you live in comfort, you cannot live with peace of mind because you worry about your wealth being lost or stolen. But when you have virtue in your soul, you can be happy when you couldn't be happy before and appreciate everything. Things which have a form can be lost or stolen. The invisible virtue is kept in the soul and cannot be lost or stolen. Eventually we can be led to a strong faith and good destiny.
A few years ago, my wife boarded a bus coming home from downtown. When she got on the bus, there was an open seat and she was happy and relieved to be able to sit down. When she looked up, there was a big elderly lady sitting across from her. As soon as she saw her face, she looked away because she felt that she saw something that she shouldn't stare at. The lady had a severe skin condition in which her face and body was completely covered with numerous nodules. The skin was literally covered with these bumps which didn't look good and which she think most people will try to avoid a person with this condition. She felt so sorry about this person and she nervously looked at this person and tried to smile. When she saw this lady's eyes, she was surprised to see them sparkle with hope and joy. She felt it was the joy of being kept alive. At that moment, she felt ashamed by seeing this lady because my wife didn't have any abnormal condition, she questioned herself, "Am I living with joy in my heart?" and reflected on her situation and asked, "Do I really appreciated being blessed with good health."
No matter what situation you are in and no matter what your appearance is, there are people who live with appreciation and gratitude who are much worse off than you. These are the people who have the virtue that cannot be seen with the eye.
Announcements
1. I would like to thank all of you who attended the annual Tenrikyo Picnic held on July 4th. Thanks go to the Young Men's Association and Young Women's Club for planning and conducting the picnic. And of course special thanks to our own Annabella who set up the dessert tent for everyone's enjoyment.
2. Due to your support, Vasana Amos returned to Jiba on June 21 and attended the basics course and four Besseki Lectures.
3. This month the Hawaii One-month Spiritual Development Course ended last Friday, on July 11 with 5 students graduating. No one from Pearl Church attended this year, but I encourage everyone to recommend this course to friends and family next year. This course is open to anyone 17 years and older, who wish to deepen their understanding of the teachings and open the doors to a new life of meaning, joy and resolve.
4. Also due to your support, Lucas and I will be returning to Jiba for the children's pilgrimage. I will be attending as the BGA Hawaii chairman and Lucas will be the Hinokishin Corps counselor.
5. Please welcome new faces: