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Tenrikyō is a Japanese new religion which is neither strictly monotheism nor pantheistic,Fukaya, Tadamasa (1973). The Fundamental Doctrines of Tenrikyo (天理教の根本教義). Tenri, Japan: Tenrikyo Overseas Mission Department; printed by Tenri-Jihosha (天理時報社). (April 1973 revision of 1960 original.) originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as "Oyasama".Fukaya, Tadamasa, "The Fundamental Doctrines of Tenrikyo," Tenrikyo Overseas Mission Department, Tenri-Jihosha, 1960, p.2 Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, God in Truth, known by several names including "Tsukihi," "Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto" and "Oyagamisama" revealed divine intent through Miki Nakayama as the Shrine of God"I wish to receive Miki as the Shrine of God." The Doctrine of Tenrikyo, Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, 2006, p.3. and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders. Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated through acts of charity and mindfulness called .
The primary operations of Tenrikyo today are located at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, which supports 16,833 locally managed churches in Japan,Japanese Ministry of Education. Shuukyou Nenkan, Heisei 14-nen (宗教年鑑平成14年). 2002. the construction and maintenance of the and various community-focused organisations. It has 1.75 million followers in Japan and is estimated to have over 2 million worldwide.Stuart D. B. Picken. Historical dictionary of Shinto. Rowman & Littlefield, 2002. p. 223.
Other key teachings include:
Other gods are considered instruments, such as the Divine Providences, and were also created by Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto.
Tenrikyo's doctrine names four properties of Tenri-O-no-Mikoto: as the God who became openly revealed in the world, as the creator who created the world and humankind, as the sustainer and protector who gives existence and life to all creation, and as the savior whose intention in becoming revealed is to save all humankind.A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms, p.110.
Through her scriptures (the , , and ), Nakayama conveyed the concept of the divine to her followers in steps:Tenrikyo, Its History and Teachings, 47-8.Fukaya, Yoshikazu. Words of the Path: A Guide to Tenrikyo Terms and Expressions 4–5.
These steps have been described as an "unfolding in the revelation of God's nature in keeping with the developing capacity of human understanding, from an all-powerful God, to a nourishing God, and finally to an intimate God."Kisala, Robert (2001). "Images of God in Japanese New Religions." Bulletin of the Nanzan Institute for Religion & Culture, 25, p. 23.
Followers use the phrase Oyagami-sama (親神様) to refer to God, and the divine name "Tenri-O-no-Mikoto" when praising or worshipping God through prayer or ritual.A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms, p.109.
Broadly speaking, karma refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect). Karma Encyclopædia Britannica (2012) In other words, a person's good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.Lawrence C. Becker & Charlotte B. Becker, Encyclopedia of Ethics, 2nd Edition, , Hindu Ethics, pp 678 Causality and karma are interchangeable in this sense;Kisala, Robert. "Contemporary Karma: Interpretations of Karma in Tenrikyō and Risshō Kōseikai." Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Mar., 1994), pp. 73–91: "In accord with traditional karmic understanding, it is the accumulation of bad innen that is offered as the explanation for present suffering." throughout life a person may experience good and bad causality. In Tenrikyo, the concept is encapsulated in the farming metaphor, "every seed sown will sprout."Fukaya, Yoshikazu. "Every Seed Sown Will Sprout." Words of the Path. online link Karma is closely associated with the idea of Reincarnation,James Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Rosen Publishing, New York, , pp 351–352 such that one's past deeds in the current life and in all previous lives are reflected in the present moment, and one's present deeds are reflected in the future of the current life and in all future lives."Karma" in: John Bowker (1997), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, Oxford University Press. This understanding of rebirth is upheld in causality as well.Kisala, p.77. "...traditional karmic beliefs in personal responsibility, extending over innumerable lifetimes, are upheld in doctrines concerning individual innen."
Tenrikyo's ontology, however, differs from older karmic religious traditions such as Buddhism. In Tenrikyo, the human person is believed to consist of mind, Human body, and soul. The mind, which is given the freedom to sense, feel, and act by God the Parent, ceases to function at death. On the other hand, the soul, through the process of , takes on a new body lent from God the Parent and is reborn into this world. Though the reborn person has no memory of the previous life, the person's thoughts and deeds leave their mark on the soul and are carried over into the new life as the person's causality.Kisala, p.77. As can be seen, Tenrikyo's ontology, which rests on the existence of a single creator deity (God the Parent), differs from Buddhist ontology, which does not contain a creator deity. Also Tenrikyo's concept of salvation, which is to live the Joyous Life in this existence and therefore does not promise a liberated afterlife outside of this existence, differs from Buddhist concepts of saṃsāra and nirvana. Tenrikyo-Christian Dialogue, p. 429-430.
Tenrikyo's doctrine explains that an individual's suffering should not be perceived as punishment or retributive justice from divine providence for past misdeeds, but rather as a sign of encouragement from divine providence for the individual to reflect on the past and to undergo a change of heart. The recognition of the divine providence at work should lead to an attitude of , a Japanese word that indicates a state of satisfaction. is a way of settling the mind – it is not to merely resign oneself to one's situation, but rather to actively "recognize God's parental love in all events and be braced by their occurrence into an ever firmer determination to live joyously each day."Doctrine of Tenrikyo, Tenrikyo Church HQ, 61. In other words, Tenrikyo emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive inner disposition, as opposed to a disposition easily swayed by external circumstance.Kisala, p.78.
The is the most important Tenrikyo scripture. A 17-volume collection of 1,711 poems, the was composed by the foundress of Tenrikyo, Miki Nakayama, from 1869 to 1882.
The is the text of the otsutome, a religious ritual that has a central place in Tenrikyo. During the Service, the text to the is sung together with dance movements and musical accompaniment, all of which was composed and taught by Nakayama.
The is a written record of oral revelations given by Izo Iburi. The full scripture is published in seven volumes (plus an index in three volumes) and contains around 20,000 "divine directions" delivered between January 4, 1887 and June 9, 1907.Tenrikyo Overseas Department, trans. 2010. A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms, p. 72. Note: This work presents an abridged translation of the Kaitei Tenrikyo jiten, compiled by the Oyasato Institute for the Study of Religion and published in 1997 by Tenrikyo Doyusha Publishing Company.
According to Shozen Nakayama, the second (the spiritual and administrative leader of Tenrikyo), the "reveals the most important principles of the faith," the Mikagura-uta "comes alive through singing or as the accompaniment" to the Service, and the Osashizu "gives concrete precepts by which the followers should reflect on their own conduct.""The Various Forms of Verbal Evolution in Tenrikyo Doctrine" that was presented at the 10th Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions held in Marburg in 1960.
The Doctrine of Tenrikyo is Tenrikyo's official doctrine, which explains the basic teachings of Tenrikyo. The Life of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo is Tenrikyo's official hagiography of Miki Nakayama. The Anecdotes of Oyasama, Foundress of Tenrikyo is an official authorized anthology of anecdotes about Nakayama that were passed down orally by her first followers and later written down and verified.
Tenri Judo is renowned as a successful competition style of Judo that has produced many champions, while there are also other sporting and arts interest groups within Tenrikyo.
Nakayama's statements and revelations as Shrine of God were supplemented by Izo Iburi, one of her earliest followers, who developed a position of revelatory leadership as her deputy, answering questions from followers and giving "timely talks". His position, which is no longer held in Tenrikyo, was called . The revelatory transmissions of the were written down and collected in large, multi-volume works called . Following Izo's death, a woman called partially carried on this role for a while, although it appears that she did not have the actual title of . Since then, Tenrikyo itself has never had a , although some Tenrikyo splinter groups believe that the revelatory leadership passed from Iburi to their particular founder or foundress.
Nakayama's eldest son obtained a license to practice branch of Shinto, but did so against his mother's wishes. Tenrikyo was designated as one of the thirteen groups included in Sect Shinto between 1908 and 1945, due to the implementation of Heian policy under State Shinto. The Formation of Sect Shinto in Modernizing Japan Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 29/3-4, Inoue Nobutaka, pp. 406, 416–17 During this time, Tenrikyo became the first new religion to do social work in Japan, opening an orphanage, a public nursery and a school for the blind.Isaku Kanzaki. "Present Day Shintoism". In Paul S. Meyer (ed.), The Japan Mission Year Book 1928. Tokyo: Japan Advertiser Press, 1928.
Although Tenrikyo is now completely separate from Shinto and Buddhism organizationally, it still shares many of the traditions of Japanese religious practice. For instance, many of the objects used in Tenrikyo religious services, such as and , were traditionally used in Japanese ritual, and the method of offering is also traditional.
The , , , , and were traditionally the men's instruments but are now acceptable for women to play. The , , and were traditionally women's instruments and, although not very popular, are now acceptable for men to play as well.
Instruments used in the daily service are the , , , , and (a counter, to count the 21 times the first section is repeated). The is always played by the head minister of the church or mission station. If the head minister is not present, anyone may take their place.
The daily service does not need to be performed at a church. It can be done at any time and anywhere, so long as the practitioner faces the direction of the Jiba, or "home of the parent".
The purpose of the daily service, as taught by Nakayama, is to sweep away the Eight Mental Dusts of the mind.
(ひのきしん or 日の寄進) () is a spontaneous action that is an expression of gratitude and joy for being allowed to "borrow" his or her body from God the Parent. Such an action ideally is done as an act of religious devotion out of a wish to help or bring joy to others, without any thought of compensation. can range from helping someone to just a simple smile to brighten another person's day. Examples of common activities that are encouraged include cleaning public bathrooms and parks among other such acts of community service. Doing the work that others want to do least are considered sincere in the eyes of God.
is a method of "sweeping" the "mental dusts" that accumulate in a person's mind. The "mental dusts" are referring to the Eight Mental Dusts. The official translations of these dusts are: Oshii, Hoshii, Nikui, Kawai, Urami, Haradachi, Yoku, and Kouman.[http://www.tenrikyo.or.jp/eng/?page_id=129 Mental Dusts] Tenrikyo International Website
The Tenrikyo Young Men's Association and Tenrikyo Women's Association are Tenrikyo-based groups that perform group activities as public service. To participate in such groups may be considered .
(月次祭) or the monthly service is a performance of the entire , the sacred songs of the service, which is the service for world salvation. Generally, mission headquarters and grand churches (churches with 100 or more others under them) have monthly services performed on the third Sunday of every month; other churches perform on any other Sunday of the month. The monthly service at the Jiba is performed on the 26th of every month, the day of the month in which Tenrikyo was first conceived – October 26, 1838.
Instruments used in the monthly service are all of those aforementioned. Performers also include dancers – three men and three women – and a singer. Performers wear traditional kimono, which may or may not be required depending on the church.
Around the turn of the 20th century, (1863–1947) founded her own Tenrikyo-derived religion. Asahi Jinja (朝日神社) in Miki, Hyōgo is dedicated to Ide Kuniko.
Most Tenrikyo-derived religions, including Honmichi, Honbushin, and Kami Ichijokyo, consider the Ofudesaki and Mikagura-uta to be their primary sacred scriptures, and to some extent also the Osashizu. They also typically have their own additional doctrinal texts. These religions consider Nakayama Miki to be their spiritual founder but reject the authority of the Tenrikyo church in Tenri.
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