ISLAMAIT ASSIGNMENT

NO 1
Department BSCS

MUHAMMAD TAYYAB ABBASI

Registration No 5520
 TENRIKYO
Introduction 
 Tenrikyo is a Japanese new religion.
 Sometimes rendered as Tenriism
  It is neither strictly monotheistic nor pantheistic.
 It is originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki.
 Her followers are known as Oyasama.
  Followers of Tenrikyo believe that God of Origin, God in Truth.
 These are known by several names including "Tsukihi," "Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto" and
"Oyagamisama (God the Parent)" revealed divine intent through Miki Nakayama as the
Shrine of God and to a lesser extent the roles of the Honseki Izo Iburi and other leaders.

AIM
 Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated
through acts of charity and mindfulness called hinokishin.

Location and Numbers

 It is located at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters (Tenri, Nara, Japan), which supports
16,833 locally managed churches in Japan, .
 The construction and maintenance of the oyasato-yakata and various community-focused
organizations.
 It has 1.75 million followers in Japan and is estimated to have over 2 million worldwide.
 This religion is now on different countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China,
Canada, Colombia, France, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and
United States.

History
 Nakayama Miki was born on 18th April 1798.She was chosen as the Shrine of God in
1838, after her son and husband began suffering from serious ailments.
 The family called a Buddhist monk to exorcise the spirit causing the ailments. When the
monk temporarily left and asked Miki to take over, she was possessed by the One god
(Tenri-O-no-Mikoto), who demanded that Miki be given to God as a shrine. Miki's
husband gave in to this request three days later.
 Nakayama Miki'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 Honseki. The revelatory
transmissions of the Honseki were written down and collected in large, multi-volume
works called Osashizu.
  Following Izo's death, a woman called Ueda Naraito partially carried on this role for a
while, although it appears that she did not have the actual title of "Honseki". Since then,
Tenrikyo itself has never had a Honseki, although some Tenrikyo splinter groups believe
that the revelatory leadership passed from Iburi to their particular founder or foundress.
 Miki Nakayama's eldest son obtained a license to practice as a low-ranking Shinto priest
from the powerful Yoshida branch of Shinto in 1867, 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 under State Shinto. 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.

Beliefs
 The Joyous Life in Tenrikyo is defined as charity and abstention from greed, selfishness,
hatred, anger and arrogance. Negative tendencies are not known as sins in Tenrikyo, but
rather as "dust" that can be swept away from the mind through hinokishin and
ritual. Hinokishin, voluntary effort, is performed not out of a desire to appear selfless, but
out of gratitude for kashimono-karimono and shugo (providence).
 The most basic teaching of Tenrikyo is kashimono-karimono, meaning "a thing lent, a
thing borrowed". The thing that is lent and borrowed is the human body. Tenrikyo
followers think of their minds as things that are under their own control, but their bodies
are not completely under their control.

 God in Tenrikyo
 The sacred name of the single God and creator of the entire universe in Tenrikyo is
"Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto" .
 Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto created humankind so that humans may live joyously and to partake
in that joy.
 The body is a thing borrowed, but the mind alone is one's own, thus it is commonly
accepted that Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto is not omnipotent.
 Other gods are considered instruments, such as the Divine Providences, and were also
created by Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto.

Characteristics of Tenrikyo God

Tenri-O-no-Mikoto
 As the creator who created the world and humankind.
 As the sustainer and protector who gives existence and life to all creation.
 As the savior whose intention in becoming revealed is to save all humankind.
Concept of Devine
Through her scriptures (the Mikagura-uta and Ofudesaki), Nakayama conveyed the concept of
the divine to her followers in steps.

 Firstly, as Kami ("spirit/god/deity"). Kami was a familiar term for her followers since

they commonly referred to the spirits of the ethnic religion of Shinto, which were
worshipped and venerated in Japan. To differentiate this divinity from the Shinto
spirits, Oyasama clarified its characteristics with phrases such as "God of Origin"
(moto no kami) and "God in Truth" (jitsu no Kami).
 Secondly, as Tsukihi ("Moon-Sun"). The moon and sun could be understood as visual
manifestations of the divine. Just as those bodies impartially give the world light and
warmth at all times of the day, the workings of the divine are also impartial and
constant.
 Finally, as Oya ("Parent"). The relationship between the divine and human beings is
the mutual feeling of love between a parent and his or her children. The divine does
not want to command and punish human beings, but rather to guide and nurture them
so that they may live joyfully and cheerfully together. Oya is both paternal and
maternal, not simply one or the other

Religious Service
 Musical Instruments

 Tenrikyo utilizes traditional musical instruments in its otsutome (little, service or

duty), Hyoshigi (wooden clappers), Chanpon (cymbals), Surigane (small
gong), Taiko (large drum), Tsuzumi (shoulder drum), Fue (bamboo
flute), Shamisen, Kokyū, and Koto.
 These are used to play music from the Mikagura-Uta, a body of music, dances and songs
created by Nakayama.
 Most of the world's foremost authorities on Gagaku music (the ancient classical Shinto
music of the imperial court of Japan) are also Tenrikyo followers, and Gagaku music is
actively promoted by Tenrikyo, although, strictly speaking, the Mikagura-Uta and
Gagaku are separate musical forms.

 Daily Service

 The Otsutome or daily service consists of the performance of the seated service and,
optionally, the practice of a chapter or two of the 12 chapters of Teodori (lit. hand dance)
or Yorozuyo.
 The daily service is performed twice a day; once in the morning and then in the evening.
The service times are adjusted according to the time of sun rise and sun set but may vary
from church to church. Service times at the Jiba in Tenri City go by this time schedule
and adjust in the changing of seasons.
 Instruments used in the daily service are the Hyoshigi, Chanpon, Surigane, Taiko,
and Kazutori (a counter, to count the 21 times the first section is repeated).
 The Hyoshigi is always played by the head minister of the church or mission station. If
the head minister is not present, anyone may take his or her place.
 The daily service does not need to be performed at a church. It can be done at anytime
and anywhere, so long as that one faces the direction of the Jiba, or "home of the parent".
 The purpose of the daily service, as taught by Miki Nakayama, is to sweep away
the Eight Mental Dusts of the mind.

 Hinokishin

 Hinokishin (little, daily service) 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.
 Hinokishin can range from helping someone to just a simple smile to brighten another
person's day.
 Examples of common Hinokishin 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.
 Hinokishin is a method of "sweeping" the "mental dusts" that accumulate in our minds.
The "mental dusts" are referring to the Eight Mental Dusts.

 Monthly Services

 Tsukinamisai or the monthly service is a performance of the entire Mikagura-Uta, 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 montsuki, which may or may not be required depending on the church.
  Divine Grant of Sazuke

 The Divine Grant of Sazuke is a healing prayer in which one may attain through
attending the nine Besseki lectures.
 When one receives the Divine Grant of Sazuke, he or she is considered a Yoboku (little,
useful timber). The Sazuke is to be administered to those who are suffering from illness
to request God's blessings for a recovery.
 However, recovery requires the sincere effort from both the recipient and the
administrator of the Sazuke to clean their minds of "mental dust." Only with pure minds
then can the blessings be received by the recipient through the Yoboku administering the
Sazuke.
 It is taught that when God accepts the sincerity of the person administering the Sazuke
and the sincerity of the person to whom it is being administered, a wondrous salvation
will be bestowed.
 This is accomplished through having the recipient be aware of the mental dusts and the
teachings of Tenrikyo to remedy their dusty minds.

What makes Tenrikyo Religion Unique

 According to Adherents.com, Tenrikyo is currently the eighteenth largest religion in the

world.

 Currently the largest independent religion, as far as I am aware, to have been founded
by a woman. (Independent meaning not a sect or schism of an older religion)

 Started in 1838, Tenrikyo is the oldest and the largest independent religion among the
Japanese new religious movements.
 Tenrikyo may look like Shinto on the surface, but Tenrikyo’s system of thought is
completely unique.
 The relationship between Tenrikyo and Shinto is complicated, and requires knowledge of
Japan’s religious history and Tenrikyo’s history to fully understand.
 Tenrikyo is a universal religion; there are a number of scriptures which say that Tenrikyo
was meant for all humankind.
 The main reason Tenrikyo was born in Japan is that the one place God the Parent created
human beings happens to be there.