Salvation in our Hearts

On April 14th, 2016, we had the “2016 Kumamoto Earthquake.”  The areas that the earthquake damaged are in an unstable situation: No one can foresee how those areas will be tomorrow, one week later, or one year later.  However, each one of us is also in a similar situation, in fact: we never know when we will run into problems in our respective lives. 

Because of the air raids during the Second World War, many Konko churches in Japan burned down.  At that time, a certain Konko minister said, “Our church building burned down, but our faiths in Kami have not.  As long as faith is there, we all know that our church will definitely get resurrected.”  And their church really has been reconstructed.  A senior Konko minister told me this episode one day and I was much encouraged.  We humans feel totally at a loss when something that seemed to last forever is gone in a second.  However, there is a seed of resurrection within something invisible inside us; our spiritual hearts.  If we notice this truth, I suppose that we can turn an “unknown” world into a “way” that will take us to the state of salvation.  Of course, we may need much time before we raise our chins up and move forward when we come across problems. Nevertheless, it is important for us to realize that we are definitely walking upon a path of salvation.

The Connection that a Funeral Has Brought to us

A young, married couple regularly comes and worships at the Konko Church of Wakamatsu.  They lost their first son in 2005 when he was two years and two months old.  He was born with a congenital disease and a physical condition of literally “surviving each passing day.”  His parents are third-generation believers of the Konko Faith, but through their first son’s funeral service, the connection between this married couple and the Wakamatsu church was revitalized. I learned that the wife and I were classmates from our high school days and that the husband and I were classmates from our university days.

Both of them were in deepest sorrow after their first son passed away.  One day at the Mediation Seat, I told them, “Please promise me that you both will continue to come here for worship.  I know how hard this situation is for both of you, but nothing will change even if you stay inside your home and refuse to go out.”   I said these words totally wanting them to tread upon the way to salvation.  They took my words seriously and continued to come worshipping.

Three years later, this married couple had their second child.  When the baby was still in the wife’s womb, the doctor told them that the baby had a congenital disease, but I mediated to them, “Well, it is simply a viewpoint of a medical doctor. Kami raises your baby inside your womb. Until the baby comes out, we never know how wondrously Kami may work upon your child, so let’s keep praying to Kami and coming to church.”

Their second child was born safely and the baby girl was named Tsumugi.  Tsumugi was not so gravely ill as her big brother, but everybody could easily notice that she had a congenital disease.  With or without an inborn disease, it is still true that the baby was given life by Kami.

A Way that Leads us to Light

Tsumugi grew up smoothly, but her heart and lungs suddenly stopped functioning when she was two years and two months old.  Her elder brother passed away when he was the same age.  The young couple called and reported to us, “Our daughter will be taken to a hospital now by ambulance.”  Honestly speaking, I made myself reconsider the meaning of practicing faith at the time.  Reflecting upon this time of their lives, the couple said, “We were in complete darkness.  All we could do was blame ourselves, because we not only lost our first child to a congenital disease but also had our second child with an innate sickness.”

But from then on, the workings of Sacred Mediation, which is the main factor for our salvation, began to emerge.  Two days after their daughter was taken to the hospital, the married couple came to worship at our church.  I was sitting at the Mediation Seat at the time and as soon as I saw them, I said, “Let us go worshipping at the Headquarters of the Konko Faith!”   I still have no idea why those words popped out of my mouth at the time.  I couldn’t help thinking that Kami paved a way to salvation for this couple and Tsumugi.

But even if Kami saves the couple’s gravely ill daughter, going and coming all the way from the Konko Faith Headquarters takes eight good hours.  It also means that they need to leave their daughter in the hospital for eight hours without being near her.  There were two ways right in front of the couple: “Going worshipping at the Headquarters” or “being with their sick daughter.”  They both said, “We want to go to the Headquarters.”  For them, it was the first-ever experience to go worshipping there.

Three days later, the couple and I drove to the Headquarters together from morning.　Honestly speaking, I do not really remember the things of the day.  It is probably because I was so focused on one thought, “I need to drive carefully.　We may not make it to the Headquarters if the hospital calls us while we are driving.”　I tried so hard to help the couple calm down and drive safely to the Headquarters.  I was nervous and under pressure.  The couple, on the other hand, said to me afterwards, “The way to the Headquarters seemed to be a way that would take us from total darkness to bright light.”

We safely reached the Headquarters and asked Konko-sama for Sacred Mediation. Konko-sama was sitting at the Mediation Seat and he kindly spoke to us.  We didn’t waste time and we soon headed back home.  On our way back home, it suddenly rained and was later a rainbow appeared.  Looking up at the rainbow in the sky, I happily said to myself, “We’ve been saved.  Kami has just guaranteed the life of their sick daughter.”  I then said to the parents, “I reported to Kami about our difficulty and our request has just reached our Kami.”  At the time, both of them thought, “We are now driving on the way of certainty,” and we were able to come home in comfort and relief.  The request that we had made at the Mediation Seat of the Headquarters reached Kami, and Kami was kind enough to let us see it in a way we easily understood.  When we talk to a mediator about our difficulties, Kami immediately starts to work and the Universe will begin to rotate for us.  I had such an experience on that day.

Five months later, Tsumugi’s condition was diagnosed as finally getting better and more stable, so she was able to leave the ICU and move to a general ward of the hospital.  Tsumugi and her parents were able to start walking on “the way of relief.”

The Faith towards Eternal Life

Two years and five months after the event I have just mentioned above, Tsumugi passed away at the age of four years and seven months.  What’s most paramount is how to accept the final outcome for Tsumugi.  According to her doctor, she was said to be unsure to enter elementary school, because “Even if she is healthy enough to attend an elementary school, she would soon find it extremely challenging to stand up and walk on her own, though she could probably move her limbs at will.  It will remain that way no matter how many years may pass by.”  But the more we consider the content of her life, the better we are allowed to see the great workings of Kami on each one of us and this helps us become modest and thankful.

I “met” this married couple’s first son for the first time at his funeral, as he could not come worshipping at our church with his parents.  However, they said, “Our first child connected both of us to the Wakamatsu church, and this is why we and his little sister, Tsumugi, have been saved.”  They never hesitate to admit this and they are confident when they say so.    Sometimes, when we have regrets or disappointments about what happened to us in the past, we can’t really share our experiences with people, but they are now able to talk about the stories of their children in front of people.  Their episodes have even been published on the Konko Shimbun Newspaper.

Right before the funeral procession of her little daughter, the wife convincingly said, “Tsumugi played her role to the fullest.  I know she is satisfied with what she has accomplished.  She did a really good job.  I know we are at a funeral ceremony now, and what I’m about to say may not sound very appropriate, but please see off Tsumugi with thunderous applause.”  She said so with confidence, right in front of many ceremony attendees.  At that time, she must have seen her little daughter transform herself into Mitama No Kami.  One day in June, three months after her funeral, Tsumugi was able to go to the Headquarters with her parents and they all worshipped at the Konkokyo Independent Service.  Her parents sought mediation at the Headquarters Mediation Seat with Tsumugi in the form of a framed picture of hers.

Tsumugi has become an immortal presence and her parents say, “Tsumugi is right here with us today, just as usual.”  When I hear them say so, I also feel saved. Tsumugi lived for only four years and seven months, but her “life” from now is much longer than that. I would like to pray to Kami for the salvation of those two mitama spirits, the two deceased little children of the young married couple, throughout my lifetime.

If You Have Choice, You Are Already Blessed

Faltering is important in a way.  If there were only one path in front of you, you would immediately know that you should tread on that path.  This would be easy.  In life, however, there is always a fork in the way.  The sage says, “If you have two or more ways in front of you, choose the way that is most severe for you.”  These words may sound harsh for you, but when you wonder, “There are two ways before me.  Which way should I follow?” then you are already blessed.  If you are a person who values his/her own notions only and says, “I am going to make my own way through this path,” without knowing the heart of Kami, you will find it pretty difficult to have great outcomes in the future.

We are actually taught to ask for Sacred Mediation at the Mediation Seat when we are not sure which choices we should make.  The minister will tell you, “You should choose this way.”  The start of “this” way may be quite tough for you.  But even if that is the case, what Kami is focused upon is not the beginning of the way, but the distant future when you will have finished walking upon it.

Kami speaks to you warmly and kindly, “You may be undergoing a hard time now, but please try to look far ahead.  Let us walk on this path together.  When you are discouraged, and despite whatever distress you may be in, I will always make sure that you will be all right.”  Kami works constantly so that the path that you walk upon will not crumble.  Konko-sama and all Konko ministers pray to Kami for the salvation of all people every single day.  Kami, Konko-sama and Konko ministers build and maintain a strong path so that each person can walk upon it towards salvation.

Salvation of Each Believer Contributes to the Konko Faith’s Prosperity

Up to now, each one of you must have a history of faith and over the course of your religious history, you must have been saved by Kami.  This is why you are here at the Sacred Grounds of the Konko Faith for worship today, but we all need to receive Kami’s blessings from now on too.

“When you receive blessings, it is because you are in the right place, walking on the right path.  When you end up suffering, there are reasons for your misfortune.”  These are the words that a senior Konko minister gave me one day.  The words stimulated and invigorated me very much.   Everybody wants to tread upon a path towards salvation.  At times, however, we make a poor choice due to being human and we fail to receive blessings from Kami.

If we stop and think only of ourselves, we cannot move forward. We should ask for Sacred Mediation at the Mediation Seat and by doing so, we have the chance to think with Kami and Kami will kindly show us the most important and relieving way for us.  It is the way which will take us to Kami’s blessings and salvation.  We sometimes lose sight of the “right way,” but that “way” is absolutely there for us.  Let us walk on the way that Kami shows us together.  If we do so, we can receive Kami’s blessings and they will be handed down to our children, grandchildren and further future generations for good.  Suppose each Konko believer receives a blessing from Kami, and if we gather them together, they will become blessings of the entire Konko Faith.  In this sense, the more people receive Kami’s blessings, the better the Konko Faith will prosper.

(THE END)