Ofudesaki

The Ofudesaki is one of the three scriptures of Tenrikyo. It was composed by Nakayama Miki from 1869–1882.

Quotes

The translations currently used here are from the most recent edition published by Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, unless otherwise noted.

Part I

• よろづよの　せかい一れつ　みはらせど　むねのハかりた　ものハないから
  そのはづや　といてきかした　事ハない　なにもしらんが　むりでないそや
  このたびハ　神がおもてい　あらハれて　なにかいさいを　といてきかする
  このところ　やまとのしバの　かみがたと　ゆうていれども　元ハしろまい
  このもとを　くハしくきいた　事ならバ　いかなものでも　みなこいしなる
  きゝたくバ　たつねくるなら　ゆてきかそ　よろづよいさいの　もとのいんねん
  かみがでて　なにかいさいを　とくならバ　せかい一れつ　心いさむる
  いちれつにはやく　たすけをいそぐから　せかいの心　いさめかゝりて
  • Looking all over the world and through all ages, I find no one who has understood My heart.
    So should it be, for I have never taught it to you. It is natural that you know nothing.
    At this time, I, God, reveal Myself and teach the truth of all things in detail.
    You are calling this place the Jiba, the Residence of God, in Yamato, but you may not know the origin.
    When you learn of this origin in full, a great yearning will come over you, whoever you may be.
    If you wish to know and will come to Me, I shall teach you the original cause of all things.
    As God is revealed and teaches the truth of all things in detail, the minds of all in the world will become spirited.
    As I am in haste to save all of you quickly, I set out to make all minds in the world spirited.
  • Ofudesaki, I:1–8

• みなそろて　はやくつとめを　するならバ　そばがいさめバ　神もいさむる
  • When all are assembled and quickly do the Service, as those close to Me become spirited, God, also, will be spirited.
  • Ofudesaki I:11

• このよふハ　りいでせめたる　せかいなり　なにかよろづを　歌のりでせめ
  せめるとて　てざしするでハ　なほどに　くちでもゆハん　ふでさきのせめ
  なにもかも　ちがハん事ハ　よけれども　ちがいあるなら　歌でしらする
  • This is a world constructed on reason. So I shall press upon you everything with the reason in verse.
    I shall press, though not by force or word of mouth. I shall press by the tip of My writing brush.
    It is all very well if you err in nothing. But should you err, I shall inform you by verse.
  • Ofudesaki I:21–3

Part III

• たん／＼と　なに事にても　このよふわ　神のからだや　しやんしてみよ
  • This universe is the body of God. Ponder this in all matters.
  • Ofudesaki III:40 and III:135

• しんぢつの　心しだい　このたすけ　やますしなずに　よハりなきよふ
  このたすけ　百十五才　ぢよみよと　さだめつけたい　神の一ぢよ
  • By this salvation given in accordance with the mind of sincerity, you shall be freed from illness, death, and weakening.
    By this salvation, to fix the natural term of life at one hundred and fifteen years is the single desire of God.
  • Ofudesaki III:99–100

Part IV

• またさきの　よふきづとめを　まちかねる　なんの事なら　かぐらつとめや
  • Again, I impatiently await the coming Joyous Service. What it is, is the Kagura Service.
  • Ofudesaki IV:29

• そのゝちハ　やまずしなすに　よハらすに　心したいに　いつまでもいよ
  またさきハ　ねんけんたちた　事ならば　としをよるめハ　さらにないぞや
  • After that, you may stay as long as you wish, without illness, death, or weakening.
    Further, after the passage of long years, there will be no aging at all.
  • Ofudesaki IV:37–38

• このつとめ　せかいぢううの　たすけみち　をしでもものを　ゆハす事なり
  • This Service is the path of salvation for the entire world. I shall enable even a mute to speak.
  • Ofudesaki IV:91

• このつとめ　なにの事やと　をもている　せかいをさめて　たすけばかりを
  • What do you think this Service is about? It is solely to bring peace to the world and salvation to all.
  • Ofudesaki IV:93

Part VI

• このよふを　はじめかけたも　をなぢ事　めづらし事を　してみせるでな
  このよふを　はじめてからに　ないつとめ またはじめかけ　たしかをさめる
  • I shall do marvelous things, the same as My beginning of this world.
    I shall begin a Service which has never existed since I began this world, and assuredly settle the world.
  • Ofudesaki VI:7–8

• しんぢつの　つとめの人ぢう　十人の　心を神が　うけとりたなら　
  それからハ　どのよな事も　たん／＼と　神のをもわく　みなときゝかす
  にち／＼に　神の心わ　せゑたとて　人ぢう十人　そろいなけね
  • When God has accepted the sincerity in the minds of the ten performers of the Service,
    Thereafter, I shall teach you all of the thoughts of God on every matter step by step.
    Though the mind of God hastens day by day, to what avail if the ten performers do not assemble?
  • Ofudesaki VI:18–20

Part VII

• どのよふな　たすけするのも　みなつとめ　月日ゆうよに　たしかするなら
  しんぢつの　心あるなら　月日にも　しかとうけやい　たすけするぞや
  • Any salvation whatever is all through the Service. If only you do just as Tsukihi says...
    If your mind is sincere, Tsukihi will assuredly save you.
  • Ofudesaki VII:83–84

Part VIII

• 月日にハ　せかいぢうゝハ　みなわが子　たすけたいとの　心ばかりで
  • To Tsukihi, all of you throughout the world are My children. My only desire is to save you.
  • Ofudesaki VIII:4

Part X

• にち／＼に　はやくつとめを　せきこめよ　いかなるなんも　みなのがれるで
  とのよふな　むつかしくなる　やまいでも　つとめ一ぢよて　みなたすかるで
  つとめでも　どふゆうつとめ　するならば　かんろふだいの　つとめいちゞよ
  • Day by day, hasten to begin the Service. You will escape any danger whatever.
    However serious your illness may be, you will all be saved by the Service done single-heartedly.
    As to the Service to be done, it is none other than the Service of the Kanrodai.
  • Ofudesaki X:19–21

Part XII

• このさきハ　なんほむつかし　やまいても　いきとてをどり　みなたすけるで
  どのよふな　むつかしくなる　やまいでも　これなをらんと　ゆうでないぞや
  • Hereafter, however serious an illness there may be, I shall save you all by the Breath and the Hand Dance.
    However serious an illness there may be, never say that it will not be cured.
  • Ofudesaki XII:50–51

• いまなるの　月日のをもう　事なるわ　くちわにんけん　心月日や
  しかときけ　くちハ月日が　みなかりて　心ハ月日　みなかしている
  • These thoughts of Tsukihi are spoken through Her: the mouth is human, the mind is that of Tsukihi.
    Listen! I, Tsukihi, am borrowing Her mouth wholly, and I, Tsukihi, am lending My mind wholly.
  • Ofudesaki XII:67–8

Part XIV

• はや／＼と　心そろをて　しいかりと　つとめするなら　せかいをさまる
  • If you quickly unite your minds and do the Service correctly, the world will settle.
  • Ofudesaki XIV:92

Part XVI

• つとめても　ほかの事とわ　をもうなよ　たすけたいのが　一ちよばかりで
  • Concerning the Service: never think that I have any other intention. I have only the single desire to save all of you.
  • Ofudesaki XVI:65

Part XVII

• にんけんを　はじめかけたる　しよこふに　かんろふたいを　すゑてをくぞや
  • As proof of My beginning of human beings, I shall put the Kanrodai into place.
  • Ofudesaki XVII:9

• たすけでも　あしきなをする　まてやない　めづらしたすけ　をもているから
  このたすけ　どふゆう事に　をもうかな　やますしなすに　よハりなきよに
  • The salvation is not just to cure illness. I intend it to be a marvelous salvation.
    What do you think this salvation is? It is to be free from illness, death, and weakening.
  • Ofudesaki XVII:52–3

• 月日にハ　せかいぢううハ　みなハが子　かハいゝばい　をもていれども
  それしらす　みな一れつハ　めへ／＼に　ほこりばかりを　しやんしている
  この心　神のざんねん　をもてくれ　どふむなんとも　ゆうにゆハれん
  いまゝでの　よふなる事ハ　ゆハんでな　これからさきハ　さとりばかりや
  このさきハ　なにをゆうやら　しれんでな　どふぞしかり　しやんしてくれ
  さと／＼　たをと／＼　びよさま／＼
  このはなし　あいづたてやい　てたならばい　なにゝついても　みなこのとふり
  これをはな　一れつ心　しやんたのむで
  • To Tsukihi, all of you in the world are My children. Though My thoughts for you are filled with love,
    no one is aware of it, and the ponderings of each of you are only of dust.
    Please think of the regret of God over such minds. Indeed, nothing more can be said, even should I so desire.
    I shall not repeat what I have said until now. From now on, you need only to be spiritually awakened.
    Hereafter, there is no knowing what I shall say. I request that you ponder thoroughly.
    Sato, Sato, Ta-oto, Ta-oto, Byosama, Byosama...
    If this talk coincides sign for sign, know that everything proceeds in this way.
    I earnestly request each and everyone of you to ponder deeply over these teachings.
  • Ofudesaki XVII:68–75
  • Concluding verses.

Unnumbered set

• にち／＼に　心つくした　ものだねを　神がたしかに　うけとりている
  しんぢつに　神のうけとる　ものだねわ　いつになりても　くさるめわなし
  たん／＼と　このものだねが　はへたなら　これまつだいの　こふきなるそや
  • The seeds of your sincere devotion sown day after day, I have certainly accepted.
    The seed which God truly accepts will never decay through all eternity.
    When these seeds sprout in the course of time, it will be the talk of all ages to come.
  • Ofudesaki unnumbered set, Tsuji family copy.

Quotes on the Ofudesaki

• June 24, 1887 (May 4, lunar calendar)
  Intermediaries, intermediaries! Intermediaries gathering one after another. Intermediaries, be firm! I begin to lay the path. A broad path, a broad path. What kind of broad path do I begin? Even though there be many of you, it is important for even one of you to settle your thoughts. . . . If there be a path you do not understand, look and you will understand. All will appear as told in the Fudesaki. You wonder how the path will be and when it will be seen. All this is told in the Fudesaki.
  • Osashizu entry, An Anthology of Osashizu Translations, p. 39.

• February 25, 1904 (Jan. 10, lunar calendar)
  Whatever kinds of things may happen, whatever kinds of events may happen, do not fear. Listen and understand the one principle of seasons. For a long time, over the years, I have instructed you. I have instructed you in the Fudesaki. There is not a single thing that is not covered by it. I have already instructed you in all matters. Once things begin, they become increasingly greater. Where can the way of settling great things be found? Listen and understand well. All of you, settle your minds. . . . I have told you that there would be a grave incident. There will be such days. Since you forget what you hear, I have instructed you in detail in the Fudesaki. There is not a single lie.
  • An Anthology of Osashizu Translations, p. 385.

• August 23, 1904
  Until now, about everything, I taught by word of mouth. But you forget. Because you forget, I have informed you with the tip of My writing brush. The tip of the writing brush may seem light but it is weighty. You must not take it lightly. It is the basis of My teachings. It will not do to misinterpret it. . . . Concerning the truth I have taught you until now, the kana syllabary may feel soft, yet it conveys key teachings. The spoken word is easily forgotten. The written word is unlikely to be forgotten.
  • An Anthology of Osashizu Translations, p. 393.

See also

• Tenrikyo
• Nakayama Miki
• Mikagura-uta
• Osashizu

References

• Nakayama, M. (1993). Ofudesaki (Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, Trans.). Tenri, Japan: Tenri Jihosha. (Original work published 1928)

External links

• "The Ofudesaki, The Tip of the Writing Brush" by Yoshikazu Fukaya
• "Tenrikyō" from World Religions & Spirituality Project