Dick Dusek's Dosage
Thursday, November 19, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo If you want to meet Kami, just step out of your house and look around you. The sky above is Kami and the ground below is Kami. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #12] What you learn through the teachings of Konko Daijin is true faith. That is where you find the benevolence of the universe. Also with such benevolence you can live a rewarding life. When you can receive everything you see as the appearance of Kami and everything you hear as the voice of Kami, you'll be able to sense for the first time the Kami who is working vividly in the whole universe throughout your body. Every morning I step out onto the veranda and worship the universe. I feel the energy of the universe thoroughly entering my whole body. 7/26/75 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] "Konko Daijin tells how he has received blessings from Tenchi Kane No Kami. For those who doubt and do not listen to what Konko Daijin says, let them be. They are so darling." This is part of another teaching. Supreme bliss is to meet and commune with your God. "Although Kami cannot be seen, you are constantly walking within and through the midst of Kami. Even while fertilizing a field or walking along a path, you are in Tenchi Kane No Kami's hall of mediation and worship." To really feel God -- like the woman impersonator who does not let you feel anything but true femininity. It's to feel the whole universe as Kami. Such is true faith, truly feeling the workings of divinity. Mr. Goda spoke of his auto accident as meeting with Kami. The hood of his car flew up and the window shield cracked and broke. Another way of putting it is meeting fate and giving it your life -- giving birth to fate, instead of killing it. It's to respect the process of life, to put live into it. Meeting fate; meeting Kami, your God; meeting the process of your life -- alive! We desire to meet Kami, our God. Thus, we really need to treat the process with utmost respect. Treating the process with the greatest importance is to meet the divine work of Kami. Without blessings I can do nothing. It's the lowering-of-self feeling, the heart of a depression in the ground. You will come to realize the great need you have for "the sky" and the need for what's "underneath." You will meet Kami with such a heart. However, feelings of I can, or I am doing it, is a heart which will not meet Kami.
Wednesday, November 18, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo This faith can be propagated with just one umbrella. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #89] In a world without faith, the body, and other substances are capital. For those practicing faith, the spirit singly is capital. Those who take up the faith should really test and prove that "with a single spirit everything is brought about." The spirit which brings all of this about ..... transcends time periods, transcends racial and national boundaries, transcends ideology and culture. A spirit which at all times passes through every part of life is the Wagakokoro. The highest point the single heart has reached is the Wagakokoro. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/18/83 The Konko way is seen in the very processes of life. Fate opens; peace is opened, and a peaceful home. A single umbrella is where belief in Kami gives birth to anxiety-free ease. In Teaching 89 it is teaching the ease; it's easy. In the next Teaching 90 it is discussing the difficulty: It is easy to have water run downstream, but it is difficult to have it go upstream. To establish faith is time consuming and difficult since it is done by ordinary people. It will be established through Kami's blessings. Even if you confront difficulties, your endurance will be rewarded with divine virtue. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #90] Peace comes about from within and provides the atmosphere of simple ease. We are taught to be quiet and reach control, however, our first efforts are only trying hard to keep silent -- pressure is felt through our eyes. We haven't yet reached a quiet control which maintains the single heart of peaceful control. To reach the point of opening such a peaceful, joyful heart greater acceptance is what will lead to fuller control. It starts from within.
Tuesday, November 17, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo A heart that feels compassion is a heart of Kami. [Teaching of Konko Daijin #74] Our universe is overflowing with the single heart for the very darling human believer. However, that parental heart of deity is in no way patting or stroking us. It's said a lion dropping their offspring down a ravine will only raise the ones who crawl up. This also is one side of a parent's love for their darling offspring. "Everything is divine love." There's no wording that so perfectly expresses the heart of Kami. Now, if you feel you have troubles, this is the very time for the divine wish of love to be fulfilled in you. 7/3/83 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] We really wish to soak up more & more faith in Kami -- that's the heart to develop which is the heart of Kami. It's for people to have faith and to receive blessings. Spiritual training -- there's the type for which you pay and also that which needs no payment. Coming for morning worship or asking for a service is the type you pay; without paying is the natural workings called, "the process." There's many examples. Today those mentioned were feeling Kami's work in numbers you see, or in the song of Katsuhiko, the TV animation. Then so many people get stuck or hung up somewhere when meeting the work of deceased spirits, etc. Kami is working at the level of your faith, but there's no need to scold yourself. The natural process is so simple, but ever so important for true faith in the heart of the universe. Simple faith. You feel the divine message in various things around you. It's only natural. It's reaching and touching the compassionate heart of Kami.
Monday, November 16, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo Do not be afraid to be different from others. You cannot practice faith without being different. A person who is different is one who has a pure heart. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #73] "A person who is different is one who has a pure heart." A pure heart is intent on the truth, on being straight. There are very few who do what is true so that they have to be called different. Asking a student which is important studies or faith, he'll say studies, of course, because it's the duty of a student. However, the point is that studies must also lead to people's happiness, happiness founded on faith. People are probably called different when they first develop their faith and then take up studies. Faith and studies, studies and faith. Both become one. From there a world will open that has no antagoism between faith and studies. Such is faith. Faith is the heart which believes. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/24/71 Different is so often considered strange, and some very strange ways of life have been done for the sake of faith, even. You probably have seen varieties of this on TV. Sages in India holding a pose for imposssible lengths of time. But it's important to remember that a faith which is called different should be pure and true. Which is more important your life or your faith? Are you living for faith, or practicing faith for making a living? Faith lead for one's livlihood is that which focuses on attaining blessings. But to focus on attaining true faith is the meaning of life -- all of life is for developing true faith. Life or faith? Many religions separate the two even to the point that the minister does not marry and raises no family. The energy given birth for such separateness is used for developing faith. However, Konko faith joins life and faith together; it gives birth to such energy for a joyful peaceful faith. When joining together with Kami you build a life you could never expect, a life beyond expectation. You won't get what you desire, but what you do get is something you could never imagine.
Sunday, November 15, 1998 Wagakokoro Day Services at 10 a.m. Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, the pastor @@ Above all, you should enrich your faith. Practicing faith in everyday life is important. Rich soil will be productive without fertilization, and so it is with faith. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #50] By comprehending the benevolence of the universe you will naturally grow feelings to compensate for it. Even good deeds will be gallant. A large and fruitful heart will be developed naturally. There's great blessings for the large heart. There is enriching blessings for the fruitful heart. 1 To restore the approach to Heaven and Earth enrich heaven and earth. 2 To serve the founder sincerely enrich the family roots. 3 Everything you dislike or hate enriches the heart. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/2/77 Put simply, Konko Daijin's faith is the teaching number 50: @@ Above all, you should enrich your faith. Practicing faith in everyday life is important. Rich soil will be productive without fertilization, and so it is with faith. Thinking of the founder's son, Shojin -- all those problems -- how was the founder able to accept it all and even continue to pursue mediation of Kami's teachings. As it is said in Airaku ideal, the answer is the endlessly accepting power of the spirit of the soil. You cannot escape your home environment. Though Buddha and Christ were not married and didn't have such a home -- Christainity and Buddhism still follow the celebrant life -- but, the founder even records the children's sicknesses and all other varieties of family problems -- All of these things he took with acceptance and used them to enrich his spirit and deepen his faith. It is the very contents of the spirit for doing your everyday tasks. Here's another mini-teaching for today's teaching #50: Cultivate The Principle For Worshiping The Mountain Of Training What it is to cultivate the principle of a spiritual heart is to single-heartedly train oneself by worshiping the very difficulties of life. One will be able to comprehend the divine will and be awakened to divine love. Faith with steel reinforcement is when one has received this divine love. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/10/82 What is important is "to comprehend the divine will and be awakened to divine love." It is said that Adam & Eve fell into original sin -- Adam has to work, Eve has the menstrual cycle. This was received as the 'cross' that humans must undertake. However, our master showed the way to take it all as 'plus.' Konko faith is that which teaches "everything you dislike or hate enriches the heart." One of the the latter teachings that Rev. Kondo Fujimori received was something like getting lost opens to the way.
Saturday, November 14, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo Tenchi Kane No Kami sees everything in Heaven and Earth in a single glance. Kami bestows blessings equally. However, the blessings will be lost if the receiver is not ready. If you want to receive divine virtue fully, you must have a heart that accepts everything. In other words, you must have a heart that accepts even death. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #22] It's teaching to accept everything "you must have a heart that accepts even death," but this is quite difficult to do. However, each day by feeling the work of Kami which doesn't miss even a minute or a second, you'll be able to reach the heart that accepts everything. In other words, it's living in rhythm with the universe. Kami has indicated to me the kanji character for AKIRA. It's written with sun (hi) on the top and shine (hikari) underneath. One definition I found was a melody of sun and shining. The sun is Kami; shine is what our heart does through our practice of faith. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/13/81 "Since Tenchi Kane No Kami provides equal opportunity for acquiring virtue without distinquishing between persons, we must always have the receiving vessel ready. The receiving vessel is absolute faith." In a day dream, I once received the teaching that the poor man's ticket is the winning lottery number. There was the image of my mother and all the kids gathered around to receive treats to eat. Each one was given something. However, I received nothing at all. I wondered why. Then she came and took me into the next room. She had prepared something special for me and it couldn't be presented in front of everybody else. This was the first time for me to really realize the heart of my mother, the true feelings of our parental diety. This poor-liking situation is specially made for me. To make it a winner depends on our acceptance. By applying the teaching you reach an understanding of divine love. I've been investigating the background events of our late master. He had been invited to speak at Koga's house years ago. He stayed overnight and eating breakfast the next day was shown a folding fan on which the 3rd Konko Mediator had printed in tiny characters, "True Faith" (Makoto no Shijin). He prayed and received the words of the 3rd Konko Mediator that true faith is to receive the blessings of ease. But the problem was when? What was the date of this event? With my heart intent on getting a clearer picture of the past events of our late master I receive nearly everyday surprising blessings. Ms. Oishi came the other day and said she had been at the Koga's house at the time, and had stayed the night with 50 people. She remembered the date clearly -- Showa 25 - July 29th, 1950. And this was double-checked With an accepting heart it is not surprising the surprising blessings you will receive. Try it. Apply the teachings. Broaden and enlarge your faith of acceptance.
Friday, November 13, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo It is said that the woman's womb is borrowed, but it is not. It is an everlasting treasure. During pregnancy, a woman should think she bears the child of Kami and should take good care of it. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #87] It's what is called prenatal care. By thinking that one "bears the child of Kami and taking good care of it" is what is most precious. To take good care of it is to keep Kami in mind, and not feel discontented nor speak of defects; it's to take care of the heart-soul with kindness and appreciation. When you pray for the divine arrangement of the heart-soul and then give birth to a lovely child, isn't that the very first time you can say, "an everlasting treasure." 7/7/72 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] The conception and pregnancy, as when meeting trouble or a difficulty, is a the time to receive strength and blessings. It doesn't require a holy priest or monk. You need only take up that troublesome trial with the greatest respect. There are so many things which human beings can't get themselves to receive. This or that is seemingly so burdensome, so much beyond one's powers. There are so many religions which take these troubles and get rich with them. But with practice and perseverance the founder and our master has shown the way to take up these difficulties and really respect them. It is then that the human spirit can be seen as an everlasting treasure. A dream: the long list of generations of ancestors and inbetween are sweet potatoes turned black and rotting. We all have troublesome people around us, people who act as demons to us. The potatoes are a sign of success and prosperity, but in the dream they are rotting. The troubles have been taken. We've maintained a quiet pose, but nothing else. These demon-like difficulties have just been buried; they are miscarrying. We need to change ourselves. More of are selfish points need to be reduced. "Look intently at one's heart-soul, take up and follow the teachings." Real training of one's spirit needs to start. A larger, more enriched spirit needs to be developed. It's the largeness of covering up the sleeping child who should be getting up. instead of awakening her. Usually one cannot see to such a depth. Change and real training is needed to open such strength and awareness. The human spirit is really an everlasting treasure.
Thursday, November 12, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo Parents have more concern for children who are disobedient. In the same way, Kami has more concern for those with less faith. Practice faith and receive divine blessings. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #8] It's the earnest concern of the Parental Kami for those who don't know the true blessings of faith, and those who do not have faith. Such blessings through faith opens up a life of which we're unworthy; it is what perpetrates to such a life. It's because through faith you begin to see your limits and become aware of them. The more you see, the more you can do nothing but realize just how deficient you yourself are. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/21/75 Teaching #8 ends with "Practice faith and receive divine blessings" whereas in teaching #7 it's "Even those without faith receive divine blessings." The difference was discussed and taught by our late master. I don't remember exactly what he said. But that our diety provides blessings even when we aren't practicing faith indicates the very limitless generosity of Kami. It means that Kami is working constantly centered on helping and saving people. Therefore, putting faith in such a benevolent diety opens up a wonderful life of blessings, even though we are so undeserving. Part of the mini-teaching for teaching #7 which is opposite the page of teaching #8 is: " .... Now our globe is undergoing stages of 'frozen heaven and fearful earth.' Even within this sort of situation, I feel that the various large changes that are occuring particularly on our globe are quite alarming. I think the moment of importance is when people feel the work that Kami is always doing for the human race, then they must realize and take up a life that puts Kami at the center. Namely, from 'the frozen heaven and fearful earth' to 'a joyous heaven and delightful earth.' To be able to accept such action, one must become aware of the blessings which 'even those without faith receive' and apply a way of life aiming to make recompense for divine benevolence. Thus you will hasten the movement to spead the era of Wagakokoro around the world." You will come to realize that we ourselves are creating the frozen and fearful image of this heaven and earth. It's because we are centered on ourselves. Shifting to a Kami-centered life opens the way for a joyous and delightful heaven and earth. When you put trust in Kami, then Kami will place trust in you. It sounds like without the former condition, the latter result won't occur. But actually that is NOT the case. There is no catch. It's an automatic chain-like reaction. Since we have faith in Kami and are centered on trusting Kami, then the blessings of Kami's trust is even more precious, even _with_ all of our deficiencies! Copernicus found that the sun, not the earth, is the center of our solar system.And Galileo proved it and stated it was true. Likewise, the founder worshipped and trusted this parental diety of the universe, and our late master followed and showed just how true a diety he worshipped. We wish to worship the same diety as the founder, the same diety as our master, Rev. Soichiro Otsubo. From being self-centered, we wish to shift and place our faith in Kami. It's to fully respect the process of divine work in our world. There's no catch. It's the precious truth. Centered on Kami the undeserving human founds true joy.
Wednesday, November 11, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo Above all, you should enrich your faith. Practicing faith in everyday life is important. Rich soil will be productive without fertilization, and so it is with faith. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #50] Though people say there is no such thing as a money tree, this way of faith provides not only a tree of money, but the way to virtue which fulfills every condition for human happiness. It is because, as is taught, "rich soil will be productive without fertilization." In everyday life is where the roots must be enriched. These roots are the roots of the heart, the roots of the home, and the roots of the universe. Restoration of the universe is important. 7/1/71 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] * The roots of the home mean parents and ancestors. The visible and the invisible worlds. We take up the visible. The roots for enrichment are under the ground, invisible to us. It's only afterwards that the trunk and branches grow, that blossoms flower and seeds mature. Rev. Matsutaro Yasutake, the first minister who opened Amagi Church :: The first opening for his faith was realizing that everybody prays to heaven, but no one prays to the earth. We know the blessings of both heaven and earth are the very way of this universe. And then we catch ourselves piing on the ground. Years ago it was most common. We don't realize fully the grand blessings of this whole universe. How to develop the human spirit: take and make various things your spirit's nourishment. All the conditions for human happiness are available. Let go of selfish pride and egotistic aims. It's where you can't accept your spouse or others that is a selfish point. It's when you are saying, "this is true," that your selfishness is showing. Years ago Mrs. Ito of Hita received: "take away parts of your selfish ego; take them for nourishment." It's these selfish parts which are useful for your spiritual growth and development.(Back) < Back to the HomePage > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Rev. Richard Lee Dusek