Dick Dusek's Dosage
Sunday, December 20, 1998 The pastor left yesterday with about one hundred believers for a special seminar. They are studying faith with the intention to get down to the real essentials. In two years the 21st century begins. At the same time the Konko faith celebrates one hundred years on its own. And also it will be exactly fifty years that our late master started his training in the Kabame home, before moving to Airaku area. These three gears are in motion and we are getting our own gear of faith ready to move together. We wish to cut away unnecessary parts and put strength in the important points of this faith. Wagakokoro Day Services Rev. Eishiro Otsubo A hiromae is where you go to develop your faith. So train your faith well before you return home. You never know what might happen at night, so receive divine blessings at home and at your workplace. Those who have children or jobs cannot leave their homes or workplace to go to the hiromae. When a family member is sick, you can not leave them. Therefore, go to the hiromae to train your faith when all is fine. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #71] hiromae = the worshiping hall of the church where mediation can also be sought. Let's take the example of the many spectators watching a baseball game and the athletes playing in the game. It's fun to watch, but it's even more fun for those playing the game. They especially enjoy pitting their abilities gained through regular practice, whether they win or lose. The same goes for faith. Don't just look and listen. Unless you aim to be a practitioner of the faith, you can't expect the real blessings of faith. First is to practice, and second is also to practice. 7/22/71 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] You come to the church not to receive blessings, but to practice your faith. Then going home you are to receive the blessings of your faith. This was being taught more than a hundred years ago by the founder. When things are fine come to practice, so on your return home or to your job your will receive blessings. We have been chosen to play the part, to take the role of faith in Kami. Practice well. Upon going home is our faith in the way of receiving the blessings?? Are we causing more problems with the faith we have. What is needed to practice faith? You don't need to practice if your faith is only for having an itch scratched or a sore spot rubbed. In order to realize that having pain is a blessing and an itch is a blessing, you need to aim for true faith and practice single-heartedly. Another teaching is: "You will come to realize the many divine blessings that you have already received. When you can do this, you are a true believer." [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/31/82 This year I realize the many blessings I have received. The invisible blessings are much greater in number than those I can see, of course. So also, my many irreverences are still undetected. There most be quite a number.
Saturday, December 19, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo The religious training of this faith does not involve traditional physical austerities. Doing your everyday work is religious training. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #39] When you do your daily work as a form of faith training, it becomes a way to receive divine virtue through your everyday job. Of course, this means that it is important to do our tasks in a way that fulfills Kami's will. It has been seven years since we've received the blessing at Airaku of abolishing all physical austerities. Since then, as we have focused on spiritual training, by trying to keep Kami in mind all day long, offering prayers on a regular daily schedule, and trying to do Kami's will during everyday work, our church has doubled. By the way, trying to receive blessings through physical austerity is just like trying to raise money at a pawn shop. By keeping Kami's will for us in mind all day long, at work as well as at home and in between, everything is arranged for us through natural blessings. 7/30/81 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] When appropriate the appropriate blessings come about appropriately. It's balanced blessings; they come naturally; there's a rhythm to it matching the rhythm of the universe. I've spoke of training that is free and the training which costs. Free training is that which you receive through the happenings of your everyday life; accept and receive strength from them; renew and develop free and easily. Coming for morning worship and to the listen to the teaching is training that costs you, you pay for it; it's regular practice to prepare your faith for greater depth to receive more strength, more light. Receive the problems coming to you thankfully, that's practicing faith. Kami asks, our divine parent requests and wishes us to receive this, to accept it. The everyday training done for the spirit to develop will open a world of peace and receive a heart at ease. Doing our daily tasks with a thankful spirit will train the spirit to bring on true peace throughout the world and real ease for each and every human heart. Such a spirit gives birth to a relation with divinity. Our blood ties are a deep relation; the spirit trained in everyday work can find a heavenly relation, the spirit is bond close to the nature of divinity -- like having a relative in heaven, living in rhythm with the nature of the universe. It's natural workings, the blessings are balanced; it in rhythm with the universe. Blessings are in the peceful, joyful heart. The way of faith is open.
Friday, December 18, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo If people prayed before taking medicine, blessings would be quick. Instead, however, they take medicine before praying, so there are no divine blessings. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #47] When ill, the doctor; at death, the priest. Is a doctor or priest really alright? In times of need all people, even those without faith, cannot help but depend on something. How much weight you give to this need for dependence is whether you are praying before taking medicine or taking medicine before praying. That there are no divine blessings by taking medicine before praying doesn't mean that sickness will not be cured. We can reach an understanding of this through the words of Reverend Hiroshi Takahashi: "Seek mediation and then the good and bad things that happen will all be good. Without seeking mediation, the good and bad that happen will be all bad." The subtle effect of how mediation works is being taught. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/29/70 Instead of raising up the image of the founder, raise the Wagakokoro image up. Instead of relying on the great mediator of your church, carry and use the faith that is taught. The essential point is to take up respectfully the process.
Thursday, December 17, 1998 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo Do not feel complacent after climbing ninety-five percent of the way. You can be at ease only after reaching the top and climbing down the other side. By easing up you will quickly end up back where you started. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #81] Practicing faith for blessings won't make it through. Faith must have the means to be able to be delighted, joyful and pleased. Whatever you're doing we want faith which is in rhythm with the universe. 1977 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Faith practice is like climbing a mountain. But the faith which only aims for blessings won't be able to get up the mountain of faith. Amazing and powerful blessings of the spirit are still but faith for blessings. True faith is that which receives blessings of ease. As in Rev. Keisuke Sada's dream, it requires the aim for faith and also the practice to persevere in faith. But definitely amazing feats of spirit possession or other eye-catching blessings are not what will help one climb up and over the mountain of faith.
Sunday, December 13, 1998 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, pastor Wagakokoro Day services at 10AM The 13th's Meeting from 2PM Just listening to teachings is not enough. You should develop faith from within yourself. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #41] It's said that working teaches one how to work. Also practicing faith until it teaches you to have faith is to persevere in faith. It's not too much to say that the teachings are the hint to a certain extent. Faith teaches sincerity. A sincere heart is what guides you to the heart of Kami. 7/23/70 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] The dream of Mrs. Matsunaga was used to show our present faith situation. It was in two parts. In the first, we all received recipes for cooking our faith from our late master, the Rev. Soichiro Otsubo. The master enquired if we had followed the recipe we received. However, each one prepared it differently according to their own taste. Thus the true flavor of faith would not result. The second part of the dream, our pastor ripped apart the notes Mrs. Matsunaga made while studying the course on faith. The pastor then invited her to come to the sing-along studio to practice what was learned. This is were today's teaching fits. The need to examine and evaluate the customs and habits handed down to us for following true faith was explained. In the early days of the founder's propagation of the faith, for example, people would ask about the location of a toilet attached to their house, or the direction to travel for giving away the bride. Also some worship halls used bells or small drums during prayer services. These practices need not be continued, but so very many ministers actually continued these customs feeling they were handed down from the founder. We need to look closely at what our first religious master provided us. What is really needed? And what should be eliminated? Without doing such an examination of our faith, it will not continue to work for us. The future of the faith is in the balance. With our late master in mind, think and pray about what we should be requesting and what it is that the late master would want us to request for. Sit in front of his picture, if you like. Each day these next few weeks examine and re-examine what is really needed. We have two years until the 21st century. What is it we should work on to continue true faith development?
Saturday, December 12, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo Many people come to the Hiromae to worship, but only a few follow what they are told. After returning home most people just do what they want, and receive no divine blessings. On the way home, they lose Kami's teachings by distorting them to suit themselves. They then blame Kami. Even one word of Kami's teachings is priceless. Receive Kami's words in gratitude, then your gift will be divine virtue so great that it cannot be loaded onto even a boat or cart. Renewing your heart is important. Believing wholeheartedly in Kami means there is no wavering. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #34] Well, it must have been five or six years ago. One day all of a sudden I received this message from Kami: "From today you are not to drink cider; have coke or juice instead." Since then I have never drank cider. I don't know why. And I didn't gain anything from it. It's just that Kami told me to. And still it is the limit of pricelessness not to obey Kami's teachings which, based on the way of the universe, have been expounded as requested, moreover, ever so earnestly and also so politely. Renewed and single- heartedly unwavering, divine virtue will be received by just attentively listening and practicing. 7/17/76 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Without renewing, blessings cannot be received. It's the 12th and today's teaching is #34. Thus 1, 2, 3, 4. The rhythm is very interesting. With Kami we have faith. Kami exists and thus we have blesssings. Kami is 1 and 2; the blessings of faith are 3 and 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Without renewing is like our not cleaning up the room. It's a lazy or haphazard way of practicing faith. Thus if Kami told us to not drink cider, we would most probably respond with puzzling questions of why. Unless we can see some kind of reasoning for it, we don't accept it. Whereas our late master's way of faith is such that he truthfully has said there is no way he would not be able to receive divine blessings -- his faith being so straighforward. We cannot receive blessings without Kami. By depending on ourselves, looking for our own reasoning, we live on our own. We must perceive our spirit. We need to clean it up. One personal example is an eating habit I have. I sit down for a meal and then request a dish I remember from yesterday, saying, "don't we still have some of that?" I've just come to realize how very mean that is. It's taken 49 years, my whole life, to see it. So I practiced receiving what was placed on the table for that meal. It's been only a few months, but each dish I now receive with much more joy and anticipation. Looking at your spirit, you'll find the meanness. Work on renewing and practicing faith in Kami to receive the divine blessings. It's just like 1, 2, 3, 4. Renew the spirit, practice faith in Kami, and blessings are received. You can't but receive blessings with such faith.
Friday, December 11, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo Do not strain yourself by rushing things, but wait for the right time. [Toward True Faith #10] What it means to have faith and await the right time is to receive the greatest blessing. There is the teaching: "If your receptacle is bad, blessings will be lost." Kami will give you the time to complete your receiving vessel. In this way you need to cherish the process of life more. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 6/25/68 We are blessed with four seasons. Spring comes and then summer training; autumn is next and then winter training. You can do things in one which you cannot do in others. There is work which is done in each one of the seasons. This is our earth. For human beings, it's like the history of a day's work, or the history of someone's life work. There you see the small and the large worlds of humankind. In either people cannot remove themselves from nature. Born into darkness (an example from a newspaper book ad) people need the strength of others. In this way the person gets beyond the mediocre. The history of human power begins with using physical strength, then money, and now technology or skills (computers were an example). We need to get beyond our own strength and join together in a mutual relation. In the Konko faith it's called "Aiyokakeyo". Without preparing the inner spirit, when the time comes we will not be ready to join forces with nature for a more complete wagakokoro.(Back) < Back to the HomePage > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Rev. Richard Lee Dusek