Dick Dusek's Dosage

Sunday, January 31, 1999 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, pastor WAGAKOKORO DAY SERVICES AT 10AM @ Many place their trust in Kami, but Kami places trust in only a few. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #30] Within the very humanness of our human life is the true joy of living in a way which is completely connected with Kami. It is a world of exultation inside us. We rid ourselves of the mistaken idea that the purpose of faith is to become a wise sage. We discover instead, a way of living that is made stronger by adversity. That is why we pray to have a receptive heart which accepts and sees sacredness in all things while trusting the invisible more than the visible. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/21/81 This great request of our parental diety is for each one of us. For each one our Principal Parent prays and requests that we open to such a grand discovery. When you're not feeling faith's graces, when our faith-heart doesn't feel the gratitude of blessings -- all of us have times like these -- this is when our bobber, like on a fishingline, is bobbing up and down. It's the time when the fish has bitten and is on the line. Our heart isn't feeling fit is the very time when the next blessing is being hooked. Thus your heart's spirit is bobbing and can't stay balanced -- it's that empty feeling, nothing feels good. Our pastor had just such a non-pulsed day on his birthday, the 29th. Thinking he should gather a feeling to receive the celebration in the evening, he opened to teaching #55. The number itself was so very inspiring because he was just turning 55 years of age. And then the teaching itself ... While you are young, you will be asked to do work which pays wages, but when you get older, you will not be asked. In practicing faith, the older you get, the more virtuous you become. If you practice faith, your gratitude will increase with each passing year. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #55] The young's strength to work will bring in wages. It's a good feeling, but that alone will only raise one's selfish pride. With faith the heart practices developing gratitude and maintaining virtues. Year by year we come to gain more and more gracious blessings.
Saturday, January 30, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo Konko Daijin did not have anyone he could ask for teachings. Many people come from afar to receive divine blessings. However, if you have divine virtue, you will be able to pray on your own. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #64] As a baby, you are feed soft, easy-to-digest food. Upon growing up you are able to feed yourself, picking up the cup and holding the fork or spoon. This is how you're able to do it on your own. Since faith, developed traditionally, seems to be something which anyone is able to do on their own, my faith never matures. I am forever holding to the idea that faith is something feed to you in soft, easy-to- eat portions. Faith isn't developed traditionally. Thus ours doesn't mature. 7/24/82 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] In the 1960's, for example, if our first pastor just stated that it was the divine process which needs to be received sacredly, no one could follow such faith, at that time, of course. Before he died he told us that he has left us nothing other than the interest on all the blessings for us to repay. Thus we maintain a humble respect for all divine work. This is something which I am truly grateful for. It's the greatest gift. It keeps true faith ever on demand and in top sharp. The younger generation has the image of 'the process' imprinted into their DNA it seems. Thus even little Eiichiro told that it's the sacred process, understands and receives the blessings. He better than anyone understands the wonderful blessings he has, to be able to sing as well as he did last night at the pastor's birthday party. History shows the pattern of great prosperity followed by the reverse withdrawal phase. Does it need to be continuosly repeated for all eternity? Properity and withdrawal? Advancement and retraction? Forever and ever?? The process has come to light. It leads and helps maintain a life of true faith, faith for human prosperity to continue for generations. It gives us just the right balance to keep forever in the graces and virtues of this great universe. The process within our everyday life happenings is the rhythm generating and guiding the way to meet the divine request for true human life, simple and complete. The time has come for humankind to take up real faith on their own, working together at ease with our diety. The process has come to light!
Friday, January 29, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo Konko Daijin did not have anyone he could ask for teachings. Many people come from afar to receive divine blessings. However, if you have divine virtue, you will be able to pray on your own. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #64] Not getting what you are seeking is lonely and sad. At times you even get mad. Realizing I'm without virtue, I search deeper and deeper for faith. And then my heart (inner eye) opens and I come to be able to live in a world of blessings beyond my desires and prayers. A world I never even dreamed of opens before me. This is what it means that with "divine virtue you are able to pray on your own." [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/16/77 The 29th is the day of birth of the founder, and the day of passing away of our first pastor, and the birthday of our second pastor who is 56 today. The stance of faith is being taught. We need a stance that goes beyond the troubles to the heart which opens to faith, a faith which reaches divinity. We then can feel the rhythm of divine virtues flowing throughout our world. I wish for a taste of virtue, the flavor of virtue. All day I served at the mediation desk interpreting the rhythms of each request, of each person's plead for enlightenment, and their prayers for faith and blessings. I truly felt the virtuous light dreamed of and prayed for, ever since the founder started preaching his faith. I felt the great deep gratitude for all those who have perpetuated this wonderful dream-come-true world of divine rhythm.
Thursday, January 28, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo After Konko Daijin's physical form is gone, Konko Daijin will go wherever asked. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #19] It's giving an indication of a function which works irrespective of time and space, and is free of all obstacles. However we must come even one step closer to Konko Daijin. It makes it easier for Konko Daijin and is also a shortcut to blessings for us. To do it, you must search out the very limits of yourself and from there take off and proceed wholeheartedly. Here is the sales pitch of a toad cream salesman: "Surrounded on four sides by mirrors the bullfrog, suffering from his own filthiness and wretchedness, begins to drip and drip with greasy oil. Refining this oil we produce a special remedy for cuts." When we look at ourselves in the mirror of the teachings, our filthiness and wretchedness are reflected. This is quite a self-discovery. 7/1/70 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] We are living in a world where the founder comes and the virtues of our pastor surrounds us. But then we also need to get closer to the heart of Konko Daijin. Start from your own filthiness. Respect the process in your life. It's the divine work of the universe provided for us to grow in graces and blessings. A couple of examples of following one's life-process respectfully: An elderly lady awakes earlier than usual and is so happy to be able to prepare for early morning prayers at her home. Some brightness through the window get her attention and she discovers it is a fire nearby. She goes downstairs and is somehow able to extinquish the fire carrying water in a bucket. The amazing thing is she ordinarily has much trouble walking, let alone carrying a bucket of water back and forth. Another elderly lady was in her shop when a young man dressed in dirty-looking clothes entered and asked her for pants and socks saying, though he didn't have money with him he'd bring it later. She felt it was the process that needed to be practiced, so to gave him what he wanted. Then she heard of a nearby lady in a small tobacco shop who was murdered for cigarettes the young man wanted. It turns out that he had visited two or three other places, too. The lady was so glad that the process protected her. She realized she could have been the victim. If she had not accepted the process as she did, she would not be alive today. The process is divine work in our midst. Accept it, put faith in it, and it provides an amazing line of events leading us to true faith, true happiness.
Wednesday, January 27, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo Instead of thinking about the pain you feel, be thankful now for the blessings that are coming. [How To Develop Faith #47] It's said that good medicine is bitter. Since you should feel that the more bitter it is, the better its effect, likewise, the more you sense difficulties, the greater your gratitude should well up. It's because you realize that this Kami's purpose is nothing other than love. 7/9/75 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Since yesterday Rev. Eishiro has been feeling weak in his stomach. You can really sense how close his faith is to Kami's present works by the teaching selected for today. Take up the living processes of your life. They are your very life. Take them as such. Thankfulness should well up as you approach the point of meeting the divine request through the very process of the divine work you take up so dearly. Truly be thankful for the blessings that are being sent. It's divine love, true and simple, there's no mistaking it. This is the fifth year since our first pastor died. Thinking of these five years, what have I accomplished? How much faith could have been established? What am I doing? I can't even announce I've made a step toward holding the faith of the first sermon ever published.
Tuesday, January 26, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo As your heart is the measure of your faith in Kami, be composed and confident when you pray. Ask Kami calmly and quietly. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #98] You will surely feel grateful when you devote yourself to turning to Kami each day, like 'today's a day of compassion or it's a day of love, a day of Kami'. While being careless you will lose your composure at times of need. Composure should be tranquil. It is always wanting to look daily at the condition of one's heart. A life which merges a resolute spirit to train oneself whether it's hot or cold into one's daily life is called living your faith. Taking the various problems that occur as the barometer of my heart, I wish to advance in true faith. 7/19/72 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Here's an extra teaching that really helped me. "Should I go right, or should I go left?" We meet something like this, whether it's a large or small matter, in our everyday life from time to time. At times like this, most people following their likes and dislikes, the advantages or disadvantages, or common values of good and bad make the decision for right or for left surrendering more and more as they get into it. Actually Kami is signaling the direction to take at each turn, "Okay, a right," "Okay, a left." A life which follows these signals is a way of living that follows the rhythm of the universe. This way is a way which broadens and keeps broadening. In order to understand the divine will of Kami a tranquil heart is needed. The source of tranquility is the spirit free of cares. Incidentally, if you don't yet understand this divine will, by selecting the side you dislike, the disadvantageous, you will surely not be mistaken. The Way of Virtue Instead of Profit 7/27/83 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Today with a tummy ache Rev. Eishiro began his early morning duties. It also happens to be his 43th birthday today. Then you ask what is Kami's intention. Isn't it but to enrich and beautify the spirit of one's faith in this great universe provided us?
Monday, January 25, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo An old saying tells us, "Let others do as well as you, but excel more than others." Therefore, when you practice faith in Kami, you should receive the divine blessings provided for you. Then, you can help others. Practicing faith is the same as learning. It progresses step by step. You cannot become a teacher immediately. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #62] Throw away your views up until now on religions of the past, moral training, and common sense. It is from that point you'll acquire the true salvation of the Konko religion. What it is "to receive the blessings provided for you and then help others" is first to raise the teachings of the founder to where you insist they are the greatest ideals for human salvation. The ideal of Airaku (together-at-ease) explains the key points for this. 7/22/82 [Mini-teachjng of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Where's the key to open the process of Kami's world? There's a minister who travels around the world to do it. Our first master sat at the mediation desk, a space half-a-mat wide. With a single spirit all things are brought about. Galileo's belief in a sun-centered universe; the church of his day believed in an earth-centered system. The accepting heart opens to the process of true life. It is not others that is the matter to be concerned about, but oneself only. Truly a switch compared to common beliefs held today. This one spirit holds the key to all the blessings of the universe.
Sunday, January 24, 1999 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, pastor WAGAKOKORO DAY SERVICES AT 10AM @@@ The religious training of this faith does not involve traditional physical austerities. Doing your everyday work is religious training. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #39] Living itself is not religious training; it's the contents. Your occupation is not for your livelihood; it's when you realize you are given this life and you truly make recompense for Kami's benevolence that for the first time you are able to speak of the religious training of your job. It's not done just by working devotedly. This morning I received a phone call from Mrs. Ebisuura. She works in a hospital. The directing doctor there is quite a hard person to get along with. Because of this employees don't stay on very long. So day after day her everyday has been disagreeable. Changing her attitude two or three days ago to accept whatever the director says just as if it were her minister speaking, she says that each day has become enjoyable and thankful. This very way of accepting must be exactly the religious training of your work. Don't you think so? 7/22/76 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] This faith of Konko Daijin's is wonderful because it takes up ordinary living. For example, the birth of other religion's founders is treated as so extraordinary, but Konko Daijin was just the second son of an ordinary farmer. He didn't ever escape from ordinary life. There were many various happenings in his life, his youth, his family, his children and wife, even his farming. A believer was driving to the church and in front of him was a slow moving car. At first it was quite upsetting, but no matter what he couldn't get around it. He then realizing it as the very process of divinity, accepted it. He followed that very slow moving vehicle till the last corner where he turned and got away. Then he soon made a sale, selling an expensive kimono. This is diety at work. Our parental diety only wants to teach us this one thing. But our likes and dislikes get in the way. Our personal selfishness interferes and we can't heard, can't see divinity at work in our lives. In the USA there's a best selling book about God and conversation. It's point is that all of existence is deity. With such a best selling concept among the thoughts of americans there such be no trouble in preaching the process of divine work in our lives. The process is normal, ordinary, regular. There is were the spirit of the process moves us closer to deity.
Saturday, January 23, 1999 Rev. Eishiro Otsubo Just listening to teachings is not enough. You should develop faith from within yourself. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #41] Faithful is ... to obey, to follow obediently, to obey the teachings of Kami, to follow what Kami says. Conscientious is ... turning toward Kami, the spirit (faithful) which turns to Kami. To follow what Kami says is faithful. To look and look for the spirit of Kami is conscientious. Faithful conscientiousness is the sincere work for Kami. Sincerity is a way of living with the same spirit as Kami's. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/1/82 This mini-teaching was received by Rev. Nakahara and became that day's mini-teaching. A young minister asked Rev. Miyata in Osaka for the meaning of faithful. The answer he received was tenacity. Not understanding it, he also asked Rev. Soichiro Otsubo who praying the next day received the tencity which penetrates. To keep looking and seeking for the divine message in the process of our life is being faithful and conscientious. If you happen to be in a dilemma, that process itself is a great gift for pursuing deeper faith and more exact conscientiousness. 1999 and today, too, I feel we are being asked to produce our own original faith.
Friday, January 22, 1999 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo Should The Principal Parent of the universe enter a shrine, the world would turn dark. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #10] Vast and infinite divine virtue is overflowing throughout the universe. It's neither the inside nor the outside of the shrine. It's not that Kami cannot leave the shrine because of being enshrined. And also Kami cannot be closed up in a shrine. However, man has various feelings and concepts. With the sound of opening the shrine doors, we feel our hearts being opened. When the lamps for Kami are turned on bright, the worshiper feels his or her heart-soul swept clean. The point is to open and brighten one's own heart and soul. 7/24/75 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Without diety is darkness, thus we realize that diety is light. Also we are taught that belief leads to strength which becomes light. Therefore belief in deity is important. But how? What can we believe in when our whole world is collapsing around us? The schools, government, even banks can not be depended on as aways. It's so very disgusting. Religious scholars were called on to respond to the crimes of religious groups. They could not sufficently explain what religion was on the TV interviews. It is said that only the human animal has fears and worries of the future. They need something to believe in. When they are able to have belief in whatever it is, then they are set at ease, free of anxiety. The way of writing the Japanese character for diety is: indicate and state. Thus deity is speaking out, giving constant indications in the process of the universe. Take up the present moment as divine, as precious. Then deity is saved and people will prosper. Even being urinated on the founder was taught to take it happily, even to give thanks for becoming more fertile. The sumo wrestler continues and continues his rough and hard training, aiming ever to reach the highest goal of the championship. It's tough training, but not fighting back at the processes you receive in life. Take each happening with divine grace. Practice faith with strength and joy. Open the sacred doors of divinity. The divine way, I wish to walk.
Thursday, January 21, 1999 Rev. Mikisaburo Otsubo With the completion of this sacred staff, I (Kami) will end your farming career. Please understand. When you are out farming, the person at home has to go out and call you whenever someone comes to give a request. And after you relay the request, you have to go back out again. You have to keep going in and out of the field. This gives you little time for farming, and the worshipper must also wait for you. Both you and the worshipper are being inconvenienced. Won't you stop farming? When you were gravely ill at forty-two, the doctor gave up hope. Everyone worried about you. You prayed to kamis and buddhas and were blessed with complete recovery. Regard this event as your death. Dispel all desires and assist Tenchi Kane No Kami. Also, your wife should consider herself a widow. This is better than being a real widow, as she can still talk to you and discuss matters. She should take the children with her to do the farm work. There are many people like yourself, who have sincere faith in kamis, but still have many problems. Help these people by performing toritsugi-mediation. This will help Kami and save people. Man exists because of Kami, and Kami exists because of man. Thus, Kami supports man as Kami's child, and man supports Kami as his parent. There will be eternal prosperity through this mutual interdependency. [The Divine Call of Konko Daijin - November 15, 1859] What we must not overlook is the faith the founder had up until receiving the call from Kami, that is, the finest unparalleled intimate relationship with Tenchi Kane No Kami. That is why he was able to quit his occupation and give assistance to Tenchi Kane No Kami. The saving of man is the saving of Kami. Both Kami and man will be fulfilled. "Everyone will become forever prosperous. As a parent cares for a child and a child cares for their parents, people will be saved by this mutual relationship of Kami and man." That this is the will of Kami is what we have to have engraved in our hearts. We believers must not forget the spirit of the founder at the time he staked his life to accept the divine call. "When people forget their difficulties they tend to become more like nobility. Religiously speaking that is the most horrible thing. What it is to succeed one's parents is not the inheritance of house or estate. It's to inherit the way one's parents took difficulties." An excerpt from the words of Rev. Kanshiroh Nagai [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/22/72 The dream was had and needs to be passed on. Are we ready to accept it? Have we the gumption to really take it up? Without someone to receive it with the idea to pass it on further, would actually be the gravest pity. This great load of thankful work (what we inherit, GOKURO) -- this dream, such an earnest wish for great salvation, both saving deity and humanity -- This very spirit is what captures and holds the blessings we so dearly need. Kami needs also to be saved. The diety of other religions is so complete and almighty -- doesn't it seem they are deities too, too far away to reach?? The deity of Konko faith is close by and needs faithful people to be saved. It's a deity people can combine and work together with easily. And both deity and people can seek mutual joy and salvation. We must establish our faith for the dream to come into being. Both divinity and humanity can be forever prospering, saving each other as the parent and as the child. Each believer must accept their own divine call to establish the relationship for divine-human interdependence. Such is true faith which brings about the ideal way for the dream to take place.
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Name: Rev. Richard Lee Dusek