Dick Dusek's Dosage

Tuesday, September 8, 1998 Rev. Mitsuaki Otsubo People have often wondered why a man who is honest and like a kami or buddha is often afflicted with many misfortunes. There is a difference between a good, honest person who does not do wrong and a person who has received divine blessings through faith. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #27] What it is to receive blessings through faith is like writing a letter addressed to Kami and whether it was done in childish print or unseemly scrawl you will certainly be able to receive a reply. Even if a person is good or bad, or the writing is nice or poor, this makes no difference. For ages it's been said, "If you are on the true way, even without praying Kami protects you." You will realize that such a saying is just self-seeking words of man. If you don't pray for it, neither Kami nor Buddha will know. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/9/70 It's really a completely different thing. Honest, trustworthy, hard-working; common practice, common sense, superstitution; all are man-made mannerisms. The founder himself discovered it in his own life. Our late master, too, found the same thing in his life. Even the best that humans can produce, just by following it perfectly you can NOT receive blessings. With faith, you then receive blessings beyond your expectations. If, however, you are not feeling any answer from Kami, you need to shift your ways and change your practice of faith. It's common for people to be afraid of what may happen tomorrow. Fears are just around every corner of life in the common world of those with little or no faith. But, with faith the founder received revelations to look forward to 5 or 10 years into the future. This type of joy is completely beyond the common practice of the world. Such happiness comes through faith. Such happiness is totally beyond common expectation. Such happiness is based on absolute faith in Kami. By just respectfully following the processes in his life our pastor is always receiving divine answers and guiding feelings for blessings beyond common expectation. What we need to realize is that without the central ingredient of faith the system of the process doesn't work. Just as a pencil needs sharpening so its central lead-point can write, sharpen your faith for the process to come to life in joyous blessings. With faith life becomes a different picture. With faith blessings shine sharp and true. With faith divine work comes into full view. Rev. Dick Dusek
Monday, September 7, 1998 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, Pastor 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] Praying for how to develop a faith for true world peace and for real peace for all the people of the world, our pastor opened to this teaching. It is teaching the spiritual training of how to do one's everyday job; actually, through such work in everyday life humans attain divine virtue. For example, someone prepares your bath for you, but the temperature of the water varies from day to day, what to do. How do you take this natural happening in the events of your ordinary day? Taking the temperature of the bath without a complaint, without saying a word. and, most importantly, as training to enlarge your spirit and enrich it more deeply. Others parts of your day can be handled the same way. The taste of food on the table can be accepted as training. But don't push yourself to physical extremes; that is unnecessary and could cause you to lose the joy of true spiritual enrichment. This way of taking natural events of your everyday life will open the spirit to ever greate! acceptance of divine work, the sweet and the sour, whether it is going right or going left. Thus more and more of the Will of Kami can be taken because the capacity of the heart-soul is broader and deeper. Thus our prayer for true world peace and the genuine awakening of the peoples of the world can be brought ever closer to real attainment. Remember, it is in your everyday work that you practice spiritual enrichment for the peace and joy of the whole world and all the people of each and every country. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> < PUT THE HEART INTO PRAYERFUL WORK > < > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ M A Y T H E R E B E ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P E A C E I N E V E R Y L A N D I N E A C H H U M A N H E A R T P E A C E A N D E A S E TRUE HUMAN HAPPINESS AWAKENED IN THE HEART OF EVERYDAY WORK *** *** *** *** *** The founder taught Rev. Fujimori Kondo not to do ascetic training in a faraway mountain, instead do spiritual training: "Create a mountain in your heart, and do religious training there. Enter the mountain which you have created in your heart, then no matter if there are difficulties or unsavory meals from your wife, you will not complain." [Kyoten, Gorikai II, Kondo Fujimori #20, latter part of 3th paragragh] It's the training to accept more silently for spiritual control. Each problem of your day becomes further training to develop greater acceptance, deeper capacity for joy to develop. The spirit of how you do your work is where all blessings begin for yourself, your home and the whole world. Silent, at ease with your surroundings awakens blessings of peace and happiness to enter all parts of your world.
Sunday, September 6, 1998 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, Pastor People say, "Do not trample the grain. If you stomp on it, you will become blind." The grain bows lower as it grows. When people amass a fortune or are called "Reverend," they tend to forget to bow their heads. Those who practice faith should become more humble as they receive more virtue. The nail that juts out is apt to be driven in. So it is often said don't get hit on the head. Being hit on the head by heaven is the worst thing. You may think that heaven is high above and it is impossible to hit your head. But be careful. Kami may not scold with a raised voice or extended hand. However, if you are arrogant, divine blessings are surely withdrawn. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #45] While wearing the suit of armor called hardship, you aren't able to move around and you can't raise your head. However, when you receive a small taste of blessings, you soon become arrogant and cannot lower your head. It's the foolish, pathetic nature of man. We do wish to receive virtue. When true virtue becomes a part of us, we naturally cannot help but be humble. In order to get virtue, we wish to live really taking the process of life importantly, without neglecting the produce (what is important for the world; the very workings of Kami) and watching our step. 7/27/70 [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] Watching your step; keeping your feet on firm ground; something like being implanted in the earth. The foundation of this ideal of faith starts from where you take up the happenings of your life as the training to develop your spirit; it's only I myself who can undergo this spiritual training to enrich and enlarge the ground of my heart's faith. Along with following the process of one's life, you also need to realize it is not taking it easy that opens to the true ease of faith. It's the real switch to get the heart-spirit into motion (not the easy way). Then, from the base of a spirit set firm in the ground of renewal, and the heart's switch in the action mood, you are ready to try a request, a prayer for everything that is necessary. Try and see what results from it. I received a phone call from the oldest of my 10 brothers; he's five years younger than I. After he and his wife sang a birthday greeting for me, and after informing me of Mom's slight stroke and her recovery of most of her left- side functions, he wanted to know about my health situation. I finally got him to see that I've been doing well without any absence in my duties for the past four months -- this is the first time I've been so healthy in the past four years. And then we shared thoughts on the ideal of faith, getting one's spirit in tune with the rhythms of the universe. He had just attended a talk by his Father Pat in the Catholic church about humans not working with the Will of God. Our selfish ways block and interfere with the divine work of our Divine Parent, what we call 'the process of life.' By getting into the spirit to accept the enrichment of the process of our everyday lives is where we will be able to reach the rhythm of the Divine Will. I'm not too sure if my brother has much understanding of how to do it, but it certainly is satisfying to see the depth of his understanding. And it so wonderful to be able to discuss such spiritual fundamentals with a brother I have't seen in so very many years. We expressed our love for each other in tearful tones, as we said our goodbyes. DD
Saturday, September 5, 1998 Revs. Katsuhiko and Mitsuaki are with the ShinAiKai ministers on a faith retreat at Gonoura Church on Iki Island; Rev. Mikisaburo is still on a tour of Korea with a small group of believers. All three ministers will return later this evening. I awoke today at the very time of my birth fifty years ago; it's my birthday. Also Hisami Saito and his twin, Masami, are 35 today. And then it's also the 25th memorial date for my mother-in-law, Kayako Hashimoto Mitama; a ceremony is to be held this morning. As Rev. Eishiro Otsubo announces the teaching of the day, I open the book of teachings to that very page -- teaching number 22. 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 Open acceptance, acceptance of everything, is faith lived through following the rhythm of the universe. Life is really a joy. Our late master has said that at Kabame, 30 some years ago, there wasn't enough laughter, not enough applause. And even then you should realize that everyone came because of the great joy that was felt there. Life should be so very joyous. Then during times of hardship, through the lens of prayer you reach the sweet taste of what the process is providing. With only self satisfaction it will be felt as just a difficulty. It's true delicacy is not appreciated. The hands in prayer leads the heart to accept the very nature of the universe in the middle of the hardship at hand. Actually, the hardship is necessary for the work of AKIRA to work.
Friday, September 4, 1998 Rev. Katsuhiko Otsubo, Pastor To kill others within your heart is a grave offense. Kami cannot bear such offenses. When one physically kills, the government will punish the person. Kami knows when one kills within one's heart. [Teachings of Konko Daijin #75] Criticism, arguement, hatred, envy and arrogance are what injure and even kill the human heart. Since it is said, "with a single heart it all comes into being," it is also possible that with a single heart it all breaks down. What we want to have is the WAGAKOKORO, a peaceful, joyful heart. [Mini-teaching of Rev. Soichiro Otsubo] 7/27/77 The human heart-soul is the container of one's faith's sentiment. You always need to check the level and the type of sentiment the heart is holding. Being human we cannot be expected to always be in a happy state of mind. There are sad times, and fearful times, sudden surprises, and painful experiences. So it's important to check your sentiment. Of course, the best ideal way is: Be happy now! On this day of this month. However, for those without faith, what do they do in desperate times. We are taught to accept everything through faith. And to become happier year after year. Rev. Soichiro Otsubo taught us to write happiness on every face of the dice. Have we just written it on half of the faces?? Many people go all over looking for special blessings or sacred magic or something, anything to ease the situation. They don't know how to polish the human soul. How do you do it? Through this event, that life process, may I become larger. The divine wish is presently indicating:        "Then what is supremely important is that you first pray for the health of one's own heart and acquire the strength so as not to be hurt or killed whatever might happen. Such exceeding strength, indeed, is what will activate one's heart-soul." [from 7/26/71 Mini-teaching, Rev. S. Otsubo]
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Name: Rev. Richard Lee Dusek