On March 28, some 5,000 high school, junior college, and university students participated in the annual Students' Spring Pilgrimage to Jiba, organized by Tenrikyo Students Association with the support of the Student Advisory Committee. The pilgrimage--which had the theme "Let's return to Jiba with friends: Now is the time to make great strides"--culminated in a convention held in the Inner Courtyard of Church Headquarters. The occasion was honored by the presence of the Shinbashira and his wife as well as the former Shinbashira.

Speaking at the convention, the Shinbashira encouraged the listeners to try to familiarize themselves with Oyasama's Divine Model, which was intended to make it easier for people to follow the path. He advised the students not to consider Her Divine Model as distant, unapproachable, or unrelated to them simply because times had changed since the end of Her physical life or because Her role was the Shrine of God. The important thing, he said, is to bear in mind Her parental heart that led Her to show us how to follow the path through Her own example. He then suggested that the students give thought to what aspects of the Divine Model they ought to emulate and how they ought to emulate them if they are to follow the Divine Model as their own personal path. He went on to caution, however, that the utmost care must be taken not to give priority to their own convenience, for that could lead to compromising the teachings. "What brings the greatest joy to Oyasama--and the path to spiritual growth lies in this--is to settle the teachings in our mind, savor the joy of being alive, maintain a sense of gratitude, and help one another in the course of living our lives," he added.