"Living in God's Bosom" (Futokoro-zumai)

The word "futokoro" ("bosom") means, among others things, "the inside" of something. In Tenrikyo's discussions of faith, this word often occurs as part of the phrase "living in God's bosom--a phrase that indicates the foundation of Tenrikyo's world view, which is expressed in the Ofudesaki as follows:

This universe is the body of God. Ponder this in all matters.

Ofudesaki III:40, 135

You might not know what this working is. The whole universe is the body of the Parent.

Ofudesaki XV:37

These verses teach that the entire world is in God the Parent's providence and depends for its existence on God the Parent's workings. It would appear that this teaching is encouraging us to affirm that we human beings are also living in the embrace of God the Parent's providence. The phrase "living in God's bosom"--which is perhaps based on the teaching of a "thing lent, a thing borrowed" [referring to the human body being part of God's body]--connotes a feeling of warmth and security that comes from being embraced. A Divine Direction says:

Wherever you are, you will always be in the body of Tsukihi [Moon-Sun]. It is the same, wherever you are. It depends solely upon your mind of true sincerity.

Osashizu, July 1887

A compilation of koki (divine records) contains the following passage:

This universe is the body of the Moon and Sun. The world is in the embrace of heaven and earth. Indeed, human beings live in the bosom of Tsukihi [Moon-Sun].

Koki no kenkyu, p. 129

(This article was first published in the April 2002 issue of TENRIKYO.)