Restoration (Fukugen)

by Yoshikazu Fukaya

The Chinese characters applied to the word "fukugen" literally mean "return to the origin." The word can be used to refer, for example, to repairing a building that was altered in a reconstruction or burned down a long time ago to restore its original form by relying on historical records. It also occurs in terms that refer to models or images--produced based on fossils--of animals that lived several millions of years ago. Lastly, the word is also used to refer to the "righting force" needed to restore the balance of something that has tipped over, such as a ship.

However, in Tenrikyo, "fukugen" does not refer to merely restoring something to its past form. When World War II ended in 1945, the "fukugen" (restoration) effort was announced from Jiba to correct Tenrikyo doctrine and the Service that had been altered by government oppression in order to have them conform to Oyasama's intention.

In regard to the Service, the Kagura Service, which could not be performed due to the aforementioned pressure from the government, had previously been performed for some time beginning in October 1934 exactly as Oyasama taught it with five male and five female Service performers wearing kagura masks and dancing to the accompaniment of the musical instruments She specified. However, subsequent government oppression caused the Kagura Service to be replaced by the seated service once again and certain Songs from the Mikagura-uta to be deleted. The first development after the announcement of the "restoration" was restoring the Service to its intended form in October 1945 at the Autumn Grand Service. The Kagura Service was performed once again in this way with hearts filled with joy immediately before the commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Oyasama.

In regard to doctrine, the restoration effort led to the Mikagura-uta being restored and reissued. The Ofudesaki and the Osashizu, which had both been recalled at one time by Church Headquarters, were once again issued to all Tenrikyo churches. The year 1949 saw the official authorization of The Doctrine of Tenrikyo that was compiled based on the Three Scriptures. The Life of Oyasama and Anecdotes of Oyasama were respectively published in 1956 and 1976. (See "The Scriptures and The Doctrine of Tenrikyo" [5.70] and "The Life of Oyasama" [5.74].)

The second Shinbashira, Shozen Nakayama, wrote about the restoration effort as follows: "Restoration does not necessarily mean the resumption of old ways. Neither returning things to their former appearances nor sentimentally reminiscing over the past amounts to restoration. It is my conviction that the enthusiasm about and the significance of restoration come from the effort to pursue the origin and inquire into the source. . . No matter how much we may pursue and inquire into the origin, it is a task that we may never complete, for I believe that the more we search, the more we feel ourselves filled with new enthusiasm to search further. I would like to suggest the restoration is the mother of new worlds and new cultures."

"Restoration" is to return to the foundation of the teachings. This is not a return to historical forms or appearances; it is a "return to Oyasama's intention." It means to pursue a spiritual base and to pursue enthusiasm in God the Parent's intention and Oyasama's Divine Model. This makes restoration not just a historical development beginning in 1945. The effort toward "restoration" is an effort that we must always be mindful of in any day and age.

Today, the powers that once oppressed us and opposed us conveying Oyasama's teachings or putting them into practice have been removed. This is a development that we must truly be thankful for when we look back on our past. Yet we must ask ourselves: Are we really implementing and promoting Oyasama's teachings on a daily basis? Have we not instead allowed ourselves to bend the teachings according to worldly conventions out of concern over what society may think of us? It can be said that there is nothing more important for us today than to "return to Oyasama" in our efforts toward "restoration."

It is precisely our ceaseless self-examination and efforts to return to the origin and return to Oyasama that comprise our respective paths toward spiritual growth. Then, we can say that new enthusiasm, new momentum, and a new Tenri culture will be born from these efforts to "return to the origin."