The Japanese for "sowing seeds of sincerity"--the compound word "fusekomi"--is not a word that can be found in the dictionary. Yet we find an entry for the first half of this word--the verb "fuseru"--which is defined as follows:

(1) to look down; to lower one's head (2) to lie on one's side; to lie down; to prostrate one's body (3) to cover or place under (4) to conceal or hide.

The term "fusekomi" most likely came about from reinforcing the meanings found under (3) and (4).

In the path, any act of sincerity that goes unnoticed or does not seem to bring about a tangible result is called "sowing seeds of sincerity." The same goes for making a monetary, material, or physical contribution. Although such an act may not be acknowledged by others, or met with any word of praise or thanks and may have no immediate, tangible result, an act of "fusekomi," as its English equivalent "sowing seeds of sincerity" implies, is firmly accepted by God the Parent as a seed buried in soil. This expression is used in phrases such as, "Let's sow seeds of sincerity in high spirits" or "The way we sow seeds of sincerity is still not good enough."

However, I would like to point out that God the Parent's use of the word "fusekomi" in the Divine Directions (Osashizu) is mostly limited to describing the Honseki, Izo Iburi, and how he served the path by moving into the Nakayama Residence with his family after giving up his occupation as a carpenter. "Fusekomi" appears in the Divine Directions almost fifty times, and other than two or three places where it can be taken to mean "God has made preparations beforehand," the remaining passages explicitly refer to the seeds of sincerity that were sown by the Honseki and his family.

The content of these Divine Directions can be summed up as repetitions of the following message: "A husband and wife, with their children, came to the Residence to sow seeds of sincerity at a time when there was nothing to give them, when the future was unclear. They were not hired or given a salary. They served wholeheartedly. They served well through difficulties and hardships. He was My mainstay for decades as I led you in My effort to open this path. Do not think that the virtue from these parents and children is small. It is a seed that will remain unmoved for eternity. Its buds will sprout without fail. They will receive the gifts they are due, even without having to say whether they want this or that." The true meaning of "sowing seeds of sincerity" (fusekomi) is the act of completely devoting oneself and one's family to serving the path or one's church. Those who say, "I sowed seeds of sincerity for three years at my parent church," can be said to only have implemented a portion of what the Honseki and his family went through.