God the Parent teaches in a Divine Direction:

The single-hearted mind is all that is required....

Osashizu, December 7, 1890

God also teaches in the Songs for the Service:

Never make an unreasonable prayer!
Come to me with a single mind!

Mikagura-uta III:6

These instructions suggest that God the Parent is interested in our becoming single-hearted in mind.

Then, what is the quality of the single-hearted mind?

According to the story of creation, God the Parent drew forth a fish and a serpent and, after discerning their single-heartedness, decided to use them as models of husband and wife. The fish and the serpent, summoned by God the Parent, were quick in responding to the call without being distracted. Their sincerity and single-heartedness measured up to the divine intention and led God the Parent to use them as models of husband and wife. This illustrates the ideal quality God the Parent expects of us human beings. The sincere and undistracted willingness to put oneself in accord with God the Parent's intention, or the truth of heaven, is the quality of the single-hearted mind.

The verse quoted above from the Songs for the Service tells us not to make a prayer that does not accord with the truth of heaven and urges us to become intent on abiding by God the Parent's intention and putting ourselves in accord with truth. Then, the verse that follows reads:

Whatever may happen, from now on, I will go single-heartedly leaning on God.

Mikagura-uta III:7

This verse speaks of the resolve we human beings are expected to make in response to the instruction given in the preceding verse. It tells us to become single-hearted with God the Parent's intention and rely completely upon God the Parent.

This path was taught by God the Parent--the Parent of Origin, the Parent in Truth--who created human beings and the world. Oyasama--the Parent of all humankind--who played the role of the mother at the time of creation taught us how to follow this path by demonstrating the Divine Model. God the Parent wants us to grasp and settle in our mind the truth of the teachings of this path and follow this path of true salvation single-heartedly and unswervingly in accordance with the divine intention.

In several Divine Directions, God the Parent says in effect: "This path is the ultimate path without a second. Make a resolve to go through this path for endless generations without doubting. You need not look for a different route or a path branching off. No branch is required. If you allow your attention to stray from one thing to another, you are fundamentally mistaken as to the way to follow the path even though you may appear to be paying attention to everything. This path has no branch. Follow this path single-heartedly, exactly as taught in the Divine Model."

In other Divine Directions, God the Parent tells each of us to become single-hearted in mind, adding instructions that read in effect: "No matter how many of you there may be, you must make your minds one and single-hearted. Originally, you started with one path. But your minds have been disunited and you have followed the path in so diverse ways that you are now confused as to what you are doing. If all of you settle the same spirit and follow the path in accord with truth single-heartedly, the quality of spiritedness will appear. Without keeping anything from one another, discuss things together with your hearts wide open. Try to bring understanding to every one of you and give rise to a unity of mind so that you will share the radiant single-hearted mind with one another"

(The above is a translation--first published in the August 1995 issue of TENRIKYO--of an article excerpted from Omichi-no-kotoba by Yoshikazu Fukaya, published by Doyusha Publishing Company.)