True Sincerity (Makoto shinjitsu)

by Yoshikazu Fukaya

God the Parent is only interested in sincerity, or the mind of true sincerity.

Many people would respond to this statement by saying: "We live in a world where competition, calculation, and bargaining prevail in our relationships with one another. Try to live by true sincerity and you will be overpowered by the forces of the world. We cannot make it in the world by simply 'being sincere'."

We are taught that only the mind of sincerity, or true sincerity, measures up to the intention of God the Parent and thus it is firmer, stronger, and more enduring than anything that can be imagined. We are also given the express promise that if we hold fast to the mind of sincerity, God the Parent will firmly accept it and give us returns without fail. Surely, the long history of our Path abounds in instances that attest to the truth of this teaching.

We are neither to make judgments as to whether people are in the right or the wrong nor to preoccupy ourselves with thinking in terms of justice and injustice, but to become sincere through and through. Rather than being swayed by our feelings of love and hate, we are to discover sincerity in people's minds and abide in the mind of sincerity throughout our lives.

God the Parent also teaches us that "the mind of saving others" is the true sincerity and by serving with the mind of saving others, we ourselves will be given salvation by God the Parent.

Sincerity represents the quality of a mind that is intent on saving others--a mind that seeks to help people become happy, to help people brighten their minds, to help people experience salvation. This ensures us, without our seeking it, God the Parent's protection and enables us to bask totally in the grace of God the Parent.

The Ofudesaki instructs us:

Ponder from your innermost heart to understand. Through saving others, you will be saved.

III:47

In addition, we are given the following instructions:

... the mind of saving others is the real truth of sincerity alone and, by this truth of saving others, you are saved.

The Kakisage

The mind of sincerity and nothing else is accepted. When it is accepted, truth will flower. When truth flowers, fruit will be borne.

Osashizu March 12, 1898

All people--without exception--have the mind of sincerity. It has nothing to do with one's age, sex, social status, or role. Anyone can turn to the mind of true sincerity at any time.

The path of sincerity God the Parent teaches can therefore be followed by anyone depending upon the mind alone. It is the path whereby anyone can be saved depending upon the mind alone.

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