On October 26, 1838, when Oyasama was in Her forty-first year, She was settled as the Shrine of Tsukihi. Thereafter, She spent fifty years teaching the path and demonstrating the Divine Model of how to follow it through Her own example, thereby personally guiding people along the path. She then withdrew from physical life on the lunar calendar date of January 26, 1887 (which was February 18 by the Gregorian calendar), due to God the Parent's profound intention.

On the night before Oyasama's withdrawal, when Her physical condition appeared to be critical, the worried followers made an inquiry through Izo Iburi--who had already been entrusted with the role of communicating the will of God the Parent--asking what they should do to restore Oyasama to health. In response, God said:

Sah, sah, I shall begin to level the ground completely. Sah, sah, with the portals opened, opened, I shall level the ground all over the world. Sah, I shall step out to level the ground. Sah, sah, shall I open the portals and level the ground? Shall I close the portals and level the ground?

Thinking that opening the portals would offer a brighter prospect than closing the portals, the followers replied, "Please open the portals and level the ground." Then, they were told:

I shall open the portals to the whole world, open, open, open. Everything will be entirely changed.

The next day, they resolutely performed the Service in high spirits as taught by Oyasama with the musical instruments for the Service included, expecting that She would get better as a result of their performance of the Service. Though the fires of persecution were raging in full force at the time, strangely enough, not even a single police officer showed up, thus allowing the Service to be brought to a close without incident. Yet, at the very end of the Service, the exact opposite of what they had expected occurred--Oyasama withdrew from physical life.

The people made another inquiry for divine directions. Then the following words came:

When I asked whether I should open the portals or keep them closed to level the ground, you answered, "Please open the portals and level the ground." I have done as you wished.

Indeed Oyasama had opened the portals and stepped out to level the ground.

The Divine Direction delivered on that day included the following words:

Because of My love for you, My children, the Parent shortened Her life by twenty-five years to step out and save the world from now.

She withdrew from physical life--and thereby made it no longer possible for followers to worship Her physical or visible presence--in order to urge them to make further spiritual growth. By thus passing to a non-physical state, She also ensured that the people and authorities who had attacked and interfered with Her could no longer reach Her. In addition, She was stepping out to save the world more proactively. To put it another way, She opened the portals of limitation and stepped out to an unlimited or absolute state so as to guide all humankind.