The dust of arrogance is to be proud without being worthy, to look down upon others, for the rich to hold the poor in contempt, for officials to flatter their superiors while being cruel to their subordinates, to claim wisdom without knowledge and holding others as ignorant, and to find fault constantly--all these are the dust of arrogance.

To wish to go through life more proudly than others, to pretend you know when you do not, to force one's ideas or opinions on others even when knowing them to be untrue, to desire to quell or interfere with the plans of others, the minds of those who are pointed out as being prideful or egoistical; such haughtiness and stubbornness and all such uses of the mind are the dust of arrogance.

No one is comfortable when spoken ill of, and everyone is comfortable when spoken well of. One is pleased when he is higher in position than others or when others pay him respect. He feels displeased when he is forced to obey another, or is spoken ill of. This is human nature, of which we cannot free ourselves; and this is true for all.

If one speaks ill of others, he will be spoken ill of. If one suppresses others, they become antagonistic and try to suppress him in return. Then, far from respecting one another, they will despise each other and be unable to live happily together. If others make errors or say something foolish, one should not degrade them but teach them kindly; one should not speak harshly to them even if they did something wrong or very bad, but should gently offer suggestions with respect and make up for their deficiencies.

In arrogance, one often keeps his error to himself because of his unwillingness to apologize for it, or he becomes angry, feeling mortified, simply because others slighted him or made him look foolish, and he worries about things that really do not matter. Worries, which are pains of the mind, become pains of the body if one fails to sweep them off.

Those who have power pride themselves on their power. Those who have great fortunes behave proudly showing off beautiful clothes and other material things. There are times when they, doing this, unconsciously look down on others, and accumulate dust. There are some people who wish to force their ideas or opinions on others even when they know them to be untrue and refuse to be persuaded otherwise. Also, some behave patronizingly and look down upon those in subordinate positions without having compassion for them. These particular people tend to flatter those in higher positions. All these arise from the dust of arrogance.

. . . many followers began to bring the rare seasonal foods grown in their localities to Oyasama when they visited Her. Oyasama always appreciated the sincere heart with which the followers brought these offerings more than the offerings themselves.

Further, when things were presented to Her with arrogance, She often gave them to those nearby. When, on occasion, She did eat them, She said: "It has no taste at all. It tastes as though we are forcing ourselves to eat when we do not want to eat."

(Anecdotes of Oyasama, the Foundress of Tenrikyo, p.4)

In the Ofudesaki, it is taught:

There is nothing at all which should be called illness. It is only because there are paths of the mistaken mind.

These paths are miserliness, covetousness, self-love, greed, and arrogance. They are the dusts.

Ofudesaki III: 95-96

(The above is an excerpt from Dust and Innen, first published in September 1982. Quotations from the Ofudesaki and the Kakisage have been replaced by the revised, current translations.)