The dust of miserliness is to begrudge giving one's services in mind or body; all the ways of begrudging money or effort are not in accord with Divine Wisdom and are dusts.

To begrudge paying an imposed charge, to begrudge returning things borrowed, to begrudge lending things to others, to begrudge giving to those in need, to begrudge spending one's time for others, to begrudge spending everything for what would help or be of benefit to others, to sit back while others do one's unpleasant work--these make up the dust of miserliness.

If we had the mind of miserliness, we could not save others. We would put off from day to day returning things as we should. We would hold back money or other things when making someone a present in return. We would tend to default in paying money we owed and come to fail in our social duties.

We would say, when asked to lend something, that we do not have it though we actually do, thus even telling a lie. Then we would not only be spoken ill of and be alleged to be stingy, but also cause others to accumulate dust. Despite paying and giving what we should to someone, we might sometimes reluctantly pay it just to fulfill our social duties or might regret having given that much to him.

If we use the mind in such a manner, there would be little point in paying or giving anything because, in our minds, we would have already retrieved the things given or paid. It is the same as digging out the seed right after planting it.

Bearing miserliness time and again would cause the mind to bear regret, sometimes giving rise to illness. Also, doing any service would be of little avail, for it would be done reluctantly, without satisfaction, and thought of as annoying. We would work well only when watched and be idle when not. If we found some slight labor that would please others or prevent waste, we would not do it but leave it to others. When we found something in disorder, we would be likely not to put it in order, even though it could be done with only a little effort.

Man is made so that he might enjoy his life by exercising the mind and using the body. If we become lazy, we would be considered to be indifferent or undutiful. Then we would receive fewer blessings from God the Parent.

One day in 1874, Naragiku Nishio returned to the Residence and was sitting in front of Oyasama with other people. When they were preparing to leave, Oyasama called the name of Kokan, Her daughter, and asked: "Dear daughter, isn't there anything to do? These people will not leave if they are asked to do something. There is something, isn't there?" To this question, Kokan answered, "Yes, there are many things to do, but I was hesitating to ask them." Then Oyasama said: "Why not ask them?"

Kokan asked them to spin yarn. They worked hard at spinning and winding yarn on the spindle. Soon Naragiku, who was then eighteen, completed one spindle. Oyasama went to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She raised the spindle to Her head three times and said: "Dear Naragiku, girls of your age yearn for many things. You are so young, yet faithful in your work. I admire you. There are a lot of things to do in this Residence if you are of the mind to work. While working in this Residence, you will not be able to leave, even if you want to. I recommend that you work as hard as possible when you can. Then in the future you will be quite free from hardship, even if you want it. So work hard now."

(Anecdotes of Oyasama, the Foundress of Tenrikyo, p.32)

(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.)