Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto
| Tenrikyō |
 |
| Beliefs and scripture |
| Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto |
| Ofudesaki |
| Osashizu |
| Practices |
| Joyous Life |
| Hinokishin |
| People |
| Nakayama Miki |
| Izo Iburi |
| Places |
| Tenri, Nara |
| Tenri University |
| Tenri Hospital |
| Oyasato-yakata |
Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto (天理王命) is the name of the single God and creator of the entire universe in Tenrikyo belief. The English name most frequently used to refer to Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto outside of ritual is "God the Parent"; in Japanese, the equivalent common name is Oyagamisama. In Tenrikyo, God has no gender.
Tenrikyo followers vary in their understanding of this creator, from the early understanding of spirit (kami, god/deity) through the underlying natural causality (Tsukihi, moon-sun) and eventually to an understanding of a parental relationship between the creator and themselves (oya, parent). This progression of understanding is a key teaching of Tenrikyo, where it is accepted that everything must proceed "step by step" — by small stages of understanding instead of by great leaps of faith.
History
In 1880, in order to evade continuous persecution by the government, Tenrikyo placed itself under the administration of a Shugendo temple named Jifukuji. During this time Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto was officially called Tenrin-Ō-Nyorai and the kanji of various other deities were changed, but by 1890 Tenrikyo was given approval by the Meiji government and the original names were restored.[1]
References
- ↑ Henry van Straelen. "The Religion of Divine Wisdom: Japan's Most Powerful Religious Movement." Folklore Studies, Vol. 13, (1954), pp. 1-166