But anyway, first thing that happened since my last post was the fire festival at Kurama-dera. Not much to say about it really--I'll let the pictures/video do the talking.
(video's not working, I'll try to get it up soon)
Right. So after that, not much to report until this weekend (aside from being super spacey all week, trying a persimmon for the first time--DELICIOUS--and playing volleyball so much that my shoulder is probably super whacked-out for good). Last night (Saturday) I watched Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince in Japanese, which really made me realize how much of genius J.K. Rowling is, AND the filmmakers. Mostly the filmmakers in this case. Maybe it's just because we've been talking about film in my Visual Anthropology class, but...well I don't know how to describe it. Maybe it's because I've got something else on my mind.
BUT JUST A MINUTE. I'm getting there.
Today I got a tour of Kiyomizu-dera by my speaking partner and his friend Mizuho, the leader of their guide "club"; I think they get paid, but it wasn't really clear to me. Seiji and I seem to be having some significant communication issues...and I'm not sure how much I'm to blame for it, but...well let's just say our relationship could be better. We did split some delicious okonomiyaki and yakisoba (plus two other dishes I still don't really understand--one was a type of potato, I guess, and the other was most egg...Idk, just yummy), and I'd say it was worth the 1500 yen splurge. Which reminds me of the 2100 yen splurge yesterday that Kyle and I both gave in to for yakiniku. Probably the best decision of the day. Which maybe sounds sad, but picture mini-steaks you get to grill yourself--right at your table--plus beer and salted edamame (which is so much better in Japan than it is from a frozen bag in America, but that can't really be helped I guess). So so good.
OK. Now I'm going back to yesterday morning when I went to Tenri with my religion class. Tenri is the "hometown" of Tenrikyo (天理教), which is a "new religion" of Japan. Having learned in class that it's a mix of Buddhism, Christianity, and Shinto (the latter of which was mostly forced by the government, as the believers had to sort of say "yeah we're shinto" to keep their leader out of jail and be able to continue to practice), I wasn't really impressed. I thought, 'they're just like everyone else, saying all you have to do is be a good person and taking what they want from whatever religion whenever they feel like it and however they want'. Tenrikyo doesn't have any violent history like Aum Shinrikyo (sarin gas attack perpetrators), however, nor are they so political like Soka Gakkai seems to be, so I just kind of shrugged and said 'hey, free tour of the church headquarters, field trip, sounds good'.
Now one thing I had been thinking about was this idea of healing that so many Tenrikyo followers have testified to (via my professor--I haven't heard the personal testimonies myself); how is it possible? Can these miracles be lies? What about the foundress, Miki Nakayama? Did she really hear and write down the word of God? Is God the Parent the same God I've been praying to? What about the Great Spirit of the Native American faith? I definitely don't believe in reincarnation, but these same people that say so many "good" things (however vague) profess that it is true.
These questions might worry some of you; like father like daughter, I may sound heretical, but I'll tell you right now that I will always believe Jesus Christ was the one and only son of God who died for my sins and lives today for me to worship him. So don't worry about that, friends and family. But hearing Raymond, who is 1/4 Japanese and a 24-year-old follower of Tenrikyo from Los Angeles, CA, tell his own testimony for Oyasama (God the Parent, genderless yet usually referred to as "he") really moved me. I wasn't all that interested in listening to the Phillippino girl (maybe she was part Japanese, but I'm pretty sure she said she was from somewhere else) and the full-Japanese guy talk about the history of the buildings and such (although I couldn't hear much because there were all kinds of people chanting/singing and clapping in worship, I was sitting in the back, and I swear all Japanese people--or people who have lived in Japan a while--speak WAY too softly), but this guy...well let me tell you. While filming a documentary in a sketchy part of town, his dad got shot in the leg and was told he would never be able to engage in any rigorous activity again. But if he hadn't been sitting in just the right position, his friend probably would've been killed. Not only did this guy live, but he married some distant cousin of Raymond's, I think, and Raymond's dad was able to pick up Judo again, like he used to as a student. Maybe that's not so "earth-shattering" to you, but I don't believe in coincidences or lucky chances, and it was clearly very meaningful to him--that sort of thing speaks to me. Also, his description of growing up in California and struggling with relating to his classmates who didn't even know what Tenrikyo was...I could feel that. And when my professor told stories about Tenrikyo followers being healed of cancer and other miraculous healings (my memory is failing me now), I can't deny having felt something then. I know that sounds vague. And my non-religious friends will probably not be impressed, but you all know this is just my thought space and I write about what I believe.
So what do we do with Tenrikyo? Well, let me just say that at the very least, I have hope for these people--more than I do for self-proclaimed atheists, although I know everyone has the potential to "come around". But what I got from Tenri is this: God always moves. God wants people, his creation, healed. He wants us to respect our bodies because they were given to us by him, and he wants us to serve, serve, serve. And worship. He is our Holy Father, and I think Tenrikyo followers know that. If you believe in reincarnation, I don't think you're going to hell either--why would you? If that's not keeping you from worshiping your creator, from doing your very best to serve others every day (not saying you won't fail), and making sure not to harm others, from sharing your faith in the one true living God with people, from believing you are saved from sin...sounds good to me.
One Creator God. One Savior named Jesus. One body. That's what I believe. What about you?
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