Tenrikyo

Tenrikyo is a Japanese religious movement founded by Nakayama Miki in the 19th century. It worships God the Parent and teaches that humanity should realize a joyful life through mutual aid and spiritual purification.

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Tenri-Ō-no-Mikoto: The name Tenrikyo uses for God the Parent, the single creator and sustainer of humanity. This is the divine name at the center of Tenrikyo worship.
Service (Tenrikyo): Tenrikyo’s central ritual, combining sacred music, dance, and gestures performed before the shrine. The Service is understood as a means of restoring the world toward the Joyous Life.
Nakayama Miki: The Japanese religious founder whom Tenrikyo recognizes as the Shrine of God the Parent. Her revelations and teachings established the movement’s distinctive message.
Tenri: A city in Nara Prefecture, Japan, that grew around Tenrikyo’s headquarters and sacred center. The city’s institutions and urban life are closely connected to the movement.
Joyous Life: The ideal state of human life in which people live gratefully, cooperatively, and free from self-centeredness. Tenrikyo presents this shared human flourishing as creation’s purpose.
Sazuke: A Tenrikyo healing prayer transmitted to followers authorized to perform it. It expresses the teaching that divine protection can aid people experiencing illness.
Izo Iburi: An early Tenrikyo leader who recorded divine directions and helped organize the movement after Miki’s death. His role shaped the transmission of Tenrikyo teachings in its formative years.
Tenrikyo Church Headquarters: The central administrative and religious institution of Tenrikyo, located in Tenri, Japan. It coordinates the movement and organizes worship at its global center.
Dust (Tenrikyo): A Tenrikyo metaphor for habitual, self-centered thoughts that obscure the mind’s original clarity. Spiritual purification involves sweeping away these mental obstructions.
Tenrikyo doctrine: The teachings of Tenrikyo, recorded chiefly in its sacred texts and interpreted through its religious institutions. Doctrine gives spiritual meaning to its rituals and account of human suffering.