The Service is Tenrikyo’s most fundamental means of showing our gratitude to God the Parent and Oyasama for the continuous blessings that we receive. The songs that are sung during the Service comes from a Scripture known as the Mikagura-uta, The Songs for the Service. The Morning and Evening Services are performed daily, usually around the time of sunrise and sunset, where we pray for God’s constant blessings and for the salvation of specific people and/or for world salvation.
The Service is also the most common way to sweep our minds clean; to rid ourselves of the Eight Mental Dusts of the mind. The first section of the Mikagura-uta states: “Ashiki harai, tasuke tamae, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto”, which if translated literally, means: “Sweeping away evils, please save us, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto.” In this part of the Service, we are asking God to be the broom to sweep away the dusts of our minds. Because these dusts accumulate naturally and incessantly, we need to perform the Service daily to prevent our minds from becoming clouded. Only by having a clear and purified mind can one communicate with God the Parent and strive to help others.
Back to Teachings