"A Thing Lent, a Thing Borrowed" (Kashimono karimono) Part One

The teaching of "a thing lent, a thing borrowed" [referring to the human body being on loan from God] is one of the most unique teachings of Tenrikyo and may be seen as its answer to the question "What is humanity?" In a broader sense, this teaching comprises the following several elements (1-3).

(1) The teaching that the entire universe is the body of God.

It is said that the appearance of humankind on Earth occurred between one and five million years ago or even twenty million years ago. Prior to that, Earth is understood to have been inhabited by other animals as well as plants, with the necessary conditions being present for the existence of life. Humankind was born and evolved in the embrace of nature.

The earth and heaven of this world is your real Parent. Out of this, human beings were born.

Ofudesaki X:54

The sustenance of humanity and the lives we lead are profoundly and intimately related to what we perceive as the world. This point is concisely taught as follows:

This universe is the body of God. Ponder this in all matters.

Ofudesaki III:40, 135

(2a) The teaching of universal brotherhood--the teaching that all human beings are equally brothers and sisters.

We human beings live in the body of God, and the entire human race, it is taught, comes from one and the same act of creation. Human beings have developed along different ethnic, racial, and national lines while producing a variety of cultures as well as enjoying various natural environments. Yet, this teaching clearly sees all human beings as sharing the same purpose for which they were created and exist.

All of you throughout the world are brothers and sisters. There should be no one called an outsider.

Ofudesaki XIII:43

(2b) The teaching that the human body is a thing lent by God, a thing borrowed.

We quite naturally assume our bodies to be ourselves. It is taught, however, that the body is something borrowed from God the Parent, our true essence being the soul. This teaching, which might not lend itself to easy understanding, could be described as a mystical teaching concerning human existence.

All human bodies are things lent by God. With what thought are you using them?

Ofudesaki III:41

Those living in the high mountains and those living in the low valleys: their souls are all the same.

Furthermore, the instruments you use daily are all things lent by Tsukihi.

Ofudesaki XIII:45-46

The reason for our existence--which is only possible by borrowing the body--is to lead the "Joyous Life." The purpose for which God the Parent created humankind and the world was to see us live the Joyous Life (also referred to as "joyous play" and "joyousness") and to share in our joy (Ofudesaki XIV:25-26). It may be said, therefore, that human beings exist in order for the Joyous Life to be realized. It is no mere chance that we exist. The Divine Directions contain the following passage:

The greatness of the truth of humanity brought forth into the world is immeasurable. This I want you to convey to others.

Osashizu, April 10, 1907

We may say that the significance of our birth and existence as human beings is most clearly indicated by the teaching of "a thing lent, a thing borrowed."

The teachings described above (1, 2a, 2b) are summed up in the following passage from a compilation of koki (divine records):

This universe is the body of the Moon and Sun. The world is in the embrace of heaven and earth. Indeed, human beings live in the bosom of Tsukihi [Moon-Sun]. Thus, nothing done by human beings is unknown to Tsukihi. All human beings are God's children. The human body is a thing lent by God. So there is no one who is an outsider. All are brothers and sisters.

Masui 1883, quoted in Shozen Nakayama's Koki no kenkyu, p. 129

(3a) The teaching of the mind's dust.

Because of a lack of understanding of the truth indicated above, we end up using the mind in ways that go against the Joyous Life so desired by God the Parent--that is, we tend to base ourselves on the self-centered imagination (or "human thinking"). This gives rise to unskillful states of mind, which are likened to "dust." Just as removing dust from surfaces is easy if it is done when it should be, the dust of the mind can be easily swept away by diligently engaging in self-reflection, which will allow the mind's clarity to be maintained. Generally, however, people are not even aware that there is such a thing as "dust of mind." Moreover, they act in an aloof manner as if they were "outsiders" to one another. Far from helping one another as brothers and sisters, human beings even hurt one another, imagining that there are differences of worth among them, thereby making the world one of suffering.

A clear and full understanding of the truth of "a thing lent, a thing borrowed," however, will cut off the root of conflict (or "rebellion" as it is referred to in the Ofudesaki at verse XIII:49) as well as the root of illness (Ofudesaki IV:94). Take war, for instance, which stems from the mind's dust. It is a manifestation of certain states of mind. Such phenomena result from human beings falling "out of the hands of God" (or human beings preventing God's blessings from reaching them) through causing regret to God the Parent (Ofudesaki I:60). What needs to be done is to ponder deeply over this situation and sweep dust from the mind through self-reflection.

As for God the Parent's part, it is taught that, through the Service and the Sazuke, God the Parent will not only save us from unhappy situations such as mentioned above but manifest even more marvelous workings to enable us to live the Joyous Life (Ofudesaki XIII:50-58, IV:93-95). In fact, God the Parent's workings do not merely help us resolve conflict and overcome illness, for they encompass and permeate every facet of human life including agricultural crops and even things that are utterly beyond human control.

(This article was first published in the December 2003 issue of TENRIKYO.)

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