Tenrikyo - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tenrikyo (, Tenrikyō, sometimes called Tenriism)[1] is a Japanese new religion that believes in one God (monotheism). It was founded in Japan in the 19th century by Miki Nakayama, a Japanese woman who heard instructions from God. Believers of Tenrikyo call her "Oyasama", which means the "Great Parent", because she acts as a parent to all people. In Tenrikyo, God is called "Oyagami", which means "God the Parent".

The goal of Tenrikyo is for all people to live a joyous life. Oyasama stated that the way to save yourself is by saving others. In other words, to be truly happy you must make other people happy.

Today, Tenrikyo is centered in the city of Tenri in central Japan. There is a general hospital, a college, three schools, and a central temple there. Once a month, there is a big ritual in this central city and many people come from all over the country to pray. There are two million believers of Tenrikyo in Japan and around the world.

References[change | change source]

  1. Wolfgang Hadamitzky, Kimiko Fujie-Winter. Kanji Dictionary 漢字熟語字典. Tuttle Publishing, 1996. p. 46.