Tenrikyo (天理教, Tenrikyō, sometimes rendered as Tenriism)[1] is a Japanese new religion which is neither strictly monotheistic nor pantheistic,[2] originating from the teachings of a 19th-century woman named Nakayama Miki, known to her followers as "Oyasama".

Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated through acts of charity and mindfulness called hinokishin.

Other key teachings include: The Joyous Life in Tenrikyo is defined as charity and abstention from greed, selfishness, hatred, anger, covetousness, miserliness, grudge bearing, and arrogance.

Negative tendencies are not known as sins in Tenrikyo, but rather as "dust" that can be swept away from the mind through hinokishin (ひのきしん or 日の寄進) and prayer.

Hinokishin, voluntary effort, is performed not out of a desire to appear selfless, but out of gratitude for kashimono-karimono[12] and shugo (providence).

Thus the concept of original causality has a teleological element, being the gradual unfolding of that which was ordained at the beginning of time.

The recognition of the divine providence at work should lead to an attitude of tannō (たんのう (堪能), "joyous acceptance" in Tenrikyo gloss), a Japanese word that indicates a state of satisfaction.

Tannō is a way of settling the mind – it is not to merely resign oneself to one's situation, but rather to actively "recognize God's parental love in all events and be braced by their occurrence into an ever firmer determination to live joyously each day.

[a] During the Service, the text to the Mikagura-uta is sung together with dance movements and musical accompaniment, all of which was composed and taught by Nakayama.

[39] According to Shozen Nakayama, the second Shinbashira (the spiritual and administrative leader of Tenrikyo), the Ofudesaki "reveal[s] the most important principles of the faith," the Mikagura-uta "come[s] alive through singing or as the accompaniment" to the Service, and the Osashizu "gives concrete precepts by which the followers should reflect on their own conduct.

They are required texts for students enrolling in Tenrikyo's seminary programs, such as the three-month "Spiritual Development Course" (修養科, Shuyoka).

'large church'), to disaster relief corps, medical staff and hospitals, universities, museums, libraries, and various schools.

In Tenrikyo tradition, Nakayama Miki was chosen as the Shrine of God in 1838, after her son and husband began suffering from serious ailments.

Following Izo's death, a woman called Onmae partially carried on this role for a while, although it appears that she did not have the actual title of Honseki.

[41] During this time, Tenrikyo became the first new religion to do social work in Japan, opening an orphanage, a public nursery and a school for the blind.

[42] Although Tenrikyo is now completely separate from Shinto and Buddhism organizationally, it still shares many of the traditions of Japanese religious practice.

The hyoshigi, chanpon, surigane, taiko, and fue were traditionally the men's instruments but are now acceptable for women to play.

Instruments used in the daily service are the hyoshigi, chanpon, surigane, taiko, and kazutori (a counter, to count the 21 times the first section is repeated).

'daily service') is a spontaneous action that is an expression of gratitude and joy for being allowed to "borrow" his or her body from God the Parent.

Such an action ideally is done as an act of religious devotion out of a wish to help or bring joy to others, without any thought of compensation.

Examples of common Hinokishin activities that are encouraged include cleaning public bathrooms and parks among other such acts of community service.

The official translations of these dusts are: Miserliness (Oshii), Covetousness (Hoshii), Hatred (Nikui), Self-love (Kawai), Grudge-bearing (Urami), Anger (Haradachi), Greed (Yoku), and Arrogance (Kouman).

However, recovery requires the sincere effort from both the recipient and the administrator of the Sazuke to clean their minds of "mental dust."

This is accomplished through having the recipient be aware of the mental dusts and the teachings of Tenrikyo to remedy their dusty minds.

In recent years Tenrikyo has spread outside Japan, with foreign branches centered primarily in Southeast Asia and America.