(HW from Hyogo Prefecture/ Female/ 30s / Restaurant work)
My 92-year-old grandmother, who lives next door, is a tough and hard-working woman. I’m always scolded and I repelled. But since around last year, my grandmother was unable to walk and there were more things she wasn’t able to do on her own. She used to say, “If I can’t go to the fields anymore, that’s when it’s over for me.” Seeing my grandmother getting weaker day by day I reminded of the good old days when I was still a child.
When I Felt the Deep Thoughts of My Grandmother…
It was my grandparents who took care of my sister and me on behalf of my parents. All of my grandmother’s homemade dishes were delicious, and I was influenced by her cooking to pursue a career in cooking. I wonder what kind of thoughts my grandmother put into the rice balls she made that time. Thinking about these things, I strongly felt that I had to return the love that was given to me.
I made a dish because I wanted to cheer up my grandmother. Even though I haven’t been taught the recipe, I wonder if my heart remembers it. And the dish tastes strangely like my grandmother’s taste. “I made a stew that tasted just like my grandma!” My grandmother said, “It’s delicious, it’s delicious,” and she ate it with a smile.
The Love of the Family Behind the Miracle
My grandmother’s body must have gradually weakened. One day, she lost consciousness. The situation was so critical that the doctor told me to call my relatives immediately, but as the whole family gathered to focus on my grandmother, she suddenly regained consciousness.
Moreover, since then, my grandmother, who could barely go to the bathroom next to her bedroom, has been able to walk little by little. Now, she is in the fields at the foot of the mountain. The doctor was really surprised, saying, “The leg that should not be moving is moving; it is a foot given to her by Kami,” and “This recovery is beyond human act–but Kami’s territory.”
Putting All Gratitude into Eggplants
Grandmother is full of gratitude to Kami. However, it is physically difficult to go out, and it is difficult to pay a visit to Kami no Yakata. So, I told my grandmother, “It would be nice if you could put your thoughts of gratitude into eggplants you make and deliver it to Kamisama.” Then, my grandmother said, “I have to spend next week making beautiful eggplants!” I went to the field and watered it before going to work. And I talked a lot to the vegetables, as my grandmother always does…
“Guys, next week we’re going to take the bullet train to Shinsōhonbu. Let’s do our best!” Perhaps my thoughts have reached the vegetables, and it grew up quickly. The day before, it received a lot of rain like a blessing and got the glossy finish. When I took it in the morning, my grandmother was overjoyed. I held the eggplant in my arms as if it were my own child and went to Shinsōhonbu. I was able to safely offer it to Kōmyōden (place for prayers).
Determined to Inherit the Way My Grandparents Lived
My grandmother, who used to say, “It’s okay. I’m grateful if I can die in my sleep.” But now she says, “When I kigan, my heart becomes calmer. This is all thanks to Kami.” She offers kigan every day without missing it, and I read my mother’s handwritten Shinji with great enthusiasm.
And the other day, my heart moved to sign up for Myōkon Tōroku. When writing documents, my grandmother spent an hour practicing her handwriting. It says, “I am grateful for this body, and I want to live every day with a bright kokoro. I hope that my children and grandchildren will be happy.” When I learned the true feelings of my grandmother, who was not a good talker, I was moved to tears.
My grandparents always say, “Thanks to you.” The way they value connections with others overlaps with my parents. That’s why I cherish relationships with people. I am grateful and happy I was born into this family.
Heeding the Shinji to Understand the Reasons for the Joys Experienced
Shinji is the universal principle (truth), and can also be the guidance of life that foresees the future. Please feel the wonders of a life that flows exactly in a way the Shinji tell us when you live with the teachings of Kami.
Shinji
Learn the teachings with the family; the involvement between the family who lives with the principles will foster a kokoro of wa (peace).
The kokoro of family members will naturally come together as one, and conversations will grow.
The Kokoro no Michi tied by a family environment where the soul feels comfort, will connect broad and strong—good elements will be passed on.