21. THAT'S ALL TO THE GOOD, THAT'S ALL TO THE GOOD Anecdotes of Oyasama, the Foundress of Tenrikyo

Описание: Anecdotes of Oyasama, the
Foundress of Tenrikyo

21. THAT'S ALL TO THE GOOD, THAT'S ALL TO THE GOOD
Around the middle of May 1868, five years from the time Chushichi Yamanaka had embraced the faith, a heavy rain had fallen continuously for many days.
The river overflowed here and there, rice fields were washed out and houses were carried away. Chushichi suffered heavy losses. A landslide on his mountain property buried many large trees. Also, his rice fields of approximately ninety ares* were washed out.
People in his village had been deriding Chushichi's faith and immediately seized the opportunity to heap all sorts of abuses on him, saying, "Look at him! What a fool he is! Stupid one!" Feeling chagrined at what the villagers said, Chushichi visited Oyasama in the Residence and explained the situation to Her. Oyasama told him:
"Sah, sah, that's all to the good. That's all to the good. Now that your goods have been carried away to the bottom of the sea, it will come to good in the future. You may wonder why your fields and hills were washed out in spite of your faith, but you must accept the situation with a heart of gratitude. You must do so. That will come to good in the future."
Chushichi heartily thanked God that he suffered only a small misfortune instead
of a calamity.

*Are (pronounced air): Metric system, a surface measure equal to 100 square meters.


稿本天理教教祖伝逸話篇

21、結構や、結構や
慶応四年（１８６８年）五月の中旬のこと。それは、山中忠七が入信して五年後のことであるが、毎日々々大雨が降り続いて、あちらでもこちらでも川が氾濫（はんらん）して、田が流れる家が流れるという大洪水となった。忠七の家でも、持山が崩れて、大木が一時に埋没（まいぼつ）してしまう、田地が一町歩（いっちょうぶ）程も土砂に埋まってしまう、という大きな被害を受けた。
　この時、かねてから忠七の信心を嘲笑（あざわら）っていた村人達は、「あのざまを見よ。阿呆（あほ）な奴や。」と、思い切り罵（ののし）った。それを聞いて忠七は、残念に思い、早速お屋敷へ帰って、教祖に伺うと、教祖は、
「さあさあ、結構や、結構や。海のドン底まで流れて届いたから、後は結構やで。信心していて何故、田も山も流れるやろ、と思うやろうが、たんのうせよ、たんのうせよ。後々は結構なことやで。」
　と、お聞かせ下された。忠七は、大難（だいなん）を小難（しょうなん）にして頂いたことを、心から親神様にお礼申し上げた。