The Mikagura-uta (みかぐらうた, The Songs for the Service) is one of the three Tenrikyo scriptures, along with the Ofudesaki and the Osashizu. It was composed by the foundress of Tenrikyo, Miki Nakayama, from 1866 to 1875, and revised to its current version in 1882.[1]
The Mikagura-uta is the liturgical book of the Service (otsutome), a religious ritual that has a central place in Tenrikyo.[2] During the Service, the text to the Mikagura-uta is sung together with dance movements and musical accompaniment.
"Mikagura-uta" can be subdivided into three sections. Mi is an honorific prefix. The word kagura is a generic term for any performance for a deity or deities in Japan. Although kagura are usually associated with Shinto shrines, there is also historical evidence of their association with Shugendō[3] and Buddhist schools such as Shingon.[4] The word uta simply means "song" or "songs."
It is unknown when “Mikagura-uta” became the standardized title.[5] During the years from 1867 and 1887, a variety of titles were used, with the most common being “Juni-kudari o-tsutome (no) uta” (the Twelve Songs of the Service).[6] The earliest evidence of the current title dates to October 1888, when the songs was first formally published by Tenrikyo as “御かぐら歌.”[7] However, since the kanji character 御 could potentially be read either as "O" and "On" in addition to "Mi,"[5] it still cannot be said with absolute certainty when “Mikagura-uta” became the standard title (in the past it was referred to sometimes as "Okagura-uta").
The original manuscript of the Mikagura-uta is lost; it was either confiscated by the authorities or it was connected to persecution and interference.[8]
The first time the title of the Mikagura-uta took its current written form (only in hiragana) was in 1928, when the scripture was distributed to all churches to commemorate Shozen Nakayama’s marriage.[9]
The Mikagura-uta is a scripture that is meant to be sung, danced with hand and feet movements, and accompanied by nine musical instruments. The scripture is sung in the style of a Japanese popular traditional song. The fifth section of the Mikagura-uta, the Twelve Songs, takes the form of a counting song, each song starting from one to ten. Nakayama Miki has been said to describe the nature of the counting song as "like children playing shuttlecock during the New Year's season, singing 'One, Two.'"[11] The scripture was originally written in Japanese cursive syllabary (kana).[12]
According to Tenrikyo followers, the Kagura Service (kagura-zutome かぐらづとめ) "reenacts God's creation of humankind" around the spot humankind was conceived (called the Jiba), located at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in Tenri, Nara.[13] Therefore, the Kagura Service can only be performed in one place. However, the songs are also sung during the Seated Service, which substitutes for the Kagura Service at all other church ceremonies, and which also can be performed individually or in a group.
Section One
In the autumn of 1866, Nakayama taught section one, which was originally worded,
Sweeping away evils, hasten to save us. / All humankind equally purified, / The Kanrodai.
Songs for the Dance with Hand Movements
Section Four
In 1870, Nakayama taught section four, the "Eight Verses of the Yorozuyo" (よろづよ八首), in 1870. This was the last section to be composed.
Section Five
This section, known as the "Twelve Songs," was composed between January and August 1867. From 1867 to 1870, Nakayama taught her adherents the melodies and movements to accompany her texts.[14]
Tenrikyo scholar Ueda Yoshinaru (上田嘉成) has suggested themes for each song:
One of the first recorded instances of performing the Mikagura-uta in public can be found in Shinmei Ashizu no Michi ("The History of Shinmei Ashizu Fellowship"):
"Some 30 to 50 followers gathered to do the Service of the Twelve Songs, the Teodori, every night at the fellowship in Honden (Osaka). They danced enthusiastically by beating the taiko, whose drumhead was worn out within three months. It was so lively that they sometimes had neighbors complaining. So they practiced the Teodori in vacant lots or on the Kunitsu Bridge near the fellowship. They made strenuous efforts in holding lessons until dawn...When members went to the house of a sick person to pray, they gathered with the musical instruments for the service. Before performing the service, they purified themselves with water ablutions. And they danced the Mikagura-uta softly beside the sick so as not to stir the slightest vibration on the tatami mat. They danced three times in the morning, three times in the afternoon, and three times in the evening. In this way the pouring of water and dancing were repeated."[26]
Another account by Masui Rin, who attended to Nakayama Miki towards the end of her life, goes:
"We made a 'three-day and three-night prayer' to God to save a person. There were six followers for the Otefuri, two singers (jikata), eight or nine people in total visited the sick person and danced the Mikagura-uta. Saving a person through the Mikagura-uta was very popular and common."[27]
References
Citations
^Tenrikyo Overseas Department, trans. 2010. A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms, p. 209. Note: This work presents an abridged translation of the Kaitei Tenrikyo jiten, compiled by the Oyasato Institute for the Study of Religion and published in 1997 by Tenrikyo Doyusha Publishing Company.
^The importance of the Service to Tenrikyo followers can be appreciated if one understands that the main theme of the Ofudesaki, the most important of the three Tenrikyo scriptures, has been described as "a development toward the perfection of Tsutome, the Service, through which, alone, human salvation can be realized." See Inoue and Enyon, A Study of the Ofudesaki, xix.
^Averbuch, Irit. 2003. "Dancing the doctrine: honji suijaku thought in kagura." In Buddhas and kami in Japan: honji suijaku as a combinatory paradigm, pp. 313–332.
^Ambros, Barbara. 2008. Emplacing a pilgrimage: the Ōyama cult and regional religion in early modern Japan, p. 93.
^ ab天理教道友社編 Tenrikyo Doyusha, ed. 『みかぐらうたの世界をたずねて』 Mikagura-uta no sekai o tazunete (MNST), p. 38.
^中山正善 Nakayama Shozen. 『続 ひとことはなし その二』 Zoku Hitokotohanashi sono ni (ZHSN), p. 89.
^Matsumura, Kazuo. "The Koki Story and the Femininity of the Foundress of Tenrikyo." from Mythical Thinkings: What Can We Learn from Comparative Mythology? Countershock Press, Frankston, Australia. 2014. p. 82.
Mori, Susumu (1995). "The influence of historical trends in religious studies: Methodological change in the studies of the Tenrikyo religion by Christian missionaries and Western scholars of religion". Tenri Journal of Religion. 23: 67–104.
Further reading
Horiuchi, Midori. "Mikagura-uta and Tenrikyo." Tenri Journal of Religion 34, pp. 1–12.
Kaneko, Tadashi. "The Ethical Meaning of Mikagura-uta." Tenri Journal of Religion 10, pp. 26–36.
Tenrikyo Overseas Department. The Otefuri Guide.
Fukaya, Tadamasa. A Commentary on the Mikagura-uta, The Songs for the Tsutome. Revised edition, Tenrikyo Overseas Mission Department, 1978, Tenri, Japan.
August 17, 2023
mikagura, みかぐらうた, songs, service, three, tenrikyo, scriptures, along, with, ofudesaki, osashizu, composed, foundress, tenrikyo, miki, nakayama, from, 1866, 1875, revised, current, version, 1882, liturgical, book, service, otsutome, religious, ritual, that, cen. The Mikagura uta みかぐらうた The Songs for the Service is one of the three Tenrikyo scriptures along with the Ofudesaki and the Osashizu It was composed by the foundress of Tenrikyo Miki Nakayama from 1866 to 1875 and revised to its current version in 1882 1 The Mikagura uta is the liturgical book of the Service otsutome a religious ritual that has a central place in Tenrikyo 2 During the Service the text to the Mikagura uta is sung together with dance movements and musical accompaniment Contents 1 Etymology and meaning 2 Content and style 3 Composition 3 1 Songs for the Kagura Service 3 1 1 Section One 3 1 2 Section Two 3 1 3 Section Three 3 2 Songs for the Dance with Hand Movements 3 2 1 Section Four 3 2 2 Section Five 4 History 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 Bibliography 6 Further readingEtymology and meaning Edit Mikagura uta can be subdivided into three sections Mi is an honorific prefix The word kagura is a generic term for any performance for a deity or deities in Japan Although kagura are usually associated with Shinto shrines there is also historical evidence of their association with Shugendō 3 and Buddhist schools such as Shingon 4 The word uta simply means song or songs It is unknown when Mikagura uta became the standardized title 5 During the years from 1867 and 1887 a variety of titles were used with the most common being Juni kudari o tsutome no uta the Twelve Songs of the Service 6 The earliest evidence of the current title dates to October 1888 when the songs was first formally published by Tenrikyo as 御かぐら歌 7 However since the kanji character 御 could potentially be read either as O and On in addition to Mi 5 it still cannot be said with absolute certainty when Mikagura uta became the standard title in the past it was referred to sometimes as Okagura uta The original manuscript of the Mikagura uta is lost it was either confiscated by the authorities or it was connected to persecution and interference 8 The first time the title of the Mikagura uta took its current written form only in hiragana was in 1928 when the scripture was distributed to all churches to commemorate Shozen Nakayama s marriage 9 Tenrikyo Church Headquarters published an English translation of the Mikagura uta in 1967 10 Content and style EditThe Mikagura uta is a scripture that is meant to be sung danced with hand and feet movements and accompanied by nine musical instruments The scripture is sung in the style of a Japanese popular traditional song The fifth section of the Mikagura uta the Twelve Songs takes the form of a counting song each song starting from one to ten Nakayama Miki has been said to describe the nature of the counting song as like children playing shuttlecock during the New Year s season singing One Two 11 The scripture was originally written in Japanese cursive syllabary kana 12 Composition EditSongs for the Kagura Service Edit Cover of the Mikagura uta in Japanese According to Tenrikyo followers the Kagura Service kagura zutome かぐらづとめ reenacts God s creation of humankind around the spot humankind was conceived called the Jiba located at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters in Tenri Nara 13 Therefore the Kagura Service can only be performed in one place However the songs are also sung during the Seated Service which substitutes for the Kagura Service at all other church ceremonies and which also can be performed individually or in a group Section One Edit In the autumn of 1866 Nakayama taught section one which was originally worded あしきはらいたすけたまい てんりわうのみこと Ashiki harai tasuke tamae Tenri O no Mikoto Sweep away evils and save us Tenri O no Mikoto dd In 1882 Nakayama altered the wording to the text used today あしきをはらうてたすけたまえ てんりわうのみこと Ashiki o harote tasuke tamae Tenri O no Mikoto Sweeping away evils please save us Tenri O no Mikoto dd Section Two Edit Four years later in 1870 Nakayama taught section two which begins with the line ちよとはなしかみのいふこときいてくれ Choto hanashi Kami no yu koto kiite kure Just a word Listen to what God says dd Section Three Edit Then in 1875 Nakayama taught section three which was originally worded あしきはらいたすけたまい いちれつすますかんろふだい Ashiki harai tasuke tamae Ichiretsu sumasu Kanrodai In 1882 she altered the wording to the text used today あしきをはらうてたすけせきこむ いちれつすましてかんろだい Ashiki o harote tasuke sekikomu Ichiretsu sumashite Kanrodai Sweeping away evils hasten to save us All humankind equally purified The Kanrodai dd Songs for the Dance with Hand Movements Edit Section Four Edit In 1870 Nakayama taught section four the Eight Verses of the Yorozuyo よろづよ八首 in 1870 This was the last section to be composed Section Five Edit This section known as the Twelve Songs was composed between January and August 1867 From 1867 to 1870 Nakayama taught her adherents the melodies and movements to accompany her texts 14 Tenrikyo scholar Ueda Yoshinaru 上田嘉成 has suggested themes for each song Song ThemeSong 1 一下り目 harvest 15 Song 2 二下り目 joy of faith health peace 15 Song 3 三下り目 Song on faith containing God s direct revelations and fundamental teachings 16 Song 4 四下り目 spiritual maturity 17 Song 5 五下り目 world salvation purification of the mind 18 missionary work 19 Song 6 六下り目 faith 19 Song 7 七下り目 fields sowing seeds 20 Song 8 八下り目 assembling followers for the purpose of construction 21 Song 9 九下り目 missionary work 22 Song 10 十下り目 the mind 23 Song 11 十一下り目 hinokishin 24 Song 12 十二下り目 beginning of the spiritual construction 25 Wikiquote has quotations related to Mikagura uta History EditOne of the first recorded instances of performing the Mikagura uta in public can be found in Shinmei Ashizu no Michi The History of Shinmei Ashizu Fellowship Some 30 to 50 followers gathered to do the Service of the Twelve Songs the Teodori every night at the fellowship in Honden Osaka They danced enthusiastically by beating the taiko whose drumhead was worn out within three months It was so lively that they sometimes had neighbors complaining So they practiced the Teodori in vacant lots or on the Kunitsu Bridge near the fellowship They made strenuous efforts in holding lessons until dawn When members went to the house of a sick person to pray they gathered with the musical instruments for the service Before performing the service they purified themselves with water ablutions And they danced the Mikagura uta softly beside the sick so as not to stir the slightest vibration on the tatami mat They danced three times in the morning three times in the afternoon and three times in the evening In this way the pouring of water and dancing were repeated 26 Another account by Masui Rin who attended to Nakayama Miki towards the end of her life goes We made a three day and three night prayer to God to save a person There were six followers for the Otefuri two singers jikata eight or nine people in total visited the sick person and danced the Mikagura uta Saving a person through the Mikagura uta was very popular and common 27 References EditCitations Edit Tenrikyo Overseas Department trans 2010 A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms p 209 Note This work presents an abridged translation of the Kaitei Tenrikyo jiten compiled by the Oyasato Institute for the Study of Religion and published in 1997 by Tenrikyo Doyusha Publishing Company The importance of the Service to Tenrikyo followers can be appreciated if one understands that the main theme of the Ofudesaki the most important of the three Tenrikyo scriptures has been described as a development toward the perfection of Tsutome the Service through which alone human salvation can be realized See Inoue and Enyon A Study of the Ofudesaki xix Averbuch Irit 2003 Dancing the doctrine honji suijaku thought in kagura In Buddhas and kami in Japan honji suijaku as a combinatory paradigm pp 313 332 Ambros Barbara 2008 Emplacing a pilgrimage the Ōyama cult and regional religion in early modern Japan p 93 a b 天理教道友社編 Tenrikyo Doyusha ed みかぐらうたの世界をたずねて Mikagura uta no sekai o tazunete MNST p 38 MNST pp 34 35 中山正善 Nakayama Shozen 続 ひとことはなし その二 Zoku Hitokotohanashi sono ni ZHSN p 89 Matsumura Kazuo The Koki Story and the Femininity of the Foundress of Tenrikyo from Mythical Thinkings What Can We Learn from Comparative Mythology Countershock Press Frankston Australia 2014 p 82 MNST p 39 Mori 1995 p 80 Tenrikyo Church Headquarters Anecdotes of Oyasama Tenri 1976 p 14 Prayer as Interaction p 269 A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms p 376 A Glossary of Tenrikyo Terms p 209 210 a b 上田嘉成 Ueda Yoshinaru おかぐらうた Okagurauta p 162 Okagurauta p 214 Okagurauta p 312 Okagurauta p 382 a b Okagurauta p 437 Okagurauta p 465 Okagurauta p 509 Okagurauta p 543 Okagurauta p 564 Okagurauta p 581 Okagurauta p 614 Horiuchi Midori Prayer and Scripture On the Mikagura uta in Tenrikyo From Prayer as Interaction Tenri University Press Tenri 2007 p 265 6 Prayer as Interaction p 266 7 Bibliography Edit Mori Susumu 1995 The influence of historical trends in religious studies Methodological change in the studies of the Tenrikyo religion by Christian missionaries and Western scholars of religion Tenri Journal of Religion 23 67 104 Further reading EditHoriuchi Midori Mikagura uta and Tenrikyo Tenri Journal of Religion 34 pp 1 12 Kaneko Tadashi The Ethical Meaning of Mikagura uta Tenri Journal of Religion 10 pp 26 36 Tenrikyo Overseas Department The Otefuri Guide Fukaya Tadamasa A Commentary on the Mikagura uta The Songs for the Tsutome Revised edition Tenrikyo Overseas Mission Department 1978 Tenri Japan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mikagura uta amp oldid 1031762446, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
