| Turning the Heart Toward Tomekichi Taike — Entering His World — |
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1. A Note to the Reader |
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Please allow me to refer to him simply as "Tomekichi Taike."
Tomekichi Taike is an elderly man living in Minamikawachi District, Osaka Prefecture.
He once worked as a high school teacher in Osaka and later served as a principal. However, he stepped down from his position one year before reaching retirement age, choosing instead to devote his entire life to what he had resolved within himself.
Many people from across Japan—and even from overseas—have gathered around him to learn. I am one of those individuals.
From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful for having met Tomekichi Taike.
It was not merely a chance meeting between two people. It was a meeting that was meant to be.
Because of this encounter, I came to clearly understand, within my heart, why I was born and what I came here to do.
And because I came to know this in my heart, I now feel truly happy.
Through the presence of Tomekichi Taike, the meaning of my own existence has become clear within me.
He, too, rejoiced deeply at my appearance—truly from his heart.
He was glad that what he had devoted his entire life to conveying had finally been proven through someone who could confirm it within their own heart.
He often said to me:
"No matter how much everything may have unfolded according to plan, if no one were to appear who could prove in their own heart what I have been presenting, then my being born would have had no meaning."
Now, I feel that I am able to respond fully to the passionate longing of Tomekichi Taike, who had been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for such a witness to appear.
With this sense of gratitude and joy in my heart, I have felt compelled to express these feelings toward the world of Tomekichi Taike.
That said, I do not intend in this book to present his biography or describe his personality in detail.
Rather, before reading this book, I strongly recommend that you first read his works, The Flow of Consciousness and The Flow of Consciousness – Continued.
With some prior understanding, I believe the content of this book will enter your heart more smoothly.
My encounter with Tomekichi Taike goes back seventeen years.
It was in April 1993, at a seminar held in a hotel in Atami.
As I gazed at Mount Fuji from the window of the Shinkansen, I arrived alone at Atami Station.
Taking a seat at the front table of the seminar venue, I awaited his arrival.
That marked the beginning of my participation in residential seminars.
Looking back now, rather than humbly seeking instruction, it feels as though I had boldly stepped into his world, sounding a trumpet of challenge.
Of course, at the time, I had no awareness of such thoughts.
I began this learning only after events in my life compelled me to do so.
Now, it feels like a story from long ago.
I am deeply grateful that I have been able to continue learning to this point.
Yet, there is no time to indulge in nostalgia.
I intend to devote myself fully to coming to know, in my heart, the world of Tomekichi Taike.
Suddenly, let me ask you: are you familiar with the concept of reincarnation?
We human beings are reborn—we undergo reincarnation.
We are born, we die, and we are born again.
Why does this occur?
It is for the purpose of correcting our mistakes.
Through countless lifetimes, we have repeated this cycle.
However, upon being born into this world, instead of correcting our mistakes, we have continued to compound them—without even recognizing what those mistakes are.
This is because no one has truly taught us what our real nature is.
In such a world, Tomekichi Taike has carefully and persistently explained this one essential point.
Even so, his teachings are not easily believed.
No matter how many times one hears them, the conviction that the visible, tangible world is reality remains deeply rooted.
Yet, what he has conveyed will inevitably be shown to be true.
This will occur through natural disasters—including those caused by human actions—on a scale far beyond anything humanity has experienced.
Such events will unfold as a means of correcting humanity's errors.
In today's world, economic prosperity is often prioritized.
Yet even if one lives comfortably and is materially fulfilled, without inner peace, one cannot truly be called happy.
People sense this, but they do not know how to attain that peace.
As a result, many turn toward questionable beliefs, spiritual practices, or superstitions—seeking relief from an underlying sense of emptiness.
Even among those who gathered around Tomekichi Taike, many had previously pursued various religions or spiritual paths, often driven by desires for personal gain or power.
For such individuals, this teaching is extremely difficult.
Because what is asked is simply this:
"Look into your own heart."
And further:
"Reflect on your relationship with your mother—the one you have looked down upon or rejected."
This confronts deeply ingrained tendencies—such as reliance on prayer, money, or idol worship.
Even so, fully aware of these difficulties, Tomekichi Taike continued to teach patiently and steadily.
Finally, let me say this:
If this book, That Man, Tomekichi Taike, were to become a series that continues to be read for generations, and if through it both you and I could walk, step by step, along the path of joy—there would be no greater happiness.
For those encountering the name Tomekichi Taike for the first time, this may all feel sudden, even suspicious.
But please be assured:
We have no intention whatsoever of controlling you, demanding money, or recruiting followers.
Our only wish is that you come to encounter what is true.
First, understand these ideas with your mind.
Then, begin to feel them within your heart.
And if you are new to this, I ask only this:
Please read The Flow of Consciousness.
That is the beginning.
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