To live Tenrikyo is to follow Oyasama. She was the one who taught what would be known as Tenrikyo to Her first followers. One cannot have a complete understanding of Tenrikyo unless Oyasama is at the center, the foundation, of that understanding.
Therefore, the first step for anyone interested in learning about Tenrikyo should be to learn who Oyasama was, what She went through, what She said, what She taught, and what She wrote. Her path of life, which all Tenrikyo followers strive to follow, is referred to as the “Divine Model.”
Oyasama’s instructions form the core of Tenrikyo’s doctrine, scriptures, rituals, and administration. She wrote a collection of poems in a scripture known as the Ofudesaki, which contains Tenrikyo’s principles and truths. She taught the entire Tenrikyo liturgy, known as the Service, which involves a number of participants who sing, dance, and play instruments to a specific text known as the Mikagura-uta. She identified the place where God began human beings nearly a billion years ago, the Jiba, and told Her followers the story of creation. She defined the role of the Shinbashira, the spiritual and administrative leader of Tenrikyo, and named a successor to fulfill that role.
This sort of groundwork is exceptional among founders of religions. One will find that in other religions, the scriptures, rituals, and administration were written down and codified decades, if not centuries, after their founders had passed on. Therefore, it is even more important to put Oyasama first when learning about Tenrikyo.
Tenrikyo Explained 