陽気遊山

天理教大澤分教会, 大澤のてんりさま

The term "Joyous Life" refers to several related terms that appear in 天理教, Tenrikyō scriptures and historical documents in the original Japanese. In the おふでさき, "Tip of the Writing Brush" (Ofudesaki), the term is written as よふきゆさん (yōki yusan), while in the おさしづ "Divine Directions" (Osashizu), it is written as 陽気遊び(yōki asobi) and 陽気ぐらし(yōki gurashi ). Early outlines of the Tenrikyo teachings use the terms yōkinaru yusan asobi (よふきなるゆさんあすび) and yōki yusan (陽気遊参).

The characters that make up yōki yusan/gurashi are as follows:

• Yō (陽) is "positive", the same character as Yáng in the Chinese 陰陽 Yīn & yáng.
• Ki (気) is "spirit" or "energy", the same character as 氣 Qì in Chinese.
• Yusan (遊山) is "an outing to the mountain or fields" (lit. excursion), implying an outgoing life.
• Gurashi (暮) is "livelihood", implying life in a more day-to-day sense.

Cf. “Then, we may find Glory in those activities, those expressions that may bring joy, peace, happiness, understanding, knowledge, wisdom, in the experience of all. These are the expressions of man in glorifying not self but that purpose, that ideal, for which the Season, the period stands in the experience of each that seeks to know the Glory of the Father." Edgar Cayce reading 262-91