At the local PL church, this prayer is performed in front of the alter,
with its prayer symbol known as the Church Omitama. For new
members, the Church lends them a temporary prayer symbol, the
Aramitama, 
which has been blessed for use at home. Incidently, we do not pray to the
Omitama or Aramitama, but rather through it to
Oshieoya-sama, God and the spirits of our predecessors. As I mentioned
previously however, just praying is not enough we have to make the effort as
well.
As our faith increases through learning and practicing the PL way of life, and as we receive blessings which demonstrate that our effort really does pay off, we will eventually want our own Family Omitama. This is a smaller, slightly different version of the Church Omitama which can be requested through the local PL minister. When we receive our own Family Omitama, we return the Aramitama and then have a more permanent home alter. This is like having our home as our own personal church.
The Family Omitama can become extremely powerful if we use it properly
with sincere faith. It has been specially blessed by Oshieoya-sama
for the member (or members if a couple) requesting it. Through it we can
have access to the spirits of our predecessors, especially close family
members who are now deceased such as parents and grandparents. This is
particularly useful when we try to clear up difficult problems or
Mishirase we have received from our ancestral family line. (I'll talk
about Mishirase shortly.)
In PL we learn that our spirit -- our "true self," returns to God's realm
when we die, or rather when our body dies. In other words we have come from
God to live this life, to inhabit this body we have been given at birth, and
we will return to God when our physical life ends. Our spirit (which people
often call the soul) never dies. It is only our material body which dies.
(Continue to the next page)
Previous Page;
Next Page;
Go Back to the
