| My mother, Yoshiko Gamo, joined Shinreikyo in 1966. After she joined, her physical constitution, which was naturally weak, changed into a healthy state by receiving Kyososama’s Divine Power. In recent years, while aging, she continued to maintain good health and do well. At the end of March in 2015, her legs appeared to be swollen. So we had her take a blood test at a nearby clinic, on April 2nd. We received the results a few days later. The next day, when I returned home from participating in the regular service at the Shinreikyo headquarters, my mother told me she could not eat. However, when I gave her the Holy Rice I had received from the headquarters, she ate it gratefully. My mother usually arises before I do. However, the following morning, since she hadn’t woken up yet, I went to check on her in her room. She was losing consciousness; I called the ambulance right away. When we got to the hospital, we were told she had oxygen deficiency due to respiratory failure. Her organs were failing. We were told she would pass away that night. She had told us before how she did not wish to go through life-prolonging treatment. So we decided, as a family, to honor her wishes. We prayed to Kyososama for everything to go well for my mother. She remained unconscious until April 5th. However, the swelling of her feet had completely disappeared. By the 6th and 7th, she was completely awake and was able to have conversations with the family members who came to see her. She even greeted my husband by saying, “Thank you for taking great care of me.” She slept through the entire day on the 8th, and on the next day, April 9th, my mother achieved sublime transmigration at age 88. My mother’s expression was tranquil and the roots of her hair had turned black. Her body was so flexible, we were able to move it freely, and her back felt warm when we placed her body in the coffin. The funeral was held in Shinreikyo style. We had our neighbors, who already knew about Shinreikyo from us, participate. They said, “We had never participated in such a beautiful funeral before.” We were truly moved. I told the Shinreikyo staff that I did not feel sad during the funeral, rather I felt refreshed like the brisk weather that day. I was taught that this was because my mother had transmigrated to a wonderful region. I was filled with gratitude again for Kyososama's Divine Grace. I reflected back on the months before my mother passed away, and I realized that many positive things occurred that made her final passage easier. Towards the end of March, close friends of my mother came to visit her. Also we had gone to visit the relative’s grave yard, where we enjoyed the cherry blossoms afterwards. My mother had also received good news from my cousin, who was very close to her, about winning a literary prize and about his son’s marriage and employment which made her feel very pleased. She had also prepared all necessary fees in the safe, as if she had anticipated her transmigration. Furthermore, the morning before she was hospitalized, she had left a note for my husband stating, “Please feed the gold fish for me from now on. Best regards.” Feeding the gold fish in the pond was a daily task for her. I felt my mother was able to live a wonderful life, being blessed with great relationships with other Shinreikyo followers. In her last years, she repeatedly expressed her gratitude for being placed in such a positive environment, and for being so happy at that stage in her life. I am thankful to Kyososama for receiving Divine Protection and for having my mother achieve sublime transmigration in the best situation. |