Tenrikyo Hawaii’s 20 churches and 15 mission sites on Oahu are putting together the 41st annual Tenrikyo Bazaar, Aug. 28 at the Tenri Cultural Center in Nuuanu.

It starts at 8:30 a.m. at 2236 Nuuanu Ave., across from Nuuanu Mortuary.

Despite its Japanese origins, the church does not follow Buddhism or Shintoism. Rather, the Tenrikyo religion includes some elements of Buddhist and Christian beliefs, according to bazaar chairman Owen Nakao, pastor of the Tenrikyo Pearl Church in Kaimuki.

It was formed in 1838 in Tenri city of Nara prefecture, "when God spoke through a 40-year-old farmer’s wife, Miki Nakayama," Nakao said. The deity Tenri-O-no-Mikoto is often referred to as God the Parent, according to the Tenrikyo international website, www.tenrikyo.or.jp. For information locally, visit www.tenrikyo-hawaii.com.

"In Tenrikyo we believe that God created us for the purpose of seeing us live the ‘Joyous Life’ and to share in it. We preach a lot about planting good seeds, and whatever good things happened are because of the seeds we planted in our present and previous lives. We call it causality," a variant of karma, which focuses on past lives, he said.

Throughout Hawaii, Tenrikyo has 30 churches and 35 mission stations (which are working to become full-fledged churches). The church has also been in the public eye for its New Year’s mochi pounding tradition in years past, with its headquarters on Pali Highway producing 200 pounds of good-luck mochi for the community, Nakao said.

"We are taught that our bodies are only lent to us, a thing borrowed from God; only our minds belong to us. Our illnesses and problems are signposts or guidance from God to reflect and reform our minds by sweeping away our self-centered thinking, anger, hatred" and other negative traits, Nakao said.

"By helping others, praying for the healing of others’ illnesses and conducting the service prayers, we can walk the path of the Joyous Life," he said.

"One of our basic teachings is that we’re saved through saving others. Our daily expression of gratitude is called ‘Hinokishin,’ doing some kind of work as a way to express your gratitude, whether it is helping your mom or dad at home, or volunteering, but in a sense of giving back to God," Nakao said.

Proceeds of the bazaar will go toward church maintenance and the support of the Hawaii Tenri Judo Club, the Tenrikyo Young Men’s Association and Young Women’s Club. Youth are attracted to the church because of its thriving Boy’s & Girl’s Association, which conducts annual camps, park cleanups and leadership retreats, Nakao said. Tenrikyo also offers a religious training program each July for high school students at its headquarters in Japan.

This year, part of the money raised will also go toward Japan disaster relief efforts. In 2001 all proceeds went towards helping victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Nakao said.