Omoto Shinyu (Divine Revelations) (大本神諭)
"Omoto Shinyu" is a collection of literary work in which Ofudesaki (the Holy Scriptures of Omoto) was edited.
It is said that, in 1892, a woman named Nao DEGUCHI living in Hongu-cho, Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture by current residence indication was possessed by a high ranking spirit representing a male divinity named Ushitora no Konjin (the Golden God of the Northeast), and it had her hold an ink brush and paper for the spirit to write letters by using her body, which is a phenomenon called Automatism. It was allegedly in huge volumes, over fifty thousand pieces of hanshi (standard-size Japanese writing paper).
It is recorded that Nao DEGUCHI was temporarily taken care of by a regional church of the Konkokyo sect which was also Shinto, and she engaged in activities under their name for some time, since establishment of religious corporations was strictly monitored and limited by the administrative authorities at that time. Later, Kisaburo UEDA (later Onizaburo DEGUCHI) started to assist the activities, which came to develop organizationally.
The religious corporation Oomoto (hereafter "Oomoto") called what was written then Ofudesaki, which has been left as the holiest scripture of Oomoto.
Omoto Shinyu is a collection of literary work in which Ofudesaki was edited, so Oomoto regards it as almost the same with Ofudesaki and makes a pair with Reikai Monogatari (Story of the World of Spirits) by Onizaburo DEGUCHI, and takes it as one of the three greatest scriptures, along with Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) and Kojiki (The Records of Ancient Matters).
(Oomoto traditionally treats Manyoshu and Kojiki as holy scriptures.)
Onizaburo DEGUCHI, who was one of the two founders of Oomoto along with Nao DEGUCHI, said that it was only him, Mizu no Mitama (motherly, loving and merciful saving manifestation of the main god), who could be Saniwa (person who receives and interprets a divine revelation) for Izu no Mitama (fatherly, strict, and correct creative manifestation) (Nao DEGUCHI), and met Nao DEGUCHI and gained her trust, as described in his later book, Michi no Oomoto (Path in Oomoto). It is said that both of them then gradually realized mutually that they were run by the will of one powerful God, and they came to walk one path.
This scripture is written only in hiragana letters, and the scripture defines that it is described in this way by God's will. It is now understood that the will means to make it possible for the women of the day who were far from study to read it in part, and to warn against the principle depending only on knowledge and learning backing up the material civilization in another part. However, since it had neither punctuation marks nor kanji (Chinese characters), it could be understood in various meanings when reading it through, so it was considered to be difficult to make it out correctly before the emergence of Onizaburo DEGUCHI.
Onizaburo DEGUCHI added punctuation marks and kanji on this scripture by using Kototama-gaku (the scientific method of studying the spirit of words) which he had learned from scholars of Japanese classical literature including Masumi OISHIGORI, and new interpretation of Kojiki, and Omoto Shinyu was born by editing this way, and became thoroughly easier to read.
Although one theory has it that the spirit having possessed Nao DEGUCHI was not only Ushitora no Konjin, but also a number of other possessing spirits including Kunitakehiko no mikoto, it is now acknowledged that this is wrong and it was nothing but a rumor at the time. However, it can be assumed that, under the circumstances of the day, there was no criterion to evaluate if Nao DEGUCHI's scripture was genuinely from the high-ranking spirit, Ushitora no Konjin's was true as it has been alleged.
One who has the ability to examine if the possessing status is done by a high-ranking spirit and a good deity is called "Saniwa." Amidst that backdrop, the power of a Saniwa expert, Onizaburo DEGUCHI, was needed at that time.
Those who believe the validity of 'Omoto Shinyu' and those who don't
Some people might have doubts about Omoto Shinyu.
Those who doubt generally say as below.
Although 'only Onizaburo DEGUCHI could edit the scripture in this document (Omoto Shinyu),' 'there is an anecdote that Wasaburo ASANO having served in the navy was involved in editing the Shinyu from the scripture,' which makes us dispute its authenticity.
In the same way, they demonstrated and criticized as below.
Although it is said that Onizaburo DEGUCHI edited the Shinyu from the scripture, Onizaburo DEGUCHI himself stated something doubtful.
That is, in 1919 he stated to the Kyoto Prefectural Police, "I wrote while asking Nao, the founder, about the dates and the composition, so the same Ofudesaki with the manuscript actually doesn't exist," and this remark itself has caused controversy.'
However, since the remark to the Kyoto Prefecture Police in 1919 was made in the middle of the famous 'Omoto Incident,' two crackdowns by the nation, the fact that it might have been expedient to avoid more suppression, abuse, and torture should be considered, so the remark cannot really be assumed to be relevant to the credibility of this matter.
On the other hand, Religious corporation Oomoto doesn't acknowledge that there are parts that Wasaburo ASANO edited in Omoto Shinyu. Therefore, it would be fair to say that there is no evidence that the insistence that 'it is not exactly revealed which part, what amount, or what percentage was edited (by Wasaburo ASANO)' of those who doubt, has not been treated as an issue at all.
It has been announced that Omoto Shinyu is a document based on Ofudesaki. However, this doesn't mean that Oomoto denies the possibility that Onizaburo DEGUCHI edited, including correction of important parts by the will of a high-ranking spirit. Rather, in the sense that, by taking Nao DEGUCHI as movement of Yin (passive) in the Principles of Yin and Yang, and Onizaburo DEGUCHI as movement of Yang (active), their cooperation complete Yin and Yang, and the will of the high-ranking deity nears completion, it is close to a belief of Oriental Philosophy, so even if the will of Onizaburo DEGUCHI is partly seen in Omoto Shinyu, it is natural to say that this doesn't directly make the credibility of Omoto Shinyu doubtful.