Tenrikyo offers moral and ethical guidance by orienting daily life toward what it calls the Joyous Life, a state in which individuals live in harmony with the divine will and contribute to the happiness of all. Rather than laying down rigid commandments, it evaluates conduct by whether it fosters mutual joy, gratitude, and social harmony. This vision is grounded in the understanding of God as a loving Parent and humanity as one family of siblings, which naturally encourages a stance of compassion, reconciliation, and mutual help. Ethical practice is thus not framed as burdensome obligation, but as a joyful participation in the divine intention for human life.

Central to this guidance is the teaching on the “dusts of the mind,” negative mental attitudes that obscure an originally pure heart. These “dusts” include miserliness, covetousness, hatred, grudge-bearing, anger, self-love or selfishness, greed, arrogance, and falsehood. They are understood not as ineradicable sins but as accumulations that can be swept away through sincere self-reflection and steady effort. Daily life becomes a continuous process of noticing these tendencies, purifying the mind, and allowing more sincere, grateful, and humble intentions to take root.

Tenrikyo places particular emphasis on the intentionality of the mind, holding that outward actions gain ethical meaning through the quality of the inner attitude. Sincerity, gratitude for divine blessings, and reliance on God the Parent are seen as the wellspring of right conduct. From this purified mind flows hinokishin, voluntary and selfless service carried out cheerfully and without expectation of reward. Whether expressed in small acts of kindness or broader service to the community, such actions are regarded as both repayment for divine care and a concrete means of advancing the Joyous Life for all.

Suffering and misfortune are interpreted as occasions for guidance and self-examination rather than as causes for guilt or despair. They invite a reconsideration of one’s thoughts and behavior, prompting a renewed effort to align the mind with the divine intention. This process is continually reinforced through scriptural study and ritual life, especially the foundational texts and liturgical songs that stress sincerity, mutual help, and the sweeping away of dusts. Daily and monthly services, sacred dance, and communal worship serve as recurring opportunities to reorient the heart, so that ethical living becomes an ongoing, joyful cultivation rather than a mere adherence to external rules.