Jiba (Tenrikyo)
In the Tenrikyo religion, the Jiba, also known as the Ojiba, is the axis mundi where adherents believe that God created humankind. The spot is located in the center of the main sanctuary at Tenrikyo Church Headquarters, located in Tenri, Nara, Japan. It is marked by a sacred wooden pillar called the Kanrodai.
In Japanese, using kanji, Jiba can be written as, and Ojiba as. However, in Tenrikyo publications, it is typically written using only hiragana.
History
Miki Nakayama originally identified the location of the Jiba in 1875. As stated in this following except from Chapter 6 in The Life of Oyasama:Significance
The significance of the Jiba is described in all three Tenrikyo scriptures – the Ofudesaki, the Mikagura-uta, and the Osashizu. Phrases in the scriptures define Jiba as simply "the origin," and more specifically "the origin where God began human beings," "the origin of this world," and "the origin of all things." In the context of Tenrikyo's creation narrative, the Jiba is said to be the spot where Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the models of husband and wife, conceived the first children. The scriptures also assert that Jiba is the place where God the Parent and the everliving Oyasama reside.The Jiba is closely associated with Tenrikyo's understanding of salvation. The core ritual of Tenrikyo's liturgy, the Kagura Service, is performed around the Jiba. The Osashizu and stories from Anecdotes of Oyasama refer to Jiba as the place where one can request one's own salvation or the salvation of others, and accordingly an important religious practice for adherents is to make pilgrimages there.