religious-leaders-from-japan

"Shinto, the very process of creating and giving birth to life and spirit is described as musubi and we place it in very high regard. In other words, the basic religious idea of Shinto is the continuous process of creation. When we apply this principle to an individual spirit-soul, we see that musubi is the process of work through which each person generates, grows, transforms, and develops naohinomitama (the innermost pure spirit), making his or her spirit grow and become strong. This means that the first task involves the creating of the body, which is attained through diligent care of bodily health. The second task is the creating of heart and mind, or psychological growth. Thirdly, there is the creating of the spirit, that is to say the purification of spirit-soul."

"If you truly enter a deep state, then chinkon can also lead you into a realm exactly like the one known as “the realm of mindlessness and thoughtlessness.”"

"Experiencing “light” is easy, even for beginners, during chinkon. One may experience the inside of the brain filled with dazzling light, or one may feel enveloped by a golden mist. But these are only preliminary states of consciousness. If you keep advancing from there by imagining a small sun or a round moon at the center of your forehead, eventually you will see a sun or moon of such brightness that you will be shocked. This does not appear as part of the realm of fantasy, but as the real experience it is. According to the hidden teaching handed down to the Yamakage family, people will see “mist, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fluorescence, crystal, and a moon.” Sometimes a coal black experience may occur instead of light."

"Therefore in Shinto there is no doctrine of absolute and final salvation. Human beings continue to grow. Human beings keep growing throughout their lives, and after their lives on earth they go to the other world (see Chapter 7) and continue living for renovation and maintenance, or shuri kosei. Eventually, they may keep growing until they eventually become Kami."

"Since ancient times, Shinto has taught that the goal of human life is to “become like a Kami” through the work of refining the personality and bringing out a clean and bright character. This work is understood to continue even after death. For beyond death, there is a high and pure world as well as a low and unclean one. Therefore, every spirit-soul (reikon) has to continue training for purification and further spiritual advancement even after physical death. This is the hidden knowledge gained by the experience of Shinto practitioners over its long history. In Yamakage Shinto we can find the following “Song of the Spiritual Journey”:"

"There is also the saying: “everything is ‘I’.” This means that everything is the result of the transformation and creation of daigenrei (大元霊), the “creator Kami of the universe” and that the source of life is one. This also means everything that is manifest in that universe is interconnected, part of the web of life, from the most apparently complex organisms to the seemingly simplest. Any phenomenon manifested in “me” is meaningful and nurtures “me.” In the end it moves “me” toward Kami. In this sense, every manifestation in the cosmos is a manifestation of “me.” All this should not be understood only at the rational level. It must be experienced intuitively as we access our inner Kami."

"That is why the importance of chinkon in Shinto has been emphasized repeatedly since ancient times. Chinkon is different from simple mental concentration or the quieting of the mind. Through the practice of chinkon one can actually break through the wall of other dimensions existing in their mind. When this happens, the other world will appear, and they will become aware of the worlds of spirit and Kami. Without this, people cannot approach Kami filled with reverence and awe, nor can they experience true faith with gratitude in their hearts and minds. However, the faith I am talking about here is not something that can simply be taught at college."

"Thus true chinkon practice takes place in your heart and mind. You should neither become obsessed with external formality, nor boast of your spiritual and psychic power or experience. It is a mistake either to aim at gaining supernatural power or to compare your own abilities with those of others. You must not become trapped in arrogant pride, nor become a slave to the process of spiritual training, nor speak noisily about its benefits. Chinkon should lead us to a state of spiritual calm, where selfish ambitions and desires give way to the realization of the true self, the Kami within each one of us."

"Through worldly preoccupations, we become separated from that true self, and yet we can be aware that it exists and that it needs to get out. In a sense we can say that this phenomenon represents the separation between purity and impurity. To make this separation occur, a centrifugal separation movement of purity is needed. As a result of this movement, the true self, shrouded by the cloud of illusion and impurity, is able to emerge. The true self is a state of transcendence and so it is able to remain pure, even in the midst of impurity. However, the ego-self living in the relative and conflicted world cannot hear the voice of this true self. In order to hear this voice, we need to conduct silent listening in meditation. In Yamakage Shinto, that is known as chinkon. When we carry out chinkon, the relationship between true self and ego-self does not have conflict, and they become one body like the front and back of one coin. This is known as the unification of Kami and the human being. This unification means that Kami and the human being spiritually become one."

"These mountains are called spiritual mountains in Japan, and they used to be sacred places to which it was thought the spirits of dead human beings went. These spiritual mountains also became the base for the school of mountain ascetics that has existed since the arrival of Buddhism in Japan. According to Japanese folklore, the spirits of the dead remain for a certain time at the mountain to watch over their descendants and to receive memorial services. After being completely purified, the spirit stays within the mountain, but moves to a higher dimension to become one of the ancestral spirits of that village."

"In some shrine buildings, when kannushi of low spiritual levels are serving, one can sense the presence of shady, lower-level spirits. These correspond to the kannushi’s own level of spiritual development. It often happens that only malevolent spirits, not good spirits, gather at places where large sums of money are demanded from visitors. Often, this happens with newly established religious groups. When people go to such places, they experience headaches or nausea."

"In the period immediately after death, the spirit-soul remains close to this world, observing how the family is doing, going out to visit friends at their home, or going to worship at a shrine or Buddhist temple. Many are not yet clearly aware of their own death status. Some still retain a part of nigimitama, so they have a semi-material body and can even make noises. Those who have psychic powers are able to see them. Usually they spend a certain period of time, the so-called “forty-nine days,” in such circumstances. In Buddhism they call this circumstance chuyu, meaning “existing in the middle.” A while afterwards they become aware of their death and fully move onto the other world, or yukai."

"Gradually, each human spirit-soul is purified so that it may become a highly advanced spirit, just as flowers bloom, bring forth fruit, and eventually mature. The soul who committed misdeeds undergoes a process of atonement. Having successfully worked through this, it is able to move on to further spiritual growth. Some very advanced psychics are conscious of this process taking place."

"When you see this reality in deep introspection through chinkon practice, you will intuitively know the truth of the saying, “this body as it is, is Kami.” There is also the saying: “ancestors and ‘I’ are connected as one.” This means the ancestors and “I” are connected with each other as one body. “I” am one scene of an endless, continuous life history in the eternal universe. My ancestors who bore me are also the children of Kami ... Therefore, “‘I live” means ‘I’ am living in the flow of this eternity.”"

"For a jinja, one must choose a suitable place and then create an appropriate setting for a sacred space. Then it is necessary to ask Kami to descend upon it and make its presence felt. In other words, jinja need not be a place where Kami have dwelled eternally, or will always live."

"Shinto is not a faith tradition that can be propagated or imposed. Each human community, every human culture, has its own version of Shinto, which is based on accumulated experience, historical memory, and, perhaps most crucially, the local environment. Shinto recognizes and celebrates human diversity, just as it recognizes and celebrates the diversity of nature. For beneath that diversity there is an underlying unity — the union of humanity, earth, and heaven."

"Shinto values nature and life. This is because Shinto originally arose from a sense of gratitude and awe toward great nature. Our ancestors loved nature, from animals and plants to mountains and rivers. This love of nature is intrinsic to the Japanese character, influencing our art forms as well as our spiritual practices, even in a modern, urbanized nation where millions of people have little apparent contact with nature. In this age when human beings are destroying mother earth in the pursuit of material progress, we should reclaim our love for nature and let it inform our daily lives and spiritual practices."

"Each Kami has its own characteristics, but they are not fixed. Furthermore, the Kami can spread out simultaneously into various places and various existences. This concept can actually be applied to human beings also. In the section on “one spirit, four souls” (Chapter 6), we shall see that the human being is the assembled body of many souls. This assembled body of souls can sometimes be divided. That is why a well-trained spiritual person can send off his own separated soul to a distant location or a different time period to perform long distance healing, precognition, or clairvoyance."

"Shinto sees everything in existence as generated by and transformed from the ultimate origin of life; this is expressed in the idea that all forms of life are a child-spirit of the original Kami."

"There are various ways one can develop mental concentration. When you successfully reach a concentrated mental state the realm “free from all ideas and thoughts” will be opened to you, even though it might be for only one or two seconds. This does not mean that you neither think nor feel in those moments. This realm is purely clean and bright, transparent everywhere, and filled with limitless wisdom. No matter how short the moment is, you can touch the eternally existing clean and bright world and feel that the entire universe exists within that brief period."

"During the period of transition from this world to yukai, the hidden world of subtle energy, the spirit-soul is at its most vulnerable. It can be likened to a delicate butterfly, at the moment of emergence from its chrysalis. Therefore, there are spirits entrusted with the task of protecting the spirit-soul from danger at this time. In most cases, the spirits of deceased ancestors or friends of the dead come to meet and greet the dead. These spirits in turn receive instruction from higher ranks of spirit so that they may give useful guidance to their dead relatives or friends."

"Therefore, it has been widely believed in Japan that ancestral spirits exist in the invisible world, overlapping with physical reality and having intimate connection with people living in this world. In this unseen world, the ancestral spirits continue to work on their own purification."

"Shinto is, ultimately, such a simple belief that anybody can accept and practice it. It neither requires special intellectual ability nor does it demand a life-denying asceticism. As long as people understand the attitudes associated with cleanness and brightness (happiness) and rightness and straightness (honesty), they can start from those points and advance further along the path to explore more profound themes. One of the strengths of Shinto is that it can allow people to find their own level of practice and experience, without being physically or intellectually overwhelmed, but gaining as much spiritual awareness as practitioners of more stringent or austere paths."

"The spirit of Kami does not visit unclean places, and an unclean shrine becomes a mere building devoid of Kami energy, even though it may still have mitamashiro (御魂代) there. Mitamashiro is a material object temporarily representing spirit, such as a mirror, for the spirit of Kami to descend upon."

"May the name of God be glorified. May all living things flourish, May my friends, relatives, and I flourish."

"The origin of good manners can be traced to the laws that God established when He created Heaven and Earth. As such, they show that order is the foundation for all things in the universe. Manners help us to elevate our spirituality and to cultivate our innermost attitude. True manners and etiquette are born out of a love for and humility towards others. This means that we should show a gentle consideration for the feelings of others in all that we do. This gentle consideration can also be called benevolence. In short, good manners are a manifestation of love and kindness."

"Su God, thank You very much for granting me life today. I offer sincere gratitude for the blessings I have received through all the things that You have created in the universe. I now go to bed with peace of mind. Good night."

"Being cheerful and humble, regardless of what people say or think about us, will help to establish families, and indeed a society, of love and harmony."

"Our first duty as children of God is to realise that our life, food, clothing, and the building we live in, from the nails to the beams, are all blessings granted to us by Su God, and to offer gratitude to Him for all these things."

"Although the words people in each country use to express their gratitude differ, gratitude itself is the same all over the world. The phrase “Thank you” is important in daily life and helps to add grace to human relationships. When we train ourselves to be grateful for everything, feelings of joy naturally well up from within, and these vibrations in turn generate deeper feelings of gratitude. The vibrations of gratitude we send out reach the spiritual realm and in turn influence the physical realm."

"We have clouded over our pure, God-given souls with negative thoughts. We have generated negative vibrations such as grudges, envy and hatred, and have thus polluted the souls of others as well as our own. This is explained by the fact that vibrations generated by negative thoughts reverberate like echoes and return to us. In the teachings, this phenomenon is referred to as “the principle of echo”. In accordance with this principle, people today are causing harm to their souls with their own negative vibrations."

"Parents and children are closely connected to one another by invisible spiritual cords. No matter where their children may be, parents always think and worry about their children’s welfare. Such is parental love. What does it mean to love and respect our parents? It means to have an innermost attitude of hoping and praying that our parents will continue to enjoy good health and a life without worry, even if they live to be ninety or one hundred years old. The Parent God is pleased when He sees children manifesting their love for their parents. Even if we live far away from our parents, if we truly love them, they will always be in our thoughts, and we will call them from time to time to express our gratitude and to give them encouragement. Thus, wherever we may be, we should do our best to fulfil our responsibilities to our parents."

"You will be made to speak the depth of the teachings, which was not revealed before. The Spirit of Truth has entered you. You shall speak what you hear. The time of Heaven has come. Rise. Your name shall be Kotama. Raise your hand. The world shall enter severe times."

"Love that is truly altruistic seeks no reward and is based on true faith directed towards God. The true practice of altruistic love lies in not seeking anything in return. Yokoshi kamikumite have been given the art of True Light, through which we are able to give the Light of God. This is truly a wonderful gift from God. The foundation of altruistic love lies in giving Light."

"Thereafter, with increasing frequency, I started to receive additional revelations from God. The content of these holy words was truly amazing and beyond my imagination. I was shocked and awakened by their importance to the extent that I often wept in shuddering awe and inspiration. This was because, in these revelations, God’s arrangements coming from His vast and profound plan, which covers hundreds of millions of years and had never been revealed to any saints or sages in the history of humankind, was explained much more clearly than when revealed in the past two to three thousand years. Furthermore, God revealed that He had blessed a lowly man like me with the important mission of establishing true prosperity for the future of humankind."

"All life forms flourish by following the arrangements of God. In spring, crops grow thanks to sunlight, water, and the blessings of the earth. In autumn, they bear fruit, which is then harvested. For example, persimmon trees bloom in the spring, grow luxuriant in the summer, and bear fruit in the autumn, thus fulfilling their mission. When winter comes, they patiently endure the cold in preparation for the coming spring. Accordingly, when everything in the universe follows in a truly accepting manner the providence of Heaven and Earth and the cycle of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—eternal prosperity will come to all."

"The salvation work that started with just the two of us was not at all easy. The hardship that we experienced some days beggared description. It was as if we were walking down a path of thorns. Yet, in our hearts, we were filled with the warm Light of a loving God. Regardless of rain, cold wind, or storms, my father would go out on an old bicycle to help people in trouble. Day and night, he would go as far away as Tachikawa or Hachioji to give Light and teachings, always showing gentle affection for others."

"Kotama Okada taught us that to save others we need to learn to see things from the other person’s point of view. This spirit has enabled human beings to continue to exist, to form groups, cooperate with each other, and establish social order. If people placed more emphasis on the spirit of cooperation, the seeds of conflict that have been sown throughout the world would disappear. This indeed is what it means to practice humility, the complete opposite to ego and conceit."

"Some people think that to be accepting of the will of God means to be rather passive. However, to readily accept the will of God really means to actively strive to accomplish God’s will. All life form—grasses, trees, human beings and so on—prosper by harmoniously following the will of God. This enables a tree to grow tall and strong and a human being to become virtuous and to achieve great things. We need to firmly understand this divine arrangement. It is essential that we do not limit our potential with shallow human logic and that we become a vessel into which the will of God and the Light of God can smoothly enter."

"Expressing gratitude for all things should be the fundamental attitude of all children of God. For instance, God has given us our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and brain. Our eyes enable us to see, our ears enable us to hear, our mouths enable us to speak, and our bodies enable us to move about. We need to realise that our being able to do all these things shows that we have already received superabundant protection and help from God. Without the earth it would not be possible for humankind to exist. Without the trees, grasses, rivers, and mountains of our planet, human beings would not be able to live. Unless we learn to be grateful for all these things that bring delight to our senses of sight and touch, our future will be bleak."

"Spiritual Learning is [a method of learning in which one] personally witnesses and verifies the genuine existence of deities by training oneself single-mindedly in the principles of spirit possession, while taking the divine classics and national histories as one’s basis. By personally apprehending their [i.e., the deities’] loftiness and might, one understands why the world of our country’s divine classics is unparalleled. Hereby one understands for the first time the original principles of the establishment of the universe, the configuration of the planet earth, the boundary between the manifest and arcane realms, and the reason why the grandson of Heaven [i.e., Ninigi-no-mikoto, Amaterasu’s grandson] descended to earth. Thus one becomes awed by the mighty virtue of the Heavenly Deity who is the Imperial Ancestor, and can understand why our Imperial Household is honorable and mighty, and why shrines exist. However, this Spiritual Learning is mutually complementary with the study of the divine classics. Only by both studying the divine classics and personally experiencing the existence of deities can one understand their mighty virtue. One cannot truly comprehend the mysterious wonders of the divine classics merely by the philological analysis carried on by scholars from ancient times. Only by experiencing the genuine existence of the deities through the method of spirit possession can one understand the arcane, distant, subtle and marvelous original principle of our realm of the deities."

"生も死も、借りしものにはなかりけり ただあるものは、神のおもわく sei mo shi mo, karishi mono ni wa nakarikeri tada aru mono wa, shin no o mo waku"

"神ありて我あり 我欲忘れて報恩 理を立てて身が立つ 今を全う kami arite ware ari ga yoku wasurete hō on ri o tate te mi ga tatsu ima o matsuto u"

"幽斎は宇宙の主宰に感合し親しく八百万神に接す。其の修し得るに至ては至大無外、至小無内、無遠近、無大小、無広狭、無明暗、過去と現在と未来とを問はず一も通ぜざるは無し。是即ち惟神の妙法。"

"一、身体衣服を清潔にす可し。"

"常に服膺すべき者あり。玆に其概を挙ぐ。"

"神懸三拾六法と云ふは神達に上中下の品位あり。而して有形無形之差別あり。亦自感法他感法神感法あり。三法合せて二百九十八法なる。亦た妖魅界亦邪神界とも云ふありて、神界に准じて十は法ある故に正邪合せて三拾六法と成る。"

"親德拾は歳皇史を拝読し、此の神法の今時に廃絶したるを慨歎し、岩窟に求め草庵に尋ね、終に三拾五歳にして神懸三十六法あることを覚悟り、夫れより幽冥に正し現事に徴し、古事記日本紀の真奥を知り、古先達の説々悉く皆謬解たるを知り弁へたりき。"

"一、天地の真象を観察して真神の体を思考す可し。"

"人心也者大精神之分派。"