The Ancestors Among Us
as the Miyanushi related this early am at the setting Moon: "Julie Tumamait called forth all our Ancestors to be with us this morning." The Shinto master's hour of chanting was only to acknowledge each of them, and each of us. To introduce us to each other!
the Ancestors have returned to be with us -- at this time of the great change in our world economy -- as we learn again to live in harmony with all peoples and all our relations: the wild animals, the forests and oceans and rivers and air, the trees and plants, Sun and Moon and stars and planets, and the seen and unseen spirits of all creation.
as we heal our rainbow selves, and our beloved Mother Earth.
the Full Moon Ceremony this morning, and the Ceremony for the Americas tomorrow, will be the last ceremonies the 84-yr-young Shinto student holds in the US. he returns to Tokyo Japan on Sunday.
Here is a Japanese website for the Miyanushi, founder of the Higaki-no-Niwa Shinto. We are slowly translating bits and pieces of it for sharing: http://www.aeiou.co.jp/higaki/index.html
See a photo of the Miyanushi practicing his Mitsurugi Taido at:
http://www.aeiou.co.jp/higaki/mitsurugi.html
Bi ken tai do -- "Beautiful Way of Kendo."
A student of the Kojiki, the Miyanushi has devoted his life to the study of Kami, spirit, as it is related in the Shinto Priesthood of the last thirteen-hunded-plus years.
Kojiki - Records of Ancient Matters, A.D. 712. The book was written from the spoken word of Hyeda no Are (who is believed to be woman, a Priestess).
Encyclopedia of Shinto:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/category.php?categoryID=31&start=20
Shinto priest Hiroji Sekiguchi translates the Miyanushi's explanation of the “Kojiki” (Record of Ancient Matters):
"Kami, or deities, are not the existence to which you pray for happiness, asks for help, etc. Kami and the human beings are of the same existence, he teaches us. The teachings of your religion, Seicho-no-Ie (House of Spiritual Growth) say “You are a child of Kami" -- “We are the wonderful spiritual beings from the beginning"".
The Shinto and Kami stories told today, are not the same as those told thousands of years ago. Thus the ancient goddess of everything -- Izanami -- she who is the energy, the spirit, the consciousness behind all the galaxies, all the galactic superclusters, all the 'universe' -- today is spoken of only as a creation of the 'great' deity, and a goddess of the Earth and 'Darkness', and the 'wife' of another created god.
Perhaps, indeed, Izanami was the same goddess whose figurine was held by the ancient Jomon priestesses of Matriarchal stoneage Japan -- those mysterious clay statues which are today only known as 'Dogu":
http://www.tnm.jp/en/servlet/Con?&pageId=E16&processId=01&col_id=J38392&img_id=C0044241
As the Miyanushi spoke of the cosmic Izanami, and of the Stars whose breath (fire) she is composed, and the Moon who collects all the facets of light (song) to share with us -- I saw him describing in totality the most ancient creation deity of the Maya, Itzamna. She who provides, who is, the Itz -- the cosmic milk or celestial river of nurturing substinence of all the children of all time.
As Jomon (and contemporary) Japan is just as much Polynesian as Chinese/Asian -- I look forward to exploring further the Polynesian, Asian and Planetwide legacy of the Americas too. As our global diversity is re-revealed ... and enshrined in the immortal temple of this divine living wilderness which we call creation, and the Jomon Japanese named Izanami!
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Kami-no-michi: road, the way, of kami. Kami-no-ko: child of kami, spirit.
Batokannon, horse spirit statue (literally 'horse-head' kuan yin).
Orinari-sama, fox spirit. Kamu-sama, bear goddess.
Three quotes from the internet:
"Kodama means "echo" (its literal meaning is "tree spirit"). In ancient Japanese tales Kodama are a kind of spirit who hides in the forest."
"Kodama are the nature spirits that live within all aspects of nature, primarily trees and rocks. One of the contemporary depictions of the kodama is in the Princess Mononoke movie character. These modern Kodama can vanish and appear anywhere in great numbers, and their heads make hollow rattling noises similer to maracas."
"The term Kodama is also often used to describe an echo, as if the tree spirits themselves are responding to a sound. According to mythology, the spirits are said to hide themselves in the forest and collect voices of those nearby, later to play with the voices themselves."
Like the Chumash of central coast California, the native Ainu people of Japan consider themselves children of the Great Bear Mother, Kamu. [Sky Bear Ursa, Ursala, Ursal.]
Thus they name themselves the Kamuy.
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/JapaneseLit
more story and photos to come ...
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