Rev.K. Barrish
04-22-2011, 06:28 PM
HAPPY EARTH DAY, 2011
May there only be peaceful and cheerful Earth Days to come for our beautiful Spaceship Earth as it continues to spin and circle in frigid space with its warm and fragile cargo of animate life....
...UN Secretary-General U Thant in 1970..............
Kannagara Temachi Chihaemase/ The Earth Jewel Shines in the Universal Flow..
...Shinto Prayer.................
Today 4/22/11 is Earth Day..... in Shinto thinking the land of Onogorojima (self condensing ball/ Earth/ Earth Jewel) was created by Izanagi-no-O-Kami and Izanami-no-O-Kami utilizing the centripetalizing/ congealing power ofAme-no-Nuboko (special spear) used to stir the undifferentiated cosmic mass..creating the Sun and the planets (including the Earth). The Kunitsu kami (Earthly Kami) then made all things in the "real world/current world" using elements and plans provided by the Amatsu Kami (Heavenly Kami) based on truth and principle.
Humankinds place in this is as the caretaker of this divine creation...Human beings (whose lives are comprised of Divine Solar Ki) using all their talents and abilities to establish and help the evolution of Utsushi Kunidama (the World in dynamic harmony under one roof). Until this work is accomplished Sarutahiko Okami (Guiding Kami, Kami of KI and Primal Earth Kami) will encourage mankind with great love and patience. When we perform purification (Misogi shuho) we can receive the heartbeat and breath of Okami and Divine Nature.
All things in Nature are based on the structure of parent/ child..... this includes Human Beings as Children of the Sun, Kami and ancestors and includes fields and valleys, trees and shrubs as children of the mountain who also acts as Mother by adjusting weather and rainfall patterns and air currents... following this pattern fields prosper in harmony with the peace and harmony of the Universe....however if mountains are destroyed and trees cut indiscriminately the result will be the breakdown of the Mother/ Child relationship...will cause a negative spiral and if uncorrected destroy foundation and meaning of life.
When we realize that we are not separate from Nature and to willfully damage or Earth Jewel is to damage ourselves and our children's lives we are preparing to be in harmony with Kamunagara (Okami's Divine Movement)...of course we recognize the terrible damage being done to our living home... it is painful .... but shall we continue to do our utmost together each day..stay as centered and strong and as connected as we can..... Oharahinokotoba also teaches us that no matter how truth is concealed, twisted, hushed up or erased...no matter what kind of arbitrary patchwork is done, the Ki of Okami (Divine Nature) will work to reassert (straighten) itself ..the meaning of Tohashi Tamahi is we must endeavor to straighten our own behavior.
Sendai Guji, Yamamoto Yukitaka Guuji, the 96th High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Japan, Yamamoto Yukiyasu Guji's father and my late teacher who also taught O'Sensei about Sarutahiko Okami and the Mission of Aikido often spoke about Chikyu Mura/ Earth Village....
...............in essence that all those sharing this moment in time on this precious and beautiful planet are as members of the same village, with common aspirations and inter-related fates.............
Basic of Shinto is to respect and revere the Generative Cosmic Vitality of the Sun as our ultimate parent.
Today is the first day of Kannagara Aikido's annual Aiki Taisai at Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America...already guests have arrived from Europe, Moscow, various parts of US and Canada and have participated in the morning Misogi Shuho and special Chouhai for Earth Day ...we expect many more guests to arrive in advance of this evening's start time---together we will train in Aiki movement and Shinto purification and meditation...tomorrow morning we will conduct the formal Shinto Ireisai/ memorial for the Mitama of Kaiso.....
Kaiso said: "Aikido is the way of the universe, and the movements unite human being with great nature"
--movements along with great nature are called kannagara. Kannagara Aikido is Misogi..purify ourselves to unite with great nature.
Diana Frese
04-22-2011, 10:02 PM
Thank you for sharing information about the Taisai and about Kannagara.
For those curious about the Tsubaki Grand Shrine and about Shinto, maybe you would be so kind as to post the link to your website when you have a chance (this weekend must be very busy for you)... ( AikiWeb members like myself, however can find it by clicking on your name and on the profile.... I have started to read it already....)
I found a quote everyone can understand just by itself, however:
"....in essence that all those sharing this moment in time on this
precious and beautiful planet are as members of the same village, with common aspirations and inter- related fates..."
Thank you very much for passing on this message to us from your late teacher.
It is very appropriate that O Sensei's memorial and Earth Day are so close on the calendar....