“If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego’s desires, the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible-the attainment of the mind and eyes of god….The vast universe beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality, contains all that we call good and bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind, the ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is no such thing as surprise for the ninja.”- Toshitsugu Takamatsu

One of the greatest spiritual paths in the world is that of martial arts. In famous work, written by D.F. Draeger, entitled Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility, we find on page 78 the following observation:

http://www.muzosa.com/

All the best!

I am sure that when many of us think of the terms “ancient civilization,” thoughts of Sumeria and Egypt come to mind. However, one of the oldest civilizations in the world is Japan.. This may be  an alarming observation to some since many avid readers of history have become devoted to theories held by anthropologists and scholars who seem scientific in their approach, but have limited their chronological dates of humanity’s origin to ancient Mesopotamia and the date of  5,000 BCE, since many of these so-called scholars will not allow the scientific evidence that man existence is older than what is calculated by them so as not to conflict with the “Abrahamic reiligions” that many of them are a part of.

Another reason Japan is not referred to as one of the most ancient civilizations, is largely because its modern written history, contained in the Kojiki, the oldest extant chronicle of Japan, is dated around the early 8^th century. This has led to incorrect reports appearing across the internet stating that Japan, properly called Nihon, or Nippon meaning Land of the Rising Sun, historically began around the 8^th century. Unfortunately, this theory is also applied to Shinto, a form of spirituality that began before the creation of human beings.

 In the scholarly world, we find that Japan is divided up into four historical periods.

The Palaeolithic period in Japan’s history has been subject to much debate. yet evidence shows that  this period may extend back as far as 120,000 years ago. one resource about this matter can be found in an article written by ICHIRO NONAKA where he discuss the stone tools found by archaeologists . Here is a picture of these ancient tools:

 The reader can see this article in full view by following this link:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200910010135.html

Next, we have the Joman period. The term “Jōmon” means “cord-patterned” in Japanese. It refers to the markings made on clay vessels and figures using sticks with cords wrapped around them which are characteristic of the Jōmon people. This period is date from about 15,000 years ago until about 500 BCE. Interestingly, what separates these various periods really has a lot to do with the people who occupied Japan during varying times. It appears that their were other nations who were ancestors of the current population of Japan. We can compare this to how many Americans have ancestral ties to the people who  Columbus met when he arrived to the Old World that was new to his experience. Just a thought. it would seem that in the case of Japan though that many people of Japan are related in some way to those who preceded them. This is evidenced by the preservation of the Shinto practices, which precede Imperial japan by thousands of years.

We can see that the people during the Jomon Period were in some ways different from the current Japanese population, though they were ancestors to them. Ceramic figures known as the “dogu,” dating from the Jomon Period are on display at the British Museum. Here are a few photographs of these figures, which are over 13,000 years old:

Another amazing feature of the Jomon Period is that according to archeaological evidence, the Jomon people created the first known pottery vessels in the world, dated from 14,000 BCE.

The development of the Jomon people began to spread across Japan. Around 500 BCE, a new culture began to emerge that many scholars often refer to as the Yoyoi, which began in Kyushu. However, some recent evidence has surfaced labeling the beginning of the Yoyoi Period at approximately 1,000 BCE. The Yoyoi Period is defined by Japan’s first rice farming and metal using culture. A class society began to emerge during the Yayoi period. Over time, the Yayoi people grouped themselves into clan-nations, which by the first century numbered more than a hundred. Throughout the second and third centuries, the clans fought among themselves until the Yamato clan gained dominance in the fifth century.

It seems that the previous Jomon people were an amalgamation of the people of South China and Southeast Asia, and Northeast Africa.  Paula J. Nielson states the following in an online article entitled, Ancient Japan-The Yayoi Period:

“The Yayoi people, on the other hand, are clearly the ancestors of the modern Japanese people sharing characteristics with the current populations from Northeast Asia, Northern China and Korea. This shows that while much of the Jomon culture was retained by the Yayoi, the population had little genetic intermingling between the Jomon and Yayoi periods. A much smaller Jomon population may have existed at the time of the influx of the Yayoi. Comparisons of the physical remains of the Japanese Yayoi and the Jiangsu Chinese coastal peoples of the early Han Dynasty show many striking similarities, strengthening the argument for a Chinese origin of the Yayoi. Interestingly, the imperial Shinto symbols of ancient Japan–the mirror, the sword, and the jewel–are the same symbols as found from the Qin Dynasty of China.”

You can read more of her essay here: http://cultural-anthropology.suite101.com/article.cfm/ancient_japan_the_yayoi_period

Here is a few photographs of some artifacts found during the Yoyoi Period:

The next period that we will discuss is the Kofun Period, which is also known as ther Yamatoera. The term Kofun takes its origin the rich funerary rites and earthen mounds, which contained large burial chambers. 

During the Kofun period, a highly aristocratic society with militaristic rulers developed. Its horse-riding warriors wore armor, carried swords and other weapons, and used advanced military methods like those of Northeast Asia.

The Kofun period was a critical stage in Japan’s evolution toward a more cohesive and recognized state. This society was most developed in the Kinai Region and the easternmost part of the Inland Sea (Seto Naikai), and its armies established a foothold on the southern tip of Korea. Japan’s rulers of the time even petitioned the Chinese court for confirmation of royal titles; the Chinese, in turn, recognized Japanese military control over parts of the Korean peninsula.

The Yamato polity, which emerged by the late 5th century, was distinguished by powerful great clans or extended families, including their dependents. Each clan was headed by a patriarch who performed sacred rites to the clan’s Kami to make sure the long-term welfare of the clan. Clan members were the aristocracy, and the kingly line that controlled the Yamato court was at its pinnacle.

More exchange occurred between Japan and the continent of Asia late in the Kofun period. Buddhism was introduced from Korea, probably in A.D. 538, exposing Japan to a new body of religious doctrine. The Soga, a Japanese court family that rose to prominence with the accession of the Emperor Kimmei about A.D. 531, favored the adoption of Buddhism and of governmental and cultural models based on Chinese Confucianism. But some at the Yamato court–such as the Nakatomi family, which was responsible for performing Shinto rituals at court, and the Mononobe, a military clan–were set on maintaining their prerogatives and resisted the alien religious influence of Buddhism. The Soga introduced Chinese-modeled fiscal policies, established the first national treasury, and considered the Korean peninsula a trade route rather than an object of territorial expansion. Acrimony continued between the Soga and the Nakatomi and Mononobe clans for more than a century, during which the Soga temporarily emerged ascendant.

The Kofun period is seen as ending by A.D. 538, when the use of elaborate kofun by the Yamato and other elite fell out of use because of prevailing new Buddhist beliefs, which put greater emphasis on the transience of human life. Commoners and the elite in outlying regions, however, continued to use kofun until the late 7th century, and simpler but distinctive tombs continued in use throughout the following period. The Kofun period was followed by the Asuka period. Below is a famous tomb from the Kofun Period

Daisen-kofun in Sakai, Osaka, Japan. This is one of the largest tombs in the world. Japanese government regards this as the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, the 16th emperor, but many historians don’t think so.

The keyhole-like tomb is 486m long, 305m wide at the bottom and 245m in diameter.

良い一日を。

Susanoo is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon, and was begotten by Izanagi while he was purifying himself. Susanoo was created while Izanagi was washing his nose.

Susanoo corresponds to Gugalanna of Sumerian mythology, also known as the Bull of Heaven in some regards. As soon as Susano-O came into existence, he immediately began wailing and  lamenting for his mother. This wailing and lamenting already expressed the Kami’s stormy character. His father tried to calm him, but his wails eventually became too much for everyone around to bear, so he was banished to the netherworld.

Susano-O decided that before he left on his journey to the underworld, he wanted to wish his sister Amaterasu farewell. However, his coming shook the ground and made so much noise that Amaterasu thought that danger was coming to her and she began preparing for it. When she saw that it was her brother that had caused all the commotion, she asked him for a sign of friendship, since she did not really believe that he was coming to see her in peace. After discussing the matter with each other, they decided to create more gods together in order to show their goodwill. Amaterasu chewed up her brother’s sword, and spat out the pieces. From these pieces, three goddesses were created. Susano-O then chewed up the necklace which Amaterasu had been wearing, and created five gods.  (Among the latter was Masa-ya-a-Katsu Kachi Hayabi-Ama no Oshi-ho-Mimi no Mikoto 

It is said that at this point, Susano-O got so excited over his accomplishment that he lost all control. He completely destroyed all of the rice fields and irrigation ditches of heaven, and defiled one of Amaterasu’s temples with his excrement. He then threw a flayed horse into a house belonging to  Amaterasu where some women were weaving. (In one version of this story, one of the women was so distraught that she accidentally killed herself with her shuttle.) Amaterasu became very afraid when she saw all of her brother’s reckless actions. She decided to hide herself in a cave and block it with a large rock. This action on her part plunged all of the heavens and the world into complete darkness, from which the other Kami only recovered by dint of clever stratagems and a measure of good luck.

Susano-O was punished for all of the mischief he had caused by having his hair cut off and his fingernails pulled. He was then immediately banished from heaven.

The lesson that we learn from this story is clearly a reference to the misappropriation of the Kundalini-force. This is symbolized by Susanoo’s use of Amaterasu’s fertility beads, or the mysterious tantric force. The reader may want to note that Amaterasu produced three goddesses by chewing up and spitting out Susanoo’s sword. In turn Susanoo was able to produce five gods from the Amaterasu’s necklace, which in some accounts were described as beads. This gives us a total of eight deities produced from the interactions between the feminine (Amaterasu) and masculine (Susanoo) aspects of the Kundalini force. This legend compares greatly to Enki and Ninhursag, where  eight healing deities were produced by Ninhursag, as Enki rested near her vagina after having pains in eight organs. However, when the feminine and masculine forces of the tantric rite is placed in its proper perspective we find that it is the assertive force (masculine) that yields to the receptive (feminine) aspect of the Kundalini-force, which produces divinity. This is revealed to us by examining the interaction of two Atlantean deities, Lamashtu and Pazuzu. The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker, makes the following observation on page 904:

“The Akkadian Goddess Ninhursag, “She Who Gives Life to the Dead,” was also called “Mistress of Serpents,” as yet another form of Kadru or Kadi. Babylon’s version of her made her a dark twin of the Heaven-goddess Ishtar, calling her Lamia or Lamashtu, “great Lady, Daughter of Heaven.” Cylinder seals show her squatting, Kali-like, over her mate, the god Pazuzu, he of the serpent penis. As another Lord of Death, he gave himself up to be devoured by the Goddess.”

The Atlantean Mysteries, which are preserved in their entirety in the Shinto cosmology,  constantly refers to the number eight as being sacred, even in the Sumerian system of science, the eight-pointed star of Anu was revered as sacred. The number eight is the number of initiatory steps taken to unlock the Kundalini-force, as the Greater Mysteries are revealed. The eighth chakra corresponds to the sexual centre. The seriousness and effects of working with the eighth chakra was emphasized by the ancients in primordial times by use of their “dark aesthetics” to describe it, which were erroneously perceived by the uninitiated as black magic. This dark symbology was used by the ancient adepts to prevent those unskilled in the use of this powerful force. The mythology of Susanoo’s ravaging the earth illustrates this very well, as an initiate can make the mistake of NOT allowing the ego to die and be replaced by divine knowledge. This was the task that Susanoo Ohkami was to learn when he was sent to earth. Evidence of this is found in another myth concerning Susanoo and the Eight-Headed Dragon.

Susano-O’s Nigi-mi-tama (Gentle Spirit) and his Kushi-mi-tama (Comb-Transforming Spirit) appear in the following story, which took place just after he descended to earth from the heavens. According to this narrative, Susano-O arrived near the source of the river Hi in Izumo, and noticed some  chopsticks that were floating downstream. He inferred from this that there must  be some people closer to the source of the river, and so he went to investigate.  He discovered an old man and an old woman. Sitting between them was a lovely young maiden. They were all crying. Susano-O questioned them as to who they  were. The following passage, continuing the story, is taken from the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, c. 712 C.E.):

The old man replied, “I am the Earth Spirit and my name is Foot-Stroking Elder. My wife’s name is Hand-Stroking Elder. And this, our daughter’s name is Mistress Head Comb.”

The Brave-Swift Impetuous Male asked: “And what is the cause of the  weeping?”

The old man said: “We had eight daughters once. But there is an  eight-forked serpent that comes each year and eats one. His time has come  round again. That is why we weep.”

The expelled Heaven Spirit asked: “And what is that serpent’s form?” “The eyes are as red as the winter cherry. It has one body with eight heads  and tails. On that body moss grows, and conifers; the length extends over  eight valleys and eight hills, and if one looks at the belly, it is constantly  bloody and inflamed.”

“This being your daughter, will you give her to me?” asked his Brave-Swift Impetuous Male Augustness.

The old man replied: “With reverence; however, I do not know your name.”

“I am the elder brother of the Heaven Shining Spirit [Amaterasu], who am descended here from heaven.”

“That being so, with reverence, she is yours.” (Campbell 471-72).

At this point, Susano-O took the girl, changed her into a close-toothed comb, and put her in his hair for safekeeping. He then asked the old couple to distill a brew of eightfold refined liquor and to build a fence.  In that fence they were to put eight gates, and at each gate there were to be eight platforms, and at each platform there was to be a vat holding some of the refined liquor. When all of this was accomplished, everyone sat back to await the arrival of the Orochi Dragon.

 The great dragon arrived, saw the tempting bait laid out for him, and began to dip each of its heads into a corresponding vat. Once it had  drunk its fill of the liquor, it became deeply intoxicated. According to most versions of the story, the dragon fell into a deep sleep, whereupon Susano-O killed it (Nihongi 52-58). Other versions, however, including that of the sato-kagura festival from which the present image was taken, represent Susano-O and the drunken Orochi dragon as having engaged in a fierce  hand-to-hand combat. (Click on the photo at left to see more.)

After the battle, Susano-O found (some sources say in one of the monster’s  tails, others in its belly) a magnificent sword endowed with supernatural powers, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (the “Grasscutter”). On obtaining this divine weapon, Susano-O presented it to his sister, Amaterasu, as a gesture of atonement and respect. The sword was later passed on to Amaterasu’s royal grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, the legendary founder of Japan’s imperial line. The divine weapon is now enshrined at Atsuta. Some sources say, however, that the original Sword Kusanagi was lost at the famous naval battle of Dan-no-ura in 1186, when the entire fleet of the Taira clan was destroyed by the Minamoto clan. The whole royal family, with all their possessions, perished at sea (see the epic Tale of the Heike). The Minamoto clan, on the other hand, claimed that the lost sword was only a false copy anyway, and that the original was preserved.

In any case, Susano-O built for himself and his new wife a palace in the land  of Izumo. He appointed Foot-Stroking Elder to be his head steward and immediately proceeded to beget children.

Susanoo ohkami interaction with the dragon is symbolic of the Initiate’s ability to bridle the destructive aspects of the Kundalini-force. Susanoo Ohkami later comes to appreciate divine knowledge in place of the human ego (symbolized by the drsgon) and shows appreciation for such by presenting Amaterasu Ohkami with a “divine gift.”

良い一日を。

どうしてる？I would like to welcome everyone who visits our page a safe and peaceful day. May you find many blessing on your journey and renewed strength in the ever-evolving life of the present moment.

Over the past few decades the spiritual practices of Reiki have grown in popularity. It is not surprising to see housewives, college students, message therapists, doctors, occultists, and many others offering their Reiki services to the public and across the internet.

Reiki Practitioners claim that the spiritual practices that the system implements to aid other in healing whether physical or spiritual, was rediscovered by Mikao Usui in the early 1920’s. Mikao Usui discovered Reiki while performing a twenty-one day retreat on Mount Kurama, which involved fasting, meditation, and prayer. Mount Kurama has a very interesting history for those who are unaware of some of the historical events that took place there, here is a listing:

1) The Kurama Temple, founded in 770 as the guardian of the northern quarter of the capital city (Heiankyo). The original buildings, however, were repeatedly destroyed by fire. The Main Hall was last rebuilt in 1971. The temple formerly belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but since 1949, it has been included in the newly founded Kurama-Kokyo sect as its headquarters.

2) Legend has it that more than six million years ago, Mao-son (the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the earth) descended upon Mt Kurama from Venus, with the great mission of salvation of mankind. Since then, Mao-son’s powerful spirit governing the development and the evolution not only of mankind but of all living things on Earth has been emanating from Mt. Kurama, and a priest named Gantei received the spiritual transmission.

3) In the first year of Hold (A.D. 770), Gantei, who was the best pupil of High Priest Ganjin, the founder of the Toshodaiji Temple in Nara, led by a white horse, climbed up to this holy place. His soul was enlightened with the realization of Bishamon-ten (the protector of the northern quarter of the Buddhist heaven and the spirit of the sun). Following, he founded the Buddhist temple on Mt. Kurama.

4) Later, in the 15th year of Enryaku (A.D. 796). The chief officer in charge of the construction of Toji Temple, saw a vision of Senju-kannon (The thousand armed Kannon and the spirit of the moon) and built temples and pagodas on the mountain.

4) The warrior called Ushiwaka-mani (later known as Minamoto Yoshitsune, 1159-1189). When he was a young lad, he took military arts under the “Tengusan” (subjugator of evil) at Kurama, and he went on to become an excellent soldier.

The Big Book of Reiki Symbols: The Spiritual Transition of Symbols and Mantras of the Usui System of Natural Healing by Mark Hosak makes the following observation on page 271:

“The Tengu of Mount Kurama are actually known for their fondness of hanging monls and ascetics with their heads down from trees and then eating them alive. …But it appears that they made an exception for Yoshitsume. In reality, it was not the Tengu that taught Yoshitsume but the Ninja.”

Hosak’s observation illustrates that Mount Kurama may have been grounds useful for the training of Ninjutsu, even on a small scale. Both the Ninja and the Samurai were said to employ the Kuji-In, sometimes referred to as the Kuji-In. Kuji-in was thought to be the source of a ninja’s powers of spiritual and mental strength. The following website states the following on the subject, http://cjj2004.tripod.com/budoryu/id24.html :

“What I am presenting here is by no means a complete account of the Nine Finger Cuts that gave the Ninja mystical powers, but it will serve the would be Maho Tsukai (sorcerer) as a very useful and provocative primer.

The exact origins of the nine cuts are unknown, but it is believed that the Tantric Buddhist Schools of Shingon and Tendai Mikkyo first introduced them to Japan.

It is a common misconception that the techniques of Kuji were the sole domain of the Ninja. This is not true, as even a cursory exploration of the Koryu (traditional feudal arts of the Samurai) will reveal. For instance, the Yagy Shinkage Ryu and the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu both made use of the Kuji In and Kuji Kiri.

Though the techniques of Kuji In and Kuji Kiri are closely tied to one another, they in all actuality serve two very distinct functions. The Kuji In hand positions are used to invoke nine levels of mystic power. They are a method of focusing the mind and activating these powers, each in turn. The Kuji Kiri, however, is a form of practical sorcery, the method of which we will discuss shortly.

When utilizing the Kuji In, you may find the outward technique less important than your inward understanding of the concepts symbolized by each of the “cuts”. In the beginning, rely more on what you feel internally, and less on written interpretation.

 The Nine levels of the Kuji-in:

 Rin – Strength

Kyo – Direction of energy

Toh – Harmony of the Universe

Sha – Healing of self and others

Kai – Premonition of danger

Jin - Knowing the thoughts of others

Retsu – Mastery of time and peace

Zai – Control of the elements of nature

Zen – Enlightemment”

Amazingly, we find a similar description of the term “reiki” described by Reiki Practitioner Peggy Jentoft.in her online article entitled, Reiki and Esoteric Buddhism:

“I was looking for something about Karma in a old book of lectures on the Hokekyo (Lotus Sutra ) a translation of some Buddhist lectures from the early thirties by Makaguchi and I stumbled across this,

” Reiki”  (Spiritual power) is divided into 10

1. the power to tell the reasonable law of cause and effect from an unreasonable one neglecting the causal law.

2. the power to know the causal relationships ranging over the three existence’s of life- past present and future.

3. the power to keep himself in the state of enlightenment

4. the power to realize the various functions of mind.

5. The power to know the intellect of people

6. the power to know the life condition of people.

7. the power to foresee the future of people

8. the power to know the causal relationships of people

9. the power to realize the the life of the past existence and the way to enlightenment

10. the power to obliterate past karma”

What I find amazing about this, is that Jentoft’s finding compares greatly with the Kuji-In used by the Ninja, almost line for line. In my recent attendance at the Muzosa Bujinkan Dojo, which can be found at the following link: http://www.muzosa.com/ -I notice that the opening ritual for entering the Dojo includes the mantra Dai Ko Myo, which is the Master symbol and mantra in the Usui System of Reiki. I have been involved with Reiki for over ten years now and I have a great respect for the accomplishments of Sensei Usui. I also realize and have great respect for the Ninja and Samurai martial arts, and the preservation of the Reiki aesthetic.

良い一日を。
 

どうしてる？ Today we will be discussing the meaning of the term Shinto and its origin.

I am sure that many of our readers may have researched various theories concerning the origin of the Shinto religion, or to be more precise the Shinto cosmogony. Personally, I have read many erroneous theories concerning of when Shinto originated. Some even claim that its inception started around 500 B.C. These theories are very contradictory. Since Shinto has no founder or scriptural canon, then a precise date of its origin cannot be determined. Shinto incorporates practices and rituals of the indigenous people of the Japanese pre-historic period, such as shamanism and the reverential understanding of nature, sometimes referred to as nature worship. Out of The Jungle (6^th edition) by Bill Dunbar, state the following on pages 92-93:

“The origin of Shinto comes from the time when it was not recognized as a religion and didn’t have some of the attributes that we usually ascribe to a religion,…It was more like a folk culture, with nature and ancestor worship, with a great number of deities who were in control of the forces of nature.”

Shinto is not a religion, but a cosmogony based on scientific laws that preceded the creation of this universe.  Michael Bertiaux makes the following observation on page 410, in the Voudon Gnostic Workbook:

“This Shinto religion has been found to be uniquely suitable for the development into a magickal physics because of its natural and ideal structure, which hidden behing popular myths and fables reveals to us the physics of a mystical race from beyond our solar system, the Kami, or Beings of Light, who made our solar system….Shinto energies are the basic contents and sophiological wholes (“wisdom-energy powers”) of the Lemurian Current, while Vudu energies are the basic contents and wisdom-energy fields of the Atlantean Current.”

The subject of Lemuria’s existence in pre-Atlantean times is a very controversial subject, which is pursued more by the occultist than the modern scientist. This does not mean that Bertiaux’s observations are invalid, especially since modern science is not based on facts, but the logical process of identification made by the conscious mind, and does not recognize or make any attempts to understand the process of the subconscious, or primordial mind.. We find this to be the case, even when we observe many of the definitions given to the term “Shinto.”

Many people have given the simple definition of the term Shinto as meaning the “Way of the Gods,” However, this definition seems to resonate only with those who are engaged to the logical process of understanding spirituality. First, we must consider the fact that the term “Shinto” was not used by the Ancient Japanese people from remote times to describe their spiritual practices. The Encyclopedia of World Environmental History, Voumne 3, by Shepard Krech, states the following on page 1111:

“Many scholars now believe that Japanese actually borrowed the word “Shinto” from an eighth-century Chinese word for Taoism…In the eighth century, the Yamato state that Taoist priests travel to Japan from China, and in time the entire Japanese conception of empire and even the cult of emperors themselves took on a Taoist flavor. Nonetheless, early Japanese probably did not identify, isolate, and categorize Shinto as their “religion.”  Rather, for a people who lived close to nature on a wild and mountainous archipelago, Shinto probably constituted everything they knew and sought to know about the natural world.”

What I find interesting about all of this is that it seems highly unlikely that a group, or a person would identify a different set of spiritual practices as being the same, if they were indeed different. For example, when the representatives from the Catholic Church came to America, they did not recognize the practices of the Native American as similar to their own. So then, why is it that the spiritual practices of the Ancient Japanese people was recognized by Taoist priests as the Tao? I am sure that one reason for this concerns itself with Taoist shamanistic origins as well. It seems that Shinto and Taoism emerge from the same root, and the Taoists could recognize the practices as their own, coupled with the purity in which the indigenous Japanese population had faithfully preserved. The term Shinto is derived form the written Chinese 神道. It is composed of two kanji, “shin” meaning divine, gods, or spirits, known as Kami, and “to” meaning path of study, the way, a derivative of the Chinese term tao. Therefore, the term Shinto is define as the “Way of the Kami.” Interestingly, the term Kami is also composed of two kanji, ka meaning fire and mi meaning water. In Taoist thought water is symbolic of the yin and fire the symbol for yang. Here we find that the term Shinto is more properly translated the Way of Fire and Water, or the Way of Yin and Yang.

Another “logical” misconception made by modern scholars, is that the term Kami and its meaning are difficult to understand. Maybe this is true for those who are foreign to Japanese culture and spirituality. The Kami represent the measurement ka (fire, kundalini-energy) in relation to the surrounding and subtle mi (water, subtle ki, or life-force energies.) The ratio of ka to mi is used in Shinto cosmogony to determine the influence that an emanating force has on its environment. We will discuss various aspects of the Kami in a future article.

良い一日を。