#konko faith

[livingwithkami]

Happy Spring Equinox!

Today is the Spring Grand Ancestor Ceremony

春季霊大祭

We completed all the offerings, now time for the ceremony soon!🌸🌻

[mozevvelnik]

御神米 Goshinmai in Konkokyo.

Resource: 御神米入 | https://okamotoshinki.com

Goshinmai(御神米 "Sacred Kami Rice", "Divine Rice") is an envelope of rice paper with a dozen of consecrated uncooked rice. Tenchi Kane No Kami prayers are performed over the rice. It is then washed with consecrated water and dried under the sun before being left to rest under the moonlight. The next morning, the rice is sprinkled with sacred blessed sake and placed in a small triangular white rice paper envelope.

Rice is a symbol of life and Goshinmai symbolizes the blessings of Tenchi (天地, Universe). Rice is grown because everything in nature works in harmony with each other, including humans. It represents the virtue of Tenchi Kane No Kami and the wish that these blessings are never forgotten.

Goshinmai can be forward by visiting a church and making a donation at the Toritsugi Mediation Desk, but it is also given to believers who ask for a blessing with a sincere heart. Goshinmai is believed to help with illness, recovery from injury, childbirth or difficulties in life.

One who receives Goshinmai can eat it either raw or cooked. The rice can be kept in a special pouch on one's altar, in one's purse, or on the windshield of one's car. All of this reminds us of Kami-sama's blessings and that He is constant presence with us.

The main thing is to take care of Goshinmai and cherish it, remembering Kami-sama's daily blessings.

Rev. Olivia's Bernkastel(@livingwithkami) Goshinmai, photo by @konkokyo

[zenthropology]

Sakura season

[blossomingkami]

As a person with an anxiety disorder, Konkokyo has helped me a lot with maintaining my anxiety. Praying has always been something that calms me, keeping faith in Kami-Sama makes me feel strong. Of course it isn’t a replacement of things like medication and therapy, but it has helped me feel better daily. Praying to Kami-Sama about my problems and what’s been bothering me has always made me feel better, I know Kami-Sama is listening and that he understands. Not only do I wanna help others, I want to help myself.

“Instead of worrying, practice faith.”

(VOICE OF THE UNIVERSE 243)

[girldaddragon]

sorry but shintoreligion isnt much better. the priestess u mentioned is a cult leader (cult of personality) and a cult member (in the sense of shes part of a fringe new religious movement which is disproportionately promoted in eng speaking spaces)

They're a shrine maiden of the Konkokyo sect of Shinto, which is a completely legit branch of it. Yes it is a new religious movement but new as in it was founded in 1859.

It's a Buddhist-Shinto (Shinbutsu Shuugou) syncretic faith not unlike Shingon. It's centered around Tenchi Kane no Kami as an embodiment and divine parent of everything, but it still very much considers all kami to be very real.

The Konko faith allows shrine maiden-hood and kannushi-hood for non-Japanese people which is pretty much unique to it. That must be why it's popular in the west.

She saw how much misinformation is spread about Shinto in the west and decided to make a website and various social media platforms to spread correct information about it (and because they're passionate about their faith of course).

[sarenth]

AGF 112 – The Kami Bring Us Together

Also Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, and more! Licensed Shinto Priestess of the Konko Faith, Olivia Kimoto, calls in from Japan to talk about religion, spirits, and Shinto practice. https://www.livingwithkami.com/ — Time Stamps 00:00:40 Introduction 00:01:25 Opening Prayer 00:03:00 Welcome 00:11:00 Interview 01:58:00 Closing — Send in a voice message:…

[wildelotus]

Some LGBTQ+ pics I made for June for my phone 📱

[pagansquare]

Konkokyo LGBT Kai

So, this is more of a news article, but also one that is very near and dear to me! First, I will share the announcement from the Konkokyo Honolulu Kyokai below!

Read more...

[unscharf-an-den-raendern]

Someone bought a batch of electric tea lights ages ago so I decided to put them on my altar since it's sitting in a shelf and I can't light real candles on it.

[shintosprout]

Hi

Hi. I am a Shinto sprout - so I’m new to Shinto.

I’ve decided to make a blog/eshrine mostly for myself about my Shinto journey.

I’ve been on a spiritual journey for a few years now and I think I’ve found a spiritual home in Shinto. I’ve also stumbled upon Konko, too, which as a belief makes total sense so I want to add that in the mix, too.

The main kami I look to is Ame no Uzume no Mikoto Sama. I feel like she has so much to teach and offer - I feel her blessings in my life already. Susanoo no Mikoto Sama and Tsukiyomi no Mikoto Sama are also kami I look to that I also feel has a lot to teach and offer. But I’m just getting to know both (as well as learn more about Tenchi Kane no Kami).

So...that’s me, really!

[chasinggoldenlight]

"Have the faith of the plum blossom”

I received this book from the librarian while in Konko Town visiting the Konko Hombu (Head Church/Main Church). It was published in 1933, so I feel truly blessed to have been trusted with this treasure. There’s so much I could write in gratitude to the mitama and current believers who make it possible for me to read this book and sacred books, but for now I’ll say “Thank you ❤”

(I think there might be overlap between this book and the more recent publication titled “Voice of the Universe”. If anyone knows, please let me know! I’ve been reading Voice of the Universe out of order, but I think I’d benefit from reading it from cover to cover at this point 😅)

The passage that caught my eye this morning is this one:

“Rather have the faith of the plum blossom than the faith of the cherry blossom. While the cherry blossom falls quickly, the plum blossom, having struggled with hardships, falls not easily.”

-Divine Interpretations, XXIX

I was chatting with a friend about life and faith earlier. I was truly amazed by her faith in Kamisama, and thought of her when I read that verse. I understood more deeply what I learned from ministers and other Konkokyo believers: that life’s difficulties are things that can push us closer to God/Tenchi Kane no Kamisama if we also keep our faith.

If someone loses their faith during a difficult situation, they’ll become more distant from Kamisama; but if they keep their faith they will grow closer to Kamisama. I realize now that it is not our problems that push us away from our connection to Kamisama and their Divine Will, but our own choice to have faith (or not).

I think that for our human hearts, “everything happens for a reason” doesn’t make sense, but Konko-sama told me during toritsugi (mediation in which we express our joys and concerns to God) that “nothing is meaningless”. I strongly hold on to those words now, realizing that it is up to me how I see things. If I saw things in my life as meaningless, then that would make painful things even more painful, right? When I believe that I can turn painful things into divine lessons, I feel my heart soften. I think many lessons are not for our logical minds, but for our emotional hearts. 

A plum blossom doesn’t bloom instantly. It starts as a bud, and then slowly blossoms. In the same way, healing after a particularly painful or traumatic event takes time. By reflecting on my path to emotional healing, I’ve learned how to truly love, support, and connect with others around me. 

I know now that “nothing is meaningless”. I think those words by Konko-sama are very similar to the American saying “Turn lemons to lemonade”:

Lemons on their own aren’t very tasty, but mixed with sugar and water you can make a delicious drink with them! Heartache on its own might seem meaningless, but with faith it can be a guiding light that leads you to healing and helping others. Let’s make some spiritual lemonade today 😋

[livingwithkami]

Today is our Spring Grand Mitama (Ancestor) Ceremony at the shrine 🌸 It is also the Spring Equinox, which is the traditional time of year to do the gravesite visit (the other time is the Autumn Equinox) so in the morning we do a gravesite visit to clean, pray, and give offerings. 🙏🏼

[zenthropology]

Had my first Toritsugi mediation last night when I really needed it most, it was so nice to just feel listened to without judgement and to feel protected by and cared about by Kami-sama

[blossomingkami]

One thing I appreciate about worshipping Tenchi Kane No Kami is that I never get burnt out from it. I always feel refreshed, it never felt like a task. Every day I get up with knowing I should pray to Kami-Sama, knowing they are humanities divine parent, and that includes me. I enjoy praying to Kami-Sama and I wish I could do way more. Sometimes I can really truly feel the presence of Kami-Sama. They are everywhere, but there are times for me where I truly know they are there. I desire to bring out Kami-Sama’s intentions and the desire to save others, I want to be able to do as much as I can. There is never a time where I feel disconnected from Kami-Sama and I know it’ll continue like that. I trust in Kami-Sama.

[wildelotus]

Konkokyo Daily Reminder #20

[shrimp-legs-whirring]

I haven't really been celebrating holidays for a long while now due to the last polycule I was in having disbanded last year and my familial unit pretty much fell apart after my aunt passed the year before last, who were the primary groups I did things like the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with. I'm glad to be done with participating in holidays I dont agree with the basis of in 3/4 of those cases for the most part, but I do miss the sense of community that was present.

I'm pleased Halloween was so good this year, and that I'll be going to the Konkokyo Church of San Francisco on New Year's Day with Aiden, and I think Charlie and Greyson too. I remain, really really nervous, but I have to remember the Konko faith is very open, my intentions are good, and I want to meet this entire community that has faith in Kami. Going to church on new year's could be a new tradition, one that has heft, and meaning and tendons into cartilage into bones into something good.