This message was posted in Kendo’s “Healing Blog” for October. Its theme is the energies which can be derived from the blending “synctretism” process in Buddhism, namely the fact that Shinto gods are considered to be powerfully-supportive Bodhisattvas in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Enjoy!

Every October in Kyoto a huge festival is held at the Heian Shrine. Celebrating the history of the city, characters in costumes from the 1100 years that Kyoto was Japan’s capital form a parade which takes over 2 hours to watch from beginning to end! It’s truly spectacular, but, as with so many festivals in Japan, the celebrations are held at a shrine because thanks are given for blessings received, and prayers are offered for future positive things in life.

As Kendo has pointed out elsewhere, there are many things which we simply cannot know on an intellectual level, and this is why so many people have faith. Kendo has also given the example of being eclectic, considering multiple view-points in order to broaden and deepen our understandings, and this is one of the main reasons he brings Japanese religion to the West.

For example, Japan has both temples and shrines, the former associated with Buddhism, and the latter associated with Japan’s unique indigenous religion, Shinto. Shinto encourages harmony with nature and society, and there is nothing wrong in asking the Shinto deities to grant you health, safety, and success for yourself and others; the blessings which Shinto offers apply to the here-and-now, and it’s absolutely fine to ask for them. Buddhism can perhaps be described as dealing with understandings beyond this world – enlightenment which transcends consciousness.

From a healing perspective, Kendo recommends that we see ourselves as part of a dynamic system of inter-related energies; the spark of one’s own life is surrounded by many others in nature, and they should all be considered as supportively as we would wish to be. We have just as much right to health and happiness as any other, and it’s ok to ask for positive energy to flow to ourselves, as long as we are ready to give it out ourselves. Kendo has mentioned the power of symbolism, and the imagery he describes here is more important for its symbolic meaning than as an intellectual concept, so we must be ready to let go of the restrictions of rationality alone.

Based on all the foregoing, Kendo’s healing message for October is to let ourselves be open to all possible perspectives of energy, of spirituality, to be grateful for what we have, to be ready to ask for more in this life whilst being ready to give more, to have the humility to appreciate the majesty of nature and the universe around us, and even to celebrate the good things we have achieved. If we can be positive in all these ways, all the unseen energies around us will reciprocate, and support us.