Konkokyo

Konkokyo is a folk practice and religion within Shinto (Way of Kami) practice. It is a folk practice that focuses primarily on the Kami (that which invokes awe and reverence) named Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama, which is understood to be the primordial energy permeating through all of the universe, with a consciousness. The folk practice focuses on building a bond with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama, by inviting this Kami-sama in your day to day life and relying on them wholeheartedly. 

"A kami is anything with an extraordinary quality, such that it makes you feel awe."

Tenchi Kane no Kami

Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama is said to have been a kami (that which invokes a sense of awe and reverence) that existed since the beginning of time. They are a primordial energy that permeates through the whole universe and all of existence. It is said the physical universe is their shrine. They have no extreme emotions one way or the other, but can feel a range of emotions like happiness, sadness, gratitude, and so on, in a tempered and serene manner. 

They are conscious and deeply loving, and care greatly for all of existence. They speak of overcoming natural hardships and difficulties as part of life, but abhor needless manmade suffering and wish to see an end to it.

Tenchi Kane No Kami is what is called a "composite spirit." Konjin-sama (Earth/Metal), Nittenshi-sama (Sun), and Gattenshi-sama (Moon) all together are Tenchi Kane No Kami. How I like to think about it is that the sun, the moon, and the earth, came together to reveal to us the parental spirit that pervades all life in the cosmos.

Tenchi Kane No Kami is also the spirit and energy of the “Divine Parent.” Tenchi Kane No Kami sometimes shortened to Kamisama is this parental energy that pervades all life. Kamisama is neither motherly energy, nor fatherly energy – as Kamisama is neither male nor female, neither masculine nor feminine. The parental spirit of Tenchi Kane No Kami is not limited to one gender or a single identity. 

Kamisama is the conscious spirit and energy that flows within and through the entirety of the universe and feels love for all living things, wishing for all things to be in harmony and balance with nature during their life and death. This energy or spirit of love and life is already within you, a part of you, not other than you. It is not an energy that is separate from you, nor others. It has always been present, and always will be. You don’t have to be anything other than who you are. Just connect with that energy or spirit that you already are connected with.

Tenchi Kane no Kami is not all-powerful or omnipotent, does not control everything, nor do they set destinies for people, make people suffer as a test, or control other peoples free wills. They are the energy of nature, they are the energy of the universe. Everything in nature is interdependent, and thus reflecting, so is Tenchi Kane no Kami.

Practice

Practice is done through your heart, actions, and desire to connect and create a bond with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama. Konkokyo does not force or require people to quit another religion before joining Konkokyo; believers are free to belong to another religion concurrently. There is also no initiation rite into Konkokyo, you can consider yourself a Konkokyo practitioner or not freely.

If you consider yourself a practitioner of Konkokyo, develop the bond with Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama in your daily life, and try to understand the practice more, you are practicing Konkokyo. To pray, one can pray to Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama understanding their nature as a primordial energy, in the traditional manner of bowing deep once, clapping four times, praying silently - then bowing deep again, clapping four times again, and bowing deep once more to show respect to Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama.

Konkokyo respects and accepts all people regardless of race, religion, gender, occupation, social status, and wealth. Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama is also not a kami-sama limited to Japanese lands, but is present throughout the entire universe. 

Konkokyo has a presence in many parts of the world especially due to the broad nature of Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama wanting to help all people, and the essence they are not a kami-sama only tied to Japan. There is a large presence in North America, (Organized by KCNA, Konko Churches of North America), Hawai'i (Organized by KMH, Konko Missions of Hawai'i), South America, and there is also a Kyokai in Korea, and some gatherings have been held in UK, Germany, and Australia. 

We also revere Ikigami Konko Daijin-sama (the Founder of Konkokyo), and the Mitama no Kami-sama, the ancestral spirits of those who have gone before us now revered as kami. And as part of our traditional history, there is also a reverence for Nittenshi-sama (a kami of the sun), Gattenshi-sama (a kami of the moon), and Kane no Kami-sama (also known as Konjin-sama, a kami with links to the classical element of Metal and Earth energy, and has a deep history with Konkokyo and connected to Tenchi Kane no Kami-sama).

The Konko Creed

We believe in Tenchi Kane No Kami, the Divine Parent of the Universe.

Our Founder, Konko Daijin, embraced Kami’s revelations and, as Divine Mediator, answered the call to eternal mediation.

Our continuing goal, from moment to moment, is to realize Kami within each of us.

We are fulfilled thru Kami, Kami is fulfilled through us. The happiness of everyone is Kami’s greatest wish.

We give thanks for Kami’s blessings – mysterious, wondrous, and mundane. Blessings begin with our own hearts, hearts filled with harmony and joy.

We pray wholeheartedly to Kami, today and every day, trusting Kami as our loving Parent, finding peace of mind.

We live our Faith in service to Kami, each other, and our world – nurturing and nurtured, mutually fulfilled.

We revere those who have gone before us, spirits one with Kami, caring for us eternally.

We respect and appreciate other paths taken by humanity toward spiritual fulfillment.

Kami-sama Prayer

With the greatest awe, reverence and humility, I pray and invite the divine mediator, the divine origin of the universe, to the various myriad of divinities. To you all, we humbly, sincerely, and reverently pray. Though I do not feel worthy to speak directly of your divine workings, I humbly and sincerely pray with the utmost awe and reverence.

We express our deepest gratitude to the world around us, to the sun, the moon, the stars, the waters, the rains, the wind, the soil, and the trees. The cycles of the seasons, the turning of the wheel of the year, and to the limitless workings of nature that allow life to grow and be nurtured in this world. We thank you for these endless, eternal, and vast blessings. For the bodies that allow us to live in this world, for the endless bounties of food, clothing, shelter, and comforts. We thank you for all that which sustains our lives each and every day and for your ceaseless and awe inspiring divine workings. From the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask that you may accept our sincere apologies. We apologize for our shortcomings and for the irreverences that we knowingly and unknowingly commit. We ask forgiveness for our ignorance, our mistakes, our misgivings, for the times when we could not be our best selves and have caused suffering to others. We acknowledge these mistakes and misunderstandings and strive to better ourselves each and every day towards a more harmonious world.

We humbly request for your continued and everlasting grace and divine blessings. We pray for those who have lost the way of the kami and have turned to human-centered thinking. We pray for their hearts to open and change and to realize the path they are on brings only tragedy. We pray for those afflicted by war, poverty, famine, disease, corruption from world leaders, abuse, injustice, and all other manner of suffering. We pray deeply that their suffering may be alleviated and healed from this world. We pray for these blessings with the utmost awe, reverence and sincerity. And we would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for hearing our prayers. We humbly ask for your grace and divine blessings. Thus humbly we pray. Thus reverently we pray. 

Ancestor Prayer

Please bow deeply in prayer.

With the greatest of reverence and humility, I pray and greet the kamisama, the divine spirits of those who have gone before us. To you all, we humbly, sincerely, and reverently pray. Though I do not feel worthy to speak directly of your divine virtue, I humbly and sincerely pray with the utmost awe and reverence. We express our deepest gratitude to the life you have served for the wisdom and guidance and protection which you grant us to each and every day. We humbly and reverently express our appreciation to your workings in our lives. We pray that you may lead us to the right path in our lives that you may share the lessons you have learned and turn to us. We give thanks for the efforts you have put in your life which enable us to live ours now in the present. Today on this [Day] of [Month] on the very day of the autumn equinox we pray for all those who have departed as we remember them with the utmost reverence and respect. We pray that their divine spirits may be at peace and in harmony together with kamisama. We pray for the loved ones of those who have come to attend today's ceremony. We pray that you watch over us eternally. And we pray that you may be at eternal peace and happiness now and forever. We give our utmost awe, reverence and sincere gratitude to you for hearing our prayers. And we humbly ask for your grace and divine blessings on this day and every day from now to the future. Thus humbly we pray. Thus reverently we pray.