15 Dec

Posted at 10:15h in I Am Time, Wow

Ultimate reality is energy, as it moves in waves (radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, light waves, ultraviolet waves, x-rays, gamma rays, cosmic rays) along the electromagnetic spectrum. Our reality we construct from light waves. Light inhabits 0.0035% of the electromagnetic spectrum. What's outside the light spectrum, we perceive as the void. In the light, we see things coming in from and going out to the void; things being born and dying. Yet nothing is truly born or dies; things simply transition, appearing and disappearing as they move along the spectrum. Ultimate reality is a fleeting dance of energy; endlessly transitioning, yet eternal in essence....

09 Dec

Posted at 10:15h in I Am Time, Wow

Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, is often described as animistic and polytheistic. Shinto has animistic qualities as it recognizes the spirit ("kami) in every natural force (e.g., growth and fertility), phenomena, animate and inanimate object, ancestor, and deity; reflecting a deep reverence for the interconnectedness of the seen and unseen universe. It is polytheistic, as the number of kami is traditionally said to be 8 million. As the number 8 in Japanese culture symbolizes infinity, the 8 million kami imply the universe is a manifestation of divine energy. This is the essence of pantheism. As experiencing the entire universe, including ourselves, as a single manifestation of divine energy can feel overwhelming, Shinto practices and rituals are an accessible way to engage with the omnipresent divine. Describing Shinto as pantheistic or polytheistic depends on perspective. From a distance, it is pantheistic, though in practice it is polytheistic. Ultimately, the perspective is of little matter; either way, Shintoism is an expression of awe and gratitude....