Today, the Shinkiko Retreat seminar began in Soja City, Okayama Prefecture. The first time it was held here was over ten years ago, and it is held every other year, so I have been here five times already. However, I had never been interested in the somewhat unusual place name Soja. So this time, I decided to look into it.
It said, “The origin of the shrine is Soja-gu Shrine, which was built at the end of the Heian Period. In order to avoid the inconvenience of having to make pilgrimages to shrines throughout Bitchu Province, the gods of 324 shrines were enshrined here.” As with Ise in Mie in January and Dazaifu in Fukuoka last month, there was a shrine near the venue this time as well, so I felt a renewed connection with the gods, and was amazed that so many gods could be enshrined here.
By the way, Shinkiko Retreat seminar is a place where people who participate are drawn together by a mysterious connection, as if they were drawn by a magnet. This year marks the 399th time the course has been held, exactly 35 years in the past, and what I have come to realize over the years is that “here awaits you, an invaluable experience and learning that you could never have obtained on your own.”
When people come together, various realizations and discoveries are born. This doesn’t only happen when the teacher speaks, but also when surprising words are hidden in casual conversations between participants, and someone’s gestures can convey deep emotions that cannot be expressed in words.
For example, a past experience shared by one participant may provide a clue to solving a problem that another participant had, and a question posed by another participant may become an opportunity to deepen the understanding of all participants. Valuable learning can also be found in the casual conversations that take place during breaks and meal times during seminar.
The energy of Shinkiko changes negative Ki into positive Ki, and I believe this is the result of the support of all the positive Ki that has changed us up until now.
Since the time of our predecessor, our retreat seminar have placed importance on group living, and it is for exactly this reason.
By spending time together, learning together, and experiencing together, participants build deep relationships of trust, and become people who support and improve each other. They are friends who use the energy of the universe, Shinkiko, in themselves and around themselves (that is, on this earth) to change the Ki environment.
The time spent with friends who have come together through a mysterious bond is an irreplaceable treasure. I believe that the bond that the gods of the shrine have created is also a major factor here. What kind of seminar will it be? I’m looking forward to it this time as well.