Futagami-yama, the twin-peaked mountain I gaze upon from a distance, evokes a deep, inexplicable nostalgia in me.
How many times in this lifetime have I passed along that path, gazing at that mountain with such emotions in my heart?
Over and over again, I walked it—
from Ōmiwa Shrine to Isonokami Shrine, all the while looking toward Futagami-yama.
When I direct my consciousness toward Himiko, the Yamatai Kingdom, and the Asuka region, that area comes back to me vividly, with a strange sense of fond familiarity.
I loved that road. I carried this physical body there again and again.
I loved the path that wound along, with the mountain always in view.
This was before I encountered the learning of the heart in this lifetime—back when I was still living entirely through the physical.
Ah, Himiko... Himiko.
I feel the thoughts of Himiko stirring within me.
Himiko, you must have suffered greatly.
So very deeply, you must have suffered.
You must have been lonely. You were utterly alone.
No matter how much power you acquired, no matter how much wealth you accumulated,
no matter how completely you placed all things under your command and made your name resound—
the darkness in your heart remained unfathomable.
Even if a voice within told you that you were chosen by the gods,
surely that too was born of profound pain and anguish.
Now, by turning our hearts toward the consciousness of Himiko,
we can begin to sense the stirrings of change—not only in Japan, but in the hearts of people around the world.
If the power that Himiko held, and the energy she emitted, can now be transformed within each of our hearts into joy born of awakening to love,
then surely the heaviness within will begin to lift, becoming lighter and lighter.
Himiko represents the energy that each of us has carried in our hearts.
She is the symbol of the consciousness that believes itself to be divinely chosen—a sense of elitism.
The belief that "I am great, I am the best"—that towering, towering ego—was fueled by the energy known as Himiko.
In every country, in every era, people have created figures to replace Himiko in their hearts.
Let us begin by facing the heart of Himiko within ourselves.
Let us transform that energy, that consciousness, from negative to positive—
this is the work of reversal, and it is through this that we can awaken to love.
Himiko, as a being, is dark.
Her spiritual power was dark.
The spiritual power sought from a place of negativity is steeped in darkness.
Why? Because it has forgotten that all things exist within love.
When one is consumed by the self—by the endless competition to be the best—
the energy that arises is massive and negative, nothing but blackness.
It is precisely this error that we must, in this lifetime, bring to a stop within ourselves.
Is that not why we have gathered around Tomekichi Taike?
Each of us, with a heart sensitive and prepared—
in bodies capable of what might be called "channeling"—
chose to come to this life and create the opportunity to learn under his guidance.
We have heard the warning many times: do not repeat the same mistake.
And yet, we each know, deep in our hearts, how difficult it is
to truly turn our consciousness toward joy and warmth,
to transform the negative into the positive,
to discover our joyful selves.
Let us face that difficulty squarely within ourselves.
And because it is difficult, let us now—in this lifetime—
courageously bring about a major inner transformation.
This opportunity to turn our hearts toward Himiko is, I believe, a great learning experience.
Rather than proudly recounting the thoughts of Himiko within us,
let us ask ourselves:
To what extent can I embrace those thoughts with joy and warmth?
Can I turn this negative into something positive?
If you feel a sense of pride swelling in your heart as you speak,
then that very feeling is a sign to reverse course.
It is for this purpose that the opportunity to reflect on Himiko
has been granted to each of us at this time.