Konko is ...
a way of life focused on being aware of and grateful for Kami's blessings.
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"Konko" means "golden light shines." "Kon" comes from the Japanese word meaning "gold." "Ko" means "sunlight." Sunlight provides the world with light. Therefore "Konko" means that the entire world is being blessed by Kami's golden light shining throughout the world.
Basic Beliefs
Kami
We believe in Tenchi Kane No Kami (Kami), the Divine Parent of the Universe. Kami is the spirit that flows throughout the universe and inhabits everything in it.
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Nurturing and sustaining all life, Kami is not a distant or abstract deity, but a presence that is intimately involved and present in all aspects of daily life; including natural phenomena, human relationships, and individual experiences.
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​We are fulfilled through Kami, Kami is fulfilled through us. Kami’s wish is for us to live joyful and purposeful lives by being aware of and working together with Kami.
Heaven and Earth
continue to live.
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Because Heaven and Earth are alive, all people are able to live.
Voice of the Universe #2
Tenchi Kane No Kami's body is Tenchi, the Universe.
Kami does not dwell in a shrine.
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Kami dwells in a truly sincere heart and you will be able to receive blessings.
Voice of the Universe #9
... Since long ago, it has been said that Heaven is father and Earth is mother.
... Kami is the parent of all people. Those who practice Faith will meet their immortal parents and will keep receiving divine blessings.
Voice of the Universe #45
What is Faith?
"Faith" is the sincere belief in the teachings and way of life as revealed by Konko Daijin, the founder of the Konko Faith.
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It is acknowledging the spirit of Kami within us and the workings of Kami. It is deepening our connection, acceptance, and appreciation of Kami.
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Actively engaging in faith practice allows us to see the bigger picture, as our trust and confidence builds step by step with each encounter, experience, and resulting blessings for ourselves and others. This leads to a spiritually fulfilling life.
Faith is realized when
people and Kami become close.
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Faith will fade
if you stand in fear of Kami.
Stay close to Kami.
Voice of the Universe #96
Practice faith (shinjin).
Shin means your heart,
and jin means Kami.
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Practicing faith means you
direct your heart toward Kami.
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Though you are surrounded by divine virtue, you won't receive blessings unless you have faith.
Voice of the Universe #93
Your lifetime
is a training period of faith
Faith is
to polish the gem in your heart.
Those who follow the true faith, should put aside their physical eyes and open their spiritual ones.
Voice of the Universe #101, #105, #107
Faith Practice
The essence of the Konko Faith practice was revealed in the
Tenchi Kakitsuke or Divine Reminder:
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Ikigami Konko Daijin
TENCHI KANE NO KAMI
Pray sincerely with all your heart.
Be one with Kami.
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Kami’s blessings begin within
hearts grateful and caring,
in harmony and joy.
Look to Kami always,
now and forever.
On this very day pray.
This teaches us that faith is cultivated through everyday life activities; doing everything with Kami’s support. It involves acknowledging and expressing gratitude to Kami for blessings, and requesting help. Through prayer, reflecting upon teachings, seeking Sacred Mediation, and attending services, we work to better understand and stay aligned with Kami.
In Konko, although rituals and rites may help focus our faith, the heart with which we pray and our words and actions on a daily basis, are more important. By cultivating a deep and sincere relationship with Kami, we can come to see and feel the connection to all things, deepen our sense of purpose, and develop our understanding of the meaning of our lives.
When practicing faith,
do not abandon everything else and immerse yourself in faith obsessively.
Practice faith effortlessly, like eating a bowl of barley gruel [cereal].
If you saw off a tree branch at its joint hastily, the teeth of the saw will break.
Voice of the Universe #212
No matter how grateful you may look when you recite the words of prayers, it is equal to telling lies to Kami unless you do it with sincerity in your heart.
When you worship, you need not clap your hands loudly. Kami can hear even a small sound.
When you pray, you do not have to do it loudly or in a peculiar intonation. Pray as you would talk to people.​
Voice of the Universe #169
When practicing faith, there are more blessings which cannot be seen than those which can be seen.
The blessings you unknowingly receive number more than the blessings you knowingly receive.
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If you think about it, you will come to realize the many divine blessings that you have received.
If you can do this,
you are a true believer.
Voice of the Universe #130
Sacred Mediation
Sacred Mediation "Toritsugi" is a spiritual practice by which an individual works to develop a communication link with Kami through a minister. The minister acts as a mediator to assist the individual to express gratitude, understand the Ways of the Universe, and help form a stronger, deeper connection to Kami.
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This often begins when an individual enters the church, sits in front of the minister, and says whatever is on their mind. It can be a request to resolve a problem, get burdens off their chest, apologize for shortcomings in their faith, or give a word of thanks. The minister will listen, relay, and reinforce the visitor's words to Kami. The minister and the individual pray and work together to receive divine guidance from Kami.
The original term “Toritsugi” means “to pass on (a message), relay.” Therefore, the purpose of Sacred Mediation is for Kami’s wishes to reach people, and for people's wishes to reach Kami. The minister becomes a conduit or mediator between the individual and Kami.
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(When distance or schedules make in-person Sacred Mediation difficult, ministers today are often available via email, video conferencing, phone, text, and other means.)
In Konko Daijin's way of faith,
you are saved not through chanting prayers, but through
listening to the teachings.
Voice of the Universe #160
I don't tell people
to come to worship.
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But those who do, end up
receiving more of Kami's virtue.
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For example, learning under a teacher or from a school for a long time brings much knowledge.
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Those who come to worship often and listen to Konko Daijin's teachings receive more wisdom...
Voice of the Universe #151
No matter how well‑educated or how smart you are, merely having knowledge about the faith of Kami is not enough.
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You cannot receive Kami's virtue unless the teachings of the faith are deeply absorbed into your heart and your faith is expressed in your life.
Voice of the Universe #164
Afterlife
Many people are skeptical of what happens to a person after death. Yet most people cannot deny that after loved ones pass away, sometimes they can still feel their presence. They do not leave us. They reside within the universe and in our hearts, and like thoughts, do not “take up space” but are there whenever we think of them.
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Everyone receives a body and part of the spirit of Kami. Everything that makes up our physical form begins in the earth, and then returns to the earth. The part of our spirit that we receive from Kami is eternal and will return to Kami when our physical form is no more. Whether in our physical or spiritual form, the universe is our eternal home.
From Tenchi Kane No Kami, people receive a body and
a part of Kami's soul [spirit].
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They are able to live
by eating the foods bestowed
by Heaven and Earth...
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Whether you are living or dead, Heaven and Earth
will always be your home.
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Be enlightened that,
whether you are living or dead, you are under the care
of the Universe.
Voice of the Universe #45, #55
Konko Daijin asked Kami, "What is death like?"
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Kami responded,
Death is like a deep sleep, do not fear it."
Voice of the Universe #66
Because humans are born through the blessings of Kami, they must also die with the blessings of Kami.
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Therefore, if a child's birth is a happy event, then death is a much happier event since one becomes a kami.
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The reason why death is so abhorred is because people have not yet developed enough peace of mind to accept death.
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Practice faith, so that you will be blessed with peace of mind.