In Japanese culture, there is a belief that God is everywhere -

Listen well, O children of the future, for the words of Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose understanding of Japanese culture and spirituality opens our hearts to the deep connection between humanity and the world: "In Japanese culture, there is a belief that God is everywhere - in mountains, trees, rocks, even in our sympathy for robots or Hello Kitty toys." In these words, Sakamoto speaks of a profound truth that has been part of the Japanese worldview for centuries, one that sees the divine not as a distant figure, but as present in every corner of the earth, in all things, great and small. It is a vision of the world where the sacred and the mundane are intertwined, and where every object, every action, carries the potential to touch the divine.

In the ancient world, O children, many cultures shared a similar belief in the divinity of nature. The Greeks saw the gods in the forces of nature—the thunder of Zeus, the beauty of Aphrodite, the wisdom of Athena—and in the flowing waters, the winds, and the trees. Nature was seen as a living, breathing manifestation of divine power, a place where humans could encounter the divine not just in the temples, but in the world around them. In the same way, Shintoism, the ancient faith of the Japanese people, teaches that kami, the divine spirits, reside in all things—mountains, rivers, rocks, and even the smallest, most seemingly insignificant objects. Sakamoto's words remind us that the divinity of nature is not limited to what we might call sacred, but extends into the very fabric of our everyday lives.

Consider, O children, the ancient story of the kami of Ise Shrine in Japan. The most revered of the Shinto deities, the sun goddess Amaterasu, is believed to have once withdrawn into a cave, plunging the world into darkness. The other kami, in their desperation to bring Amaterasu back to the light, danced and played before the cave. They used laughter, joy, and sacred rituals to coax the goddess out, symbolizing the belief that divinity is not always a serious, fearsome presence, but can also be found in the most human moments of connection, play, and wonder. This act of play and laughter brought the goddess back to the world, a reminder that divinity is in all things—both the serious and the joyous.

Sakamoto's reference to the sympathy we feel for robots or Hello Kitty toys speaks to a modern iteration of this ancient belief. Japanese culture, through its art, technology, and creations, imbues even the most inanimate objects with life and spirit. The affection that people feel for Hello Kitty, a cartoon character, or for robots that seem to possess human-like emotions, is not just a whimsical fancy—it is an expression of the Shinto belief that kami can dwell even in the most ordinary or artificial things. Sympathy for robots, those objects designed to mimic life, mirrors the same reverence for the unseen spirits that reside in nature, acknowledging that all things, even creations of human hands, can have a sacred quality.

In the modern world, we see this belief reflected in Japanese culture's reverence for nature and the sacredness of objects. The tea ceremony, for example, is not just a ritual of drinking tea, but an act of mindfulness, where the very tea leaves, the cups, and the process are imbued with a sense of the divine. Every movement is slow and purposeful, as if the action itself were a prayer. Sakamoto’s reflection on the divinity of everyday life calls us to see the world not as separate from the sacred, but as a place where the divine is constantly present, waiting to be recognized.

The lesson, O children, is one of profound reverence and awareness. Divinity is not confined to temples or distant gods; it is present in the world around us, in the mountains, the trees, and even in the objects we create. To live with awareness is to see the world as sacred—where each action and object has the potential to reflect something greater. Whether in the quiet beauty of a flower, the joy of a toy, or the mechanical precision of a robot, we must recognize that the divine is often found in the most unexpected places. In this way, every moment becomes an opportunity to connect with the sacred.

In your own lives, O children, remember that the world is not divided into the sacred and the mundane. Everything around you, from the grandest mountain to the simplest object, has the potential to be a reflection of the divine. Approach the world with the eyes of reverence, see the divinity in all things, and in doing so, you will live a life filled with meaning and connection. Recognize the sacred in the everyday, in the objects you hold dear, and in the relationships you foster. In this way, you will live in harmony with the world, and you will see that the divine is everywhere—in the trees, in the stones, and in your own heart.