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Divine Revelation and Enlightenment: Morihei Ueshiba’s Vision for Aikido
In the realm of Aikido, the founder Morihei Ueshiba embarked on a transformative journey, guided by profound divine revelations that bestowed upon him a sacred mission to manifest harmony and purification in a world fraught with turbulence. According to legend, Ueshiba received numerous Shinji 神示 (divine revelations) throughout his life. One significant revelation occurred on December 14, 1940, which coincided with Ueshiba’s birthday. At 2:00 AM that day, Ueshiba performed a one-hour Suigyo ritual, a water purification ceremony. During this ritual, he prayed for the descent of deities (kami) associated with Aikido, resulting in the arrival of 43 guardian deities. The first to descend was Sarutahiko-Okami 猿多毘古大神, followed by others,…