Article
1
The
Flower of Life Symbol in Japan
Report by Lyssa
Royal Holt
In
July 1998 I completed my eighth year of conducting seminars
and private consultations in Japan. Each year my Japanese
friends take me to sacred power spots that they feel guided
to visit. I have traveled from the southern tip of Japan
(the Hiroshima area) to the northern tip of Aomori and so
much in between.
This year my interpreter, Ms. Kazumi Hoshina, took twelve
friends including myself to Kamakura - a well known tourist
spot because of its huge statue of Buddha and many temples
and shrines. Instead of visiting these tourist areas, we
went to some lesser known Buddhist temples that Kazumi felt
were ancient ceremonial sites of significance. She has an
uncanny Higher Self that continuously tells her exact locations
to visit which later prove to be intense power spots that
profoundly affect those of us who visit.
Our first stop was Goryo-Jinja, a Buddhist temple away from
the throngs of tourists in Kamakura. As we ascended the
steep steps to the temple at the top of the hill, I wondered
what exciting adventures and discoveries we would have that
day. Upon walking around the grounds of the temple, it seemed
at first to be typical of the many thousands of temples
in Japan - impeccable architecture that evokes a deep sense
of spirituality and reverence. The Buddhist priest was performing
a ceremony for a newborn child and his family. Other than
that, we were the only ones present.
Kazumi asked us to walk around, feel the energy, and use
our intuitive perceptions to access any esoteric information
about this site. My guides directed me to a certain spot
near some lion statues. As I stood there, my guides told
me that this was an ancient ceremonial site of ascension
well before the Buddhist temple was built. It took a moment
to realize what I was staring at as my guides were telling
me this. There, under the paw of the mythological lion figure,
was the Flower of Life sphere! [The photo accompanying this
article was taken in July 1998 at Goryo-Jinja. Though the
vesica pisces and petals of the flower are obvious in person,
it is difficult to see clearly in the photo.]
For those of you not familiar with the Flower of Life, it
is a sacred geometric template that contains the blueprint
for all other geometrical forms and thus for consciousness
itself. In ancient times (most specifically in Egyptian
mystery schools) initiates learned sacred geometry as a
path to spiritual awakening and the Flower of Life symbol
was known to be among the most sacred because of what it
represents -- the unity of all consciousness and life within
the universe.
My husband Ron Holt (Director of the Flower of Life Research
Organization) and I enjoy traveling the world looking for
the Flower of Life symbol in temples. Other than in Egypt
we have thus far found no temples with this sacred symbol.
However, there it was in front of my eyes...in a location
my guides had told me moments before was an ancient ceremonial
site of ascension.
Excitedly, I relayed this to Kazumi and she translated it
into Japanese for the group. When she did, an amazing thing
happened. I said the words, "This was an ancient ceremonial
site of ascension and the Flower of Life symbol is frequently
found in these sites." As soon as I completed the sentence,
the temple priest suddenly began playing the ceremonial
drum in a perfectly timed gesture that gave each of us goosebumps.
Once we understood the importance of that statement, the
priest stopped playing the drum. It was one of those synchronistic
experiences that are difficult to explain, but powerful
to experience.
Later that day we made a visit to Hokoku-ji, commonly referred
to as Take-dera ("Bamboo Temple"). This temple
sits on the grounds of an amazingly pristine bamboo forest.
The bamboo trees have an average width of about 6-8 inches
each and are perhaps 50 feet high at a minimum. This place
was an old Zen Buddhist temple from the 14th century. As
you walk into the bamboo forest, a tea house sits amidst
the trees and serves traditional green tea. Visitors sit
staring out at the trees in hushed silence. The beauty of
this spot is nearly impossible to describe.
As Kazumi and I sat drinking our green tea, I heard a male
voice loudly to my right (in perfect American English) say,
"Flower of Life." I quickly looked to my right
but there were only three Japanese tourists seated there.
They were all speaking Japanese quietly or sitting in silent
contemplation. Thinking I must have imagined it, I shrugged
it off. However, a few minutes later my curiosity got the
better of me. I told Kazumi what had happened. She looked
incredulous. She said she heard the same thing, only she
heard a female voice rather than the male one I had heard.
Since this was "impossible," we realized that
perhaps the experience at Goryo-Jinja earlier was one that
had a deeper significance than we realized.
Perhaps as we begin to remember more and more of our spiritual
heritage on Earth and begin to embrace our connections to
all life, the Flower of Life information as taught to the
ancients will begin to resurface in sacred sites all over
the world. This experience still remains a mystery but seems
to be a piece of an even greater puzzle. It is very possible
that even today's Flower of Life initiates do not yet realize
the significance of the information that they have learned.
Only time will tell.
Article
and photo by Lyssa Royal Holt, Education Director for Flower
of Life Research
Article
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Flower
of Life and the Mysteries of Ancient Japan
by Kara Yamaguchi
I first
became conscious of the Flower of Life symbol through the
work of Drunvalo Melchizedek in early 2001 and was immediately
magnetized by its mysterious message. As with all "accidents"
on our spiritual path, the synchronicity which followed
my first encounter with the symbol confirmed the need for
me to pursue my interest with firm intent! I was delighted
to discover the article by Lyssa Royal about the Flower
of Life symbol in Japan where I currently reside, and I
became almost driven to explore whether or not other sacred
sites in Japan would also reveal a connection to the symbol.
One
morning after a lively discussion on the phone about the
Flower of Life, I decided to take a break from Tokyo and
head out to a place called Nikko, one of my favorite places
to re-energize and connect with the energy of ancient Japan.
Nikko's mountains and ancient forests have been honored
since 782 and it stands today as an important reminder of
Japan's dynamic past and spiritual traditions.
Over
the years I have had numerous opportunities to visit Nikko,
so you can imagine my surprise that morning to find the
Flower of Life symbol almost jumping out at me from the
awnings of Nikko's most famous shrine, Toshogu. I am not
quite sure how I had failed to see it up to that moment!
As you can see from the photos the symbol is not featured
as a specific design in itself, but has been used almost
as a background design to enhance other symbols. What surprised
me the most was the more I looked around in the shrine grounds,
the more I found the symbol either in its original form
or used in a more stylized version. It was so exciting to
find more evidence of the Flower of Life in Japan and I
wondered who [used it] and why the symbol had been used.
Unfortunately my inquiries to one of the priests at the
shrine did not yield any clues or insights.
The
grounds of Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. FOL symbol was found
here
(near red circle) among other locations.
After
this initial discovery, I then started to look EVERYWHERE
for the Flower of Life while visiting sacred areas in Japan,
and while I have found other stylized versions, Nikko remains
unsurpassed in terms of authenticity so far. I am also unable
at this stage to identify any particular connections of
the symbol to either Japanese Shintoism or Buddhism, Japan's
two prominent religions. The only connection I have sensed
intuitively is a feeling that Ancient Egypt and the ancient
world in Japan share some kind of direct connection. The
use of gold and vibrant colors in Japanese art, combined
with the architectural styles and overall exquisite sense
of beauty, has prompted my thoughts of a possible connection
with Egypt on many occasions. Maybe someone can confirm
this connection for me.
Some
of the stylized FOL patterns used as backgrounds, in gold.
From Toshogu Shrine in Nikko
For
anyone on their spiritual path, Japan offers many opportunities
to connect with the invisible world and allow us to sense
our ancient past. I myself am only just beginning to see
how rich the mystery of Japan still lingers at sites remaining
from ancient times, whispering a promise of Japan's spiritual
reawakening as she labors through her modern-day crisis.
The spirit of Japan today feels restless and fragile, as
she struggles to find an identity again and rebalance the
staggering toll that has been exacted on the environment
after years of economic expansion.
FOL
pattern (though hard to see) is found as a background on
the metal of this lantern. The more common "FOL sphere"
is seen under the lion's paw. The lantern photo was taken
in Kyoto, at Mt. Kurama, a well-known power spot in Japan
connected to Sanat Kumara. This power spot is widely known
to be the place where Reiki was channeled. The photo on
the right was taken at Enoshima, Kamakura.
In
the tranquil sacred forests of Japan's mountains, you can
still FEEL an ever present energy however, as ancient as
the giant trees that stand majestic and silent, hopefully
awaiting an age where Japan's spirit will soar once more!
Article
and photos by Kara Yamaguchi, Tokyo, Japan.
If you travel around the world and encounter
a Flower of Life symbol, please send a photo along with
a written account of your experience to:
Flower
of Life Research
13416 N. 32nd Street, Suite 111
Phoenix, Arizona
85032
If
it is appropriate and with your permission, it will
be published on this web site.
Send an email of your experience to:
merkaba@floweroflife.org
The article by Lyssa Royal is a reprint of the original
one on Lyssa's
web site at http://www.royalpriest.com |
