A Journey toward Self - Discovery - The Inherent Divinity of Life
A Journey toward
Self - Discovery
The
Inherent Divinity of Life
If you stand in front
of the Whale Memorium you can feel the life of the people for
whom whaling was a way of life. In order to live people in Kumano
have taken the life of other beings, but they have always done so
with an attitude of reverence towards nature and the divinity
inherent in life. Since time immemorial they have known the real
preciousness of life. The gifts of nature were not abused nor
wasted. They received their catches as a gift of the gods to whom
they prayed and showed their deep gratitude. Reverence was paid
to the fish, to the cows, to the trees, and to all that which
sacrificed its existence to sustain the people of Kumano. The
rituals and ceremonies of Kumano demonstrate to us that at one
time the people here understood well the meaning of life and
death. The spark is still alive. Perhaps we can make it into a
flame once more.
