Statement of Transition

and the concrete come together in the dojo andprovide a key to the doors. The threshold leads to an aug-mented understanding of Aikido and Kabbalah, and forsome, much more.These complexities may have a basis in human nature. Writing about brain science and the biology of belief,Newberg and d’Aquili note “that the root of the ceremonialrites of all human societies, from the most primitive to themost exalted, are an elaboration of the neurobiological needof all living things to escape the limiting boundaries of theself ” (2001, p. 85; see also Torrence, 1994). Mysticism East and WestRobert Bellah (1985), in his study of Japanese reli-gions, notes that traditionalistic religious action of a gener-ally magical type has remained important throughoutJapanese history, despite the dominance of rationalistic religious thought. There seems to be two basic conceptions ofthe divine in Japanese religion. The first is that of a super-natural entity who dispenses nurturance, care, and love.Examples include the Confucian Heaven and Earth, Amidaand other Buddhas, the Shinto deities, as well as local tute-lary deities and ancestors. This category shades off imper-ceptible into political superiors and parents; both of who aretreated as in part, at least, sacred.The second basic conception of the divine is more dif-ficult to explain. Bellah describes it as the ground of being or the inner existence of reality. Examples are the ChineseTao, the neo-Confucian li, often translated as reason, andhsin, heart or mind, (when identified with li); the Buddhistconcept of the Buddha-nature; and the Shinto term kami(in its most philosophical interpretation). Religious actiontoward these entities is the attempt on the part of the communicant to attain some form of union or identity with thisground of being or essence of reality.Apparently seeking a place where he could understandand develop his ideas and his feelings, Morihei was drawn toa sect and its leader who was a mystic. The sect was devot-ed to reforming the world and creating heaven on earth;over time Morihei adopted and adapted this role and outSpecial Topic: Syncretism in Transpersonal Studies 85journal 25 v25 11/16/06 10:18 AM Page 85