Kotodama (言霊) is a Japanese term meaning ‘word-spirit.’ It refers to the original, divine spirit of a word, before it enters the world of thought waves. The significance of kotodama is that words are alive, and have the power to create. The conscious use of words is central to all of Byakko’s practices and activities.
Masami Saionji has written and spoken about the creative power of words on numerous occasions. In a talk given in 2011, she explained:
In Japan, we have a traditional belief in the divine spirit of words, called ‘kotodama.’ We believe that when human beings first appeared in the universe, we were divine creators who used the sacred power of words to create all sorts of marvelous conditions around us. Sacred words are vibrations issuing directly from the universal divine source-the concentrated energy of absolute love and harmony. Sacred words are the means through which our light-filled hopes and ideals are manifested in this world through the power of divine consciousness.
All human beings are capable of creating a splendid world-a world of perfect radiance and beauty-by using sacred, high-dimensional words. Nowadays, however, most of us have forgotten about the original purpose and power of words. This is because, over the centuries, we somehow fell into the habit of using words in a negative way. Gradually, layers of negative words covered the earth, and people went on creating more and more dark words that gave an unpleasant feeling to others. Without hesitation, they used words that deceived others, words that threatened and attacked, words that slandered, discriminated, and demeaned the value of each other’s existence.
As everyone continued to repeat low-dimensional words again and again, they generated a dark power. In time, this dark power increased more and more, growing millions and billions of times stronger, and giving birth to the unharmonious conditions that appeared throughout the earth’s history…
Now that we have reached the 21st century, we must return to our true human nature, and make correct use of the power of words… It is vitally important for each of us to consciously choose what kinds of energy fields we wish to create with the words we project each day. Praying for peace, thinking bright thoughts, speaking bright words, filling our minds with gratitude-words like these create wondrous energy fields that exert a powerful influence on humanity.
Someday, our short lifespan on Earth will end, and our consciousness will depart from our physical body. When that happens, what will we leave behind us? What traces will remain? Not one of the material possessions we have acquired will last forever. Property, houses, buildings, fame, titles, reputations, good looks, educational degrees-all these will certainly vanish someday. There is just one thing that will live on forever: the creative vibrations of our divine, light-filled words: words of encouragement, words of respect, words of gratitude, words of praise.
During the minutes, days, and years ahead, I hope that each of us will do our best to speak only bright words, overflowing with the power of creation, for the sake of ourselves, the earth, and the universe.
For more on the power of positive words, please see Bright Thinking and Gratitude to Nature
For further reading:
“The Purpose of Words” in Vision for the 21st Century by Masami Saionji
“The Role of Words in the 21st Century” in Living in the 21st Century: An Era of Consciousness Transformation by Masami Saionji
“The Power of Our Sacred Consciousness” by Masami Saionji