2023年11月9日から11月17日で、阿蘇、宮崎を経て、京都に至るKUNIリトリートを開催いたしました。共催団体として一般社団法人KOTOWARIはプログラム企画と当日運営を担当し、運営スタッフ兼参加者として学生たちもリトリートの一部に参加しました。

https://kuniretreat.com/

KUNI リトリートは「KUNI (クニ)」という日本古来の精神を柱として、世界各地から集う参加者たちが、次世代の共同体の原型となる物語を紡ぎ出していくことを目指しています。アメリカを中心とした海外からは、先住民族の長老、先駆的なビジネスの経営者、慈善家、哲学者、社会起業家、環境活動家などが参加し、日本の変革者たちと共に、人類史の迎えているこの特別な時代に進むべき道を探求していきました。

リトリートは、人類と自然との古くから続く関係性の物語をたどる旅路となりました。この物語の中心である「クニ」という精神は、土地と人間の本質的な相互関係を示し、古代の叡智を守ることと現代的な課題を受け入れることの両立を目指していくものです。

リトリートの旅路は、生命と自然の深く根源的なつながりを象徴する阿蘇の火山帯からはじまりました。宮崎に移った後、このつながりは神話と集合意識の織りなす世界に発展していき、土地はただの風景から積極的な語り部へと変貌を遂げていきます。京都では、土地に対する古代の畏敬の念と現代的な社会形態が融合し、私たちと世界との関係に対する新たな理解と認識を育み、未来のための創造へとつながっていくものとなりました。

KUNI Retreat Reflection Note 

As organizers of the KUNI Retreat, we witnessed a profound unfolding of spiritual awakening and primordial connection, a journey that transcended the boundaries of time and space, deeply rooted in the essence of Japan yet extending to a space where diverse streams merge into the wider ocean.

We are deeply moved by the sentiments shared by many participants – the prophetic nature of gatherings like ours for the times that lie ahead. While what is emerging from the KUNI Retreat remains a beautiful mystery, we sense a profound flow connected to the undercurrent of the source. Our pilgrimage itself symbolized the freedom to overcome the limitations of not knowing, the fear of not having, and the doubt of not receiving. It has been a journey of deep reconnection of souls, guided by the wisdom of the ceremony and the shared experience of our community.

Guided and Embraced by the Land’s Wisdom:

The pilgrimage began with a collective attunement to the subtle yet powerful messages emanating from the land of Japan. Surrounded by rice fields and mountains in Aso, we encountered the beauty of simplicity in communion, revealing that profound truths and spiritual connections do not always require grand buildings or systems. This was a journey into the indigenous world of Japan, or elsewhere for that matter, a world that is generously open to everyone, irrespective of their origin.

 
Throughout the retreat, we engaged in sacred practices of patience and reception – a manifestation of the revered concept of sacred hospitality. We partook in age-old prayers and rituals, echoing the spiritual energies that have been nurtured and hosted in these lands for millennia. Our journey was an ongoing process of returning to the source through diverse portals from different times, moving beyond yet at the same time embracing the millennia-old structures to touch the hidden essence beneath the manifested.

Japan: An Open Hub of Portals to the Source

Throughout the centuries, Japan has nurtured a deep-rooted heritage, a testament to the harmonious blending of primordial animism and universal religions like Buddhism. This unique spiritual and cultural lineage makes Japan more than a nation; it becomes a hub of diverse portals for spiritual connection to the land. During the KUNI Retreat, we explored this aspect of Japan, opening doors for both organizers and participants to experience the profound wisdom and energy these portals offer.

 
We felt that the sacredness of this land is not exclusive to the Japanese people. Anyone, regardless of their origin or previous connection to Japan, can find a part of themselves here. The retreat was an opportunity for participants to explore and form new ties with this land, engaging in practices and rituals that have been preserved and evolved over millennia. The land of Japan invited participants from all corners of the world to partake in this sacred duty, to reconnect with the primal source that nurtures all life, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.

Renewing Traditions and Co-Creating Community:

We embarked on the spiritualization of our inheritance and the co-creation of our community. It was about transcending the past and embracing the inner force that liberates us, fostering a community that is formed through reciprocity and shared experiences. We found that in this act of hosting and being hosted, a new quality emerged – a manifestation of spiritual substance that became tangible through our collective endeavor. This substance, as experienced in the KUNI Retreat, was more than a gathering of individuals; it was a manifestation of a shared socio-spiritual process.

 
Through this process, we recognized that community is not just about being in conversation but about sharing a reality, a domain of consciousness where each individual acknowledges their part in a common task. The retreat highlighted that community can range from the intimacy of a family to the expansiveness of an age, all aiming towards actualizing a universal potential. It was a space where individual self, rooted in intimate knowing, transformed into collective dedication, transcending self-interest and connecting with others on a similar journey.

Breaking of Bread, or Rice Balls of KUNI:

We all acknowledge the challenges of language, economic, and social barriers that create exclusive and divisive spaces. Thanks to all the participants, the retreat became a space where we rose above these barriers, fostering a community that recognizes distinctions but does not allow them to limit our collective human experience. This complexity was addressed by re-imagining how to host others, understanding that freedom of movement and access to shared material, cultural, spiritual resources are fundamental to the spirit of community. This process led to the precipitation of spiritual substance, making the intangible aspects of human life tangible in our shared world. It was like water, a necessary nourishment for the growth and manifestation of our collective potential.

 
The retreat taught us that while individual parts hold potential, it is only through coming together that we create the bonds allowing this potential to materialize into something greater than ourselves. This communion of shared experiences, dreams, and efforts—matsuri—was a vivid illustration of how community—KUNI—in its truest sense, is co-created.