When a certain level of spiritual foundation is established, and one begins to perceive or sense the auras of others, hear the voices of others' hearts, guardian spirits, or the will of the higher self, they often become noticed by the deities of the Japanese pantheon. This can become a pitfall in spiritual growth.

The deities of the Japanese pantheon do not have physical bodies themselves, so they seek "servants" who can convey their will and actually take action.

While the deities are certainly spiritually advanced, and would be considered "awakened" by today's standards, with a certain degree of enlightenment, they are not necessarily at the ultimate stage of enlightenment.

I hesitate to say this because some deities might be offended, but my feeling is that deities who have attained the ultimate stage of enlightenment are rare.

I know that saying this might make people think, "What are you talking about?" but deities are, in essence, similar to people of high virtue. Whether one considers them "enlightened" depends on the definition of enlightenment, and whether they possess the human equivalent of the ultimate stage of enlightenment.

There are many deities who are like people of high virtue.

The Japanese pantheon is particularly like this. The so-called "deity realm" (＝Japanese pantheon) in the afterlife is, in a sense, the same as the well-bred families and traditional communities that exist in Japan today. Many people are reincarnated from the Japanese pantheon into Japan, so the atmosphere is similar.

While there are other people living in Japan, the atmosphere of the Japanese pantheon is that of traditional Japanese communities.

There are people living in that realm, or rather, people who have passed away but exist as consciousness, souls, or spirits.

It is not a scary world, but rather quite similar to the earthly realm. Everyone lives happily together, and since there are no financial constraints, they live with people who share their interests and are always smiling.

However, if one's spiritual sensitivity develops to a certain extent, they may become noticed by such entities.

Then, contact is made by these so-called "deities," and one may be instructed to perform special rituals or receive messages, leading them to become elated and mistakenly believe, "I have finally reached this level."

Without being born with innate knowledge, how does one determine whether the entity that has contacted them is truly a deity? Even if one perceives a good vibration, it may just be a facade. If one cannot discern this, they should not perform rituals. Even if one discerns that it is a genuine deity, it could still be a deception. Entities that are invisible are much more skilled.

This is a crucial turning point in spiritual practice.

If one becomes attached to these so-called "deities," they are often "disposable" to the deities. They may be asked to perform rituals or deliver messages, and while things may be good initially, the deities will abandon them if their ego grows, they become tired from the aftereffects of the rituals, or they are unable to cope with entities that interfere with the rituals. One occasionally sees individuals who have been used and discarded by deities, or who are endlessly manipulated to fulfill the desires of entities that claim to be deities.

The deities of the Japanese pantheon are very powerful, and even guardian spirits may be intimidated by them. As a result, they may be used at the whim of the deities of the Japanese pantheon.

Of course, if a person feels that is what they want to do, they are free to do as they please. However, it is concerning to see so many people being used and discarded by the deities of Japan.

I personally believe that it is better to aim for a higher state of enlightenment rather than getting involved in such things.

As is often said in spiritual circles, one connects with entities that have a similar vibration. Connecting with the deities of Japan is a sign that one's spiritual level has grown to a certain extent, which is a good thing. However, it is important to remember that the deities of Japan are not necessarily at the highest level, but rather are like people of high virtue.

There are various levels of growth among people, so some people are born with a predetermined limit for this lifetime. Some people may choose to interact with Japanese deities who can be educational for their current stage of growth, and that is their choice.

However, if someone who seeks a certain level of enlightenment in this lifetime, and who actually possesses the potential for it, interacts with Japanese deities, specifically those considered "high-ranking" in the Japanese divine realm, it can lead to stagnation.

Japanese deities are very powerful, and their words are masculine, and even female deities possess energy, beauty, and strength. It's understandable that someone might be overjoyed to be contacted by a Japanese deity and asked for something.

There are entities that pretend to be deities, but there are also true deities. Regardless, what appears will be related to one's spiritual level.

It's best to avoid interacting with such entities. That's the basic principle.

When we talk about "deities," it sounds like a special entity, but they are like other people. There are good friends, not-so-good friends, and people you only interact with when necessary.

It's the same as interacting with a high-ranking person.

Therefore, for one's spiritual growth, it's probably best to avoid excessive interaction with such people and to refrain from listening to their requests or performing rituals for them.

The Yoga Sutras, a text on yoga, mentions that as a yogi approaches enlightenment, deities may approach and tempt them, and they should resist. I believe this is true.

Of course, "resist" can be taken too far. Sometimes, just like interacting with acquaintances, it's okay to interact with deities. However, it's not necessary to automatically agree to everything just because they are Japanese deities. While it's natural to feel like you want to fulfill their requests because they are high-ranking beings, it should be done with moderation, just like fulfilling requests from friends or high-ranking people in reality. It's not about doing everything a Japanese deity tells you to do.

Whether or not one can overcome this is a major turning point in spiritual growth.

If you're unsure, ask your guardian spirit. That's the basic principle, and it's also okay to listen to your higher self. A more direct way to know is through astral projection.

Even in such cases, it's best not to take rituals lightly. However, people who are contacted by deities and act on it are often confident, believing they are doing the right thing. So, even if you tell them otherwise, it might be useless. There are indeed correct rituals, but there are also rituals that are not.

If you're unsure, it's best not to do it. At the same time, if you hesitate, you should probably do it. There are times when hesitation leads to inaction and failure, and there are times when hesitation leads to action and success. It's difficult to express in words, but eventually, you will understand what is right.

At first, you may not know what is right. But as you learn what is right, you will gradually have less interaction with deities and become less relied upon. This is because there are many people in the world who are easier to control.

Furthermore, when contributing to society through rituals, people often have a conscious awareness of it from birth. There is a vast difference between those who are naturally aware of spirituality from the beginning and those who are contacted by entities claiming to be Japanese deities after some spiritual growth and become overjoyed.

Recently, there is a shortage of personnel, so it may be necessary to use such people. However, the basic principle is as written above, so it's better to avoid interacting with Japanese deities. However, when someone actually contacts you, they may seem incredibly attractive, so even if I say this, it may be useless.

Japanese deities are like "kami-narioya," with a strong presence, which is different from the typical image of a deity. If someone feels uncomfortable with that, they can simply reject it.

It is not uncommon for deities from the Japanese pantheon to contact spiritual organizations, completely changing the atmosphere or altering the teachings.

This is one of the crises in the spiritual world.