THE ORIGIN IS ONE

for Kotama Okada, by Susan Rogers

The dove knows the way

follow her.

Your heart knows the way

listen well.

Within your deepest self

are wings of light.

They cover the earth 

with waves of love.

Do you remember?

You once knew.

Stand in the warmth

of sunlight and recall.

The origin of the world

is one. 

The origin of religions

is one.

The origin of all

humankind is one.

The origin of the universe 

is one.

Circle back.

Imagine the great will

of all things

stirring in your fingers.

Reach out your arms

and open your palms

to the sky.

It is time.

“This poem begins almost every one of my poetry readings. It carries a core of spiritual truth …  in its reference to a fundamental tenet of Sukyo Mahikari taught by its founder Kotama Okada: ‘The origin of the world is one, the origin of religions is one, the origin of all humankind is one, the origin of the universe is one.’ The poem is dedicated to Okada who not only brought this teaching to the world, but dedicated his life to sharing it with others and to being an example of its truth.

As the source of everything is the one Creator who is responsible for the natural world, all human beings and all faiths, we are all inextricably connected not only to each other but to the one world we all share. This sense of oneness and connection is one of my core values. It is deeply seeded in my soul and serves as a guiding principle; it infuses both my life and my art.”

Susan Rogers, Assisi 2023