From Many One Voice. Unlike other world religions, there is no single defining leader or founder of Adonaikido. Ultimately, Adonai, the Almighty, is the great teacher (Sensei or Rabbi) and founder of Adonaikido. However, one goal of the Adonaikido practitioner is to become the essential living embodiment of various spiritual leaders. The practitioner of Adonaikido attempts to simultaneously emulate the beneficial life qualities of the world’s great spiritual leaders and activists. Among them are the following (listed in random order):
- The Baal Shem Tov – The Founder of Hasidic Judaism
- Morihei Ueshiba – The Founder of Aikido (see photo above right)
- Buddha
- “Gandhi” (Mohandas K. Gandhi)
- His Holiness The Dalai Lama
- Mother Theresa
- Nelson Mandela
- Saint Francis of Assisi
- Muhammad
- Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Malcolm X
- Spike Lee
- Ralph Nader
- Nicholas Johnson
- Steve Jobs
- Dennis Kucinich
- Yulia Tymoshenko – Considered to be one of the most powerful women in the world and rated by Forbes in 2005 as the third most powerful woman in the world.
- Oprah Winfrey – Considered to be one of the most powerful women in the world.
- Melinda Gates
- Indra Nooyi
- Yoda (the fictitious character)
- Jesus – A first century Jewish Rabbi, Reformer, Social Activist, wood worker, and Evangelist who was highly influential in the life of “Paul” the Founder of modern-day Christianity. Some consider Jesus to be the Messiah, or Son of G-d, or actually G-d pretending to be a Jewish Rabbi. For more information, visit Jesus for Judaism.
- Biblical Leaders and Prophets such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Josiah, Solomon, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Noah, Esther, Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Miriam, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Leah, and Rebekah.
- Various animals, plants, and other inanimate objects are also considered to be spiritual teachers such as: fish, birds, trees, grass, ants, rivers, ocean, wind, clouds, rain, light, earth, etc. Basically any life form or object that one can learn from is a teacher. So, from the greatest spiritual leaders, to the seemingly insignificant aspects of nature, all provide a source of wisdom.