Shinto: An ancient and continuous way of life in Japan

Shinto was mentioned a little in my previous article on spirituality, but I would like to delve a little deeper.

Shinto is said to be Japan’s ancient religion and the only spiritual culture in the world that is unique to Japan. Its contents are so diverse that even among Shinto priests there are differences of opinion in interpretation.

Therefore, in this article, I will try to summarize the contents of “way of life,” “aesthetics,” and “Saishi” from the perspective of the wisdom of living a peaceful life in harmony with nature.

Way of Life

Awe, Gratitude, and Prayer for Nature

The starting point of how to develop spirituality was to embrace awe in one’s thought life. And the original Japanese had a sense of awe toward nature.

They were in awe of nature because while it causes disasters like floods or landslides, it also provides us with blessings. Overwhelmed by the power of nature, they felt “Kami”, which is something great in the universe, and respected it, and they gratefully accepted and appreciated nature’s blessings.

This reverence for nature has also led people to cultivate the power of observation, which enables them to be sensitive to unusual changes in nature.

Today, most people pray for worldly benefits to fulfill their personal desires, such as to ward off bad luck, pass entrance examinations, and prosper in business.

However, originally, the proper way to pray was to first give thanks to “Kami” and pray for the safety of society, family, and even the nation, rather than praying for one’s own desires.

This would have created the base for an altruistic sense of mind rather than a selfish sense of self-interest.

Sense of not living, but being kept alive

Shinto has the view that each person is kept alive by nature, rather than feeling that he lives by his own efforts.

This is because it is believed that people live in solidarity with all living creatures on earth, each living within a natural ecosystem and life chain.

The spirit of “co-existence and co-prosperity,” in which all living things flourish together, is the reason why the Chinju-no-mori forest is full of life.

Philosophy of co-existence, co-prosperity, and harmony

Chinju-no-mori is formed by planting a variety of trees, mainly evergreen trees like broad-leaved trees, around a shrine.

This eventually formed a rich forest, which became “a place of exchange for the Japanese people since the Jomon period, which is approximately 15,000 to 23,000 years ago” in harmony with nature through the worship of the gods.

The principle of coexistence and co-prosperity is in the Chinju-no-mori, and it is no exaggeration to call it a symbol of biodiversity, of which Japan is proud.

Naka-ima (Here and Now)

In Shinto, the spirit of “live in the present moment to the fullest” is of great importance. The idea of valuing the present moment and focusing on the here and now is called “Naka-ima”. It is like the “zone” in sports.

Generally speaking, the time axis is considered to flow from the past to the present to the future, but in Shinto, it is believed that the present is eternal, and that the past and future are folded into the present.

Nothing is more futile than regret for the past and anxiety about the future. There is nothing we can do about it. In this respect, the spirit of Shinto, which focuses on the present moment, may be said to be the wisdom of living in peace and enjoying the present.

Aesthetics

Spirit of ”Misogi（禊ぎ）”

Japanese people like to be clean or pure because of their spirituality of using water to become clean, the so-called “Misogi” culture.

Ancient Japanese believed that the first step in approaching “Kami” was to be clean. This is a uniquely Japanese way of thinking, as an abundance of water exists thanks to the abundance of forests.

Purification at a shrine’s hand-watering basin or “Oshibori” offered at Japanese restaurants is actually a simple form of Misogi.

“Misogi” is said to derive from the word for ”purifying one’s body”. The “principle of purification” is at work here, to get rid of practical dirt.

Because of the spirit of “Misogi”, since ancient times Japanese people have believed that if they cleaned the toilet as hard as they could, they would be blessed with good fortune. It is likely that “Kami” were thought to dwell in clean places and clean bodies and minds.

In recent years, it is said that the number of Japanese who cannot tidy up has been increasing. It is necessary not only to perform purification as a Shinto ritual, but also to perform practical purification such as cleaning and tidying up the room first.

Spirits of ”Harai（祓い）”

If “Misogi” is based on the principle of purification, “Harai” is based on the principle of substitution.

“Harai” is expected to have the effect of counteracting what has actually happened by offering something alternative. The substitute may be salt or “Onusa”, which are streamers made of linen or paper.

As the saying goes, “It never rains but it pours.” sometimes a misfortune brings on a misfortune, and sometimes a chain of misfortune follows. At such times, “Harai” is performed.

“Harai” is performed with the concept of correcting what has become crooked, or in other words, what has gone wrong. It is not only to fix them, but also to transform them into a driving force for something good.

The ritual of “Harai” at shrine is a “reversal” of the Japanese way of thinking that turns unhappiness into happiness, and it can also be said to be the “art of living” of the Japanese people that leads to a fresh start, revival, and rebirth.

The ritual of “Harai” is the wisdom of the Japanese to regenerate and revive spirituality damaged by calamities and evil events.

However, it is not enough to think that one’s sins and defilements can be vanquished by “Harai”, but it is important to first maintain one’s own moderation as a human being and to cast away the mind that covets anything and everything.

The ultimate purpose of “Harai” is for people to know the will of “Kami”, to pray that the world as a whole will move in the right direction, and to consider and practice it as a part of their own lives.

Saishi（祭祀）

Saishi (祭祀) refers to a festival. “祭” and “祀” are read as “Matsuri”, which means a festival in English.

When we hear the word “Matsuri,” we think of Bon dances and eating frankfurters, but the original purpose of Matsuri is to pray to, report to, and thank “Kami”, based on spiritual exchange between “Kami” and people.

In ancient times, the belief that the “Kami” resided in mountains and huge rocks, which are called “Kannabi” and “Iwakura”, led to the use of these places as places for rituals.

In Japan, a great number of rituals are performed. Here, however, I would like to focus on home and village festivals from the viewpoint of daily life.

Home Festivals

The festivals of each household can be included in the scope of festivals. On March 3 (Peach Festival), May 5 (Iris Festival), and July 7 (Sasa Festival), offerings of Hishi-mochi, Kashiwa-mochi, Somen noodles, etc. are made.

As the phrase “respect the ”Kami” and revere ancestors” suggests, a “Kami-dana” is generally placed in the living room of a house and a “Butsudan” in another room, where thanks and prayers to the “Kami” and offerings to ancestors are performed.

While it is good to visit famous shrines, it is also said that doing these things on a daily basis will lead to good fortune.

In daily life, the most important deity is the “Kami of Kamado” or “Kami of Fire”, which in modern times is enshrined in the kitchen. Although there are rituals such as purification of the kiln, it is important to keep the kitchen clean first.

“Kami of Kamado or Fire” is considered the “Kami” of food and agriculture because he governs fire and the kitchen. He is an essential deity for farmers.

Village Festivals

A traditional Japanese village consists of mountains, rivers, rice paddies, rows of houses, and shrines.

In many cases, the mountain behind the village is the object of worship, and the shrine enshrined on the mountain is called “Yamamiya” or “Okumiya”. Shrines enshrined in the village are called “Satomiya”, and those enshrining the deity of rice paddies are called “Tamiya”.

The purpose of village festivals is to offer offerings and perform services to the deities that have descended from the mountain shrine to the “Satomiya”. Shinto rituals and performing arts, such as Kagura (Shinto music and dance), are sometimes dedicated to “Kami”.

This vertical axis of Yamamiya-Satomiya-Tamiya was thought to represent the flow of water necessary for rice cultivation, as well as the way for “Kami” of the mountains and rice paddies to come and go, and the way for the ancestral spirits to come and go.

At the End

The basis of Shinto is to feel reverence for nature, to gratefully accept nature’s blessings, and to be grateful for them.

In the past, Japanese people worshipped nature as “Kami”, and the cycle of “prayer – thanksgiving – resurrection” was perpetually repeated in the annual rituals of agriculture. In between thanksgiving and resurrection, they spent time waiting with “modesty” and purifying through fasting and abstinence.

In Shinto, sensitivity to the “invisible” is important. It is said that although we have become materially rich today, our minds have become poorer. In order to live peacefully in these times, it is not a bad idea to incorporate the Shinto way of thinking into our daily lives.

Let us start by enshrining a “Kami-dana” and making offerings to our ancestors.