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Shinto is the native religion of Japan. It is deeply rooted in reverence for nature and ancestors. Followers believe in divine spirits called kami that inhabit the sun, mountains, rivers, forests, and islands. People are also worshiped as kami after they die, both ancestors, and those who make great contributions to society. That which inspires a sense of awe in all of us is worshiped as divine in Shinto. The religion has no founder or sacred book and instead lives through traditions and legends.
In the 6th century Japanese Emperor Kimmei received, as part of a mission from the King of Korea, a beautiful gold-plated image of Buddha along with scrolls of scriptures. This was Japan’s introduction to Buddhism, a religion which originated in India and spread to Korea through China.
Shingon and Tendai were the first Buddhist sects. After that came Jodo-shu, Nichiren and Zen.
The Buddhist statues belong to one of four classes based on the role the deity plays: The first class is Nyorai who are fully enlightened souls who have experienced the Truth. Shown in simple robes with no ornaments. The second class is Bosatsu or Bodhisattvas, who are saints who can achieve enlightenment but have stayed back to help others reach salvation. They are typically in a standing position with jeweled crowns, ornaments and luxurious clothes. The third class is Myo-o, deities who protect people from passions and defeat evil with force. They are of Hindu origin and are typically shown holding weapons, their faces in a frightful expression. Finally, we have Ten or Tenbu who are Gods of Hindu origin and protectors of the Nyorai, the Bosatsu and the Buddhist faith.
Japan has two main religions - Shintoism and Buddhism. Shrines are Shinto places of worship and Temples are Buddhist places of worship. Shrine names end with “Jinja”, “Jingu” or “Taisha”. Temple names end with “Otera”, “Dera” “Ji” or “In”. So Meiji-jingu is a Shinto Shrine and Senso-ji is a Buddhist Temple.
Shrines have gates called “Torii” at their entrance which are iconic symbols of Japan. They signify the boundary between the spiritual and human worlds. The main gates of Buddhist Temples are called “San-mon”.
First, wash your hands at the water fountain called Chozuya before you enter the main hall.
Next, for a small donation, get incense sticks, light them and place in the incense burner called Jokoro. Bathe your hands and face in the smoke. Then approach the worship hall. If you see ropes attached to a gong, pull on them to get the gods attention. Drop a coin in the offering box called Seisenbako. Use a 5 yen coin for good luck.
Then pray the Buddhist way; “Bow once, Pray, Bow again”.
First, bow at the Torii gate at the entrance of a Shinto Shrine when entering the sacred space of the shrine. Avoid the center of the path which is considered the path for the Kami or God.
Stop at the water fountain called Temizuya to wash your hands, before you enter the main shrine. Approach the main shrine. If you will see bells attached to ropes, ring the bell to get the attention of the Kami. Drop a coin in the offering box called Seisenbako. Use a 5 yen coin for luck. Then pray the Shinto way; bow twice, clap twice, pray and bow once again.
At the water fountain, pick up the ladle with the right hand, fill it with water from the spout and wash the left, then switch hands to wash the right. Take the ladle back in your right hand and pour water into the left palm and rinse your mouth, or just symbolically touch your mouth with the water. Finally, hold the ladle upright to wash the handle and return it to the stand. Do all this with one scoop of water.
The 7 lucky gods are a group of deities that the Japanese pray to in the New Year. Japanese believe that these 7 gods board a treasure ship called Takarabune bearing great fortunes for everyone. So if you pray to them in the first week of the New year, you will be blessed with prosperity and happiness. Many cities have a pilgrimage route of temples and shrines where you can pray to all these 7 gods. Typically, you would buy a board or Shikishi and get a stamp at every temple. Collecting all stamps will bring good fortune throughout the year.
To many of us, Zen is synonymous with Japanese Buddhism. In reality, it originated in China where it was called Chan, based on the Sanskrit word “dhyana” meaning meditation. Zen believes in practicing meditation to gain insight into our mind and expressing this understanding in everyday tasks.
Bushido, the samurai moral code, is founded on Zen thinking. It requires warriors to cultivate values like honor and loyalty by cleansing the mind of all distractions including the very fear of death. Many Japanese arts and crafts are also linked to Zen - Kendo or sword fighting, Kado or flower arrangement, Shodo or calligraphy, Chado or tea ceremony, and Japanese gardening.
Zazen, is the core practice in Zen, and it simply means “seated meditation”. Practitioners usually sit cross-legged, eyes half-open, neither leaning towards nor turning away from stimuli, and start by focusing their mind on the breath. After building skill in concentration, they turn to more advanced techniques like mindfulness and shikantaza, or practice of emptiness.
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