Misogi / Purification by water / Shinto and Buddhism

In Shinto shrine,there is Chouzuya/Temizuya.

It is water purification place in front of a main worship place of shrine.

You have to rinse your hands and mouth before visit main worship place of shrine.

But don't touch water if it is dirty or stagnant.

In case it is dirty,please use your wet tissue to clean your hands.

Direction

Torii(gate of shrine),Sandou(road),Chouzuya(A),and Worship place(Innermost)

Whole detail manner to visit Japanese shrine → True manner to visit shrine

Today I am going to introduce TEMIZU manner in Chouzuya place.

You don't have to do these manner perfectly,

but I would like to share true manner of Shinto.

Japanese correct manner makes you beautiful.

Take a ladle with your right hand and fill water. 
Rinse your left hand by a little water.
Shift the ladle from right hand to left and rinse your right hand.
Shift the ladle again,and receive a little water on your left palm.
Rinse your mouth by the water.
(Do not touch ladle with your mouth directly)
(If the water is not flowing well or dirty,you don't have to rinse your mouth)
Rinse your left hand.
Hold the ladle to the vertical to rinse ladle's stick.
Lay the ladle upside down.

(Basically,you do all actions with only first filled water.)

After that,you visit main God place to dedicate thankful heart.

This is sacred Isuzu river.

In ancient time,Japanese people washed body in the river before visit Naiku of  ISE Grand Shrine.

(Grand shrine of ISE is Japanese top shrine)

(Naiku is one of the main worship place)

Although there is Chouzuya place of Naiku,

ISE grand shrine recommends using the river as Chouzuya if it is sunny day.

Some people visit the river to rinse their hands and mouth.

Purification by water is important preparation to greet God.

(Respect manner for God)

We are purified by water temporarily.

Purifying act by water is called MISOGI.

Taking hot shower is also kind of  misogi in Japan.

But some people think that misogi cleans our heart.

Or they even think that hard misogi training is good to improve their spirituality.

But it is absolutely not.

Misogi is temporarily-gentle purification of body surface.The effect is not so strong.

So, training under cold water fall is not good at all.

This stupid act is called Taki-Gyou（photos) in Japan.

They think that Taki-Gyou is good heavy training for mental strength.

Do not imitate their dangerous action

because there are some unhappy spirits around water-falls.

And they possess into human body by rotation if human do strange things.

Severe cold water makes human vacant conscious,

and unhappy spirits enter into human again and again.

Therefore,enthusiastic Taki-Gyou lover suffer his mental mind in his old age.

This fact is not well known.

By the way

Please do not wish private things in front of God place in Japanese shrines.

Most Japanese shrine's gods are local nature gods.

They are sacred guardians of each local area.

So they can't do anything about human's greed wishes.

Your private wishes are achieved by only your efforts and your dead ancestors.

(Universe rule = Your practical efforts(0-80%) : Help from dead ancestors(0-20%) = 0-100%)

People dedicate thankful heart in their neighborhood shrines

↓

 Local gods get power from that heart and gods protect the area 

↓

Region and area are kept in safe and peace 

↓

People dedicate thankful heart again

↓

Never ending circulation. This is Shinto.

Some stupid Japanese people wish their personal things like 

business success,exam success,home satisfy and so on.

Japanese true Shinto was changed a little by introduced misunderstood Buddhism.

Buddhism was imported around 6 century.

Until that time,Japanese people had been keeping true Shinto behavior.

Buddhism's statue worship has changed Japanese Shinto.

Ancient Japanese people thought that Buddha's statue can save them from poverty.

. 

I never deny Buddhism.

On the contrary Buddha's words are basic of my whole life.

(Primitive sacred book of Dhammapada and Sutta Nipata are excellent indeed)

But many people are misunderstanding about Buddhism.

He just said like this

 "Do your work in frond of you now"

"Stay calm even if you are angry now."

"Be kind to anybody." and so on.

So I really respect Buddha and his words.

He recommended practical efforts in our real society.

He never recommended hard physical training or ambiguous spiritual training like Meditation.

Meditation is really useless action if you do this for spiritual calm training.

Because Buddha couldn't achieve his spiritual enlightenment by physical training and meditation.

So we don't have to trace past failed training.

He didn't recommend these ambiguous things to his students.

He was saved by kindness lady who gave him some porridge.

At that time he was going to die because of useless physical training.

Her kindness action awakened him.

Buddha noticed that "Practical action is greater than any things."

This is famous story,but many Buddhism don't cherish the essence.

Last year,my Buddhism friend in USA said to me.

 (She is not Asian)

"Shinto never save each person. But Buddhism is always saving me."

"Buddhism frees me from pain."

I thought she knows nothing.

Personal happiness and wealth of heart are depends on your basic situation.

Secure or not secure nation/country,peaceful or not peaceful region,beautiful earth or dirty earth.

Do you worry about some sentimental things if you lose basic foundation today?

Nature/earth is more important than Nation/country.

Nation/country is more important than region.

Region is more important than neighborhood.

Largeness is more important because it contains smalls safely.

Sometimes smallness can change largeness.

But it is very hard.

Largeness influences on smallness very quickly.

Another example

In general family,father is more important than mother because he can earn much money.

Mother is more important than kids because she can protect them.

Kids are surely treasure of home but they can't practical things to parents.

Happiness are always standing on the basic larger foundation.

Small happy things are protected by big foundation.

This is Shinto concept.

So,Shinto includes Buddhism.

Because we can live on the Earth.

Photos by photolibrary and wikipedia

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