Reflections on Shinto and Budo – 神道と武道に於ける思考

Scholarship presentation by Angela in August 2014

Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................. 1

Background and thoughts ...................................................................................................... 1

What is Shinto ....................................................................................................................... 2

The cycle of Tama and Kegare .......................................................................................... 2

Kegare気枯れ , Furitama振魂 and Misogi禊 ..................................................................... 3

Letting Go – an exercise for body and mind - purification ...................................................... 4

Sampai .................................................................................................................................. 5

Ise Jingu and Yoshino ........................................................................................................... 6

Empress Shoken ................................................................................................................... 7

Women in Shinto – 女性と神道 ............................................................................................. 8

Summary ............................................................................................................................... 9

Bibliography .........................................................................................................................10

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Meiji Jingu and Shiseikan for all the support which I have, especially

Nakajima Guji, Miyazaki Gonguji, Inaba Meiyo Shihan, Araya Kancho, Imaizumi Kenkyuuin,

Uchikoshi Kenkyuuin, Uematsu jimucho, Hosokawa san and all the people in the Shiseikan

dojo who practise sincerely and diligently. The attitude in the dojo is always directed to

improving one’s practice and towards the improvement of all. This is something I appreciate

deeply and would like to achieve as well in my training.

Also I would like to thank ISBA for their support and for making it possible that there is a

regular exchange with the Shiseikan.

Background and thoughts

From my background I am an atheist and I believe rather in science than in gods. But there

are limitations to what we can know ourselves or even scientists can find out. Here I refer

mainly to the popular books by Stephen Hawking. Maybe in the 17th or 18th century it would

have been possible for a person to know all the scientific discoveries of his time. Nowadays it

is much too specialised and to learn and to understand everything would require more than

one life time of study.

But science does not necessarily always address the spiritual needs of people so therefore I

was going with an open mind to the Shiseikan and to Meiji Jingu to discover more about

Shinto and its connection to Budo both for myself and for ISBA, where I can act as an

multiplier and share what I have learned. Below is a narrative of the things which I found

especially important for me. Everything I write is based on my limited religious understanding.

I do not intend to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.

What is Shinto

Shinto is the traditional religion of the Japanese people, but in its core it includes a strong link

to nature and propagates an explanation of life cycles. As such it is universal, although the

key for understanding and experiencing shinto are the matsuris, which are performed in

elaborate ancient Japanese court costumes accompanied by traditional music. Natural

phenomena are interpreted as kami, e.g. growth, fertility and production, wind and thunder,

sun, mountains, rivers, trees and rocks, some animals and also ancestral spirits, e.g. imperial

ancestors and the dead. Kami can be understood as a honorific name for noble sacred spritis

(5). There is a sense of adoration for their virtues and authority. Human beings could be kami

as well, but usually posthumously. Guardian spirits can be kami as well.

There is also the concept of tama, which is discussed in Iwasaki (4).Tama is described as

the mysterious principle of all existence. But it could also be understood as the soul or spirit

of a person or a kind of life force.

There are many kanji which have the same sound, but a different meaning. Tama can be

expressed as 霊 (spirit) or玉 (spherical shape) or 珠 (jewel) or 魂(soul). But at the same time

speaking of tama in the Kojiki all of the meanings could be equally true, since the writing

system has been introduced from China and sometimes Kanji have been selected for their

sound and sometimes also for their meaning. This makes the study of Shinto difficult.

The character霊 also appears in霊気, which is Reiki, formerly written靈氣. 靈 is the old

form of the character and is comprised of the elements of 雨 (rain) + a shape indicator of

suggesting linked beads of water or linked + 巫 (sorcery) → medium invoking a procession of

spirits or like shrine maidens dancing. So the meaning of the old pictogram could be dance

performed in order to invoke rain, whereas nowadays it is used to mean spirit.

The cycle of Tama and Kegare

Having a discussion with Iwasawa san she explained about the cycle of Tama, which can be

interpreted as the cycle of seasons. Tama is strong in summer and declining in winter, which

is called Kegare 穢れ and is translated as defilement (becoming impure). However that may

be a wrong way of looking at it. According to Tanikawa Kotosuga (6) a scholar in Edo period

it would also be possible to write Kegare using the characters 気枯れ, which also is

pronounced the same and means the decline of energy.

In winter the energy level is believed to be low and this represents the status of Kegare. In

spring the energy level rises again and becomes strong again. There are important Shinto

ceremonies celebrated by the Tenno and also in many Shinto shrines through the season of

the year which depict this cycle as inherent meaning. The story of Amaterasu (the sun

goddess) hiding in her cave can be interpreted as the summer hiding in the cave (or return to

the womb) and subsequently as the winter season and she being coaxed out of the cave is

representing a rebirth or end of winter and a new start of the cycle of the seasons. .

There is an analogy in the celebration of Easter in the Christian faith. Especially I have

experienced the lively way Easter was celebrated in the Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus.

The death of Jesus on the cross symbolizes the winter, the resurrection three days later is a

symbol for the new season and that the sun is coming back. The lively way this was

celebrated during the festivities with drums being played and processions through the village

is reminding me powerfully of some of the matsuris I have witnessed in Japan. But we can

also find similar stories in Northern or German mythology and in Greek mythology, which

themselves may have been instrumental in the celebration of Easter in Christianity. I

presume that everywhere where there is a noticeable difference in the length of the day

between summer and winter we will find similar stories and explanations.

Kegare 気枯れ , Furitama 振魂 and Misogi 禊

An interpretation of kegare for an individual person is that someone is ill or suffers decline of

spirit through overwork, stress of modern life, being far away from nature. In some cases this

stress can result in Burn Out or it can result in Hikikomori (e.g refusing to participate in the

society) or depression e.g. for business people. In that sense he/she is experiencing kegare

and needs reinvigoration. The reinvigoration happens through utilising furitama and misogi.

Budo training incorporates the idea of increasing our energy trough the training.

Furitama means shaking the soul or spirit and besides invigorating the body it helps also to

increase the ki or spirit and to let go of negative thoughts and tensions within the body.

Visualising the cycle of ki (Shinki神気、Genki元気，Kegare気枯れ) by performing furitama

increases energy. Utilizing Furitama helps us to regain our centre and can reduce stress.

This is for me a direct application of Shinto in Aikido.

Misogi is a ritual immersion in cold water. The meaning of Misogi is to become one with the

universe and is aimed on self-purification and to obtain energy from a sacred place

originating mythically from the time when Izanagi went back from Yomi no kuni, where he

had tried to get Izanami back to the land of the living. Purifying himself in the river he gave

birth of many kami, including Amaterasu and Susanowo. Thus Izanagi performed the first

misogi turning impurities into something good going forward.

Performing the misogi with the people from the Shiseikan and the people from the Instructors

course was a unique experience. This was the first time for me to participate in such an

event. Each of us needed to find their own resolve to enter, but being in the group has

helped to build the energy and resolve to do it. The whole of the preparation presenting

oneself at the shrine and witnessing the old Kagure is creating already an enchantment.

Chanting the purification poem at the waterfall is aimed at bringing the kami of heaven and

earth together to witness the self sacrifice into the cold water. The chanting of the poem in

the valley of the waterfall creates a special atmosphere.

Comparing Misogi e.g. to baptism I find some points which make it remarkably different. First

of all I choose do it as a adult of my own free will, whereas baptism is mostly done in a very

young age. Here it is more important for the relatives. The baby is usually not asked whether

it wants to do be baptized. But of course adults are baptised too, e.g. the Anabaptist sect

repeats the ceremony as adults. Another difference is that the Misogi is done in nature with a

group of people and a very moving ritual which makes the occasion very memorable for the

participant. The baby will most likely not remember the ceremony although it is very

important for the relatives and parents. Since we are human beings we cannot uphold a state

of genkiness for long. Due to living in a modern world we are prone to come into kegareness

again and then we can repeat the misogi purification when there is need, unlike baptism. So I

am hoping that I will later have the chance to come back here and do misogi again.

The purification ceremony is a way of becoming a better person, when you believe that

Kegare is also a state where you have destructive ideas towards the rest of the society and

want to purify yourself from these. These things can help to make a better society. To

participate in the Matsuri, where you start by cleaning or helping together with others from

your own community to prepare helps to think not only of yourself, but also of others. To

have a cleaner environment helps to reduce pollution by waste. This is ultimately good for

society at large. To respect nature may eventually lead to a society where people think more

about the consequences of developing new industries and think more about sustainable

ways of production (i.e. with no or less pollution and not destroying natural habitats).

Letting Go – an exercise for body and mind - purification

In Budo training and especially in Tai Jutsu or Aikido we learn how to let go. To let go means

for me not to use the strength of my arms while performing a technique, but to use the centre

and the breathing. This has become especially clear for me while we were practicing Shiho

Nage. Using the strength of my arms will not work, because there are many people with

much more muscle power than I have got. Using instead the centre and the breathing opens

resources that are much stronger similar to a tree, whose roots can split stones.

To let go can also be applied to our mind. In order to be fully concentrated on the moment

and the training we need to let go of unnecessary thoughts and especially we need to let go

thoughts of winning or losing or thoughts of being better than others. To say it in yet another

way we need to let go of our ego. We need to let go of our problems of work or else we might

be injured. This is in its own way a therapy for the danger of Burn Out or other diseases of

our modern stressful life. This is what purifying the mind and the body means for me. There

is a poem of Empress Shoken which also stresses this point:

Health 衛生

Managing to live

Without becoming concerned

With trivial things

Seems in terms of living long

かりそめの

ことわおもはで

くらすこそ

世にながらへむ

To be the best medicine 薬なるらめ

Sampai

Walking every morning through the forest of the Meiji Jingu, which in itself is already a shrine

I can experience peace and respite from the big surrounding city. Various birds can be heard

over the muted sound of the traffic. This is a very good start in the day. I can compare the

feeling only to the feeling I have when I practice in the morning at the lake Zurich.

Last year I started with a practice on Thursday mornings from 7.30 to 8.30 outside at the lake

Zurich before work. What is remarkable for me is that although the weather in the first half

year of 2013 has been very changeable and often rainy, in this one specific hour it was not

raining and we could always practice. The photo below shows the view we have at this early

morning practice. We bow towards the lake and the mountains at the beginning and end of

each class. That it we could practice every week outside even though the rest of the time has

been pretty rainy is for me a sign that we were doing the right thing.

Ise Jingu and Yoshino

Another aspect of tama are nigi mitama and ara mitama. Here we find again the word tama

included. Nigi mitama means the gentle side, whereas ara mitama represents the rough, but

also creative side of a soul, kami, spirit,… We, nature, kami and everything has more than

one aspect. A certain equilibrium would be beneficial.

In Ise Jingu we went to pay respect at nigi mitama shrine and then later at ara mitama shrine,

which is smaller and behind the nigi mitama shrine. These both are representing aspects of

Amaterasu-O-Mikami. Our environment can bring out the best or the worst in people. Living

cramped together in big cities does not somehow bring out the good side in people, whereas

being somewhere in nature makes people smile more often. Therefore to venerate nature is

helping mankind to remember, that we are only a part of nature and brings us into an

environment which helps us to bring out the better side in us. Going to Yoshino and Ise we

went to the country side away from Tokyo. It was remarkable especially in Yoshino to

observe that the people seemed very happy living there. In my opinion living surrounded by

nature as opposed to skyscrapers and millions of people creates this special athomsphere.

We visited Yoshimizu-shrine in Yoshino. The old priest of this place Sato Guji 斉藤宮司 is an

incredibly lively man omitting tremendous amounts of energy. He is for me someone who

clearly shows a higher level of spiritual development and is an ideal for the direction I would

like to go. We went to have a ceremony in the inner shrine and heard a very strong and

heartfelt prayer for us to get rid of kegare and for increasing our ki. The priest also performed

a kind of purifying over us by shaking bells over our bent necks and heads. It felt to me like a

shower of sound. Waves and waves of sound were washing down our backs. It felt much

stronger and better compared to any similar experience. Maybe this was because of his

sincerity of heart or the spirituality of the place or both, this I don’t know. After that each of us

was given in turn the opportunity to see the statue sitting behind the screen. It is a statue of

great power, beauty and potency. Later I learned that this statue was all that has survived

unharmed after a fire in another shrine.

Saito Guji also spoke about Kegare, Genki and Shinki. The latter is the devine energy. Being

born in the state of Genki (original energy), we later experience different level of kegare and

we try to return to a state of Genki. Shinki we could interprate as the highest level, where we

need to work on ourselves to reach it. Living a life of helping others, meditation, purification

can all be instrumental in reaching such a state.

Empress Shoken

2014 is the 100th anniversary of Empress Shoken’s death. She wrote many Waka (poems)

about living in a proper way, influenced by Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues. I was in

particularly impressed by Waka below, because it emphasizes the value of living with other

countries and nations in friendship and mutual respect:

Sincerity 信

Without reserve

We join with other countries

In mutual friendship;

Indeed true sincerity

Of hearts exist as one!

へだてなく

いつつのくにに

交るも

こころのまこと

ひとつなりけいり

The poem below in particular struck me as a very good advice for living a balanced life

between family, friends and work.

Thought 述懐

Many many things

Cause us to be troubled,

Yet, after a while,

Other things bring us joy;

Such is this world of ours!

さまざまの

ものおもいひせし

のちにこそ

うれしきことも

あるよのりけれ

Women in Shinto – 女性と神道

It seems that in the old shamanic days women as well as men were performing rites and

have been practicing as shamans. Their role in the old days could also have been to be a

medium for the Kami. And that role they would have had some influence in the future

direction of the country by soothsaying in a trance state. The role of the 神主 kannushi might

have been to interpret the predictions.

With the male dominated arrival of Buddhism this may have began to change, but only in the

Meiji restoration it happened that women were thrown out of their position. Speculation is that

Japanese study groups who were sent out to observe customs elsewhere observed that the

Catholic Church has solely male priests. After World War II women came back into becoming

神主 again. Of course another role of women in the shrine is being 巫女 Miko = shrine

maiden.

There is also the position of 斎宮 saiguu, who is an unmarried princess of the royal family

and serving in Ise Jingu in the highest position according to (5) page 42.

In May there is Aoi Matsuri葵祭り in Kyoto, where the position of May queen is elected. For

further reference see (8). Aoi 葵 is a plant called hollyhock in English and Malve in German.

This shows again the deep connection between Shinto and nature.

Nowadays women can also study Shinto and become priests, although not in every shrine. I

find it encouraging that women now can again take a role as priest in the shrines as it fits a

modern society.

Summary

I have asked myself what is the meaning of Shinto in our modern world. Shinto could

perhaps be seen as a way of personal development. The value of Shinto lies in the

participation of the Matsuri and rituals and in purifying our thoughts and being.

The purification ceremony is a way of becoming a better person, when you believe that

Kegare is also a state where you have destructive ideas towards the rest of the society and

want to purify yourself from these. These things can help to make a better society. To

participate in the Matsuri, where you start by cleaning or helping together with others from

your own community to prepare helps to think not only of yourself, but also of others. To

have a cleaner environment helps to reduce pollution by waste. This is ultimately good for

society at large. To respect nature may eventually lead to a society where people think more

about the consequences of developing new industries and think more about sustainable

ways of production (i.e. with no or less pollution and not destroying natural habitats).

Unfortunately in all countries may these be developed or developing we find many examples

where preserving nature is disregarded in order of making profit or other reasons. For

reference I would recommend reading the book “Lost Japan” by Alex Kerr (5) and read e.g.

about the issues in connection with the hydraulic fracturing in order to exploit gas wells (6).

Understanding the cycle of tama helps me to understand why there is so much focus on

furitama, torifune, hara and rei within the practice of Aikido and Kashima Shin Ryu.

Purification of mind and mind can essentially help us to cope with the stress of company

work and modern life.

Rituals like the sampai every morning or saying a prayer before meals can calm down our

mind in times of stress and create room and time for us to think of a greater context than just

ourselves. The challenge is to make room for this in our daily life.

I would like to achieve in the training that we can grow ourselves and also help others to

grow. E.g. we need honesty in our practice. In order to develop the right understanding of

how a technique works we need honest attacks and we need to accept that we at first

practice kata with each other and that are clear roles like uke and shite. So when I am uke I

have to accept that I am going to lose. There should be no competition to show off that

someone is stronger or weaker, but we need a strong attack to be able to build the right

understanding of how a technique works and we need to respect that it takes time to develop

that understanding. We need to purify our mind from thoughts of winning or losing, or from

thoughts of being better or worse than others, because these thoughts foster the status of

kegare.

Having a good etiquette helps to build this environment. Etiquette includes being polite,

always greeting people and showing the proper respect to each other, respecting the level of

training and not injuring others. We need also to have room for making errors and for

searching the right understanding. We can learn from errors. A teacher can only show a

technique and explain it, but the student has to make it his own. So effectively I am also

trying to increase tolerance. Once this is part of the way people treat each other in the dojo,

this will also have an effect of how people are living outside the dojo

Bibliography

1. Ono, Sokyo. Shinto: The Kami Way. s.l. : TUTTLE Publishing, 1962.

2. Iwasawa, Tomoko. Tama in Japanese Myth. s.l. : University Press of America, 2011.

3. Kotosuga, Tanikawa. Wakun no shiori (Adictionary of Japanese Words), Vol.1. Gifu :

Seibidu, 1898.

4. Green Shinto. [Online] http://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2014/05/04/may-queen-saio-dai/.

5. Kerr, Alex. Lost Japan. 1994. ISBN 0-86442-370-5.

6. Wikipedia - hydraulic fracking. [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing.

7. Mason, J.T.W. The meaning of Shinto. s.l. : Tenchi Press , 2002.

8. Wikipedia Takuan Soho. [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takuan_Soho.

9. Takuan Soho. [Online] http://info.stiltij.nl/publiek/meditatie/leraren/_historisch/takuan-

unfetteredmind.pdf.

10. Waka Poetry of Empress Shoken. s.l. : Meiji Jingu.

11. Hawking, Stephen. A Brief History of Time. s.l. : Random House Inc., 1998.

12. Wikipedia. [Online]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del%27s_incompleteness_theorems.