Читать книгу Shinto Meditations for Revering the Earth - Stuart D. B. Picken - Страница 5

The Human, the Divine, and Great Nature

According to Shinto thinking, human beings are descended from the world of the divine, the world of the kami. The cosmic process called Great Nature, the collective reality we call the universe, is honored even by those kami that brought it into being. Within the vast compass of Great Nature, therefore, together, things that exist are given life and thus human beings become able to enjoy the happiness of truth and sincerity. This is the principle that binds heaven and earth, which is called Kannagara, the Way of the Kami. The way known as Kannagara can be understood as the character that lies at the foundation of the existence of all humanity, the principle of mutually cooperative peaceful coexistence.

Modern human civilization, however, has been and is still proceeding on a trajectory of development that seeks to conquer the vast expanses of Great Nature, a pathway that will lead to its own inescapable self-destruction. Human beings henceforth must learn conciliation. The world’s religions, their leaders, their doctrines, and their teachings must take the initiative and engage in dialogue that will lead to an initiative to rehabilitate and reestablish the displaced principle of heaven and earth. This must lead to the building of a new order and to a turnabout in thinking that will promote tolerance, generosity, and understanding. This is the meaning of Kannagara, the way of following Great Nature. It is not a religion to be taught, but the source of true and valid religious sentiment.

Human beings, as living bodies, become quite unaware of how impurities that pollute the soul are acquired. They may be descendants of the kami, but they are not kami as such. The soul and the body require constant purification. Through the regular Shinto practice of misogi (purification under a waterfall, in a river, or in the sea), human spirituality can be heightened and humanity may be restored to its initial divine, kami nature. Only thus can the human, the divine, and Great Nature be once again brought back into their primal harmony. This is the way toward the cultivation and restoration of human divinity.

This book of meditations gathers common features of natural religion from different faith traditions and shows how they can be used in a Shinto context to revere the earth and cultivate human spirituality. I believe that now is the time for human civilization to unite in achieving this goal. And I believe that Shinto can help show the way.

Yukitaka Yamamoto

96th High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine

The First District Shrine of Ise

Mie Prefecture, Japan