At a ritual the other day, shortly after the recitation of the prayers had begun, a sudden wind arose. The wind blew through the ritual site, making a whoosh, then stopped after a while, and instead, the sound of birds chirping could be heard.

A variety of sounds can be heard at the shrine. The murmuring of the river, the chirping of birds, and the sound of stepping on gravel. Every time I walk along the approach to the shrine, I feel a strange sense of peace in my heart, perhaps because no man-made sounds reach my ears. In particular, the sound of the wind rustling the trees seems to sweep away the dirt and grime that has built up in my mind and body, purifying me. The pillow word for "Ise" is "kamikaze ya." For example, when a gust of wind suddenly blows through during a ritual, or when the roof of the shrine is quietly raised even though there is no wind while I am praying at the main shrine, the word "kamikaze" suddenly comes to mind.

This time, we will introduce everything you need to know about visiting this sacred shrine.

It is customary for the Emperor and members of the Imperial Family to visit Ise Shrine from the Outer Shrine to the Inner Shrine.

First of all, did you know that when visiting a shrine, it is customary to visit the Outer Shrine first?
The Emperor and members of the Imperial Family also visit the Geku before the Naiku. There are two main theories as to why. The first is geographical. It was only in recent years that a highway was built between the Naiku and Geku, allowing people to visit the Naiku first.
Before that, especially in the days when people made pilgrimages on foot, the only way to enter Ise was by boat across the Miyagawa River, and the first place you would arrive at was the Geku. The second theory is that the Geku-first festival, meaning that all the shrine ceremonies are performed at the Geku first, follows that order of worship.

By the way, this "Geku first festival" is said to have been a divine revelation from Amaterasu Omikami that the Geku festival should be held first before her own festival, according to the Daijingu Shozojiki (a book containing important events from the founding of the shrine to the end of the Heian period).

The deity enshrined at the Geku Shrine, Toyouke no Omikami, is the god in charge of Amaterasu Omikami's meals.
About 500 years after Amaterasu Omikami was enshrined in Ise, during the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, Amaterasu Omikami appeared to the emperor in a dream and said, "I want you to welcome Toyuki no Okami, who is the Miketsukami (god of sacred offerings) who lives in Manai in Hiji, Tanba Province, close to me." This is said to be the beginning of the shrine being built in what is now the Yamada district of Ise City, and Toyuki no Okami (Toyouke Omikami) being welcomed into the country.
By the way, Toyouke Omikami is also the guardian deity of rice, food, clothing, shelter, and industry, and is, in a sense, the god who supports our daily lives. It is definitely worth visiting both shrines.

I've heard that it's not allowed to offer personal prayers at the shrine, but is this true?

However, the question that comes to mind is whether it is okay to make personal wishes at the shrine.
This is a question that has been bothering me for many years, and I have decided to look into it again, looking through various documents. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that it is better not to do so after all. The reason for this is that since ancient times, the shrine has a long history of prohibiting private offerings, meaning that only the emperor can offer heihaku (offerings to the gods) to the main shrine, and the contents of the daily prayers are all public wishes, such as the prosperity of the imperial family, bountiful harvests, peace and tranquility of the country, and happiness of the people.

In other words, I think we should first be grateful that they continue to pray for us, without our knowledge, so that we can live each day in peace and safety.

Why are there no fortune slips at shrines?
It is said that you should visit Ise Shrine at least once in your lifetime, and being able to worship there is considered auspicious.

More than anything, our ancestors also offered prayers of gratitude. The "Okage Mairi" custom, which became a huge hit during the Edo period, is said to have originated as a way of expressing gratitude for the help and blessings that people receive on a daily basis from gods, Buddhas, ancestors, nature, and other invisible sources.

I heard that the reason why there were no fortune-telling slips at shrines in ancient times was because there was a belief that the mere act of visiting the shrine was a blessing, or in other words, a great fortune, and so there was no need to draw a fortune slip. That is why visiting the shrine must have been such a precious experience that it naturally evoked feelings of gratitude.

It is important to visit a shrine to purify both body and mind and to be refreshed.

On the other hand, the words of our predecessors can also be helpful. For example, Muso Soseki, a Rinzai sect monk who lived from the end of the Kamakura period to the beginning of the Muromachi period, visited the Outer Shrine at the age of 52. On that occasion, he asked the priest at the time why private offerings were prohibited, and recorded the answer in his own collection of sermons, "Muchu Mondoshu (Part XNUMX)."
According to this, what is important when visiting Ise Shrine is to purify the body by abstaining from blood and purifying oneself, thereby achieving "external purification" by not touching what Shinto calls sin and impurity, and "internal purification" by not having any desire for honor or profit in one's heart. He says that making personal offerings is a way of praying to the gods for the desires one has in one's heart, and therefore cannot be considered "internal purification."
In other words, true worship at a shrine is realized when physical purification, or "external purification," and spiritual purification, or "internal purification," become one.

The worship begins with washing your hands in the water basin, rinsing your mouth, and purifying yourself.

Furthermore, Sakajubutsu, a physician and renga poet from the Northern and Southern Courts period, wrote in his "Record of a Pilgrimage to Daijingu Shrine" that if one deepens the idea of ​​"inner purity" and "outer purity" and reaches a state where the two become one, the separation between the heart of the gods and one's own heart disappears and one no longer prays to the gods. This is true worship.

It's a difficult and painful thing to hear, and I can't help but think that it's impossible for me to reach that state of mind, but at least when I go to worship at a shrine, I first purify my hands and mouth at the temizuya, walk quietly down the long approach to the shrine with a purified mind, and try to prepare myself in my own way before going to the altar. In addition, I also keep in mind the words of the chief priest of an old shrine that enshrines a water god, which I previously spoke to him about.

Is the shrine a power spot?
Being your true self is your greatest power. I think Jingu is the place to recapture that power.

"The term power spot is commonly used, but power is not something that you receive; in fact, everyone has it all the time; we just don't realize it. What's more, when we see, hear, and touch various things on a daily basis, our true selves become hidden and our energy becomes withered. By removing this power, we are restored to our original state. This is the act of "shaving off" our "body," or in other words, misogi.
"Humans have the most power in life when they are true to themselves." Purify your body and mind and face the enshrined deity as your true self. Worship may be an act of showing your true self to the God who knows everything.

However, setting aside such complicated theories, just by following the proper etiquette, bowing twice, clapping twice, bowing once, and saying thank you, you somehow feel refreshed and refreshed, which is the wonder of visiting Ise Shrine. I think it's worth a try.

But if you still want to make a personal wish, why not offer sacred food (mike) or sacred dance (okagura) at the Kaguraden? Mike means making sacred offerings and asking Amaterasu Omikami to convey our wishes through prayers recited. On the other hand, okagura refers to a careful prayer in which sacred food is offered, gagaku music is played, and dance and music are added to appease the divine will. In fact, I myself just had the opportunity to offer a kagura dance the other day.

At the end of the ritual, the individual is given some of the sacred sake, rice, salt, and other offerings that have been made to the gods -- and by eating these they receive blessings from the gods in a "naorai" ceremony -- and is given a sacred charm, or fuda.

Sacred charms and amulets are the bond that connects us to the shrine.

The sacred charms of the shrine are called "Jingu Taima." "Taima" can also be read as "oonusa," which means a tool for purification. It is said that it originated when the priests of Ise, known as "onshi," or "prayer priests," would hand over the talismans wrapped in Japanese paper or placed in a box as a sign that they had performed a prayer.
However, it is believed that the prayers offered by the onshi during this period were performed by chanting the Shinto prayer "Nakatomi Harai" to purify sins and impurities, and as proof of this, they would give the purification tool used in the prayer, namely a purification wand shaped like a cannabis plant, to the person making the request depending on the number of times it was offered.

Until the Edo period, the shrine's sacred talismans were called "Oharai Taima" or "Oharaisan" because they were blessed with prayers of purification, sometimes a thousand or ten thousand times. However, the Oshi system was abolished in 4. After that, all offerings of talismans came to be done by the shrine, and the name was changed from "Oharai Taima" to "Jingu Taima."

By the way, when I performed the kagura, I was given a sacred talisman in a rectangular wooden box. This is also called a "box talisman," "kagura talisman," or "omando-san," and is said to retain the traditional form of the ancient purification talisman.

In the past, the priests would place sacred items such as talismans and Shinto calendars in boxes and distribute them to worshippers of the Shinto shrines around the country. The recipients would then build a shelf high up to place the boxes, as they felt it was too sacred. This is thought to be the origin of the modern-day Shinto altar, and the boxes were called "Oharaebako."
The term "Oharaebako" is now used to mean discarding something that is no longer needed. It is said that the term came into use because originally, when Oharaebako boxes containing sacred talismans were replaced with new ones at the end of each year, the old boxes became unnecessary.

In April, a ceremony is held to begin cutting the annual Jingu Taima trees.
The "Cannabis Harvesting Beginning Ceremony" will be held.

At the shrine, a "Taimayozaikirihajimesai" ceremony is held every year in mid-April to mark the start of cutting the timber for use in the Jingu Taima.
However, in accordance with the tradition that timber was once obtained from Imperial lands, the shrine grounds are situated in a place surrounded by mountains close to the Inner Shrine, and a Shinto ritual is held, attended by the Grand Priest of the shrine, staff members and related parties, to report the receipt of wood from the mountain to the mountain god and to pray for the safety of the work.
The wind mentioned at the beginning arose during this ritual. Whether it was the enshrined deity or the mountain god, the priests performed their duties as always, courteously, promptly, and solemnly. The mountain god being worshiped must have been very pleased.

The omifuda is said to be like a talisman that allows the gods to protect a family or company. Even if we cannot visit the shrine, it feels like we are connected to the shrine, and it is a reassuring presence in our home.

Text by Misa Horiuchi

Writer

When I went to Europe to cover classical music, I was asked a lot of questions about Japan.This experience of being unable to answer most of the questions prompted him to begin researching Japanese music, culture, and prayer.This year marks his 16th year. His books include "Adult Nara: A journey to clear your mind" and "Adult Nara: A journey through breathtaking views" (both published by Tankosha), and "The World of Kamuy" (published by Shinchosha).

Photo by Akihiko Horiuchi

Photographers
He currently photographs mainly shrines and Japanese prayers. His photo books include "Ainu Prayers" (Kyuryudo) and "To the Forest of Brahms' Music" (Sekai Bunka Publishing). He is also a photographer who loves Bach, Evans, and sacred mountains.