Out of all the religions we cover in class and in the required readings, Shinto was the religion I choose to do my field trip report about. Unfortunately I was unable to find any Shinto religious sites in southern California, so I decided I would follow the book to my best ability and attempt some of the home practices of the Shinto religion to better understand what exactly is required of a Shinto practitioner. I will also write a short summary of my trip to Japan and visits to a Shinto shrine I experienced 2 years ago.
One of the requirements of a Shinto practitioner is to create and maintain a shrine dedicated to loved ones that have passed away. Most of my relatives and the people in my family are long lived, but both my great-grand parents have passed away, so I created a shrine in their honor. The shrine is called a kamidana (literally meaning "kami shelf"), commonly offerings of water or rice are left at the kamidana and a prayer is offered at the beginning of the day -- So I woke up and left a small bowl of rice and a cup of water next to my shrine, and recited a small prayer for my great-grand parents. My kamidana included an image of each of my great-grand parents, a small mirror, and a few sticks of incense.
As the Shinto religion believes that the kami (meaning "spirit") live among us in spirit form, one of the common practices is cleanliness. It is believed that if our environment (our homes, and even our own appearance) is kept clean that the kami will be happy and comfortable. In this regard I decided I would tidy up my surroundings... I vacuumed, I swept, and I put away the items I didn't need. I know that this does not sound like religious practice, but I wanted to experience what a common day would be like for a practitioner, so I did everything they would do.
A couple of years ago I visited Japan and toured a few Shinto shrines, unfortunately at the time I didn't know what most of the believes or practices of a practitioner were. When I visited a shrine I didn't know that it was customary to wash your hands at the torii, or that you were suppose to clap after ringing the bell and donating a coin. But anyone could notice that the religion in practice was closer to nature than any other in the world, no where else in the world are the religious sites so laden with trees, covered in rock, or babbling with brooks.
I have a new appreciation for the practitioners of this religion. It requires dedication, determination, and a certain affinity for nature and all things around you. I can tell you with great certainty that the next time I visit Japan or a Shinto shrine I take the time to wash my hands and mouth at the torii and ring the bell and clap after I donate a coin to the kami residing in that shrine. I also wonder if it is not a bad idea to try and take the cleanliness of the religion to heart, it usually makes everyone happier when their environment is clean and their possessions are organized.
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