" No public ritual could be more riverting than the one that takes place on the gray-tiled sidewalk of Omotesando each New Year's holiday or O-shogatsu, when more than three million people burst from commuter trains and subways to stream up Omotesando and enter the park like Meiji Shrine. Treading on the gravel path beneath its ceremonial wooden gate, or torii, the worshippers patiently await their turn to stand on the black wooden steps of the shrine to seek ancestral blessings.
Hanging in the rafters are clanging bells whose long ropes teenagers and aging grandparents, one by one, grab and tug to gain the gods' full attention. Then, bowing their heads, squeezing their eyes shut, they whisper silent prayers - for wealth and happiness, for a new bank loan perhaps, or for a passing grade on a fiendishly competitive college entrance exam - before solemly clapping their hands three times. Before departing, they may buy a colorful good-luck amulet, and omamori, to protect them against evil. " -- cited from 'The Cult of the Brand - Shutting Out The Sun' by Michael Zielenziger
Beautiful and well written description of what takes place in Meiji Shrine during O-shogatsu.
Perhaps something for us, as mediators, to carefully examine the hearts of people, and hear their cry.
Japanese could be seen as not religious at all. But at the same time, there are several things that people would really like to hold on. Omamori - the lucky charm, you might find at least one in everyone's pocket. In Japan, omamori represents a meaningful friendship gift to many people, including young and old. They might seemed to be not holding religions as serious as others, nor they have a solid belief system, yet certain practices had also reflected the emptiness and longing in life.
Check our hearts, see if we are making full use of this information! :-) Bless you.
No comments:
Post a Comment