You are far beyond the oceans, yet near my heart. I
can feel your support and encouragement, for I am more and more motivated to go
ahead despite hard conditions in Bangui, the capital city of CAR. Thank you all.
My country of mission, CAR has been at war since 2013. After a short period of
peace, violence between Muslims and Christians is back since October 2015. Yes,
Karen is right, I am sitting amidst what
we are working to ultimately end. Peace and justice for all people,
reconciliation and mutual acceptance, despite differences.
Underneath the shady trees of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Japan, hidden at the
sacred wells, scattered around the waterfalls, and set among the koi ponds, are frogs
statues big and small. These amphibians deck the shrine’s property as they are
associated with the main kami, spirit, of the shrine: Satarunohiko. He’s the leader of
the Earthly kami, the kami of guidance, harmony and direction. One story of
Satarunohiko is how he died and three days later was resurrected back to Earth.
Thus the association with kaeru, the Japanese word for frog which is also the word
for come back home.
Coming to Japan was a kaeru moment for me as the shrine’s located in the
prefecture I formerly lived in as an English teacher. Beyond however the physicality
of returning home to the place I once lived, my stay at Tsubaki Grand Shrine was a
kaeru moment for me spiritually- as I felt through the spiritual practices there I was
returning to an ancient, primitive way of seeing and being in the world, of
connecting and revering nature, a way that connected me to the sacredness of
everyday existence. These experiences I’ve distilled down to three aspects: misogi,
ritualization, and community. Together, they’ve been crucial to my formation as a
minister and the future I see for Unitarian Universalism interacting with the global
network of religions.
Misogi
Misogi is the act of purification. The idea of purification comes not from
freeing one’s self from sin but derives from the myth of one of the creator kami,
Izanagi, returning from the world of the dead after pursuing his wife, Izanami
(fellow creator kami) and thus purifying himself in a waterfall to rid himself of
pollutants from that world. Thus purification is returning back to that original state,
of no longer being contaminated. There is no concept of evil or a corrupted human
natural state as kami themselves can be contaminated, it is simply the polluting of
one’s heart. Misogi is performed among adherents by dowsing the entire body in
water: some perform it standing under a waterfall (as Tsubaki Grand Shrine does),
some plunge into a river or the sea, Guji-san, the head priest of Tsubaki, even
suggested performing it in the shower every morning.
I took part in the Tsubaki style of misogi my first night in Japan as a part of a
group that specifically came to the shrine to perform the ritual. I decided to set my
intention as to accept (let it happen, be an active participant) in standing in a cold
waterfall to purify myself. I thought of the negative things that hampered down my
soul, burdened my mind and resolved to let them go.
Prior to performing misogi, we were given white kimono like outfits (the
women) while the men were just dressed in a loincloth. We all wore bands wrapped
around our heads. We headed out just as night was falling, twilight settling on this
inner sanctum, this secret I did not know that Tsubaki held. It was a courtyard with a rushing waterfall in a rocky pool with steps that one could walk down into the
water. In amongst the rocks were frog statues and burning candles.
The head priest led us in exercises to be purified before going into the water
(for the waterfall itself is a kami). Then we lined up to go into the waterfall. Priestess
Yumiko was behind me, teaching me the words to recite once it was my turn to go
under the waterfall. Harae tamai kiyome tamae rokkonshojon (translation from Ann
Llewellyn Evans: “Sweep impurities from my being and purify the six roots of my
spirt”). The task was this: you stand under the waterfall chanting this as the priest
stands in the water and chants with you. You stay under the waterfall doing this
until the priest bids you to stop. I was second to last in line, trying my best to
remember the words, the steps (when to bow, when to do toin (slashing the air,
when to clap), my mind was whirling but then I remembered, this is not about the
rules, this is about the experience. My heart was open and I stepped under the
water, letting the cold water hit me until the priest released me.
I felt a clarity of mind. During the closing services as we chanted the rites, I
felt a light descended on me, come over, a clarity of mind and purpose, a shining
bright light. A feeling of pure heart. I was purified.
This stands out as an important experience, this connection I felt, that nature
itself can be a source of purifying, of healing, of releasing and soaring beyond what
once chained us. Hence, I see this experience as evidence of the connection between
Shinto and Universalism- the divine is accessible to all of us, dogma or creed does
not bind us, but rather our shared existence with each other and nature does.
Ritualization
Everyday existence is ritualized at Tsubaki Grand Shrine. For example, before
entering the shrine’s property, you go to hand-washing stations where the washing
of your hands purifies your body and prepares your mind to enter sacred space.
Even entering sacred space is ritualized as you walk into the shrine under a huge
tori gate. Cleaning is ritualized as a spiritual practice as the entire Shrine staff, from
the head priest to the newest hire of a shrine maiden, cleans and sweeps the shrine
together first thing in the morning and last thing during the evening. During my first
day in Japan, I was given a broom and expected to take part in this system. This act
of cleaning is an internal misogi, as I sweep the floors, I sweep my mind. Similarly
lunch is ritualized as we all ate the same meal, making it an intentional part of our
day and our togetherness as community. These ritualizations marked the ordinary
moments of the day to emphasize them, hence making me aware of the sacredness
of everyday existence. Not everyday is a high holy day, but everyday is sacred and
thus, we should treat it so.
Community
We are Unitarian Universalists live our faith by not serving a dogma or a
creed but the beloved community. It is similar in Shinto. Shinto is no passive faith,
you are in active relation with the kami, nature and your fellow humans constantly.
As you act with honor and respect to the kami, you act with honor and respect to
people. As you treat people with honor and respect, you treat the kami with respect.
This is shown with the service of the priests to the community through blessings
and rituals. One example of this happened I went with Guji-san, the head priest and
Seiba-san, another priest, to a new building blessing. There, the entire town showed
up, including representatives of the government to take part in this event of opening
a new community center. Guji-san blessed it by throwing salt, sake and sacred paper
(of the five esoteric Buddhist colors). He then enshrined a kami in a kamidan, a
miniature shrine for inside buildings, for it and made offerings of fish, vegetables,
sake, rice, salt and fruit to it. Then children from the community and Shinto priests
performed the Lion Dance, a dance that has been performed for or by Tsubaki Grand
Shrine for 1300 years that tells the story of Satarunohiko and a lion. Four priests
who sat down, one had a drum, two had flutes and the last one sang the story. There
were three dancers- Satarunohiko who was played by a 12 year boy, a little girl who
was the tail end of the lion and a college-aged boy who was the head. Satarunohiko
and the lion danced to the ancient court music of Japan. Finally, everyone came
together and shared a meal. In the blessing of the community center, the priest was
connecting to the heart of the community by making the ritual a community event.
This is the essence of religion, serving and connecting with the greater human
family.
Shinto and Unitarian Universalism: A Bridge
As stated previously, Shinto and Unitarian Universalism share the
community of no creed or dogma and a dedication to the community; I believe
Shinto and UU also share a love of nature and a desire to see nature protected especially as the effects of climate change manifest themselves. Hence, we have an
opportunity as ministerial students to create a global network for protecting nature
and resisting the increase of climate change’s impact by working together and
promoting shared values. We are part of the same interconnected web and together
we can help the world’s community realize it is too.
There is already a history of this relationship that we can build on. I am the
42nd Unitarian Universalist to visit Tsubaki Grand Shrine and the shrine and the
UUA has been working together within the International Association for Religious
Freedom as well. It is up to us as the future of the faith to maintain these ties and
create new ones for the promotion of the Seventh Principle.
For my focused initiative, I would like to take the first steps in this promotion
by creating an adult education class about nature and Shinto as well as about
climate change resistance. I would like to further strengthen the ties between Shinto
and UU by taking the students in that class to Tsubaki Grand Shrine and have them
directly experience the way of the kami by Shinto’s reverence for nature.
Conclusion
The opportunity to stay and study at Tsubaki Grand Shrine has affected my
formation and thus changed my life for the better. I have used techniques I’ve
learned at Tsubaki Grand Shrine to improve my own spiritual practices as well as
transferred the values there to my own teaching congregation. I plan to continue my
education in Shinto and as well wish to strengthen the ties between UU and Shinto.
Thank you for this opportunity. I’m forever grateful.
Many of us have read his beautiful words from Lifting Our Voices in our congregations. Now he needs our help. #ReleaseRevFulgence
Please consider contributing to the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) appeal to support Rev. Fulgence and the Unitarians in Burundi during this very difficult time and signing the petition on change.org.
Lara is an MDiv student from
Winnipeg, Canada now residing in Blauen, Switzerland. Lara’s Community
Studies Internship placement was with the International Bridges to Justice
(IBJ), an organization based in Geneva. IBJ’s goal is to eradicate
torture as an investigative tool. It envisions a world that upholds the
principles and values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and works
towards building international communities of conscience, providing training
and resources for developing countries to create fair and humane processes in
their legal systems.
“This is grassroots work to impact change on a global
scale, literally moving the arc of justice.” Lara has an abundance of
internship congregations. “UU Basel, UU Geneva and the Netherlands UU
Fellowship in Amsterdam. These small congregations are all lay-led and
meet once or twice a month. My Teaching Pastor, Rev. Eric Cherry is
supervising from Boston, and my internship committee is a collection of the lay
leaders from these 3 congregations.”
Lara believes fervently that our world needs more people who
stand up against cruelty, discrimination, inequality, injustice, waste, and
destruction. “Unitarian Universalism can be a model, a bridge between
cultures and faiths, a platform for dialogue and acceptance. I want to help
bring the good news of Unitarian Universalism to the world and let people know
there is a liberal theology that supports justice and compassion.” Even though
Lara was raised UU, she had been away from church community for many years
before returning and delving into her call to ministry.
“I chose Meadville Lombard Theological School because I felt the need to have a solid grounding in UU theological education,
and also because the innovative program allows me to continue to live at a
distance, practicing while I am learning in my own community context.”
”The Why and How of Toothbrushing,” ca. 1955
Look at that smile! Archivist John Leeker can’t be sure how this pamphlet ended up in a Unitarian minister’s personal
papers. Was it for an RE class? To assist a congregant with bad breath? Perhaps
the minister himself was the recipient of a gentle hint? Whatever the cause,
the Meadville Lombard Library and Archives staff are now thoroughly informed
about “the why and how of toothbrushing.“
Greendale Cemetery. Meadville, Pennsylvania. ca. 1930.
During
the 19th and early 20th century, Meadville Theological School was a
major part of the life of Meadville, Pennsylvania. According to the 1920
Census, the entire town of Meadville only had 14,568 residents. Because
of the Meadville Theological School, people across the United States
and the world made their way to this small rural town. This impact
appears in many places, but it shows up uniquely in the Greendale Cemetery
in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Many of Meadville’s faculty, staff, and
students were buried here, and Meadville became the final resting place
for men and women from across the globe. Nearly every grave in this
photograph is that of someone affiliated with Meadville Theological
School.
Here are our rejected jokes about the Morrissey tombstone in the background:
To Learn at Meadville is a Wonderful Way to Learn The Seminarian With the Thorn In His Side Everyday is like Sunday (unless it is in the summer and church is closed for the season) There Is A Chalice That Never Goes Out Shoplifters of the World U-Unite Paint a Vulgar Picture (for your Arts and Aesthetics Class)
And the final word from our boss is “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore.”
Greendale Cemetery. Meadville, Pennsylvania. ca. 1930.
During
the 19th and early 20th century, Meadville Theological School was a
major part of the life of Meadville, Pennsylvania. According to the 1920
Census, the entire town of Meadville only had 14,568 residents. Because
of the Meadville Theological School, people across the United States
and the world made their way to this small rural town. This impact
appears in many places, but it shows up uniquely in the Greendale Cemetery
in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Many of Meadville’s faculty, staff, and
students were buried here, and Meadville became the final resting place
for men and women from across the globe. Nearly every grave in this
photograph is that of someone affiliated with Meadville Theological
School.
Stephen Henry Camp. undated
Soon after graduating Meadville Theological School in 1863, Stephen Henry Camp (1837-1897) was mustered into the Union Army as a chaplain and assigned to the 82nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment where he served until he was discharged in 1864. Based out of Louisiana, the 82nd was part of what was called Corps d’Afrique. These regiments largely consisted of Creoles of color and formerly enslaved men. James B. Moore, another Meadville graduate from the 1863 class, served as a lieutenant and eventually a captain for the 79th United States Colored Infantry, another regiment within the Corps d’Afrique.
Both Camp and Moore served as officers, a position largely unavailable to soldiers of color during the Civil War. Despite poor conditions, little room for advancement, and the risk of being executed or enslaved if captured, approximately 180,000 African Americans fought during the Civil War. Over 1/3 of them lost their lives.
