Forest and spirituality Shinto-style
There was a seminar on July 10 in Kumano organised by the International Shinto Foundation and inspired by the United Nations Year of the Forest. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but Katherine Marshall, senior fellow at Georgetown University, wrote an article about it for the Huffington Post which captures the spirit of place and the vital role of forests in Shinto spirituality. You can find the piece at the following link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-marshall/seeking-enlightenment-fro_b_896914.html
‘The shrines at Kumano are among Japan’s holiest places,’ she writes.
‘There’s a mystical dimension to Kumano and to the Shinto culture that defies verbal explanation.’
‘About 70% of Japan’s land surface is under forest cover.’
‘…appreciating the spiritual ties between nature and mankind can offer new ways of understanding today’s environmental challenges and, more important, acting on them.’
Nachi falls, the sacred body of a kami
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