Ted Taylor has kindly written in to point out an exceptional video made available by Empty Mind films, who produce high-quality films of Asian spirituality. Their stunning youtube video is just 3.38 minutes long. Here is the company’s introduction to the subject:
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Text by Empty Mind (The Martial Arts of China, Japan and India)
We have just uploaded a new video on Youtube featuring the use of Kyudo or Japanese archery in a Shinto ritual Since ancient times the bow has been revered as a sacred instrument. It is believed to have the power to destroy evil, cleanse the spirit and to bestow magical powers. The bow has been used by shamans throughout the world as an instrument of power and weapon against the forces of evil. In Japan the bow has also long been considered to be the ultimate weapon of warriorship and its mastery was the highest achievement of the Samurai warrior. In the Shinto and Buddhist traditions the bow is used to protect, purify, remove obstacles and attract good fortune.
Whistling arrow (courtesy of K. Komatsu)
Kyudo has been used in Buddhist and Shinto rituals of purification. (For example- Shihobarai– the Purification of the Four Directions) and small bows have been placed in shrines and people’s homes for protection against the forces of evil and for purification. They are also believed to have the ability to attract vast good fortune. Hama-yumi replicas are scale versions of a Japanese Bow coated with urushi, wrapped in fine rattan and accented in gold leaf. They are displayed in a stand along with two arrows tipped with traditional warrior tips, one representing male and the other female.
The bow and arrow is used in a number of ceremonies that are dedicated to the Shinto gods of the heavens, the Amatsukami, and the gods of the land, Kunitsukami. This video is the Kabura-ya or whistling arrow, where a Shinto priest shoots the arrow over the entrance roof of the temple. The arrow makes a high pitch whistle sound as it flies through the air to ward off evil spirits. The entire ceremony lasts more than one hour.
Purifying the four directions at Setsubun
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