‘Shinto Meditations for Revering the Earth’ by Stuart D.B. Picken Berkeley, Ca: Stone Bridge Press, 2002 128 pages, small size. ISBN 1-880656-66-3 $9.71
This is one of only two ‘crossover books’ that I know of that provides practical material for Westerners. The bulk
of the book comprises eight specially written ‘meditations’, more like prayers, which are designed to be recited individually or as a group (there is a leader and response format). The meditations are divided by season and
natural phenomena – spring and waterfalls, for instance – and follow a set pattern of seven parts. Unfortunately, this leads to a good deal of repetition (the last three parts are the same in each case), which means the book provides a limited range. It may be aping the manner of norito, but since this is a creative exercise I would have hoped for greater variety.
Along with the meditations, there is a brief survey of Shinto at the beginning, and then introductions to each of the meditations discussing the spiritual tradition of the particular item featured e.g. mountains as the dwelling place of the kami. At the back of the book are instructions for performing misogi (cold water purificaiton), as well as a brief summary of Shinto’s spread overseas. The guiding light here is Yukitaka Yamamoto, who wrote a foreword for the book. Personally speaking, I found the non-meditation material to be more useful than the meditations, which frankly anyone with a touch of imagination could make up.
Summary: Given the amount of material available these days, this book is not really worth the money.
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For an account of the book that highlights its shortcomings, please see this review here.
When I first looked through this book, I was a little disappointed by it. It contains some verses, many of which are quite repetitious.
When I had a chance to really try one of the meditations as it was intended, I liked the book better. The repetition and cadences made sense and worked well together.
I recall a couple of the non-meditation parts of the book, but didn’t regard them as terribly valuable. I think I have two or three copies of Rev. Yamamoto’s directions on how to practice misogi in various books, plus it’s on the Grand Tsubaki Shrine of America’s website. I found the personal anecdotes Mr. Picken added to be memorable and entertaining.
What is the other book of practical material you know of?
Hi there, Lou…
I agree with you about the repetitious nature of Picken’s meditations and felt a bit short-changed by the fact that there was so little original material in the book. But it’s very useful to have your observation about the repetition making sense when put to practical use.
The other book I was referring to is the Norito translations by Ann Evans.