Readers of this blog will know of the fascination Green Shinto has with the sacred rocks of Japan, known as iwakura. No one I have asked, including several Shinto priests, can explain their significance, and books ignore them altogether. … Read the rest
Category: Rocks (Page 1 of 6)
For those interested in Shinto, Iki is a very special island. Palm trees and a Shinto torii greet visitors, and a welcome poster announces that this is ‘the island of kami’. A brochure promoting the island even claims that here … Read the rest
Green Shinto has written of the attractions of Okinawa before (see the relevant category to the right). Blessed by sea, sand and sun, the islands feel close to the spirit world and it is said that in the religion of … Read the rest
There’s a tendency for the modern world to think in terms of a clear difference between the animate and inanimate. The former are living and the latter are dead. There’s a clear linguistic divide.
But for many cultures and visionaries, … Read the rest
Shirakumo Jinja
Shirakumo Shrine in Gosho, like the nearby Itsukushima Shrine, is linked with Benzaiten (also known as Benten). The reason, … Read the rest
Yellow Boat
Kifune Shrine to the north of Kyoto stands in the village of Kibune, which is why many Japanese mistakenly call it Kibune Jinja. The shrine however insists on the proper pronunciation of Kifune – … Read the rest
Green Shinto has posted quotes before about bridging the divide that apparently exists between science and religion. Thinkers like Richard Dawkins have been particularly harsh about the absurdities and transgressions of organised religion.
If one replaces religion with spirituality however, … Read the rest