Wikipedia

Harae

Haraeorharai(PhấtorPhất い) is the general term forritual purificationinShinto.Haraeis one of four essential elements involved in a Shinto ceremony.[1]The purpose is the purification of pollution or sins (tsumi) and uncleanness (kegare).[2]These concepts include bad luck and disease as well asguiltin the English sense.

Haraeis often described as purification, but it is also known as anexorcismto be done before worship.[2]Haraeoften involves symbolic washing with water, or having a Shinto priest shake a large paper shaker calledōnusaorharaegushiover the object of purification. People, places, and objects can all be the object of harae.

History

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Anōnusa,which is used in certain types ofharae.

Haraestems from the myth ofSusano-o,the brother of the Sun goddessAmaterasu.According to the myth, while Amaterasu was supervising the weaving of the garments ofthe godsin the pure weaving hall, Susano-o broke through the roof and let fall a heavenly horse which had been flayed. This startled one of her attendants who, in her agitation, accidentally killed herself with the loom's shuttle. Amaterasu fled to the heavenly caveAma-no-Iwato.Susano-o was subsequently expelled from heaven and Amaterasu's sovereignty resumed. The traditional Shinto purification ritualharaeis represented when Susano-o is removed from heaven.[3]

Practice

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There are various ways in whichharaeis practiced. At theIse Grand Shrine,"the holiest of all Shinto shrines",[4]wooden charms namedō-harai,another name forharaeorharai,are hung all over the shrine.[5]

In all Shinto religious ceremonies,haraeis performed in the beginning of the ritual to cleanse any evil, pollution or sins away before anyone gives offerings to thekami.Often, water and salt are used for the ceremonies to rinse hands and the face, as well as the shrine before it is prepared with offerings of goods and food.[6]Then the priest, along with the rest of the participants of the ritual chant a solemnliturgybefore the assistant priest purifies the offerings using a wand calledharaigushi.[7]

Another method used to perform harae ismisogi,in which a participant stands under a cold waterfall while chanting a liturgy.Misogi(Hễ)is said to be done on the 11th day of the month, including the winter months at theTsubaki Grand Shrine.[7]As both are related they are collectively referred to asMisogiharae(Hễ phất).[8]

Ōharaeis another method performed as a cleansing ritual to cleanse a large group of people. This ritual is practiced mostly in June and December to purify the nation, as well as after a disaster occurs. The practice is also performed at the year-end festival and also before major national festivals.[9]

Shubatsu(Tu phất),a cleansing ritual performed by sprinkling salt, is another practice of the Shinto religion. Salt is used as a purifier by placing small piles in front of restaurants, known asmorijio(Thịnh り diêm,pile of salt)orshiobana(Diêm hoa,salt flowers),for the two-fold purposes of warding off evil and attracting patrons.[10]In addition, sprinkling salt over a person after attending a funeral is also practiced commonly in the Shinto religion. Another example of this cleansing ritual is to sprinkle water at the gate of one's home, both in the morning and evening.[9]A significant and visible form of this ritual is whensumowrestlers sprinkle salt around the fighting ring before a match, to purify the area.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^(Ben Yari, 1991)
  2. ^ab(Norbeck, 1952)
  3. ^(Miller, 1984)
  4. ^(Chamberlain, 1893)
  5. ^(Chamberlain)
  6. ^Boyd & Williams, 2005.
  7. ^ab(Boyd & Williams, 2005)
  8. ^Nishioka Kazuhiko (March 31, 2007)."Misogi".Encyclopedia of Shinto.Kokugakuin University.Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 11,2014.
  9. ^ab( “Basic Terms of Shinto”, 1997)
  10. ^Can you pass the salt, please?,Robert Camara, March 30, 2009
  11. ^( “Harae—purification rites”, 2009)
  • BBC. (n.d.). Harae - purification rites. BBC - Homepage. Retrieved May 15, 2011, fromhttp:// bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ritesrituals/harae.shtml
  • Basic terms of shinto. (n.d.). Kokugakuin University. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from www2.kokugakuin.ac.jp/ijcc/wp/bts/index.html
  • Ben-Ari, E. (1991). Transformation in ritual, transformation of ritual: audiences and rites in a Japanese commuter village. Ethnology, 30(2), 135-147. Retrieved May 15, 2011, from the JSTOR database.
  • Boyd, J. W., & Williams, R. G. (2005). Japanese Shintō: an interpretation of a priestly perspective. Philosophy East and West, 55(1), 33-63. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from the JSTOR database.
  • Chamberlain, B. H. (1893). Some minor Japanese religious practices. The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 22, 355-370. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from the JSTOR database.
  • Miller, A. L. (1984). Ame no miso-ori me "(the heavenly weaving maiden): the cosmic weaver in early shinto myth and ritual. History of Religions, 24(1), 27-48. Retrieved May 14, 2011, from the JSTOR database.
  • Norbeck, E. (1952). Pollution and taboo in contemporary Japan. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 8(3), 269-285. Retrieved May 15, 2011, from the JSTOR database.
  • Shinto no Iroha( thần đạo の いろは), Jinjashinpōsha ( thần xã tân báo xã ), 2004, (ISBN4-915265-99-4)
  • Mihashi, Ken ( tam kiều kiện ),Wa ga ya no Shūkyō: Shinto(わが gia の tôn giáo: Thần đạo ), Daihōrinkaku ( đại pháp luân các ), 2003 (ISBN4-8046-6018-6)
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