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Want to Learn more about Kamidana. Help~

Shin_ji80

先輩
10 Jun 2005
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Dear All :)

I am new here and kind of interested in Shinto. I learn some of the stuff in internet and thinking of going into that direction 😊

I wish to get a Kamidana in the future. However, I really don't know what to do about it. First of all, do I really have to get o-fuda from Jap shrine personally? Because I am in Australia :S Secondly, can I only worship Amaterasu as I really love natural environment and animals, it sounds unfair if I only worship to certain kami only 😌 or is there any kami that represent all nature and animals?

Finally, can anyone please teach me the procedure and the process to follow on the 1st day I want to pray once I get everything? :sorry: I really can't get enough information in the internet.

Thank you :)

Regards,
ShinJi :?
 
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There always a first time on doing things, isn't it? I know that Shinto generally prays to natural spirit. And personally I had been believing in this. But I just found out about Shinto not long ago from learning Japanese Martial Art. That's why I need some guidence and hope not to get into wrong directions.
 
Konnichiwa Shin_ji80-san!

I wish to get a Kamidana in the future. However, I really don't know what to do about it. First of all, do I really have to get o-fuda from Jap shrine personally?
You don't need to get Ofuda. Shinto is a natural religion, you should enshrine a natural things as like a small stone, bonsai or something else.
But if you want to get a Shinto goods, I recommend a small shrine(for household) to you.

S Secondly, can I only worship Amaterasu as I really love natural environment and animals, it sounds unfair if I only worship to certain kami only 😌 or is there any kami that represent all nature and animals?
Shinto is a natural religion, all gods are natural spirit. Please pick out a god by your taste.

Finally, can anyone please teach me the procedure and the process to follow on the 1st day I want to pray once I get everything? :sorry: I really can't get enough information in the internet.
There is not formal procedure to follow, but "二礼二拍手一礼:Nirei nihakusyu ichirei" is the basis of worship. At first, you stand in front of the altar and you make a polite bow from the waist twice, and after you clap your hands twice, at last you make a polite bow from the waist. This is a "Nirei nihakusyu ichirei" .

"二礼:Nirei" means "twice bowes"
"二拍手:Nihakusyu" means "twice claps"
"一礼:ichirei" means "one bow"

NANGI
 

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Thanks a lot Nanji-san for wanderful guidence. Just about the family shrine, I aware that there are 3 doors. Is there any particular ranking within Kami? As, which Kami should be in the middle, which should be in the left and right? I saw some family shrine contain 5 doors.

Some also compulsory to have a mirror in front of the door. Does that only apply to "Sun Goddess" only? or to all kami?
 
Konnichiwa Shin_ji80-san!

I aware that there are 3 doors. Is there any particular ranking within Kami?
There are 3 doors, but usually Shinto shrine enshrine only one god. Of course two or three deities are enshrined together sometimes, but a basis of shrine is one god in one shrine edifice.

As, which Kami should be in the middle, which should be in the left and right?
Usually Shinto shrine enshrine only one god. And there is not a rules.

Some also compulsory to have a mirror in front of the door. Does that only apply to "Sun Goddess" only? or to all kami?
In ancient times, Japanese people believed that mirror has magical powers. And mirror is enshrined in shrine sometimes. But it is the substitute of all Kami but not only "Sun Goddess".

NANGI
 
Thanks again Nangi, it seems to me that Shinto is very flexible in a lot of ways. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you believe in them and worship them 2 times a day (If you have kamidana at home).

What about during festival? The internet said that, we should offer something from the mountain (vegetable) and sea (fish) during festival. As I don't know much about the festival in Japan, is it possible for me to follow festival in Australia instate?

What if I go off for holidays and no one home to worship to the kami (have kamidana at home)? What should I do?
 
Konnichiwa Shin_ji80-san!
it seems to me that Shinto is very flexible in a lot of ways.
Originally, nature worship had not a sacred book and there were various difference locally. There are more detailed rules but I don't know all difference of them. I can only say a basis. But most important matter is a thanksgiving but not rules.

It doesn't matter what you do as long as you believe in them and worship them 2 times a day (If you have kamidana at home).
There is a kamidana at my home, but I have never prayed it. My religious faith is very small. 😌

What about during festival? The internet said that, we should offer something from the mountain (vegetable) and sea (fish) during festival.
It is a rules of ancestor worship but not nature spirit. I don't know that you should worship an ancestor or not.

As I don't know much about the festival in Japan, is it possible for me to follow festival in Australia instate?
"Akimatsuri" is a "Harvest Festival" in Japan. Of course you can observe a festival!

What if I go off for holidays and no one home to worship to the kami (have kamidana at home)? What should I do?
If you have no time to worship, you don't need to worship. Worship is not compulsory duty in Shinto. It is only a process to express thanks. We have not any responsibility for god.
There is a famous proverb in Japan. It is a ツ「ツ債「窶堙≫?堋ス窶堙??堋ォ窶堙個神窶版?窶堙敖:Komatta Toki no Kamidanomiツ」. It means "People pray God's mercy when they has a trouble". You don't need to worship if you have not time.

NANGI
 
hi just to add

Hi,

just to add. I am a jodoshinshu buddhist..but just to add to some points here.

Other than a mirroror the amulet received from the shinto jinja ( temple), some people also hang a calligraphy scroll with the chinese characters of the name of the sun goddess. I think this is a borrowing from buddhism.
 
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