【2018年11月号】走进神圣的秘境─日本神社

Tips for Visiting a Shinto Shrine

    Visitors to Japan have a dizzying array ofsights and foods to take in. If you ever travel to the country, make sure tostop by a Shinto shrine too. From their elegant architecture to their spiritualenergy, these traditional religious spaces are a peaceful getaway from Japanesecity life.

    Shinto is the original folk religion ofJapan, with a history stretching back to at least the eighth century. Followersbelieve in various kami, or gods, and both pay respect to them and ask them forgood fortune at shrines.

    Shinto shrines are usually marked by toriigates at their entrances. Don’t walk through them in the middle of the path,though, as this is where the kami pass. Upon passing through the gates, youwill see a water basin with bamboo dippers. Before praying to the kami, youmust perform a ritual to purify yourself here. Pick up the dipper with yourright hand and wash your left hand, and then reverse the process. After that,cup your left hand and pour water into it. Use this water to clean your mouth,and spit it out beside the fountain.

    Next, approach the shrine itself. Put somemoney in the collection box, and then ring the bell if there is one. Bow twice,clap twice, and then hold your hands together in front of your heart after thesecond clap. At this point, you can pray to the kami and make your wish. Whoknows? Maybe it will come true! Finally, it’s time for the fun part: theomikuji, or fortune draw. To do this, you usually shake a box and pull out along stick with a number on it. See what fortune you get at the shrine!

走进神圣的秘境──日本神社

   到日本的游客有大量令人目眩神迷的景点和食物能观赏享用。如果你到这个国家旅游，一定也要去神社作个停留。从神社优雅的建筑到精神上的能量，这些传统的宗教空间是逃离日本都市生活的宁静旅行地点。

　　神道教是日本最起初的民间宗教，有着至少可以追溯到西元八世纪的历史。其信徒相信各种各样的 kami，也就是众神，并且在神社向祂们表示敬意，也在神社向祂们祈求好运。

　　神社的入口处通常以鸟居门为特徵。但是，不要从路径的正中央穿过鸟居，因为这是 kami 通过的地方。一穿过大门，你就会看到一个有着竹勺的洗手池。在向 kami 祈祷之前，你必须在这里执行一项仪式来净化自己。用你的右手拿起勺子并清洗你的左手，然後反转此步骤。在那之後，把左手形成杯状并将水倒进去。用这些水清洗口腔，然後往水泉旁边吐出来。

　　接着，走近神社建筑本身。放一些钱进收集箱中，然後如果有铃铛的话，将铃摇响。鞠躬两次，拍手两次，然後在第二次拍手後将双手放在胸前。在这时，你可以向 kami 祈祷并许下你的愿望。谁知道呢？也许它将会成真！终於，是时候来点有趣的部分了：omikuji，也就是运签。要进行这一项，你通常会摇动一个盒子并拔出一根上面有数字的长棍。看看你在神社获得了什麽样的运气！