While I do not consider myself the most religious person in the world, I find myself turning towards a variety of spiritual practices when I need guidance. I love yoga and meditation, I own more evil eyes than I can count, and I’ve started a small crystal collection. While I don’t devote all of my time to these practices, they give me an ease of mind and help me set myself in the right direction. Upon reading Practically Religious, I realized that what I am looking for in these practices are genze rikyaku, or practical benefits, and getting to see a shrine like Meiji Jingu made me feel like I was a part of something larger.
The very first aspect of the shrine that resonated with me was how peaceful everything was. From the quiet nature of the area, to the countless different species of wildlife encompassing the path, Meiji Jingu felt more serene than anything I had ever experienced. In addition to this, I loved how every aspect of the shrine was so well thought out and had meaning everywhere you turned. Particularly, I thought the trees tied together representing the marriage of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shokun were so beautiful. They are used as a site to pray for a good partner or to pray for strength in your marriage, a practical benefit that many are after. Moving past the trees, I was fascinated by the wooden carvings that other visitors left with their wishes. What struck me was the major differences between those written in Japanese, presumably by locals, and those written in other languages written by tourists and foreigners. The wooden carvings by foreigners mainly requested success, fulfillment, wealth, good health, and long life. Most of these were very vague and similar from plaque to plaque. The Japanese, however, made wishes for very specific things, like getting accepted to higher education, concert tickets, and for a sick relative to heal, to name a few. All of these wishes, however, fall into practical benefits. I left my own wishes on the site, and wished for some very specific benefits for myself, my mom, my dad, and my sister. Getting to experience all of the practices that Meiji Jingu had to offer truly connected me with the site, what it stands for, and the others who are also looking to better themselves and their loved ones.
What I find the most interesting about this, however, is that the majority of the Japanese (about 70% - 80%) would not profess to believe in any religion. I find it incredible that a society that does not generally feel committed to one specific religion can create shrines as compelling, spiritual, and beautiful as Meiji Jingu. Being someone who does not feel connected to one religion, it is so reassuring to know that it is possible to have this sense of belonging within a spiritual and sacred place. Seeing everyone here praying for a way to improve themselves proves that we all cannot do everything alone, and that there is a support system out there to guide you through. Meiji Jingu’s charm and beauty truly comes from the power that its visitors put into it, and you can feel the spirit radiating throughout the grounds.
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