Two essays by Imaoka Shin’ichirō on Shintō: “Reconsidering Mason’s Shintō” [1966] & “The Image of the Shintō Shrine as Drawn by a Free Religionist” [1980]
%20-%20J%20W%20T%20Mason,%20chief%20priest%20Arima,%20Mrs.%20Mason,%20Imaoka%20Shin'ichiro.JPG) |
| Commemorating a visit to Meiji Shrine (October 25, 1933) From left, J. W. T. Mason, chief priest Arima, Mrs. Mason, translator Imaoka Shin’ichirō |
Reconsidering Mason’s Shintō [1966]
(From “Creation” [創造 Sōzō] Shōwa 41 [1966])
This year marks exactly twenty-five years since the death of J. W. T. Mason [J・W・T・メーソン], a renowned American journalist [新聞人] and follower of Shintō [神道人], yet his view of Shintō [神道観] remains modern [現代的] and universal [世界的], and is increasingly appropriate [益々適切] for today’s Shintō community in our country [今日の我国神道界] as well as to the general public [一般国民]. As old friends [旧友] gather to hold a twenty-fifth anniversary memorial service, overwhelmed by feelings of former affection [旧思慕の情], I have decided to reprint the old manuscript which I once published in “Jinja Shinpō” [『神社新報』Shintō Shrine News], and humbly request the readers of this journal [本誌の読者諸君] to give it their attention.
The Shinto perspective of the unity of heaven and earth [地天一致], and the non-duality of human and kami [人神不二]
One of the criticisms Mason received from many critics was that the Shintō he advocated was his own version of Shintō [メーソン一流の神道], and not the Shintō of Japan [日本の神道]. Certainly, Mason studied Japan and Shintō relying entirely on English translations of Japanese texts [英語訳の日本文献], without undertaking the study of the Japanese language [日本語を研究することなく]. However, Mason would always defend himself, saying, “Didn’t both Nichiren [日連] and Shinran [親鸞] become great Buddhists [偉大なる仏教家] without studying Sanskrit [サンスクリット]?” Both Mason’s strengths [長所] and weaknesses [短所] are evident here.
Another criticism directed at Mason was that the Shintō he advocated was nothing more than a reworking of Bergson’s philosophy [ベルグソン哲学の焼直し]. Indeed, in October of Shōwa 14 (1939), he once held a celebration in Tokyo in honour of Bergson’s seventieth birthday [古稀祝賀会], inviting over one hundred scholars, educators, and acquaintances from both inside and outside the country [内外の学者教育者及知友] to the Gakushi Kaikan [学士会館 Academic Hall]. For Mason, Bergson was a great Shintō philosopher [偉大なる神道哲学者]. Mason’s assertion was that if Shintō were to be practised in America [亜米利加], there would likely be shrines to Washington [ワシントン] and Lincoln [リンカーン]; and in the future, there would also likely be shrines for Christ [基督神社], Buddha [釈迦神社], and Confucius [孔子神社]. Here too, both Mason’s strengths [長所] and weaknesses [短所] are evident.
I am not someone who unconditionally agrees with Mason’s assertions, yet when reflecting on the form Shinto ought to take [在り方] a defeated, post-war Japan [敗戦日本], I think Mason’s thought [思想] is one of the most vital points of reference [最も有力なる参考資料]. If Mason were alive today, I believe he would play an extremely important role [極めて重大なる役割], not only for Japan but also for America, and above all, for Shintō itself. I am someone who now, more than ever, recognises his true worth.
At the time when the celebrations for the 2600th year of the Imperial Era [紀元二千六百年] were underway on a nationwide scale [全国的に展開されつつあった時], Mason made a special visit to worship [参拝] at the Kashihara Shrine [橿原神宮]. On that occasion, the chief priest [宮司] of Uda [菟田] explained to Mason, saying: “The main sanctuary [本殿] of this shrine will never be opened [永久に開扉されない].” Thereupon, Mason was deeply moved [非常に感激して] and responded: “It is surely fitting that the principal object of veneration [御本尊] of a Shintō shrine is something formless [無形なもの] and spiritual [精神的な者].” When one hears the phrase “shrine whose sanctuary is never opened” [開かずの神殿], one may be led to feel that some kind of mysterious sacred image [神秘的な御神像] is enshrined therein, but Mason did not feel that way at all. I was deeply impressed at that time by Mason’s intuitive insight [直観力], through which, from the notion of a “shrine whose sanctuary is never opened,” he immediately grasped the idea that “kami [神] is formless” [神は無形].
After completing his visit to the Kashihara Shrine [橿原神宮], Mason went on to worship [参拝] at Kamayama Shrine [釜山神社] in Wakayama City [和歌山市]. Guided by Chief Priest Adachi [足立宮司], he was told that although the shrine and the imperial mausoleum [御陵] exist in almost the same location [殆んど同じ場所], not only are their entrances different, but the two are treated as entirely separate entities [全く別々な取扱を受けている]. Upon hearing this explanation, Mason was delighted [非常に喜んだ]. This was because Mason discovered in the Kamayama Shrine the same Shintō principle [神社原理] that he discovered in the Kashihara Shrine. Even if the origin of the shrine lay in the imperial tomb [御陵], once it was established as a shrine [神社として成立した以上], the shrine was, in its essence, something entirely distinct from the tomb and wholly spiritual [全く精神的な者]—this was the fact he discovered at Kamayama Shrine.
However, Mason did not discover the spirituality [精神性] of shrines only upon visiting those of Kashihara or Kamayama. Rather, it was Mason’s fervent assertion [熱心な主張] from the beginning that shrines are spiritual entities by nature [本来神社は精神的な者だ]. Accordingly, when Mason once visited a certain shrine in Izumo [出雲の或神社] and heard that a sacred image [神像] of the goddess Inadahime [稲田姫] was enshrined there [奉安されてある], he passionately argued that such an image should not be an object of worship [崇拝の対象たるべき者] but should instead be kept in a treasure hall or museum [宝物館か博物館かに保管さるべき者].
I travelled together with Mason to worship [参拝] at shrines throughout various regions of the country, but among them, the impression from our visit to Hinomisaki Shrine [日御崎神社] in Izumo Province [出雲国] is something I will never forget for as long as I live [永久に忘れ難きものである]. Hinomisaki Shrine is located at the western tip of the Izumo Peninsula [出雲半島], which juts out into the Sea of Japan [日本海], and it is the best place in Japan for viewing the setting sun [落日] over the Sea of Japan. After completing our worship at the shrine under the guidance of Baron Ono, the chief priest [宮司小野男爵], we descended to the beach and engaged in conversation.
The kami/deities enshrined at Hinomisaki Shrine are Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神] and Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊], and as he gazed in fascination at the beautiful scene of the setting sun—which is the symbol of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神のシンボル]—Mason quietly and attentively listened [静に…傾聴する] to the explanation of Chief Priest Ono [小野宮司]. According to the chief priest, each year from New Year’s Eve [大晦日] through New Year’s Day [元旦], a special ritual [特別な祭儀] is performed at this shrine. This ritual is conducted solely by the chief priest [宮司のみに依って行われ], and absolutely no one else is permitted to participate [何人も参加することを許されぬ]; it is an extremely solemn and important ritual [極めて厳粛重要なる祭儀]. Although it is absolutely forbidden to explain what kind of ceremony is carried out [如何なる儀式が執り行われるかは絶対に説明することを許されぬ], its meaning lies in commemorating the event in which Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊] presented the Kusanagi sword [叢雲剣], which he obtained at the upper reaches of the Yahirogawa [鏃川上], as an offering [奉献] to Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神] in Takamagahara [高天原, the Plain of High Heaven].
Mason listened to the chief priest’s words with deep emotion [感興深げに…聴いていた], and upon taking his leave [辞去するに当り], he said, “It is the highest honour to hear from the Baron, descendant of Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊の後裔たる男爵], the story of the ascent to Takamagahara for the offering of the divine sword of Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊の神剣奉献のための高天原登りの物語り]. Bathed in the light of the setting sun [落日の光り], which is the symbol of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神のシンボルたる], your explanation has, to me, felt just like the sacred words of Susanoo no Mikoto himself [須佐能男尊御自身の御言葉であります].” And with that, they exchanged a firm handshake [堅き握手を交えるのであった].
Mason was always saying that he liked Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊] and also the land of Izumo [出雲国], but at first I did not understand the meaning of this at all [共意味が最初益らなかったのである]. However, Mason’s aforementioned words at the front of Hinomisaki Shrine [日御崎神社の社頭], helped me truly come to understand this well [実に能くその意味が解った]. Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊] was not merely a violent or unruly deity [単なる乱暴神]—the divine sword [神剣], one of the Three Sacred Treasures [三種神器の一], was indeed something obtained by the hand of Susanoo no Mikoto himself [須佐能男尊の手によって獲得された者]. But Susanoo no Mikoto [須佐能男尊] was not someone who was simply cast down from Takamagahara [高天原] to the Netherworld/Land of Roots [根国] and left there [放しにされた方ではない]; he ascended once again to the heavens [天上に登られた] bearing the divine sword [神剣を携えて].The ascension of Susanoo no Mikoto [佐能男尊の昇天] signifies the unity of earth and heaven [地と天との一致], and the non-duality of human and kami [人と神との不二]. The true aim of Shintō [神道の本旨] is indeed to be found precisely here [実にここにあるのである].
The Shinto perspective that reveres freedom and creativity [自由と創造を尊ぶ神道観]
What would traditional Shinto practitioners [神道家達] in Japan think of the newly published democratic constitution (民主主義憲法)? I think there would be quite a number of people who, from the outset, consider democracy [民主主義] itself to be un-Shintō-like [神道的でない]. Accordingly, Mason’s Shintō is criticised as being overly democratic [余りにも民主主義的].
However, explaining the myth that the assembly of the eight million kami [八百万神の会議] was convened by Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大御神] and Takami-Musubi no Kami [高御産巣日神], Mason says: “Amaterasu Ōmikami, sovereign of Takamagahara [高天原の支配者たる天照大御神], is always together with Musubi no Kami, that is, the deity of self-creative development [自己創造的発展の神]. Amaterasu Ōmikami governs not as a dictator [独裁者] but rather by a democracy [デモクラシー] which values the responsibility and effort of each individual [個々人の責任と努力とを重んずる]. As the unifying deity [統一の神], Amaterasu Ōmikami does not neglect to recognise creative individualism [創造的個人主義] as the element of the divine spirit [神霊] closest to Herself [御自分に最も近い神霊の要素として認める事を怠り給わぬ].”
Accordingly, from the perspective of Mason’s Shintō, it is acceptable to consider the new constitution [新憲法] as precisely Shintō-like [神道的].
Though it is not widely known in the world, around the time of the outbreak of the February 26 Incident [二・二六事件], Mason was deeply troubled [非常に心を痛めたものだ]. He said: “In Hyde Park, London, freedom of thought is completely permitted [完全に思想の自由が許される]. Even anarchism [無政府主義] and communism [共産主義] may be freely expressed. In [this attitude] is found the true Shintō [真の神道]. At present, I feel as though Japan’s Shintō [日本の神道] has vanished somewhere [姿を消して仕舞った感がある]. I am departing from Japan in order to worship at the Hyde Park Shrine [ハイド・パーク神社に参拝すべく日本を去るのである].” Not long after saying this, he did indeed leave Japan. However, before long he came to Japan once again for a third time [三度び日本に来朝], and upon reading the article about Takao Saitō-shi’s [斎藤隆夫氏] speech in the 74th Imperial Diet [第七十四議会], directed against the military authorities [軍部] and demanding an explanation [質問演説], Mason was greatly pleased [非常に喜び], and purposely visited Saitō-shi to express his respect [敬意を表したのである]. Commenting on Saitō-shi’s speech, Mason said: “It is on par with the famous speech by Patrick Henry [パトリック・ヘンリー] who shouted, ‘Give me liberty, or give me death’ [自由を与えよ。然らざれば死を与えよ]”, and declared that here indeed the spirit of Shintō [神道精神] is truly to be found.” From that time, Mason maintained a very close friendship [非常に親しい交際] with Saitō-shi. Thus, on one occasion when a dinner party was held at the Gakushi Kaikan [学士会館] for Mr and Mrs Mason [メーソン夫妻] and their friends, and a commemorative photograph was taken [記念写真を撮影], Mason himself arranged matters, giving particular attention to seating Saitō-shi in the centre [中央に設け], while placing himself and his wife on either side [両脇に座り], and further seating General Araki [荒木大将] and Dr Inoue [井上博士] on either side of them. Remembering such things, I cannot help but grieve anew [今更の如く悲しまずには居られない] over the fact that Mason passed away too soon [其死の早すぎたこと], and I think how much he would have contributed both to Japan and to America were he still living today at the time of the promulgation of the new constitution [新憲法公布の今日].
According to Mason, Shintō is the intuitive truth [直観的真理] of the Japanese people [日本人] in ancient times [太古], and is that which has accomplished the great work [偉業] of self-creative activity [自己創造的活動] that runs consistently through Japanese history [日本歴史を一貫せる]. Furthermore, according to Mason, self-creation [自己創造] is the élan vital of Bergson’s philosophy [ベルグソン哲学に於けるエラン・ヴィタル], and to put it as simply as possible, it is the arising of presence from absence (無から有を生ずること)—this was Mason’s assertion [メーソンの主張である].
In September of Shōwa 11 (1936), I spent a night together with Mason at Seiken-ji [清見寺] in Okutsu [奥津], at the invitation of Resident Priest Furukawa Daikō-shi [住職古川大航師]. That evening, we engaged in various refined conversations [清談], but among them, the following story told by Master Furukawa [古川老師] especially seemed to arouse Mason’s interest.
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| Mount Fuji, Miho no Matsubara, and Seiken-ji Temple Attributed to Sesshū Tōyō, inscription by Zhan Zhonghe Eisei Bunko Museum, Tokyo (Source) |
“Sesshū [雪舟] crossed over to China [支那] in order to train in the Way of Buddhism [仏道] and the Way of Painting [画道]. He studied abroad for several years, but in the end, no longer finding any master under whom he should study, he prepared to return to Japan. At that time, as a memento, he painted a landscape scroll [山水画] depicting Mount Fuji [富士山], the pine groves of Miho [三保の松原], and the coast of Kiyomigata [清見潟]. It was an extraordinary masterpiece [非常な傑作], and it won great praise from the people there. A contemporary scholar and great master of calligraphy [書道の大家]—a monk by the name of Chūwa [仲和]—was so impressed that he wrote an inscription [賛] on the painting. Sesshū then painted a second scroll of the same subject, had Chūwa inscribe it, and left one in China while bringing the other back to Japan. However, while travelling, one thing continued to trouble him. In the painting, Sesshū had included a pagoda [塔] drawn with ink-was in the outer precincts of the main hall [本堂の外] of Seiken-ji [清見寺]. Yet he was unsure whether there actually was a pagoda at the temple. Therefore, immediately upon returning to Japan, Sesshū went to Okutsu to visit the real Seiken-ji. But there was not even a trace of a pagoda [影だに無い]. Sesshū was disheartened. Nevertheless, he made a firm resolution: “I shall make the pagoda present” (塔を在らしめよう). And so, with much labour and feeling, chiefly by means of the earnings from his own brush, he raised the necessary funds, and at last succeeded in making real the pagoda as he had painted it. Although, sadly, the pagoda has since been lost to fire, the foundation stones [礎石] remain firmly in place even today.”
Mason listened with great interest and attentiveness to the story of the master [老師の物語]. Sesshū brought about the arising of presence from absence [無から有を生じたのである]. He brought the pagoda into presence (塔を創造したのである). Sesshū was, at once, a Buddhist [仏教家] and a Shintō practitioner [神道家].
A View of the Emperor as a Spiritual Unifier [精神的統合としての天皇観] Buddhism and Shinto in Alignment on the Concept of Salvation [教済観において一致する仏教と神道]
When Mason first came to Japan in Shōwa 7 (1932), Japan at that time was experiencing a considerable degree of fascist fervour [ファッショ熱が相当品まっていた]. However, Mason responded to this by saying: “Japan has no need now to learn Italy’s fascism [イタリーのファッショ] anew. Japan already practised fascism six hundred years ago through Minamoto no Yoritomo [頼朝],” thereby gaining the attentive ear of many among the intelligentsia [識者を傾聴せしめた]. However, Mason also clarified that under Yoritomo [頼朝], ritual [祭祀] and government [政治] were separated into distinct spheres, and he praised the genius-level of insight [天才的洞察力] that only a great statesman possesses. On this point, there were not a few who criticised Mason’s Shintō [メーソン神道]. Yet now, in the present day, with the promulgation of the new constitution [新憲法が公布され], and the concept of the national polity [国体観念] having been strikingly transformed [著しく変革された], when one reconsiders Mason’s assertions, one cannot help but be struck with renewed admiration [今更の如く敬服せしめられる] for the perceptiveness of Mason’s insight [メーソンの卓見]. In his book The Way of the Kami [『神ながらの道』 Eng. trans. “The Spirit of Shinto Mythology”], Mason states the following:
“Yoritomo [頼朝] was the first statesman in Japan [日本最初の政治家] to realise that, in order to secure stable government [政権の安定を図る], it was necessary to remove political power from the shifting control of courtiers [無定なる延臣の支配] and from the intrigues of those who, by making use of the Emperor [天皇を擁して], sought to indulge their own selfish desires [自己の私慾を恣にせんとする人々の陰謀]. In Japan [日本に於ては], there were times when the Emperor himself directly governed [自ら政治をみそなわされた], but for the most part, it was ministers [大臣] and court nobles [朝臣] who occupied that role, and there were indeed cases in which they sought their own benefit [自利を図る] at the expense of the people [国民の犠牲に於て]. The Emperor [天皇] was revered by the people not as a political sovereign [政治上の君主] but as the earthly personification [地上に於ける人格化] of the central divine spirit [中心的神霊] in heaven [天上]. Thus, he stood and was venerated [尊崇されて居た] in a position higher than that of a political sovereign [政治上の君主よりも適に高い地位]. However, the Emperor was not a religious pope [宗教上の法王] but was the personification of the spiritual unity [神霊的統一の人格化] of the Japanese people [日本人], who regard themselves as a collective of Shintō families [神道家族の集団] descended from the heavenly kami [天神の子孫たる].”
To the Japanese people [日本国民に取っては], the Emperor [天皇] is not revered because he is a political sovereign [政治上の君主], but because he is the symbol of the spiritual integration [精神的統合の象徴] of the Japanese people. For Mason, moreover, this latter position is far more noble [遥に尊い] than the former. This is because the Emperor is the earthly expression [地的表現] of the central divine spirit/kami [中心的神霊] in Takamagahara [高天原], that is, of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神]. If one puts it this way, it might seem as though Mason’s Shintō ultimately falls into mysticism [神秘主義に堕して仕舞う], but it is certainly not so. Indeed, Mason says that the Emperor is divine [天皇を神だという], but he simultaneously asserts that the common people [一般国民] are also equally divine [同じく神である]. The people and the Emperor are all mikoto [みことで], but the Emperor is the sumeramikoto [すめらみことで the Emperor in his divine role]—that is, the unifying mikoto [統合するみことで]. However, this unification [統合] is not a political unification [政治的統合] but an entirely spiritual one [精神的統合である]. Therefore, the essential nature of the Emperor [天皇の本質] does not lie in being a political unifier [政治的統合者], but rather in being a spiritual unifier [精神的統合者]. It is precisely for this reason that Mason insists [主張するのである] that Yoritomo’s [頼朝] act of removing political power from the Emperor [天皇より政治的実権を引離した事] was a most extraordinary insight [非常なる卓見]. Accordingly, from the perspective of Mason’s Shintō, the new constitution’s [新憲法] drastic reduction [大幅に縮減] of the Emperor’s sovereign powers [天皇の大権事項] does not diminish the Emperor’s dignity [天皇の尊厳] in the slightest, but rather clarifies his essential nature [其の本質] more clearly than ever before [今迄以上に明らかにした]. Mason came to Japan a fourth time, and cherished the wish [念願を持って居た] to complete a written work comparable to Shinran Shōnin’s Tannishō [親上人の歎異抄], but it is truly regrettable [誠に遺憾である] that in the end, this was never realised [終に実現を見なかった].
Mason responded with boundless sympathy and deep emotion [限り無き共鳴と感激]—with an intuitive insight characteristic of Mason himself—to the celebrated phrase from the Tannishō [歎異抄], which may be called the very essence of the text [異抄の神髄], namely: “Even the good person is saved—how much more so the evil person” [「善人なをもて往生をとぐいはんや悪人をや」]. In the Tannishō, Mason discovered not merely a Buddhist interpretation influenced by Shintō [神道的仏教], but rather Shintō itself [神道其者]. Human beings are all, in their essence, divine [人は皆本質的に神である]. And at the very moment in which one awakens to the fact that one is divine [神たることを自覚した瞬間], one is saved [救われるのである]. Once saved, one is saved for all time [永久に救われたのである]. Of course, even one who has been saved may commit what are called evil deeds [所謂悪事を働くこともあろう]. However, so long as the fact of one’s divinity remains unshaken [神たる事実が不動である限り], that person is fully and completely saved—this is Mason’s explanation. On this point, Mason often exchanged views with Akegarasu Haya-shi (暁烏敏氏),, but Akegarasu-shi seemed to feel that something was lacking in Mason’s understanding [物足りなさを感じた様である]. In Shinran’s view of salvation [親鸞の救済観], there was the prior condition of a deep and severe awareness of sin [深酷なる罪悪観]. But can the Shintō view of salvation [神道の救済観] truly be said to contain such a premise? Might Shintō not, in the end, be nothing more than a very superficial form of naturalism [自然主義] or instinctualism [本能主義]? I found the conversations between Akegarasu and Mason extremely interesting when viewed from this perspective [此見地からして非常に興味深く思った]. As Mason consistently argued [絶えず主張した様に], I too believe that Japanese Buddhism [日本の仏教] has been greatly influenced by Shintō [神道の影響を受けて居る]. But at the same time, I believe that Shintō has also been influenced by Buddhism [仏教の影響を受けて居る]. Precisely for this reason, I think this issue will be especially important if Shintō is to develop as a religion in the future [神道が宗教として発展する為には特に此点が問題になると思う]. In the connection between Mason’s Shintō [メーソン神道] and the Tannishō [歎異抄], I find a clue [一唆] to the path which Shintō ought to follow in the time to come [今後の神道の辿り行くべき方向].
A Contemporary Interpretation of the Unbroken Imperial Line [万世一系] and the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨]
After completing his worship at Izumo Grand Shrine [出雲大社の参拝を終って], while on the way to the Hinomisaki Shrine [日御崎神社に至る途中], Mason was told by his guide [案内者] that the mountaintop to the right [右側の山の上] was Takamagahara [高天原 the Plain of High Heaven], and smiling gently [微笑みながら], he offered the following thought [感想を述べるのであった]:
“I came to Izumo [出雲] and heard that even Izumo has its own Mount Fuji [富士山], which I found quite interesting. But now, to learn that Izumo also has its own Takamagahara [高天原] is truly delightful [非常に面白い]. I have been told that throughout Japan there are Mount Fujis, and also Takamagaharas. If that is indeed the case, then from the Japanese point of view, Mount Fuji is not limited to the actual mountain that straddles Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures [静岡県と山梨県とに跨る現実の山に限定されないのである]. To attempt to determine the location of Takamagahara geographically [地理学的に] is entirely meaningless [誠に無意義である]. To those who have eyes to see, Mount Fuji can be seen everywhere, and Takamagahara can be seen everywhere.”
According to Mason’s understanding, Takamagahara [高天原] is by no means a physical location on earth or in the heavens [地理学的若くは天文学的な場所], but rather a completely non-spatial [非空間的な], spiritual world [精神的な世界]. However, it does not exist apart from the real world [現実の世界を遊離して存在する]—rather, it is immanent within the real world [現実の世界に内在する]. Takamagahara and the Land of Abundant Reeds and Fresh Ears of Rice [豊葦原瑞穂国 i.e. Japan] are not separate existences [別々な存在] but are rather two sides of the same reality [表裏一体をなす者]. In other words, the Land of Abundant Reeds and Fresh Ears of Rice [豊葦原瑞穂国] is the material and spatial self-realisation [物質的空間的な自己実現] of the non-spatial, spiritual Takamagahara [精神的な非空間的な高天原]. Accordingly, the myth of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨の物語り] is by no means a narrative of historical fact [歴史的事実の物語り]—it is a myth containing within itself the truth of the non-duality of heaven and earth [天地不二], and of the unity of matter and spirit [物心一加]. The creators of the myth [神話の作者達] were probably not consciously aware [意識的に理解して居た] of such truths, but at the very least, they grasped them at the level of the subconscious [潜在意識には把握して居たのである]. By interpreting Japanese mythology [日本神話] in this way, it reveals a significance that is profoundly modern [極めて現代的な意義を発揮する].
If I may add a few words [of my own] from the above perspective [加上の見地に立って少しく附言するならば], the myth of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨の物語り] causes one to discover the national spirit of Japan [日本の国精神] in the realisation of Takamagahara [高天原] upon the earth [地上に実現すること]. The Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨] was not a one-time event in the past [嘗つて一度あった事実では無く], but must be an eternal reality [永久の事実] that is endlessly repeated [絶えず繰返さるべき]. Until the earthly, actual land [地上現実の国土] has fully become the heavenly, ideal land [天上理想の国土になりきる迄は], the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild must go on! [天孫降臨！] The interaction between heaven and earth [天と地との交流] must be repeated eternally [永久に繰返されなければならぬ]. In this regard, we can perceive a certain common spirit [一脈相通ずる者] between the myth of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨の神話] and the heart of Christ [基督のこころ], who taught the heart that constantly prays: “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” [「御国を来らせ給へ、御旨の天に成るごとく地にも成らせ給へ」と絶えず祈るこころ].
In connection with the myth of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨の物語りに関聯して], Mason’s interpretation of the divine command [神勅] comes to mind. The divine command of the heavenly ancestor [天祖の神勅] has been regarded with great seriousness [極めて重要視された] as the foundation for clarifying the national polity [国体明徴の基礎づけとして], and Mason likewise acknowledged its significance [大いにその意義を認めた]. However, Mason firmly rejected the tendency to treat this divine command [神勅] as a kind of prophecy [1種の予言扱いをすることを極力排斥した], and he asserted [主張した] that the imperial throne [皇位] is by no means something determined by fate or mechanistic [運命的に或は器械的に無なのではない]. In many respects, Mason was influenced by Dr Kakuhiko [克彦博士] and resonated with many of his views [所説に共鳴する所が多かった]. Yet on one occasion, the conversation happened to touch upon the divine command [神勅のことに及び], and Mason expressed quite frankly [極めて率直に] the possibility of the imperial line coming to an end [皇統断絶の可能性]. It is not likely that Dr Kakuhiko [克彦博士] himself understood the divine command as a mechanistic, prophetic statement [器械的予言観] either, but he opposed any recognition of such a possibility, saying firmly: “If such a thing were possible, then Japan would no longer exist” [「若し左様なことが可能な場合があれば日本国は最早存在しない」]. To this, Mason replied: “I absolutely cannot understand that point” [「どうしてもその点は理解出来ぬ」]. It is of course not the case that Mason opposed the hereditary succession of the imperial throne [皇位の世襲に反対したわけではない]. But for him, the mere fact that something has continued for a long time temporally [単に時間的に長くつづいた] is not in itself something to be revered [ありがたくないのである]. He pointed out that the imperial house of Ethiopia [エチオピアの皇室] is, in terms of temporal duration, longer than Japan’s imperial house [日本の皇室より長い], and argued that revering a royal family simply on that basis [単にその点で] is an extremely shallow thing [意味甚だ稀薄である]. If we pursue Mason’s thought to its conclusion [メーソンの思想をつきつめて見ると], it ultimately comes to the following.
It cannot be absolutely proven [正確に証明されない] that the present Emperor [今上天皇] is a lineal descendant [血統上の子孫] of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神]. From the beginning, the heavenly ancestor Amaterasu Ōmikami [天祖天照大神] exists beyond the material [物質以上の存在である]. Accordingly, the true meaning [真意] of the statement that the Emperor is a descendant of Amaterasu Ōmikami must also be understood in a non-material sense [非物質的な意味に於て]. The Emperor [天皇] is the spatial and material expression [空間的物質的表現者] of Amaterasu Ōmikami, the unifying divine spirit [統一神霊] in the non-spatial Takamagahara [非空間的な高天原に於ける]. To interpret the relationship between the two [両者の関係] as a temporal relationship of ancestor and descendant [時間的に祖孫の関係] is nothing more than the mythological expression [神話的表現] of the ancient Japanese people [太古の日本人]. To express this in modern terms [現代的に表現するならば], the true meaning of the “unbroken imperial line” [万世一系の真意] is none other than this: that the spiritually unified oneness of the divine spirit which embraces all things [万物包容の神霊的一体性] has never once been destroyed since the very beginning [太初以来未だ営て破壊されたことが無い] (cf. The Way of the Kami [『神ながらの道』]).
To say that the Emperor [天皇] is revered because he is a descendant of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神の子孫なるが故に尊ぶ] is still not to have fully penetrated the true significance [未だ…意義に徹して居ない] of reverence for the Emperor [天皇尊崇]. It is through enthronement [即位] that the Emperor acquires the awareness [自覚を得給う] of being one with Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神と一体である]. That is to say, he becomes the sumeramikoto [すめらみこととなり給う the Emperor in his divine role]. And sumeramikoto is none other than the harmony [調] of the unifying divine spirit [統一的神霊]. In other words, the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨] and the issuing of the divine command [神勅の渙発] are not events that occurred long ago [大昔左様な事実があったというのでは無く], but rather, the very event of imperial enthronement [天皇即位の事実] is itself the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild and the issuing of the divine command. Accordingly, the reason why the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨] and the divine command [神勅] are worthy of reverence [有りがたい] is that they are present realities [現在の事実なるが故である]. Mason once heard from Hoshino Teruoki-shi [星野輝興氏] that the meaning of the Festival of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨祭] is contained within the Genji Festival [元始祭], and reflecting on the fact that his own birthday was [on the same day] 3 January, he became all the more deeply interested [一入興味深く] in studying the significance of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨の意義]. In short, because Mason discovered Takamagahara [高天原] upon the earth [地上に], and discovered the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨] as a present event [現在の出来事として], he felt a boundless inner exultation [とめども無き心の跳りを感じたのである].
Having affirmed the non-duality [不二] of Takamagahara [高天原] and the Land of Abundant Reed Plains and Lush Ears of Rice [瑞穂国], the unity [一体性] of Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神] and the sumeramikoto [すめらみこと], and the eternal repetition [永遠なる繰返し] of the Descent of the Heavenly Grandchild [天孫降臨], Mason naturally felt a deep inspiration [限りなき感興] at the fact that Hihomisaki Shrine [日御崎神社] consists of a shrine to Susanoo-no-Mikoto [須佐能男尊] and a shrine to Amaterasu Ōmikami [天照大神], and that both kami/deities dwell together in harmony within a single sacred precinct [同一神域内に鎮まり給う]. For the same reason, Mason consistently asserted that Ise Grand Shrine [伊勢神宮] and Izumo Grand Shrine [出雲大社] ought to be revered equally [同様に尊崇すべき]. Ise Grand Shrine symbolises heaven, womanhood, and grace [天と女性と優美], whereas Izumo Grand Shrine symbolises earth, manhood, and strength [地と男性と力]. Although there is a clear distinction [ハッキリした区別] between the two, the two must naturally be one [一体でなければならぬ]. Accordingly, Mason urged the Japanese people [日本国民に告げて] to visit Izumo Grand Shrine with the same degree of reverence as when they visit Ise Grand Shrine [中勢神宮に参拝すると同じ程度に出雲大社に参拝すること]. He insisted that government ministers [国務大臣], just as they visit Ise Grand Shrine to receive the Imperial Mandate of Appointment [親任告], must also pay their respects at Izumo Grand Shrine without fail [必ず出雲大社に参拝すべき].
Whether Mason’s Shintō [メーソン神道] is monotheistic [一神論], polytheistic [多神論], or pantheistic [汎神論]—this was a question often posed to him. In response, Mason would reply that it is rather animistic [汎霊論]. That is to say, from the standpoint of Mason’s thought, all things are divine spirit [神霊]. The divine spirit does not exist apart from all things [万物を離れては存在しない]—all things themselves are divine spirit. Matter and the divine are the two faces of one reality [表裏一体]. All things are the self-manifestation [自己実現] of divine spirit. A living kami [活ける神] necessarily realises itself within all things. A kami that does not realise itself is a dead kami [死せる神].
A dead kami [死せる神] is no longer a kami. Accordingly, based on this premise, a Shintō shrine [神社] does not require a shrine hall [神殿]. Mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees [山川草木] are themselves the shrine hall. Mason, who found meaning in a shrine hall that is never opened [開かずの神殿], thus also felt great significance in a shrine without any shrine hall at all. Accordingly, Mason had deep interest in the Nachi Shrine [那智神社], which treats the Nachi Waterfall [那智滝] itself as its sacred body [神体], and in the Asama Shrine [浅間神社], which treats Mount Fuji [富士山] itself as its sacred body. In particular, he felt boundless emotion towards the Ōmiwa Shrine [大三輪神社], which treats Mount Miwa [三輪山] itself as its sacred body and, apart from the worship hall [拝殿], possesses no shrine hall whatsoever.
Before the revered Sukuna-hikona no Mikoto [少彦名尊] departed for the Eternal Land [常世国], the following conversation took place between him and the revered Ōkuninushi no Mikoto [大国主尊]. Ōkuninushi no Mikoto said: “This land we have fashioned—can it truly be called complete?” Sukuna-hikona no Mikoto responded and said: “Some parts are wrought complete, others remain unshaped.” Thus, in the main text of the Nihon Shoki [日本紀], it is appended that “this tale contains a mysterious and profound meaning” [幽深なる意味]. To this, Mason applies his own distinctive insight and intuition.
According to the legends of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki [紀紀], the origin of the Ōmiwa Shrine [大三輪神社] is as follows. After the departure of Sukuna-hikona no Mikoto [少彦名尊], Ōkuninushi no Mikoto [大国主尊] declared, “At present, I alone govern this land. Is there any other being who might govern the realm together with me?” Thereupon, a wondrous light illuminated the sea, and suddenly a figure emerged, saying: “Had I not been present, how could you possibly have pacified this land? It was because I was here that you were able to achieve such great merit in the governance of the realm. If you will build a shrine for me at Mt Miwa [三輪山] and serve me properly, then henceforth your endeavours will become ever more successful.” Then Ōkuninushi no Mikoto asked, “Who, then, are you?” And the reply came: “I am your sachimitama [幸魂] and kushimitama [奇魂].” Ōkuninushi no Mikoto responded, “Indeed. You truly are my sachimitama [幸魂 Beneficent Spirit] and kushimitama [奇魂 Numinous Spirit]” Thus, the sachimitama of Ōkuninushi no Mikoto was enshrined at Mt Miwa, which had marked the eastern boundary of his domain, and this became the present-day Ōmiwa Shrine [大三輪神社]. Mason interpreted the appearance of the divine light in the above legend as a mythological expression of the inner spiritual inspiration of Ōkuninushi no Mikoto. Accordingly, the sachimitama and kushimitama are nothing other than the divine spirit that Ōkuninushi no Mikoto apprehended within himself as the animating force of his own being [尊の内に感得し給うた自己の原動力たる神霊]. The revered one was truly guided by this inner divine spirit and was thereby able to accomplish the great work of making the land. And this divine spirit was not a separate being from Ōkuninushi no Mikoto himself, but rather the very inner essence of the revered one [実は尊の内面的実体に外ならぬのである]. In other words, Ōkuninushi no Mikoto was able to accomplish his great task only because he was, in truth, a manifestation of an Amatsu-kami [天つ神] (Heavenly Deity). Thus, when Mason visited Ōmiwa Shrine [大三輪神社], he not only recalled the great work of governance carried out by Ōkuninushi no Mikoto, whose domain extended to the eastern boundary of Mt Miwa, but also discerned in Mt Miwa the very symbol of the divine spirit — the true essence of the revered one — which he had apprehended as the power that enabled his achievement. In this way, kami [神], mountain [山], and person [人] are ultimately all manifestations of one single divine spirit [神霊]. Because Mason grasped this Shintō principle [神道原理], and the “mysterious and profound purport” [幽深き致] referred to in the Nihon Shoki [日本書紀], he experienced a feeling of limitless inspiration.
After offering up the land, Ōkuninushi no Mikoto [大国主尊] was commanded by the heavenly kami [天神] to “govern the affairs of the kami” [神の事を治らすべし]; and Mason discerned in this the continuation of that “profound inner significance” [幽深き致]. According to Mason’s explanation, the divine command mentioned above is none other than Ōkuninushi no Mikoto's realisation of the divine spirit [神霊] that is the very essence of his own being [自己の実体たる].
Mason further discovered the continuation of the “profound inner significance” [幽深き致] in the deeds of Emperor Sujin [崇神天皇]. The Emperor, lamenting the frequent occurrence of disasters, offered prayers, whereupon a noble figure appeared to him in a dream, gave his name as Ōkuninushi no Mikoto [大国主尊], and said: “There is no need to concern yourself with the unrest of the land. If you have my child Ōtatane-neko [大田田根子] enshrine me, peace will immediately come to reign over the realm. Even the various countries beyond the seas will of their own accord submit.” Accordingly, the Emperor immediately caused Ōtatane-neko to enshrine Ōkuninushi no Mikoto, and undertook the restoration of the Great Miwa Shrine [大三輪神社]; and through this tale, Mason saw in Emperor Sujin the reappearance of Ōkuninushi no Mikoto. That is to say, according to Mason’s view, just as Ōkuninushi no Mikoto, through realising the divine spirit [神霊] that was the essence of his own being, accomplished the great enterprise of governing the land, so too—by an awareness of the same Shintō principle [神道原理]—did Emperor Sujin accomplish such a great work as to be praised as a second Emperor Jinmu [神武天皇].
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| Mason at the Imperial Hotel on October 25, 1933 |
When Mason left Japan in Shōwa 15 (1940), he promised that—once the European War had ended—he would, without fail, carry out a fourth visit to Japan at the earliest possible date. However, on 13 May of the following year (Shōwa 16, 1941), he suddenly passed away in New York. According to a statement released by his widow, Mason had already drawn up a will at the end of Shōwa 15 (1940), and in it he declared: “Bury my remains in Japan; and upon the construction of Sujin Shrine [崇神神宮], if permission be granted, bury me as near as possible to the Shrine.” In accordance with his will, Mason’s remains were transported from New York to Japan before the outbreak of war between Japan and the United States, aboard the last Japanese steamship permitted to navigate the Panama Canal. They were shortly thereafter interred at the Tama Cemetery [多摩霊園].
Thus it was that Mason fulfilled his promise of a fourth visit to Japan. Moreover, his will provided a final conclusion to his statements and actions during his life.
Because I was born into a Shinshū [真宗 i.e. True Pure Land Buddhist] family, I merely respected Shintō shrines [神社] from a distance and kept away from them. During my middle school years, after becoming a Christian [クリスチャン], I went so far as to reject and look down on them entirely as either places of delusion [迷言] or heresy [邪教]. However, after entering university and going on to specialise in religious studies [宗教学], I began to research Shintō [神道] objectively and with composure. Then, in Shōwa 7 (1932), through a mysterious twist of fate [不思議な縁], I became acquainted with Mr. J. W. T. Mason [J・W・Tメーソン氏], a prominent journalist [新聞人] based in New York, and for the next ten years or so thereafter, we dedicated ourselves to the joint study of Shintō. Mr. Mason, in the early part of his career as a journalist, had been fascinated by the fact that the small nation of Japan had overwhelmed the great power of Russia. He investigated the cause and concluded that it was due to the dynamic, self-renewing power to evolve and flourish [生々発展力] possessed by the Japanese people since the beginning of the world [開闢], which corresponded precisely to the concept of élan vital in the philosophy of [Henri] Bergson [ベルグソン哲学]. He thus came to the conclusion that this was nothing other than Shintō. While continuing his busy work as a journalist, he studied with deep interest many English-language texts on Japan and Shintō, beginning with the “Kojiki” [古事記] and “Nihon Shoki” [日本書紀], and eventually came to publicly recognise and declare himself to be a follower of Shintō [神道人]. Immediately after retiring, he came to Japan and wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the direct study of Japan—especially to visiting and worshipping at the Ise Grand Shrine [皇大神宮], Izumo Grand Shrine [出雲大社], as well as other Shintō shrines across the country. At the same time, he formed close relationships with representative Shintō figures [神道家] in the Kyoto region—namely, Chief Priest Takayama [高山宮司] of Fushimi Inari Taisha [伏見稲荷大社], Chief Priest Yamada [山田宮司] of Shimogamo Shrine [下鴨神社], and Chief Priest Nukada [額田宮司] of Yasaka Shrine [八坂神社], as well as with the scholars of Shintō studies, Dr. Kan Katsuhiko [寛克彦博士] and Dr. Katō Satoshi [加藤智博士], and was greatly enlightened and guided by them. During that time, I was not only his interpreter [通訳者] but constantly also his fellow researcher [共同研究者].
Although I was a Buddhist born into a Buddhist household, I became a Christian [クリスチャン] and abandoned Buddhism, and immediately after graduating from university, I became a pastor [牧師] in a Christian church [基督教会]. However, my inner state [心境] gradually changed, and I became unable to conduct the sort of missionary work [伝道] that involved making Shintō practitioners [神道人] or Buddhists [仏教徒] abandon their respective religions and convert to Christianity. I came to think that if Shintō or Buddhism were genuine [真物], then that was sufficient. After only three years in post, I resigned from the ministry. As fellow travelers on similar spiritual journeys [精神的遍歴], when I met Mr. Mason, we immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits and connected at the deepest level [肝胆大に相照らした]. That I came into contact with Japanese Shintō [日本の神道] through an American was truly a matter of karmic connection [誠に縁]. However, Mr. Mason returned to America shortly before the outbreak of the [Second] World War [世界戦争勃発前] and died soon after, bringing our joint research [共同研究] to an end. Thereafter, I devoted myself not only to the study of Shintō, but also more broadly to research on the Free-Religion movement [自由宗教運動] in contemporary Europe and America, as well as to the study and training [研修] in Buddhism as it has existed in the East since ancient times, especially Zen [禅]. Then, by a truly mysterious chance [誠に不思議なチャンス], I recently encountered the female religious medium [宗教的霊能者], Yamamoto Shiratori-joshi [山本白鳥女史]. Ms Yamamoto [女史], immediately after the Third Middle East War [三次中東戦争 i.e. “The Six-Day War”], flew to Israel and gave moving proof of goodwill between Shintō and Judaism [ユダヤ教], to the extent that she impressed President [Zalman] Shazar [シャザール大統領]. She is a genuine Shintō practitioner [神道家] of the purest kind. Through Ms Yamamoto, I came to know of the existence of what is called the Hotuma Tsutae [ホツマツタエ], an extremely ancient history of the founding of Japan [超古代日本建国史] said to have been compiled about a thousand years earlier than the Kojiki [古事記]. According to this, the Japanese people 日[本の民族], civilisation [文明], and Shintō are by no means insular or confined to an island nation, but are deeply connected with Mesopotamia—the birthplace of world civilisation—and with the Silk Road [シルク・ロード]. Furthermore, I was informed that Tsubaki Grand Shrine [椿大神社] in Mie Prefecture, which published a complete Japanese translation of the Hotuma Tsutae History of the Founding of Japan [右ホツマツタエ全訳日本建国史], and whose Chief Priest is Yamamoto Yukitaka-shi [宮司山本行隆氏], has extended its activity to America and is currently constructing a Grand Shrine [大神殿] with modern facilities in Oakland, California. Not only was I astonished to hear this, but I was also once again stirred with boundless desire for the study [研究] and spiritual pursuit [求道] of Shintō. Thus, although an old man of ninety-nine years [九十九歳の老骨], I came to feel that it is the fulfilment of my remaining life [余生の生きがい] thoroughly to grasp the quintessence [神髄] of Shintō and of Shintō shrines [神社], as my life’s final task [終生の課題]. Accordingly, I have decided to summarise here what may be called the conclusion of my journey thus far [今日までの遍歴の結論ともいうべきもの].
Shrine Shintō [神社神道] is not about personal spirituality, instead it’s fundamentally social [社会的] and communal [共同体的]. In this regard, it resembles language [言語] or customs [風俗]. This stands in contrast to many established personal religions [個人的既成宗教] that view spirituality as a private matter—in which, if the individual is saved, then society too will, of itself, be saved. Regarding this distinction, I am reminded of a true story [実話] I once encountered.
A certain Japanese person [ある日本人] posed the following question to an American missionary [アメリカ人宣教師]: “According to your doctrine, unless one relies upon the atonement of Christ [キリストの贖罪], one will fall into hell [地獄に落ちる]. But what of the souls [霊魂] of my parents and ancestors [両親や先祖たち], who passed away entirely without knowing of Christ [キリストの事を全然知らずに], having never been given the opportunity to learn [知る機会を与えられなかった] about this?”
Whereupon the missionary [宣教師] immediately and unequivocally declared: “Naturally, they have fallen into hell [無論地獄に落ちています].”
At this, the questioner replied: “As for me, I am one in body and soul [一身同体] with my parents and ancestors. For them to be cast into hell [地獄に落とす], despite never having had the opportunity to hear the doctrine of Christ’s atonement [キリストの贖罪の教理], is utterly unacceptable. I can never accept [キリスト教は断じて受け容れられぬ] a Christianity [キリスト教] that would do such a thing. If hell truly exists [本当に地獄があるならば], then I too will willingly go to hell [敢て地獄へ行きましょう]. I absolutely cannot bear the thought of going to heaven [天国へ行く] alone, leaving them behind.”
From my point of view [私の立場からいえば], that questioner was truly a most admirable Shintō practitioner (though the questioner himself may not have been conscious of this [そのように意識していなかったかも知れぬ]). And this true story indeed brings out with great clarity the contrast between personal religion [個人宗教] and communal religion [社会宗教]. The conviction [念] that, if one is one in body and soul [一心同体] with one’s parents and ancestors [両親先祖], then it does not matter even if one falls into hell [地獄に落ちても構わぬ], is to discover heaven [天国] within hell [地獄の中に]—no, it is to transform hell into heaven [地獄を天国化することであり]. This is truly a great salvation [偉大なる救済], and it is religion [宗教] in the truest sense. Not Christ [キリスト], but the community [共同体] is the true saviour [教主] and God [神]. To think that God [神] must be limited to an omniscient, omnipotent, sole absolute God [全智全能な唯一絶対神] is the belief [仰] of individualistic people [個人数], particularly of old-style Christians [旧式基督教]. In contrast, Shintō, which venerates the eight million gods [八百万の神], in a pantheistic manner [汎神論的に], recognises the divine [神] in all things—above all, within the community [共同体の中に].
The community [共同体] in the aforementioned true story [前述の実話] is a blood-related community [血族的共同体] composed of oneself, one’s parents, and ancestors [自己・両親・先祖によって成立する]. However, in order to be a true community [真に共同体], it must, of course, be organically unified [有機的一体化] with larger communities—namely, the village community [部落共同体], the municipal community [市町村共同体], the national community [国民的共同体], and furthermore the global and cosmic community [世界的宇宙的共同体]. Otherwise, even this precious blood-related community [折角の血族共同体] will degenerate into local/familial egoism [血族的なエゴ]. Now then, with this standpoint in mind [以上の立場に立って], when we observe the present condition [現状] of the local Shintō shrines [地域神社] in our vicinity [私共の身近かにある], the question arises whether they are acceptable as they are [あるがままで善いのか], whether they should be reformed in various ways [色々改革すべきかどうか], or whether an entirely new and ideal Shintō shrine [理想的神社] should be established [建設すべきかどうか].
The Shintō shrines in our immediate vicinity [私共の身近かにある] are generally referred to as ubusuna shrines [産土神社], and naturally, they are shrines of the local community [地域共同体の神社]. In contrast, in the case of shrines referred to as ujigami shrines [氏神社], whereas the former are shrines of a regional and spatial community [地域的、空間的共同体], the latter are shrines of a blood-related and temporal community [血族的・時間的共同体]. In either case, they are shrines of a community [共同体の神社]. Today, the two names ubusuna and ujigami are often not strictly distinguished [正確に…区別しない場合が多い], and so in this essay [本稿においても], I will use the term local community shrine [地域神社] to refer inclusively to both types of shrine.
The mission [使命] of the local community shrine lies in creating an ideal community [理想的共同体] among the local people [地域民]. It is to organically bind isolated individuals [孤立した個々人] into the regional community [地域共同体]. It is not a matter of negating the individual [個を無くして] and affirming only the whole [全だけにすること]—rather, it is through organically integrating the individual [個] into the whole [全] that the individual is made to live fully [個を生かすのである].
Accordingly, Shrine Shintō does not, like Buddhism or Christianity, impose pre-existing doctrines or articles [既成の教義・条] to control the people’s belief [住民の仰] in an oppressive manner [高圧的に]. It also embraces the existence of various mutually opposed religions and sects [相対立する諸宗諸派の存在], while guiding them toward ultimate unification [究極的には帰一する]. Moreover, all activities ordinarily referred to as worldly matters [俗事]—such as politics, economics, and culture [政治・経済・文化等の諸活動]—insofar as they are indispensable efforts [久くべからざる営み] for the formation of a cooperative society [共同社会の形成], are ultimately sacred [神聖である]. That is to say, there is no fundamental distinction [根本的な区別は無い] between the sacred and the secular [聖俗の間には]. Therefore, the shrine embraces within the regional community [地域共同体内] the existence of all opposing political parties [政党] and ideologies [イデオロギー], and guides and watches over them [指導し見守るのである] so that, through conflict, struggle, or mutual refinement [対立闘争乃至切磋琢磨], they may ultimately reach unification [究極的帰一].
As previously stated, the community [共同体] must be expanded to a global community [世界的共同体] without succumbing to narrow, regional egoism [地域エゴに堕すること無く]. Moreover, it must reach the point of realizing the World Federation [世界連邦]—this concrete international undertaking [現実の国際的大企画]. However, even beyond this—having climbed a hundred feet up the pole—one must still take one further step [百尺頭さらに一歩を進める必要がある]. The community [共同体] must not belong to humans alone [人間のものでなく], but must also be unified and merged [帰一合体する] with all things in the universe—the myriad phenomena of nature [森羅万象一切], that is, with Great Nature [大自然] and the Great Cosmos [大宇宙]. In this regard [この点において], the Ōmiwa Shrine [大神神社] in Nara Prefecture [奈良県] is an appropriate example [適切な実例である]. At Ōmiwa Shrine [大神神社], Mount Miwa [三輪山] itself is the sacred object of worship [神体], and therefore, there is no need [設ける必要は無い] to establish a separate shrine building [神殿]. Following this principle [この筆法で行けば], for today’s Shintō practitioners who are living in the space age [宇宙時代に入った現代], the Great Cosmos [大宇宙] itself is the shrine sanctuary.
Next, I will touch upon the issue of the structure [構成] of Shrine Shintō. Since the mission [使命] of the shrine lies in the realisation of the ideal community [理想的共同体の実現], its organisation [組織] must, naturally, be based upon the collective will of the community [共同体の総意に基づかなければならぬ]. It is therefore self-evident [当然である] that the Chief Priest [宮司] must not be appointed by hereditary succession [世襲で無く], but through election by the ujiko [氏子達]—the shrine’s affiliated parishioners. However, with regard to the concept of ujiko, there is a problem. From the shrine’s perspective, it is often assumed that all residents of the area [地域住民] are ujiko, and so they go around house to house collecting donations [寄附金]. But the reality is that some people will say, “I am a Christian [クリスチャン] and therefore will not contribute to the donation.” Accordingly, going forward, for shrines it is absolutely necessary [絶対的に必要] that, in beginning any proactive activity aimed at fulfilling their mission [使命達成のための積極的活動], they must first confirm who their actual ujiko are [構成員を確認する]. If the ujiko system [氏子制度] has become a merely nominal practice [有名無実], one might boldly consider shifting to a membership-based organisation [会員組織にすること] instead.
Traditionally, Shintō shrines have been seen merely as spaces for worship [参拝], festivals [お祭り], and ceremonies [儀式] — but I must state plainly that such a limited view justifies neither their purpose nor their potential [存在理由が無いと直言したくなる]. As central institutions [中心機関] of community life they should awaken communal consciousness [共同体意識を覚醒して] and endlessly create programs that contribute to the development and improvement [発展向上] of the community. To this end, it may be good to take reference from the activities of Buddhists and Christians. However, from the standpoint of Shintō, which upholds the unity of the sacred and the secular [聖俗の一体], there is no need to make things unnecessarily religious in tone [宗教臭くする必要はない]. On the whole, it would be good to deepen, elevate, and expand [深め高めかつ広めればよい] activities in the manner of a community centre [公民館活動]. That is to say, the shrine should not only conduct life ceremonies [冠婚葬祭] based on community spirit [共同体精神]—such as weddings, funerals, and coming-of-age rites—but it should also hold regular gatherings [定期的に…会合を持つべき] such as worship services [礼拝], sermons [説教], lectures [講演], discussions [座談・討論], and social gatherings [親睦]. It is particularly necessary to respond to a wide range of inquiries about the problems of life [諸々の人生相談に応ずること], and to contribute to the promotion of social welfare [社会福祉の促進に資すること]. If possible, it would also be desirable to have facilities such as a reading room [図書室], exhibition room [展示室], and a cafeteria [食堂]. Moreover, in view of the fact that the communal consciousness [共同体意識] of modern Shintō practitioners does not stop at being neighbourly or local [隣保的・郷土的たるに止まらず], but is global and cosmic [世界的・宇宙的であることに鑑み], might it not be appropriate for certain local shrines [地域神社] to be equipped to welcome like-minded foreigners visiting from afar [遠来の外人同志]?
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