Monday, July 21, 2008

Index

A

Ama no Hashidate 天の橋立: Located in the north of Kyoto. One of Japan's three famous panoramas.

Amaterasu-Ohomikami 天照太御神 : The Sun Goddess. 「天照太御神」is commonly written as「 天照大御神 」without the dot in the middle of the letter 「大」.「大」 basically means big, large or great. 「太」means big, bold, burly or broad. The sun is 「太陽」which the direct translation would be, “the heavy or strong energy of Yan.” (It is commonly pronounced "Amaterasu-Oomikami" but the author of Ise-Hakusan-Do says the true pronounciation should be "Amaterasu-Ohomikami.")

Ame-no-Iwato 天の岩戸: The rock door. Literally means "The cave of the Sun God" of "heavenly rock cave". In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the Japanese god of the seas, was the one who drove Amaterasu into Ame-no-Iwato. This caused the sun to hide for a long period of time. In order to get Amaterasu out of the cave the other gods threw a party outside. When she heard the noise she got curious and peeked but got blinded by the mirror Yata no Kagami and so she thought they where celebrating the arrival of an even greater and brighter goddess than herself. Though in reality it was her own mirror image. Then Tajikarao forced the cave to open up the rest and the world was bathed in light once again. As Amaterasu stepped out of the cave a holy seal was applied to it so that she couldn't go back into hiding. There are several caves in Japan that is called Ame-no Iwato.

Amenonorigoto 天の詔琴:A string instrument given to Suseribime-kami (Benzaiten) from her father Susanoo. A spiritual weapon sent from the World of Gods.

B

Benzaiten 弁財天 : The sea goddess Benzaiten is the sole female among the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. Her temples and shrines are almost invariably in the neighborhood of water -- the sea, a river, or a pond. She is the patroness of music, the fine arts (dancing, acting, visual), and good fortune in general, and is often shown carrying a biwa (Japanese mandolin) or playing a lute. The true identity of the spirit of Benzaiten is the daughter of Susanoo. The figure of the World of God shown in the World of Buddha is Benzaiten.

C

Chinkon-Kishin-Ho 鎮魂帰心法 :
A technique that was formatted about 100 years ago as a god like power performance. A sensei (master) would observe a person’s manner while making a conversation and determines his or her spirit’s original character and intention.

Chinowa-kuguri 茅の輪くぐり: A summer event is to pass several times through a large loop made out of kaya-kusa, sedges, and bamboos

D

Daikokuten 大黒天: Mahakala in Sanskrit. Name literally means "Great Black Deva". Daikokuten has been most widely known as the Japanese god of wealth and farmers, although in earlier centuries he was considered a fierce protector deity. In Japan, artwork of this deity usually shows him wearing a hood and standing on bales of rice (tawara 俵), carrying a large sack of treasure slung over his shoulder and holding a small magic mallet.

E

Edo Period - 江戸時代: 1603~1867 AD

Emperor Jimmu - 神武天皇 : A legendary figure in the history of Japan. Believed to live around 600BC. In one myths, he is the founder of Japan and is also first in the traditional list of emperors. The name Jimmu means "god-warrior" or "divine might." This name was given after his death. In Shinto belief, he is thought to be a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. According to that legend, she gave him 3 symbols of power: a jewel, a sword and a mirror.


Emperor Meiji - 明治天皇: Born in1852, the 122nd Emperor (1867~1912)

Emperor Showa - 昭和天皇: Born 1901. The 124th Emperor (1926~89)

G

Gaizai-shin - 外在伸: The god outside of oneself oppose to innate god.

Gegū - 外宮: The outer shrine or outer womb of The Grand Shrine of Ise or Ise Jingu. (On the road maps and signs at the shrine would say "Gekū" but according to Ise-Hakusan-Do the true pronounciation should be "Gegū".)

Gishiwajiden - 魏志倭人伝 : An ancient document about the Japanese geography, tradition, culture, society and foreign affairs made in early 300 AD.

H

Hakke Shinto - 伯家神道: A style of Shinto teachings developed by Shirakawa Family related to Emperor Kazan.)

Heian period - 平安時代: 794~1185

Heisei period - 平成時代:1989~present

Himiko - 卑弥呼(日見子) : 248 AD was an obscure shaman queen of Yamatai-koku in ancient Wa (Japan). She is recorded in various ancient histories, dating back to 3rd century CE China, 8th century Japan, and 12th century Korea. )

Himorogi ひもろぎ: An ornament made out of a sacred plant.
A place for god spirits to reside.


Hitsuki-Shinji -日月神示 :The Divine Revelation that Tenmei Okamoto(1897~1963), a painter and a Shintoist claims to have received starting from June 10,1944 at the age of 47 which continues for 16 years. He had published the content in a book of 38 volumes. He starts a religious sect called Hikari-Kyokai in 1947.

Hiyoshi-Taisha 日吉大社:Located in Sakamoto, Shiga. The shrine was first built in the 8th century but was burnt when Oda Nobunaga destroyed the shrine along with Enrayku-ji temple. Hideyoshi Toyotomi constructed the existing buildings in the last quarter of the16th century. His name during childhood was “Hiyoshi-maru” and his nickname was “Saru” which means monkey.

Hō-Ou - 鳳凰: phoenix

Houji - 法事: A Japanese Buddhist custom of memorial service


I

Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu -生かして頂いてありがとう御座位います: Thank you for letting us live/ I am grateful for this oppotunity of this life. (The chant that was given to Ry-man through the Divine Revelation at The Grand Shrine of Ise.)

Izanami and Izanagi - 伊ざなみ 伊ざなぎ: Parent deities of Amaterasu-Ohomikami.

J

Jiboshin 地母神:Mother god of earth

Jinkaku-shin - 人格神: A human-like god who has once attained a physical body oppose to the true god, the utterly pure energy entity that has never incarnated into a human.

Jireihai - 自霊拝: a type of spiritual exercise to honor oneself by facing a mirror. Seeing a god within.

K

Kami - 神: A god, a deity.

Kamibito - 神人: A man who has become united with a higher righteous god during one’s life.

Kamidana - 神棚: Shinto style altar to worship gods

Kami-fuda - 神札, The formal charm made out of wood, wrapped with washi paper and the name of the Kami (deity) written on it.

Kannagara- カンナガラ: being in oneness with god. a natural flow of life being one with god. Or the knowing that you are god and simply be.

Kannazuki - 神無月 : No God Month in the Japanese lunar calendar

Kannon or Kanzenon Bosatsu- 観音菩薩: the Japanese term for Chinese – Kuan Yin, Guanyi and Sanskrit –Avalokitesvara or Lokeshvara who embodies compassion and most widely worshiped in Japan and mainland Asia. The Sanskrit name of this deity can be translated as “Lord Who Regards All”, and the Japanese term Kannon literally means “watchful listening” and is often translated as “the one who sees/heard all”. This is indeed the task of the compassionate Kannon to witness/listen to the prayers and cries of those in difficulty in the earthly realm, and to help them achieve enlightenment.


Kenzoku - 眷属: A retainer or an emissary. A spirit entity that serves under a god. Usually in animal forms.

Ken-barai-fuda 剣祓札:A rare charm sold specially at The Grand Shrine of Ise (or Ise-Jingu). It is rare because it has a special kind of tree bark wrapped inside the charm which is the old traditional way of making a proper charm.

Ki 気: Chi in Chinese. "Life-force" - an active principle forming part of any living thing. Flow of energy.

Ki-Gaku 気学: System of “aspect of divination” (similar to Feng-shui - Chinese arts of divination)

Kojiki 古事記: A document claiming to be the oldest presented in Japan 680AD, introduced in English as Records of Ancient Matters)

Kongen-shin 根源神:The Root God

Kotodama 言霊:The vibrational energy of words that reach the gods (the spirit of words in the sound).

Kukuri-hime-kami ククリ姫神: A Goddess of the World of Hakusan who has the power to erase all sins.

Kunitokotachi-Ōkami 国常立大神: God of Earth in Japanese term = Yahweh or Jehovah. The reverse world (Yin) of the World of Amaterasu-Ohomikami (Yan).

Kuyō 供養: A memorial service to honor the deceased. (ancestral worship)

M

Miroku 弥勒: So called The Buddha of the Future. (in Sanskrit = Maitreya)

Munetada Kurozumi 黒住宗忠(1780-1850): A founder of one of the thirteen sects of prewar Shinto, Kurozumikyō, considered one of the earliest Shinto-derived new religions. He was born as the third son of a senior Shinto priest (negi) at a shrine in Bizen (present-day Okayama Prefecture).


N

Naigū 内宮: The inner shrine or the inner womb of The Grand Shrine of Ise or Ise Jingu. ( (On the road maps and signs at the shrine would say "Naikū" but according to Ise-Hakusan-Do the true pronounciation should be "Naigū".)

Naizai-shin 内在神: Innate God

Nichiren 日蓮 :A Buddhist monk of 13th century Japan. A controversial figure during his lifetime, he is the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, a major Japanese Buddhist stream encompassing several schools of often widely conflicting doctrine.


Nichirin 日輪: The Circle of Light around the sun.

Nihon-Shoki 日本書紀:The second oldest document in Japan, completed in 720AD, introduced in English as The Chronicles of Japan.

Norito 祝詞: a Shinto prayer

O

Obon お盆: A Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. Obon festivals usually last for three days around August 15th.

O-Fuda お札: large size charm made out of a wooden piece wrapped in white paper.

Ōharae-no-kotoba 大祓祝詞: The Grand Purification Prayer in Shinto

Ōmononushi-no-Ōkami 大物主大神 : Also known as Daikokusama as the deity of cultivation. According to the classics, he is the guardian deity of the human life, and in the age of the gods, cooperating with Sukunahikona-no-mikoto, cultivated the land and developed every industry such as agriculture, industry and commerce, and contrived to augment every social welfare such as curing disease, charming, brewing, medicine manufacturing, and marriage, etc. Afterward, according to his own will, he stayed his soul at the said Mount Miwa.

Otafuku お多福:Literally means: much happiness or good luck – the face has dropping eyes, big round cheeks and a big smile

Otakiage お炊き上げ:To burn charms in a fire. A service offered in a Shinto shrine.

Otaue-shiki - 御田植式 : Rice planting ceremony held at rice-planting time in May or June in all parts of Japan to pray for a good rice crop and successful harvest.

R

Reijin 霊人: One type of human during the time of Mu, (apprx. 300,000 yrs ago). They were all half spirit half physique and transparent. The spirit part was the main function. The one’s that shine brighter than others were selected to become priests.

Risshun 立春 :The first day of spring.


S

Sando 参道:an approach to the shrine

Seichū 正中: (God always) walks the middle of a path

Seijin 正神: Righteous god

Seijin Kai 正神界:The World of Righteous God

Sengū 遷宮 : The transfer of the deity to a newly constructed shrine. The whole shrine structures are renewed every 20 years since 690 AD.

Setsubun 節分: The last day of winter.

Shin-den 神田: A rice field at a Shinto shrine.

Shin-fuda 神札: A charm that represents a God

Shinji 神事: A Shinto ritual, divine service

Shinjin 神審 : A technique to define what kind of god is in relation with the person

Shinsendo 神仙道: Japanese Path of Divine Immortals

Shinto 神道: A Japanese understanding of spirituality whose practices include ancestral worship and a belief in nature spirits and eighty thousand or multiple gods. A direct translation will be The God’s Path.

Showa Period 昭和時代: (1926-1989) A Japanese name of an era, according to the Emperor’s title name.

Shugendo 修験道: Syncretic religious order which combined elements of ancient pre- Buddhist worship of mountains with the doctrine and ritual of Esoteric Buddhism.

Susanoo スサノオ: A Derivative of Kunitokotachi-Ōkami (the Earth God) = Archangel Saint Michael= Lucifer


T

Taicho-Daishi 泰澄大師 (683-767): A great teacher of Buddhism, founded the religious grounds at Hakusan at the beginning of the Nara Era in 717.

Takeuchi-monjo 竹内文書: An ancient document written in ancient Japanese script that claims the history of the Emperor from 31 billion years ago which was revealed by Kiyomaro Takeuchi in 1928.

Tanzaku 短冊 : A rectangular shape paper normally used in writing Haiku ( short poem). Common size is 366×62 mm (14 ½ x2 ½ inches). 

Tateriara-gami 立里荒神: Shiva in Japanese term. The meaning of the name is rough, or violent-tempered that stands.

Tengu 天狗 : Mountain and forest goblins with both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. They usually look like a crow or a mountain monk with a long nose. Their supernatural powers include shape-shifting into human or animal forms, the ability to speak to humans without moving their mouth, the magic of moving instantly from place to place without using their wings.  

Tenmei jikiju 天命直授: Munetada Kurozumi was very devout, but in 1814, on recovering from illness, he experienced a religious conversion known in the movement as tenmei jikiju, or "direct receipt of the heavenly mission." Later founding a sect Kurozumi-kyo.

Tenson 天孫: Literally means; the grandson of the heavens, and it is usually translated as; the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu-Ohomikami.

Tenson Kourin 天孫降臨: In the Japanese Mythology, it is usually translated as; the descent of the Sun-Goddess’s grandson

Torii 鳥居: The red colored archway at an entrance to a Shinto shrine.


U

Ubusuna-kami 産土神: A regional god that leads a soul into the unborn baby. One’s own Ubusuna-kami could be found usually in a shrine near to the hospital you were born.

Uji-gami 氏神: A god that protects the people in one community. A regional god.


Y

Yamatai-koku 邪馬台国: An ancient country in Wa (Japan) during the late Yayoi period (around 390 BC~300 AD ). The 297 AD Chinese history Sanguo Zhi first records Yamataikoku (邪馬臺國, or Yamaichikoku 邪馬壹國) as the domain of shaman Queen Himiko.

Yomi no Kuni 黄泉の国: The land of the dead

Yorishiro – 寄り代: A place for the spirits to reside. “Yorishiro” is a hidden technique that is the basic secret source in ancient Shinto (Ko-Shinto). Tanzaku is suggested to be used as yorishiro. (see Tanzaku for more information)

Youjin 陽人: Yan God


References:
Japanese Shinto-Buddhist Dictionary
www.onmarkproduction.com

Wikipedia
www.wikipedia.org

and other dictionaries and official websites of shrines.