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Buenos Aires—“When I was standing outside the
house all through the night, a white thrush sang in a distant
mountain. Shortly, pheasants in the field started croaking. And
later, chickens started clucking in her garden.” The gradual
breaking of day is described in this Japanese myth about Yachihoko,
a young divinity, who went to propose marriage to a beautiful and
smart woman who lived far away. In front of her house, he dedicates
a poem to show his love. However, she refused his proposal and did
not allow him to enter her house and he stood at the door all
through the night. In Japanese classic literature, the white thrush
is described as a bird that sings in a voice with pathos and
amplifies the anxiety of human beings. The pheasant is known as a
bird that chatters and flies away at daybreak and the chicken is a
bird raised at home and when it calls, it indicates the start of the
day. This is an excerpt from a lecture of Professor Haruo Sakurai of
the Kogakkan University of Japan on the “Intangible Value of Birds
and the Nature of Shinto” delivered during the BirdLife World
Conservation Conference.
According to Professor Sakurai,
Shinto is a religion strongly linked to nature, which has not
changed from ancient times until today.
Shinto is very much felt in
shrines such as forests and woods known as “Chinju-no-mori” and
killing birds and animals meaninglessly and cutting down trees
violently are forbidden. It is believed that shrines represent the
people’s will to protect nature and the environment and that the
divinities in these shrines protect the lives of the people. Such a
way of thinking is based on the idea that nature, such as mountains,
rivers, oceans, fields, woods and grass surrounding the human life
sphere is a precious existence produced by divinities. Furthermore,
elements of nature were born as parents, children, brothers and
sisters to each other.
Among Shinto’s important
rituals is a rite called Oharai. This is performed at the Imperial
Court and in Shinto shrines in June and December. This rite purifies
sins that human beings commit unconsciously through everyday life by
the power of divinities that exist in the natural environment.
Shinto does not have the concept of original sin. However, its
definition of sin includes activities that disturb agriculture or
human relationships. Disasters caused by birds and animals are also
defined as sins. In other words, human beings, birds and animals are
all considered to be life in the same natural environment. Awe and
respect to the recognition of changes and actions in the natural
environment and from animals and plants as sacred messages are given
and a lifestyle aiming for friendship and harmony are considered
religious practices of Shinto.
In Shinto, it is said that
divinity resides in each human being and it is the mission of each
individual to live without clouding his/her heart. It is believed
that each human being has divinity inside of him/her since birth.
Cognizant of the different ways of thought, religions and cultures
and the problems of poverty, struggle, violation of human rights and
environmental destruction, Professor Sakurai reminded everyone not
to be indifferent to the cries of others including those of birds
and animals which are sacred messages from nature.
In order for us to receive and
discern such messages, it is becoming more important to make our
links with each other and with nature deeper and stronger and this
is the message that Shinto delivers.
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