Shinto/Shang
Fall - Fortnight 16 (Earth+Earth)
Festival/Nov
4: Shamans of Shinto and Shang.
Purity and power of nature, sensing the essence (Kami) in everything and
everyone. The pre-buddhist pre-tao animistic traditions of northern China
and Japan. Lao-Tzu.
Shang/Shinto
The Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) and early Shinto (c. 3rd century BCE) shared animistic roots, with Shang oracle bones and Korean Mu shamans venerating kami in nature. Shinto altars and grounding meditations connected practitioners to earth’s purity, sensing kami everywhere. Their unique idea of a matriarchal divine essence in all things predates later patriarchal shifts.
Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu, traditionally dated to c. 6th century BCE (though possibly legendary), authored the Tao Te Ching, foundational to Taoism, emerging from Shang animism. Shinto/Zen prostrations aligned personal nature with universal flow, reflecting experiential certainty. His distinctive concept of wuwei (nonaction) unveiled a natural order within chaos.
Chuang Tzu
Chuang Tzu (c. 369–286 BCE), a Taoist philosopher,
expanded Lao Tzu’s teachings in the Zhuangzi, emphasizing spontaneity.
Shinto salt ceremonies purified the personal within the universal, fostering
inquiry into kami. His unique parabledriven approach revealed unity through
paradoxical observation.
| Shang Matriarchal Kingdom/Shinto 16th BCE Bone Oracles, Shinto, Kami in all...Korean Mu | Lao Tzu 6th c BCE | Chuang-Tzu 286 CBC |
| Shinto altars | Shinto/Zen buddhist prostrations | Shinto salt ceremony |
| Kotoamatsu-kami in Heaven | Izanagi and Izanami | Shinto kami |
1. The Personal within the Universal:
At this level the Universal, ones Original
Nature, dawns within the Personal. A new way of living in the world is
unveiled, one grounded in experiential certainty, observation, and inquiry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| RITE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| PRACTICE | Flower Festival | Neidan:
1. Grounding Meditation - Sitting or lying on the earth to feel its stability. Shugendo:
|
2. Earth Element Mantra - Reciting mantras to connect with
earth's nurturing energy.
2. Grounding Meditation - Sitting or lying on the earth to connect with its energy. |
3. Stomach-Spleen Breathing - Breathing focused on digestion
and grounding.
3. Stone Stacking - Building cairns as offerings or for
focus.
|
4. Middle Dantian Activation - Focusing energy in the middle
dantian for balance.
4. Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) - Immersing in nature for healing and grounding. |
5. Earth Qi Gathering
- Drawing earth energy into the body for stability.
5. Earth Mantras - Reciting mantras to honor earth deities or spirits. |
6. Late Summer Reflection - Meditating on earth's abundance
during this season.
6. Soil Touching - Touching or feeling the earth to gain strength and stability. |
7. Earth Cycle Harmonization - Aligning personal energy
with the earth's cycles.
7. Pilgrimage to Sacred Sites - Visiting places considered powerful earth spots. |
8. Nourishing the Spleen - Exercises to support the spleen's
function.
8. Grounding Exercises - Physical practices to align with
the earth's energy.
|
9. Earth Element Sound - Using the healing sound associated
with earth.
9. Gardening as Meditation - Cultivating plants as a spiritual
practice.
|
10. Center of the Wheel - Meditating on being the center
of the elemental cycle.
10. Goma with Earth Offerings - Using earth elements in
fire rituals.
|
11. Earth Alchemy - Transforming personal energies into
grounding forces.
11. Cave Meditation - Retreats into caves for introspection and connection.. |
12. Earthly Immortality - Practices using earth energy
for longevity.
12. Burial Mounds Practices - Rituals near ancient burial sites for spiritual insight |
Shugyo Fast | Shugyo Fast |
| STUDY | Shinto | - | - | - | - | Tao Te Ching | - | - | - | - | Chang Tzu | - | - | - | - |
| MEDITATION | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
