Articles
2024: Dragons
We have just received the New Years Dragon items!The Omamori carry various prayers for good fortune and protection.The Ema (wooden plaque) invites good fortune. Write
木漏日 komorebi
There is a Japanese word, komorebi, which has no direct equivalent in English. It roughly translates as “the sunlight filtering through the leaves in the trees.”
Awe
When we are filled with awe in the presence of Nature, we begin to think about things outside ourselves. To see ourselves as part of
May Peace Prevail on Earth
When we think and pray ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth,’ all people are embraced by those deep and vast words of love, even though we
Activity of the Soul
Consider a man sitting quiet and contemplating, with no purpose or aim except that of experiencing himself and his oneness with the world. He is
Root Booster
This week we treated our newly planted forest friends (70 new beings in total) to Root Booster. As we were carefully measuring out each tree’s
Trees and Divinity
What is the relationship between kami and trees? And why do we refer to the forest here at Shin Mei Spiritual Centre as “Chinju no
Emptiness
One of my favorite writers on spirituality is Thomas Moore. His discussions on emptiness and mystery in “The Soul’s Religion” are particularly compelling. Moore writes,
May You Grow Still
May you grow still enough to hear the small noises Earth makes in preparing for the long sleep of winter, so that you yourself may
What is Your Connection?
Musubi 結び means connection, or knot. During prayer, the primary focus of our energy is vertical musubi—vertical connection—between amatsu (heavenly) kami, kunitsu (earthly) kami and ourselves. Our mission beyond this, however, is the practice
May Your Mind Be Like the Ocean
May your growth be like that of trees Whose secrets is patience May your healing be like that of the forests Whose secret is regeneration
Clouds in Each Paper
The “Web of Interbeing” is the concept that all phenomena are interdependent. I particularly like the explanation by Thich Nhat Hanh in the simile called Clouds