Tsubaki North America
Tsubaki North America, on Knapp Island, is home to Shin Mei Spiritual Centre. We offer a sacred space where people can find renewal of spirit through Shinto and through immersion in Great Nature.
In the main building you will find spaces for prayer, meditation, and ceremonies and a library of reading materials on spirituality.
We have three shinto shrines: Tsubaki Dai Jinja North America (北米椿大神社), Shin Mei Jinja (神明神社), and Kinomori Jinja (祈森神社).
Chinju no Mori (鎮守の杜) is 15 acre sacred forest with a network of walking trails, inviting you to find renewal through prayer and meditation in the midst of Great Nature.
We have regular programs to participate in and learn more about Shinto (see Calendar page). We also conduct various ceremonies including baby blessings, Shichi Go San, weddings, and various Gokito (for personal requests such as health, long life, etc.).
TSUBAKI DAI JINJA NORTH AMERICA
Tsubaki Dai Jinja North America 北米椿大神社 is the primary shrine on Knapp Island.
The kamisama installed here are:
- Sarutahiko no O Kami (head of all earthly kami, and kami of guidance and protection)
- Ame no Uzume no Mikoto (kami of harmony, arts, marriage, and meditation)
- Amaterasu no O Kami (Great Kami of the Sun)
- Uka no Mitama no Kami (Inari O Kami, kami of prosperity and agriculture)
- Kunitama no Kami (kami of North America)
SHIN MEI JINJA
Ame no Uzume no Mikoto is enshrined in Shin Mei Jinja. She is the kami of meditataion, arts, marriage, and positivity. She is known for taking difficult, challenging situations and turning them around to something positive.
This shrine sits in the small forested area near the Haiden. It is a lovely, quiet atmosphere for private prayer and reflection.
KINOMORI JINJA
Kinomori Jinja means “Forest Prayer Shrine.”
The kami installed here are:
- Chinju no Mori no Kamigami (kamisama of the Sacred Forest)
- Sarutahiko no O Kami (head of all earthly kami and the kami of guidance and protection)
- Ame no Uzume no Mikoto (kami of harmony, arts, marriage, and meditation)
WALKING MEDITATION TRAILS
Throughout the property there are trails for walking meditation and prayer. Immersing one’s self in Great Nature, being in the presence of the kami in the majesty of the old growth forests and marine vistas are restorative and instructive to the soul.
Misogi Shuho
Misogi Shuhō is an ancient Shinto practice of purifying one’s body and spirit in the cold water of an ocean, waterfall, or river.
Through misogi, we purify and intensify our tamashii, or soul.
For more information in misogi practice, click here.
PEACE POLE
This pole spreads the message of peace throughout the earth, traveling with the winds, and is a favourite site for meditation and prayer. “May Peace Prevail on Earth” is inscribed in four languages: English, Tibetan, Japanese, and Spanish.
If you are interested in sponsoring and “planting” additional peace poles at the Centre, please contact us!
For more information on the global effort, visit peacepoleproject.org
MEDITATION ROOM
Calm abiding meditation provides us with stability to help us stay present. Practices focused on discovering our own natural kindness and compassion bring ease to our hearts, and deeper meaning to our relationships. With meditations that emphasize the development of clear insight, we gain an open and unbiased mind that can see limitless possibilities in ourselves and our world. The path of meditation provides progressive stages of practice for working with one’s mind. From foundational calm abiding meditation to the profound practices of the Vajrayana, including Mahamudra and Dzogchen, this path covers all stages of teaching in our tradition. This systematic approach creates a welcoming, transformative environment for people of all levels and with different interests.
JANGCHUB CHORTEN
Jangchub Chorten (Enlightenment Stupa) is a magnificent 30 foot stupa named which was designed and built by Khenpo Karpo of Bhutan in 2002. Within the stupa are contained thousands of sacred artifacts. For detailed information on the symbolism and on the specific relics and sacred objects in this stupa, please click here.
Circumambulation, the act of walking in a circle around an object of veneration, is common to many of the world’s religious traditions. Buddhists circumambulate to show devotion, pay tribute, cultivate their minds, and accumulate merit. Although the practice predates Buddhism, the Buddha mentioned it several times over his teaching career and said it purified negative karma and ensured a favorable rebirth.
