In many big Shinto shrines, there are Chouzuya/Temizuya.
That is a water purification place in front of a public worship place of shrine called Haiden.
You have to wash your hands and mouth before visit Haiden.
But don't touch the water if it is dirty or stagnant.
In case it is dirty, please use your wet tissues to clean your hands.
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Torii(Gate of shrine), Sandou(Road to God), Chouzuya(A) and Public worship place(Haiden)
Usually, there is a God's place behind Haiden. It is called Honden.(Innermost of the shrine)
Detail manner to visit Japanese shrine
Today I am going to introduce TEMIZU manner of water place in Japanese shrine.
You don't have to do these manner perfectly,
but I would like to share true manner.
Again, you don't have to touch the water if it is dirty.
Take a ladle with your right hand and fill water.
Rinse your left hand by a little water.
Shift the ladle from right hand to left and rinse your right hand.
Shift the ladle again,and receive a little water on your left palm.
Rinse your mouth by the water.
(Do not touch ladle with your mouth directly)
Rinse your left hand.
Hold the ladle to the vertical to rinse ladle's stick.
Lay the ladle upside down.
Rinse your left hand by a little water.
Shift the ladle from right hand to left and rinse your right hand.
Shift the ladle again,and receive a little water on your left palm.
Rinse your mouth by the water.
(Do not touch ladle with your mouth directly)
Rinse your left hand.
Hold the ladle to the vertical to rinse ladle's stick.
Lay the ladle upside down.
(Basically,you do all actions with only first filled water.)
After that,you visit main God place to dedicate thankful heart.
This is sacred Isuzu river of Grand shrine of Ise, the top shrine group of Japan.
In ancient times, Japanese people washed their body before visit.
Although there is a Chouzuya place,
Ise grand shrine recommends using the river-water if it is a sunny day.
Some people visit the river to clean their hands and mouth.
Purification by water is important preparation to greet God.
People are purified and refreshed by water temporarily.
Water cut human's bad/extra magnetism off.
In Shinto, the phenomenon is called Misogi.
Your "original" energy/magnetism is really important to stand in front of God.
At shrine, your "original" energy and gratitude makes your mind God.
And other some ways of purification are called Harai/Harae.
Harai includes cleaning, gratitude or positive thought and light exercise.
Misogi and Harai are similar but
anyway, the two words represent (Spiritual) cleaning.
Taking warm shower is also kind of Misogi.
Night shower is more important than morning.
Warm water cleans your own bad thinking, other's bad thought to you and many spiritual nuisances.
Please wash your sole, ankles, neck, wrists, shoulder very well.
Ghosts can see only human's these weak points and cling to there.
History of Misogi and Harai is so old.
Ancient Japanese in Jomon period already did spiritual water bathing before play for nature gods.
Of course their play was not begging.
Just gratitude.
At sea or deep river, they put full body in the water.
Next is fire.
They sat silently in front of a bonfire and stared at the fire.
They got power of fire from their eyes.
This way was the true Misogi and Harai.
Current Japanese still have the instinct.
Most Japanese take a bath everyday.
Water and fire, these two opposite are important in nature worship.
Spiritual training at natural water fall is exaggerated and incorrect way of Misogi.
Some think that Misogi training is good to improve their spirituality.
No, it is absolutely not.
Water fall itself is not good to visit.
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The stupidest act is called Taki-Gyou（photos) in Japan.
Do not imitate their dangerous action
because there are some unhappy spirits around water-falls.
And bad spirits possess into cold/weakened human body by rotation.
Severe cold water makes human vacant conscious,
then unhappy spirits can enter into human easily, again and again.
Therefore, enthusiastic Taki-Gyou lover suffer his mental mind in his old age.
This fact is not well known.
Buddha never recommended hard physical training because these were meaningless for his enlightenment.
Also, please do not wish private things in front of God place in Japanese shrines.
Most Japanese shrine's gods are local nature gods who are
protecting the area.
So they can't do anything about human's personal wishes.
Your private wishes are achieved by only your efforts and your own ancestors.
System of Shinto
People dedicate thankful heart at their neighborhood shrines
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Local nature gods get power from people and the they can guard the area
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Region and area are kept in safe and peace
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People thank about that again
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Never ending circulation. This is Shinto.
Some Japanese people wish their personal things like
business success, exam success, home satisfy and so on.
Japanese true Shinto was changed a little by introduced misunderstood Buddhism.
Buddhism was imported to Japan around 6 century.
Until that time, Japanese people had kept true Shinto behavior.
Worship for statues of Buddhism has changed Japanese Shinto.
Ancient Japanese people thought that big statues can save them from poverty.
Buddha's original words Dhammapada and Sutta Nipata were only truth.
Current Buddhism is not good because people believe re-wrote teaching books.
Many people are misunderstanding about Buddhism.
He just said
"Do your work in frond of you now" (Not meditation)
"Stay calm even if you are angry now"
"Be kind to anybody"
He recommended practical efforts in real society.
Meditation is really useless action if you do this for calm training.
Because Buddha couldn't achieve his spiritual enlightenment by the physical training and meditation.
So people don't have to trace past "failed" training.
He didn't recommend these things to his students.
Dying Buddha was saved by a kindness lady who gave him some porridge.
Her kindness action awakened him.
Buddha noticed that "Practical action is greater than any things."
This is a famous story,but many Buddhism don't cherish the original essence.
My Buddhism friend asked me.
"Why you believe nature?"
"Shinto never save each person's problem but Buddhism is always saving me"
"Buddhism frees me from pain."
She doesn't see what is a main foundation of life.
Small happy things are always protected by big foundation.
People can't think about personal problems when your living area is in disaster.
Child can't play without protection by parent.
We should give gratitude for the given, free things.
This is Shinto concept.
So, Shinto includes Buddhism.
Photos by photolibrary and wikipedia