Japan's Feeling of Oneness

A missionary who visited Japan for missionary work in 16th century said Japanese don't understand absolute God because they don't feel transcendental absolute, and they hate the definite distinction divides God and others, even nature is whole wraps around them for Japanese. Nature is collective of spirits. We worship nature. Namely, it is a kind of animism.



Once, comparative religion suggested that animism is religions of uncivilized people, and the more one society civilized, the less animism carry on, barbaric animism is infantile and should be forgotten.



However, even now, we don't forget the animism. Even though highrise buildings are towering around Japan, the race traits having been succeeded by us. In Japan, all animate beings have spirits. And, this is today's main topic, even materials have spirits. This feeling is a source of our spirituality.



We feel oneness for every things. We personify every things, even though an objective is an incense burner. Even Japanese, it is funny that we talk with a incense burner in public. However, in Japanese heart, especially in literature's world it is so touching. I show you some Japan's Waka poems.



献納の　香炉と思い改めて　良き香を焚き　良き別れをする by 大久保とし in 1943

(Kennou no Kouro to omoi aratamete yoki kouwo taki yoki wakarewo suru)

author: Okubo Toshi (a female waka poet)



The poem means:



"I have to donate my incense burner to the emperor Hirohito, I can't meet again this which I have a warm feeling for. So, I'm saying good bye to this incense burner with it burning a quality incense has delightful aroma. Good bye, Thank you."



This poem was versed by her amid WW2. Japanese had to donate metal materials to their imperial government to make weapons.



Then, other poet verse another waka poem.



召されゆく　火鉢こんろに　この朝の　我のたむけの　赤飯を炊く by 鈴木貞子 in 1942

(Mesare yuku hibachi konro ni kono asa no ware no tamuke no sekihan wo taku.)

author: Suzuki Sadako



This poem means:

"This morning I have to donate charcoal brazier to the emperor, I boil festive red rice with my charcoal brazier as tribute for it."



Those poems emerged as Japanese feeling of oneness. Oneness and animism come together in Japan's world. Therefore it is not wonder that Japanese feel spirits within every thing.



I show you other waka poems.



雲を出て　我にともなふ　冬の月　風や身にしむ　雪や冷たき by　明恵

(Yuki wo dete ware ni tomonau fuyu no tuki kaze ya mini shimu yuki ya tumetaki)



This poem means:

"The winter moon got out of clouds along with me walking. Freezing winds blow to me, snows are chill."

author: Myoe (famous Kegon buddhism monk)



岩室の　田中に立てる 一つ松の木　朝見れば　時雨の雨に　濡れつつ立てリ

ひとつ松　人にありせば　笠貸さましを　蓑貸さましを　一つ松あわれ　　by　良寛



This poem means:

Simply put, "There is one pine stand on a rice paddy. In the morning, it stand on there in the rain with it get a wetting. It is a pitiful aspect. I want to lend the pine an umbrella. I want to lend the pine a straw raincoat."

author: Ryokan (famous Zen buddhism monk)



Those poems suggest that those materials are personified and are regarded as entities almost same as humans or almost author itself.



Japanese feeling of oneness is source of taking good care of materials, tendresse to nature, tendresse to people. Every things are fellowship of Japanese. There is little polarity in Japanese spirituality. Of corse, Japanese have a relationship with foreigners with this feeling.



Main background materials: "Nihonjin no shukyo shin" author: Isobe Tadamasa. Published by Shunjyusha.



The location of the photo is Ohara Sanzenin temple in Kyoto.