The Four Gods of Purification

- Following on the article of Dec. 20th about Haraedo Yonshin-

Ōharae-Norito, The Grand Purification Chant is the core essence of Shinto. The climax of this chant is where it explains the Haraedo-Yonshin purifying all sins (tsumi) and impurities (kegare). God Seoritsu-hime washes away all curses, sins, and impurities from the river to the ocean. God Hayaakitsu-hime awaits under the deep ocean to swallow all those curses, sins and impurities. God Ibukido-nushi make sure all the curses, sins and impurities are swallowed. And then he would shoot his breath toward the subterranean world, Ne-no-kuni Soko-no-kuni. At the end, Hayasasura-hime disperses the curses, sins and impurities that were brought into the subterranean world.

Seoritsu-hime is at the shore of the river that runs very fast. It is quite a task to pick up all the sins and impurities from this fast running river and bring them to the ocean. Out of the four secret steps of the Grand Purification process, I find the first step to be most important. At this process, the sins and impurities from the reality world are conversed to a spiritual energy. Without this process, the later three gods would not be able to do anything. Seoritsu-hime is a goddess with a special ability to convert a material from the World of Reality to the World of the Gods.

When I did a reading on these Four Gods, at the end Susanoo appeared. The Four Gods of Purification are the derivatives of Susanoo. Oppose to the soul of a healing mother, Goddess Amaterasu-Ohomikami (yan side of the sun), God Susanoo (yin side of the sun) has a significant job of purification who slaves behind the scenes.

Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu

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