The Importance of Shinboku (神木)

There is a word called “Chinju-no-mori(鎮守の森).” “Chin” means to becalm or a weight. “Ju” means care taking or protect. “Mori” is forest. With all the meanings combined, it implies that something precious is protected in a calm manner in the forest(=yashiro/shrine).

In the ancient Ko-Shinto, they wrote,「神社＝もり」so people would read Jinjya (shrine) as mori (forest). In the ancient days, shrines did not exist. People payed a visit to the forest and mountains. One part of the forest was segmented as kapu - a sacred ground. It was prohibited to step inside the area. And people sent offering of the gratitude energy.

One of the origin of a shimenawa(注連縄) comes from placing it in front of the kapu area in the forest. They put a rope to close the area. A forest without any human invasion is a space full of oxygen produced by the plants. By the energy of gratitude sent by humans reaching into this space, I could see both plant energy and the gratitude energy intertwining in a spiral form. This ki would reach and purify the local area that will influence the heart of the local people.

One of the origin of a Shinto priest (shinkan) is the person who stood inside a shack by the kapu rope. He was the keeper protecting the forest. Therefore, a shrine without a forest or many trees is not a true shrine. Without the trees, the divine energy cannot descend to the place. The trees in a shrine with divine energy descending, grows very well. In the country, we often come across a shrine with trees growing abundantly. You could tell whether the shrine is a good shrine or not by looking at the trees.

By protecting the forest with a kapu area, they were protecting the plants. At the shrines of today, each tree, a shinboku – sacred tree, in the shrine site represents a forest. Therefore, you must not touch the trees. When it is touched by many humans, the ki will be disturbed and it could block the divine energy to descend.

When there are kenzokus, the guardian spirits watching over the shrine, whoever touched the tree may get into trouble. The kenzokus will be angry at you. Sometimes they could be like the wasps and unmerciful.

At The Grand Shrine of Ise, I often see an oni demon kenzoku guarding the shinboku. I have catched them in my camera few times. They could punish you by breaking a bone. If you had touched or even worse hugged the shinboku, please apologize in your heart.

You could have your own shrine at home. The sakaki leaves and water would become the forest on your kamidana altar. Send your gratitude to the sakaki leaves and the water. Do have a sense of manner to wash your hands before you touch the sakaki.

Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu

Thank you for letting us live

Fundamental teachings of spirituality

If I had known about this way of ancestral kuyō with gratitude as a teenager, I would have been able to focus more on my study and enter a financially better college. (laugh) When we carry many lost souls of our own ancestrors, we are not able to focus very well. We are influenced by their negative energy and have more chances to be in trouble, be in doubt and lost.

Once we enter the real society as an adult, there are other factors that might be the cause of one’s unstable condition. The social circumstances could be one of the biggest influence in your condition. But when you are still a student, it is easier to determine what the cause is.

When I look into students who are doing well, I could see many of his/her ancestral guardian spirits who are in a stable condition and at peace. They are protecting him/her from unnecessary negative energy (influences) so he/she can focus on the study. He/she will have stronger intuitions then others to find the tricks in their exams. They will have more chances to meet the right teachers or references. In addition, the ancestral spirits are protecting them from getting into trouble.

Many people go to a shrine and pray for his/her success in the entrance exam. This is not a good idea. In fact, one will be bringing back other people’s unstable negative energy. I think it is very rude to toss smalls coins to god and ask for a wish. What would you think if someone did this to you? If someone threw you some coins and said, “why don't you do this for me?” wouldn’t you feel offended? I think a normal person would be angry or simply ignore it. You shouldn’t do anything that you wouldn’t like other people to do to you. This rule applies to the gods as well.

There are guardian spirits who are protecting the god of the shrine. These kenzokus will be angry at you for using their master for personal benefit. Gods will not interfere with personal affairs. So there is no point in asking for such wishes. If for some reason, your wish came true from the prayer, it means the shrine you had visited was not an official shrine or down graded because it has not been taken care properly. There are shrines where spirits reside pretending to be a god. These spirits will interfere with personal wishes, but they will always ask for something in return. Later in your life, you will loose something valuable in your life.

If you have any wishes in your life, simply continue to send gratitude to your ancestral spirits. The spiritual magnetic energy of the gratitude frequency will make your ancestral spirits be at peace. Once they are all stable in a good place, they will start to support you and guard you like good parents. You shouldn’t ask for any wishes to them. Just send gratitude and be patient until they come to you. If you ask wishes and when they cannot make it come true, they will emanate a sad or troubling energy. You will be affected by this negative energy. When they are at peace and stable, you will start to be in peace and stable. Then the whole family will start to be in a good place.


Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu

Thank you for letting us live.