Recently I officiated a wedding ceremony in Vermont, outside, on a hilltop with a mountain vista behind the wedding party. It was underneath a chuppah (a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony). A lovely setting in early autumn.
As with many Tendai Buddhist rituals I performed Goshimbo (a set of mudras, mantras and visualizations) which act to purify, provide offerings and protection to the participants and the space) early in the ceremony. I described the meaning of Goshimbo to the attendees, informing them as to the meaning of the esoteric ritual. I recount that the Goshimbo ritual sanctifies the space. I recognized that the setting we were in is ‘naturally’ sacred. The ritual does not so much make the space more sacred as much as it brings our attention to the sacred that resides therein..
Evans (The Sacred: Differentiating, Clarifying and Extending Concepts. Review of Religious Research, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Sep., 2003), pp. 32-47) writes, “By experience of the sacred . . . [we] are referring to “a socially influenced perception of either some divine being, or some ultimate reality of truth”.
In Shinto one sees this distinction on a tree or rock. Shimenawa (ropes), often adorned with white lightning-shaped decorations, shide. (see picture below) are wrapped around the object. The entity itself is sacred, the decorations bring our attention to it.
Our hondo (main hall, our temple building) is sacred as it stands. We become more conscious of this through the etiquette, the rituals, that we perform, when we enter, leave, and occupy the space. The sacred is essential to the practices that are present in all religions, no more so than in Buddhism.
For people who are new to a Buddhist temple they may be unfamiliar with the customs. People have said to me that they find such rituals unnecessary, or even bothersome. They never give themselves the opportunity to experience the sacred. That’s really too bad. These actions are an integral part of the Dharma.
People who have been around for some time may become so familiar with them that they take them for granted. It is important to be cognizant of them and recognize the role they have as a part of the Buddha Path and their practice.
I could go on and list the times we bow with gassho, when entering, when we gassho with bow to the honzon, when we stand and sit, staying quiet while awaiting the beginning of the gongyo and/or meditation, etc. Perhaps a better way is to observe those who know the ropes and follow their lead.
For those who are experienced please be cognizant of how you are participating in the sacred and assist people who are not so experienced. Help others to experience the sacred.
The sacred is not something that is designated as so only by virtue of the symbols used and demarcation. It is sacred by our observance and actions. This deepens the experience for each of us individually. It is even more powerful when we act in a way that enhances the experience of all the people present. We begin to absorb the sacred as an important element in following the Buddha Path.
Open your Kokoro (Heart/Mind/Spirit) to the infinite, formless, field of benefaction. Awaken to the liberation from the mundane.
With Love and Gassho . . . Monshin