Reading List Kami no Michi: The way of the Kami Author: Yukitaka Yamamoto Rev. Dr. Yukitaka Yamamoto, 96th High Priest [Guji] of Tsubaki Grand Shrine was born on August 1, 1923, the second son of the Yamamoto family that has servered for two thousand years as the High Priests of Tsubaki Grand Shrine. Rev. Yamamoto has written a number of books in Japanese titles in English are Kannagara and Shinto, Shinto Opening Up One's Destiny, Happiness is to be Appreciated, How to Invite Chance, Living Together with Shinto, A,B,C of Shinto, Shinto Dialogue and numerous shrine manuals Publisher: Tsubaki America Publications ISBN: none available Publis Date: 1999 Publisher's Notes: None at this time. Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers Author: Reverned Ann Llewellyn Evans (foreword by Yukitaka Yamamoto) Ann Llewellyn Evans is a Shinto priestess, trained and licensed by Tsubaki Kami Yashiro, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. She conducts Shinto ceremonies and retreat seminars throughout North America for people wanting to learn and understand Shinto spiritual practice. She is actively involved in helping introduce Shinto to North America through education, practice, and establishing facilities where interested followers can come to learn about and participate in Shinto ceremonies. Rev. Evans is married and has three children; she lives in British Columbia, Canada. Publisher: Trafford Publishing ISBN: 1553691377 Publis Date: April 2002 Publisher's Notes: This book presents, for the first time, a collection of ancient Japanese Shinto prayers in a format where English speaking readers can both understand the deep meaning of the translated text and can also pronounce the original Japanese words. Shinto is an ancient spiritual tradition, primarily practiced in Japan, which is now spreading its traditions to the western world. Its primordial rituals and traditions touch a deep chord within one's spiritual self. Shinto's focus on divinity of all beings and of all creation, on living with gratitude and humility, and on purification and lustration of one's self and environment will bring light and joy to any reader. The purpose of prayer and ritual as practiced in the Shinto tradition, is to reinsert ourselves into a divine state of being, not as a new position, but as an acknowledgement and reinforcement of what already exists. Ritual restores sensitive awareness to our relationship to the universe. Through purification and removal of impurities and blockages, we return to our innate internal brightness and cultivate a demeanor of gratitude and joy. Shinto rituals and prayers were created by ancient man over 2,000 years ago in a time when mankind was more intuitive about his relationship to this world. Because of this, the rites are archetypal and invoke deep emotion within the participants. This book of prayers will introduce the western reader to the deep spirituality of Shinto, providing explanation of the spiritual tradition and practice and providing a collection of 22 prayers for use in personal meditation and devotions. Shinto the Kami Way Author: Sokyo Ono Publisher: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. ISBN: 0804819602 or 0804835578 Publis Date: August 1994 Publisher's Notes: Shinto, the indigenous faith of the Japanese people, continues to fascinate and mystify both the casual visitor to Japan and the long-time resident. This introduction unveils Shinto's spiritual characteristics and discusses the architecture and function of Shinto shrines. Further examination of Shinto's lively festivals, worship, music, and sacred regalia illustrates Shinto's influence on all levels of Japanese life. Fifteen photographs and numerous drawings introduce the reader to two millenia of indigenous Japanese belief in the kami -- the sacred spirits worshipped in Shinto -- and in communal life, the way of the kami. The Looking-Glass God: Shinto, Yin-yang, and a cosmology for today Author: Nahum Stiskin Publisher: Autumn Press; [distributed by] Weatherhill, New York; [Rev. ed edition (1972) ISBN: 0834825007 Publish Date: 1972 Publisher's Notes: None available at this time. Shinto Meditations for Revering the Earth Author: Stuart D. B. Picken, (Foreword by Yukitaka Yamamoto) Publisher: Stone Bridge Press ISBN: 1880656663 Publish Date: April 2002 Publisher's Notes: For more than a thousand years, the religious Shinto rituals of Japan have celebrated Nature's spiritual power to heal, strengthen, and enlighten. In SHINTO MEDITATIONS, these ancient devotions to the Earth will inspire readers to cultivate a new spirit of reverence for the spirituality of the natural world that surrounds us. With each meditation--gazing up into the treetops, listening to thunder, feeling the rain fall on our skin--we awaken to the cosmic content within each of us. Readers will learn how to conduct misogi (the Shinto ritual waterfall purification) and find more information about Shinto practice in North America. A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine Author: John K. Nelson Publisher: University of Washington Press ISBN: 0295975008 Publish Date: April 1995 Publisher's Notes: What we today call Shinto has been at the heart of Japanese culture for almost as long as there has been political entity distinguishing itself as Japan. A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine describes the ritual cycle at Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki's major Shinto shrine. Conversations with priests, other shrine personnel, and people attending shrine functions supplement John K. Nelson's observations of over fifty shrine rituals and festivals. He elicits their views on the meaning and personal relevance of the religious events and the place of Shinto and Suwa Shrine in Japanese society, culture, and politics. Nelson focuses on the very human side of an ancient institution and provides a detailed look at beliefs and practices that, although grounded in natural cycles, are nonetheless meaningful in late-twentieth-century Japanese society. Simple Guide to Shinto, The Religion of Japan (Simple Guides to World Religions) Author: Ian Reader Publisher: Bravo Limited ISBN: 1860340032 Publish Date: June 1997 Publisher's Notes: None available at this time. © 2004, 2005, 2006 John Hidalgo, Texas Shinto Study Group. All rights reserved. For information on this page please contact the webmaster.