I concluded the 400 seconds presentation on @SelvedgeMagazine with a statement: “Sashiko was a Japanese form of stitching to pray for another day to live…” Then, I received a request to elaborate what I meant by “praying”. Yes, it is my pleasure to do so. However, it requires some conditions to be shared to explain – some Japanese philosophy – which is deeply related to Animism. I added a link to my article about “Sashiko and Animism”. Please find it from my profile link. ☆ As you imagine, the “pray” in this context is a bit different from the western style of praying as defined “to address God with confession or thanksgiving”. The majority of Japanese who lived in Shinto didn’t believe in “One God” asking for forgiveness. They believed each “element” contains the spirit (God), and therefore they appreciated what they had. ☆ “Stitching to pray for another day” represents the “time to be mindful of what they had”. As much as they may have lived in harsh conditions, they appreciated what they had. This is a brief explanation of “Pray” in the context. By the way, it is kind of interesting, but in Japanese Shinto, in my understanding, the “praying for specific spirit” was a type of “contract” between human and spirit. Ah… I am going off from the main topic… anyhow, the Japanese naturally believed in animism in their ordinary, and therefore, the prayer was more like a “custom” to appreciate what they have. I will keep sharing the stories on this. Please read the article first if you are interested.
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どこで読んだのか忘れてしまったのですが、「神道におけるお参り（祈り）とは、つまりは八百万の神様との契約である」という文章に衝撃を受けた覚えがあります。西洋の絶対神への畏れや贖罪とは違い、◯◯するから●●してねという神道的なやり取りは、確かに契約っぽくて面白いなぁと思ったのです。契約って書くと少し嫌な気がするかもですが、でも、あながち的は外してない。 ☆ 現代に生きる僕らは、どうしても僕らの価値基準で物事を判断しがちです。勿論、主観がなければ何事も前に進まないのですが、同時にできるだけ客観的に過去を見つめられると良いなぁと思ったりするのです。刺し子は幻想化されてしまっていて、流れに乗る方が簡単で利も大きいんでしょうけれど、でも文化を語る以上、幻想化されて喜んでる場合じゃないとは思うんですよね。 ☆ #Sashiko #Animism #JapaneseSashiko #SashikoStory #刺し子
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March 22, 2021 at 03:00PM