WEEK4 Philosophy

Taoists normally worship privately at home using altars. Household worship includes altars for ancestors, home gods (like the Kitchen God discussed earlier), or regional deities. Li represents the sacred rituals associated with ancestor worship; like in other religions, a family’s ancestors react positively and negatively to respect and disrespect.

Public celebrations include Grand Masters (priests) presiding over religious rituals and ceremonies. All facets of the rituals must be flawlessly performed. Four assistants aid the Grand Master when invoking the ancestral spirits; they dance, play music, or read a text the Grand Master enacts. The ritual representation includes the soul ascending to join the ancestors or other deities.

Local priests serve as intermediaries between the natural and supernatural worlds. They function somewhat like spiritual mediums and shamans in that they use a variety of rituals and chants to get in touch with the spirit world and funnel powerful energies down to the human level. By doing so, they seek to help communities heal imbalances in the social Tao brought about by deaths or other calamities.

Priests can marry and have children, and they pass their knowledge on to their eldest sons. They usually work for a fee and are sometimes traveling itinerants.

Shinto priests or elders manage the community-financed shrines around Japan. The Ise Grand Shrine (Figures 4 and 5) is the most sacred to the culture for its dedication to Amaterasu (the female supreme sun goddess) and Toyouke, the harvest goddess. This most sacred of shrines is rebuilt for preservation purposes every 20 years.

Fig. 4: The Ise Grand Shrine (Ancient History Encyclopedia)Fig. 5: The Ise Grand Shrine (Wu’s Blog)

People honor the kami (spirits) at festivals: Some walk in parades, others impersonate deities, and most people observe the Japanese New Year’s festival. Also, Sumo (wrestling) is rooted in Shinto nationalistic tradition and kami worship.