Many of you may have visited Fushimi Inari Taisha, a highly popular tourist destination. When I visited a few years ago, I was fortunate to find the place almost deserted. Walking through the seemingly endless rows of vermillion torii gates along the mountain path felt like I had wandered into another world—a truly mystical experience.
You might have wondered why there are so many torii gates. After all, what do they signify? A torii gate represents the boundary between the sacred space within a shrine (the divine realm) and the outside world where people live (the secular world). The reason for the multitude of gates at some shrines dates back to the Edo period when people would dedicate a torii as an offering of thanks for their wishes being “granted” or in hopes that they would “pass through” (be granted). If you look closely, you’ll see the names of those who made the dedications inscribed on the lower parts of the gates. It’s humbling to think that the landscape of countless torii was shaped by the sincere wishes of so many people. Yet, this also brings to mind a saying by the famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.
In his final work, “獨行道 The Way of Walking Alone” (1645), Musashi wrote, “Respect the gods and buddhas, but do not rely on them.”
Musashi encountered a shrine on his way to a duel and was about to pray for victory. However, he reconsidered, believing that relying on external forces was not the way of a true samurai. He saw his own weakness in the desire to seek divine assistance and chose not to pray. His words emphasize that while one should respect and believe in the existence of gods and buddhas, one should never depend on their power.
The Way of Walking Alone is a collection of 21 precepts on the samurai way of life. An English version is available, so I highly recommend reading it if you’re interested.
The photo shows the torii gates of Nezu Shrine in Tokyo.
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