SHINTO PURIFICATION

Clean or pure water is believed to purify both body and spirit. Shinto ascetic training called "misogi" includes activities such as staying without sleeping, breath control or standing under a waterfall (even in winter of course). When you enter a Shinto shrine, there is always a wooden tank of clean water available to purify hands and mouth. It might be a light version of a complete purification under waterfall. Before standing in front of Gods, you need to first purify your left hand, then your right hand, and finally your mounth. End the procedure by pouring water on your left hand once again and clean the dipper using the remaining water by holding it vertically. Then put the dipper back as it was before.




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