 |
| Votive talismans designed for the home |
|---|
| Ofuda, andJingū taima when fromIse Jingu |
| Votive paper slips applied to the gates of shrines |
| Senjafuda |
| Amulets sold at shrines for luck and protection |
| Omamori |
| Wooden plaques representing prayers and wishes |
| Ema |
| Paper fortunes received by making a small offering |
| O-mikuji |
| Stamps collected at shrines |
| Shuin |
InShinto andBuddhism inJapan, anofuda (お札/御札;honorific form offuda,'slip [of paper], card, plate') orgofu (護符) is atalisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal.Ofuda are commonly found in bothShinto shrines andBuddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities (kami) or Buddhist figures revered therein.
Certain kinds ofofuda are intended for a specific purpose (such as protection against calamity or misfortune, safety within the home, or finding love) and may be kept on one's person or placed on other areas of the home (such as gates, doorways, kitchens, or ceilings). Paperofuda may also be referred to askamifuda (紙札), while those made of wood may be calledkifuda (木札).Omamori, another kind of Japanese talisman, shares the same origin as and may be considered as a smaller and portable version ofofuda.
A specific type ofofuda is a talisman issued by a Shinto shrine on which is written the name of the shrine or its enshrinedkami and stamped with the shrine'sseal. Suchofuda, also calledshinsatsu (神札),go-shinsatsu (御神札) orshinpu (神符), are often placed on household Shinto altars (kamidana) and revered both as a symbol of the shrine and its deity (or deities) – containing thekami's essence or power by virtue of its consecration – and a medium through which thekami in question can be accessed by the worshiper. In this regard they are somewhat similar to (but not the same as)goshintai, physical objects which serve as repositories forkami in Shinto shrines.
In a similar vein, Buddhistofuda are regarded as imbued with the spirit and the virtue ofbuddhas,bodhisattvas, or other revered figures of the Buddhist pantheon, essentially functioning in many cases as a more economic alternative to Buddhist icons and statuary.
The origins of Shinto and Buddhistofuda may be traced from both theTaoistlingfu, introduced to Japan viaOnmyōdō (which adopted elements of Taoism), andwoodblock prints of Buddhist texts and images produced by temples since theNara andHeian periods.[1][2][3][4][5][6] During the medieval period, thethree shrines of Kumano inWakayama Prefecture stamped their paper talismans on one side with intricate designs of stylized crows and were calledKumano Goōfu (熊野牛王符, 'Kumano Ox King Talismans') or theGoōhōin (牛王宝印).[7][8][9] At the time, these and similargofu were often employed in oath taking and contract drafting, with the terms of the oath or agreement being written on the blank side of the sheet.[10][11][12][13]
Theshinsatsu currently found in most Shinto shrines meanwhile are modeled after the talisman issued by theGrand Shrines of Ise (Ise Jingū) calledJingūTaima (神宮大麻).Jingū Taima were originallypurification wands (祓串,haraegushi) that wandering preachers associated with the shrines of Ise (御師,oshi or onshi)[clarification needed] handed out to devotees across the country as a sign and guarantee that prayers were conducted on their behalf. These wands, calledOharai Taima (御祓大麻), were contained either in packets of folded paper – in which case they are calledkenharai (剣祓) (alsokenbarai),[14] due to the packet's shape resembling a sword blade (剣,ken) – or in boxes calledoharaibako (御祓箱). The widespread distribution ofOharai Taima first began in theMuromachi period and reached its peak in theEdo period: a document dating from 1777 (An'ei 6) indicates that eighty-nine to ninety percent of all households in the country at the time owned an Ise talisman.[14][15][16][17]
In 1871, an imperial decree abolished theoshi and allotted the production and distribution of the amulets, now renamedJingū Taima, to the shrine's administrative offices.[15] It was around this time that the talisman's most widely known form – a wooden tablet containing a sliver ofcedar wood known asgyoshin (御真, "sacred core")[14][18] wrapped inpaper on which is printed the shrine's name (Tenshō Kōtai Jingū (天照皇大神宮)) and stamped with the seals of the shrine (Kōtai Jingū Gyoji (皇大神宮御璽)) and its high priest (Daijingūji no In (大神宮司之印)) – developed. In 1900, a new department, theKanbesho (神部署, Department of Priests), took over production and distribution duties. The distribution ofJingū Taima was eventually delegated to the National Association of Shinto Priests (全国神職会,Zenkoku Shinshokukai) in 1927 and finally to its successor, theAssociation of Shinto Shrines, afterWorld War II.[15] The Association nowadays continues to disseminateJingū Taima to affiliated shrines throughout Japan, where they are made available alongside the shrines' own amulets.
Ofuda come in a variety of forms. Some are slips or sheets of paper, others like theJingū Taima are thin rectangular plaques (kakubarai/kakuharai (角祓)) enclosed in an envelope-like casing (which may further be covered in translucent wrapping paper), while still others are wooden tablets (kifuda) which may be smaller or larger than regularshinsatsu. Some shrines distributekenharai, which consists of a sliver of wood placed inside a fold of paper. TheOharai Taima issued by the shrines of Ise before theMeiji period were usually in the form ofkenharai; while thekakuharai variety is currently more widespread,Jingū Taima of thekenharai type are still distributed in Ise Shrine.[19]
Ofuda andomamori are available year round in many shrines and temples, especially in larger ones with a permanent staff. As these items are sacred, they are technically not 'bought' but rather 'received' (授かる,sazukaru) orukeru (受ける), with the money paid in exchange for them being considered to be a donation or offering (初穂料,hatsuhoryō; literally 'first fruit fee').[20][21] One may also receive a wooden talisman called akitōfuda (祈祷札) after having formal prayers or rituals (kitō (祈祷)) performed on one's behalf in these places of worship.
![A Jingū Taima still in its translucent paper wrapper. This cover may be removed when setting up the talisman in a kamidana.[22]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJingu_taima_cover.jpg)
Shinsatsu such asJingū Taima are enshrined in a household altar (kamidana) or a special stand (ofudatate); in the absence of one, they may be placed upright in a clean and tidy space above eye level or attached to a wall.Shinsatsu and thekamidana that house them are set up facing east (where the sun rises), south (the principal direction of sunshine), or southeast.[23][24][25][26]
The Association of Shinto Shrines recommends that a household own at least three kinds ofshinsatsu:
In a 'three-door' style (三社造,sansha-zukuri) altar, theJingū Taima is placed in the middle, with theofuda of one's localujigami on its left (observer's right) and theofuda of one's favourite shrine on its right (observer's left). Alternatively, in a 'one-door' style (一社造,issha-zukuri)kamidana, the three talismans are laid on top of one another, with theJingū Taima on the front. One may own moreshinsatsu; these are placed on either side of or behind the aforementioned three.[23][24][27][28][29] Regular (preferably daily) worship before theshinsatsu orkamidana and offerings of rice, salt, water, and/orsake to thekami (with additional foodstuffs being offered on special occasions) are recommended.[24][30] The manner of worship is similar to those performed in shrines: two bows, two claps, and a final bow, though a prayer (norito) – also preceded by two bows – may be recited before this.[31][32]
Otherofuda are placed in other parts of the house. For instance,ofuda of patron deities of the hearth –Sanbō-Kōjin in Buddhism,Kamado-Mihashira-no-Kami (the 'Three Deities of the Hearth':Kagutsuchi,Okitsuhiko and Okitsuhime) in Shinto[33][34] – are placed in the kitchen. In toilets, a talisman of the Buddhist wrathful deityUcchuṣma (Ususama Myōō), who is believed to purify the unclean, may be installed.[35] Protectivegofu such asTsuno Daishi (角大師, 'Horned Great Master'), a depiction of theTendai monkRyōgen in the form of ayaksha or anoni[36][37] are placed on doorways or entrances.
Japanese spirituality lays great importance on purity and pristineness (tokowaka (常若,lit. 'eternal youth')), especially of things related to the divine. It is for this reason that periodic (usually annual) replacement ofofuda andomamori are encouraged. It is customary to obtain newofuda before the end of the year at the earliest or during theNew Year season, though (as withomamori) one may purchase one at other times of the year as well. While ideally, oldofuda andomamori are to be returned to the shrine or temple where they were obtained as a form of thanksgiving, most Shinto shrines in practice accept talismans from other shrines.[25][38][39][40][41] (Buddhistofuda are however not accepted in many shrines and vice versa.) Oldofuda andomamori are burned in a ceremony known either asSagichō (左義長) orDondoyaki (どんど焼き), alsoDontoyaki orTondoyaki) held during theLittle New Year (January 14 or 15th), the end of the Japanese New Year season.[21][42][43]
![A place for returning old talismans at Fukagawa Fudō-dō Temple [ja] in Tokyo](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAmulet_return_at_Fukagawa_Fudoson.jpg)
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![Part of a series of seventy-two talismans (霊符, reifu) (from the Chinese lingfu) known as Taijō Shinsen Chintaku Reifu (太上神仙鎮宅霊符, "Talismans of the Most High Gods and Immortals for Home Protection") or simply as Chintaku Reifu (鎮宅霊符, "Talismans for Home Protection"). Originally of Daoist origin, these were introduced to Japan during the Middle Ages.[44][45]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aChintaku_Reifu_(%25E9%258E%25AE%25E5%25AE%2585%25E9%259C%258A%25E7%25AC%25A6).png)
![A sakasafuda (逆札, reverse fuda), a handmade talisman against theft displayed upside-down. This ofuda is inscribed with the date the legendary outlaw Ishikawa Goemon supposedly died: "the 25th day of the 12th month" (十二月廿五日).[a][47] Other dates are written in other areas, such as "the 12th day of the 12th month" (十二月十二日), which is claimed to be Goemon's birthdate.[46]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aOfuda_jyuni_gatsu_nijyugo_nichi.JPG)
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| Practices and beliefs |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Shinto shrines | ||
| Notable Kami | ||
| Important literature |
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| See also | ||