This is a small, slim volume you can easily finish in one sitting, even if you're a slow reader like me. The author makes a case for Shinto as a universal religion--not in the sense that it claims universal authority, but in the sense that nature is everywhere, and Shinto is about celebrating, revering, and being integrated within nature. Shinto is non-dogmatic and its practices can be meshed with other religions. Therefore, you can practice Shinto anywhere, and the "meditations" (which is really a misnomer--in the text they are called litanies) are non-specific so can be used by anyone of any faith. The litanies are inspired by various natural elements, grouped by season, such as fire, waterfalls, trees, stones, earth, etc. The book explains basic Shinto concepts that are important to the worldview, such as "celebration" and "observation." These aren't articles of faith but rather ways of relating to life and nature. There is also a section on how to perform misogi (a waterfall purification ritual), though I found it difficult to picture some of the actions in the instructions.
One thing about the book was disappointing: the litanies are mostly identical. Each one has a few lines that are specific to the element under discussion, but most of it is repeated for each litany. For example, the litany on trees is 4 and a half pages long, of which only 12 lines or so are unique to trees. And that litany had more specific lines than most. The rest is sort of a call and response pattern prayer focused on purification. Shinto doesn't have a concept of sin, but it does have a belief in impurity or "pollution." Pollution isn't caused by immoral acts, usually, but by coming into contact with unclean situations or substances; however, it can have a negative effect on one's spiritual, mental, and physical health, so there are many purification ceremonies to remedy it. (This isn't explained in depth in the book, I just mention it here for context.) If a reader didn't know this, they might find the emphasis on "purity" and "impurity" to be a little off-putting. For my part, I was expecting the meditations to have more emphasis on nature itself as opposed to the purification of humans. But the author does do a good job of showing how those things are related in Shinto.
Each litany is prefaced by a short section on why that particular element is revered, referencing other cultures/religions that have had similar attitudes, e.g., Druids. These introductions are much shorter than the litanies themselves, and I would have liked them to be longer and more detailed, with more in-depth discussion of their role in Shinto.
It's not to say that you can't find inspiration for meditation in this book (especially the "discursive" style of meditation where you focus on a word, phrase, or concept and allow insights to arise)--you can easily use the lines that are specific to each natural element and make them the focus of meditation. You likely wouldn't use the rest of the litany in that case. If you are interested in practicing Shinto outside of Japan, or building your own system of "revering the earth", or integrating nature meditation into another faith, you may find this book useful and inspiring. I think this would be especially true if you are inspired by nature but not too familiar with Shinto and thinking of dipping a toe in the water to see if it's a good fit for you. For a potential purchaser I think the question is just whether you want to spend $12.95 (the price at the time I bought it) for a book you will read in one sitting. I feel like the book should have either been much shorter, omitting the repetition and costing much less; or much longer and more detailed. But your mileage may vary.
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Shinto Meditations
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2021Verified Purchase
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