User:Immanuelle/Oharae no Kotoba

Ōharae no Kotoba (大祓詞) is one of the norito used in Shinto rituals. Originally used in the Ōharae ceremony, it was primarily recited by the Nakatomi clan, hence it is also abbreviated as Nakatomi Saimon (中臣祭文) or Nakatomi Harae Kotoba (中臣祓詞), and simply referred to as Nakatomi Harae (中臣祓). The standard text is found in volume eight of the Engishiki, under the title "June 30 Ōharae". Generally, when referring to Ōharae no Kotoba, it means the words recited to the gathered participants of the Ōharae ceremony, while Nakatomi Harae refers to a version offered before the gods

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Overview

Originally, Ōharae no Kotoba was recited during the biannual Ōharae ceremonies held on the last days of June and December to cleanse the participants of sins (according to Shinto beliefs) and impurities. The Nakatomi clan performed this ritual at Suzaku Gate in Kyoto, which led to the name Nakatomi Harae. Although the texts for June and December differed, only the June version has survived. The Engishiki describes it as "June 30 Ōharae," and today's Ōharae no Kotoba is based on this text.

Initially, Ōharae no Kotoba was recited to the participants of the Ōharae ceremony but later came to be recited before the gods. In the medieval period, it became associated with Onmyōdō and esoteric Buddhism, believed to confer merit simply by reciting it. Reciting it thousands or tens of thousands of times was thought to increase this merit, leading to the creation of abridged versions like "Saiyō Nakatomi Harae" and "Saijō Nakatomi Harae" for easier recitation. It was especially valued in Bukke Shinto and Juka Shinto, and numerous commentaries were written, such as "Nakatomi Harae Kunkai" and "Nakatomi Harae Fūsuisō."

Today, Ōharae no Kotoba is recited by worshippers during Ōharae ceremonies and daily at shrines under the jurisdiction of the Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honchō). It is also used in various sect Shinto and Shinto-derived new religions, although the text has been modified from the version in the Engishiki and varies slightly among different groups.

Kamo Mabuchi suggested that the Ōharae no Kotoba originated in the reigns of Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu, while Motoori Norinaga believed it originated during the reign of Emperor Monmu. Both theories agree that the text had roots predating these periods.

History

There are several theories about the origin of the Ōharae no Kotoba. Some say it was written by Amenokoyane's grandson, Amatsuhiko; others attribute it to Tokiwami Ohira or Nakatomi no Kone, who is said to have composed it for use in biannual Ōharae ceremonies under the command of Emperor Tenji. A revised version is believed to have been established during Emperor Monmu's reign.

The Ōharae no Kotoba was used in the Ōharae ceremony. According to the Ritsuryō system, Jōgan Gishiki, and the Engishiki, the ceremony was held at Suzaku Gate in Kyoto on June 30 and December 31 to remove various sins and impurities committed unknowingly by officials and the general public. In the palace, the Nakatomi offered hemp, and the Mononobe presented purifying knives while reciting a Chinese-style purification text. Afterward, they distributed hemp to officials above the fifth rank and read the Nakatomi Harae Kotoba. This was followed by lower-ranking officials drawing sacred hemp. The Engishiki records the ceremony as "June 30 Ōharae" with a note that it also applies to December.

The text of the Ōharae no Kotoba is praised for its excellence and grandeur, reflecting an aspect of the national spirit. Since the medieval period, it has been revered as a sacred text of Shinto, believed to achieve prayers when recited before the gods. Thousand and ten thousand recitations were common, modeled after Buddhist prayer sessions, with priests distributing copies to followers. Numerous commentaries have been written since ancient times.

Besides the regular biannual ceremonies, Ōharae was also conducted before the Daijōsai and in response to disasters and epidemics. Nakatomi Harae adapted the Ōharae no Kotoba for private prayers, shifting from recitation to participants to offering it to the gods, and is believed to have been established by the 10th century. The name Nakatomi Harae derives from the Nakatomi clan's role in reciting it.

Nakatomi Harae was used by the Jingikan for the emperor's purification. By the early 11th century, Onmyōji (diviners) were using it for private prayers. For example, in the year 1008, the diary of Murasaki Shikibu mentions Onmyōji chanting "Even the eight million gods must be listening" during prayers for the Empress's safe delivery.

The oldest text of the Nakatomi Saimon is found in the early 12th-century "Chōya Gunsai". Unlike the Ōharae no Kotoba in the Engishiki, which addresses the participants, the Nakatomi Saimon in the "Chōya Gunsai" is directed at the gods and is designed for anyone to read at any time and place. According to researcher Okada Yoneo, this version is the oldest form of the modern prayer recited before the gods. The "Chōya Gunsai" Nakatomi Saimon includes a reference to "the eight million gods of the Purification Gate," which contrasts with the four gods mentioned in the Ōharae no Kotoba. The current version distributed by the Association of Shinto Shrines reflects this broader invocation.

Over time, Nakatomi Harae spread throughout Japan. By the 12th century, it was practiced at Kasuga Shrine, and Buddhist monks also began incorporating it into their rituals. It is believed that by the late Heian period, Buddhist monks had produced commentaries like the "Nakatomi Harae Kunkai".

The term "Nakatomi Saimon" appears to have been widely used from the late Heian period. As Onmyōji and others began conducting private purification ceremonies, Ōharae no Kotoba became commonly used in public and private rituals. Suzuki Shigetane's "Shukushi Kōgi" volume ten explains the name Ōharae no Kotoba as follows (modern translation):

"It is old to call the Ōharae no Kotoba by the common name Nakatomi Harae. However, since Harae refers to the event, it should correctly be called Nakatomi Harae Kotoba. The 'Kogo Shūi' states, 'Amatsuhiko's son was made to perform the purification of heavenly and earthly sins. These sins are detailed in the Nakatomi Harae Kotoba.' This is correct. The Nakatomi were responsible for purification, and since they recited it, it is called Nakatomi Harae Kotoba."

In Ise Shinto, unique purification rituals developed by the early Kamakura period and became secretive by the late Kamakura period. Yoshida Shinto also valued the Nakatomi Harae, creating unique rituals and commentaries.

In the medieval period, studies of the Nakatomi Harae advanced alongside research on the divine chapters of the Nihon Shoki, deepening its religious significance. The influence of Ise Shinto and its "Shinto Gobusho," as well as Ryōbu Shinto and Sannō Shinto, is evident. Watarai Ieyuki quoted Nakatomi Harae Kunkai in his "Ruiju Jingi Hongen," which was popularly attributed to Kūkai but actually became public in the late Kamakura period. The Jingu Library holds a manuscript of "Nakatomi Harae Chushō" from the early Kamakura period, and the "Ōharae no Kotoba Dōchū" attributed to Fujiwara Asomi Mikodayū is also from this period. The Yoshida family of Kyoto, especially Yoshida Kanetomo, focused heavily on Nakatomi Harae research in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods. Kanetomo wrote "Nakatomi Harae Kikigaki," and his son Kiyohara Norikane wrote "Nakatomi Harae Shō." Their descendants Yoshida Kanenaga and Yoshida Kanehiro worked to disseminate these works.

From the late Heian period to the Edo period, the daily recitation was called Nakatomi Harae Kotoba, and the recitation at the Ōharae ceremonies on June 30 and December 31 was called Ōharae no Kotoba, distinguishing the two. The expressions in the beginning and middle of the daily recitations differed from the biannual ceremony. In the late Edo period, with the rise of Kokugaku and Fukko Shinto, the original name Ōharae no Kotoba came back into use.

Content

The "June 30 Ōharae" in the Engishiki consists of three main elements:

1. Notification to officials about the performance of the Ōharae. 2. Notification of the process of purification from the occurrence of sins by people to their elimination by the gods. 3. Instructions to the Urabe clan.

The Ōharae no Kotoba is divided into two main parts based on its content.

The first part begins with the words, "Listen well to the norito," addressed to the imperial family and officials gathered for the Ōharae ceremony. This reflects the original form of the Ōharae no Kotoba, which was recited to the participants. This part is omitted in the current version used by the Association of Shinto Shrines. The text then recounts the events from the pacification of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (the Central Land of Reed Plains) to the descent of the heavenly grandchild (Tenson kōrin) and the rule of Japan by the heavenly grandchild. It lists the sins committed by the people of such a nation as "heavenly sins" and "earthly sins" and describes how to purify such sins. The list of sins includes concepts that do not align with modern notions of sin and some that could be considered discriminatory. Hence, the current version used by the Association of Shinto Shrines omits the enumeration of sins and simply states "heavenly sins and earthly sins" (this follows the version established by the Ministry of the Interior in 1914).

The second part describes how purification eliminates sins and impurities. It uses various metaphors to describe the elimination of sins and impurities and concludes with the four Purification Gods making them disappear.

The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito

The interpretation of "The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito" at the end of the first part has been debated since the Edo period when Kokugaku (National Studies) emerged.

Motoori Norinaga argued in his "Ōharae no Kotoba Kōshaku" that "The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito" referred to the Ōharae no Kotoba itself. Kamo Mabuchi expressed a similar opinion in his "Shukushi Kō." The Ministry of the Interior, which supervised Shinto shrines before World War II, adopted this interpretation, and the Association of Shinto Shrines, which succeeded it, follows the same interpretation. In the current practice of the Association of Shinto Shrines, nothing is recited between the first and second parts; there is only a brief pause.

However, another theory suggests that "The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito" is a secret norito passed down from the divine age, which was not written in the Engishiki due to its secret nature. Hirata Atsutane, a posthumous disciple of Motoori Norinaga, suggested in his unfinished "Koshiden" that there was a norito called "The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito" orally transmitted from Amaterasu Omikami to the Nakatomi family. In his "Tenshū Norito Kō," he researched and compiled various norito transmitted in different Shinto traditions, presenting his version of "The Great Words of the Heavenly Norito." This version is adopted as "Tenshū Norito" by many Shinto sects outside the Association of Shinto Shrines and is recited between the first and second parts of the Ōharae no Kotoba or used as a standalone purification norito.

Bibliography

• Jingū Shichō (1928) [1928]. "Ōharae". In Jingū Shichō (ed.). Kojiruien. Vol. Shingibu 33. Kojiruien Kankōkai. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (help)
• Okada Yoneo (2016 (originally published in 1962 as "Interpretation and Faith of the Ōharae Kotoba")). The Heart of the Ōharae Kotoba Interpretation and Faith of the Ōharae Kotoba. Shinto Shimbunsha. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
• Kōno Shōzō (1937). "Studies and Dissemination of the Divine Chapters and Nakatomi Harae". The Development of Our National Ideals. National Spiritual Culture Studies, Vol. 18. National Institute of Japanese Studies. pp. 33–34. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Murayama Shūichi (1979). "Saimon". In Japanese History Dictionary Editorial Committee (ed.). Japanese History Dictionary. Vol. 5 Sa - Shi. Kawade Shobō Shinsha. p. 43.

See also

• Norito

External Links

• Ōharae no Kotoba - The Cultural History of Oharae (Kokugakuin University Traditional Culture Research Center)
• English translation

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