Reishu Sakuma ／ Prayer Rooted in Daily Life
Cold Dew · Crickets chirp around the door
One Minute Each Morning: The Habit of Speaking to the Kami with Norito
Reishu Sakuma introduces a one-minute morning habit of norito (祝詞, words addressed to the kami): the words he recites each day, the order of gratitude and prayer that follows, and how to keep the habit going without strain.
Translated from the Japanese original. Read in Japanese
The short answer
I have come to feel that one minute each morning, spent reciting norito and offering gratitude and a prayer to the kami, sets the direction of the day. No difficult words are needed. After the norito I recite daily, I simply add thanks and a wish for the peace of my family and the people I meet. You may speak aloud or recite silently. What matters is that the gratitude comes from the heart.
01Why mornings feel so rushed
Mornings tend to be hectic. Packing lunches, starting the laundry, seeing the children and family off, and by the time you get to your own preparations, you can almost hear yourself sigh, "I'm already tired." The day has barely begun and your spirit feels worn. I suspect many people know this kind of morning.
But just one minute of the morning is enough. In that minute, I believe you can change the direction of your whole day. The key is norito, and kotoage (言上), the act of addressing words to the kami.
02What norito is
Norito are words addressed to the kami, handed down in Japan since ancient times. Many people will picture the distinctive chanted words heard when receiving a purification at a shrine.
But the norito you recite at home needs no difficult words. What matters is conveying gratitude to the kami from the heart. I have come to feel that it is the heart carried by the words, more than their form, that sets one's fortune in order.
03The norito I recite each morning
So what norito should go into that one minute? Here I share, exactly as it is, the norito I recite each day.
Anatōto, anatōto, Makoto Ōkami wo hajime, morotsu kami, morotsu mitama ni kotoage mōshiagemasu
the norito Reishu Sakuma recites daily (roughly: "How sacred, how sacred. To Makoto Ōkami and to all the kami and all the spirits, I respectfully offer these words.")
After this, I offer gratitude and a prayer. In my case, the words are these.
Thank you for giving me another wonderful day. May my family and everyone I meet today be at peace and calm of heart. And may all people be smiling.
the words Reishu Sakuma offers daily
You may read it aloud or recite it in your heart.
04Why gratitude and a wish both belong
The point is to include both gratitude and a wish. Not gratitude alone, not a wish alone, but both put into words. When you do, I feel that the universe and the kami recognize that this person is ready to receive, and grant a richer flow. That is how I understand it.
05Straighten your back as you recite
One more thing: when you recite the norito, straighten your back just a little. Simply correcting your posture changes the flow of ki (氣, vital energy), and the power of the words seems to sink gently into the body.
Keep this one-minute habit going, and I have come to feel that changes follow: the restlessness of the heart eases, relationships go more smoothly, anxiety grows lighter, and smiles come naturally. Norito is something like a magic switch for beginning the day well.
06The secret to continuing is a form that suits you
It is fine if it does not click at first. If speaking aloud feels embarrassing, you can simply murmur the words in your heart while drinking your morning water. You can begin without a kamidana (a household shrine) or any fixed place.
The secret is to continue in a form that suits you, without strain. May your mornings be set in order, and may each day be wrapped in a richer and happier flow.
Be the first to join your hands.
Frequently asked
- Do I need a kamidana or a special place to recite norito?
- No. The kitchen, the entryway, or wherever you drink your morning water is fine. What matters is conveying gratitude from the heart.
- Does it still work if I have not memorized the words exactly?
- I believe that heartfelt gratitude and a sincere wish matter more than exact wording. At first, simply reading the words in this article aloud is enough.
- Is it all right not to speak aloud?
- Yes. I feel that the heart placed in the words reaches the kami even when recited silently. Once you are used to it, try a quiet voice as well.
Terms in this article
- norito 祝詞
- Words offered to the kami. Best known as the chanted words recited by Shinto priests at shrine festivals and purifications. In this article, the short words recited daily at home are also introduced as norito.
- kotoage 言上
- To address words respectfully to the kami or to a superior. In the norito I learned, it is read "kotoage."
- sōjō 奏上
- To offer words to the kami or to someone of high standing.
- kotodama 言霊
- The power believed to dwell in words. In Japan it has long been held that spoken words act upon reality.
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Next cold dew, new writing will join this list.