The Way of the Kami with Rev. Ann Evans & Rev. Taishi Kato
Religion To Reality
QUICK SUMMARY Shinto has no dogma, no scripture, and no conversion, so what is it? In this episode, we sit down with two Shinto priests. Rev. Ann Evans, one of the few Shinto priests in North America and a certified forest therapy guide, describes the moment a gravel walkway lined with towering cedars felt like home, chants a purification prayer for us, and explains why forest bathing is her “side door to Shinto.” Then Rev. Taishi Kato, heir to a 1,000-year-old shrine in Japan, reveals why the most important practice of a Shinto priest is sweeping leaves. IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE [00:00] Cold open: “It was an incredibly spiritual experience for me, and it just was home” [00:30] Dave and Fr. John introduce the Shinto episode, the traditional religion of Japan, with two priests as guests [01:30] Meet Rev. Ann Evans: Shinto priest, ANFT-certified forest therapy guide, and author of Shinto Norito: A Book of Prayers [03:00] Ann’s story: a Presbyterian upbringing in Pasadena, a Japanese exchange student, and the shrine ceremonies that moved her before she understood them [05:00] The walk that changed everything: approaching Tsubaki Grand Shrine through towering cedars — “it just was home” [06:30] Shinto and her Christian heritage: from “is this true?” to “it just is”, no dogma, no scripture, no conversion [09:00] What is Shinto? The way of the kami, and why humans are innately pure and innately bright [11:30] Misogi: cold-water purification in waterfalls, rivers, and the ocean, and why cold condenses spiritual energy [14:00] Translating kami for the West: angels, saints, and loosening up our language [16:00] Fr. John’s observation: misogi sounds baptismal, ritual, archetypal, and what incense and cold water share [19:30] Life at the shrine: daily offerings of rice, water, sake, and salt; morning prayer; and ceremonies from baby blessings to business success [22:00] Ann chants the Harai no kotoba, the prayer of purification, in Japanese, then translates it [24:30] Why prayers stay in Japanese: kotodama, the belief that the sound of a word carries a soul [26:30] No evangelists here: from ancient Ko-Shinto in the forests to Shrine Shinto, and Rev. Yukitaka Yamamoto’s vision of bringing Shinto to America in 1987 [30:30] Miyazaki, Totoro, and the Kodama: what Ghibli films get right, and why Shinto must be experienced before it’s understood [32:30] The torii gate: crossing from the secular to the sacred, plus the shimenawa rope and zigzag shide [33:30] Heaven as “the high plain”: the unseen world, 50 days of prayer for the departed, and gratitude for ancestors who can still see us [36:00] Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) explained: “the forest is the therapist, and the guide opens the door” [41:00] Why forest bathing isn’t a hike: covering an eighth of a mile in three hours, and what changes when you let yourself be led [43:00] Chapters of a spiritual life: how Ann’s practice has evolved from young children to young grandchildren [45:30] Listening without agenda: holding a space people are welcome to step into or not [46:30] Where to find Ann: Matsuri Foundation of Canada, and the true meaning of “matsuri”, two hands offering a branch in gratitude [48:30] Meet Rev. Taishi Kato: eldest son of a family that has served their 1,000-year-old shrine for generations [50:30] Why 70–80% of Japanese people visit a shrine on New Year’s Day [51:30] The most important practice of a Shinto priest: cleaning the shrine grounds [53:00] Why it would be easier to cut down the 400-year-old trees and why sweeping their leaves is the point [54:00] Dave’s closing reflection: there are no shortcuts in the spiritual journey, and what our traditions prepare us for<...