94
myriads of gods whom they cause to serve them, and the gods of branch-palaces and branch-temples, and Sohodo no kami, whom I have invited to the shrine sect up on this divine shelf, and to whom I offer praises day by day, I pray with awe that they will deign to correct the unwitting faults, which, heard and seen by them, I have committed, and blessing and favouring me according to the Powers which they severally wield, cause me to follow the divine example, and to perform good-works in the Way.”
Hirata recounts several miracles worked by o-harahi of the Naikû, which I am unfortunately obliged to omit for want of space, and gives a long explanation of the reason why Amaterasu, who detested Buddhism, allowed it to spread throughout the country. His arguments resemble in logical form very closely those by which the origin of evil is accounted for by theologians.
The fifteenth of the prayers is to be offered to what are called the harahi-do no kami, gods whose office it is to free the suppliant from evils, sins and pollutions of all kinds. Then follow prayers to the gods who keep off pestilence, to Ame-no-koya-ne no mikoto, who is regarded as the god of wisdom, to Ame-no-uzume no mikoto, the goddess of happiness, Toyo-uke-bime in her capacity as the protector of the abodes of men, the gods of the harvest, of the gate and the front court, of the kitchen fire-place (commonly called Kôjin-sama), of the well, of the privy, and of learning. Amongst the gods of learning he places Kada, Mabuchi and Motoöri.
Last of all comes a prayer to the shrine, commonly called butsudan, in which are deposited the monumental tablets of ancestors and deceased members of family, who are supposed to become hotoke or perfect buddhas, immediately after their death. Usually the butsudan contains an image of the chief Buddhist god of the sect to which the family belongs placed in the centre, the monumental tablets being on either side. Fresh flowers are offered up as often they are needed, and the first portion of the rice boiled for the daily food of the household, besides a
