The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-08-22
OLD SHINFO RITE
Fire Walking Practiced by An
Gent Religious Sect.
Believed In Japan Ceremony A~ntedates
Human Family, the Gods Having
Observed II in Their Progress
Toward "Perfeot Purity"

OWdFO 'FGTIGCI FuTlNJs
"Hiwatari," or the miracle Of fire
walking" is one of the oldest religion
rites of the Shinto sect, which they
claim is indigenous to Japan. Buddhism
was imported from India via China
and Korea. The nation is not divided
into two distinct sections, however, as
the teachings are so thoroughly inter
fused that the number belonging ex-
clusively to either is comparatively
small. Every Japanese child at birth
is placed by its parents under he pro
lection of a Shinto deity. The Shinto
religion is a compound of ancestor
worship and nature-worship, and does
not give any ethical teachings beyond
''obeying the decree of the emperor"
and following the natural impulse of
right"
"Shinto" is a Chinese word mean
ing the way of the gods" There are
gods and goddesses innumerable:
Goddess of the sun, and god of the
moon, god of the wind, fire and food,
of the ocean, mountains, rivers, trees
and temples. The rite of fire walking
is believed to antedate the human fam
lily, the gods having observed it in
their progress toward perfect purity"
which is the fulhllment of life. 1t Is
observed twice annually, and was wit
messed by the writer on a recent visit
to Japan at the Temple of Ontak,
Kudan.
On two sides of the temple court a
platform was raised overlooking the
court and seats reserved for the EN-
bassies and visitors to witness this
most ancient an interesting ceremony
In the court, which is holy ground"
the pyre was built on strictly pre-
scribed lines and of purest material.
First a layer of straw which was COW
cred with sand from the seashore care
fully screened to insure purity, then
logs or sticks of pine, and this was
covered with charcoal about twenty
inches deep.
The bed was about seven feet wide
and eighteen feet long. This was light
ed in the early morning and was
famed continually with long-handled
fans and whipped with hin boards I'M
til it was a glowing mass of live coal
The ceremony begins at dusk and is a
prolonged affair. The temple priests
dressed in white march around and
7 around tanning the ash always to the
center, and casting handfuls of salt,
which they take in passing from a
q. large BOWL placed conveniently near.
At each end of the pyre a canva
roat &c cnrood oCuarod fhinElu with.
r salt, on which the priests rub their
bare feet They breathe incantations
e with a peculiar swishing sound so for.
e eign to our ears, and stop at frequent
l. intervals to g~esticulate, twist their fin
gers and spread their hands out over
the fire, urging the evil spirits to de
part. 1t vas a weird scene, and one
e which claimed our closest attention.
l. Finally the chief priest entered,
I dressed in a long loose robe with flow
t ing sleeves and fastened at the wrist
: with a girdle. He walked ~devoutly to
the end of the pyre and, bowling his
y head low over his unclasped hands,
dedicated the pyre to the god and
} prayed him to descend on the bed. A
prolonged pause ensued; then a priest
8 struck a spark from flint on steel, and
{ it was supposed the invitation was ac-
II cepted.
. The chief priest walked with calm
dignity across the bed, followed by the
- other priests, apparently oblivious of
the tremendous heat which seemed I'M
y bearable to the spectators 80 feet
= away. The crowd pressed forward
and participated, old and young, chill
. dren being carried or led by their par
: ents and the very aged carried on the
D shoulders of young men. 1t was GER
;. tainly q most impressive ceremony, as
) they all seemed possessed with a GER
- tain religious fervor that made them
unconscious of burns.
AS they walked SO calmly, occasion.
ally one would pick up his foot and
- hop along; her he would seem to re-
member it was an acknowledgment of
impurity and he would place his foot
firmly down and walk on. If they are
a pure in spirit, they are immune and
- can traverse the bed with perfect safe
/ ty; and this rite is the test of perfect
purity.
10 Wnlle JnS procession was IN progress
r.. the travelling companion of the writer,
10 an American girl. slipped away un.
noticed and appeared in the arena.
Gathering her clothes closely about
her, she walked on the bed of Goals
Al fearlessly and absolutely without burn.
ing. When the audience realized II
IA was a foreigner making the test they
gave her a tremendous ovation. Or
inquiry If she found 1t hot, she replied
that she did not linger long enough tC
test the degree Of heat.
re The Japanese theory is that tn,
n spirit of water descends from the moor
of and drives the spirit of fire from this
in Goals; and the lesson taught by the
rite is that evil may be driven from
ct the heart Of man and only good sur
1t vive. The only explanation OF theii
1T being able to walk without burning t.
ia the normal mind is that the salt cool
n the surface of the bed. After the cere
st mony is over every priest prods it with
n long poles, stirring up the live coali
from the bottom IN Diminishing tn,
az spirits of fire if any fingered tbrouel