Page:Shinto, the Way of the Gods - Aston - 1905.djvu/250

240 impossible, the worshipper may offer his devotions from a distance. This is called em-pai, or distant worship. Special shrines are provided in some places where the God will accept such substituted service. Processions may be joint formal visits of the worshippers to the God's shrine, but they oftener consist in attending him on an excursion from it to some place in the neighbourhood and back again. They much resemble in character the carnival processions of Southern Europe.

Circumambulation.—The Brahmanic and Buddhist ceremony of pradakchina, that is, going round a holy object with one's right side turned to it, is not found in Shinto. The principle, however, on which it rests—namely, that of following or imitating the course of the Sun—is recognized in the Jimmu legend. Jimmu says: " If I should proceed against the Sun to attack the enemy, I should act contrary to the way of Heaven......Bringing on our backs the might of the Sun-Goddess, let us follow herraysand trample them down." It is difficult to reconcile with this a passage in the Kojiki where it is counted unlucky for the Mikado to travel from East to West, because in so doing he must turn his back upon the Sun.

Horses presented to shrines were led round them eight times.