Blessing Animals

Aloha & Welcome Back to Hawaii

 It is time again for the ancient Japanese ritual,

Chinowa, 

in which people pass through a ring

of chigaya grass

to receive a blessing of good health. 

Dating from Nara period (710-749 CE)

the blessing initiates a process of renewal & revitalization, invoking increased flow

of Universal Life Energy,

strengthening us for the second half of the year

(New Year is the prime time for blessings!)

 A Shinto Shrine grew in old Honolulu,

outside the city herself:

 Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu.

 In time, a modern city grew up around her.

A major highway passes very near.

As with everything else here in Hawaii,

we have put our own spin on Chinowa.

Here, it is an occasion to bless our 

companion animals,

and lucky Ti leaves 

are used in place of chigaya.

"The nature of God is a circle

of which the center is everywhere

and the circumference is

nowhere. "

Empedocles

We can judge the heart of a man

by his treatment of animals."  

Immanual Kant

 

“Men are slower

 

to recognize blessings

 

than evils.”

 

 

 Titus Livy

“Prayers go up 

 

and blessings come down”

 

 

Yiddish Proverb

 

 

 

 

 

"If having a soul means

being able to feel love and loyalty

and gratitude,

then animals are better off 

than a lot of humans"  

James Herriot

And yes,

I got my

blessing!

Here's sharing it

             with YOU- warmly,     cloudia