Chinkon Kishin

is a Japanese religious practice that consists of two components, (, i.e. meditation) and (, i.e. spirit possession). It originated in Japan during the 19th century and was first taught and practiced by Chikaatsu Honda. In 1898, Onisaburo Deguchi, the founder of the Oomoto religion, learned ''chinkon kishin'' from Honda's disciple and popularized it during the early 20th century. ''Chinkon kishin'' was widely practiced in Oomoto from 1916 to 1921, during which the phrase began to be widely used. The basic practices of several Shinto-based Japanese new religions are derived from ''chinkon kishin''. ''Chinkon kishin'' is still practiced in more or less its original form in Shintō Tenkōkyo and Ananaikyo, whereas it is highly modified in present-day Oomoto.

During ''kishin'', or spirit possession, a mediator known as the ''saniwa'' ( 審神者) questions the deity in the possessed person (spirit medium), known as the ''kannushi'' (神主) (note that the term ''kannushi'' is instead used to refer to a shrine caretaker and priest in mainstream Shinto). Currently, the Japanese new religions Makoto no Michi and also have similar practices.

History

''Chinkon kishin'' was originally taught as the separate components of ''chinkon'' and ''kishin'' by Chikaatsu Honda (1822–1889) during the 19th century, who in turn derived many of his ideas from his teachers Seishisai Aizawa and Atsutane Hirata. Honda then taught ''chinkon'' and ''kishin'' to his disciple (1858–1940). In turn, Nagasawa taught it directly to Onisaburo Deguchi (出口王仁三郎, the founder of Oomoto, who merged the two practices into ''chinkon kishin''), Yoshisane Tomokiyo ( 友清歓真, born Kyūgo Tomokiyo 友清九吾; the founder of Shintō Tenkōkyo), and Yonosuke Nakano (中野與之助, the founder of Ananaikyo). Shintō Tenkōkyo and Ananaikyo both still practice ''chinkon kishin'', although participation is restricted to members and is not open to the general public. In present-day Oomoto, only the ''chinkon'' (鎮魂) aspect is practiced as a form of meditation, but not the ''kishin'' (帰神) aspect of spirit possession.

''Chinkon kishin'' was widely taught to Oomoto followers by Onisaburo Deguchi from 1916 to 1921 until the Japanese government cracked down on the practice during the First Oomoto Incident of 1921. In 1923, Deguchi banned ''chinkon kishin'' and replaced it with , which involved the use of rice ladles. This practice would go on to form the basis of ''johrei'' and ''okiyome'' in later Oomoto-derived religions that make use of the "laying of hands" to channel divine light for spiritual healing.

Onisaburo Deguchi taught ''chinkon kishin'' to Masaharu Taniguchi (谷口雅春), founder of Seicho-no-Ie, and Mokichi Okada (岡田茂吉), founder of the Church of World Messianity. ''Johrei'' (浄霊) as practiced by the Church of World Messianity is directly based on ''chinkon kishin'', while the ''chinkon'' (meditation) aspect of ''chinkon kishin'' forms the basis of '' shinsōkan'' (神想観) in Seicho-no-Ie. The practice of ''johrei'' in turn inspired Kōtama Okada, founder of the Mahikari movement, to invent the similar practice of ''okiyome'' (お浄め).

Religions

The following Japanese new religions derive their basic teachings and practices from ''chinkon kishin'' and its derirative practices, as taught to their founders by Nagasawa, Deguchi, or Okada.

* Oomoto
* Ananaikyo
* Shintō Tenkōkyo
* Seicho-No-Ie
* "Divine light" (''johrei'' / ''okiyome''-practicing) religions
** Church of World Messianity and related splinter groups such as Shinji Shumeikai
** Mahikari movement religions (including Sukyo Mahikari and World Divine Light)

Academic studies

''Chinkon kishin'' has been thoroughly studied in a 2009 monograph by Birgit Staemmler, which is the published revision of her 2002 doctoral dissertation written at the University of Tübingen. A detailed treatment of ''chinkon kishin'' can also be found in Nancy K. Stalker's 2008 biography about Onisaburo Deguchi, ''Prophet Motive''. The history of ''chinkon kishin'' has also been studied in a doctoral dissertation by Namiki (2020).

See also

*Spiritualism (movement)

Further reading

*
*Satō, Akihiko 佐藤卿彦. 1978. ''Kenshin Honda reigaku hōten'' 顕神本田霊学法典. Kawaguchi: Sangabō 山雅房.
*Suzuki, Shigemichi 鈴木重道 (ed.). 1976.
Honda Chikaatsu zenshū
' 本田親徳全集. Kawaguchi: Sangabō 山雅房.
*Suzuki, Shigemichi 鈴木重道. 1977.
Honda Chikaatsu kenkyū
' 本田親徳研究. Kawaguchi: Sangabō 山雅房.
**Suzuki (1977: 475-484) contains 62 reordered poems from , written in 1934 by Katsutate Nagasawa's student Take Eidayū (武栄太夫)
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References

External links

Books on ''chinkon kishin'' from Hachiman Shoten 八幡書店

{{Japanese new religions

Meditation
Spirit possession
Religion in Japan
Shamanism in Japan
Exorcism in Shinto
Japanese religious terminology
Oomoto
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