Yesterday, we went to a Buddhist temple to buy a special amulet. Neither of us is particularly religious. We are not Shintoists or Buddhists, but we have decided to follow Buddhist customs for our funeral and burial arrangements.
By the way, Shinto shrines are where people worship in the Shinto tradition, while Buddhist temples are where Buddhists worship.
In Shingon Buddhism, there is something called a “final amulet.” It is believed to help a person pass away peacefully and smoothly at the very moment they leave this world and return to the other side. In other words, it is meant to bring peace of mind at the moment of death.
So, that is why we went to buy one. I’m not sure whether this is considered good luck or bad luck, but anyway, we just want to enjoy peaceful and happy days together for as long as we can.
It is only now, at this stage of our lives, that we find ourselves turning to Buddhist traditions. I guess, after all, we are Japanese.
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