SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY APPLICATION
───────────────────────────────────────
Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
figuerothfaeth
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
ibuki#2600
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
BST / GMT + 1
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS:
N/A
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
No, unfortunately.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
I try to log on every single day, trying to get at least a few hours on the server at a minimum! I don’t usually have exact times for whenever I’m on but it all changes depending on the day, especially with school stuff popping up. As of recent I've been getting on more than usual as I've had a break from school, which'll continue for a bit. If I get accepted for this role then I'll most likely be on the server even more, as I'll have more to do throughout the entire Karakura day, instead of just during school times.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
Shrine Maiden
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
I know that Shintoism is a polytheistic religion that is mainly based on the kami, which are supernatural entities. It's regarded as Japan's indigenous religion by it's practitioners, the ones who follow it. There are many common rituals such as the rites of passage and the kagura dance. I don't know much further, though I am completely willing to learn more about it.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I am willing to put a lot of time into getting to learn Shintoism, and will happily spend a majority of my time on Karakura working at the Shrine, I believe that these two things would be good in a Shrine Maiden!
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Yes, I do acknowledge the fact that I'll have to attend trainings in order to be taught more.
───────────────────────────────────────
In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Akamine Hana
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
41
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Unmarried
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030)-205-7919
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
Shintoism has gotten me through many rough patches in my life, and has gotten me out of an addiction which ruined a portion of my life. I would like to start work at the Monastery to teach more people about Shintoism, and to try help others out of any bad times they might be in. Shinto has saved my life, and I hope for it to save others in my hometown of Karakura.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
I am unsure on much of the history on the Monastery, though I have the knowledge on how it was originally made as a shrine for Buddhism in 744, and how over time it changed to be about Shintoism. There's also the incident with the fire, where everything but one building was burnt to the ground. This is all that I know, unfortunately. Though I am completely willing to learn about the history of the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
Dear Monastery Lead,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. My name is Akamine Haru, and I am currently moving back to my hometown of Karakura. I'm glad to see how well you seem to have taken care of the shrine, even though I never got to see it in my childhood. I'm reaching out to you currently because of how Shinto saved my life, and got me out of my worst times. I've decided to apply for a position at this shrine as a Maiden, as I'd like to be able to help everyone spread the good word of Shinto, while also helping out around the shrine. I am wishing for an opportunity to help out others in rough patches of their life, and if you could grant that wish then I'd be ever so grateful. I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Akamine Hana.
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Priests are given the duties to do Rituals and Ceremonies usually as they're closer spiritually to the Kami, while Maidens are given the duties to care for the shrine, such as doing chores for it. Maidens are also in charge of the Shrine Gift Shop, as well as taking part in the kagura dance.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
The Purification happens just before the entrance to the Shrine, where you must fill up the ladle with the spring water placed before the entrance. You must hold this ladle with your right hand at first, slowly pouring it onto your left hand. After this, you must repeat this process with the left hand this time, pouring it slowly onto your right hand. Following this, you must clean your mouth by cupping your hands and pouring water into them, you then cleanse your mouth with it, but you may not swallow this water. After this, you spit the water onto the ground, and clean the ladle.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
Offerings can highly differ based on how they're done, though traditionally they are made by followers of Shintoism in a Shrine. The most common offer is either a couple of yen pieces, or things such as rice, water and salt. Then you will bow twice, clap your hands twice and join your palms together while you're offering prayers. You must bow once after this. If there is a bell then you can ring it before offering your prayer.
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
First of all, you have to take off your shoes before entering the tea ceremony room. The host will lead you to your seat, with guests being expected to sit in the seiza (knees on the floor, resting bottom on heels) position. The host will give the tea bowl to each of the guests, in a turn. When it's recieved, the front of the bowl should be facing you. You pick the bowl up with your right hand and place it in your left palm. When it's served to you, you should bow once and then raise the bowl to the host.
When you're drinking from it, you rotate it clockwise so that the front of the bowl is no longer facing you. Then you should take a sip, and compliment the host on their tea. After you're done with the tea, you should wipe the rim of the bowl, making sure that the front of the bowl is facing the host while you return it. Finally, bow to express gratitude.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
A Tamagushi is a sakaki-tree branch decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, or cotton. It is a form of Shinto offering. Tamagushi are ritually presented to the kami by Shrine Maidens at Japanese weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies at Shinto Shrines.
An Ofuda is a talisman that is made out of many materials, like paper, wood, cloth or metal. They're found in both Buddhist temples and Shinto Shrines, and they're thought to be imbued with the power of the kami. They are kept in homes, as to ensure that the Kami are with them even when they aren't at the shrine.
Kagura Suzu are a set of twelve belts used in the kagura dance, these are mainly held by priests during ceremonies, or by miko during their kagura dance.
───────────────────────────────────────
───────────────────────────────────────
Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
figuerothfaeth
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
ibuki#2600
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
BST / GMT + 1
LIST ANY PREVIOUS BANS:
N/A
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
No, unfortunately.
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
I try to log on every single day, trying to get at least a few hours on the server at a minimum! I don’t usually have exact times for whenever I’m on but it all changes depending on the day, especially with school stuff popping up. As of recent I've been getting on more than usual as I've had a break from school, which'll continue for a bit. If I get accepted for this role then I'll most likely be on the server even more, as I'll have more to do throughout the entire Karakura day, instead of just during school times.
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
Shrine Maiden
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
I know that Shintoism is a polytheistic religion that is mainly based on the kami, which are supernatural entities. It's regarded as Japan's indigenous religion by it's practitioners, the ones who follow it. There are many common rituals such as the rites of passage and the kagura dance. I don't know much further, though I am completely willing to learn more about it.
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I am willing to put a lot of time into getting to learn Shintoism, and will happily spend a majority of my time on Karakura working at the Shrine, I believe that these two things would be good in a Shrine Maiden!
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAININGS TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Yes, I do acknowledge the fact that I'll have to attend trainings in order to be taught more.
───────────────────────────────────────
In-Character (IC) Section
SECTION 1: Character Details
CHARACTERS FULL NAME:
Akamine Hana
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Miss
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
41
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Unmarried
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
(030)-205-7919
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
Shintoism has gotten me through many rough patches in my life, and has gotten me out of an addiction which ruined a portion of my life. I would like to start work at the Monastery to teach more people about Shintoism, and to try help others out of any bad times they might be in. Shinto has saved my life, and I hope for it to save others in my hometown of Karakura.
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
I am unsure on much of the history on the Monastery, though I have the knowledge on how it was originally made as a shrine for Buddhism in 744, and how over time it changed to be about Shintoism. There's also the incident with the fire, where everything but one building was burnt to the ground. This is all that I know, unfortunately. Though I am completely willing to learn about the history of the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery.
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD :
Dear Monastery Lead,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. My name is Akamine Haru, and I am currently moving back to my hometown of Karakura. I'm glad to see how well you seem to have taken care of the shrine, even though I never got to see it in my childhood. I'm reaching out to you currently because of how Shinto saved my life, and got me out of my worst times. I've decided to apply for a position at this shrine as a Maiden, as I'd like to be able to help everyone spread the good word of Shinto, while also helping out around the shrine. I am wishing for an opportunity to help out others in rough patches of their life, and if you could grant that wish then I'd be ever so grateful. I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Akamine Hana.
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Hana was always an outgoing kid. She loved to play, she loved to dance, and she loved being the centre of attention! Adults would either describe her as being 'too energetic', or just being 'annoying'. This didn't get to her though! She never let things get to her head.
..well, there was ONE thing. Her grades, never managing to score higher than a D. It was upsetting, to say the least. She wanted to keep it all down, not react to it at all.. though it never worked. She cared far too much about it, she was always thinking about what her family would think. All her plans for the future? They were as good as gone. All because of her thinking that hanging out with her friends was more important than studying, too. What was she going to tell her mother? She had to tell her eventually, after all.
She opened the door to her home, trying to think about what to tell her mom, she was doing it today. Though, something felt.. off? She froze, standing still to try figure out whatever was wrong. It was.. the smell, that realization stopped her worries immediately. It smelt like iron, more specifically? Rusted iron. That's what she could pick up. The house seemed ever so silent, with Hana being unable to hear any of her family speaking. Unusual, maybe they went out without her?
But the door was unlocked, it made no sense for them to leave without locking it. Would her parents really leave it open? After all the times that they had told her about the dangers of others? They'd never do that. It's not like she was home abnormally late, they shouldn't be asleep right now. She wasn't used to silence, it was odd for her to only have thoughts to listen to. She started humming to herself, using it to disguise the silence in her mind.
Step, step, step. She was taking her time for once, put off by the fact she hadn't seen any of her family yet. A couple more, the smell of rust growing stronger. She got up to her parents door, opening it slowly.
Silly father, you aren't supposed to sleep on the floor! She approached him, not noticing anything because of the lack of light in the room. Crouching down, she placed her hands on the ground next to him. It was.. wet?
Oh.
The dots had all connected, and she had figured out what happened.
She let out a scream, falling to the ground. Her world had all come crashing down around her, and she stayed on the ground. That's all that she could remember of the situation, she didn't even check for her other family members.. she didn't want to.
Her family was dead, and she couldn't do anything about it. She had started picking up some unhealthier habits. She avoided school, and got used to drinking to keep her mind away from everything else. She smoked, she tried to do anything that she could! She no longer cared about her own health, as long as it kept her calm.
It was around this time that she found Shintoism, with her dedicating hours everyday to it. She went to her local shrine, getting to know everyone who went there regularly. She stopped drinking, and quit smoking during all of this too, as she figured that if she managed to die while still doing that then her soul wouldn't find a way to move on, that she'd become a restless spirit, seeking revenge. It all helped, keeping her away from anything unhealthy.
The Head of Monastery at her local shrine had noticed her situation, and had let Hana live with them. She thanked them deeply for this, and told them that they wouldn't regret this. She began working at that shrine, helping out by doing things like cleaning and taking care of the place. It was great, she got to help out the very place that had helped her after such a big loss for her.
She thanked the Head of Monastery a final time, before telling them that she'd be moving away to her hometown, and that she'd be trying to help spread Shinto there. Her friend wished her farewell, and she started on her move. She took the money gained from working at the shrine, and left for Karakura.
..well, there was ONE thing. Her grades, never managing to score higher than a D. It was upsetting, to say the least. She wanted to keep it all down, not react to it at all.. though it never worked. She cared far too much about it, she was always thinking about what her family would think. All her plans for the future? They were as good as gone. All because of her thinking that hanging out with her friends was more important than studying, too. What was she going to tell her mother? She had to tell her eventually, after all.
She opened the door to her home, trying to think about what to tell her mom, she was doing it today. Though, something felt.. off? She froze, standing still to try figure out whatever was wrong. It was.. the smell, that realization stopped her worries immediately. It smelt like iron, more specifically? Rusted iron. That's what she could pick up. The house seemed ever so silent, with Hana being unable to hear any of her family speaking. Unusual, maybe they went out without her?
But the door was unlocked, it made no sense for them to leave without locking it. Would her parents really leave it open? After all the times that they had told her about the dangers of others? They'd never do that. It's not like she was home abnormally late, they shouldn't be asleep right now. She wasn't used to silence, it was odd for her to only have thoughts to listen to. She started humming to herself, using it to disguise the silence in her mind.
Step, step, step. She was taking her time for once, put off by the fact she hadn't seen any of her family yet. A couple more, the smell of rust growing stronger. She got up to her parents door, opening it slowly.
Silly father, you aren't supposed to sleep on the floor! She approached him, not noticing anything because of the lack of light in the room. Crouching down, she placed her hands on the ground next to him. It was.. wet?
Oh.
The dots had all connected, and she had figured out what happened.
She let out a scream, falling to the ground. Her world had all come crashing down around her, and she stayed on the ground. That's all that she could remember of the situation, she didn't even check for her other family members.. she didn't want to.
Her family was dead, and she couldn't do anything about it. She had started picking up some unhealthier habits. She avoided school, and got used to drinking to keep her mind away from everything else. She smoked, she tried to do anything that she could! She no longer cared about her own health, as long as it kept her calm.
It was around this time that she found Shintoism, with her dedicating hours everyday to it. She went to her local shrine, getting to know everyone who went there regularly. She stopped drinking, and quit smoking during all of this too, as she figured that if she managed to die while still doing that then her soul wouldn't find a way to move on, that she'd become a restless spirit, seeking revenge. It all helped, keeping her away from anything unhealthy.
The Head of Monastery at her local shrine had noticed her situation, and had let Hana live with them. She thanked them deeply for this, and told them that they wouldn't regret this. She began working at that shrine, helping out by doing things like cleaning and taking care of the place. It was great, she got to help out the very place that had helped her after such a big loss for her.
She thanked the Head of Monastery a final time, before telling them that she'd be moving away to her hometown, and that she'd be trying to help spread Shinto there. Her friend wished her farewell, and she started on her move. She took the money gained from working at the shrine, and left for Karakura.
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Priests are given the duties to do Rituals and Ceremonies usually as they're closer spiritually to the Kami, while Maidens are given the duties to care for the shrine, such as doing chores for it. Maidens are also in charge of the Shrine Gift Shop, as well as taking part in the kagura dance.
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
The Purification happens just before the entrance to the Shrine, where you must fill up the ladle with the spring water placed before the entrance. You must hold this ladle with your right hand at first, slowly pouring it onto your left hand. After this, you must repeat this process with the left hand this time, pouring it slowly onto your right hand. Following this, you must clean your mouth by cupping your hands and pouring water into them, you then cleanse your mouth with it, but you may not swallow this water. After this, you spit the water onto the ground, and clean the ladle.
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
Offerings can highly differ based on how they're done, though traditionally they are made by followers of Shintoism in a Shrine. The most common offer is either a couple of yen pieces, or things such as rice, water and salt. Then you will bow twice, clap your hands twice and join your palms together while you're offering prayers. You must bow once after this. If there is a bell then you can ring it before offering your prayer.
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
First of all, you have to take off your shoes before entering the tea ceremony room. The host will lead you to your seat, with guests being expected to sit in the seiza (knees on the floor, resting bottom on heels) position. The host will give the tea bowl to each of the guests, in a turn. When it's recieved, the front of the bowl should be facing you. You pick the bowl up with your right hand and place it in your left palm. When it's served to you, you should bow once and then raise the bowl to the host.
When you're drinking from it, you rotate it clockwise so that the front of the bowl is no longer facing you. Then you should take a sip, and compliment the host on their tea. After you're done with the tea, you should wipe the rim of the bowl, making sure that the front of the bowl is facing the host while you return it. Finally, bow to express gratitude.
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
A Tamagushi is a sakaki-tree branch decorated with shide strips of washi paper, silk, or cotton. It is a form of Shinto offering. Tamagushi are ritually presented to the kami by Shrine Maidens at Japanese weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies at Shinto Shrines.
An Ofuda is a talisman that is made out of many materials, like paper, wood, cloth or metal. They're found in both Buddhist temples and Shinto Shrines, and they're thought to be imbued with the power of the kami. They are kept in homes, as to ensure that the Kami are with them even when they aren't at the shrine.
Kagura Suzu are a set of twelve belts used in the kagura dance, these are mainly held by priests during ceremonies, or by miko during their kagura dance.
───────────────────────────────────────
