SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY APPLICATION
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Out-Of-Character (OOC) Section
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IN-GAME NAME (IGN):
VeiledVampyre
DISCORD NAME & TAG:
Puwpy.
WHAT IS YOUR TIMEZONE?:
GMT
DO YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE?:
I do have a microphone!
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE SERVER:
I’d say my activity on SRP has dramatically increased over this year, I have been on SRP for 6 years and my activity has been spotted around those years, I often take long breaks and I’ve been enjoying SRP. I play every day with a range of times and even longer on the weekends. If I were to rate my activity out of 10 it’d be 8/10. I’ve been involved with multiple role play opportunities and I’m looking for much more to do on the server which will increase my activity!
WHAT POSITION ARE YOU APPLYING FOR?:
I’m applying for the position of a Shrine Maiden!
WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE OF SHINTOISM AND ARE YOU PREPARED/WILLING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELIGION?:
| Shimenara | A Shimenara is a type of rope that is used to bind itself to sacred objects. The word ‘Shimenara’ literally means Enclosing rope. This can also be used for Ritual Purification! It is made out of Straw with shide, a paper talisman is cut in a zig-zag shape. They’re also used to ward off evil spirits for cleansing rituals. |
| Omamori | An Omamori is a Japanese Amulet that Shrine maidens hand out. They’re often sold at Shinto shrines all across Japan! They’re said to be a token of luck, used as protection amulets, and have a prayer written on the inside! |
| Yorishiro | A Yorishiro is an object that attracts spirits, these spirits are called Kami, The Yorishiro gives them a physical place to house themselves for rituals and worship. When a Yorishiro houses a spirit inside, it is called a shintai instead. They can vary from things such as pottery to weaponry which I find really cool! |
| A Torii Gate! (My personal fav) | A Torii gate is a structure built like open doors, you’ll see them sprouted all around Karakura and often workers of the shrine and those who follow the religion of Shintoism will bow as they cross under them, the reason they bow is it’s a sign of respect. They symbolise the barrier between the spirits’ realm and the humans’ realm. |
I’m 100% dedicated to learning more about the shrine and the religion of Shintoism. I have vast knowledge already but I’m always open to gaining much more knowledge. After being a previous Shrine Maiden in 2021 I’m excited to be coming back!
WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FOR THIS ROLE OVER OTHER APPLICANTS?
I have previous knowledge from being a member of the Karakura Monastery! I played the character of Taiga Sakai who was an Itako (A blind maiden.) She was 13 years old and I remember many people loving to roleplay with my characters. I have a unique perspective of my characters and I try not to stick to stigmas or stereotypes of characters, I enjoy pursuing a unique path for my character which will make them stand out amongst others. For example, my EMS character, Lori Akihito, and my Football Character, Selkie Thompson both have extremely unique personalities. Unfortunately, I had to leave the shrine faction due to exams and now I’m hoping to do something now I have an influx of free time! I do occupy my EMS and Football roles quite frequently but I have a lot of spare time for the Monastery and I’m actually really excited to get the opportunity to apply now I can fully dedicate myself to the role. I think one of the main reasons I’d like to apply is for my own education, I’d like to learn everything there is to know about Shintoism and use that to be the best Maiden I can be, I’ve always been interested in Shintoism as it’s heavily influenced by Buddhism and they share many values to the point where there are types of Buddhism and Shintoism that are mixed together.
DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL HAVE TO ATTEND MANDATORY TRAINING TO BE TAUGHT MORE ABOUT SHINTOISM AND THE ACCORDING PROCEDURES?:
Yes! Of course, I am willing to dedicate my time to attend any training even if it is not mandatory.
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In-Character (IC) Section
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SECTION 1: Character Details
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CHARACTER FULL NAME:
Nyuusen Shukufuku
CHARACTERS TITLE (E.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss):
Mrs
CHARACTERS AGE (E.g. 21-80):
28
CHARACTERS MARITAL STATUS:
Single
CHARACTERS NATIONALITY:
Japanese
CHARACTERS PHONE-NUMBER:
“My contact number is.. (030)-039-7237”
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR APPLYING TO WORK AT THE MONASTERY?:
“I am deeply interested in embarking on a path of enlightenment, joining the monastery, and starting a dedicated study of Shintoism. My parents found themselves with joy when they were exploring and engaging with the arts of Shintoism. I am extremely confident that I would like to follow in their footsteps and establish a profound understanding of Shintoism. I would like to teach people who want to know about Shintoism and I genuinely would like to join the Monastery as I find myself to be a wholesome person who enjoys conversing and teaching people about my beliefs and likes. My main motivation is being around people who understand my passion and motivation toward the Religion of Shintoism. Originally from Japan, I’ve been drawn to joining something close to Japan's routes, after the Monastery was discovered in 744.”
TELL ME WHAT HISTORY AND INFORMATION YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SHINSEI SEINARU MONASTERY:
“The Shinsei Seinary Monastery is a place bustling with life and beauty, many things are there to relieve stress and teach others about the religion.. A Dojo, A Bathhouse, Teahouse, they host matrimonial ceremonies and gift shops which sell things tying closely to the Kami such as Omaworis. However, it was not always like this. Originally sprouting as a Buddhist shrine in early 744 it was swiftly adapted to recognise Shintoism as its main purpose, during 1176 due to a nasty rebellion it was swiftly burnt to the ground, ripped to shreds. The once beautiful garden of Eden was torn from the blessings and all that was left.. Rubble. After this the priests and Maidens dedicated their work to rebuild the shrine, finally accomplishing their mission in 1228 where their work was marvelled and appreciated for 350 years.. Until.. The second destruction was sent as a warning made by the Japanese warlords of its time, causing riots to break out across Karakura. Eventually, it was rebuilt into the mountains as a protective structure for the kami. Gods abandoned the shrine during the destruction, except for one. Chiharu-Yamatsumi. Losing hope is sometimes the curse itself.”
WRITE A LETTER TO THE MONASTERY LEAD:
Dear Kannushi
I am writing to express my strong desire to become a maiden at Shinsei Seinaru Monastery, Karakura, Japan. The serenity and sacredness I have experienced at the shrine have deeply inspired me, and I wish to contribute to its traditions and rituals. I kindly request an opportunity to discuss this further with you and seek your guidance.
Thank you for your consideration. I eagerly await your response.
Sincerely,
BACKSTORY (100+ Words):
Nyuusen Shukufuku was born in Karakura, Japan after her older brother Fyuusen Shukufuku, and her older sister Syuusen Shukufuku. Growing up, often regarded as quite an exciting and new experience, was nothing short of miserable for Nyuusen. Having such well-behaved and achievement-gaining siblings put far too much pressure on her as a young child. That, and being cast out of school for her hair colour and skin colour of all things wasn’t the best motivator for doing well. She barely sc****d through her early years of school, with the bullying and torture she was forced to go through. The mocking, cruel echoes of “Walking dead!” and “Freak!” never truly left her, after all. Fyuu and Syuu were constantly receiving positive feedback for their succeeding behaviour in life, in school specifically, often garnering heaps of praise from their parents. They actually got acknowledged as being worth something – something that Nyuusen found so, so difficult to feel. Was she worth anything? Her minor advancements, compared to her parents and her siblings... Were they truly worth anything? Or was she simply the problem, the child that wasn’t seen or praised? She simply was; simply existed in a state that he couldn’t claw his way out of. What was she to do?
Due to her siblings pursuing excellent academic grades. Nyuu was thrown into a spiral of self-recognition finding a sense of hope within Religion, in which her teacher Mrs Hiroto had a leaning passion for, learning everyday she discovered Karakura had its own monastery, A new opportunity to rise up.
Here it is, she sent the letter off and waited.. Patiently.
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“Nyuusen? Stop daydreaming and focus on your work. You’re not going to get anywhere if your head is always in the clouds.”
SECTION 2: Self-Knowledge Details
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What duties do Shinto Priests and Maidens have?:
Shinto Priests and Maidens have a variety of different duties so they’ll be busy and they’ll have a bunch to do! These activities include things such as performing rituals and tarot readings (Personally I adore Tarot Readings they interest me so much.) They also assist people with worship and offerings. Priests are in somewhat of a more authoritative position as they uniquely interact with the guests to the point where they enforce and inform guests of the rules of Shintoism which is really informative in my opinion. Maidens on the other hand do a lot more practical activities (More Maintenance) they can feed the koi fish to keep the natural and artificial life in the shrine alive, clean the shrine so when visitors come up they see it as a beautiful place and not all messy! They can run the gift shop where they can sell tea and Omamoris and my favourite activity.. RUNNING THE GARDEN!
What are the steps needed to be taken at the purification trough before entering the Shrine?:
As you’re walking up the steps toward the entrance of the shrine just before the bridge there’s something called a Temizuya, what is a Temizuya you may ask.. It’s a stone basin with blessed water inside that guests can wash their hands in! There’s a proper cleansing ritual at the Temizuya, however, it’s more detailed than just washing your hands. The process goes along like picking up the ladle full of the blessed water with your right hand, and you pour the water onto your left hand! And then repeat with the opposite hand. After this you refill the ladle and pour the water into the palm of your right hand to drink from your right hand! You aren’t supposed to swallow the water but you rinse and gargle it around in your mouth! Before spitting the water out on the floor away from the basin. After this you tilt the ladle upwards so the rest of the water in the ladle pours down the handle, you can then place the ladle back down where you found it!
How are offerings to a Kami performed?:
I really enjoy the process of offerings toward Kamis. When performing an offering to the Kami, you go to the offering box (This can be located on top of the Shrine.. Enter the Shrine, go up the steps past the Torii gates!) You can place your offering into the offering box! It’s often 100 yen as the sign says, but it can be anything! Such as.. Money, Food, or any other gift you find worthy of offering to the gods. Then you can turn around and ring the bell to announce the offering to the Kami! Turn back around to the offering box. Bow and clap twice each… And then say your prayer of worship to whichever Kami you dedicated to your offering to. Once done, bow one last time to the offering box as a sign of respect!
How do you perform a tea ceremony ritual?:
A tea ceremony ritual is where you can converse with people over Matcha tea! It’s a really nice and easy process which is relaxing.
So! To begin a tea ceremony ritual, you can lead the guest or guests if there are multiple to a cushion on the tatami mattress, a tatami mattress is a sort of sitting device (or sleeping) back in the Nara period where only Samurai and nobles got to use it, but now it’s often used mainstream! They can sit around the table and then you can put down sheets around the table to enjoy while you go back into the kitchen to make tea for them (I remember detailing like over 4 actions just for making tea!) Lay out the following supplies before you begin this can be a container with matcha powder however it can really be any type of tea, a tea kettle, a strainer, a teaspoon (Or a ceremonial spoon, the only difference is one is allocated to be used only in ceremonies and rituals.) A whisk and a tea bowl! Once you’re all prepped you fill the tea kettle up with warm water and place it onto the stovetop to begin boiling it. Once it’s boiled you pour it out into the tea bowl for a minute to heat the bowl up, and then pour the water out of the bowl and back into the sink once it’s done! Keep the kettle heating on the stove so it stays boiling, and then place the strainer onto the top of the bowl. After that you can open the matcha powder container and scoop out the tea with the spoon to pour through the strainer and into the bowl. Then, take the strainer off and pour in more water to fill the bowl near-full. Finally after this you can take the whisk and mix in the matcha powder with the boiled water to create the green tea bowl that you will serve to the guests and have them pass around the table for sips as you converse! It’s overall a nice process to get to know someone or just have a nice chat over a cup of tea!
Explain what a Tamagushi, Ofuda and Kagura Suzu is and what they're used for:
[Ofuda]
An Ofuda is a talisman that is made out of various materials, paper.. Wood cloth, or metal. They’re often found at Shinto Shrines (Or Buddhist temples) they’re considered to be imbued with the power of the kami. Some amulets are also called Gofu. There are different variations of ofuda that are intended for specific purposes (There can be protection against misfortune and calamity. Or safety within the home.) The most common places of the house Ofudas are placed within the home (Gates, Doorways, Kitchens or Ceilings). Paper ofuda can be referred to as Kamifuda and they will be made out of wood and has another variation called Kifuda. ( Omamori) is another kind of Japanese amulet, it shares the same origin and will be considered as a smaller, portable version of an ofuda.
What is a talisman?
A talisman is an object that is thought to have magic powers and bring good luck to others.
[Tamagushi.]
A Tamagushi is a form of a Shinto offering made from a sakaki-tree (They’re very pretty) branch decorated with shide strips of washi paper.. Silk or cotton. They’re often seen at Japanese weddings, Funerals.. A Miyamairi (Which is a rite of passage) and other ceremonies hosted at the shrine. Tamagushi are ritually presented to the kami by shrine maidens or priests. They do this to represent their hearts and spirits (Sincere)
[Kagura Suzu]
A Kagura Suzu is a set of twelve bells often used in kagura dance:
Kagura Dance Example
(A bit of OOC information, I really enjoy watching these because I think they’re so mesmerising and pretty.)
Kagura Suzu consists of three tiers of bells which are suspended by coiled brass wires from the central handle: Two bells on the top, four bells on the middle, and siz bells on the bottom tier and the shape of the bells are thought to have been inspired from the fruits of the ogatama tree!
Extra:
Kagura (God-entertainment) is a term for Shinto instrumental music, songs and dances performed at shrines. It was formalised in 773 CE, when it appeared on the palace repertoire. The small bells are ritual implements of great antiquity, and may also be grouped together in bundles of folk and ceremonial performances.
Based on your character; which other Kami would they worship?:
Suijin
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OOC EXTRA!: Altogether, I'd like to thank you for reading through my application, after much trial and error I was finally able to make an applicaiton I thought was good enough. I enjoy the shrine and everybody there and I'd genuinely want to join this community and dedicate myself to it. I love playing unique characters and I believe It's something I'm passionate about. Thank you.
-Liz.
