What is 洒水文(Shashui-mon)?: How to Transform Your Home into a Dojo

洒水文 (Shasui-mon): Using Shasui to make a place a Dojo

What is 洒水文 (Shasui-mon)?: It is a verse used to make a place clean and a Dojo

Key point: Shasui-mon is a verse to use Shasui to make a boundary and make a place clean.

The Purpose of Shasui

1. Purification of the space (Creating a sacred place): By cleaning and using Shasui, we can purify the busy space where we live and our minds.
2. Elimination of sins and repentance for mistakes: As the scripture says, we can wash away our guilt and past mistakes with water.
3. Sharing the infinite 回向 (merit, Eko): The purification of Shasui is not just for one person. It spreads to the whole world.

Grossary

• 楊枝浄水 遍洒三千: 楊枝 is willow branch. 浄水 is Pure water. 遍洒三千 is To sprinkle or shower over the Three-Thousand Great Thousand Worlds (the entire universe).
• 性空八徳 利人天: 性空八徳 is The eight virtues inherent in the nature of Emptiness (Sunyata). These represent the potential for enlightenment already present within the void of our true nature. These virtues are often metaphorically likened to the properties of ideal water, known as the 八功徳水 (Eight Virtues of Water). see below.
  利人天 is to benefit all beings in the human realm and the heavenly realms.
  
• 法界 広荘厳: 法界 is The Dharma Realm. 広荘厳 is Vast and magnificently adorned.
• 滅罪消愆 火焰化紅蓮: 滅罪 is to extinguish or eradicate one’s karmic transgressions. 消愆 is to erase or dissolve one’s faults and errors. 火焰  is Blazing flames. A metaphor for our afflictions, such as anger, desire, and suffering, which burn within the mind.化紅蓮 is to transform into a red lotus. This signifies the sublimation of the flames of affliction into the pure, blooming lotus flower that rises from the mud. It represents the realization that these very afflictions can be transformed into the seeds of enlightenment.

How to perform Shasui

1. Prepare the water: Put water into a special bowl called 洒水器 (Shasui-ki). We pray over the water to change it into the water of the Buddha’s wisdom. This is called “Shasui-kaji.”
2. Purify the Dojo: Walk around the Dojo and sprinkle this water of wisdom. At this time, we chant the “Shasui-mon.”

If you are alone, you burn incense and chant the “Shasui-mon” while sprinkling the water.

If there are more people, one person burns incense, one person sprinkles the water, and one person holds a flower plate. They walk around the Dojo in a square. This is called “浄道場 (Jo-dojo).”

浄道場 (Jo-dojo)

1. 洒水文 (Shasui-mon)
2. 散華の偈 (Sange-no-Ge)

Shasui-mon: The willow branch was used as a tool to purify our body, speech, and mind.

Key Point: The willow branch is used as a tool to purify 身口意 (our body, speech, and mind). In the past, people even used willow branches to brush their teeth. This is the origin of the word “楊枝” (yoji,toothpick) in Japan, which is still commonly found in places like ramen shops today. Furthermore, the concept of “八功徳水 ( the water of Eight Merits),” is something that Zen adopted from the Pure Land faith.

In ancient China, 楊,柳 (the willow) was used to ward off evil spirits. People also had a custom called “折柳送別,” where they would give a willow branch to a traveler as a prayer for their safe return. In Japan, the willow often has a slightly dark image, but in 陰陽道 (the way of Yin and Yang), the willow is actually considered “陽” (Yang,positive). That is why it is often depicted alongside ghosts, which are considered “陰” (Yin,negative).

The willow branch was also used to brush teeth, as it helped purify 身口意 (our body, speech, and mind). This is the origin of the Japanese word “楊枝” (yoji,toothpick), which you can still find in ramen shops today. However, in modern times, pine branches are used more often than willow. For 施餓鬼 ritual during Obon (similar to Halloween), we use bush 禊萩 (misohagi). In Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, 樒 (Shikimi,Japanese star anise,Illicium anisatum) is commonly used, although it is less common in the Zen sect. As you can see, there is a variety of plants used for Shasui.

“八功徳水 (Hakkudoku-sui)” refers to the miraculous water found in the Pure Land. It possesses eight special qualities: it is clear and pure, always cool, refreshing to the body and mind, sweet to the taste, light, soft, smooth, and nourishing. It not only heals physical thirst but also quenches the deep-rooted suffering of the soul, bringing peace and harmony to all who drink it.

The significance is this: even ordinary water can be transformed into this sacred, merit-filled water when blessed by one who holds the wisdom of the Buddha. This concept was not originally unique to Zen, but was adopted from the traditions of Pure Land faith.

The Core

• The essence of 加持 (kaji,empowerment) lies in the fact that its power is manifested through the practice of zazen and the upholding of 戒 (Kai,precepts).
• By chanting Shasui-mon and sprinkling water to establish a sacred boundary and purify the space, it becomes possible to transform a place into a Dojo.
• Shasui-mon is a verse used to make a place clean and a Dojo.

My Experience: Creating a Dojo at Home

Key Point: In Japan, there is a long tradition of lay practitioners—such as those in 修験道 (Shugendo) or even the historical 忍者 (ninja)—performing their own prayers and rituals. The true power of these rituals does not come from high rank, but from the simple, consistent practice of 坐禅 (zazen, meditation) and keeping 戒 (kai, the precepts) in daily life. Through this practice of Shasui, you have the power to transform your own home into a sanctuary—a Dojo—wherever you are.

To perform Shasui, one must first transform ordinary water into the “water of wisdom.” This is done through a process called 加持(empowerment). Traditionally, this practice was passed down directly from a master to a student. However, in the modern context, I believe that an individual can perform this empowerment on their own, provided that it is for personal practice. This ability is not derived from status, but is rooted in the practitioner’s own commitment to their precepts and the power gained through Zazen (meditation). By cultivating your own inner strength, you can truly transform the water for your personal space.

This approach is rooted in the Japanese tradition of lay practitioners performing their own rituals. For instance, followers of 修験道 (Shugendo) and even the historical 忍者 (Ninja) performed 加持(Kaji,empowerment rituals), even if they were not formally ordained monks. For them, life was lived side-by-side with death, making these rituals an essential part of their daily existence.

In modern Japan, the term “加持祈祷” (Kaji-kito,ritual prayer and empowerment) has unfortunately come to be associated with scams and exorbitant fees. Sadly, the traditional Japanese practice of “performing Kaji by oneself” has been largely forgotten. Performing Kaji for oneself costs almost nothing, but it requires a sincere commitment: one must uphold one’s own precepts, practice Zazen, and maintain a clean environment. The essence of Kaji is not found in the ritual itself; rather, it is the power that arises from one’s own discipline and spiritual practice.

You may wonder if you can easily find plants like pine, shikimi, or misohagi (bush clover) where you live. In Japan, these plants were traditionally used simply because they grew abundantly in the local landscape. Therefore, I encourage you not to go out of your way to import them. Instead, I suggest using plants that are native to your own region. For example, herbs like mint or rosemary can be wonderful alternatives to misohagi.

The same principle applies to the bowl. While we use brass in Japan, you do not need to hunt for one if it is not available. Any clean bowl made of silver, stainless steel, glass, or ceramic—materials that do not rust—will serve the purpose perfectly. What truly matters is not the specific item, but the heart and sincerity you bring to your practice.

Traditionally, Shasui is part of a ritual to purify a ceremonial space, often performed before major Buddhist services. However, once you understand its true purpose and method, you can incorporate it into your daily life.

By practicing this, you can turn your own home into a sanctuary—a Dojo. Through the simple act of purifying your surroundings and yourself, you are not just cleaning; you are creating a sacred space for your own spiritual growth and tranquility, right where you are.