Sanpai
Practices参拝 ・ Reading: さんぱい
Definition
Sanpai is the act of visiting a shrine or temple to pray. At Shinto shrines the customary etiquette is two bows, two claps, and a final bow (nirei-nihakushu-ichirei).
What it means
Sanpai is the act of visiting a shrine or temple to pay your respects and pray. It covers the whole visit, from passing through the outer gate or torii to standing before the main hall and offering a quiet word. People come to give thanks, to ask for health, safe travel, or success, or simply to mark a season such as the New Year's visit known as hatsumode.
A useful distinction: sanpai describes the act of paying respects, while omairi is the more everyday word for the visit itself. Sanpai is often the term you will see on signs and in temple literature.
How to do it at a shrine
Before approaching the hall, it is customary to rinse your hands and mouth at the water pavilion, called the temizuya. At the offering box, toss in a coin, then follow the usual order of two bows, two claps, and one final bow, known as nirei-nihakushu-ichirei. Bow deeply twice, clap twice at chest height, hold your hands together for a moment of prayer, then bow once more. There is no need to speak aloud. A handful of major shrines, such as Izumo Taisha, use four claps instead of two, so it is worth checking any posted guidance.
How temples differ
At a Buddhist temple the etiquette is quieter, and the single most important difference is that you do not clap. You press your palms together in a gesture called gassho and bow. If there is an incense burner, you may waft a little of the smoke towards yourself before praying. Recognising which type of site you are at is simple: a torii gate marks a Shinto shrine, so the two-clap etiquette applies, whereas a temple gate leads to Buddhist grounds, where silence and gassho are the norm.
Common questions
- How do you do sanpai at a shrine?
For sanpai at a shrine, first rinse your hands and mouth at the water pavilion if there is one, then offer a coin and perform two bows, two claps, and one final bow, known as nirei-nihakushu-ichirei. Hold your hands together for a silent prayer between the claps and the last bow.
- Do you clap during sanpai at a Buddhist temple?
- Is there a fee to do sanpai?
There is no fee to do sanpai. You may toss a small coin into the offering box as a gesture, but any amount is fine and it is entirely optional. Charges such as those for a goshuin seal or an amulet are separate from sanpai itself.
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