0:00:06.687,0:00:11.758 In ancient Kyoto, a devout Shinto scholar [br]lived a simple life, 0:00:11.758,0:00:15.717 but he was often distracted [br]from his prayers by the bustling city. 0:00:15.717,0:00:19.197 He felt that his neighbors [br]were polluting his soul, 0:00:19.197,0:00:23.057 and he sought to perform [br]some kind of personal harae— 0:00:23.057,0:00:27.447 a purification ritual that would cleanse[br]his body and his mind. 0:00:27.447,0:00:31.937 He decided to travel [br]to the revered Hie Shrine. 0:00:31.937,0:00:35.436 The trip was an arduous climb [br]that took all day. 0:00:35.436,0:00:39.056 But he was glad for the solitude [br]it afforded him, 0:00:39.056,0:00:43.369 and the peace he felt upon returning[br]home was profound. 0:00:43.369,0:00:48.065 The scholar was determined to maintain[br]this clarity for as long as possible, 0:00:48.065,0:00:53.052 and resolved to make this pilgrimage[br]another 99 times. 0:00:53.052,0:00:58.512 He would walk the path alone, ignoring [br]any distractions in his quest for balance, 0:00:58.512,0:01:01.162 and never straying from his purpose. 0:01:01.162,0:01:05.772 The man was true to his word, [br]and as days stretched into weeks, 0:01:05.772,0:01:09.272 he walked through driving rain [br]and searing sun. 0:01:09.272,0:01:13.914 Over time, his devotion revealed[br]the invisible world of spirits 0:01:13.914,0:01:17.104 which exists alongside our own. 0:01:17.104,0:01:21.458 He began to sense the kami, [br]which animated the rocks underfoot, 0:01:21.458,0:01:26.517 the breeze that cooled him,[br]and the animals grazing in the fields. 0:01:26.517,0:01:30.657 Still he spoke to no one, spirit or human. 0:01:30.657,0:01:33.987 He was determined to avoid contact [br]with those who had strayed 0:01:33.987,0:01:37.877 from the path [br]and become polluted with kegare. 0:01:37.877,0:01:42.435 This taboo of defilement hung over [br]the sick and deceased, 0:01:42.435,0:01:47.205 as well as those who defiled the land [br]or committed violent crimes. 0:01:47.205,0:01:51.028 Of all of the threats to the scholar’s [br]quest for spiritual purity, 0:01:51.028,0:01:54.408 kegare was by far the greatest. 0:01:54.408,0:01:57.598 After paying his respects [br]for the 80th time, 0:01:57.598,0:02:00.418 he set out for home once more. 0:02:00.418,0:02:06.228 But as darkness fell, he heard [br]strained sobs in the night air. 0:02:06.228,0:02:09.916 The scholar tried to push forward [br]and ignore the moans. 0:02:09.916,0:02:13.676 But the desperate cries overwhelmed him. 0:02:13.676,0:02:19.215 Grimacing, he left his path [br]to follow the sound to its source. 0:02:19.215,0:02:24.885 He soon came to a cramped cottage, [br]with a woman crumpled outside. 0:02:24.885,0:02:29.315 Filled with pity, the scholar implored [br]the woman to share her sorrow. 0:02:29.315,0:02:32.535 She explained [br]that her mother had just died— 0:02:32.535,0:02:35.685 but no one would help her with the burial. 0:02:35.685,0:02:38.995 At that news, his heart sank. 0:02:38.995,0:02:41.745 Touching the body would defile his spirit, 0:02:41.745,0:02:46.411 draining his life force and leaving[br]him forsaken by the kami. 0:02:46.411,0:02:50.885 But as he listened to her cries,[br]his sympathy soared. 0:02:50.885,0:02:54.185 And so, they buried [br]the old woman together, 0:02:54.185,0:02:58.975 to ensure her safe passage[br]into the spirit world. 0:02:58.975,0:03:04.077 The burial was complete, but the taboo [br]of death weighed heavily on the scholar. 0:03:04.077,0:03:06.237 How could he have been so foolish, 0:03:06.237,0:03:11.364 to shirk his most important rule [br]and corrupt his divine journey? 0:03:11.364,0:03:13.724 After a tormented night, 0:03:13.724,0:03:18.644 he resolved to go back [br]to the shrine to cleanse himself. 0:03:18.644,0:03:23.279 To his surprise, the usually quiet temple[br]was filled with people, 0:03:23.279,0:03:28.712 all gathering around a medium [br]who communicated directly with the kami. 0:03:28.712,0:03:35.127 The man hid himself, not daring approach[br]in case anyone glimpse his polluted soul. 0:03:35.127,0:03:39.675 But the medium had other ways of seeing,[br]and called him forward from the crowd. 0:03:39.675,0:03:44.145 Ready to be forsaken, the scholar [br]approached the holy woman. 0:03:44.145,0:03:47.105 But the medium merely smiled. 0:03:47.105,0:03:49.971 She took his impure hand in hers, 0:03:49.971,0:03:53.641 and whispered a blessing [br]only he could hear— 0:03:53.641,0:03:55.981 thanking him for his kindness. 0:03:55.981,0:04:00.895 In that moment, the scholar discovered [br]a great spiritual secret: 0:04:00.895,0:04:06.966 contamination and corruption [br]are two very different things. 0:04:06.966,0:04:11.019 Filled with insight, the scholar [br]set himself back on his journey. 0:04:11.019,0:04:14.349 But this time, he stopped [br]to help those he met. 0:04:14.349,0:04:18.229 He began to see the beauty [br]of the spirit world everywhere he went, 0:04:18.229,0:04:21.369 even in the city [br]he'd previously shunned. 0:04:21.369,0:04:23.927 Others cautioned that he risked kegare— 0:04:23.927,0:04:26.747 but he never told them [br]why he so freely mingled 0:04:26.747,0:04:28.787 with the sick and disadvantaged. 0:04:28.787,0:04:33.064 For he knew that people could [br]only truly understand harae 0:04:33.064,0:04:35.201 through a journey of their own.