" Furthermore, individuals are encouraged to live in accordance to the natural flow of the universe because it will help them benefit and develop as a person. .
Followers of Shinto built shrines in order to recognize and honor the presence of the kami. The shrines range in size from small to elaborate. Many honor kami specific to certain responsibilities such as healing, or for successful growth of crops. People who constructed these places of worship created torii to indicate where sacred space starts in the shrine. Torii were usually walls or streams with bridges that had to be crossed in order to enter the holy grounds of the kami. Basins of water were placed in the shrines and used as an aid in purifying to wash one's hands and mouth before passing through the torii. To preserve the sacredness and further protect the kami statues of lions were created to guard it from evil. .
Lengthy, complex ceremonies were also practiced in Shinto in attempt to keep the spirit of the kami within the holy sanctuary. Priest and Priestesses specialized in keeping the connection between the kami and people. Every procedure practiced is performed with precision and established by tradition. The prayers for the kami are to recognize the binding relationship between the kami, the ancestors, the people, and nature. "To acknowledge and follow the kami is to bring our life into harmony with nature (221).".
Purification is also essential in Shintoism because it gets rid of ritual impurities that offend the kami. In Shinto there is no sin because the world is perceived as beautiful and full of beneficial spirits. Impurity or misfortune is referred to as tsumi and requires purification. There are several ways for followers of this religion to obtain purification. For example, a person can be purified spontaneously by experiences that pass over them in nature. Gazing into the sky at the stars, observing the flowing river, or watching anything else taking place in nature that makes a person feel at one with the universe will purify.
