The Ise Grand Shrine and The Final Axiom

11/29/10
When researching the Ise Grand Shrine in Japan, I quickly began to experience Lane's final axiom: "Sacred place is both centrifugal and centripetal, local and universal" (pg 19). At first I was confused on the meaning of this axiom, oscillating between thinking that sacred place can be experienced anywhere and thinking sacred place travelled with you after experiencing it. However, while writing my essay on The Ise Grand Shrine, I gained a small bit of insight. As I read about the interesting shrine with its inner grounds shrouded in mystery and intrigue, I started to feel its sacredness. No, I have never made the trip to Japan, nor had I heard of the grand shrine before this semester. Yet still, there was something about merely knowing about the secrecy of the shrine that made me realize its holiness. This is why I now think that the final axiom means that sacred place can be experienced anywhere, regardless of the recipients’ comparative location or even their prior knowledge to the sacred place. I have a new understanding and appreciation of the Ise Grand Shrine and for similar sacred places across the globe.