Kansha - Gratitude
The practice of expressing thankfulness for blessings received from kami and others.
Kansha is the attitude of gratitude that permeates Shinto practice. From daily thanks for food to festival expressions of harvest gratitude, recognizing and appreciating blessings maintains proper relationship with the kami and cultivates a joyful heart.
A grateful heart is the purest offering to the kami.
Gratitude forms the emotional foundation of Shinto worship.
Folk wisdom
Written about in
- What Shinto says about reverence
Gratitude, rather than petition, is the ordinary register of Shinto practice: thanks for a meal, thanks at harvest.