initiation

from Overlapping subjective communities.

What is initiation? Initiation is the process of being accepted as a new member into a group, community, or privileged position through a specific ritual or rite. It is used in a variety of settings, such as religious ceremonies, secret societies, college clubs, initiation ceremonies in the workplace, etc. Initiation is often important as a rite of passage into a new phase or role.

Maybe it is negatively perceived due to the lack of a Christian baptismal ritual in Buddhism, a major religion in Japan, and the controversy related to Aum Shinrikyo?

Certainly, Buddhist rites equivalent to “initiation” such as baptism in Christianity are not very common in Japan. In Japanese Buddhism, certain rituals may be performed at the time of initiation or practice, but they are often not mandatory for the average layperson. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the concept of “initiation,” like baptism, is deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

It is also possible that when Aum Shinrikyo became a social issue, its radical initiation and initiation rituals attracted attention, and the word “initiation” came to be perceived negatively by the general public. In particular, rituals performed by cult-like groups or religions are often associated with brainwashing and are often viewed with caution in Japan.

• initiation rite

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