Embracing Ritual Healing: The Case of Sazuke in Tenrikyo in Contemporary Taiwan

This paper will explore how the practice of ritual healing (sazuke) has played a prominent part in the propagation of a Japanese new religious movement (Tenrikyo) in Taiwan. The author firstly unravels the mystery of Tenrikyo’s healing ritual (sazuke) and its role in enabling Taiwanese followers’ potential to re-establish their relationship with the world. The author points out that sazuke is similar to Taiwanese folk therapy and fits into Taiwan’s multi-medical systems. The author also examines the features of Tenrikyo’s healing practice in Taiwan and discusses the evolution of sazuke from a non-institutionalised practice to a bureaucratised one. The author then advances to a more widely theoretical consideration by discussing how sazuke became a force that enabled Taiwanese people to respond to the changing world and how it facilitated peoples’ transformation when they were confronted by daily troubles and difficulties.