It is indeed possible to live Ryōbu Shintō in the present, provided one understands it as a way of integrating Shintō kami devotion with esoteric Buddhist cosmology and practice. At its heart stands the view that kami and buddhas are not rivals but two aspects of a single sacred reality, expressed in the honji suijaku pattern: buddhas as the original ground, kami as their local, trace manifestations. This perspective allows one to address a kami while simultaneously recognizing a corresponding buddha or bodhisattva, treating them as paired presences rather than separate deities. Such a stance naturally encourages a syncretic worldview in which Shintō reverence for nature and purity coexists with Buddhist insights into compassion, interdependence, and impermanence. When approached in this way, Ryōbu Shintō becomes less a historical curiosity and more a living framework for seeing the world as permeated by a unified sacred order.

In practical terms, this can be expressed through an integrated ritual life that draws from both shrine and temple traditions. A home space might hold a mirror or sakaki branch alongside a Buddhist image or mandala, with offerings, bowing, and respectful speech directed to the kami, followed by mantra recitation, sutra chanting, or silent meditation dedicated to the buddhas. Purification practices and seasonal observances can be carried out in a Shintō style while being consciously linked to Buddhist intentions such as the dedication of merit and the cultivation of wisdom and compassion. The twofold mandala vision of reality, especially as articulated in Shingon and related Tendai traditions, offers a symbolic map through which local landscapes, shrines, and natural sites are read as nodes in a cosmic pattern. Visiting a mountain, grove, or shrine with this awareness turns ordinary pilgrimage into participation in a mandala that includes both kami and buddhas.

For those who wish to root such practice more deeply, study and guidance are valuable. Engaging with Shingon or Tendai teachings on Dainichi Nyorai and related esoteric practices provides a doctrinal and ritual foundation onto which Shintō elements can be overlaid, rather than inventing a path without reference to the traditions that originally shaped Ryōbu Shintō. Exploring historical materials on kami–buddha correspondences and the role of temple–shrine complexes helps clarify how this synthesis was once embodied in institutions and landscapes. At the same time, awareness of later legal and institutional separations between Shintō and Buddhism encourages a flexible, historically informed approach, recognizing that any modern practice is, to some extent, a reconstruction. When held with sincerity, respect, and a willingness to let both traditions illuminate one another, Ryōbu Shintō in a modern setting can function as a disciplined way of honoring “two doors, one reality” in daily life.