The Shinto religion is an extremely important aspect of the Japanese culture and for many, a way of life. Shinto is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and is Japan’s oldest religion. It incorporates the ways of ancient Japan with the practices of modern Japanese society. The values and customs of the Shinto religion are connected to those from the Japanese culture. Because ritual rather than belief is the main focus of Shinto, Japanese people do not usually think of Shinto as just a religion, it is more of an aspect of Japanese life.
The origin of the Shinto religion dates back to the beginning of Japanese history. Shinto was first used in the 6th century C.E., even though the roots of the religion date back to at least the 6th century B.C.E. Shinto does not have a founder and does not have any sacred scriptures that correlate directly with the religion. Shinto bases the majority of its principles on ancient books. Two of the most important books of the Shinto religion are the Kojiki and the Nihongi. While preaching is a usual practice in Christianity, it is uncommon in Shinto. This is due to the fact that Shinto is already deeply rooted into the Japanese people and traditions. Shinto is a local religion and the percentage of people who practice Shinto quite small. The word Shinto originated from the Chinese characters “Shin” meaning “divine being” and Tao meaning “way of the spirits”. All together this translates into “Way of the Spirits”.
The focus of Shinto is devotion to invisible spiritual beings known as kami. Shinto is a form of animism, which is the view that non-human entities, such as animals and plants posses a spiritual essence. Kami is commonly translated as a god or spirit and includes a wide spread of ...
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...en in other monotheistic religions. Worshippers believe that evil is caused by evil spirits or by devilish kami. As a result, many Shinto rituals have the sole purpose of keeping evil spirits away. Purification, prayers, and offerings are an essential part of Shinto. Because purity is so important to Shinto followers, they rinse their mouths and wash their hands before entering the prayer hall.
The Shinto faith has many ceremonies including some that might seem strange to Westerners. As mentioned earlier, cleanliness is particularly important to Shinto worshippers and great washing ceremonies take place before any holiday. Pollution or uncleanliness is offensive to the kami. Western civilization finds it hard to understand some Japanese festivals because the Japanese have an intense appreciation of nature which the majority of Westerners care very little about.
Analysis: Shinto: The Way Home’s organization is quite useful because it moves in chronological order and it leads the reader in a way that allows for understanding the most unrelatable Ideas of Shintoism. The book uses many Japanese terms and names that may lead confusion for the audience as they have to learn the vocabulary to understand many of the statement Kasulis uses. Kasulis also lack an argument through most of this work and he seems to focus on supplying information as accurately as possible. The author discusses a variety information pertaining to Shintoism making it useful
the deities and attempt to explain the psychological necessity of these rituals. An examination will be made of the typical forms of rituals, and cite their effects,
Shintoism has no founder ,and the history behind the technicalities of the rise of Shinto are rather obscure. Experts don't agree as to when Shinto became a unified religion more than just a label to give to the different faiths of Japan. Before the arrival of Buddhism, Shinto referred to the many local cults of the prehistoric Japanese people. These people were animists; devoted to the worship of nature and spirits. These spirits were the Kami; found in living things, nonliving things and natural phenomena. The early Japanese created a spiritual world—and rituals and stories to accompany it—that seemingly gave them control of their lives. It wasn't considered a religion at those times, early Japanese people regarded their faith as a commonality as a part of the natural world. The realms of Earth and the supernatural were closely integrated into each other for them. (“Religions”)
There are many regions that entail the belief of a spirit transcending into a place of serenity. One religion that focuses on transcending is Shintoism. Shintoism is a religion of Japanese origin that devotes its belief in spirits of natural forces. This is expressed by the meaning of Shinto, which means “the way of Kami.” A kami is a divine being or spirit in the religion such as the Emperor who was believed to be a sun goddess. In the movie, Spirited Away, Shintoism is expressed by Chihiro finds purity through the use of liminal process. Liminal Process are the steps needed to allow an individual to pass the threshold of the Earthly world to the Spiritual realm. These steps are similar to the way an alcoholic would reach sobriety.
Japan is part of our world that not many people know, for the few that do, they know that Japan is filled with an extraordinary history. Some of the history starts with little traditions like, the tradition of kimono’s, to big ones such as their well known Japanese festivals. Ancient Japan was a series of islands and many cultural expansions which included religion, armies, art, classic traditions, and their type of clothing. Ancient Japanese is still alive today, from basic works of art, to then a following of certain religions such as Shinto and Buddhism. Many Americans don’t the cultural aspects that were attributed by many across the world, they don’t know that many of those aspects made what Japan is today in society.
In Shinto, it is believed that all things have a spirit, or kami. Everything in nature, such as rivers, trees, and rocks, all have spirits that should be respected and can be worshipped at shrines. In the film, Chihiro meets Haku, a river spirit, and a radish spirit in the bathhouse, which demonstrates the variety of spirits that exist in Shinto. Bathhouses also have a long history unique to Japan, where they have been known as staples in communities because people can come to interact and relax together. Public bathhouses are not popular in the United States, but can still be found in Japan
As for human as kami they are not perfect, they make mistakes which makes them possess somebody else, they don't live in other universe but they live among the humans. The Buddhism on other hand have the belief system of achieving nirvana meaning if you are bad person in the present life, it is based on your deeds from the previous life. The Buddhism spread from north India to china and Korea and last japan. In the Buddhism you are in the cycle of reincarnation until you have reached nirvana. The Buddhism spread during 6th century in Japan. As for the spirit possessions in Buddhism it does not believe that a human is being possessed by these haunted spirits but they believe that they have desires as personal and they are self-centralized. The Buddhism believe if one don't strive for nirvana liberation then they are going to be troubled, depressed and mental and physical issues in the present life also future life. To get rid of these bad deeds one must perform mediation (samadhi), herbal medications, reciting supra over and over again. During the Heian period performing exorcists only aristocracy could
The only remote similarities are found in their creation stories, both of which contain common elements - the sky, stars, moon and sun. From there, the differences between Shintoism and Judaism are more evident. Shinto’s believe in many deities; Judaism is devoted to one, All-Powerful God. While both religions do put emphasis on cleanliness, Shinto teaches that all areas of a person’s life should be clean. Judaism is more concerned about the cleanliness regarding food – that it is kosher, “ritually correct”. Shintoism is focused less on human suffering and more on living a harmonious life. Conversely, Judaism depicts a life of suffering in hopes of pleasing God. While I am more knowledgeable about Judaism, since Christianity originated from it; however, I have more of an affinity for Shintoism because of its basic philosophy living a life of
Shinto priest, Rev. Yukitaka Yamamota, once said, “To be fully alive is to have an aesthetic perception of life because a major part of the world’s goodness lies in its often unspeakable beauty” (Fisher, 224). Yamamota’s quote summarizes one of the main concepts of theology in Shinto. However, Shinto theology is not only about natural beauty. Shinto is the ancient indigenous religion of Japan, and is a major influence in the Japanese culture. The basis of Shinto theology is that there is no God, but there is kami in everything.
Japanese Gardens are designed with a purpose, every detail has meaning and every element symbolizes something. Gardens were usually built for wealthy asristocrats or people of power. Early designs of Japanese gardens consisted of important religious influences and gave natural objects significance such as in Shinto, Buddhism, and Daoist Beliefs.
Shinto is a religion out of Japan that is more popular in indigenous areas of the country. The founder of Shinto is unknown and despite having an unknown beginning, Shinto has been a part of Japanese culture for thousands of years. “The word Shinto, which comes from the Chinese shin Tao, meaning "the way of kami", came into use to distinguish indigenous Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which had been introduced into Japan in the 6th century CE” (Shinto,2016). People that follow Shinto are devoted to worshipping spiritual beings. Kami is not a god, but multiple spirits that are worshipped. The spirits are interested in humans and want to help. It is considered an unofficial religion in Japan. It goes hand in hand with Buddhism
When in Japan there are a multitude of customary behaviors to adhere to. This is important because not following certain traditional ways, even as foreigners can be disrespectful. These traditional Japanese manners, customs, and courtesies play a vital role in their society.
Rituals: Buddhism rituals are meditation, mantras, mudras, prayer wheels, monasticism, and pilgrimages. There are no official religious ceremonies for birth, marriage, or a birthday. Meditation is a form of mental concentration with the goal of enlightenment and spiritual freedom. Meditation is directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Mantras are sacred sounds that are believed to possess sacred powers.
Shimazono, Susumu. 2005. "State Shinto and the Religious Structure of Modern Japan." Journal Of The American Academy Of Religion 73, no. 4: 1077-1098. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2012).
Ancestors mediate between God and men. It is believed that sin harms the public good; hence there are periodical purification rites in order to promote public welfare. Worship requires a fundamental attitude of strict discipline and reverence. The Ritual Sphere Rites form an essential part of social life. Rites invoke ancestors and the dead.