There are many religions in the world. Some are more well known than others. One of the lesser known Asian religion is the Japanese religion Shinto. It has been around for millenniums and it is among the many religions in Japan. It is the original religion of the Japanese empire.
The origin of Shinto is hard to pin down. There is no one person or group that is known to have started Shinto (Molloy p256). The mysteries history date back to the ancient people of Japan and their lore of how the world began. It seems this religion seems to have arisen from the human's awareness of the power of nature. This brings the people that practice Shinto closer to nature. They also have a belief that sprites in habit all parts of nature.
Now Shinto is more than just a nature religion. It has an ethic and dimensions. There is a sprite worship aspect of this religion. They worship the spirits of departed family members and ancestors. Also they worship Great people in the history of Japan, like the emperor that help modernized Japan (Molly p256). This is not uncommon in ancient religions that worship nature and spirits like this one.
The name of the religion is from the translation of a Chinese word shen-dao which means "the way of the gods". The Japanese translation is Shinto. This only happen after Buddhist from China cam to Japan. Before then it did not have a name. It was just what every one did.
The heart of the Shinto beliefs is the sensitivity to the mysterious powers of nature. Their gods that are called Kami and are not thought to be beings living in another, distant realm. Rather as powers in or near this world whose presence might be felt. The Kami are seen in the trees and mountains and also in more terrifying storms ...
... middle of paper ...
...ces of cut green bamboo, a small branch of pine, and if possible, a spring of plum. The bamboo signifies persistence; the pin, freshness and life throughout winter; the plum, the first sign of life in early spring. Together the braches of greenery in the kadomatsu symbolize human virtue (Molly 268).
To summarize, Shinto is a nature and ancestor based religion. It believes that the gods and family members live near by. To commemorate the gods, they have shrines all around Japan. These shrines can be small or quite huge. One of the most holiest day is New Year's. They emphasis that sex is not sinful and to be clean in all ways. Also to keep health relationships with people around you and the gods.
Molloy, Michael, 1942-
Experiencing The World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change: Third Edition.: Published by McGraw-hill, New York, NY Copyright 2005
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
Kukailimoku is one of many different types of ti’i and they all have many different symbols that represent that specific god. There are many different types of these Ti’i figures in Hawaii and all of Polynesia. In Hawaiian culture, the gods, the aina; land, and the kanaka; people, all share a “symbiotic existence.” If the Kanaka took care of the land in a p...
The identity of the spirit is depicted not by the form of the doll, which is usually simple and flat, but primarily by the applied color and elaborate feather, leather, and, occasionally, fabric ornamentation of its mask. Also the identity of a true Kachina doll is depicted and then carved of cottonwood root. One of the purposes is to help bring the rain for the crops to grow and since the cottonwood is always found near water, the Kachinas are carved from it’s roots. The roots from which the dolls are carved are chosen with care, since they are seen to draw life and precious moisture from the earth.
The Hopi have a highly developed belief system which contains many gods and spirits. Ceremonies, rituals, dances, songs, and prayers are celebrated in year-round. The Hopi believed they were led to the arid southwestern region of America by their creator, because he knew they had the power to evoke rain with power and prayer. Consequently, the Hopi are connected to their land, its agricultural cycles and the constant quest for rainfall, in a religious way. The religious center of the community is the kiva, which is an underground room with a ladder protruding above the roof. The kiva is very important for several reasons. From the kiva, a connection is made with the center of the earth. Also, the kiva is symbolic for the emergence to this world. The room would represent the underworld and the ladder would represent the way to the upper world. In fact, a room is kept in the house to store ceremonial objects. A sacred ear of corn protects the room and symbolizes the ancestry of the family members. Kachinas are also a focal point of the religion. For a Hopi, they signify spirits of ancestors, dieties of the natural world, or intermediaries between man and gods. The Hopi believe that they are the earth's caretakers, and with the successful performance of their ceremonial cycle, the world will remain in balance, the gods will be happy and rain will come. Because they think of their crops as gifts, the Hopi Indians live in harmony with the environment.
Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. It means “the way of the kami”. Shintoism is mainly focused on beliefs in, and worships of Kami. Kami are spiritual or divine beings. They are sometimes referred to as the ‘gods’ in Shinto. But rather than the powerful and supernatural beings seen in Western religion, Kami is more like a mystical and sacred spirit that exist in the creative forces of nature. Shintoism follows the belief of animism, which is the belief that natural, material objects possess souls. These sacred spirits, called Kami are able to take the form of different things in nature. Kami not only exists as spiritual beings, but also takes the form of plants and animals, mountains and seas, and all natural phenomena.
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”)
... The oil within the nut was highly valued because it burns extremely well and the nut itself would be used as candle. This is why the kukui tree is known as the candlenut tree (White). This plant has such an extensive range of uses that must have made it very valuable to the native Hawaiians.
Paganism is a religion of nature, in other words Pagans feel deep respect for Nature. Pagans see the divine as existence in life and the universe; in every living thing, every animal, plant, earth and man and woman, in the dark side of life as much as in the light. Pagans live their lives in tune with the cycles of nature; the seasons, life and death.
Compare And Analysis The Japanese Buddhism And Indo Buddhism Buddhism is a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama in northeast India during the period from the late 6th century to the early 4th century BC. Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism has played an influential role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of much of the Eastern world. It is the prevailing religious force in most of Asia (India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet). ‘Buddhism’ is reformulated and re-expressed in different cultures and at different times, adopting and redefining aspects of the cultures in which it has taken root. Today, there are about 300 million followers. (Yamplosky) The Indian religion Buddhism, founded in the sixth century BC, is one of the common features of Asian civilization, and Buddhist institutions and believers are found all over East, South, and Southeast Asia. While Buddhism is now just a minority belief in the country of it’s founding, it remains a significant religious and cultural force in Japan today. Buddhism started in India and made its way to China and Korea. From there, it ended up in Japan. Buddhism went through several different periods before it became Japan's national religion. In indo Buddhism, the temple is the main sanctuary, in which services, both public and private, are performed but Japanese Buddhism is mainly hub of individual activities and services. Similarly to Japanese Buddhism, in Indo Buddhism the monastery is a complex of buildings, located usually in a spot chosen for its beauty and seclusion. Its function is to house the activities of the monks. Images are important features of temples, monasteries, and shrines in both Indo a...
The religion of the Japanese people is called Shinto. Shinto translates to Way of the Spirits. Some say that it is more than a religion, it is a way of life for the Japanese people. It is closely paralleled by the Japanese cultures and way of life (Hirai, 2007). Shinto has been a way of practicing faith and living a pure life in Japan for over 2,000 years. Shinto is in every aspect of the Japanese life. For example: ethics, politics, social structure, artistic life, sporting life, and of course spiritual life (Religion, 2017). Nowadays, the people of Japan mix some Shinto and Buddhism in their lives as far as their spiritual beings are concerned. Shinto is a very free religion. There is no God, no commandments, no founder, and no scriptures. Rather than worshiping a God, Shinto followers worship kami, or spiritual energy (Hansen 2007).
Shinto is an “…indigenous religion of the Yamato Japanese.” (School Text. 265) It was first established during the time of Yayoi culture. This has been shown to be true by the various archeological discoveries made that “ritual sites from the Yayoi period leave little doubt that during this period, people believed
Eastern religions have originated from the east side of the Earth from countries such as: China, Japan, and India. The Eastern religions have different histories some of which include a founder like Buddha in Buddhism and others without a founder like Shinto. Most of the Eastern religions have similar belief systems which must be applied into their way of life. According to the authors of World Religions, “These religions profess living in harmony with nature and seeking a balance between the spiritual world and reality.” In addition to balance and harmony, these religions also share the belief in the use of meditation, treating nature as sacred, and most importantly a polytheistic universe.
Shintoism is a way of thinking with nature as its primary source of inspiration. It is a belief system that developed over thousands of years at different locations within Japan and is centered
The origins of Shinto and Judaism are rich in history, yet it is the steadfast strength of their belief systems that are most fascinating. While the beliefs of most religions will evolve with time, the core beliefs of these two religions seem impervious to the cultural and generational changes in modern times. In fact, their belief systems seem to be the very foundations of which their cultures were originally built upon In exploring the completely diverse beliefs of Shinto and Judaism, an appreciation for the longevity of each is undeniable.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke is a development of Japanese animation that can be seen as a romantic fable of two characters that were brought together through one cause; however, Miyazaki’s film can be seen as a Japanese cultural production. It is seen as a cultural production because it shows elements of Shinto through the Kami and the use of water for purification, as well as the female stereotype reversal that was quite dominant in the time of the Heian period. The characters in Princess Mononoke interact with the kami (gods or spirits) when they are in sacred sites or areas that assist in the contact. In Princess Mononoke, the mountain is the place where the characters make contact with the kami, which is their Shinto shrine because