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Shinto and Buddhism similarities
Shintoism and Buddhism
Shintoism and Buddhism
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Shinto, a religion traced back to indigenous Japan, is one of Japan’s major religions with around 3,000,000 followers (Susumu, 2009). Shinto means “the way of the gods” (Susumu, 2009). Shinto indigenous religion is one that is considered to have developed over time rather than being founded. With no founder and no holy scriptures, Shinto is based in traditions and culture (Susumu, 2009). Traced back to at least the 8th century BCE, Shinto was the official state religion of Japan until after WWII (Susumu, 2009). Shinto is uniquely Japanese and has had a major influence in developing attitudes and sensitivities in Japan (Susumu, 2009). Early in the 7th century BCE, Buddhism and Shintoism began to intertwine, and together they have been …show more content…
This is because Shintoism is so rooted in traditions and culture. Another criticism of Shinto is that it is said to be too close to the state and that rather than a true religion, it operates under the government’s thumb (Boyd & Williams, 2005). Shintoists believe that cooperation with other religions and other people will ultimately lead to peaceful coexistence in the world for all humans. Although Shintoism is different from the other religions we have covered in this course as of yet as as it is more of a folk religion, or one that is passed on through traditions rather than sacred texts, it is important to study because of their peaceful existence and ability to survive through centuries without sacred texts or doctrines.
References:
Boyd, J. W., & Williams, R. C. (2005). Japanese Shintō: An Interpretation of a Priestly Perspective. Philosophy East & West, 55(1), 33-63.
Susumu, S. (2009). State Shinto in the Lives of the People. Japanese Journal Of Religious Studies, 36(1), 93-124.
Thal, S. (2006). SHINTO: BEYOND “JAPAN’S INDIGENOUS RELIGION”. Religious Studies Review, 32(3), 145-150.
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
Image and Text.” Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 33.2 (2006): 297-317. Jstor. 12 Oct 2011.
Shinto: The Way Home written by Thomas Kasulis is a book designed to inform the reader of Shinto traditions and history, but how does his work stand on its own as a scholarly source. Kasulis uses simple organization strategies to control the flow of the work the simplest method is the separation of the book into six chapters as well as a two prefaces one from the editor and one from the author. The first chapter discusses Shintoism in the terms of a western audience while the second chapter confers the connection with normal Japanese culture with Shinto traditions. The third, fourth, and the fifth chapter canvases the history of Shinto traditions in chronological order from prehistory to 2002. Chapter 6 explains Issues with Shinto in a modern
24 Amore, Roy C. and Julia Ching. The Buddhist Tradition. In Willard G. Oxtoby, Ed. World Religions: Eastern Traditions. P. 221
"Shinto in History."Shinto in History: Ways of the Kami. Ed. John Breween and Mark Teeuwen.
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...
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 has been a home for Shinto and Buddhist religions for centuries. The Christian missionaries during the 16th, 19th and 20th centuries worked hard to evangelize the Japanese nation but could not get desired success. There efforts in past failed partly due to sanctions imposed by the local rulers. The Jesuits missionaries traveled with Spanish and Portuguese traders to many areas of America and Asia-Pacific and established their churches and religious missions. They were funded, sponsored and trained by their respective governments in order to spread Christianity. At several places they preached the Christian faith by force but the aboriginal population did not accept it wholeheartedly. Initially the Jesuits targeted the elite class of the country and a large number was converted. The rulers also forced their subject to embrace the same faith. About 300,000 Japanese were converted in the first phase. Later on, Christianity was prohibited as the rulers started seeing them as a threat to their authority. Following a change of regime, the ban was lifted and missionaries were again allowed to enter Japan. Like many Native American tribes, the Japanese also resisted the new religion. As a result, presently Christians form only 1% of the total population in Japan. This paper is focused on how the Christian religion was introduced in Japan, the evolution of evangelism, establishment of churches, the restrictions and hurdles faced by the missionaries and priest of the new religion and the response of Japanese nation towards an alien faith. All these queries are answered in detail given as follows.
...es of Japanese Tradition: From Earliest Times through the Sixteenth Century. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. Print.
Denison. B. (2002, January 1). A Basic Overview of Japanese Culture . . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.mizukan.org/articles/culture.htm
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.
The desire to explain the unknown is deeply rooted in the make-up of humanity. What one does not know evinces fear, but also opens a realm of endless possibility that can be manipulated and explained through individual and societal understandings of the truth. Throughout time the human understanding of the truism and science has changed much like the evolution of existence in terms of thresholds. The beauty of this fact is relevant when exploring the cognizance of the universe through the lens of Japanese myth. The culture of the mythology is an essence entwined with religion, which makes for a spiritual and grounded connection to the land and it’s properties. The Buddhist and Shinto religion combined form an inherent connection to time and space in which the Japanese people honor, reference, and mold their knowledge of history. The myths of Japan are a reflection of not only religious terminology, but also the Gods in which the people pray to and worship in temples and shrines. The teachings of Buddha and living within the means of inviolability are held up through myth and a great respect for nature is vital to the infrastructure of the rich culture and linguistic aspects of the stories. The vast domain of stories braided with religion paints a unique picture of origin and meaning that can be explored and organized into thresholds one through eight plus the future.
Christianity, as a latecomer to Japan’s religious scene, has faced considerable difficulties and challenges in relation to pre-existing religious traditions, practices, and social expectations. Christianity was met by a lot of resistance from those wanting to maintain the social order of the time and also by many Japanese who may have been willing to embrace a new religion, but who were confused by the impression of Christianity that it did not deal with the salvation of ancestors. In order to flourish in Japan, Christianity had to adapt to answer this central issue and speak to the Japanese worldview, valuing community and the Ie above individualism. Churches and indigenous movements have done this in a number of ways, both in their teachings
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).
Plumb, A. (2010). Japanese Religion, Mythology, and the Supernatural in Anime and Manga. International Journal Of The Humanities, 8(5), 237-246.