REL 133 week 5 (9 slides)
history of Shinto
Shinto history has four major periods:
Before the arrival of Buddhism in japan
Shinto and Buddhism together in japan
Shinto in the 19th century
Shinto after ww2
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NCury
Before Buddhism, Shinto had not been recognized as an official religion. “The early Japanese developed rituals and stories which enabled them to make sense of their universe, by creating a spiritual and cultural world that gave them historical roots, and a way of seeming to take control of their lives, in what would otherwise have been a fearful and puzzling landscape(Shinto, 2009). During the time that Shinto and Buddhism were both recognized as religions in Japan, both Shintoism, Buddhism, as well as Confucianism were used to provide guidance to the people of Japan. Shintoism failed to compare to Buddhism because of its lack of sacred texts that could be used as resources. Buddhism took over as the prominent religion in Japan, but still utilizing some of the practices of Shintoism. There was a major shift in Shintoism and Japanese religion as a whole during the 19th century. Shintoism had been revamped and was completely separated from Buddhism. Shinto was disassembled in 1946. Even though it was disassembled, Shinto still plays a significant role in Japanese culture.
1
Shinto’s Origin
Shinto has been a big influence on Japanese culture and values for thousands of years. Shinto has no known founder or sacred text resource. Shintoism is devoted to life in this world as well as the overall goodness of mankind. “Belief in kami—sacred or divine beings, although also understood to be spiritual essences—is one of the foundations of Shinto. Shinto understands that the kami not only exist as spiritual beings, but also in nature; they are within mountains, trees, rivers, and even geographical regions. In this sense, the kami are not like the all-powerful divine beings found in Western religion, but the abstract creative forces in nature. Related to the kami is the understanding that the Shinto followers are supposed to live in harmony and peaceful coexistence with both nature and other human beings” (Shinto, n.d.). Shintoism was then, and still is influenced heavily by Buddhism and Confucianism in their political, social, spiritual, and cultural aspects.
2
Shinto has no known founder
Shinto dates to the ancient people of Japan
As a religion, Shinto’s are in harmony with nature
Shinto still exits in modern Japan
Shinto has been influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism
“Kami, is a spiritual entity that is connected to the everyday vigor of the natural world” (Deming, 2015). Kami refers to sacred or divine beings. Shinto understands that the kami not only exist as spiritual beings, but also in nature. Kami is the understanding that the Shinto followers are supposed to live in harmony and peaceful coexistence with both nature and other human beings.
Purity is what distinguishes between good and evil in Shintoism. Shinto believe that all people are born pure and only become impure through sin and evil spirits. Purification is performed to rid people of their impurities.
3
Rituals OF SHINTO
Purification
Stages of life
Shrines
Ritual is crucial to the practice of Shintoism. “Every step of a ritual within a shrine follows a carefully prescribed pattern, with segments including purification, prayer, offering, and entertainment for the kami” (Shinto, n.d. ). Purification rituals are used to cleanse a person from their sins and evil spirits. Purification rituals are performed by rinsing or bathing with water. Various rituals are performed to honor the stages of life such as the birth of a child, a wedding, or a funeral. Rituals are also performed before visiting a shrine. Rituals are performed during Shinto celebrations.
4
shrines
Shrines are believed to be the home of kami. Shinto shrines are actually temples. Torii gates and shimenawa ropes are used to separate the shrine from the rest of the world. A shrine doesn’t have to be a building, it can be a tree, a lake or anything that has a connection to kami.
5
Rites of Passage
Various Shinto rites of passage are observed in Japan. The arrival of a newborn baby the tutelary kami. A wedding ceremonies where the vows are given to kami.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Shinto followers observe different rites of passage which include birth and marriage.
6
The role of the Shinto religion in today’s Japanese society
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
In modern Japanese society, “Shinto has no claim to be indigenous, or more original than Buddhism” (Deming, 2015). Shinto utilizes the original concepts of the religion and has not tried to conform to modern society.
7
References
Deming, W. (2015). Understanding the religions of the world: an introduction. Retrieved from: https:// ebookcentral-proquest-com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu
Shinto(2009). Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religions/shinto
Shinto(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.patheoscom/library/shinto