Shintōism
OVERVIEW
Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. Shinto is an animistic (everything has a soul) folk religion from Japan. Shinto literally means "the way of the gods". Many Japanese Shintoists also identify themselves as Buddhists. Japanese Buddhism is deeply intertwined with the Shinto faith. Shinto practitioners commonly affirm tradition, family, nature, cleanliness and ritual observation as core values. Taoic influence is significant in their beliefs about nature and self-mastery.
Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population .There are approximately 150 million followers of Shintoism Worldwide, yet only a small percentage of these (about 4 to 5 million people) identify themselves as "Shintoists" in surveys. This is because "Shinto" has different meanings in Japan: most of the Japanese attend Shinto shrines and beseech kami without belonging to an institutional "Shinto" religion, and since there are no formal rituals to become a member of "folk Shinto", "Shinto membership" is often estimated counting those who join organized Shinto sects. Shinto has 81,000 shrines and 85,000 priests in Japan.
Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.
"Shinto gods" are called KAMI. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami.
Shinto is all about the kami. Kami (sacred spirits) are the "gods" in Shinto. They take the form of many things such as animals, plants, lakes, and rivers. As such, Shinto is similar to primal Shamanism . Humans become kami after they die and are honored as ancestral kami with some families actually having little shrines in their homes. The Goddess Amaterasu is widely considered to be Shinto's most famous kami and she was even the star of her very own video game, Ōkami.
The introduction into Japan of Buddhism in the 6th century was followed by a few initial conflicts, however, the two religions were soon able to co-exist and even complement each other. Many Buddhists viewed the kami as manifestations of Buddha. Actually, the term Shinto was coined to distinguish it from the Chinese religions, such as Taoism and Confuism .
Because the Japanese rulers were enamored with Buddhism, the Shinto priests did a very clever thing. They made Shinto the guardian of Buddha. This meant that there was a Shinto shrine attached to every Buddhist temple. Although the Shinto priests and Buddhist priests mostly remained separate, it's unlikely that the general population differentiated between the two, and even the most Buddhist of rulers still honored the Kami. In addition it allowed Shinto to develop in a different way focusing on rituals and daily life rather than the metaphysical which was already taken care of by Buddhism.
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
The Association of Shinto Shrines is a religious administrative organization that oversees about 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan. These shrines take the Ise Grand Shrine as the foundation of their belief.
The association has five major activities, in addition to numerous minor ones:
-Publication and dissemination of information on Shrine Shinto
-The performance of rituals;
-Education of adherents to Shinto;
-Reverence of Ise Grand Shrine and the distribution of its amulets; and
-Preparation and training of individuals for the Shinto priesthood.
It currently has an administrative structure including a main office and branches. Its headquarters in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, adjacent to Meiji Shrine. Its leadership includes the Sosai , the head priestess of the Ise Shrine, presently Atsuko Ikeda. The tōri is Kuniaki Kuni, and the post of sōchō or Secretary-General is currently held by Masami Yatabe, the chief priest of the Mishima Shrine. The association maintains regional offices in every prefecture. They handle financial and personnel matters for member shrines.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
In Shintoism they believe that at the beginning, the universe was immersed in a beaten and shapeless kind of matter (chaos), sunk in silence. Later there were sounds indicating the movement of particles. With this movement, the light and the lightest particles rose but the particles were not as fast as the light and could not go higher. Thus, the light was at the top of the Universe, and below it, the particles formed first the clouds and then Heaven, which was to be called Takamagahara ( "High Plain of Heaven"). The rest of the particles that had not risen formed a huge mass, dense and dark, to be called Earth.
Following the creation of Heaven and Earth and the appearance of these primordial gods, Izanagi and Izanami went on to create the Japanese archipelago (Kuniumi) and gave birth to a large number of gods (Kamiumi).
VISION OF GOD
In Shintoism there is not one central God as in monotheistic religions. However, they believe that there exist a “spirit” or “soul” in every separate thing. A concept that is not that different from Hinduism, although it would be better stated to say the Shinto is a “polytheistic” religion of many gods (kami), as opposed to a religion that believes in a Universal Consciousness.
Kami or shin , is defined in English as "god", "spirit", "spiritual essence", all these terms meaning 'the energy generating a thing'. Since the Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms. Rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami. Kami and people exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity.
Kami refers particularly to the power of phenomena that inspire a sense of wonder and awe in the beholder (the sacred), testifying to the divinity of such a phenomenon.
DENOMINATIONS
There are millions of Kami in the world. However, below is a list of the major, or better known, kami:
Amateras- Amateras (Amaterasu) was born from the left eye of the primeval being Izanagi. She is the greatest of the Japanese gods, the sun goddess, and ruler of the Plain of Heaven.
Hoderi- Hoderi, the son of Ninigi (first ruler of the Japanese islands) and Ko-no-Hana (daughter of the mountain god Oho-Yama [Encyclopedia Mythica]) and the brother of Hoori, is the divine ancestor of the immigrants coming from the south over the sea to Japan.
Hotei- Hotei is one of the 7 Japanese Shinto gods of luck (Shichi Fukujin), depicted with a great belly. He is the god of happiness, laughter, and the wisdom of contentment.
Hoori- Son of Ninigi and Ko-no-Hana, and brother of Hoderi, Hoori is the divine ancestor of the emperor.
Izanami and Izanagi- In Japanese Shinto mythology, Izanami is a primordial goddess and personification of the Earth and darkness. Izanagi and Izanami were the first parents. They created the world and produced Amaterasu (sun goddess), Tsukiyomi no Mikoto (moon god), Susanowo (sea god), and Kaga-Tsuchi (fire god), as their offspring. Izanagi went to the Underworld to find his wife who had been killed giving birth to Amaterasu. Unfortunately, Izanami had already eaten and so could not return to the land of the living, but became queen of the Underworld.
Kagutsuchi- Japanese god of fire who burned his mother, Izanami, to death when she gave birth. Kagutsuchi's father is Izanagi.
Okuninushi- A son of Susanowo, he was a spirit type called a kami. He ruled Izumo until the coming of Ninigi. ["Okuninushi".]
Susanoh- Also spelled Susanowo, he ruled the oceans and was god of rain, thunder, and lightning. He was banished from heaven for bad behavior while drunk. He became an underworld god Susanoh is a brother of Amaterasu
Tsukiyomi no Mikoto- The Shinto moon god and another brother of Amaterasu, who was born from the right eye of Izanagi.
Ukemochi (Ogetsu-no-hime)- Food goddess killed by Tsukiyomi.
Uzume- Also Ama no Uzume, she is the Shinto goddess of joy and happiness, and good health. Uzume brought Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu back from her cave.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
There is no core sacred text in Shinto, as the Bible is in Christianity or Qur'an is in Islam. Instead there are books of lore and history which provide stories and background to many Shinto beliefs.
-The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) The oldest book of Japanese history, it describes the origin myths of Japan and the Imperial Family beginning from 628 AD.
-The Shoku Nihongi and its Nihon Shoki (Continuing Chronicles of Japan) describes events up to 697 AD. Some of the stories in the Nihongi are more detailed, but contradictory, to the stories of the Kojiki.
-The Rikkokushi (Six National Histories) includes the Shoku Nihongi and Nihon Shoki.
-The Jinnō Shōtōki (a study of Shinto and Japanese politics and history) written in the 14th century AD.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
In contrast to many monotheistic religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.
The kami reside in all things, but certain objects and places are designated for the interface of people and kami: yorishiro, shintai, shrines, and kamidana. There are natural places considered to have an unusually sacred spirit about them, and are objects of worship. They are frequently mountains, trees, unusual rocks, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural things. In most cases they are on or near a shrine grounds. The shrine is a building in which the kami is enshrined (housed). It is a sacred space, creating a separation from the "ordinary" world. The kamidana is a household shrine that acts as a substitute for a large shrine on a daily basis. In each case the object of worship is considered a sacred space inside which the kami spirit actually dwells, being treated with the utmost respect.
Unlike most Western religions there are no “good” kami and “bad” kami. There are rough, fierce, and violent kami but they are not intrinsically bad. Just as there are gentle, kind, sweet kami; that does not make them intrinsically good.
Every kami has a “rough” side (ara-mi-tama) and a “gentle” ; side (nigi-mi-tama), but you will not find a concept to God and Satan in them. Because of this there is no concept of the wrath of God or the separation of God from humanity by sin. The Kami are worshipped in various shrines but no statues are found in the shrines for it is believed that the Kami resides in the shrine itself so there is no need to have a representative of the deity.
In Shinto, “misogi” is the primary act that can produce purification and enhance the spirituality of those who practice it. As human beings, we are the children of the Kami and as such we try to work for the progress of human culture. The shrine is a place where human beings and the Kami may meet and be united. Misogi is one of the ways in which that meeting can be effected. In Shinto belief, human beings can come close to the Kami through training and discipline.
The human soul inclines naturally toward the Kami and can be cultivated to become more deeply-related through the right kind of activities. This is a matter for attention every day. People seeking to be close to the Kami should work at showing cleanness, brightness and diligence in all they do and should seek to cultivate harmony in personal relations. Misogi regularly practiced can help in this. Musubi, creativity, brings people close to each other and closer to the Kami.
The harmony of the universe, according to the mythology of the Kojiki, was achieved through musubi. How do we cultivate spirituality in daily life? Consider the daily offerings made to the Kami at the Kamidana, the household mini-shrine that sits on a shelf high on the wall inside the principal room of the house. The offerings,” shinsen”, include washed rice, water and salt. People offer these, clap their hands and pray in front of the Kamidana.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of kami. Most shrines celebrate festivals (matsuri) regularly in order to show the kami the outside world. The principal worship of kami is done at public shrines or worship at small home shrines called kamidana (literally. "God-shelf"). The public shrine is a building or place that functions as a conduit for kami. A fewer number of shrines are also natural places called “mori”. The most common of the mori are sacred groves of trees, or mountains, or waterfalls.
All shrines are open to the public at some times or throughout the year.
People seek support from Shinto by praying at a home altar or by visiting shrines. A whole range of talismans are available at shrines for traffic safety, good health, success in business, safe childbirth, good exam performance and more.
Any person may visit a shrine and one need not be Shinto to do this. Doing so is called Omairi. Typically there are a few basic steps to visiting a shrine.
At any entrance gate, the person bow respectfully before passing through.
If there is a hand washing basin provided, perform Temizu: take the dipper in ones right hand and scoop up water. Pour some onto the left hand, then transfer the dipper to the left hand and pour some onto the right hand. Transfer the dipper to your right hand again, cup your left palm, and pour water into it, from which you will take the water into your mouth (never drink directly from the dipper), silently swish it around in your mouth (do not drink), then quietly spit it out into your cupped left hand (not into the reservoir). Then, holding the handle of the dipper in both hands, turn it vertically so that the remaining water washes over the handle. Then replace it where you found it.
Approach the shrine; if there is a bell, you may ring the bell first (or after depositing a donation); if there is a box for donations, leave a modest one in relation to your means; then bow twice, clap twice, and hold the second clap with your hands held together in front of your heart for a closing bow after your prayers.
There is variation in how this basic visitation may go, and depending on the time of year and holidays there may also be other rituals attached to visitations. Be sincere and respectful to the staff and other visitors, and if at all possible, be quiet. Do be aware that there are places one should not go on the shrine grounds. Do not wear shoes inside any buildings.
In Shinto kannagara, meaning "way [path] of [expression] of the kami", refers to the law of the natural order. It is the sense of the terms michi or to, "way", in the terms "kami-no-michi" or "Shinto".Those who understand kannagara know the divine, the human, and how people should live. From this knowledge stems the ethical dimension of Shinto, focusing on sincerity (makoto), honesty (tadashii) and purity.
A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death, however, is considered a source of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style.
Shinto Funerals were established during the Tokugawa period. There are at least twenty steps involved in burying the dead. Mourners wear solid black in a day of mourning called Kichu-fuda and a Shinto priest will perform various rituals. People will give monetary gifts to the deceased's family called Koden, and Kotsuge is the gathering of the deceased's ashes. Some of the ashes are taken by family members to put in their home shrines at the step known as Bunkotsu.
The Shinto religion teaches that it is natural to grieve the loss of family members and friends at the time of death. Buddhist influence would stress that any death is a reminder of the brevity of one’s own life. They would emphasize the need to have personal reflection and rededication to the correct spiritual paths during a time of grief.
Mourning is often seen as a regimented response to death. It has proper rituals and expressions. It should be endured in an almost stoic fashion. Mourning is a time of reflection on personal life, on the loss of companionship and the adjustment to life without the deceased. Mourning is a time to not only reflect on the life of the deceased, but to remember all those ancestors who have contributed to Japanese culture and life.
Periods of mourning vary in Shinto by sect and location. Most customs will have family and friends visiting the mausoleum or crematorium weekly, often bringing flowers and incense. In addition, many families will create home shrines to serve as a memorial for their departed loved one. One or more pictures will be hung above the shrine. Often some of the ashes of the body are kept in the home shrine.
At the core of Shintō are beliefs in the mysterious creating and harmonizing power (musubi) of kami and in the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words, because kami transcends the cognitive faculty of man. Devoted followers, however, are able to understand kami through faith and usually recognize various kami in polytheistic form.
HOLIDAYS
Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals (matsuri) each year, including the:
1. Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri or Toshigoi-no-Matsuri),
2. Autumn or Harvest Festival (Aki Matsuri, or Niiname-sai), an
3. Annual Festival (Rei-sai), and the
4. Divine Procession (Shinko-sai). The Divine Procession usually takes place on the day of the Annual Festival, and miniature shrines (mikoshi) carried on the shoulders are transported through the parish.
HEAVEN AND HELL
There is no equivalent of Christendom's "heaven" and "hell ". Although death is considered "a curse, a tragedy, a mishap," the prevailing thought is that the dead one becomes a spirit that can bestow blessings on a family. According to a Shinto book "The men of this world continue to live after death, and continue to receive the blessings of the gods, that is, the spirits of heaven and earth.
The general concepts concerning the afterlife is the belief that a person becomes a spirit-deity, and eventually becomes a part of a collective ancestral spirit. Even though an afterlife isn't heavily emphasized, a Hades-like realm, called Yomi, is briefly mentioned in the Nihongi and Kojiki within the creation story involving Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto.
Shinto has very little to say about the afterlife. This is because Shinto is a practical religion that focuses on harmony between nature and society using the Kami to cement the relationship. Shintoists believe that everything starts out clean but picks up "spiritual dirt" along the way from negative thoughts, actions, and contamination by unclean substances (such as blood). Shinto rituals are designed to remove the contamination and restore the original clean state.
Those who die with regrets become earthbound (usually evil) spirits until their spirit can be released. Although there is a high plain of heaven where the Kami reside, it's not really offered as a reward for doing good. In Shinto you're expected to make your own heaven on earth. Many Shintoists find this a bit lacking so they belong to another religion to take care of the afterlife and use Shinto to take care of this life. This doesn't cause any conflict because Shintoists believe that other religions' Gods are just another Kami.
REINCARNATION
Shinto really does not concern itself very much with what might happen after death. Its main focus is on being happy and fulfilled in this life by respecting family, respecting nature, being clean of mind and body, and celebrating the harmony between nature and humanity through the Kami. Shinto traditions lean heavily on the concepts of the presence of kami and not reincarnation. The spiritual energy, or kami, in everyone is released and recycled at the time of death.
The spirits live in another world, the most sacred of which is called “the other world of heaven.” These other worlds are not seen as a paradise or a punishment. Instead the worlds are simply where the spirits reside. They can connect and visit the present world when people correctly perform rituals and festivals.
Shinto believes that the ancestral spirits will protect their descendants. The prayers and rituals performed by the living honor the dead and memorialize them. In return, the spirits of the dead offer protection and encouragement for the living.
Shintoism also views that some individuals live such an exemplary life that they become deified in a process called apotheosis. Many in the imperial family have experienced this honor, as have successful warriors.
SOCIAL ORDER
Shinto priests perform Shinto rituals and often live on the shrine grounds. Men and women can become priests, and they are allowed to marry and have children. Priests are aided by younger women (miko) during rituals and shrine tasks. Miko wear white kimono, must be unmarried, and are often the priests' daughters.
During most of Japan's previous recorded history profound social and economic distinctions were maintained between Japan's aristocracy and its commoners. In the past some significant social differences did exist in Japan, such as discrimination in employment, education, and marriage faced by the country's Korean minority and by its burakumin. Burakumin means “hamlet people,” a name that refers to the segregated villages these people lived in during Japan's feudal era. Burakumin are indistinguishable from Japanese racially or culturally, and today they generally intermingle with the rest of the population.
Japanese society remains significantly group-oriented compared to societies in the West. Japanese children learn group consciousness at an early age within the family, the basic group of society. Membership in groups expands with age to include the individual's class in school, neighborhood and extracurricular clubs during senior high school and college, and, upon entering adulthood, the workplace. All along, the individual is taught to be dedicated to the group, to forgo personal gain for the benefit of the group as a whole, and to value group harmony. At the highest level, the Japanese nation as a whole may be thought of as a group to which its citizens belong and have obligations. The form of character building that instills these values is called seishin shuyo.
Most groups are structured hierarchically. Individual members have a designated rank within the group and responsibilities based on their position. Seniority has traditionally been the main qualification for higher rank, and socialization of young people in Japan emphasizes respect and deference to one's seniors.
INITIATION
Unlike many religions, one does not need to publicly profess belief in Shinto to be a believer. Whenever a child is born in Japan, a local Shinto shrine adds the child's name to a list kept at the shrine and declares him or her a "family child" (ujiko). After death an ujiko becomes a "family spirit", or "family kami" (ujigami). One may choose to have one's name added to another list when moving and then be listed at both places. Names can be added to the list without consent and regardless of the beliefs of the person added to the list. This is not considered an imposition of belief, but a sign of being welcomed by the local kami, with the promise of addition to the pantheon of kami after death.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
The primary goal of Shintoism is to achieve immortality among the ancestral beings, the Kami. All men are capable of deep affinity with the Divine. Salvation is achieved in Shinto through observance of all tapas (penance) and by avoiding people and objects that might cause impurity or pollution. A person's Kami nature survives death; therefore, fulfillment of duty is paramount to a Shinto being remembered with dignity after his death.
Shinto is about living your life in harmony with nature and society and doing the best you can with what you have, while Buddhism focuses on death and what comes after. Because Shinto doesn't have any texts that are central to the religion, Shintoists have varying views depending on who you ask, where they live, and which Shrine they go to.
Buddhism focuses on the ugliness of life and the quest for enlightenment through separation from the Earth. Shinto focuses on the beauty of life and a connection to nature.
CONCLUSION
There are no real absolutes in Shinto – everything is kind of grey. They don't believe in absolute right or wrong and they acknowledge that nobody is perfect. They view humans as fundamentally good, with the evils in the world being caused by troublesome and devilish kami. As such, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits. This is achieved by purification, prayers, and offerings.
Shintō consists of the traditional Japanese religious practices as well as the beliefs and life attitudes that are in accord with these practices. Shintō is more readily observed in the social life of the Japanese people and in their personal motivations than in a pattern of formal belief or philosophy. It remains closely connected with the Japanese value system and the Japanese people’s ways of thinking and acting.
Two different views of the world were present in ancient Shintō. One was the three-dimensional view in which the Plain of High Heaven (Takama no Hara, the kami’s world), Middle Land (Nakatsukuni, the present world), and the Hades (Yomi no Kuni, the world after death) were arranged in vertical order.
The other view was a two-dimensional one in which this world and the Perpetual Country (Tokoyo, a utopian place far beyond the sea) existed in horizontal order. Though the three-dimensional view of the world (which is also characteristic of North Siberian and Mongolian shamanistic culture) became the representative view observed in Japanese myths, the two-dimensional view of the world (which is also present in Southeast Asian culture) was dominant among the populace.
Shintoism is similar to Shamanism in that both see spirits inhabiting places and things everywhere. However, Shintoism is much more refined.
Where Hinduism and Buddhism see a Universal consciousness in everything. Shintoism sees spirits in everything.
Unlike Christianity, Shintoism does not believe in a pure good nor a pure evil. Neither is the purpose of the religion the worship of gods or a God. The purpose of the religion is to teach people the path to becoming a kami. Shintoism seeks to respect and live in harmony with nature.
A recent episode of Ancient Aliens focused on the sky Kami and implied that they were beings from elsewhere in the Universe. While that was a proper theory, it did not fully address t or attempt to explain all of the other forms of Kami.
Scott Ramsey
August 28, 2017
OVERVIEW
Shinto ("the way of the gods") is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people and as old as Japan itself. Shinto is an animistic (everything has a soul) folk religion from Japan. Shinto literally means "the way of the gods". Many Japanese Shintoists also identify themselves as Buddhists. Japanese Buddhism is deeply intertwined with the Shinto faith. Shinto practitioners commonly affirm tradition, family, nature, cleanliness and ritual observation as core values. Taoic influence is significant in their beliefs about nature and self-mastery.
Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population .There are approximately 150 million followers of Shintoism Worldwide, yet only a small percentage of these (about 4 to 5 million people) identify themselves as "Shintoists" in surveys. This is because "Shinto" has different meanings in Japan: most of the Japanese attend Shinto shrines and beseech kami without belonging to an institutional "Shinto" religion, and since there are no formal rituals to become a member of "folk Shinto", "Shinto membership" is often estimated counting those who join organized Shinto sects. Shinto has 81,000 shrines and 85,000 priests in Japan.
Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions.
"Shinto gods" are called KAMI. They are sacred spirits which take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. The kami of extraordinary people are even enshrined at some shrines. The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered Shinto's most important kami.
Shinto is all about the kami. Kami (sacred spirits) are the "gods" in Shinto. They take the form of many things such as animals, plants, lakes, and rivers. As such, Shinto is similar to primal Shamanism . Humans become kami after they die and are honored as ancestral kami with some families actually having little shrines in their homes. The Goddess Amaterasu is widely considered to be Shinto's most famous kami and she was even the star of her very own video game, Ōkami.
The introduction into Japan of Buddhism in the 6th century was followed by a few initial conflicts, however, the two religions were soon able to co-exist and even complement each other. Many Buddhists viewed the kami as manifestations of Buddha. Actually, the term Shinto was coined to distinguish it from the Chinese religions, such as Taoism and Confuism .
Because the Japanese rulers were enamored with Buddhism, the Shinto priests did a very clever thing. They made Shinto the guardian of Buddha. This meant that there was a Shinto shrine attached to every Buddhist temple. Although the Shinto priests and Buddhist priests mostly remained separate, it's unlikely that the general population differentiated between the two, and even the most Buddhist of rulers still honored the Kami. In addition it allowed Shinto to develop in a different way focusing on rituals and daily life rather than the metaphysical which was already taken care of by Buddhism.
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
The Association of Shinto Shrines is a religious administrative organization that oversees about 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan. These shrines take the Ise Grand Shrine as the foundation of their belief.
The association has five major activities, in addition to numerous minor ones:
-Publication and dissemination of information on Shrine Shinto
-The performance of rituals;
-Education of adherents to Shinto;
-Reverence of Ise Grand Shrine and the distribution of its amulets; and
-Preparation and training of individuals for the Shinto priesthood.
It currently has an administrative structure including a main office and branches. Its headquarters in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, adjacent to Meiji Shrine. Its leadership includes the Sosai , the head priestess of the Ise Shrine, presently Atsuko Ikeda. The tōri is Kuniaki Kuni, and the post of sōchō or Secretary-General is currently held by Masami Yatabe, the chief priest of the Mishima Shrine. The association maintains regional offices in every prefecture. They handle financial and personnel matters for member shrines.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
In Shintoism they believe that at the beginning, the universe was immersed in a beaten and shapeless kind of matter (chaos), sunk in silence. Later there were sounds indicating the movement of particles. With this movement, the light and the lightest particles rose but the particles were not as fast as the light and could not go higher. Thus, the light was at the top of the Universe, and below it, the particles formed first the clouds and then Heaven, which was to be called Takamagahara ( "High Plain of Heaven"). The rest of the particles that had not risen formed a huge mass, dense and dark, to be called Earth.
Following the creation of Heaven and Earth and the appearance of these primordial gods, Izanagi and Izanami went on to create the Japanese archipelago (Kuniumi) and gave birth to a large number of gods (Kamiumi).
VISION OF GOD
In Shintoism there is not one central God as in monotheistic religions. However, they believe that there exist a “spirit” or “soul” in every separate thing. A concept that is not that different from Hinduism, although it would be better stated to say the Shinto is a “polytheistic” religion of many gods (kami), as opposed to a religion that believes in a Universal Consciousness.
Kami or shin , is defined in English as "god", "spirit", "spiritual essence", all these terms meaning 'the energy generating a thing'. Since the Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms. Rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami. Kami and people exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity.
Kami refers particularly to the power of phenomena that inspire a sense of wonder and awe in the beholder (the sacred), testifying to the divinity of such a phenomenon.
DENOMINATIONS
There are millions of Kami in the world. However, below is a list of the major, or better known, kami:
Amateras- Amateras (Amaterasu) was born from the left eye of the primeval being Izanagi. She is the greatest of the Japanese gods, the sun goddess, and ruler of the Plain of Heaven.
Hoderi- Hoderi, the son of Ninigi (first ruler of the Japanese islands) and Ko-no-Hana (daughter of the mountain god Oho-Yama [Encyclopedia Mythica]) and the brother of Hoori, is the divine ancestor of the immigrants coming from the south over the sea to Japan.
Hotei- Hotei is one of the 7 Japanese Shinto gods of luck (Shichi Fukujin), depicted with a great belly. He is the god of happiness, laughter, and the wisdom of contentment.
Hoori- Son of Ninigi and Ko-no-Hana, and brother of Hoderi, Hoori is the divine ancestor of the emperor.
Izanami and Izanagi- In Japanese Shinto mythology, Izanami is a primordial goddess and personification of the Earth and darkness. Izanagi and Izanami were the first parents. They created the world and produced Amaterasu (sun goddess), Tsukiyomi no Mikoto (moon god), Susanowo (sea god), and Kaga-Tsuchi (fire god), as their offspring. Izanagi went to the Underworld to find his wife who had been killed giving birth to Amaterasu. Unfortunately, Izanami had already eaten and so could not return to the land of the living, but became queen of the Underworld.
Kagutsuchi- Japanese god of fire who burned his mother, Izanami, to death when she gave birth. Kagutsuchi's father is Izanagi.
Okuninushi- A son of Susanowo, he was a spirit type called a kami. He ruled Izumo until the coming of Ninigi. ["Okuninushi".]
Susanoh- Also spelled Susanowo, he ruled the oceans and was god of rain, thunder, and lightning. He was banished from heaven for bad behavior while drunk. He became an underworld god Susanoh is a brother of Amaterasu
Tsukiyomi no Mikoto- The Shinto moon god and another brother of Amaterasu, who was born from the right eye of Izanagi.
Ukemochi (Ogetsu-no-hime)- Food goddess killed by Tsukiyomi.
Uzume- Also Ama no Uzume, she is the Shinto goddess of joy and happiness, and good health. Uzume brought Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu back from her cave.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
There is no core sacred text in Shinto, as the Bible is in Christianity or Qur'an is in Islam. Instead there are books of lore and history which provide stories and background to many Shinto beliefs.
-The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) The oldest book of Japanese history, it describes the origin myths of Japan and the Imperial Family beginning from 628 AD.
-The Shoku Nihongi and its Nihon Shoki (Continuing Chronicles of Japan) describes events up to 697 AD. Some of the stories in the Nihongi are more detailed, but contradictory, to the stories of the Kojiki.
-The Rikkokushi (Six National Histories) includes the Shoku Nihongi and Nihon Shoki.
-The Jinnō Shōtōki (a study of Shinto and Japanese politics and history) written in the 14th century AD.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
In contrast to many monotheistic religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. There is no absolute right and wrong, and nobody is perfect. Shinto is an optimistic faith, as humans are thought to be fundamentally good, and evil is believed to be caused by evil spirits. Consequently, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers and offerings to the kami.
The kami reside in all things, but certain objects and places are designated for the interface of people and kami: yorishiro, shintai, shrines, and kamidana. There are natural places considered to have an unusually sacred spirit about them, and are objects of worship. They are frequently mountains, trees, unusual rocks, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural things. In most cases they are on or near a shrine grounds. The shrine is a building in which the kami is enshrined (housed). It is a sacred space, creating a separation from the "ordinary" world. The kamidana is a household shrine that acts as a substitute for a large shrine on a daily basis. In each case the object of worship is considered a sacred space inside which the kami spirit actually dwells, being treated with the utmost respect.
Unlike most Western religions there are no “good” kami and “bad” kami. There are rough, fierce, and violent kami but they are not intrinsically bad. Just as there are gentle, kind, sweet kami; that does not make them intrinsically good.
Every kami has a “rough” side (ara-mi-tama) and a “gentle” ; side (nigi-mi-tama), but you will not find a concept to God and Satan in them. Because of this there is no concept of the wrath of God or the separation of God from humanity by sin. The Kami are worshipped in various shrines but no statues are found in the shrines for it is believed that the Kami resides in the shrine itself so there is no need to have a representative of the deity.
In Shinto, “misogi” is the primary act that can produce purification and enhance the spirituality of those who practice it. As human beings, we are the children of the Kami and as such we try to work for the progress of human culture. The shrine is a place where human beings and the Kami may meet and be united. Misogi is one of the ways in which that meeting can be effected. In Shinto belief, human beings can come close to the Kami through training and discipline.
The human soul inclines naturally toward the Kami and can be cultivated to become more deeply-related through the right kind of activities. This is a matter for attention every day. People seeking to be close to the Kami should work at showing cleanness, brightness and diligence in all they do and should seek to cultivate harmony in personal relations. Misogi regularly practiced can help in this. Musubi, creativity, brings people close to each other and closer to the Kami.
The harmony of the universe, according to the mythology of the Kojiki, was achieved through musubi. How do we cultivate spirituality in daily life? Consider the daily offerings made to the Kami at the Kamidana, the household mini-shrine that sits on a shelf high on the wall inside the principal room of the house. The offerings,” shinsen”, include washed rice, water and salt. People offer these, clap their hands and pray in front of the Kamidana.
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
Shinto shrines are the places of worship and the homes of kami. Most shrines celebrate festivals (matsuri) regularly in order to show the kami the outside world. The principal worship of kami is done at public shrines or worship at small home shrines called kamidana (literally. "God-shelf"). The public shrine is a building or place that functions as a conduit for kami. A fewer number of shrines are also natural places called “mori”. The most common of the mori are sacred groves of trees, or mountains, or waterfalls.
All shrines are open to the public at some times or throughout the year.
People seek support from Shinto by praying at a home altar or by visiting shrines. A whole range of talismans are available at shrines for traffic safety, good health, success in business, safe childbirth, good exam performance and more.
Any person may visit a shrine and one need not be Shinto to do this. Doing so is called Omairi. Typically there are a few basic steps to visiting a shrine.
At any entrance gate, the person bow respectfully before passing through.
If there is a hand washing basin provided, perform Temizu: take the dipper in ones right hand and scoop up water. Pour some onto the left hand, then transfer the dipper to the left hand and pour some onto the right hand. Transfer the dipper to your right hand again, cup your left palm, and pour water into it, from which you will take the water into your mouth (never drink directly from the dipper), silently swish it around in your mouth (do not drink), then quietly spit it out into your cupped left hand (not into the reservoir). Then, holding the handle of the dipper in both hands, turn it vertically so that the remaining water washes over the handle. Then replace it where you found it.
Approach the shrine; if there is a bell, you may ring the bell first (or after depositing a donation); if there is a box for donations, leave a modest one in relation to your means; then bow twice, clap twice, and hold the second clap with your hands held together in front of your heart for a closing bow after your prayers.
There is variation in how this basic visitation may go, and depending on the time of year and holidays there may also be other rituals attached to visitations. Be sincere and respectful to the staff and other visitors, and if at all possible, be quiet. Do be aware that there are places one should not go on the shrine grounds. Do not wear shoes inside any buildings.
In Shinto kannagara, meaning "way [path] of [expression] of the kami", refers to the law of the natural order. It is the sense of the terms michi or to, "way", in the terms "kami-no-michi" or "Shinto".Those who understand kannagara know the divine, the human, and how people should live. From this knowledge stems the ethical dimension of Shinto, focusing on sincerity (makoto), honesty (tadashii) and purity.
A large number of wedding ceremonies are held in Shinto style. Death, however, is considered a source of impurity, and is left to Buddhism to deal with. Consequently, there are virtually no Shinto cemeteries, and most funerals are held in Buddhist style.
Shinto Funerals were established during the Tokugawa period. There are at least twenty steps involved in burying the dead. Mourners wear solid black in a day of mourning called Kichu-fuda and a Shinto priest will perform various rituals. People will give monetary gifts to the deceased's family called Koden, and Kotsuge is the gathering of the deceased's ashes. Some of the ashes are taken by family members to put in their home shrines at the step known as Bunkotsu.
The Shinto religion teaches that it is natural to grieve the loss of family members and friends at the time of death. Buddhist influence would stress that any death is a reminder of the brevity of one’s own life. They would emphasize the need to have personal reflection and rededication to the correct spiritual paths during a time of grief.
Mourning is often seen as a regimented response to death. It has proper rituals and expressions. It should be endured in an almost stoic fashion. Mourning is a time of reflection on personal life, on the loss of companionship and the adjustment to life without the deceased. Mourning is a time to not only reflect on the life of the deceased, but to remember all those ancestors who have contributed to Japanese culture and life.
Periods of mourning vary in Shinto by sect and location. Most customs will have family and friends visiting the mausoleum or crematorium weekly, often bringing flowers and incense. In addition, many families will create home shrines to serve as a memorial for their departed loved one. One or more pictures will be hung above the shrine. Often some of the ashes of the body are kept in the home shrine.
At the core of Shintō are beliefs in the mysterious creating and harmonizing power (musubi) of kami and in the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words, because kami transcends the cognitive faculty of man. Devoted followers, however, are able to understand kami through faith and usually recognize various kami in polytheistic form.
HOLIDAYS
Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals (matsuri) each year, including the:
1. Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri or Toshigoi-no-Matsuri),
2. Autumn or Harvest Festival (Aki Matsuri, or Niiname-sai), an
3. Annual Festival (Rei-sai), and the
4. Divine Procession (Shinko-sai). The Divine Procession usually takes place on the day of the Annual Festival, and miniature shrines (mikoshi) carried on the shoulders are transported through the parish.
HEAVEN AND HELL
There is no equivalent of Christendom's "heaven" and "hell ". Although death is considered "a curse, a tragedy, a mishap," the prevailing thought is that the dead one becomes a spirit that can bestow blessings on a family. According to a Shinto book "The men of this world continue to live after death, and continue to receive the blessings of the gods, that is, the spirits of heaven and earth.
The general concepts concerning the afterlife is the belief that a person becomes a spirit-deity, and eventually becomes a part of a collective ancestral spirit. Even though an afterlife isn't heavily emphasized, a Hades-like realm, called Yomi, is briefly mentioned in the Nihongi and Kojiki within the creation story involving Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto.
Shinto has very little to say about the afterlife. This is because Shinto is a practical religion that focuses on harmony between nature and society using the Kami to cement the relationship. Shintoists believe that everything starts out clean but picks up "spiritual dirt" along the way from negative thoughts, actions, and contamination by unclean substances (such as blood). Shinto rituals are designed to remove the contamination and restore the original clean state.
Those who die with regrets become earthbound (usually evil) spirits until their spirit can be released. Although there is a high plain of heaven where the Kami reside, it's not really offered as a reward for doing good. In Shinto you're expected to make your own heaven on earth. Many Shintoists find this a bit lacking so they belong to another religion to take care of the afterlife and use Shinto to take care of this life. This doesn't cause any conflict because Shintoists believe that other religions' Gods are just another Kami.
REINCARNATION
Shinto really does not concern itself very much with what might happen after death. Its main focus is on being happy and fulfilled in this life by respecting family, respecting nature, being clean of mind and body, and celebrating the harmony between nature and humanity through the Kami. Shinto traditions lean heavily on the concepts of the presence of kami and not reincarnation. The spiritual energy, or kami, in everyone is released and recycled at the time of death.
The spirits live in another world, the most sacred of which is called “the other world of heaven.” These other worlds are not seen as a paradise or a punishment. Instead the worlds are simply where the spirits reside. They can connect and visit the present world when people correctly perform rituals and festivals.
Shinto believes that the ancestral spirits will protect their descendants. The prayers and rituals performed by the living honor the dead and memorialize them. In return, the spirits of the dead offer protection and encouragement for the living.
Shintoism also views that some individuals live such an exemplary life that they become deified in a process called apotheosis. Many in the imperial family have experienced this honor, as have successful warriors.
SOCIAL ORDER
Shinto priests perform Shinto rituals and often live on the shrine grounds. Men and women can become priests, and they are allowed to marry and have children. Priests are aided by younger women (miko) during rituals and shrine tasks. Miko wear white kimono, must be unmarried, and are often the priests' daughters.
During most of Japan's previous recorded history profound social and economic distinctions were maintained between Japan's aristocracy and its commoners. In the past some significant social differences did exist in Japan, such as discrimination in employment, education, and marriage faced by the country's Korean minority and by its burakumin. Burakumin means “hamlet people,” a name that refers to the segregated villages these people lived in during Japan's feudal era. Burakumin are indistinguishable from Japanese racially or culturally, and today they generally intermingle with the rest of the population.
Japanese society remains significantly group-oriented compared to societies in the West. Japanese children learn group consciousness at an early age within the family, the basic group of society. Membership in groups expands with age to include the individual's class in school, neighborhood and extracurricular clubs during senior high school and college, and, upon entering adulthood, the workplace. All along, the individual is taught to be dedicated to the group, to forgo personal gain for the benefit of the group as a whole, and to value group harmony. At the highest level, the Japanese nation as a whole may be thought of as a group to which its citizens belong and have obligations. The form of character building that instills these values is called seishin shuyo.
Most groups are structured hierarchically. Individual members have a designated rank within the group and responsibilities based on their position. Seniority has traditionally been the main qualification for higher rank, and socialization of young people in Japan emphasizes respect and deference to one's seniors.
INITIATION
Unlike many religions, one does not need to publicly profess belief in Shinto to be a believer. Whenever a child is born in Japan, a local Shinto shrine adds the child's name to a list kept at the shrine and declares him or her a "family child" (ujiko). After death an ujiko becomes a "family spirit", or "family kami" (ujigami). One may choose to have one's name added to another list when moving and then be listed at both places. Names can be added to the list without consent and regardless of the beliefs of the person added to the list. This is not considered an imposition of belief, but a sign of being welcomed by the local kami, with the promise of addition to the pantheon of kami after death.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
The primary goal of Shintoism is to achieve immortality among the ancestral beings, the Kami. All men are capable of deep affinity with the Divine. Salvation is achieved in Shinto through observance of all tapas (penance) and by avoiding people and objects that might cause impurity or pollution. A person's Kami nature survives death; therefore, fulfillment of duty is paramount to a Shinto being remembered with dignity after his death.
Shinto is about living your life in harmony with nature and society and doing the best you can with what you have, while Buddhism focuses on death and what comes after. Because Shinto doesn't have any texts that are central to the religion, Shintoists have varying views depending on who you ask, where they live, and which Shrine they go to.
Buddhism focuses on the ugliness of life and the quest for enlightenment through separation from the Earth. Shinto focuses on the beauty of life and a connection to nature.
CONCLUSION
There are no real absolutes in Shinto – everything is kind of grey. They don't believe in absolute right or wrong and they acknowledge that nobody is perfect. They view humans as fundamentally good, with the evils in the world being caused by troublesome and devilish kami. As such, the purpose of most Shinto rituals is to keep away evil spirits. This is achieved by purification, prayers, and offerings.
Shintō consists of the traditional Japanese religious practices as well as the beliefs and life attitudes that are in accord with these practices. Shintō is more readily observed in the social life of the Japanese people and in their personal motivations than in a pattern of formal belief or philosophy. It remains closely connected with the Japanese value system and the Japanese people’s ways of thinking and acting.
Two different views of the world were present in ancient Shintō. One was the three-dimensional view in which the Plain of High Heaven (Takama no Hara, the kami’s world), Middle Land (Nakatsukuni, the present world), and the Hades (Yomi no Kuni, the world after death) were arranged in vertical order.
The other view was a two-dimensional one in which this world and the Perpetual Country (Tokoyo, a utopian place far beyond the sea) existed in horizontal order. Though the three-dimensional view of the world (which is also characteristic of North Siberian and Mongolian shamanistic culture) became the representative view observed in Japanese myths, the two-dimensional view of the world (which is also present in Southeast Asian culture) was dominant among the populace.
Shintoism is similar to Shamanism in that both see spirits inhabiting places and things everywhere. However, Shintoism is much more refined.
Where Hinduism and Buddhism see a Universal consciousness in everything. Shintoism sees spirits in everything.
Unlike Christianity, Shintoism does not believe in a pure good nor a pure evil. Neither is the purpose of the religion the worship of gods or a God. The purpose of the religion is to teach people the path to becoming a kami. Shintoism seeks to respect and live in harmony with nature.
A recent episode of Ancient Aliens focused on the sky Kami and implied that they were beings from elsewhere in the Universe. While that was a proper theory, it did not fully address t or attempt to explain all of the other forms of Kami.
Scott Ramsey
August 28, 2017