Shintoism

Shintoism or Shintoism (神道 , Shintō^?) is a religion originating from Japan, sometimes considered the indigenous religion of Japan. Along with Buddhism, it is one of the two main religions in the country.

One of the East Asian religions, it is based on the veneration of kami, supernatural spirits that exist throughout nature. The connection between the kami and nature makes it possible to consider Shintoism as an animistic religion.

Some kami are local and are known as spirits or genies of a particular place, but others represent larger natural objects and processes, for example, Amaterasu, the goddess of the Sun.

Syntoistic Priests in 1914

Shintoism is currently the second religion with the largest number of followers in Japan, only slightly surpassed by Japanese Buddhism. The number of practitioners ranges from 108 million (80% of the population in 2003) who have Shinto practices and/or influences to 4 million (3.3%) who practice it regularly and identify with the official form of the religion.

Definition

The term Shinto means "path of the gods". It is considered the original religion of Japan, a popular cult that can be described as a sophisticated form of naturalistic animism with ancestor worship, deeply identified with Japanese culture.

Terminology

Initially, this ethnic, indigenous religion had no name until the introduction of Buddhism to Japan (during the 6th century) from China via Korea. One of the names given to Buddhism was butsudo, which means "the way of the Buddha". In order to differentiate Buddhism from the native religion, the latter soon came to be known as Shinto. This name, shin-to, comes from an ancient Chinese word meaning The Way of the Gods. The Japanese chose to use a Chinese name for their religion because at that time (more than a millennium ago), Chinese was the only written language in Japan, as the script for their own language had not yet been developed. The phrase meaning shinto in Japanese is kami no michi.

As mentioned above, Shinto had no name prior to the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. Some scholars consider that there could not even be a proper Shinto religion before the creation of State Shinto, which standardized many of the religious practices, concepts, and traditions. The term Hinduism encompasses multiple religious practices and traditions as an umbrella term, Shinto encompasses the different traditions, folklore and even pre-Buddhist Japanese religions that were unified by the state for political purposes..

Origins

The native religions of various Asian countries retain similar patterns, such as China, Japan, and Korea, with respect to elements of ancestor worship. This is because their concepts start from the fact that the soul or essence also remains attached to the body after death or can remain close to it, and perhaps it can return as a demon or ghost to harm humans if they are not presented to it. offerings and a certain veneration.

These concepts are closely linked to the type of life originated through the agricultural work of the people, since Japan was exploited by linked settlers who lived in dependence on the forces of nature and seasonal cycles, on which they were based. he considered that they could be influenced in a beneficial way by dominating them through magic and ritual.

Humans, eager to achieve possession of the magical force that causes productive yields with nature, devised a series of practices that are performed by shamans and later by emperors.

Beliefs

Shintoism affirms the existence of divinities or spiritual beings (kami) that can be found in nature or in higher levels of existence. Constituting the central concept of the cult, this term came to be applied to any supernatural force or God, such as the Gods of nature, outstanding men, deified ancestors, or even "Deities representing certain ideals or symbolizing abstract power." 3. 4; (The Encyclopedia of Religion). Although the term Yaoyorozu-nokami literally means 'eight million Gods', it is used to refer to 'many Gods' as the number of Deities in the Shinto religion is constantly increasing. The Japanese, as children of the spirits or kami, have first and foremost a divine nature. Therefore, it is about living in harmony with the kami (jp: (神)), and thus one can enjoy their protection and approval. It is also important to point out the existence of Japanese ghosts and other mythological beings in their pantheon, such as the so-called tengu.

There are few sacred texts, some of them have been translated into English and Spanish (Kojiki - Shoku Nihongi).

Shintoism does not have a single or predominant deity, nor established rules for prayer, although it does have mythical narrations that explain the origin of the world and humanity, temples and religious festivals attended by thousands of people on dates marked. Although Shinto is not based on dogma or complex theology, it has given the Japanese a code of practical values, shaped their behavior, and determined their way of thinking. There are temples where you can worship the different deities when you feel the need to do so.

Shintoism was used as a legitimizing ideology during the military phase of recent Japanese history, that is, as the basis of the divinity and superiority of the Japanese people; and was considered the state religion until 1945 (see, State Shinto).

Types of Shinto

The main types of Shinto are somewhat related to each other:

• Koshitsu shinto (shinto of the Imperial House)
• Jinja shinto (sanctuary shinto)
• Shuha shinto (sects) shinto)
• Minzoku shinto (shinto Folkloric).

Synth Festival in 2010

Koshitsu shinto

It is a general term for a rite performed by the emperor (who is the symbol of the state and unity of the people according to the Japanese constitution), to pray to the deities at the center of which is Amaterasu Omikami (an ancestral deity of the emperor according to Japanese myths), and to imperial ancestral deities for the long and prosperous existence of the country, the happiness of the people, and world peace. The Daijosai, or great festival, is the first Niinamesai held by Japan's newly crowned emperor in a palace called Daijokyu, which is temporarily built inside the Imperial Palace. In addition to the above, the rites performed at the Ise Grand Shrine should be included in this category, as Amaterasu Ohmikami is also found there, according to the cult's beliefs.

The niinamesai is the most important rite of Shinto, which is executed to offer the first fruits harvested of the year, thus thanking the deities for their blessing, in addition to share the food produced by these first grains with them. According to Japanese myths, Amaterasu Ohmikami was the one who performed this rite for the first time.

When the capital of Japan was transferred from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1869, three imperial shrines were erected inside the Imperial Palace. Kashikodokoro, which envelops the imperial ancestor deity, Amaterasu Ohmikami, and stands at the center of the three; on the east side, there is the Shinden, which envelops the deities of heaven and earth; and on the west side, Koreiden, which envelops the spirits of the preceding emperors. In addition to these, Shinkaden was built to envelop Niinamesai. These shrines are connected by corridors, and all Shinto Koshitsu (Imperial House) rites are performed at these shrines.

As a link to Niinamesai, the Shōwa Emperor (the one hundred and twenty-fourth, 124th, emperor and grandfather of the current emperor, Naruhito) began to grow rice in a water field inside the palace, doing all the procedures himself, including planting and harvesting, to make an offering to the deities of what he himself produced.

The men and women of the clergy are called Shinto shoten and nai-shoten, respectively, and are in the service of the emperor to help him perform his rites. The number of rites performed by the emperor reaches several hundred a year, including Genshisai, which is the first rite of the year. There are intellectuals who call the emperor "the King of rituals".^{[citation needed]} It is considered that the true nature of the emperor is to always be with the kami (deities).

Jinja Shinto

Also called "temple Shinto", it is the worship of the gods professed in temples or chapels. It is considered the original form of religion and its origins go back to the country's prehistory. It constitutes the largest branch of Shintoism with more than 80,000 temples that make up the Association of Shinto Temples, and until the end of World War II (1939-1945) it was closely linked to Koshitsu Shinto, which worships the Emperor, worshiped as a god living.

In 1956, when emperor worship and Japanese nationalism were still being promoted, Jinja Honcho (shrine headquarters or “Shinto Shrine Association") made a statement: the “general characteristics of a life lived in reverence for the kami”.^{[citation needed]}

Its main points are:

1. To thank the blessings of the kami and the advantages of the ancestors, must be diligent in the observance of the rituals of sintoism, these being applied with sincerity, joy and purity of the heart.
2. To be profitable to another and in the world of direct facts to be great, we must serve without the thought of reward and seek the advancement of the world as the will of the kami.
3. To bind with others, in the harmonious recognition of the will of the emperor, pray that the country may prosper and that the other people may also live in peace and prosperity.

The history of the Shinto shrine cannot be summarized, as all shrines have their own peculiar history, legends, ritual calendar, kami, and associated beliefs. Some chapels are very old, existing before any written record, while some of the most famous chapels have been built 150 years ago. Shrines are built in a variety of architectural styles, from the simplicity of the wood and thatch of Ise Jingu, to the richly ornate Gongen-style chapel in Nikko.

The symbol of the Shinto shrine is universal, the torii or gate that marks the approach to a shrine. The torii are of various sizes and styles, and the shrines vary substantially in layout and appearance, reflecting the era in which they were built or rebuilt, the character of the surrounding district, or the characteristics of the natural landscape. Most shrines have at least one honden, a hall in which the kami symbol is presented. The larger shrines have the heiden or hall of offerings, where devotees make ritual offerings to the shrine, and haiden or worship hall. While some of the larger chapels receive a more or less constant stream of visitors, most of the smaller chapels are used only occasionally, mainly during festivities.

Minzoku shinto

Folk or popular Shinto is a faith Shinto that was commonly practiced by ordinary people without needing to be systematized. Therefore, it is inseparable from the Shrine of the Shinto. However, at the time of the 40th Emperor, Temmu (673-686), it was segregated from the Shinto Shrine when the government of the time established a system related to traditional Japanese rituals and festivals, which had been practiced parallel to the Buddhist rituals. After this, popular shinto gradually developed on its own into a complex form of rituals and festivals, which sometimes mixed practices associated with Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Among them, those who have not lost the traditional form of Shinto are considered as folk or folk Shinto.

In an agricultural community, for example, there is a custom that rituals are performed by a lay man without the involvement of a priest. A member of the community (often the youngest boy) is nominated as "Toya", and he performs the rites to worship the deities of the localities for a year under the rotation system.

Other examples of folk (popular) Shinto are rites related to the passages of life and the passing of the year. They are closely related to the rites and festivals performed by the Shinto shrines.

Internships

Syntoistic speaker

• Each sanctuary is dedicated to a kami specific that possesses a divine personality and responds to the sincere prayers of the faithful. As you enter a sanctuary, you pass through a toriia special door for the Gods, which marks the passage between the finite world and the infinite world of the Gods.
• In the past, believers practiced the rite of purification or misogi, consisting of washing their bodies in a river near the sanctuary. In recent years only their hands are washed and their mouths are rinsed in toilets provided by the sanctuary.
• Believers respect animals as messengers of the Gods. This is why a couple of statues koma-inu (protective dogs) are always in the sanctuary.
• The ceremonies of the temple include cleansing, offerings, prayers, and dances directed to the kami.
• Them kagura are ritual dances accompanied by ancient musical instruments (executed by expert and trained dancers). They consist of young virgin girls, and a group of men or one.
• Them Mamori are charms used as healing and protection aid. These charms are of various forms and serve for various purposes.
• In many homes a central place is given to the gods with an altar called kami-dana.
• Origami (paper patterns): This is a popular Japanese art in which the paper is folded to result in a variety of beautiful designs. They often see around the shrines of shinto. With respect to the tree from which the paper was extracted to build the origami, it is never cut.

Influences

According to Shintoism, Japan was born as a country thanks to the union of the pair of original gods Izanagi and Izanami, who were ordered to create and order the world (with Japan as the only center) and place the pillar of heaven, the universal axis that unites heaven and earth. This represents an essential role for the understanding of the national identity and the significance of the emperor within this religion that remains present in the pure idiosyncrasy of his people.

Since the entry of Buddhism into Japan in the sixth century, it has exerted a profound influence on Shinto, although it has also been modeled adapted in this country to give it a characteristic shape. Both religions define Japanese religiosity, the Japanese tend to practice the rites of both traditions depending on the nature of the occasion (they tend to prefer Shinto for birth and marriage rituals, and Buddhism for funeral rites)..

Many of the n#34;new religions#34; Japanese have a strong Shinto influence.

Because Shinto is not intended to convert, criticize, or conflict with other religions, its expansion outside the islands of Japan has generally been limited to Japanese émigré communities; although in the roots of modern traditional martial arts or gendai budō; of sumo, aikidō, and judo, its influence can be appreciated in several of its movements and especially in its philosophy and rituals, as pacifist martial arts, and of a defensive nature.

Shinto as an ethnic religion

It is currently debated whether Shinto is exclusive to the Japanese people or whether it can be practiced by people of other nationalities. The Japanese diaspora has created Shinto shrines in many countries and on every continent, and some Westerners have converted to Shinto and even become priests. During the expansion of the Empire of Japan before and during World War II, the Japanese government deliberately created Shinto shrines in subjugated countries such as Korea and encouraged conversion to Shinto, although there was debate within the government itself as to whether to worship only Japanese kamis or acquire local deities like those of Korean mythology. In any case, the debate persists even today.