Download Introduction to Shinto

SHINTO - Brief Overview
Sharonlee J. Vogel
This brief overview is about the basics of Shinto beliefs or views. A very brief history
will be given and how it even easily combines, connects with Masonry too.
There are 12 long established, major “world religions”, each with over 3 million
followers. Some names are familiar: Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam,
and Judaism. There are other ethical groups, spiritual paths as well: atheism, agnosticism,
humanism, Unitarian-universalism.
Others may not be so familiar such as Baha'i, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism - and Shinto.
Shinto is the indigenous belief system in Japan...it’s not quickly seen in the industrial
centers such as Tokyo and Hiroshima. It is seen readily in the land not far out from the cities.
It is a world apart.
Shinto is the quiet place within Japan - .where tradition matters, simplicity is a virtue
and beauty blossoms all around. This is “inner” Japan, u ra Nihon. It is the mind and spirit; it
is fundamentally Shinto.
In contrast to Western religions, there are no absolutes in Shinto. It’s very optimistic,
bright belief system fundamentally. All things and life (including humans) are fundamentally
good. And while Shinto is not unaware of the darker aspects of human life, its chief raison
d'etre is the celebration and enrichment of life. Evil exists -- its caused by evil forces or spirits.
There are no concepts which compare to the Christian, Jewish, or Moslem beliefs with the wrath of God, omnipotence or Omni-presence, or the separation of God from
humanity due to sin. In fact, there is no concept per se of “sin” in Shinto.
A written code of ethics and morals does not really exist. Over the centuries though,
Confucian ethics have melted together with Shinto, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Shinto is seen in the social life of the people, or in personal motivations, rather than as a
firmly established theology or philosophy. It’s closely connected with the value system and
ways of thinking and acting of the Japanese people the old code of mutual obligations that
define local life, the gi ri.
Shinto prayers at shrines or at home follow more or less the following pattern: First of
all one should purify, by cleaning the hands and mouth with clean water. Then give offerings
(e.g. coins at a shrine or food, or flowers at the home shrine), bow twice deeply, clap the hands
twice, bow deeply once more and pray.
In the Shinto view, the natural state of the cosmos is one of harmony in which divine,
natural, and human elements are all intimately related.
Human nature is seen as inherently good; evil is thought to stem from the individual's
contact with external forces or agents that pollute our pure nature and cause us to act in ways
disruptive of the fundamental harmony.
Since Shinto is without scriptures, dogmas, and creeds -- practices and rituals have
always had a central place. Rather than through sermons or study, it has been through its
festivals and rituals, as well as the physical features of the shrine itself that Shinto has carried
on its characteristic attitudes and values down through the millennia.
Most prominent among these are a sense of gratitude and respect for life, a deep
appreciation of the beauty and power of nature, a love of purity and -- from that -- cleanliness,
and a preference for the simple and unadorned.
Shinto has no actual founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or bible.
There is no body of religious law and only a loosely organized priesthood. It does not have the
form of an organized or systematized religion that you may be accustomed to relating to, nor
does it have congregational worship. Propaganda and preaching is uncommon. Shinto is a
practice which enjoys close ties with everyday life and traditions -- now and historically.
Shinto emphasizes right practice, sensibility, and attitude. Morality is based on
benefits to all, the whole, the town/city/ nation/humanity.
There are four “affirmations" or assertions in Shinto:
1.
Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the source,
the divine. Natural objects are viewed as sacred spirits.
2.
Physical cleanliness: Shintos take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth
often.
3.
Festivals which honoring the spirits, these are "mat-su-ri".
4.
Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions
are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage.
The kami are the unifying concept in Shinto. They are energy, force or sacred spirits
and can take various forms in the natural world: mountains, trees, rocks, the sun, and the wind,
or abstract things like fertility, but also ancestors, national heroes and protectors of family.
They are the creating and harmonizing energy/kami. Their will or way is sincerity or true heart.
To describe the ‘kami’ as “god”, or holy, is an inappropriate translation. The concept
of the kami expresses a “divinity” significantly different from that found in Western religions.
In particular, kami do not share the characteristics of utter transcendence and omnipotence
often associated with the concept of god in the West. A kami may be anything that is
extraordinary and that inspires awe or reverence.
Their power is at the core of Shinto belief. Shinto sees kami as the source of human life
and existence. Each kami is believed to have a “higher” personality that responds to prayers.
In Shinto, it’s common to say that humanity is "kami's child." This means that humanity has
life given through kami and therefore human nature is sacred.
Reinterpreting this view in our contemporary context, Shintos revere the life and basic
human rights of everyone, regardless of race, nationality, and creed, as we do our own – does this
ring a bell to Masons?
Practicing Shinto can be done in many places. It may take the form of one of the many
large communal festivals occurring during the year, celebrating such events as spring planting,
the fall harvest, or some special occasion in the history of a shrine.
Shrines are dedicated to specific kami. When entering a shrine, you pass through a
“tori” a special gateway. It marks the demarcation between the finite world and the infinite world.
These structures, which are made only of natural materials and located on sites selected for their
abodes for the kami rather than as shelters for the worshipers.
Believers respect animals as messengers of the kami. There are usually a pair of statues
of guard dogs facing each other within the temple grounds, "Koma-inu".
There are metals, medallions (mamori ) worn as an aid in healing and protection.
In many Shinto homes, there is the "Kami-dana" (Shelf), is given a central place.
Shintos visit shrines at the times of various life passages. In the spring, there is the
Oboni festival. This has been translated by Westerners to mean the Festival of the Dead.
Actually, it honors our close ones who have passed away: Shinto believe that the dead’s energy
can stay present in our world and from time to time must be shown the way back – so the way is
lit for them with candles in paper boats floating downstream. Another passage is the "threefive-seven matsuri" involving a blessing by the shrine Priest of girls aged 3 and 7 and boys aged
5.
Shinto was the earliest Japanese religion, its obscure roots go back to the distant past -at least to the middle of the first millennium B.C.E.
Originally, the body of religious belief and practice now called Shinto had no name,
moral precepts, no sacred writings, no fixed dogma.
Until about the sixth century CE, when the Japanese began a period of rapidly adopting
of continental civilization (Asian, not European), Shinto existed as a complex of ancient beliefs
and rituals; basically a religion that perceives the presence of energy or “the divine” if you will,
or of the sacred all -- in animals, in plants, and even in things which have no life - such as stones
and waterfalls.
Shinto’s continued existence in part can be explained by pointing to changes that took
originated within. After the sixth century, it was gradually transformed into a religion of
shrines, grand and small, with set festivals and rituals that were overseen by priests. However,
such developments have had little effect on basic Shinto attitudes and values. More crucial to
Shinto's survival, is its deep roots in the daily and national life of the Japanese people and a
strong conservative strain in Japanese culture.
The early Japanese were so secure about their religious life that they had no single term
by which they could refer to it. The word Shinto, or "the way of the kami (energy, spirits,
forces)" came into use only after the sixth century, when the Japanese wanted to distinguish
their own tradition from the foreign religions of Buddhism and Confucianism that they were
then encountering and importing.
Remarkably, neither Shinto's relatively primitive original character nor the
introduction of more sophisticated, imported religions caused Shinto ways to wane in
importance.
A few conflicts occurred between the religions. But soon they were able to co-exist in
harmony and even complemented each other. Shinto became rapidly overshadowed by
Buddhism, and the“kami” were generally regarded as manifestations of Buddha in a previous
state of existence. Throughout the long course of Japanese history, it’s been these two religions
that have contributed most to the Japanese understanding of themselves and their world.
In its origins, Shinto was the practice of a people who, more than anything, were
sensitive to the spiritual forces that pervaded the world of nature in which they lived.
When Buddhism entered Japan, it had already become a world religion. It brought
with it religious literature, an elaborate body of doctrine, a well-organized priesthood, and
tradition of religious art and architecture -- all of which Shinto then lacked.
Most Japanese today follow both religions: both Shinto and Buddhism (calling
themselves Shinto Buddhist), though some do follow just one or the other, not both. The two
religions share a basic optimism about human nature and for the world.
Although Buddhism’s view of the world and mankind is very different from that of
Shinto, it is important to understand that within the teachings of Buddhism both differences
and similarities to Shinto can be found.
Buddhism regarded the world as transient and saw it as a source of suffering for those
who remained attached to it – a view that contrasts sharply with Shinto's ready acceptance of
the world.
On the other hand, there was an optimism in Buddhism that meshed well with Shinto -an optimism about human nature, that all human beings have the potential for wisdom that
brings an end to suffering, and an ultimate optimism about the world itself, since it taught that
once human attachments are discarded, the world takes on a new and positive significance.
Buddhism consciously sought to develop a positive connection with Shinto. By
identifying the Shinto kami as manifestations of various Buddha, the Buddhists were able to
introduce many of their own ideas into Shinto, and, in the end, argue that Shinto and Buddhism
were complementary versions of the same fundamental truth -- a view that gained wide
acceptance in Japan.
Buddhist priests became the custodians of most Shinto shrines, and introduced their
own ornaments, images, and ritual. At the end of the 8th and the beginning of the 9th centuries,
the doctrine was established uniting Buddhism and Shinto (Ry o bu Shinto, Shinto of two
kinds).
In the new religion, Buddhism dominated Shinto; and elements were also adopted from
Confucianism. The ancient practice of pure, simple Shinto proper nearly disappeared and was
maintained only at a few great shrines, in rural areas, and in the imperial palace (though the
emperors themselves had become Buddhists). The priests that remained distinctively Shinto
became for a time fortune-tellers and magicians.
Today, a majority of wedding ceremonies in Japan are held in Shinto style. Death,
however, is considered evil in Shinto; and most tasks concerning it, especially funerals, are
done according to Buddhist rituals.
Modern Shinto has been roughly classified for over a century into three types: Shrine
Shinto, Sectarian Shinto and Folk Shinto, all closely linked.
Jinja (Shrine Shinto) has been in existence from its beginnings in the prehistoric ages to
the present and constitutes a main current of Shinto tradition. Until the end of World
War II in 1945, it was aligned with State Shinto within its structure and even now has
close relations with the emperor system. In 1946, the cult was completely separated
from the state by order of Gen. MacArthur.
Kyoha (Sectarian Shinto) has same status as Buddhism and Christianity. It was
founded by individuals two centuries ago and was unaffected by the changes brought
about after World War II. The number of Sectarian Shinto is about ten million and is
currently comprised of 13 major and numerous minor sects. Each of the 13 sects has
either a founder or a systematizer who organized it. New Shinto sects which appeared
in Japan after World War II are conveniently included in this type. The principal sects
are divided into 5 main groups:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
those that continue with little modification the traditions of ancient Shinto
those that emphasize adherence to Confucian ethics
those that are predominantly devoted to faith healing
those that practice the worship of mountains
those that are primarily devoted to purification rites
Folk Shinto is not actually a Shinto “sect”, it is an aspect of Japanese folk belief which is
closely related to Shinto. It has no formal central organization, religious body nor any
doctrinal formulas, or creed. It is seen in local practices and rituals. e.g. small images by
the side of the road, agriculture rituals practiced by individual families, etc. Folk
Shinto exists as the substructure of Shinto, and a Sectarian Shinto follower is usually a
parishioner of a certain shrine of Shrine Shinto at the same time.
Shinto accepts the validity of other beliefs. It is common for a believer to pay respect to
other religions, their practices and objects of worship.
Estimates of the number Shinto are hopelessly unreliable. In the early 1990s, more than
110 million (86%) of Japanese participated in the combination of Shinto and Buddhism. But
those who were Shinto only numbered only about 3.4 million. There are approximately 101,000
priests and about 81,000 shrines.
In North America, Shinto exists mainly among some people of Japanese descent. The
Canadian Census a decade ago recorded only 445 in Canada. One source estimates 1,000
followers of Shinto in North America -- but many have not been contacted when counts were
taken -- including myself!
2003