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Encountering Shinto: The Way of the Kami Names • Shinto: “the way of the gods” – Kami no michi – “the way of the kami” • Kami – spirits, deities, essences – Can be humanlike, animistic, or natural features or forces – Most are morally good; some dangerous and unpredictable – Kami and humans exist within and interrelate with the world Shinto • Shinto is a religion of formal rituals and inner feelings more than of doctrines, ethics and organization. – Sentiments and rituals directed primarily to the natural world of the Japanese islands and secondarily to the history of the Japanese state. (Geographical tie-in) – Shinto is an indigenous religion with origins in ancient times, but has succeeded in a modern nation. Shinto – Shinto has no founder, creed, or central authority, and was not given a name until the 6th century C.E. to distinguish it from Buddhism. – Shinto has no scripture, but has mythological books of ancient Japanese history written in the 8th century that do not function in an authoritative way. – Shinto has been a major part of Japanese life and culture throughout Japan’s history, and has shared its spiritual, social, and political roles with Buddhism and Confucianism. The Shinto Present As Shaped by Its Past • Four major periods: – – – – Pre-Buddhism Japan – prior to 600s Shinto and Buddhism together – 600-1850 Meiji reinterpretation – 1850-1945 1945 - present Shinto & Buddhism Together in Japan (600-1850) • Introduction of Buddhism and Confucianism from China and Korea changed Japanese life and religion – New culture essentially Chinese; most important was introduction of Chinese writing system • Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) written in early 700s – Many Shinto shrines changed to Buddhist temples • Shinto advantage – richer feel for natural environment; first religion of the Japanese people • Buddhist/Confucian advantage – intellectual richness; sacred texts (this was lacking in Shinto) • 1500s – arrival of Christian missionaries to Japan – Over time was seen as political threat – Government-sanctioned persecutions resulted in over 40,000 deaths – 17th century dominated by Buddhism: anti-Christian measures forced all Japanese to register as Buddhist • Civic religion a blend of Confucianism, Shinto, and Mahayana Buddhism – Confucianism = social ethics – Shinto = ritual and feeling for the nation – Mahayana Buddhism= philosophy and hope for life after death • 1700s movement toward purer form of Shinto – Emphasis on Japanese people as descendants of the kami; therefore superior to other races – Buddhism filtered out of institutions and rituals – Shinto revival = creation of a more unified religion • Increased contact with outer world prompted stronger grounding in indigenous religion – Foundational doctrines of Shinto: • Japan is the country of the gods, • The Japanese people are the descendants of the gods • 1800s – religiously oriented nationalism contributes to modernization • 1900s – Japanese empire building Role of Shinto in WWII • 1937 Invasion of China fuels strong Japanese nationalism – Military service a religious and civic obligation – spirits of the soldiers honored as kami – Kamikaze: “Divine Wind” – reference to typhoon that destroyed Chinese naval fleet threatening Japan in 1200s – Banzai! – “(May the emperor live) ten thousand years! Shinto In Recent Times (1945-present) • 1946 - Allied powers end power of Shinto as state religion – Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989) publicly denies divine status of emperor and superiority of Japanese people – Postwar constitution separates religion and state • Guaranteed freedom of religion • Modern Japan is both secular and religious society – rise of secularism has had no significant negative social effects – New religious movements combined Buddhism, Shinto, and other religions to address contemporary Japanese issues Watch the video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgQ4eCc3 8dM • It’s interesting that these indigenous beliefs are still meaningful in a high-tech society • Note the emphasis on prosperity The Kami • Powerful natural forces with a spiritual dimension – No clear distinction between living and not-living, natural or manufactured, or human and divine – Identified with natural features, but are spirits in and beyond those features • The kami are countless – Shinto focuses on those important to human life and activity • Individuals should know and venerate the kami important to them Characteristics of Other Shinto Teachings • No developed teachings about this world or the next – No cosmogonic myth(s) – only the creation of the Japanese islands – No eschatology; no clear description of an afterlife • No individual soul in the afterlife • Some believe souls go to a gloomy, shadowy underworld Ethics: General Characteristics • Ethics based upon following the general will of the kami as understood through myth and ritual • Good moral practice flows from proper relationship with the kami – The kami are not always good role models – many behave badly • Shinto ethics avoid absolute moral rules Purity • Essential to pleasing the kami, bringing happiness, and deterring disappointment or illness • Many rituals feature exorcism of sins to restore purity – Cleanliness of body, mind, and spirit signifies good character and freedom from negative influences • Overall ethical aim is to promote harmony and purity in all spheres of life – Moral purity leads to good conduct The Shinto Shrine • Rituals mark entry into the world of the kami • Special festivals allow “letting oneself go” in front of the kami – Religious carousing serves as temporary release from societal mores regarding orderliness and propriety. • Shrines built to blend in with environment chosen by the kami of the place – Honden – main sanctuary building of each shrine in which sacred objects are kept for worship purposes – The kami dwell near the shrines and must be politely invited in. The Shinto Priesthood • Work is largely located in the shrine • Priesthood exists to carry out rituals and maintain the shrine – Shrines staffed by team of priests of various rank and miko • Each shrine is self-governed and self-supporting through donations and offerings Wish Plaques and Fortunes • Emas – small wooden plaques inscribed with prayers and wishes – Hung in prominent places near a sacred tree – Kami read the emas and help make them come true • Omikuji – “sacred drawing / lottery” – fortunes on pre-printed slips of paper – Give general blessings ranging from “great blessing” to “great curse” – Fortunes for various aspects of life The Home Shrine • Traditional Japanese have small indoor or outdoor shrine / worship space • Kamidana – “kami shelf” bearing small statues of kami, plus small memorial tablets bearing names of ancestors – Typically placed near ceiling – Worship includes placing flowers, offering food, and short prayers Shinto In North America Today • • • • Very small presence outside of Japan Shinto does not seek or encourage converts Kami reside only in Japan Greatest concentration of Shinto practitioners exists on West Coast • Shinto appeals to Westerners in reverence for nature, feeling for ritual, and acknowledgment of pluralism