Web Article on Shinto Beliefs:

SHINTO

Brief history of Shinto:

Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. Starting about

500 BCE (or earlier) it was originally "an amorphous mix

of nature worship, fertility cults, divination

techniques, hero worship, and shamanism." 4 Its name was

derived from the Chinese words "shin tao" ("The Way of

the Gods") in the 8th Century CE. At that time:

The Yamato dynasty consolidated its rule over most

of Japan.

Divine origins were ascribed to the imperial

family.

Shinto established itself as an official religion

of Japan, along with Buddhism.

The complete separation of Japanese religion from

politics did not occur until just after World War II.

The Emperor was forced by the American army to renounce

his divinity at that time.

Unlike most other religions, Shinto has no real founder,

no written scriptures, no body of religious law, and

only a very loosely-organized priesthood.

Shinto beliefs:

Shinto creation stories tell of the history and

lives of the "Kami" (deities). Among them was a

divine couple, Izanagi-no-mikoto and

Izanami-no-mikoto, who gave birth to the Japanese

islands. Their children became the deities of the

various Japanese clans. Amaterasu Omikami (Sun

Goddess) was one of their daughters. She is the

ancestress of the Imperial Family and is regarded

as the chief deity. Her shrine is at Ise. Her

descendants unified the country. Her brother,

Susano came down from heaven and roamed throughout

the earth. He is famous for killing a great evil

serpent.

The Kami are the Shinto deities. The word "Kami"

is generally translated "god" or "gods." However,

the Kami bear little resemblance to the gods of

monotheistic religions. There are no concepts

which compare to the Christian beliefs in the

wrath of God, his omnipotence and omni-presence,

or the separation of God from humanity due to sin.

There are numerous other deities who are

conceptualized in many forms: Those related to

natural objects and creatures, from "food to

rivers to rocks." 2

Guardian Kami of particular areas and clans

Exceptional people, including all but the last

of the emperors.

Abstract creative forces

They are seen as generally benign; they sustain

and protect the people. 9

About 84% of the population of Japan follow two

religions: both Shinto and Buddhism. (As in much

of Asia, Christianity is quite rarely. 12 Fewer

than 1% of adults are Christians.) Buddhism first

arrived in Japan from Korea and China during the

6th through 8th centuries CE. The two religions

share a basic optimism about human nature, and for

the world. Within Shinto, the Buddha was viewed as

another "Kami". Meanwhile, Buddhism in Japan

regarded the Kami as being manifestations of

various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Most weddings

are performed by Shinto priests; funerals are

performed by Buddhist priests.

Shinto does not have as fully developed a theology

as do most other religions. It does not have its

own moral code. Shintoists generally follow the

code of Confucianism.

Their religious texts discuss the "High Plain of

Heaven" and the "Dark Land" which is an unclean

land of the dead, but give few details of the

afterlife.

Ancestors are deeply revered and worshipped.

All of humanity is regarded as "Kami's child."

Thus all human life and human nature is sacred.

Believers revere "musuhi", the Kamis' creative and

harmonizing powers. They aspire to have "makoto",

sincerity or true heart. This is regarded as the

way or will of Kami.

Morality is based upon that which is of benefit to

the group. "Shinto emphasizes right practice,

sensibility, and attitude." 2

There are "Four Affirmations"in Shinto:

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.

Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in

contact with nature is to be close to the Gods.

Natural objects are worshipped as sacred

spirits.

Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take

baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their

mouth often.

"Matsuri": The worship and honor given to the

Kami and ancestral spirits.

The desire for peace, which was suppressed during

World War II, has been restored.

Shinto practices:

Shinto recognizes many sacred places: mountains,

springs, etc.

Each shrine is dedicated to a specific Kami who

has a divine personality and responds to sincere

prayers of the faithful. When entering a shrine,

one passes through a Tori a special gateway for

the Gods. It marks the demarcation between the

finite world and the infinite world of the Gods.

In the past, believers practiced "misogi,", the

washing of their bodies in a river near the

shrine. In recent years they only wash their hands

and wash out their mouths in a wash basin provided

within the shrine grounds.

Believers respect animals as messengers of the

Gods. A pair of statues of "Koma-inu" (guard dogs)

face each other within the temple grounds.

Shrine ceremonies, which include cleansing,

offerings, prayers, and dances are directed to the

Kami.

Kagura are ritual dances accompanied by ancient

musical instruments. The dances are performed by

skilled and trained dancers. They consist of young

virgin girls, a group of men, or a single man.

Mamori are charms worn as an aid in healing and

protection. They come in many different forms for

various purposes.

An altar, the "Kami-dana" (Shelf of Gods), is

given a central place in many homes.

Seasonal celebrations are held at spring planting,

fall harvest, and special anniversaries of the

history of a shrine or of a local patron spirit. A

secular, country-wide National Founding Day is

held on FEB-11 to commemorate the founding of

Japan; this is the traditional date on which the

first (mythical) emperor Jinmu ascended the throne

in 660 BCE. Some shrines are believed to hold

festivities on that day. Other festivals include:

JAN 1-3 Shogatsu (New Year); MAR-3 Hinamatsuri

(Girls' festival); MAY-5 Tango no Sekku (Boys'

festival); JUL-7 Hoshi Matsuri (Star festival).

Followers are expected to visit Shinto shrines at

the times of various life passages. For example,

the Shichigosan Matsuri involves a blessing by the

shrine Priest of girls aged three and seven and

boys aged five. It is held on NOV-15.

Many followers are involved in the "offer a meal

movement," in which each individual bypasses a

breakfast (or another meal) once per month and

donates the money saved to their religious

organization for international relief and similar

activity.

Origami ("Paper of the spirits"): This is a

Japanese folk art in which paper is folded into

beautiful shapes. They are often seen around

Shinto shrines. Out of respect for the tree spirit

that gave its life to make the paper, origami

paper is never cut.

Forms of Shinto:

Shinto exists in four main forms or traditions:

Koshitsu Shinto (The Shinto of the Imperial

House): This involves rituals performed by the

emperor, who the Japanese Constitution defines to

be the "symbol of the state and of the unity of

the people." The most important ritual is

Niinamesai, which makes an offering to the deities

of the first fruits of each year's grain harvest.

Male and female clergy (Shoten and Nai-Shoten)

assist the emperor in the performance of these

rites.

Jinja (Shrine) Shinto: This is the largest Shinto

group. It was the original form of the religion;

its roots date back into pre-history. Until the

end of World War II, it was closely aligned with

State Shinto. The Emperor of Japan was worshipped

as a living God. Almost all shrines in Japan are

members of Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto

Shrines. It currently includes about 80,000

shrines as members. The association urges

followers of Shinto

"To be grateful for the blessings of Kami and

the benefits of the ancestors, and to be

diligent in the observance of the Shinto rites,

applying oneself to them with sincerity.

brightness, and purity of heart."

"To be helpful to others and in the world at

large through deeds of service without thought

of rewards, and to seek the advancement of the

world as one whose life mediates the will of

Kami."

"To bind oneself with others in harmonious

acknowledgment of the will of the emperor,

praying that the country may flourish and that

other peoples too may live in peace and

prosperity." 5

Kyoha (Sectarian) Shinto (aka Shuha Shinto): This

consists of 13 sects which were founded by

individuals since the start of the 19th century.

Each sect has its own beliefs and doctrines. Most

emphasize worship of their own central deity; some

follow a near-monotheistic religion.

Minzoku (Folk) Shinto This is not a separate

Shinto group; it has no formal central

organization or creed. It is seen in local rural

practices and rituals, e.g. small images by the

side of the road, agriculture rituals practiced by

individual families, etc. A rural community will

often select a layman annually, who will be

responsible for worshiping the local deity.

These three forms are closely linked. An image may be

installed by a member of one of the Sectarian Shinto

sects who worships at a particular shrine. Shinto is a

tolerant religion which accepts the validity of other

religions. It is common for a believer to pay respect to

other religions, their practices and objects of worship.

Shinto texts:

Many texts are valued in the Shinto religion. Most date

from the 8th century CE:

The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters)

The Rokkokushi (Six National Histories)

The Shoku Nihongi and its Nihon Shoki (Continuing

Chronicles of Japan)

The Jinno Shotoki (a study of Shinto and Japanese

politics and history) written in the 14th century

Number of adherents:

Estimates of the number of adherents are hopelessly

unreliable. Some sources give numbers in the range of

2.8 to 3.2 million. One states that 40% of Japanese

adults follow Shinto; that would account for about 50

million adherents. Others state that about 86% of

Japanese adults follow a combination of Shinto and

Buddhism; that would put the number of followers of

Shinto at 107 million.

One source estimates 1000 followers of Shinto in North

America. The Canadian Census (1991) recorded only 445 in

Canada.

Essentially all followers of Shinto are Japanese. It is

difficult for a foreigner to embrace Shintoism. Unlike

most other religions, there is no book to help a person

learn about the religion. It is transmitted from

generation to generation by experiencing the rituals

together as a group.

Some Internet References:

"Shinto: A Portrait" is at:

http://www.silcom.com/~origin/sbcr/sbcr131

"Shinto, the Way of the Gods" is at:

http://www.trincoll.edu/~tj/tj4.4.96/articles/cover.html

"Shinto and Buddhism: the Wellsprings of Japanese

Spirituality" is at:

http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/r000009.htm

"The Fountainhead of Miracles," is at:

http://www.shinreikyo.or.jp

"The Jinja Shinto (The Shrine Shinto)," is at:

http://www.jinja.or.jp/

"Shinto," by the Jinja Online Network League is at:

http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/s-0.html

"Shinto Online Network Association," is at:

http://www.jinja.or.jp/english/index.html

"Schauwecker's Guide to Japan: Shinto," is at:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2056.html

"Paul Watt," "Shinto & Buddhism: Wellsprings of

Japanese spirituality," at:

http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/readings/r000009.htm

Pictures of Shinto shrines are at:

http://www.kiku.com/electric_samurai/cyber_shrine/

Yahoo has a list of Shinto links at:

http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/

"Potpourri," at: http://poza.net/japan/living9.html

JapanZone has an essay on Shinto at:

http://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/shinto.shtml They

also have many essays on Japanese culture, climate,

history etc.

Books on Shinto

Amazon.com's online bookstore:

The Gods Come Dancing

Irit Averbuch

New $19.00!

Practically Religious

Ian Reader

Matsuri

Michael Ashkenazi

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Norito

Donald L. Philippi...

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Shinto

Sokyo, Dr. Ono

New $8.95!

The Arts of Shinto

Christine Guth

Shinto the Kami Way

Sokyo Ono

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A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrin...

John K. Nelson

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Shinto Meditations for Revering the ...

Stuart D. B. Picke...

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Initially published on 1995-NOV-24

Consultants on Religious Tolerance

Latest update on 2002-APR-23

Author: B.A. Robinson