Revelation of kami shinto1/15/2024 ![]() After all, as any guidebook to Japan will tell you, Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan and only Japan, apart from a scattering of Shinto shrines in countries with large Japanese immigrant or expatriate populations.Īt the same time, Shinto is considered to be, at least in its origins, one expression of animism, the world’s oldest religion. “ Shinto and Ecology: Practice and Orientations to Nature.” Yale, 2021.To connect Shinto to any form of ‘universal religion’ would appear to be a fool’s errand. As such, the fundamental differences are important to keep in mind in the case of a Christian witnessing to a follower of Shinto. Additionally, a Christian may explain atonement as the only route to salvation which contradicts not only Shinto teachings that prioritize awareness but also aspects of modern Japanese social norms. ![]() Primarily, a Christian may emphasize the source and human predicament of sin, which does not reflect the Shinto belief that evil emerges from sources exterior to a person. The introduction of a Christian belief to an individual who follows Shinto may be contradictory on a number of levels. As such, the adherence that all living things have the presence of kami and their ability to create harmony is essential in attaining such a truth. ![]() While this process cannot be summarized as finding salvation as it would be in more European-centric religions, truth and understanding are essential to the Shinto doctrine in a similar manner. Essentially, the ultimate source of the ‘makoto no kokoro’ attitude can be found in being aware of the divine. Within more modern iterations of the faith, this belief can manifest as people doing their best in the work they have chosen or in improving and maintaining their relationships with others. It is an attitude that acknowledges the revelation of the truthfulness of kami presence in the lives of humans. Shinto places emphasis on a concept known as ‘makoto no kokoro’, or the heart of truth. However, kami of good nature harmonize with all things, and devoted followers of Shinto are able to perceive the elusive and transcendent kami through their faith. The kami are these spirits and because they exist in everything from natural elements such as trees, mountains, rivers, and animals to human-made creations such as cups or musical instruments. However, due to the influence of bad spirits, they can be swayed to commit adverse or evil acts. Some of the major teachings of Shinto dictate that human beings are not inherently evil and are, in fact, fundamentally good. ![]() Humans that are considered extraordinary may even be enshrined within Shinto shrines. Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, is considered to be the most important of all the kami (Bernard, 2021). Humans are able to become kami after their passing and are then revered by families as ancestral kami. Kami are sacred spirits that can attain physical forms of concepts that are vital to life, such as the wind, rain, mountains, fertility, rivers, and trees. The gods of Shinto are known as ‘kami’ and are closer to spirits than deities in nature. Despite this, fundamental beliefs of the faith remained unchanged and even continue to exist in their original form to this day. Beyond the Meiji period much later, in 1868, Shinto rituals would become centralized, and all shrines would move within the jurisdiction of state administration (Japan Guide, 2021). Though the exact date of the creation of Shinto is not known, the variation of the faith from Buddhism with the introduction of divinity worship occurred around 300 BCE to 300 CE.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |