What religion has the most adherents in Japan? This is a complex of national and very archaic beliefs called shinto. Like any religion, it developed, absorbed the elements of a cult and the metaphysical ideas of other nations. But it should be said that Shintoism is still very far from Christianity. Yes, and other beliefs, which are called Abrahamic. But Shinto is not just an ancestral cult. Such a view of the religion of Japan would be an extreme simplification. This is not animism, although Shinto believers deify natural phenomena and even objects. This philosophy is very complex and deserves to be studied. In this article we will briefly describe what Shintoism is. In Japan, there are other teachings. How does Shinto interact with these cults? Is he in direct antagonism with them, or can we talk about a certain religious syncretism? Find out by reading our article.
The origin and codification of Shintoism
Animism - the belief that certain things and natural phenomena were spiritualized - existed among all peoples at a certain stage of development. But later cults of worship of trees, stones and the solar disk were discarded. The religious views of the peoples reoriented towards the gods who control the forces of nature. This happened everywhere in all civilizations. But not in Japan. There animism survived, partially changing and metaphysically developing, and became the basis for the state religion. The history of Shintoism begins with the first mention in the Nihongi book. This eighth-century chronicle tells of the Japanese emperor Yumei (ruled at the turn of the sixth and seventh centuries). The designated monarch "professed Buddhism and revered Shinto." Naturally, in every small area of Japan there was a spirit, a god. In addition, in certain regions the sun was revered, while in others they preferred other forces or natural phenomena. When political centralization began to take place in the country in the eighth century, the question arose of codifying all beliefs and cults.
Canonization of mythology
The country was united under the rule of the ruler of the Yamato region. And therefore, on top of the Japanese "Olympus" was the goddess Amaterasu, identified with the Sun. She was declared the foremother of the ruling imperial clan. All other gods received a lower status. In 701, the Jingikan administrative authority was even established in Japan, which was in charge of all the cults and religious ceremonies sent to the country. Queen Gammay in 712 ordered a compilation of the beliefs that existed in the country. So there was a chronicle of "Kojiki" ("Records of the acts of old"). But the main book, which can be compared with the Bible of Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), for Shinto is Nihon Shoki - “Annals of Japan written with a brush”. This set of myths was compiled in 720 by a group of officials under the direction of a certain O-no Yasumaro and with the direct participation of Prince Toneri. All beliefs were brought into some kind of unity. In addition, the “Nihon Shoki” also presents historical events that tell of the penetration of Buddhism, Chinese and Korean noble families into the Japanese islands .
Cult of ancestors
If we consider the question "what is Shintoism," then it will not be enough to say that this is worship of the forces of nature. An equally important role in the traditional religion of Japan is played by the cult of ancestors. In Shinto there is no concept of Salvation, as in Christianity. The souls of the dead remain invisible among the living. They are present everywhere and permeate everything. Moreover, they take a very active part in the things happening on earth. As in the political system of Japan, the souls of deceased imperial ancestors play a significant role in the events. In general, in Shintoism there is no clear line between people and kami. These latter are spirits or gods. But they are drawn into the eternal cycle of life. People after death can become kami, and spirits can be embodied in bodies. The word "Shinto" itself consists of two characters that mean literally "the path of the gods." Pass this road is offered to every resident of Japan. After all, Shintoism is not a world religion. She is not interested in proselytism - the spread of her teachings among other nations. Unlike Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, Shintoism is a purely Japanese religion.
Main ideas
So, many natural phenomena and even things have a spiritual essence called kami. Sometimes it lives in a particular object, but sometimes it manifests itself in the hypostasis of God. There are kami patrons of localities and even clans (ujigami). Then they appear as the souls of their ancestors - some "guardian angels" of their descendants. One more cardinal difference between Shintoism and other world religions should be pointed out. In it, dogma takes up quite a bit of space. Therefore, it is very difficult to describe, from the point of view of religious canons, what Shintoism is. What is important here is not ortho-doxia (correct interpretation), but ortho-praxia (good practice). Therefore, the Japanese pay a lot of attention not to theology as such, but to following the rites. They came to us almost unchanged from the time when humanity practiced all sorts of magic, totemism and fetishism.
Ethical component
Shintoism is absolutely non-dualistic religion. In it you will not find, as in Christianity, the struggle between Good and Evil. The Japanese Asi is not an absolute evil. Rather, it is something harmful that is best avoided. Sin - tsumi - is not ethical. This is an action that is condemned by society. Tsumi changes the nature of man. Asi is opposed to Yoshi, which is also not an unconditional Good. This is all good and useful, which is worth striving for. Therefore, kami are not a moral standard. They can be at enmity with each other, harbor old grievances. There are kami that command the deadly elements - earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes. And from the ferocity of their divine essence does not become smaller. But for the Japanese to follow the "path of the gods" (that is what Shinto is called shortly) means a whole moral code. It is necessary to respect the elders in position and age, to be able to live in peace with equals, to honor the harmony of man and nature.
The concept of the world
The Universe was not created by a good Creator. From the chaos appeared kami, which at a certain stage created the Japanese islands. The Shintoism of the Land of the Rising Sun teaches that the universe is arranged correctly, although it is by no means a blessing. And the main thing in it is order. Evil is a disease that devours established norms. Therefore, a virtuous person should avoid weaknesses, temptations and unworthy thoughts. They can lead him to tsumi. Sin will not only distort the good soul of a person, but also make him a pariah in society. And this is the worst punishment for the Japanese. But absolute evil and good do not exist. In order to distinguish “good” from “bad” in a specific situation, a person must have a “heart like a mirror” (adequately judge reality) and not break the union with the deity (honor the rite). Thus, he makes a feasible contribution to the stability of the universe.
Shintoism and Buddhism
Another distinguishing feature of the Japanese religion is its amazing syncretism. Buddhism began to penetrate the islands in the sixth century. And he was warmly received by the local aristocracy. It is not difficult to guess which religion in Japan had the greatest influence on the formation of the Shinto rite. At first it was proclaimed that there is kami - the patron saint of Buddhism. Then they began to associate spirits and bodhidharma. Soon, Shinto temples began to read Buddhist sutras. In the ninth century, for some time, the teachings of Gautama the Enlightened became the state religion in Japan. This period altered the administration of the Shinto cult. In the temples appeared images of bodhisattvas and Buddha himself. There was a belief that kami, like people, need salvation. Syncretic teachings also appeared - ryo-shinto and sanno-shinto.
Shinto Temple
The gods have no need to dwell in buildings. Therefore, temples are not kami dwellings. Rather, these are places where worshipers of the parish gather for worship. But, knowing what Shintoism is, one cannot compare the Japanese traditional temple with the Protestant church. In the main building, the hongden, the “kami body” is stored - shintai. This is usually a deity nameplate. But there can be a thousand such synths in other temples. The worshipers are not included in the honden. They gather in the assembly hall - hayden. In addition to it, on the territory of the temple complex there is a kitchen for preparing ritual food, a stage, a place for practicing magic, and other extensions. Rituals in the temples are conducted by priests called cannusis.
Home Altars
Visiting temples is not necessary for a Japanese believer. After all, kami exist everywhere. And you can also honor them everywhere. Therefore, along with the temple, Shintoism is very developed. In Japan, every family has such an altar. It can be compared with the "red corner" in the Orthodox huts. The altar of "kamidan" is a shelf where plates with the names of various kami are displayed. Amulets and amulets bought in “holy places” are also added to them. To appease the souls of their ancestors, offerings in the form of mochi and sake vodka are also placed on the camidan. In honor of the deceased, they also put some things important to the dead man on the altar. Sometimes it can be his diploma or an order for promotion (Shinto, in short, shocking Europeans with their immediacy). Then the believer washes his face and hands, stands in front of the camidan, bows several times, and then claps his hands loudly. So he attracts the attention of kami. Then he silently prays and bows again.