The land of the rising sun - Japan - is culturally separate from the rest of the world. Being relatively small in territory, Japan was able to create its own unique style, its own tradition, not very similar not only to the west, but also to the neighboring eastern states. Until now, for a huge number of people, the religious tradition of the Japanese and the Japanese gods remain a mystery behind seven seals.
Religious world of Japan
The religious picture of Japan consists mainly of two components - Buddhism and Shintoism. If something else may be known about the first of them to the Russian-speaking reader, then traditional Japanese Shintoism is most often a complete mystery. But it is from this tradition that practically all traditionally revered Japanese gods and demons come from.
It is worth saying that formally, the vast majority of the Japanese population associates themselves with Buddhism and Shintoism, up to ninety-odd percent, according to some studies. And almost all of them profess both religions at once. This is a characteristic feature of Japanese religiosity - it gravitates toward the syncretic synthesis of various traditions, combining various elements of both practice and doctrine. So, for example, Japanese gods originating from Shintoism were perceived by Buddhist metaphysics, their worship continued in a Buddhist religious context.
Shintoism - The Way of the Gods
It is necessary to briefly say about the traditions that gave birth to the pantheon of Japanese gods. The first of these, of course, is Shintoism, which means "the path of the gods." Its history goes deep into history so far that today it is impossible to unequivocally establish either the time or the nature of its occurrence. The only thing that can be asserted with absolute accuracy is that Shintoism originated and developed in Japan, remaining an inviolable and distinctive tradition, up to Buddhist expansion, which did not experience any influence. The mythology of Shintoism is very peculiar, the cult is unique, and the worldview is quite difficult for a deep understanding.
In general, Shintoism is focused on the veneration of Kami - the soul or some spiritual essence of various creatures, natural phenomena, places and inanimate (in the European sense) things. Kami can be malicious and benevolent, more or less strong. The patron spirits of the clan or city are also kami. This, as well as reverence for the spirits of their ancestors, Shintoism is similar to the traditional animism and shamanism inherent in almost all cultures and pagan religions at a certain stage of formation. Kami are Japanese gods. Their names are often quite complex, and sometimes extremely lengthy - up to several lines of text.
Japanese buddhism
The teachings of the Indian prince in Japan found fertile ground and deeply rooted. Since the VI century, as soon as Buddhism penetrated Japan, he found many patrons in the face of the powerful and influential aristocrats of Japanese society. And after three hundred years he managed to achieve the status of state religion.
By its nature, Japanese Buddhism is heterogeneous, does not represent a single system or school, but is divided into many diverse sects. But at the same time, one can still postulate the involvement of most of them in the direction of Zen Buddhism.
Buddhism has historically been characterized by religious integration. In other words, if, for example, a Christian or Islamic mission invites believers of one religion to go to another, then Buddhism does not enter into this kind of confrontation. Most often, Buddhist practices and teachings flow into the existing cult, replenishing, Buddhizing it. This happened with Hinduism in India, the Bon religion in Tibet, and many other religious schools, including Shintoism in Japan. Therefore, today it is difficult to unequivocally answer what the Japanese gods and demons are - either Buddhist Bodhisattvas, or pagan spirits of nature.
The influence of Buddhism on Shintoism
From the middle of the first millennium, and especially from the 9th century, Shintoism began to experience the strongest influence of Buddhism. This led to the fact that the Kami first turned into a guardian spirit of Buddhism. Some of them merged with Buddhist saints, and later the teaching was proclaimed that Kami even need salvation through the path of Buddhist practice. For Shintoism, these are unconventional ideas - from the very beginning there was no concept of salvation, of sin. There was not even an objective representation of good and evil. Serving the kami, the gods led the world to harmony, beauty, consciousness and the development of man, who himself, inspired by the connection with the deities, decided what was good and what was bad in each particular situation. The internal inconsistency of the two traditions led to the fact that quite early appeared movements for the purification of Shinto from Buddhist borrowings. Attempts to reconstruct the original tradition ended with the so-called restoration of Emperor Meiji in the 19th century, who divided Buddhism and Shintoism.
Supreme japanese gods
Mythology of Japan includes many stories about the deeds of the gods. The first of them a group of three kami, called Takamagahara. This Shinto trinity included the supreme god Ame no Minakanushi no Kami, the god of power Takamimusuhi no kami and the birth god Kamimusuhi no kami. With the birth of heaven and earth, two more kami were added to them - Umashi Asikabi Hikoi-no kami and Ame no Tokotati-no kami. This five of the deities was called Koto Amatsuki and is revered in Shintoism as a kind of supreme kami. Below them, by hierarchy, are the Japanese gods, the list of which is virtually endless. There is even a saying in Japanese folklore that “Japan is a country of eight million gods.”
Izanagi and Izanami
Immediately after Koto Amatsuki, seven generations of Kami follow, of which the last two are especially revered - the married couple Izanagi and Izanami, who belong to the merit of creating Oyashima - the Japanese islands. They were the first of those who had the ability to give birth to new gods and spawned many of them.
Izanami - Goddess of Life and Death
All phenomena of this world are subject to kami. Both material things and non-material phenomena are controlled by influential Japanese gods. Death is also given attention by a number of Japanese divine characters. For example, an interesting legend tells the story of the appearance of death in the world. According to her, Izanami died during the birth of her last son - the fire god Kagutsuti - and moved to the underworld. Izanagi comes down behind her, finds and even persuades her to return. The wife only asks about the opportunity to relax before the trip and leaves for the bedroom, asking her husband not to bother her. Izanagi breaks the request and finds in bed the ugly decomposed corpse of his former lover. In horror, he runs upstairs, blocking the entrance with stones. Izanami, angered by her husband’s deed, swears that she will take revenge on him, taking thousands of human souls to his kingdom daily. Thus, ironically, the Japanese gods of death begin their dynasty with the mother goddess, the great kami, who gave life to everything. Izanagi himself returned to his place and went through a ritual cleansing after visiting the world of the dead.
Japanese gods of war
When Izanami died giving birth to her last offspring, Izanagi became furious and killed him. The Shinto myth reports that as a result of this, several more kami were born. One of them was Takemikazuti - the god of the sword. Probably, he is the first from whom the Japanese gods of war originate. Takemikazuti, however, was not perceived as just a warrior. He was closely connected precisely with the sword and embodied its sacred meaning, representing, so to speak, the soul of the sword, its idea. And as a consequence of this, Takekamikazuti got involved in wars. Following Takemikazuti kami associated with battles and battles, is the god Hachiman. This character originally patronized the soldiers. Once, in the Middle Ages, he was also revered as the patron of the Minamoto Samurai clan. Then his popularity increased, he began to patronize the samurai class as a whole, at the same time taking a prominent place in the Shinto pantheon. In addition, Hachiman acted as the guardian of the imperial fortress and the emperor himself, together with his family.
Patrons of happiness and good luck
The Japanese gods of happiness make up a group of seven kami called Shitifukujin. They are of rather late origin and are images processed by one of the monks on the material of Buddhist and Taoist deities mixed with traditional Japanese traditions. Actually, the Japanese gods of fortune are only Daikoku and Ebisu. The remaining five were imported or imported from outside, although they did well in Japanese culture. Today, each of this seven has its own sphere of responsibility and influence.
Sun goddess
It is impossible not to say about one of the most important representatives of Japanese mythology - the sun goddess Amaterasu. The sun has always occupied an important position in the religiosity of mankind, because it is organically connected with life, light, heat, and crops. In Japan, the belief that the emperor is literally a direct descendant of this goddess was added to this.
Izategi appeared from Amaterasu's left eye while he was doing his cleansing bath. Together with her, several more kami came into the world. But two of them took special places. Firstly, it is Tsukuyomi - the moon god, born from another eye. Secondly, Susanoo is the god of wind and sea. Thus, each of this trinity received his inheritance. Further myths tell of the exile of Susanoo. The Japanese gods drove him away for a series of heavy misconduct against his sister and father.
Amaterasu was also revered as the patroness of agriculture and silk production. And in later times it began to be identified with the Vairochana Buddha revered in Japan . In fact, Amaterasu stood at the head of the Japanese pantheon.