Shinto

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Shinto
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What religions to people claim to follow?
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I. Religious Data

• 10 million Japanese participate in the rituals of
  Shinto
• One half of the population considers itself
  Shinto
• Followers feel a strong bond or connection with
  nature

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II. Background

• Shinto was formed around 550 BC in Japan
• Shinto is practiced exclusively in Japan or with
  people of Japanese heritage
• The religion has not spread dramatically to other
  nations

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III. Beliefs

• There is no all-powerful God in Shinto
• They worship Kami
• Kami are Gods and spirits that rule over nature
  and human life
• They are believed to run the world through
  geographical sites (Mt. Fuji) and are natural
  phenomenon

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• Wa (benign harmony) is part of nature and human
  relationships
• Anything that disturbs wa is bad. To keep the
  balance of harmony, there are rules to keep
  society and the natural world from turning into
  chaos
• Wa is reflected in everyday actions. For
  example, taking daily baths

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• Renewal and Purification
• Man is kamis child. Life was given to people by
  kami and is sacred
• Purification is necessary to keep nature divine
• A shrine dedicated to Kami has a trough of pure
  water used for cleansing the hands and mouth

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• Shinto is not concerned with death and the
  afterlife
• Shinto is considered a life religion
• Many shintoists are also Buddhist to deal with
  the question of the afterlife

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IV. Culture

• Shinto religion is tied to the traditions,
  customs, and values of the Japanese
• Japanese society stresses the importance of
  respect and character
• The removal of shoes before entering a home is a
  Shinto practice that is part of Japanese culture

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• Flower arranging, Japanese architecture, and
  garden design all have roots in Shinto practice
• In sumo wrestling, salt is used to purify the
  wrestling ring as part of Shinto practice

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V. Ecology

• Shinto teaches people to be gentle to nature
• Everything given to humans from nature is sacred
• Pollution is an act of evil or sin

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• Natural landscapes are sacred places
• Shrines are placed in sacred natural places
• Shrines are always guarded by animal statues
• A Torii gate is a symbol of Shintoism and is
  placed at the entrance to a shrine
• Shrines contain a symbol that represents a kami
• Shrines in homes are protected with white paper
  to keep impure spirits away

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Torii Gates mark the entrance to a Shinto shrine
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Komainu (Guardian dogs) at the entrance to the
shrine

• At Inari shrines, the guardians are foxes

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Purification trough at entrance
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Fushimi Inari Shrine hiking trails covered with
Torii gates
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Yakusumi Shrine commemorating Japans war dead
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Zen Buddhism

• Brought from China in the 1200s
• Focus on meditation and enlightenment, all people
  are capable of enlightenment

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Zazen

• Zazen is meditation that includes body position,
  hand position, and breathing
• The focus is on letting go through non-thinking

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• Zen appears in culture through gardening, ink
  painting, calligraphy and even military service

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What is a Koan?

• Aid to meditation
• Question or puzzle that cant solve with reason
• Out of frustration comes another kind of
  awareness
• Only used by some sects of Zen

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