Molloy: Shinto Origins of Shinto Shinto has mysterious origins we don't know who the founder or primary group that originated the thought is we do know that it seems to grow out of a close connection with nature, and from shamanism Shinto has elements of shamanism, contact with nature spirits, and mysterious healing Shinto o has become more than a nature religion though it also has ethnic and cultural characteristics it is not a universal religion, like Christianity or Islam or Buddhism, it is a Japanese religion the spirits that are worshipped are the spirits of nature, of ancestors, and of the leader, or emperor the name Shinto emerged when Buddhism came to japan before that it was just religion - of the people-- no need to name it because there was nothing else Shinto means "the way of the Gods" Shinto and the Origins of the Universe in the beginning was chaos which generated several spirits these spirits were called Kami (above or superior) There were two primary spirits, Izanami (female who invites) and Izanagi (male who invites) they were the cosmic parents who created the Islands of japan then Izanami and Izanagi gave birth t o the nature spirits
one of them was a fire spirit when he was born, Izanami was terribly burned and she died and went to the underworld Izanagi went t o the underworld t o find her but she turned away from him in shame because of her ugliness so Izanagi sort of freaked out and went back t o the everyday world above however, he was impure because of his contact with the underworld and with death so he washed in the ocean as he washed, he cried and the spirit of the sun, Amaterasu, emerged from his eyes-- from his tears-Amaterasu means shining in heaven he also gave birth to the spirit of the moon, Tsukiyomi (moon night possessor) the sun goddess Amaterasu sent her grandson to japan to create order this was Jimmu, who became the first human emperor so the imperial house of Japan traces its origins to the Goddess of the sun it is interesting that Amaterasu is female, but seems t o be the origin of the semi-divine or divine status of humans this may reflect an early matriarchal society the origins story also expresses a strong desire for purity and non-contamination purity and cleansing are very important in Shinto in Shinto, contact with death-- with anything dead, is especially polluting another important point in the origins story is that the islands of japan are 'chosen' as a this worldly paradise by the gods
Essentials of Shinto Belief most important is the sensitivity to and awareness of the mysterious power of nature
nature is mysterious because it is full of and directed by spirits, which are not completely fathomable we can feel the presence of these spirits in our everyday life, they even influence our emotions sometimes they uplift our spirits, sometimes they cause feelings of dread or of being overwhelmed these spirits of nature (Kami) love to dwell in places of power, mystery, or beauty (this is one reason why the Japanese have developed such an appreciation for natural beauty) how do Shinto believers worship and interact with the Kami? they make them familiar them, just like Christians personalize God or Hindus familiarize Brahman the Kami are given names and physical characteristics, but they usually do not look like people certain mountains, like Mt. Fuji, have a spirit, so does grain, fire, the ocean, and so forth ancestors are also treated as Kami, and they, of course, are personalized the ancestors stay near their descendants so they can watch over them ancestors are believed to be capable of influencing a family's earthly life the spirits of great leaders or teachers are also venerated Shinto Scripture The scriptures were not written down until the 8th century C.E. they were written down so they could be preserved-- as other religions started to gain influence the first to be written down is called Kojiki (Chronicle of ancient events, 712 CE) the second was called Nihongo (Chronicle of Japan, 720 CE) ancient Shinto rituals and prayers were not recorded for 300 years later
Shinto Ethics no clearly defined morality, no written code however, there is an ethical system that comes from Shinto 1. no sense of internal guilt because there is no moralistic god who judges nor is there original sin, or any notion of sinful tendencies in the person 2. human beings are thought to be fundamentally good the body is also good this earthly life is good 3. Shinto worships fertility and earthly life and sex is viewed positively, without guilt sexual imagery, particularly phallic rocks and wood carvings, are found at Shinto shrines On Death and Contamination Shinto does not focus on death much, one could say they avoid it Shinto worships the life force and works to counteract anything that brings sickness or death dirt and all pollutants should be removed bodies, houses, and clothes must be clean at all times when we wash we must also purify things with blessings washing, sweeping, and cleaning have religious implications human beings restore their purity by meeting obligations, repaying debts, and apologizing for misdeeds. because Kami are everywhere, living with them means showing them reverence so they are visited at shrines
but they are also respected in their natural dwelling places respect for nature means respect for harmony and balance in nature, which includes harmony and balance in all human relationships the Japanese also show respect for nature in their architecture they use many natural materials, such as wood and stone, and they try to integrate their buildings with the landscape, to maintain harmony Frank Lloyd Wright was powerfully influenced by this view Shinto Religious Practice Worship at shrines pray for health, success and happiness for people they know they begin by passing under a torii, then they wash hands and mouth at a ceremonial basin, then they walk through an open courtyard to the building, the haiden, where the Kami is worshipped worshippers ascend the stairs to the haiden or space in the front of the room where the Kami is enshrined they bow, donate a coin, ring a bell and clap several times to get the Kami's attention they bow again and leave sometimes there is a sacred tree nearby and they tie small requests written on wood or paper-- to the branches sometimes worshippers visit a shrine for a blessing a priest waves a branch or wand decorated with paper streamers. this purifies the believer and the surrounding area shrines sometimes have treasures, as they are called. they might have been given as gifts by visiting dignitaries antique swords, jewels and mirrors
the mirrors are important it is believed that the Kami appear in the treasures each shrine has festival days (matsuri) booths are set up to sell food and religious souvenirs, there are parades Shinto Priests Shinto priests wear long white robes symbolizing purity they sometimes wear light colored robes that are similar to what the Chinese aristocrats wore in the past they wear thick black shoes made of many layers of paper and they wear high caps of black lacquered horsehair-- (horses are considered sacred) some shrines have female attendants called miko they might have their origins in female shamanism of the past they assist in ritual and play a short metal instrument covered with bells smaller shrines are not so elaborate
celebration of the new year home must be fully cleaned t o make it attractive to spirits door decorated with a kadomatsu, or door pine door pine is made of three pieces of cut green bamboo, a small pine branch, and a sprig of plum bamboo = persistence pine = freshness and life throughout winter plum = first sign of life in spring
the three together, the kadomatsu = symbolizes human virtue, the ideal person at new year's, rice is pounded into a soft dough, called mochi the mochi is made into round shapes and piled on top of each other and topped with a tangerine on new year's eve, the family eats a soup of mochi and vegetables called ozoni, which is thought to promote health on new year's day the men and women dress in kimono and visit shrines there, they pray for success and well-being. in the days after new year's day, they visit relatives and friends and renew relationships themes of this season = cleansing and renewal of life observance of the seasons and nature respect for nature is at the heart of Shinto small shrines are often placed in forests, fields, or on mountains torii can even be found in the ocean we also often find piles of stones, possibly phallic in origin and sacred ropes respect for spirits of ancestors is done by pouring tea or water over gravestones and by leaving offerings of food and flowers there is an interesting cleansing ritual, called misogi it involves standing under a waterfall and purifying oneself before getting into the water, one does calisthenics and deep breathing exercises then, the person is cleansed with a bit of salt then they walk backwards into the water and let the water pound down on their shoulders the person may shout and cut the air with the hands to enhance the purification experience
then, he or she gets out of the water, has a drink of sake (rice wine) and maybe a meal, if it is a group-ritual another Shinto practice involves climbing a sacred mountain to experience union with the spirit of that mountain many Japanese hope to experience union with the spirit of Mt. Fuji during their lives -and many do climb it. Shinto and the Arts Shinto worships beauty, for them, openness, use of natural elements, and deliberate simplicity 1. architecture traditional shrine (jinja) style shrines evolved out of grain storage buildings raised off the ground for protection from animals and water these grain storehouses were the homes of the gods. why? because the gods loved to dwell in a natural, comfortable home and they protected the food originally, walls of wood, roofs of thatch a pure Shinto style can be seen at Ise. these shrines are rebuilt every twenty years they are extremely simple they sit on a ground of white stones in the midst of tall cedar trees to reach the inner shrine, a visitor must cross a river this style may have been developed in Malaysia or islands further south there is also Chinese influence in the shrines today -- curving roofs and roof tiles
the torii- ceremonial entryway the earliest torii were probably three logs lashed together original torii were unpainted wood today many are painted white, red, or orange they usually serves as entryways to sacred places, but some are set in water -- even in the ocean at some shrines, so m any torii are set up as thanksgiving exercises that they create a tunnel over many years. the shimenawa the shimenawa is a ceremonial rope that is tied to a sacred object or space, like a shrine or torii or doorway white streamers are attached to the rope and the rope is tied to the sacred place Dance: The Noh dance dramas Shinto shrines often include dance at festival times to entertain the Kami. the Noh dance dramas evolved out of this type of dance the dramas are about people's interaction with the spirits Shinto and the Modern World why might Shinto ideas be attractive to us in the twenty first century? there are four key values in Shinto that are gaining increasing appeal and popularity in the west 1. esteem for nature 2. benevolent silence about moral or doctrinal issues (promotes togetherness, solidarity which tolerates and even welcomes differences)
3. Aesthetically pleasing ritual 4. eclecticism !!!