What Is Shinto?

SHINTO

what is shinto? Well , if you are like me , you probably

have never heard of this ancient japanese religion. Shinto probably

started about 500 BC or earlier. Shinto, derived from the chinese words "shin tao" translated in english means "the way of the gods" was given in 8th century CE. Unlike most traditional religions,shinto has no real founder,no written scriptures,no body of religious law,and only a very loosley organized priesthood. Approximatly 84% of japan study two religions, shinto and buddhism. Less then 1% of japanese are christians. In my recent studies of shinto, the most familiar part of this religion to the western world are from the pictures of the shinto shrines. They call these shrines, Torii.

The Torii shrines symbolize a border between the human and the kami world. The "kami" or the gods of shinto, are deities of heaven and earth. The best english description of the kami are "spirits". Kami can be landscapes or forces of nature.

Shinto religion say there are over 8 million kami in japan. The idea that kami are the same as god stems in part from the use of the word kami to translate the word "god" in some 19th century translations of the bible into japanese. This caused a great deal of confusion even among the japanese. Theologists estimate that 65% of students associate the japanese term kami with some western concept of a supreme being.

The kami concept is that kami are often descibes as divine beings, spirits or gods. Kami are not like gods of other faiths. Kami are not perfect, they sometimes make mistakes and behave badly .kami exist in the same world as human beings and the world of nature, they are believed to be a higher manisfestation of life energy.

Like other religions , shinto is made up of groups with differing beliefs and forms of worship.There are currently 4 different forms of shinto.

1. koshitsu shinto(shinto of the imperial house)

2. jinju shinto)shrine shinto

3. sectarian shinto(sect shinto)

4. minzuku shinto ( folk shinto)

the practitioners

of each respect the beliefs of those who practice other forms of shinto. Also those who practice shinto are taught to be mindful and respectful of those with other religious beliefs. Many in Japan practice both shinto and buddhism without difficulty.

Koshitsu shinto - in this form of shinto, all of the rites and rituals are performed by the emperor. In japan the emperer is referred to as "the symbol of the state" ," the unity of the people". The clergy men are referred to as Shoten and the female clergy are referred to as nai-shoten. They help the empereror perform the rituals.

Niinamensai (a rite of thanksgiving) is the most important of all rituals performed to make an offering of the first fruits of a years grain harvest thanking the deities for their blessing and for the years prosperity. This is known as the Daijosai festival .

There are 3 shrines that are connected and this is referred to as the Imperial house. All of the rites of the koshitsu shinto are performed here. Shin-den , on the east , korieden, on the west, and shinkaden( where the niimamensai is performed). In the center of the shrines in the deity of the amaterausu ohmikami( a goddess who is the ancestral deity of the emperor). The center of Japanese myths consists of tales about Amaterasu Omikami (usually translated as "Sun Goddess"), the ancestress of the Imperial Family, and tales of how her direct descendants unified the nation under her authority. At the beginning of Japanese mythology, a divine couple named Izanagi and Izanami, the parents of Amaterasu, gave birth to the Japanese islands as well as to the deities who became ancestors of various clans. Here we can see an ancient Japanese inclination to regard the nature around us as offspring from the same parents.

Though revererd highly among them , there is no absolute god or hierarchy among numerous Kami.

jinja shinto (shrine shinto)- the oldest and most prevalent of the shinto types.