Shinto

Japan

trivia

is a belief system that venerates the unique or extraordinary in nature as go-shintai (the abode of a deity. Go-shintai) which may be an unusually-shaped rock. a tree weathered over the centuries, a strikingly jagged mountain or a waterfall of rare shape or size.

In Shintoism, the oldest native Japanese religion, the unique or extraordinary in nature is often venerated as go-shintai, the abode of a deity. Go-shintai may be an unusually-shaped rock. a tree weathered over the centuries, a strikingly jagged mountain or a waterfall of rare shape or size. In later periods of Japanese history artists made deliberate use of the beauty of natural chance, as revealed in the sophisticated flaws of their pottery glazing and the splashes in their calligraphy. (10)

is a collection of beliefs that manifests itself over the landscape in a profuse but uneven scatter of diverse natural and manmade forms at many scales and with various degrees of definition.

Thus, Shinto is a collection of beliefs that manifests itself over the landscape in a profuse but uneven scatter of diverse natural and manmade forms at many scales and with various degrees of definition. There is no single dominant form or place but rather an ad hoc harmony arising from some kind of trusted but chance co-operation between the many contributing kami housed heterogeneously in their wide array of abodes. In other words, it is a non-hierarchical, decentralized and fragmented landscape; and intellectually, there is no framework for organizing it into a conceptual whole.

is a non-hierarchical, decentralized and fragmented landscape; and intellectually, there is no framework for organizing it into a conceptual whole.

is non-intellectual, absent of scriptures or origin stories and its gods (kami), are not anything the Japanese have a clear idea of, but rather feel intuitively at the depth of their consciousness.

Dr. Sokyo Ono (the first Japanese author of a comprehensive book on Shinto to reach the English-speaking world) wrote that his countrymen 'do not have a clear idea regarding kami. They are aware of kami intuitively at the depth of their consciousness and communicate with kami directly without having formed the kami-idea conceptually or theologically.' It is thus substantially non-intellectual and without sacred scriptures, that are common in many other religions. It makes no clear distinction between good and evil, material and spiritual, or people and kami. Further, writes Ono, 'In Shinto, there is no absolute deity that is the creator and ruler of all. The creative function of the world is realized through the harmonious co-operation of the kami in the performance of their respective missions' (Ono, 1984, p. 8).

is a religion that dovetailed nicely with Buddhism because it emphasized purity, naturalness, and kinship with the gods but spoke little of the afterlife or transcendent things. Buddhism, on the other hand, is largely flexible in the matter of gods, and concentrates largely on the afterlife.

Buddhism dovetailed neatly with the existing Japanese religion, Shint'. Shint' emphasized purity, naturalness, and kinship with the gods, but spoke little of the afterlife or transcendent things. Buddhism is largely flexible in the matter of gods, and concentrates largely on the afterlife, so the two religions reached a very satisfactory accommodation which is still in evidence today.

shinto, n.Definitions

shinto