1. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter Seven Shinto

2. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Origins of Shinto No known founder Grew out of indigenous religion of Japan Name of religion No name for the religion originally— Name Shinto emerged in response to advent of Buddhism in Japan Shinto is the Chinese form of the Japanese word meaning “the way of the gods.”

3. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Elements Of Shinto Elements adopted from Japanese indigenous religion Animism—worship of spirits inhabiting nature Perceived need for harmony with nature Shamanistic elements, including mysterious healings Elements not from Japanese indigenous religion Worship of spirits of departed family members Worship of ancestors Worship of leaders, including emperors

4. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Shinto Creation Myth In the beginning, there was primeval chaos Populated with Kami (deities or spirits) 2 Kami, Izanami (female who invites) and Izanagi (male who invites) created the islands of Japan, making them the “cosmic parents” Accomplished the creation of the islands by stirring the oceans with a jeweled spear Began to procreate, creating other Kami, including some nature spirits

5. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Creation Myth Continued In giving birth to the fire Kami, Izanami was horribly burned, died & went to the Underworld Izanagi tried to follow her, but she rejected him because of the ugliness of her burns Returning to the everyday world, he cleansed himself to regain purity after his contact with the Underworld and in the process created more Kami

6. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Creation Myth Continued Kami created from Izanagi’s grief and cleansing Amaterasu, “shining in heaven” spirit of the sun, emerged from his tear-filled eyes Tsukiyomi, “moon night possessor” spirit of the moon, also emerged from his tear-filled eyes Susanowo, “impetuous male” spirit of the wind, came from his nostrils Amaterasu later sent her grandson to bring order to the islands of Japan Jimmu, the 1 st human emperor of Japan, came from Amaterasu’s grandson Imperial house traces its origins back to Amaterasu

7. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Implications of Creation Myth Harmonizes stories of several Kami, uniting those who worship them Establishes divine nature of Emperors Establishes a concern with purity leading to religious practices Tsumi—pollution often caused by contact with death Harai—ritual cleansing to remove tsumi

8. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. More Implications of Creation Myth Establishes significant differences with views of other religions Portrays the spirit of the sun as female and the spirit of the moon as male In direct contrast, most religions that deify the sun and moon portray the sun as male and the moon as female Portrays Japan as a place where humans live side-by- side with spirits and deities. Most religions depict gods as living in a different realm What implications do these differences have for Japanese culture? Expect a forum question.

9. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Essentials of Shinto Beliefs The heart of Shinto is a sensitivity to the mysterious powers of nature. Kami are energies that animate nature Can be felt in places of natural beauty Can be felt in dangers of nature Seen especially in places of natural power or beauty Kami are treated as persons and given names

10. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Kami of Shinto Major Kami Izanagi—primeval father Izanami—primeval mother Amaterasu—sun goddess Tsukiyomi—moon god Susanowo—wind god Inari—rice goddess

11. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Kami of Shinto Lesser Kami Spirit of fire Deity of grain Ocean spirits Mountain spirits,including especially the Kami of Mount Fuji Spirits of trees, rivers and waterfalls Animal spirits Ancestors, who are believed to have a direct impact on the current lives of their descendants Great leaders, including artists, teachers, scholars, and especially emperors

12. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Shinto Scriptures Shinto scriptures were first recorded in Chinese script after the advent of Mahayana Buddhism in order to preserve the myths. In the 8 th century C. E. The myths appear in 2 core works The Kojiki “Chronicle of Ancient Events” The Nihongi “Chronicle of Japan” Both of these works also contain genuine historical information Norito, ancient Shinto rituals and prayers were recorded later

13. ©2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Shinto Values No clearly defined ethical code—Morality flows from values Human nature is basically good Human body and sexuality are good Focus on life, which is good, not on death Bodies, clothing and houses must all be kept clean and purified if it becomes contaminated. Human character must have sincerity “makoto” Humans must maintain and restore their purity by repaying debts, fulfilling obligations and apologizing for misdeeds.