Shintoism
The Japanese Government has attempted to stabilise important political institutions and to secure a religious adjustment by Isolating Shinto from Buddhism and Christianity.
Shintoism, according to the Japanese leaders is a bulwark against anarchism, socialism and dangers of free thought.
To promote patriotism and loyalty to the Throne, Shinto priests have been given Court rank and treated as Government officials.
There is no documentary evidence to show that the term was in use before 552 A.D. when Buddhism was introduced.
The struggle between the native religion and the foreign faith brought out the true Shinto, Shinto has been defined as a generic name for ideas and institutions existing in Japan prior to the introduction of Buddhism and Confucianism, and as an expression of the preservative instinct of the Japanese race.
Kato defines It as a system of patriotism and loyalty cantering in Mikadoism.
Kume calls it a Kansi Cult.
Nitake characterises it as hylozoism or pan-psychism in which the term Kami signifies the “Psyche” which exhibits itself in all the forms and forces of Nature.
Harada calls it Nature worship and worship of deified men. The official Shinto may he described as a ceremonial which centres in the native Japanese Shrines, kriza, the classical expression of which is found in Kojiki and Nihonji and the ancient Narito.
There are two main streams of development: Nature worship terrin suhai, and ancestor worship, sosan suhai.
The idea of God is based on the aesthetic and wonderful aspects of nature and the moral character of man.
Loyalty and feelings of reverence towards Important personages of the tribe or state marked the religion of the ancient Japanese.
The Shinto rituals arose primarily from the desire of safe guarding the food supply, to ensure the success and permanence of the governmental regime.
The greatest Japanese Buddhist monk, Kobo Daishi (835 A.D.) combined Shinto and Buddhism, now Amaterasu no Omikami became Vairchan Buddha.
The Japanese Renaissance embraces the period from the beginning of the 18th century to 1868.
During this period national consciousness came over Japan; and revival of the ancient literature Kogaku Fukko, The Lord of Krito, Mltsukami, 1622 – 1700 complied Dal Nikoushi after a thorough search of all the Temple libraries.
This led to the revival of Shinto under the great scholars, Kamo Kabuchi, Motoari Narivaga and Hirata.
Shinto or the Way was adopted from Taoism.
Nihongi.
“In that land there were numerous deities (spirits) which shone with a lustre like that of fireflies, and evil deities which buzzed like flies”.
“The God who originally founded this country is the God who descended from Heaven and established this state in the period when Heaven and Earth became separated and when the trees and herbs had speech”.
SHINTO
Three Gods emerged out of the Chaos which was like an ocean mud veiled in darkness: The heavenly central Lord Ame-no-minaka-nushi.
1. The Eternal land Ruler Kumi-toreo-tachi,
- High Producing Taka-mi-musuki.
- Divine Producing Kami-mi-musuki
No 3 combined in one the male and female elements
These three Gods came and vanished. Then out of the same Chaos came the male-who-invites, (Izanagi) and the Female-who-invites (Izanami) they descended to the Earth. They produced Japan with its mountains, flowers etc.
The divine couple begat the Heaven illuminating Goddess, (Ama-terasu-Ohmi Kami) The Moon Ruler (Tsuki Yomi) and the Valiant- Swift Impetus Hero (Takehaya Susanowo Lord of Ocean.
SHINTO TAUGHT.
Purity.
Loyalty to traditions.
The Individual is almost nothing, authority and tradition are the foundation of morality.
Virtue of submission.
Valour and militancy.
A warrior poet of the 8th century sang:
“Serve our Sovran at sea, Our sodden corpses leaving to the salt sea Serve our Sovran by land.”
Swords, Spears, bows and arrows were worshipped as symbols of the deities.
SOUL
The human soul after death wont either to the Land of Gloom, (Yomotsu Kuni) or Plain of High Heaven (Takerna su Hara).
The souls of common men just vanished.
The soul was composed of two elements, one veiled, refined and happy, the other rough, brutal and raging.
SHINTOISM
The term Sginto is first mentioned in the book of Emperor Yomel, in the Nihonji.
THE CREATION.
First one God the absolute. Two Gods came out of It: Zana gi and Izanami.
The first time Shinto is mentioned is in the book of Emperor Youmei in the Nihonzi.
TWO DEVELOPMENTS OF SHINTO.
Naturalistic, Cultural.
One is the nature religion, Is Ethical-1ntellectualistic religion, greatly influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism.
In nature-religion (Shinto) fetishism, spiritism, cohesion and primitive monotheism.
The Japanese were first sun worshippers, the moon, the mountains, the gods of rivers, Earthquake, wells wolves, silkworms, trees.
Individual personages worshipped as Kumis in life time and after death.
The Japanese Imperial line is unbroken from the Sun-goddess.
Hayashi Nazan, an eminent scholar of the 17th Century says: –
The Deity is the spirit of Heaven and Earth. The human mind partaking of divinity is an abode of the deity which is the spiritual Essence.
There is no highest deity outside the human mind”. The Emperor is the visible deity (Akita su Kami)
The father of the Emperor Jirnum was regarded to have sprung from the Sea goddess Toyotama-Hurie.
There is Monotheism in Ame-no-Minakanushi no Kami, the divine -Lord of the very centre of Heaven.
The disappearance of the sun goddess owing to the violence of Sugano no Kami.
| PERIOD | EXTREME
ALSRUISM |
RATIONALISTIC
DUALISM |
MYSTICAL
MONISM |
| P.O. 530 | – | Laotzu | |
| 500 | • | Kung Putzu | — |
| 400 | Matzi | • | Nutzi |
| 325 | . | Keaztzi |