An Introduction to the Religion of Shintoism
Shinto is regarded as a religion indigenous to Japan and is said to predate all trustworthy historical records. The word ‘Shinto’ is composed of two words from the original Chinese word ‘Shêntao’: ‘shin’ which means gods or spirits, and ‘to’ which means the philosophical way or path – essentially the philosophical way or path to the gods or spirits. The religion of Shinto was only named and in any way systemised in late 6th century AD as a way to differentiate it from Buddhism and Confucianism which were newly introduced from China.
While many of our readers most likely practise the Christian faith, it’s important for us to understand the religions prevalent in the martial arts, to better understand the ideologies present in our chosen disciplines.
The Beliefs of Shinto
The religion of Shino has no established dogma, moral precepts, or sacred scriptures, but many shrines – known as ‘jinja’ – peppered around the country of Japan have often been bases of power with ties to Imperial and Shogunate rule through the ages.
Followers of Shinto worship a massive array of gods of spirits – known as ‘kami’ – which embody all aspects of nature such as the sky, the earth, the celestial bodies, and natural phenomena. Trees and rocks can be identified as sacred objects by the shimenawa ropes – made of laid rice straw or hemp – and white paper strips which are attached to them. There are many festivals held all over Japan which have origins in Shinto rites, including prayers of thanksgiving, offerings, and purification rituals. You could most likely even bless your favourite online real money pokies for good fortune!
The Origins of Shinto
While the true origins of Shinto have long been lost to the sands of time, according to the historical records of ancient Japan, circa AD712, the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami presented the ‘Imperial Regalia’ to her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto. The Imperial Regalia are holy relics which appear in the ancient myths of Japan and are known as ‘sanshu no jingi’. These holy relics were presented in order of importance and are made up of the sacred mirror, the sacred sword, and the curved jewels.
Shinto and Buddhism were united as a new doctrine known as Ryobu Shinto – the Shinto of two kinds – under the great teacher, Kukai, in the late 8th century and in the Edo period of 1600-1868 there a resurgent interest in ancient Shinto beliefs. The emperor was restored to the head of government in 1868 and Shinto was established as the state religion of Japan.
Shintoism in Modern Japan
Many Shinto ceremonies, in addition to hundreds of festivals, form an important part of daily life in modern Japan. Many marriages are performed in shrines, plots of land earmarked for building are purified, and new cars are sometimes even blessed for safety. In a rite known as ‘oharai’, a priest wearing white will wave a stick which has white strips of paper attached to it in order to carry out the blessing. In addition to the Buddhist butsudan, or Buddha altar, many family homes have a ‘god shelf’ or ‘kamidana’.
Even though there are many diffuse forms of Shinto, many distinguish three types of Shinto practise: Shrine Shinto (the oldest and most prevalent), Sect Shinto (comprised of 13 groups formed during the 19th century), and Folk Shinto (includes the numerous splintered folk beliefs of deities and spirits).