The basis of Shinto is the deification and worship of natural forces and phenomena. It is believed that everything that exists on Earth is, to one degree or another, animate, deified, even those things that we are accustomed to consider inanimate - for example, a stone or a tree. Each thing has its own spirit, a deity - kami. Some kami are spirits of the area, others personify natural phenomena and are patrons of families and clans.

Since ancient times, various objects and phenomena have been classified as kami. Kami are qualities (development, productivity), natural phenomena (wind and thunder), and natural objects (sun, mountains, rivers, trees, rocks). Kami include some animals and ancestral spirits, such as the spirits of the Emperor's ancestors and other noble families. In a certain sense, all ancestral spirits are kami. Other kami represent global natural phenomena, such as Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess.

Also revered as kami are crafts and skills, spirits who protect the earth and the souls of national heroes - people who distinguished themselves by virtuous deeds, who contributed to the development of civilization, culture, improving the lives of people, or who died for their state or clan. Obviously, nature spirits had an advantage over humans, since, unlike humans, even the most pitiful and powerless of them were still kami.

In many cases, kami are almost impossible to distinguish from animistic deities, but in modern Shintoism, kami are generally considered spirits of noble birth, possessing power and authority. Modern kami concept is based on the idea of ​​justice, order, holiness and the following basic principle: the kami interact with each other in harmony and rejoice, being in harmony with the entire universe.

In Shintoism there is no supreme deity - the creator and ruler of all things, the world arises and develops thanks to the joint efforts of the kami, each of which performs a specific mission. Even the main one among the kami - the ancestor of the imperial family, the Sun Goddess, who fills the world with solar grace, takes into account the opinions of other kami, yields to them and sometimes asks them for help.

It can be argued that there are differences between the modern and ancient concepts of kami, but the ancient concept still exists in parallel with its improved modern version.

There are many parts of the concept of kami that cannot be fully understood, giving rise to disagreements even among recognized experts. The Japanese themselves do not have a clear idea of ​​these deities. Perceiving kami intuitively, people try to communicate with them directly, without a clear theological concept explaining their nature. Only recently have the spiritual leaders of Shinto tried to create a unified theory of kami, and even despite this, many questions remain that are incomprehensible even to Shintoists.

Each kami has a certain character, capabilities and performs its own task; he is worshiped as the creator or custodian of any object or phenomenon. So, one kami is responsible for water consumption, another for making medicine, and a third for healing. Ancestral kami look after a certain social group, the territory of a clan or a clan - people united by family relations. However, it is not always possible to find an answer to the question of who or what is protected by this or that kami.

A special place among the kami is occupied by the guardians of clans (uji), who are usually called ujigami, who are always worshiped in temples. Shrines associated with the cult of one or another ujigami are scattered throughout the country, but after population migration increased and the concept of clan began to gradually collapse, the word ujigami began to be used to refer to the patrons of a particular area and the people inhabiting it. In other words, if in the past family ties played the main role, in our time relationships in the community are becoming increasingly important.

Nevertheless, even now there are many people who are devoted to their clan; they regularly visit their native places to take part in the holidays in honor of their guardian kami. Also worth noting is Hitogami - these are kami associated with sacred people: shamans, sages, saints. The hitogami system is strictly individualized and built on the veneration of religious leaders from the history of Shintoism.

Three items still constitute the sacred regalia of imperial power. The mirror symbolizes truthfulness, the jasper pendants symbolize mercy, and the sword symbolizes wisdom. The emperor ruled the country by resorting to these divine symbols given to him by the Sun Goddess.

The main purpose of a temple is to provide shelter for one or more kami, and to provide a place for people to worship and serve the kami according to the traditions and customs of Shintoism.

The national religion of Japan is Shintoism. The term "Shinto" means the way of the gods. Son or kami are gods, spirits who inhabit the entire world around humans. Any object can be the embodiment of a kami. The origins of Shinto go back to ancient times and include all the forms of belief and cults inherent in primitive peoples: totemism, animism, magic, fetishism, etc.

Development of syntonism

The first mythological monuments of Japan dating back to the 7th-8th centuries. AD - Kojiki, Fudoki, Nihongi - reflected the complex path of formation of the system of Shinto cults. A significant place in this system is occupied by the cult of dead ancestors, the main one of which was the clan ancestor ujigami, who symbolized the unity and cohesion of the clan members. The objects of veneration were the deities of the earth and fields, rain and wind, forests and mountains, etc.

In the early stages of development, Shinto did not have an orderly system of beliefs. The development of Shinto followed the path of forming a complex unity of religious and mythological ideas of various tribes - both local and those who came from the mainland. As a result, a clear religious system was never created. However, with the development of the state and the rise of the emperor, the Japanese version of the origin of the world, the place of Japan and its sovereigns in this world is formed. Japanese mythology claims that in the beginning there were Heaven and Earth, then the first gods appeared, among whom was the married couple Izanagi and Izanami, who played a major role in the creation of the world.

They disturbed the ocean with a huge spear tipped with a precious stone, and seawater dripping from the tip formed the first of the Japanese islands. Then they began to run around the sky pillar and gave birth to other Japanese islands. After Izanami's death, her husband Izanagi visited the kingdom of the dead, hoping to save her, but was unable to. Returning, he performed a purification rite, during which he produced from his left eye the goddess of the Sun - Amaterasu, from his right - the god of the Moon, from his nose - the god of rain, who devastated the country with a flood. During the flood, Amaterasu went into a cave and deprived the earth of light. All the gods, having gathered, persuaded her to go out and return the Sun, but they succeeded with great difficulty. In Shintoism, this event is, as it were, reproduced in holidays and rituals dedicated to the arrival of spring.

According to mythology, Amaterasu sent her grandson Ninigi to earth to rule over people. The Japanese emperors, who are called tenno (heavenly sovereign) or mikado, trace their ancestry from him. Amaterasu gave him “divine” regalia: a mirror - a symbol of honesty, jasper pendants - a symbol of compassion, a sword - a symbol of wisdom. These qualities are attributed to the highest degree to the personality of the emperor.

The main temple complex in Shintoism was the shrine in Ise - Ise Jingu. In Japan, there is a myth according to which the spirit of Amaterasu, living in Ise Jingu, helped the Japanese in the fight against the Mongol conquerors in 1261 and 1281, when the divine kamikaze wind twice destroyed the Mongol fleet heading to the shores of Japan. Shinto shrines are rebuilt every 20 years. It is believed that the gods enjoy being in one place for just that long.

Characteristics of syntonism

The name of the religion “Shinto” itself consists of two hieroglyphs: “shin” and “to”. The first is translated as “deity” and has another reading - “kami”, and the second means “path”. Thus, the literal translation of "Shinto" is "the way of the gods." What is behind such an unusual name? Strictly speaking, it is a Sinto-pagan religion. It is based on the cult of ancestors and the worship of the forces of nature. Shinto is a national religion addressed not to all humanity, but only to the Japanese. It arose as a result of the unification of beliefs widespread in certain areas of Japan around a cult that developed in the central province of Yamato and is associated with the ancestral deities of the imperial house.

The most ancient forms of beliefs have been preserved and continue to live in Shinto, such as magic, totemism (the veneration of individual animals as patrons), fetishism (the belief in the supernatural power of amulets and talismans). Unlike many other religions, Shinto cannot name a specific human or deity founder. In this religion there are generally no clear distinctions between people and kami. People, according to Shinto, descended directly from kami, live with them in the same world and can become kami after death. Therefore, he does not promise salvation in some other world, but considers the ideal to be the harmonious existence of a person with the world around him, in spiritual unity.

Another feature of Shinto is the many rituals that have remained virtually unchanged over the centuries. At the same time, Shinto dogma occupies a very insignificant place in comparison with ritual. In the beginning there were no dogmas in Shinto. Over time, under the influence of religious teachings borrowed from the continent, individual clergy tried to create dogmas. However, the result was only a synthesis of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian ideas. They existed independently of the Shinto religion itself, the main content of which to this day remains rituals.

Unlike other religions, Shinto does not contain moral principles. The concept of pure and unclean takes the place of the concept of good and evil. If a person is “dirty”, i.e. has done something inappropriate, he must go through a cleansing ritual. A real sin in Shinto is considered to be a violation of the world order - “tsumi”, and a person will have to pay for such a sin even after death. He goes to the Land of Darkness and there leads a painful existence surrounded by evil spirits. But there is no developed teaching about the afterlife, hell, heaven or the Last Judgment in Shinto. Death is seen as the inevitable extinction of vital forces, which are then reborn again. The Shinto religion teaches that the souls of the dead are somewhere nearby and are not fenced off in any way from the human world. For a Shinto follower, all major events take place in this world, which is considered to be the best of all worlds.

A follower of this religion is not required to perform daily prayers or frequent visits to temples. Participation in temple festivals and the performance of traditional rituals associated with important events in life is quite enough. Therefore, the Japanese themselves often perceive Shinto as a set of national events and traditions. In principle, nothing prevents a Shintoist from professing any other religion, even considering himself an atheist. When asked about their religious affiliation, very few Japanese answer that they are Shintoists. And yet, the performance of Shinto rituals is inseparable from the daily life of a Japanese person from the moment of his birth until his death, it’s just that for the most part the rituals are not considered as a manifestation of religiosity.

Japan today is one of the most highly developed capitalist countries. Japan is an example of how resources can be used effectively, bringing the country to a new level, with a highly developed economy, political system, and a modern way of life while respecting ancient traditions and cultures. Japanese national religion is multifaceted.

Every Japanese citizen by law has the right to practice any religion, without limiting himself to tradition.

According to a survey, more than 70% of the entire Japanese population consider themselves atheists. Despite this, the Japanese national religion is rich in various cults and rituals, which almost every resident of the Japanese Islands has resorted to at least once in their life.

When conducting wedding ceremonies, or funeral services, canons and traditions of the Christian religion, or .

Funeral services for the dead always take place exclusively in temples of the Buddhist religion.

Up to 30 percent of the total population of modern Japan honor ancient traditions and make pilgrimages to holy places. When opening new stores and crowded places, ancient rituals are used along with modern traditions.

The main religion of Japan is Shintoism

Shintoism is one of the most ancient religions, which began to emerge long before the emergence and formation of feudalism in Japan. The Japanese religion - Shintoism is based on the belief and worship of various deities. In Shintoism, great importance is given to honoring the souls of deceased people. If we literally translate the name of the faith “Shintoism,” we get “the ways of the gods.”

According to Japanese religion, every object on earth, animated or inanimate, every dewdrop has its own essence, which is called kami . Every stone, mountain, river has a soul that is invisible to the human eye. Kami also have various natural phenomena.

A spiritual entity, according to Japanese religion, for example, the soul of a deceased person, is the patron and protector of individual families, and even entire clans. Kami is an imperishable, eternal substance that takes part in the endless cycle of death and life on earth.

The religious canons of the Japanese religion regulate the lives of people in Japan. The main thing is the unity and mutual understanding of man and nature. Shintoism is a religion that unites under its wing all living and nonliving things in this world.

The concepts of good and evil principles inherent in every world religion are quite specific, difficult to perceive and understand by representatives of European religions. Unlike many other faiths, Shintoism does not deny the presence of other worlds and evil spirits, from which it is not only possible, but also necessary to protect oneself by conducting occult rituals and using protective symbols.

Shintoism is a kind of propaganda for the use of all kinds of protective totems, amulets, and the use of magical rituals.

Buddhism is a Japanese religion and one of the most widespread religions in the world. began to emerge in the sixth century, and the spread of the new creed was carried out by five sacred monks who came from Korea and India.

Over the more than one and a half thousand history of its formation and development, the religion of the Japanese Islands has become very heterogeneous. The Buddhist religion has a significant number of different beliefs, schools and movements, which reveal completely different aspects of the basic Buddhist belief.

Some schools specialize exclusively in Buddhist philosophy, others teach the art of meditation, a third school teaches how to read and understand mantras, and some beliefs emphasize the cultural aspects of Buddhism.

Despite such a wide variety of different schools and movements, each of them enjoys great success among the Japanese population.

Christianity

Christianity, which came to the islands in the second half of the 16th century, was received very hostilely among the population. Many missionaries were executed, some renounced their faith. The reason for this was the total implantation of the Catholic faith in all spheres of life. Today, the Christian religion is practiced by more than 10 percent of the Japanese population.

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What is Shintoism (Shinto)

Shintoism is an ancient historical religion of Japan that is based on the belief in the existence of many gods and spirits living locally at specific shrines or throughout the world, such as the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Shintoism has aspects, that is, the belief that spirits reside in natural inanimate objects, in fact, in all things. For Shintoism, the primary goal is that man lives in harmony with nature. , Shintoism or “Shinto” can be translated as – The Way of the Gods.

Shintoism is the essence of religion - briefly.

In simple words, Shintoism is not quite a religion in the classical sense of the term, but rather a philosophy, idea and culture based on religious beliefs. In Shinto there are no specific canonical sacred texts, no formal prayers and no obligatory rituals. Instead, worship options vary greatly depending on the shrine and deity. Very often in Shinto it is customary to worship the spirits of ancestors, who, according to beliefs, constantly surround us. From the above we can conclude that Shintoism is a very liberal religion aimed at creating the common good and harmony with nature.

Origin of religion. Where did Shintoism originate?

Unlike many other religions, Shintoism does not have a founder or a specific point of origin in time. The peoples of ancient Japan long practiced animistic beliefs, worshiping divine ancestors and communicating with the spirit world through shamans. Many of these practices migrated to the so-called first recognized religion - Shinto (Shintoism). This happened during the Yayoi culture from about 300 BC to 300 AD. It was during this period that certain natural phenomena and geographical features were given the names of various deities.

In Shinto beliefs, supernatural powers and entities are known as Kami. They control nature in all its forms and live in places of great natural beauty. In addition to the conventionally benevolent spirits “Kami”, Shintoism contains evil entities - demons or “They” which are mostly invisible and can live in different places. Some of them are represented as giants with horns and three eyes. The power of "They" is usually temporary, and they do not represent an inherent force of evil. As a rule, in order to calm them down, it is necessary to perform a certain ritual.

Basic concepts and principles in Shintoism.

• Purity. Physical purity, spiritual purity and avoidance of destruction;
• Physical well-being;
• Harmony must be present in all things. It must be maintained to prevent imbalance;
• Food and Fertility;
• Family and clan solidarity;
• Subordination of the individual to the group;
• Respect for nature;
• Everything in the world has the potential for both good and bad;
• The soul (Tama) of the dead can influence life before it joins the collective Kami of its ancestors.

Shinto gods.

As in many other ancient religions, Shinto deities represent important astrological, geographical and meteorological phenomena that have ever occurred and are believed to influence daily life.

The creator gods are considered to be: Goddess of creation and death - Izanami and her husband Izanagi. They are considered to be the creators of the islands of Japan. Further down the hierarchy, the sun goddess is considered to be the supreme deity - Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo-god of the sea and storms.

Other significant deities in Shintoism include the god-goddess Inari, who is considered the patroness of rice, fertility, trade and handicrafts. The messenger of Inari is a fox and a popular figure in temple art.

Also in Shintoism, the so-called “Seven Gods of Happiness” are especially revered:

• Ebisu– the god of luck and hard work, who is considered the patron of fishermen and traders;
• Daikoku- god of wealth and patron of all peasants;
• Bishamonten- god of warrior-protector, god of wealth and prosperity. Very revered among the military, doctors and servants of the law;
• Benzaiten– goddess of sea luck, love, knowledge, wisdom and art;
• Fukurokuju– god of longevity and wisdom in actions;
• Hotei- god of kindness, compassion and good nature;
• Jurojin- god of longevity and health.

In general, the pantheon of Shinto gods is very large and includes various deities responsible for almost all aspects of human life.

Shrines and altars in Shintoism.

In Shintoism, a sacred place can belong to several “Kami” at once, and despite this, there are more than 80 thousand different shrines in Japan. Some natural sites and mountains can also be considered shrines. Early shrines were simply mountain altars on which offerings were laid out. Then, decorated buildings were erected around such altars. Shrines are easily identified by the presence of sacred gates. The simplest ones are just two vertical pillars with two longer crossbars, which symbolically separate the sacred space of the shrine from the outside world. Such shrines are usually managed and cared for by a chief priest or elder, and the local community funds the work. In addition to public shrines, many Japanese have small altars in their homes dedicated to ancestors.

The most important Shinto shrine is the Ise Great Shrine (Ise Shrine), dedicated to Amaterasu with a secondary shrine to the harvest goddess Toyouke.

Shintoism and Buddhism.

Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century BC as part of the Chinese colonization process. There was virtually no opposition to these belief systems. Both Buddhism and Shintoism found mutual space to flourish side by side for many centuries in ancient Japan. During the period 794-1185 AD, certain Shinto "kami" and Buddhist bodhisattvas were formally combined to create a single deity, thus creating Ryōbu Shinto or "Double Shinto". As a result, images of Buddhist figures were included in Shinto shrines, and some Shinto shrines were administered by Buddhist monks. The official separation of religions occurred already in the 19th century.

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The oldest religion of the Japanese - before the unification of the country in the first centuries AD. - reflected the patriarchal tribal system, where warlike tribal nobility stood out and patriarchal slavery arose. This religion apparently consisted of the veneration of family, tribal and tribal spirits and patron gods - kami.The word “kami” literally means at the top, top, boss. It is unclear whether these were originally the spirits of the dead, ancestors, or the spirits of the earth, the elements; it is possible that both of these ideas merged in the images of the kami. Places of their veneration were marked by stone fences or simple buildings. The Japanese did not make images of kami, but they kept fetishes - emblems of deities - in shrines. The old traditional religion of the Japanese, which previously did not have a specific name, began, in contrast to Buddhism, to be called kami-no-michi, literally “the way of Kame,” that is, “the path of the local gods,” or in Chinese, Shinto; the last word also entered European languages.

Shintoism was heavily influenced by Buddhism. Shinto priests gradually organized themselves into a closed hereditary caste. In imitation of Buddhist temples, Shinto temples also began to be built, albeit simpler ones; Shintoists began to make images of gods. Buddhists introduced the ritual of cremation; In ancient times, the dead in Japan were buried in the ground. Both religions began to gradually move closer together. Inside Buddhist temples, corners were reserved for Shinto gods - kami; sometimes these kami were even simply identified with Buddhist deities. On the other hand, the Shinto pantheon was replenished with Buddhist deities. Unlike Buddhism with its complex and sophisticated religious and philosophical dogma, Shintoism has still retained the features of a deeply archaic cult. Shintoism is also not united: it is divided, first of all, into official temple Shintoism and sectarian Shintoism. Temple Shintoism was the state religion of Japan until the end of the Second World War. Its main core was the dogma of the divinity of imperial power. The Emperor is a descendant of the goddess Amaterasu. Every Japanese is obliged to obey his sacred will absolutely. Emperor's palace sanctuary. The tombs of deceased emperors are also made into shrines. The most important state and religious holidays were associated with the days of remembrance of outstanding emperors, starting with the legendary Jimmu-tenno.

According to Shintoism, man traces his origins to one of the countless deities and spirits - kami. Kami is the creation of other gods. Kami live in nature and in material objects. Kami can either help or harm a person. Kami are the gods of Japan. Among kami a special place is occupied by the supreme deity - the sun goddess Amaterasu-o-mi-kami("Great Goddess Shining in the Sky"), who is considered the ancestor of the dynasty of Japanese emperors. The soul of the deceased, under certain circumstances, is also capable of becoming kami. In its turn, kami has the ability to be embodied in ritual objects (sword, mirror, figurine of a deity or a tablet with his name) and such an object - shintai- turns into an object of worship. Shinto worship consists of 4 elements - purification ( harai), sacrifices ( Shinsei), short prayer (norito) and libations ( naorai). The ethics of Shintoism are extremely simple. The main moral commandment is unconditional obedience to the emperor. From V-VI centuries. The imperial court began to direct the activities of the main Shinto shrines: the most important rituals began to be performed personally by the emperor, declared in the 7th century. the high priest of Shintoism. The most serious sins are considered to be, which is very typical for agricultural people, damage to irrigation structures, dams, as well as excessive cruelty to animals (nothing is said about humans) and pollution of sacred places with excrement. Shintoists themselves sometimes explain such extreme simplicity of moral precepts by the fact that the Japanese are a naturally moral people and they do not need religious and moral commandments and prohibitions.

The Shinto religion is generally entirely focused on earthly life and has little interest in the other world. Its essence is the religious consecration of the socio-political system that has historically developed in Japan.

The lack of a unified canonical literature in Shintoism was compensated by the creation in the 7th-8th centuries. collections of ancient historical myths, legends and tales - "Kojiki" ("Record of Ancient Affairs") and "Nihon Shoki" ("Annals of Japan"). The penetration of Buddhism from Korea and China into Japan (from the 6th century) gradually eliminated the monopoly position of Shintoism.