“The Path of the Gods” - this is the translation of the word Shintoism, the traditional religion of the Land of the Rising Sun or Japan - let us walk along the Path of the Gods, briefly examining the ideas, essence, principles and philosophy of Shintoism.

This is an ancient Japanese belief system in which many deities and spirits of deceased ancestors became objects of veneration and worship. The teachings of Buddhism significantly influenced the development of Shintoism, which is based on the worship of something external.

History of the development of Shintoism

Why does the Japanese flag have a rising sun?

Actually, Shintoism became a systematized or traditional religion in the 7th-8th centuries AD. And as many people know, the symbol of Japan is the sun, and the name there is a corresponding Land of the Rising Sun - this is in honor of the main sun goddess Amaterasu. According to the Shinto tradition, the pedigree of the imperial family begins with it.

The essence of Shintoism

According to Shintoism and its essence, many natural phenomena or forces of nature can have their own spiritual basis or essence. And that which has a spiritual essence, according to Shintoism, is god or Kami(from Japanese).

In other words, this is the deification of something that can evoke any emotions, say a mountain or stone, sky, earth, bird and others. And here we even find amazing things, because in Shintoism it is believed that people are born precisely by gods, and not created, as for example in Christianity.

And there is even one amazing story, when a Catholic asked a Shintoist what God looks like, he simply answered “and we dance.” This is a beautiful answer, isn’t it, even more so than the one we already wrote separately.

Basic Ideas of Shintoism

One of the most important and basic ideas of Shintoism is achieving harmony with the deities through purification and elimination of all unnecessary things that interfered with the comprehension of the world around us and being in harmony with it.

It should also be noted that the ideas of Shinto also served the interests of the entire country, because if a person becomes pure in heart, then he lives in harmony with nature and the Gods, and therefore the country as a whole becomes prosperous.

Here we also see the idea that a person who is peaceful and treats others with respect and compassion receives protection from the gods and from the Buddha, and the whole country also receives divine protection.

Although from the 18th century Shintoism began to separate from Buddhism and develop separately, Buddhism remained the state religion until 1886.

Just as Confucius played a role in unifying China, so Shintoism, with its ideas of the divinity of the imperial family, played a role in unifying the Japanese state.

Principles of Shintoism

Moreover, it is believed that gods, people and the spirits of the dead simply coexist with each other, since everyone is in a cycle of reincarnation.

The principles of Shinto are also based on the fact that if a person lives with a pure and sincere heart and sees the world as it is, then for this reason he is already virtuous and in his place.

In Shintoism, evil is a lack of harmony, hatred and selfishness, a violation of the general order that exists in nature.

Religious customs and rituals of Shintoism

The Shinto religion is built on rituals, customs and temple services. It is believed that everything in this world is initially harmonious, just like man himself. However, evil spirits take advantage of a person’s weaknesses and base thoughts. This is why deities are needed in Shintoism - they are a support for a person, to maintain a pure heart and provide him with protection.

There are entire collections of books on how to correctly perform the rituals of the gods, both in ordinary temples and in the temples of the imperial court. Shintoism served to unite the Japanese people, because it is believed that it was the gods who first existed, and they gave birth to both Japan and the dynasty of Chinese emperors.

Shintoism is the state religion of Japan

In 1868, Shintoism in Japan became the state religion, until 1947, when a new constitution was adopted and for some reason the emperor ceased to be considered a living god.

As for modern Shintoism, even today in Japan there are tens of thousands of temples where rituals of deities or ancestral spirits are held. Temples are usually built in nature, in beautiful places.

The central place in the temple is the altar, on which some object is placed, in which the spirit of the deity is located. This item can be a stone, a piece of wood, or even a sign with an inscription.

And in a Shinto shrine there may be separate places for preparing sacred food, for spells and dancing.

Shinto philosophy

At its core, the Shinto tradition and its philosophy are based on the deification and worship of natural forces. The living gods who created the people of Japan are embodied in the spirits of nature, for example, in the spirit of a mountain, stone, or river.

The sun is a completely different matter. So Sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami - is the main deity of Japanese Shintoism, and simply all of Japan, as the founder of the imperial family.

And therefore, according to Shinto philosophy, people should worship these deities as respect for their bloodline and for protection, as well as for patronage from these deities and nature spirits.

Shinto philosophy also includes the concept of virtue, compassion for others, and strong respect for elders. The original sinlessness and virtue of the soul is recognized.

Places to worship where you are

As we have already said, Shintoism was greatly influenced by Buddhism, which was the state religion for a long time. A characteristic feature of Shintoism is that believers are not required to visit temples frequently; it is enough to come on holidays. You can also perform prayers to ancestors and spirits at home.

Conclusion

It is quite obvious that Japanese Shintoism had its The goal is to unite the people, develop harmony between people and nature, as well as develop the spirit of unity. In addition, Shintoism finds virtually no contradictions with other major world religions, because the same ancestors are revered almost everywhere.

So a person can be, for example, both a Shintoist and a Buddhist. And as the experience of Shintoism shows, the main thing is harmony.

Perhaps someday, all religions will even come to one religion, or better yet, to one faith, faith in harmony, love, and similar things that are uniquely valuable and necessary for every reasonable and successful person.

Well, that’s why we wish everyone harmony and prosperity, and don’t forget to visit our portal, where you can learn a lot of interesting things about the spiritual world. And in one of the following articles we will try to bring a common denominator to all the main world religions and beliefs of society and, of course, don’t forget, which has so greatly influenced the history, philosophy and essence of Shintoism.

Religion of Japan Shintoism is the traditional national religion, culture and philosophy. Shintoism translates as the way of the gods. State Japanese Shintoism is based on the rituals and animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese. The Shinto religion, as Wikipedia points out, has many objects of worship called kami. Shintoism has many gods, but in it the cult includes not only gods, but also numerous ranked deities, spirits of the dead and forces of nature. The religion of Japan, Shinto, was influenced not only by Buddhism, but also by Taoism, Confucianism and even Christianity. To briefly describe Shinto, the religion of Japan is a symbiosis, with millions of objects of worship, as well as hundreds of new religions that appeared after the 18th century, not counting the influence of Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Of great, one might say decisive, importance is the ritual, that is, the practice that must be followed in a given situation.

Shinto as a religion in Japan cannot be called a highly organized religion, like Christianity, for example. Shintoism or Shinto, its essence lies in the deification of all kinds of natural forces and phenomena and the corresponding rituals of worship. It is also believed that many things have their own spiritual essence - kami. Shintoism describes kami precisely as spirituality, the spiritual essence of the subject. Kami in Shinto can exist on Earth in any material object, and not necessarily in one that is considered alive in the usual standard sense of the word. Shintoism states that kami is in everything, for example, in a tree, a stone, a sacred place, or one or another natural phenomenon. Shintoism also describes that under certain conditions a kami can attain divine dignity.

The Japanese religion of Shinto describes that some kami are spirits of a particular area or of certain natural objects, for example, the spirit of a particular mountain. Kami of other levels personify global natural phenomena, and in addition to them there is the central goddess of Shintoism - Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess of the Sun. Shinto also honors kami as patrons of families and clans; among the kami there are also spirits of deceased ancestors, who are considered patrons and protectors of their descendants. The Shinto religion of Japan also includes magic, totemism, and belief in the effectiveness of various protective talismans and amulets. It is also considered possible in Shintoism to protect against hostile kami or subjugate them with the help of special rituals and spells.
Briefly, the essence of Shintoism can be described as a spiritual principle - it is life in harmony with nature and the people around you. According to the ideas of Shinto adherents, the whole world is a single natural harmonious environment where kami, people and the souls of dead people live side by side with each other. Shintoism holds that kami are immortal and included in the cycle of birth and death. Shintoism claims that through such a cycle there is a constant renewal of everything in the world. Shinto also claims that today's cycle in its current form is not endless, it will only exist until the destruction of the earth, after which this process will take on other forms. In Shinto there is no concept of salvation as such, as in Christianity. Here, each believer himself determines his natural place in the world around us through his feelings, motivations and actions.
State Japanese Shintoism cannot be considered a dualistic religion. Shinto does not share the same strict law as the Abrahamic religions. The Shinto concepts of good and evil differ significantly from European traditional Christian ones, first of all, in their relativity and specificity. One can give an example of how enmity between two antagonistic by nature or harboring personal grievances is considered completely natural and does not make one of the opponents unconditionally bright or good, and the other dark or absolutely bad. In ancient Shinto, the light and dark forces, or good and evil, were referred to by the terms yoshi, meaning good, and ashi, meaning bad. Shintoism fills these definitions with meaning not as a spiritual absolute in Christianity, but only what should be avoided and what should be strived for in order to avoid tsumi, which is socially condemned, harmful to people around, distorting human nature actions, motives and actions.
Japanese Shintoism states that if a person acts with a sincere, open heart, perceives the world as it is, if his behavior is respectful and impeccable, and his motives are pure, then he is most likely to do good, at least in relation to himself and your social group, which is extremely important. Shinto recognizes as virtues compassion for others, respect for elders in age and position, the important ability to live harmoniously among people and maintain sincere and friendly relationships with everyone who surrounds a person and makes up his society here and now. Shintoism in Japan condemns anger, human selfishness, competition for the sake of competition itself, as well as intolerance towards other people's views and opinions. In Shintoism, everything that violates the established social order, destroys the harmony of the surrounding world itself and interferes with the service of the kami and the spirits of the dead or the forces of nature is considered evil.
The Shinto religion defines the human soul as the original good, because it is sinless, and the world around us is initially good, that is, it is correct, although not necessarily good. Shinto asserts that evil invades from the outside, evil is brought by evil spirits who take advantage of man's various weaknesses, his various temptations and unworthy thoughts and motives. Thus, evil in Shintoism is a kind of disease of the world, as well as of man himself.
Shinto thus shows that the process of creating evil, that is, deliberately or unconsciously causing harm to a person, is generally unnatural, because a person creates evil only when he is deceived or has been subjected to self-deception. A person does evil when he cannot or does not know how to feel happy, to distinguish evil from good, living among people, when his life is bad and wrong, burdened with bad thoughts and negative motives that have invaded a person’s life.
Traditional Japanese Shintoism shows that there is no absolute good and evil, and only a person himself can and should be able to distinguish one from the other, and for a correct judgment he needs an adequate perception of reality. Shintoism defines adequacy very poetically, that is, a person must have a heart like a mirror, and there must be a union between man and God. Any person can achieve such a high state by living correctly and not committing evil deeds.
Traditional Japanese state Shintoism as a religious philosophy is a development of the animistic beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands. There is no consensus on how Shintoism arose. There are several traditional versions of the origin of Shintoism. One of these versions talks about the export of this religion at the dawn of our era from continental states such as ancient China and Korea. There is also a version about the origin of Shintoism directly on the Japanese Islands. It can also be noted that animistic beliefs are typical of all known cultures in the world at a certain stage of development, but of all the large and civilized states, only in Japan were they not forgotten over time, but became, only partially modified, the basis of the state religion of Japan, Shintoism.
Shintoism or the way of the gods as the national and state religion of the Japanese dates back to the period of the 7th-8th centuries AD. BC, when Japan was unified under the rule of the rulers of the central Yamato region. During the unification process, the state religion of Japan was canonized, and the system of internal mythology received the main goddess of Shintoism. The goddess of Shintoism is the sun goddess Amaterasu, declared the ancestor of the ruling imperial dynasty, and local and clan gods took a corresponding subordinate position. The Shinto religion has a hierarchy that is similar to the government ranks of government officials.
Shintoism was formed into the state religion of Japan, and Buddhism helped it in this. Shintoism initially united into a single religion of Japan in the 6th-7th centuries. Since Buddhism had penetrated Japan by this point, it was very popular primarily among the Japanese aristocracy. At this moment, the authorities did everything to prevent inter-religious conflicts. In Shintoism, kami were first declared the patrons of Buddhism, and later some kami began to be associated with Buddhist saints. Ultimately, as a result of such religious mergers, the idea emerged that kami, like people, may need salvation, which is achieved in accordance with Buddhist canons. Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan can be seen to be quite intertwined from the very beginning.
It can also be noted that various Buddhist temples began to be located on the territory of Shinto temple complexes, where corresponding religious ceremonies were held. Thus, Buddhist sutras were now read directly at Shinto shrines. Shintoism recognizes the emperor as the direct follower of god on earth. A particularly strong influence of Buddhism began to manifest itself starting from the 9th century. At this time, Buddhism had already become the state religion of Japan. At this time, the Japanese state apparatus transferred many cult elements from Buddhism to Shintoism.
Various images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas began to appear in Shinto shrines. New holidays began to be celebrated in Shintoism, details of various rituals, ritual objects, as well as architectural features of buildings and temples were borrowed. At this time, various mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings appeared, such as Sanno-Shinto and Ryobu Shinto, viewing spiritual kami as manifestations of the Buddhist Vairocana, that is, the Buddha himself, permeating the entire Universe, that is, the primary Buddha, and the kami as their Japanese incarnations.

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 "way of the gods." What is behind such an unusual name? Strictly speaking, 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.

Introduction

The topic of this course work examines Shintoism as the national traditional religion of Japan.

The object of research in the work is the spiritual life of the Japanese population, that is, a system of views on understanding the world, combining moral norms and behavior patterns, rituals and cults that unite people.

The subject of the work is Shintoism as a system of cults, ideas and rituals.

The course work concerns only the territory of Japan, where Shintoism arose as a national religion.

The purpose of the study is to determine the role of Shintoism in the life of modern Japan, highlighting its connection with the emperor.

To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set:

study the origins of religion;

analyze the cult of the emperor, myths, rituals.

consider Shinto shrines as a place of rituals and worship.

The work uses ancient Japanese sources such as Kojiki and Nihongi.

Kojiki or “Records of Ancient Deeds” is the most famous monument of written ancient Japanese literature. It is a sacred scripture and includes a collection of legends and myths, a historical chronicle and a collection of ancient songs.

The author's list of the Kojiki has not survived to this day. The oldest and most complete version of the fully preserved lists of all the Kojiki scrolls is the so-called “Book of Shimpukuji,” which received its name in honor of the Shimpukuji Temple in Nagoya, where it is kept. The creation of this version by the monk Kenyu dates back to 1371-1372.

The Kojiki consists of three scrolls. The most famous of them is the first scroll, containing the main cycle of myths, tales and poems and songs included in them: from the myth of the origin of the Universe to the myths about the progenitor gods and the creation of the country of Yamato. The text contains a series of stories about the exploits of divine ancestors and heroes, the activities of their divine descendants on Earth, it also talks about the birth of the father of the legendary leader of the Japanese tribe Yamato Kamuyamato Iware-hiko (posthumous name Jimmu), considered the first emperor of Japan.

The second scroll is interesting for its folklore. Myths from legendary history turn into reality: covering the period from the historical legend about the campaign of Kamuyamato Iware-hiko to the story about the end of the reign of Homuda-wake (posthumous name Ojin) - the leader of the union of Japanese tribes (beginning of the 5th century).

The third scroll contains information about the ruling dynasty and some historical events covering the period up to 628 in a concise form.

The myths contained in the first scroll take place on High Sky Plain- in the abode of the gods, in land of darkness- in the underworld, and on the earth called Reed Plain. The central myth is about the birth of the sun goddess Amaterasu and her removal to Heavenly Grotto, which is why the cycle received the name Solar. The tales contained in the Kojiki about the fearless hero Yamatotakeru, who, according to traditional chronology, lived at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries, are also widely known. AD

Legends have a more ancient origin than myths. Their location after the myths is done with the aim of showing the divine origin of the country and earthly rulers, their successive connection with the heavenly gods. The tales are united by the idea of ​​​​creating a single centralized state. More than myths, they are connected with reality, with everyday life. It is not surprising that they reflected actual historical events: the conquests of the ancients with the aim of conquering foreigners, the struggle of the Yamato tribe with other clans and with the aborigines for the establishment of a tribal leader on the Japanese Islands - tenno.

The tales are grouped around several areas. These are the land of Izumo (west of Honshu Island), the land of Himuka (southern part of Kyushu Island) and the land of Yamato (coast of central Honshu).

Nihongi (“Nihon Shoki”) - 720 - one of the oldest written monuments in Japan (along with the Kojiki and Fudoki). This is a kind of chronicle of the reigns of the emperors of Japan from ancient times to 697, which contains biographical information about prominent figures in Japan of that time.

Unlike the Kojiki, which, along with chronological records about the ancient rulers of Japan, contains myths, tales and songs about the gods and the creation of the world, Nihongi, starting from the third chapter and up to the last thirtieth, is a detailed narrative about the life of the country and genealogy emperors who ruled Japan until 697 AD. It should also be noted that, unlike the Kojiki, Nihongi was written not in Old Japanese, but in Classical Chinese, which is dictated by the diplomatic importance of this document and the traditions of the official historiography of Ancient Japan. The continuation of "Nihongi" is "Shoku Nihongi" ("Continuation of the Annals of Japan"), covering the period from 697 to 791. In addition, Nihonshoki offers several versions of the same plot, which makes the chronicle in many ways a more valuable source representing the various existing mythological complexes.

Shintoism, or Shinto, literally translated from Japanese as “the way of the gods,” is an ancient religion of the Japanese, originating in animistic and totemistic ideas. Shintoism is a pagan religion. The main thing in it is the cult of ancestors and the worship of the gods. Shintoism was revived in Japan, only in this country is this religion inherent, it is not found anywhere else. It was created by mixing beliefs common in parts of Japan.

Shinto is characterized by magic, totemism, and fetishism. This religion differs from others in that it does not name a specific founder, such as a person or a deity. In this religion, people and kami are no different; there is no line between them. Kami is a deity that defined something inexplicable and supernatural for the Japanese. There were countless kami. There are said to be eight million Shinto deities. According to the Japanese, they lived everywhere - in the skies, on the earth and in the sea. The Japanese believed that when a person dies, he turns into a kami.

Many Shinto rituals have survived to this day. But now Shintoism does not have its pure form, new ideas were adopted in it, borrowed from other religions, as a result, only a synthesis of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian ideas arose. Shinto these days is characterized only by rituals.

Another difference between this religion and others is that it has no moral principles. Good and evil are replaced here by pure and unclean. If a person did something dirty, he had to undergo a cleansing ritual. The most terrible sin was the violation of the world order - tsumi, for such a sin, the Japanese believed, had to be paid even after death. He goes to the Land of Darkness and there leads a painful existence surrounded by evil spirits. There is no 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 the temple. It’s rare to find a Japanese driver wearing a talisman or a prayer against accidents. A modern Japanese will most likely consider following safety precautions. It is quite enough to participate in temple festivals and perform traditional rituals associated with important life events. Therefore, the Japanese themselves often perceive Shinto as a set of national customs and traditions. In principle, nothing prevents a Shintoist from professing another religion or even considering himself an atheist. 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. This is just a sign of respect for the culture of your country.

1. Origin of religion

The religious ideas of the Japanese people were formed in the process of long-term interaction of local cults with Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Settlers from the mainland, along with technical knowledge, crafts, cultural elements and socio-political views, brought their religious ideas to Japan. Among them were not only established religious movements, but also numerous primitive beliefs and superstitions that found favorable soil in Japan and became an integral part of many folk beliefs, which are now considered to be purely Japanese.

The religious beliefs of Japan are evidenced by data from archaeological excavations. These ideas were in the nature of animistic, fetishistic and totemistic beliefs. All objects and phenomena of the world around man were deified. At the same time, magic played a dominant role in people's lives. Almost helpless before the forces of nature, man sought to appease them and turn them to his advantage, or at least ward off the evil that could come from them. For this purpose, shamanic and witchcraft rituals were performed, which were preserved in a modified form later.

With the migration of significant masses of the population from the Asian mainland in the middle of the first millennium BC. related to the grammar and vocabulary of the Japanese language, the Japanese’s familiarity with metal and the culture of irrigated rice sowing. This brought great changes to the lifestyle of the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands and contributed to the socio-economic development of the country. Rice. became the main agricultural crop of Japan. The need for joint labor to cultivate and irrigate rice fields led to the emergence of the first permanent settlements, usually at the foot of mountains, along river banks and in other places suitable for rice cultivation. Initially, such settlements arose in northern Kyushu, an area that, due to its geographical location, was influenced by borrowings from mainland Asia. In the second century they arose in the eastern part of the country.

The growth of productive forces and the ability to accumulate surplus production led to class stratification within settlements, which were consanguineous communities. The ancestral nobility stands out. Over time, these initially semi-closed communities united into tribes. In the 1st and 2nd centuries, a process of unification of tribes took place, and an early class society took shape. Contacts with the more socially and economically developed China, which were most actively carried out by the tribal associations of northern Kyushu, accelerated this process. In the 2nd-3rd centuries, tribal unions were transformed into associations of small ones in embryonic state formations. One of them was Yamatai, located in northern Kyushu. For a long time, the rulers of Yamatai fought with neighboring tribal associations, subordinating one after another to their power. The campaign of Yamatai troops in central Japan, in the Kinai region, dates back to the turn of the 3rd-4th centuries. Having conquered the local tribes, the conqueror moved the center of their possessions to the area of ​​Yamato (present-day Nara Prefecture), after which the united Japanese state began to be called.

The True Path permeates the whole world, it is the same for all countries. However, only in the divine country where the emperor rules, the essence of this Path is passed down properly from generation to generation. In all foreign countries, traditions dating back to ancient times have been forgotten. Therefore, other Paths are preached in foreign countries, and, although each of them is called true, all foreign Paths are only branches from the main one, but by no means the main ones, not true and not correct. Even if in some ways they even resemble the true Path, in general their content does not correspond to it. If we briefly outline the meaning of the single main true Path, then the universal principles of the structure of this world will immediately become obvious.

These principles are that the sky, the earth, all the gods, objects and phenomena of this world basically arose thanks to what is called the all-generating spirit of two deities - Takami musubi no kami and Kami musubi no kami. From century to century, the birth of people, the emergence of all things and phenomena occurs precisely as a result of the activity of this spirit. Consequently, the appearance in the age of the gods of the two main deities Izanagi and Izanami, all things and gods, was basically due to the all-generating spirit of Takami musubi no kami and Kami musubi no kami. Since the all-generating spirit is a strange and mysterious divine act, the human mind is not able to understand by what laws all this can happen. Since in foreign countries the true Path is not passed on from generation to generation, they do not know about the all-generating ability of Takami musubi no kami and Kami musubi no kami, but create all sorts of teachings, such as theories about yin-yang, eight trigrams, five primary elements, and with their help they try to explain the principles of the structure of heaven, earth and, in general, everything that exists. However, all these teachings are false, these are conjectures of the human mind, but in reality nothing like this exists.

So, the god Izanagi was deeply saddened by the death of the goddess Izanami and followed her to Yomi no kuni (the Land of filth, darkness). Returning to this land, in Tsukushi no Tachibana no Odo no Ahagi Ga Hara, he performed a ritual of cleansing from the dirt that he had come into contact with in Yomi no Kuni. From that place that became pure, the goddess Amaterasu was born and, on behalf of her divine father, began to rule Takama-ga hara (the Plain of High Heaven) forever. Goddess Amaterasu is the sun in the sky, which gracefully illuminates the whole world. The grandson of the goddess Amaterasu began to rule Ajiwara no Nakatsu Kuni, deigning to descend from heaven to earth. At this time, the divine edict of Amaterasu was proclaimed that the throne of emperors, like heaven and earth, has no boundaries and will prosper forever. This divine edict is the primary source, the basis of the Path. Thus, the basic principles of the universe and the Path of man were completely laid down in the age of the gods. Consequently, a person who strives for the true Path will be able to learn the principles of things if he well comprehends the order that existed in the age of the gods and looks for traces of that time in everything. The essence of what happened in the age of the gods is conveyed in ancient traditions and legends of the age of the gods. Ancient stories and legends are not some kind of fiction invented by people. They are recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and have been handed down since the age of the gods.

The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki cannot be judged on the basis of the time of their creation, as is done in relation to the works of the frivolous Chinese. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki were written down in a later era, but they speak of the age of the gods, so their content is more ancient than the Chinese works. Since the Nihon Shoki, in imitation of Chinese historical works, is written in kambun, many dubious passages arise when reading and interpreting the text. Therefore, when reading the Nihon Shoki, one should, without paying attention to the manner of writing, try to compare them with the Kojiki and thus understand the meaning of the ancient legends. Only after you have thoroughly grasped the essence of what was said above will you stop being deceived by the immature judgments of the Confucians.

So, all the phenomena of this world, important and insignificant, everything that naturally happens in heaven and on earth, everything that concerns man himself and is accomplished by him, is a manifestation of the plans of the gods and occurs thanks to their divine spirit. However, since among the gods there are noble and vile, good and evil, good and bad, then good and happiness exist in the world interspersed with evil and misfortune. There are unrest in the state, many things happen that bring harm to society and people. The vicissitudes of human destiny are varied and often do not correspond to justice. All these are the actions of bad gods. Already in the age of the gods, it was predetermined that the bad gods would do all sorts of bad and evil deeds under the influence of the spirit of the gods Magatsubi no kami, who appeared during the cleansing of the filth of the Yomi no kuri god Izanagi. When bad gods get into a violent state, many things happen that are not covered by the patronage and influence of the goddess - the ancestor of the imperial house. Good and justice alternate with bad and evil deeds, and this is one of the basic principles of life. This was established in the age of the gods, and this is evidenced by the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Since at first the world was united and no borders existed between countries, Takama-ga hara was located above all countries; Since Amaterasu is a goddess who resides in heaven, nothing in the universe can compare with her. She will forever illuminate the whole world from edge to edge. There is not a single country in the world that does not receive the blessed light of this goddess. Not a single country can live a day without the graces of this goddess. Respect and gratitude from all the people of the world - this is what the goddess Amaterasu deserves! However, since in all foreign states the ancient traditions and legends of the age of the gods are forgotten, they do not know that they should be treated with respect. Guided by the mere conjectures of the human mind, foreign countries claim that the sun and moon are the beginnings of yinAnd yang. In despicable China, they invented the concept of “heavenly emperor”, respect him above all else and in various teachings about the Path consider him as the main object of veneration. However, in Such concepts are based either on human conjectures or on meaningless teachings. They are all invented by man; in reality, there is neither a heavenly ruler nor the Way of Heaven.

In the divine country, due to its inherent characteristics, true ancient legends were passed down from generation to generation in every detail. Here they knew about the divine origin of the goddess, they understood that she should be revered - and this is worthy of praise. When I say “features of the divine country,” I mean first of all the fact that this is the country where the goddess Amaterasu appeared, illuminating the whole world. Therefore, the divine country is the main one in relation to other countries. It is difficult to even tell in detail why it is superior to other countries. First of all, it should be said about rice. It is more important in a person’s life than anything else. Japanese rice is better than other countries, it has no equal. Corresponding comparisons can be made with respect to other things. However, people born in the divine country have long been accustomed to the fact that everything is good here, they consider this to be commonplace and do not even notice that Japan is superior to other countries in everything. People who had the good fortune to be born in a divine country, although they are accustomed to eating such wonderful rice, should always remember that it was sent to them by the goddess - the ancestor of the emperor. It is not proper to live and not know this! So, the imperial dynasty of our country traces its origins to the goddess Amaterasu, who illuminates this world, and, as stated in the divine edict of Amaterasu, the imperial dynasty will forever be unshakable and will exist as long as heaven and earth exist. This is the main essence, the basis of the path.

A significant document testifying to the systematization of the cult and ritual of Shinto in the early Middle Ages is the Engishiki. The first ten scrolls of Engishiki contain descriptions of the main Shinto ceremonies, texts of prayers - norito, lists of names of gods by temple, lists of ceremonial objects, the procedure for preparing sacrifices and other necessary elements of the cult.

In 1081, a list of the main Shinto shrines supported by the imperial court was approved. The temples were divided into three groups. The first included seven main sanctuaries, which were closely associated with the imperial house. The second group also included seven sanctuaries of historical and mythological significance. The latter consisted of eight temples that were associated with Buddhism, the deities of the main clans, local cults and rain-making rituals.

The process of formation of Shinto as a unified religion was significantly influenced by Buddhism. This religion came to Japan from the continent in the second half of the 6th century. and quickly gained popularity among the court aristocracy. The name “Shinto” itself appeared to distinguish the cult of local deities from foreign culture. The authorities did their best to promote the conflict-free existence of these two religions.

Unlike Shinto, which was based on ritual, Buddhism was focused on the inner world of man. Therefore, their rapprochement occurred through mutual complementation. At first the kami were declared the patrons of Buddhism, then some of them began to be identified with Buddhist saints. Finally, the idea was established that the kami, like other beings, needed salvation through Buddhist teachings. Buddhist chapels were built on the territory of Shinto temples, and the reading of Buddhist sutras was practiced directly in front of the altars of Shinto shrines.

Almost all Shinto shrines practiced a mixed Shinto-Buddhist cult. The only exceptions were the two main shrines of Izumo and Ise. In the IX-XI centuries. Buddhism becomes the official religion of Japan. By this time, the emperor had already lost real power, which was seized by representatives of the aristocratic Fujiwara family and the Buddhist clergy. Then in the 12th century. The aristocratic rule was replaced by a system of military-feudal dictatorship led by the shogun, the ruler in whose hands all power in the country was actually concentrated. The politically powerless emperor retained the position of the supreme clergyman performing Shinto rites.

The influence of Buddhism was felt everywhere. In Shinto shrines, images of deities, ritual objects and architectural details appeared, borrowed from Buddhism, the pantheon of deities was replenished, and new holidays arose. Buddhism played a significant role in the formation of Shinto ideology. The Shinto clergy needed to strengthen their positions in conditions of complete dominance of Buddhism. This encouraged them to create their own doctrines. However, even here there were elements of Buddhism and Chinese philosophy, which became an integral part of Japanese culture. Attempts to build the dogmas of a national religion were made by people in whose consciousness Buddhism had taken deep roots. So in the XII-XIV centuries. Several schools of Shinto arose that paid attention to theoretical issues.

In the temples dedicated to the patron deities of the areas where the centers of the Tendai and Shingon Buddhist schools were located, mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings of Sanno-Shinto and Ryobu Shinto arose, which considered Shinto deities as a manifestation of the cosmic Buddha Vairochana, permeating the entire universe. The priests of one of the Ise temple created Ise Shinto. Their views are set out in Shinto Gobusho. The main Shinto deities, who previously had some personal traits in the Ise Shinto theory, were interpreted as properties and aspects of a single reality.

Contact with Buddhism contributed to Shinto's transition from animism to Pantheism. The human heart was declared one with the kami. This unity was established during purification rites. To live in harmony with the kami, according to Ise Shinto, the heart must be straight and correct, i.e. perceive the environment as it really is, without distortion. Through purification, the heart-kami is freed from everything extraneous and becomes like a mirror. Possessing such a divine heart, a person lives in joy, and the country remains in peace.

This direction is also associated with the teachings of the sage Kitabatake Chikafusa (1293-1354), who wrote the treatise “Jino Shotoki” (“Record of the True Genealogy of the Divine Emperors”). It was he who introduced the new concept of the “special Japanese way”, the essence of which lies in the continuity of the imperial dynasty, originating from divine ancestors. Kitabatake Chikafusa saw the chosenness of Japan in the fact that the gods continue to live in the Japanese emperors, who rule through divine virtues, so he declared Japan the Country of the Gods. He also owns the doctrine of the three imperial regalia - a mirror, jasper pendants and a sword, in which the divine virtues of truthfulness, mercy and wisdom were embodied. The clergy of the Yoshida house, who for many generations served the cult of the clan deities of the Fujiwara family, founded the Yoshida Shinto movement. Its most famous representative is Yoshida Kanetomo (1435-1511), who owns the treatise “Yutsu Shinto Meihoyoshu” (“Collection of the main great principles of the only correct Shinto”). Kami in the teachings of Yoshida Kanetomo began to be understood as a single divine substance, freely and spontaneously unfolding in the universe and revealing its various sides, manifesting itself in various forms. The universe is presented in Ise Shinto and Yoshida Shinto in the form of three forces - Heaven, Earth and Man, united at their core. Both Kitabatake Chikafusa and Yoshida Kanetomo placed Shinto above other teachings, which, in their opinion, only served to clarify the principles of Shinto. The dominance of Buddhism as the state religion of Japan continued until 1868. However, in certain periods of history, when the unity of the nation was threatened, the role of Shinto increased. This happened, for example, in the 13th century, when Japan was threatened by the Mongol invasion. The strengthening of Shinto's position in the religious life of the country began after its unification by the military dictator Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603. He put an end to a long period of feudal fragmentation. The revival of the myth of the continuity of the royal dynasty contributed to strengthening the integrity of the state. At the same time, it was believed that the emperors delegated power to rulers from the Tokugawa house. At the end of the XVII-XVIII centuries. the system of military-feudal dictatorship had exhausted its historical possibilities, and there was a need for changes in society. Supporters of the reforms came out under the slogan of restoring the legitimate power of the emperor. Shinto theorists received new impetus for the development of the imperial myth. Many of them were adherents of Confucian teachings, which became popular in Japan during the reign of the Tokugawa house. The formation of Shinto dogma now occurred through the combination of Shinto mythology and Confucian ethical principles, expressed in submission to superiors and filial piety. At that time, the “school of national science”, another ideological direction of Shintoism, was also developing Shinto doctrine. Her followers called for a revival of the fundamentals of the Shinto religion as set out in the Kojiki and Nihongi. Representatives of this school associated the weakening influence of the imperial court with the pernicious influence of foreign teachings - Buddhism and Confucianism. As a result of the activities of all these schools, a whole complex of new ideas appeared, which later received the name kokutaiThe main provisions of the new doctrine kokutai can be boiled down to the following: the heavenly gods continue to live in all Japanese people and act through them. This determines such special qualities of the Japanese people as the devotion of their subjects to their ruler and filial piety. The Emperor - the living embodiment of the goddess Amaterasu - is revered on a par with the gods. Japan is viewed as a family state in which the emperor and his subjects are bound by family ties and mutual love. The continuity of the imperial dynasty and the divine spirit of the Japanese people determine the special purpose of Japan and its superiority over other countries. However, the dogma created by individual scientists and theologians was still loosely connected with the cults of local Shinto shrines. After imperial power was restored as a result of the incomplete bourgeois revolution of Meiji (1867-1868), one of the first decrees of the new government proclaimed a return to the ancient principle of Shinto - the principle of “unity in the administration of ritual and government.” The emperor was officially recognized as a living god. By government decree, Buddhism was separated from Shinto and subjected to official persecution. All Shinto shrines entered into a single hierarchical system. Depending on their role in the promotion of the imperial cult, Shinto shrines were divided into categories: imperial, state, prefectural, district, village, etc. The main sanctuary was the Ise Shrine, dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu. For some time, Shinto was the state religion of Japan. In 1882, the country's government proclaimed freedom of religion. At the same time, state Shinto retained the status of an official ritual and ideology. The doctrine of national exclusivity has now become mandatory for teaching in all educational institutions in Japan. The ritual of worshiping the emperor was introduced everywhere. A number of new official holidays have appeared, such as the Day of Emperor Jimmu's accession to the throne, the Birthday of the reigning emperor, the Day of the descent to earth of the divine grandson Ninigi, the Day of Remembrance of Emperor Komei - the father of the reigning emperor, the Day of Remembrance of Emperor Jimmu. On the occasion of holidays, all schools performed a ritual of veneration of the portraits of the Emperor and Empress, accompanied by the singing of the national anthem. During the Sino-Japanese (1894-1895) and Russian-Japanese (1904-1905) wars, state Shinto became an ideology of militarism. Dead Japanese soldiers were declared kami; New temples were built in their honor. In the early 30s. XX century, with the coming to power in the country of ultra-nationalist and fascist groups, official Shinto contributed to the strengthening of the aggressive policy of the state. Calls for the creation of an East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere led by Japan had a religious basis. After Japan's defeat in World War II, state Shinto was abolished and all institutions associated with it were liquidated. The occupation authorities banned government funding of Shinto, as well as its teaching in educational institutions in the country. The Emperor ceased to be a living god and high priest for the Japanese. However, according to the new constitution of 1947, it remained a symbol of the state and the unity of the people. The emperor's participation in Shinto rituals came to be considered a matter of his personal convictions. After the separation of religion and state, state Shinto temples lost their privileged position. Only forms of Shinto that are not associated with the state cult have survived, namely temple Shinto and Shinto sects. The latter borrowed rituals from temple Shinto, but at the same time had their own dogmas and pantheons of deities. So, Shinto became one of the religions of Japan along with Buddhism and Christianity. This situation still exists today.

2. Emperor cult, myths, rituals

The main sacred books of Shinto are the Kojiki and Nihongi. These books are not religious, they are chronicle-mythological collections. They were the first to collect and record surviving Japanese oral stories and legends. They are the basis of the Shinto ritual. The Kojiki and Nihongi convey the same mythological events with slight differences. The chronicles of the reign of ancient emperors are presented in books as a continuation of myths. The generation of deities is replaced by generations of emperors. The emergence of the world and the actions of the gods take place in the so-called “era of the gods,” which is in no way defined in time. In the Kojiki, the narrative covers the period from the beginning of the world to 628 AD, in the Nihongi - until 700 AD. Records of myths appeared at the beginning of the 8th century, i.e. two centuries after meeting continental culture. Therefore, it is quite natural that in addition to local beliefs, they also contain various borrowings from Chinese mythology and philosophy. Moreover, the myths were processed in the spirit of Chinese historical chronicles of that time.

Most of the tales collected in the Kojiki and Nihongi are stories of the struggle of one or another character to establish power over some territory. These legends reflect the struggle between groups of tribes in ancient Japan. Among such stories, the myth stands out about the campaign of the descendant of Niniga Ewarehiko from the island of Kyushu to the central island of Honshu in order to subjugate the unconquered central regions of Yamato. This myth gave rise to the official holiday of the founding of the empire. It is called Kigensetsuand is celebrated in Japan on February 11th. The beginning of the reign of Jimmu is the first dated event in the Kojiki and Nihongi and marks the transition from the “era of the gods” to the history of the reign of earthly emperors, but scientists believe that the legendary campaign could have taken place no earlier than the 3rd - early 4th centuries AD . However, all subsequent emperors, about whom the chronicle-mythological vaults narrate, continued the genealogical line going back directly to the goddess Amaterasu. “Kojiki and Nihongi” reflects a way of perceiving the world that is characteristic of paganism and at the same time has a number of features. The creation of the world in Japanese mythology occurs spontaneously, without the influence of any external force. There is no separate myth about the creation of man; it is implied that people are direct descendants of the gods. There are no insurmountable barriers between the three main mythological worlds - the Plain of Heaven, the Land of Reed Thickets and the Land of Darkness; they are all thought of and actually existing and communicate with each other. Myths are permeated with a sense of harmony between man and his natural environment - there is not a single description of his struggle with the forces of nature.

Man is considered in Shinto as a part of nature, which is a mother’s womb for him, giving various benefits. Life and everything connected with it must be treasured. Although death is perceived as an inevitable link in the chain of life, the creative forces in Japanese mythology always prevail over the destructive ones. Many scholars agree that it was precisely this life-affirming worldview inherent in the ancient Japanese that influenced the character of Buddhism in this country. Most Japanese Buddhist schools, unlike Indian and Chinese, orient a person to seek salvation precisely in his earthly life.

Rituals form the basis of Shinto. Ritual is usually understood as a system of symbolic actions performed during a religious ceremony. The meaning of Shinto rituals is to restore and strengthen the connection between man and the soul of the deity. From the very beginning of the existence of Shinto as a single religion, every spoken word, every gesture during ritual actions was strictly defined for most temples. Since the time of the Engisiki, a set of rituals compiled at the beginning of the 10th century, there have been no significant changes in the ritual. Despite some differences in rituals between individual temples and the variety of kami revered in them, there are general principles of Shinto ritual. Usually the cult service works like this: the spirit of the kami is summoned at the beginning of the ceremony and is invited to listen to the praises offered to it by the participants, as well as their requests. Then food is offered to him and he is glorified again. After that, he is released back to where he permanently lives. The place where the soul of a kami “lands” to communicate with believers can be Himorogi- sacred pillar or iwasaka- sacred stone. Outside the ceremony, the kami is believed to reside in shintai.

Religious services may be divided according to their purposes. These may include request, thanksgiving, remembrance, spell and divination. Often one ceremony can pursue several named goals at once.

The Shinto ritual usually consists of purification - cod;sacrifices - shinsen,prayers - norito,libations - naorai.Purification is an integral part of any Shinto ritual. This ritual is associated with the concepts of pure and unclean, which are of great importance in Japan. Goodness and goodness in the Japanese traditional consciousness have always been associated with clarity and purity, while evil was meant as something dirty that defiles goodness. A person who had been polluted in one way or another had to refrain from communicating with other people, and especially with the deity. Engisiki describes various types of dirty - kegare.These include things considered dirty from a sanitary point of view - stagnant water, garbage, rotting food; everything connected with disease, blood and death; actions that disrupt the life of society. The purification ritual is intended to prepare a person for direct communication with the deity. There are three main methods of purification in Shinto. The first one is misogi -means ablution. The god Izanagi resorted to such purification when he followed his sister and wife Izanami to the Land of Darkness. Upon returning to the earthly world, he took a bath in the river. According to legend, through the process of purifying various parts of Izanagi's body, the deities of the Sun, Moon and Storm were born. Thus, the emergence of the most important parts of the cosmos was seen as the result of purification.

The most common form of misogi is the ritual washing of hands and mouth with water. For this purpose, in front of the entrance to the sanctuary there is a large stone pool with ladles. The most devout believers perform ablution, called mizugori,standing under a waterfall or pouring a bucket of cold water on yourself. Great importance is attached to abstinence in the Shinto purification ritual - them,which precedes misogiand complements it. Temperance applies to the soul, body, words and actions. Before participating in a religious ceremony, it is prohibited, for example, to visit cemeteries or houses where the deceased is located, to care for the sick, to eat certain types of food, to play musical instruments, to participate in trials, to not get sick, to try not to injure oneself, not to touch objects that are considered unclean, if possible, do not even see them. These prohibitions are observed by both clergy and believers. Previously, before the most important ceremonies, periods of abstinence could last about a month, now they are reduced to one to three days. It is known that in ancient times, clergy before worship would stretch a straw rope around their homes to prevent the possibility of contact with unclean things and people. Another method of cleansing is called oharaiand is usually carried out by a priest who fans the thing to be purified from left to right with a ritual object haraigushi,thus dispersing evil spirits. Haraigusi is a sacred tree stick or simply a branch with strips of white paper or cloth attached to it. Usually a ritual oharaitakes place in temples. It can also be used outside temples to cleanse any places or objects. For example, before laying the foundation stone for new buildings, the clergyman carefully fans the site prepared for construction. In addition to fanning, places or objects intended for cleansing are sometimes sprayed with water or sprinkled with salt. Another important rite of Shinto ritual - sacrifice - is also reflected in the myths of the Kojiki and Nihongi. Suffice it to recall the legend of Susanoo, who, having offended Amaterasu, makes atoning sacrifices in the form of thousands of tables with dishes. Offering food to the deities is an integral part of every ceremony or festival. Sacrificial food is divided into specially prepared, raw and obtained from live fish and birds (caviar, eggs). The most common offerings are sake, rice cakes, sea fish, herbs, sweets, and water. All products for Shinto ritual have special names that are not used in everyday life. Offerings are laid out on tables, hung, scattered, buried in the ground, and floated on water. Each temple has its own traditions of preparing and offering ritual food. There is always a column in front of the temple altar - gohei -with paper pendants symbolizing fabrics donated to the temple. The emperor still donates real fabrics, as was customary in ancient times, when they were the equivalent of money. In some cases, unusual offerings are practiced in different temples. So, on the Festival of Prayers for a New Harvest,
Celebrated in February, at Ise temples and temples dedicated to the gods of rice, it was customary to sacrifice a white horse, a white boar and a white rooster. 1The climax of any Shinto ceremony is norito -speech ritual performed by a clergyman. To call norito prayers would not be entirely accurate, since they consist of an address to the deity or to the congregation; glorification of deity; presentation of the mythological plot associated with this ceremony; a request addressed to the deity and a listing of the gifts offered. Besides this, the ancients noritoalso contained the response speeches of the deity, announced through the mouth of a clergyman. Among norito, recorded in the Engisiki, there are so-called “heavenly” norito, expressing the orders and commands of the deities. This kind of norito is read at official ceremonies. The final ritual of the Shinto cult is naorai- religious feast. The offerings are taken from the altar and then eaten and drunk by the participants in the ceremony. Through sacrificial food, people seem to receive the blessing of the deities. IN naoraithe unity of man with the deity is expressed. As a rule, this ritual is performed in a separate room. Currently, in most cases, ceremony participants naoraiThey limit themselves to drinking a little sake. However, during Shinto festivals - matsuri -Entire feasts are often held with copious libations addressed to the deities.

Matsuri- the most vibrant and magnificent of Shinto ceremonies. They usually last several days and are held in each temple once or twice a year. The purpose of them is to periodically renew the connection between the inhabitants of a given area and the deities. Each temple has its own days matsuri. Almost every day, several such festivals and holidays are held in different parts of Japan. Usually matsuriassociated with the beginning of agricultural work and harvesting or with any memorable date relating to the deity of a given temple. One of the largest and most ancient matsuri is niinamesai -New rice harvest festival celebrated on November 23rd. During this festival, the emperor offers rice from the new harvest to the deities of Heaven and Earth, thereby expressing his gratitude, and then eats this rice with his ancestors. In pre-war Japan, this holiday was celebrated in every temple and every family. Currently, it is also celebrated in many temples and is accompanied by sacred meals. In the year of the accession of the new emperor to the throne matsuricalled daijosaiand requires additional rituals.

After World War II, national laws were mandatory for all churches. matsuri were cancelled.

Preparation for the event matsurioften begins several months before. At the same time, the ritual equipment is put in order, the roles of the main participants are distributed. Before festivals, temples are ritually purified and cleaned, and decorated with fresh branches of the sacred evergreen tree, ribbons and flags; straw ropes - shimenawaare replaced with new ones. The beginning of the holiday is announced by the sound of a drum or bell. During the holiday, cooking special food over a “cleansing” fire with the obligatory observance of many rules is of great importance. In a day matsuriPriests and musicians from other churches gather at the temple. Before the ceremonies begin kannusicleanses all those gathered. Then the altar doors open slightly. Trays with ritual food are placed in front of the altar to the accompaniment of ritual music.

In many temples, sacred dances are performed in front of the altar or on a separate stage - Kagura.Dancing, like sacrifices, should amuse and appease the deities. Often kaguradevelop into theatrical performances. At the end of the ceremony, a branch of the Japanese sakaki plant is placed on the central tray and all those present bow and clap their hands.

The most impressive moment of the Shinto festival is the procession with a palanquin - a stretcher, which is called amikoshi.In it, supposedly the deity himself travels around the surroundings of the temple on the shoulders of believers. OmikoshiThey are miniature models of the temple. They are made of cardboard, paper or other lightweight materials, decorated with gold and topped with the image of a phoenix bird. Bells and silk cords hang from them, and small torii are often placed on the palanquin. Inside the palanquin is a mirror or some other symbol of the deity. It is believed that during the procession the spirit of the deity moves here from his shintai, kept in the altar of the temple. The palanquin, mounted on massive beams, is usually carried by a group of young men in loincloths. A procession of believers moves behind the palanquin, many of them dressed in ancient national costumes. Often the palanquin is followed by carts - dasi.They are richly decorated with brocade, flowers, and swords. Figures of legendary heroes and models of mountains can be installed on them. The musicians ride on separate carriages.

During matsuriVarious competitions are organized. Each province of the country has its own traditions. To the program matsuridifferent temples may include torchlight processions, military parades of medieval samurai, fireworks, and symbolic collective planting of rice.

People of all ages can participate in Shinto festivals. The Japanese go to considerable expense to purchase the necessary ritual equipment and make the ceremony magnificent and colorful. As a rule, they are guided not so much by religious feelings as by adherence to carefully preserved national traditions. Thanks to the observance of Shinto rituals, knowledge of one's own history, familiarization with national values, and mastery of traditional folk art occur. Therefore, for Japan, Shinto is not just a religion, but the very core of the national culture.

3. Shinto shrines and clergy

Currently, there are about 80 thousand Shinto shrines in Japan. Most of them are dedicated to the cult of a single kami. At the same time, there are temples in which several kami are worshiped at the same time, for example, several spirits of neighboring mountains, or the spirits of all soldiers killed during wars, or the spirits of all members of some illustrious family. Particularly visited are temples whose deities patronize one or another type of human activity or help at certain moments in life. There are kami who contribute to the success of a career, help pass exams, and protect against robberies, disasters, and fires. In rural areas, at Shinto shrines, the gods are asked for rich harvests and abundant rain.

Usually the temple is located in a picturesque area where the natural landscape is carefully preserved: in parks, at the sources of rivers, at the foot of the mountains. There are temples that do not have any special buildings at all. These include Oomiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture and Kanasana Shrine in Saitama Prefecture. They are fenced areas considered sacred places. This is usually a rectangular area covered with pebbles, lined with stones and surrounded by a straw rope connecting four corner posts. In the middle of such a sacred place there is either a stone - iwasaka,or a pillar, or a tree - Himorogi.A deity is invoked to this place during the ceremony. Similar sanctuaries existed in ancient times.

A typical Shinto shrine complex consists of two or more buildings. The main structure intended for kami is called honden,and the hall for worshipers is called Hayden.In the main room there is shintai- body of a kami. It is believed that it is in shintaithe soul of the kami takes possession. The body of a kami can be a stone, a tree branch, a mirror, a sword, or a wooden tablet on which the name of the given kami is written. The Japanese believe that the soul of a kami is inexhaustible, so it can live in a number of shrines. For example, many temples throughout the country are dedicated to the god of rice Inari, the god of war Hachiman, and the souls of fallen warriors. Xingtaistored indoors hondenand hidden from the eyes of believers.

Even when the doors of the altar are opened during ceremonies, the place where shintai, remains closed with a curtain. In the case where the object of worship is the spirit of a mountain or sacred grove, hondenmay be absent altogether. Reminds of the sanctity of this territory shimenawa -a thick rope woven from rice straw, with hanging tassels and strips of paper. In general, such a tourniquet is used to mark all places where kami are constantly present or may appear. In addition, the sacred area may be surrounded by a fence made of wooden slats, which is called mizugakior Aragaki.Before entering the territory hondenthere is always a wooden structure similar to a gate - torii.It recalls how the goddess Amaterasu took refuge in the heavenly cant and darkness fell. To force the goddess to leave her refuge, the other gods placed a perch in front of the entrance to the grotto and placed roosters on it. This perch was the prototype of modern torii. Usually a gravel path leads to the entrance to the main temple building, along which there are stone backgrounds. Between torii and hondenspecial pools with water for ritual washing of the mouth and hands have been installed; the instructions for the main structure of the temple complex may have several options. The most pro-architectural styles are sumiyoshiAnd otori. The building, made in one of them, is built of rough wood with raw bark and has a quadrangular shape. Its gable roof is kirizuma -supported by large round corner posts and covered with Japanese cypress bark. The long wall of the building also has from three to five pillars, similar to the corner ones. At the two ends of the roof ridge there are cruciform structures - tigi.In addition, several transverse short logs are fixed along the entire length of the roof ridge - katsuogi.There are steps leading into the building because its floor is raised above the ground. Often a veranda is attached to the entrance.

In temples built in architectural style nagare, the roof slope on the veranda side is extended and forms a canopy. At temples dedicated to the god of war Hachiman, the room for believers is adjacent to the main temple building. In this case, the eaves of the roofs of both buildings are connected.

The first permanent Shinto shrines appeared in the 6th century AD, but what they looked like is unknown, because in Japan there is a tradition of rebuilding and renovating temples. It is associated with the idea of ​​constant renewal and rebirth of life. To this day, Ise temples are reconstructed every twenty years. This used to be a common occurrence for all temples.

In addition to the two main buildings of the temple complex, it may also include other auxiliary buildings: a hall for offerings, a place for preparing sacred food - Shinsenjo, office - shamusho, a place for spells - Kharaidze, dance stage - kaguraden. the architecture of the auxiliary buildings does not differ significantly from the architecture of the main one.

Most temples do not have images of gods inside. This is not accepted in the Shinto tradition. Often large temples are decorated with images of animals, which are somehow associated with the revered deity.

The priests of Shinto shrines are called kannusi- master of the kami. Until the middle of the 19th century. all positions related to the practice of the Shinto cult were hereditary and passed from father to eldest son. This is how entire clans of clergy arose - sake. The most famous of them are: Nakatomi, Imbe, Usa, Kamo, Shirokawa, Yoshida. At different periods of history, there were many special names for the ranks and titles of the clergy. currently the administrative heads of temples are called guji,priests of the second and third ranks are named respectively negiAnd Gonegi.in large temples there may be several kannusi, while a number of small temples may be served by one. Priests of small local churches may perform their duties in conjunction with some other work. In large churches, in addition to priests, there are also musicians and dancers. The most important rites at the Ise Imperial Shrine are still led by the emperor himself. Two Shinto universities train Shinto clerics: Kokugakuin in Tokyo and Kagakkan in Ise.

Robe kannusiconsists of a white kimono, a white or colored pleated skirt and a black cap. Outside the temple they wear ordinary clothes.

To pray to the Shinto gods, a Japanese does not have to go to a temple. Some Japanese homes still have home altars. - kamidana. This altar consists of sticks that usually hang above the door of a guest room. Talismans that are bought in temples or tablets with the names of deities are placed on the sticks. Temporary home altars are often built to receive the spirits of ancestors or toshigami- deities coming on New Year's Day. Kamidanadecorated with branches of pine or sacred sakaki tree. They are believed to attract deities. Offerings of rice cakes and sake are placed on the altar. During prayer, the believer stands in front of the altar and claps his hands several times to attract the attention of the spirit, then silently communicates with him. Only a priest can say prayers out loud.

Conclusion

Shintoism is a nationalized religion unique to the Japanese, which distinguishes it from Confucianism and Buddhism. The pantheon of beliefs includes more than 8 million gods (kami), which include spirits of mountains, lakes, rivers, souls of the dead and patrons of crafts. According to legend, after death, people are transformed into the kami from whom they descended. A distinctive feature is that this religion does not require believers to pray or read sacred texts; they simply need to participate in temple festivals and ceremonies. Rituals play a lesser role than in Confucianism. The goal of a Shinto devotee is to honor and coexist harmoniously with nature, which is why Japanese homes have relatively little furniture. The main elements of home decoration are gardens, lawns and mini-lakes with chaos (piles of stones), which are undoubtedly elements of wild nature. “Taihore” received the status of a state ideology and systematized many myths and beliefs. The power of the Japanese Emperor is divine (according to religious beliefs), whose lineage goes back to the gods. This is where the idea of ​​the continuity of the imperial dynasty comes from.

One more part of the ideology should be highlighted - kokutai (the body of the state). It talks about the deities living in every Japanese person, exercising their will through him. This affects the formation of the divine spirit of the people and its exaltation above all others. It is believed that Japan is the country of the gods, before which all other countries must bow, possibly with the use of force. For a long time, the development of this ideology was hampered by Buddhism and Confucianism, which brought their influence into the life of Japanese society, thereby restraining the influence of Shintoism. However, the latter received a leading position in times of war, such as the threat of foreign intervention in the 8th century, when the Mongols under Kublai Kublai tried to conquer Japan, as well as in internal unrest, such as under Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1602. After the Meiji Revolution in 1868, Shintoism becomes a state ideology.

January 1946, the Japanese Emperor publicly renounced his divine origin. After which, by the constitution of 1947, Shintoism was equated with other cults and ceased to be a state religion. But it did not lose its validity, and in December 1966, by government decision, “the day of the founding of the empire - kigesetsu” was restored as a public holiday. It is celebrated on February 11, when, according to Shinto myths, Jimmu ascended the throne in 660.

And although there is currently a struggle to restore Shinto as a state religion, they have not yet resulted in a positive result.

Shinto cult Emperor Shinto

Bibliography

1.Vasiliev L.S. History of Eastern religions: a textbook for universities. - 4th ed. - M.: “Book House “University”, 1999. - 432 p.

2.Markarian S.B. Molodyanova E.V. Holidays in Japan M., - 1990. - 248 p.

.Mikhailova Yu.D. Motoori Norinaga: life and work. - M.: Science, Main Editorial Board of Oriental Literature, 1988. Appendix. pp. 156-177.

.Molodyakov V.E. Conservative revolution in Japan: ideology and politics. M., - 1999. S. 278-291.

.Nakorchevsky A.A., Shinto. M., 2000. - 455 p.

.Svetlov, G.E. The Way of the Gods: (Shinto in Japanese History). M.: Mysl, 1985. - 240 p.

.Saunders E.D. Japanese mythology: myths of the ancient world, M., 1997. - 450 p.

.Spevakovsky A.B. Shinto religion and war. L.: Lenizdat, 1987. - 111 p.

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 each 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.

Video: Shinto wedding in Japan

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