SHINTOISM

Presented by Group 5
 MEMBERS
SKATE KHEPPLER TAMAYO
JESSEL BELONGUEL
MARGARETH A. MERCADO
BRIXLER M. MAG-ASIN
ASHLEY ARANCO
EDMONTON TAGALOG
JERRARD OBIDA
JOHN MARK CABAHUG
MARICEL SUCAYRE
MAY KAYLA GENERALAO
JUDYLLIE BARROSA
SHINTOISM
 SHINTOISM

Shinto, meaning 'way of the gods,' is the

oldest religion in Japan. It started at least
as long ago as 1000 B.C.E. but is still
practiced today by at least five million
people. The followers of Shintoism believe
that spiritual powers exist in the natural
world.
 TORRI
GATE
Symbol The Torii Gate is the most common symbol for
Shintoism. It is a sacred gateway supposed to represent a
gate upon which a cock crew on the occasion when
Amaterasu emerged from the rock cave and relighted the
world. It marks the entrance to a sacred space which is the
Shinto shrine.
 Shinto practices center on tradition and
family, love of nature, physical
cleanliness and festivals and ceremonies
that honor the kami. Shinto does not
have a schedule of regular religious
services-followers decide when they wish
to attend a shrine. Japan has over 80,000
Shinto shrines, ranging greatly in size
from tiny to elaborate and large.
 Origin

Unlike many other religions, Shinto has no recognized

founder. The peoples of ancient Japan had long held
animistic beliefs, worshipped divine ancestors and
communicated with the spirit world via shamans; some
elements of these beliefs were incorporated into the first
recognized religion practiced in Japan, Shinto, which
began during the period of the Yayoi culture (c. 300
BCE300 CE). For example, certain natural phenomena and
geographical features were given an attribution of
divinity.
 Most obvious amongst these are the
sun goddess Amaterasu and the wind
god Susanoo. Rivers and mountains
were especially important, none more
so than Mt. Fuji, whose name derives
from the Ainu name 'Fuchi,' the god of
the volcano.
In Shinto, gods, spirits, supernatural forces and essences
are known as kami, and governing nature in all its forms,
they are thought to inhabit places of particular natural
beauty. In contrast, evil spirits or demons (oni) are mostly
invisible with some envisioned as giants with horns and
three eyes. Their power is usually only temporary, and
they do not represent an inherent evil force. Ghosts are
known as obake and require certain rituals to send away
before they cause harm. Some spirits of dead animals can
even possess humans, the worst being the fox, and these
individuals must be exorcised by a priest.
 Sacred Scriptures

The Kojiki and Nihongi are considered as sacred scriptures

on Shinto, although they are not exclusively about Shinto;
they also contain extensive information on Buddhism and
Confucianism. These books, which are compilations of
ancient myths and traditional teachings, are considered
to have a dual purpose: a political as well as a moral
purpose. Its political purpose is to establish the
supremacy of Japan over all.
 Kojiki

As one of the most important texts on Shintoism,

Kojiki is composed of three books: the first is the age
of kami, which narrates the mythology, while the
second and third books discuss the imperial lineage,
narrating the events concerning the imperial family
up to the death of the thirty-third ruler, Empress
Suiko. The third book is concerned mainly with
revolts and love stories of successive rulers
intertwined in a song-story format.
 Nihon shoki/Nihongi

Meanwhile, the Nihon shoki or Nihongi records the

descent of the Yamato rulers of Japan from the gods. It
represents a combination of a political purpose with
folklores and myths. It is believed to have been
completed around 720 C.E. and have
become significant in the restructuring of Japan by the
Yamato rulers, even in the naming of the country as
Nippon.
Core teaching, Beliefs and Practices Kami,
the Shinto "gods"

- The divine principle in Shinto worship

- An honorific title for greatness and
benevolence
- It can be manifestations of the sacred in
nature or extraordinary people
 Some scholars classify the
various kami into some basic
types for a better view of their
diversity. One such classification
(Urubshurow 2009, 503-505)
distinguishes four general types
of kami; thus:
 1) Nature Kami

they include the kami of trees, animals, mountains,

and geological entities (such as clay, stones,
lightning, metals, stars, sun, moon, minerals, and
gemstones)

food (especially agricultural foods)

forms of water (such as wells, rivers, oceans,

springs, storms, and rain).
 2) Mythic Kami

they consist of all the kami

mentioned in the Shinto myth or
creation story which include
Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu,
Tsukiyoma, and Susanowo
 3) Clan Kami

they include all the kami that serve as

protectors of divine clans, foremost of which is
the kami Amaterasu, of whom the members of
the imperial family the primary divine clan, are
believed to be descendants through the first
divine emperor Jimmu.
 4) Guild Kami

they consist of all the kami

worshipped by various guilds
(associations of craftsmen and
artists)
Another classification (Picken 1994, 94-96) divides the kami
into two categories; thus:

1. Kami of the Japanese mythology, which consist of the

following:
a. Kami of Heaven (Amatsu-no-kami)
b. Kami of Earth (Kunitsu-no-kami)
2. Kami not named in the mythology, which consist of the
following:
a. Kami associated with natural phenomena
b. Kami derived from historical personalities
c. Kami traceable to political origins
d. Kami associated with commerce and prosperity
WORSHIP SHINTO SHRINE
 Worship Shinto Shrine

Worship of the kami is done at the

following places:
at the shrines

- public shrines
- personal ones (those set up at homes).
 Reasons and purposes why people visit
shrines:

- to pray to the kami (prayers to the kami

are called norito)

- to give praises to them

- to request for health, success in their

endeavors
A Shinto shrine is called jinja
in Japanese (jinja literally
means "place of the kami"),
in contrast to the Buddhist
temples which are called
tera in Japanese.
There are certain ceremonies one goes through during a
visit to a public shrine, like:
washing one's hands and mouth at a water basin located
at the entrance to
the shrine

- climbing the stairs leading to the haiden (the space in

front of the place where the kami is enshrined)

- giving respect to the kami by bowing in front of them

- donating money
- ringing a bell
 Shinto priests officiate the following:

worship ceremonies at public shrines.

They give their blessings on various occasions,

such as when children are brought to a shrine a
month after birth and when they reach a
certain age.
The shrine at Ise, Mie,
Japan
 - is known as the Ise Grand Shrine,
which is dedicated to sun goddess
Amaterasu.
- considered the holiest among the
Shinto shrines, for it is believed that the
sacred mirror of Amaterasu, one of
three Imperial Regalia, is preserved
there.
 Purification Rituals

Shinto rituals are mainly purification rituals.

Purification (oharai) - is the process of
removing an impurity (tsuml). Picken (2004,
176) explains that the state of purity is a
necessary condition to be in communion or
harmony with the kami.
 Various forms of impurities:

1. Physical impurities like sickness, injury,

and death.

2. Moral impurities like the acts of

inflicting pain on other people, stealing
properties of other persons, killing, and
others.
Basic forms of Shinto purification
rituals (Picken 2004, 172, 174).
1. MISOGI
1. Misogi - This is a form of purification that
uses water. Worshippers, for instance, wash
their hands with water at the entrance of a
shrine. A form of misogi is called misogi
shuho, a ritual in which one stands under a
flowing waterfall.
 2.
SHUBATSU
 2. Shubatsu - This is a form of
purification using salt. Salt is
sprinkled by Shinto priests on the
objects, humans, or places to be
purified.
 3.
HARAI
3. Harai - This form of purification
uses a harai-qushi, a wand
consisting of a stick and streams
of paper attached to the stick. A
Shinto priest waves a harai-gushi
over the person, place, or object
to be purified.
 4.
IMI
4. Imi - This is a form of purification
that one does to oneself by
refraining from saying inappropriate
words and avoiding doing
inappropriate actions. For instance,
the word "cut" (kiru) is taboo in a
wedding ceremony.
Major annual events and festivals
celebrated in Shinto (see Picken
2004, 181)
1. Oshogatsu - New Year
Celebration
2. Haru Matsuri - Spring Festival
3. Natsu Matsuri - Summer
Festival
4. Aki Matsuri - Autumn Festival
5. Setsubun-sai
 Denominations and
Challenges

The following are the major

forms of Shinto:
 1. State Shinto or Kokka Shinto

— the form of Shinto that was made the national

religion of Japan in 1882 when the Japanese
government (the Meiji government) was instilling
patriotism among its citizens and establishing
powerful control over them by presenting the
emperor as a divine being, with a status of a
kami, being a descendant of the sun goddess
Amaterasu.
 2. Sect Shinto or Kyoha Shinto

— under State Shinto, several Shinto

shrines (most of which were run by
different Shinto organizations) were put
under government control.
 3. Shrine Shinto or Jinja Shinto

— refers to all forms of Shinto in

which the shrines, regarded as the
homes of the kami, are the centers
of Shinto religious activities.
 4. Folk Shinto or Tsuzoka Shinto

— another forms of Shinto that were not

put under government control

— not recognized by the government

— not organized, not systematized, and

not institutionalized
 5. Shinto-based New Religions or Shinko
Shukyo

— traditionally, only included 13 Shinto sects

when they were recognized and distinguished
from State Shinto. But after World War II, new
religious forms, called New Religions, emerged.
Some of these new religions were Buddhist-
based while some were Shinto-based
 ありがとう
Arigatō!!!