I don't know much about Shinto either and would like to learn. The following is a definition found: Shinto is animism and is similar to Native American beliefs etc. This quote is from the FAQs of this forum. Shinto shrine
Yes, I practiced a little Shinto whilst living in Japan... tea ceremony, attending Shrine, Matsuri etc.
ive just recently become fascinated in this... japan is one of our worlds most important countries, yet they are animistic... it explains a lot about the jap culture, i think. maybe not. at any rate, Koreans are also of a similar religion, no? I find it very interesting that monotheism was born out of the middle east, at teh same time polytheism existed in mediteranean + india.. and then animism existing in the far east and far west (eg england) i wonder if polytheisms started all over the place, as a general progression from animism (considering certain spirits to be grand and in control - godlike) or if it was seeded somewhere central and then spread, much like monotheism? Im very interested in animism lately because it is the default belief structure of humans, if you look at all the indigenous and ancient cultures far back enough
Japan also has Buddhism which fits well with Shinto beliefs. But I think Native American beliefs would also fit well with Buddhism. Shinto is a fascinating area. The traditional architecture connected to this is something else. How about those Japanese gardens? Although those are also influenced by Zen Buddhism I think.
could anybody reference me to a good Shinto resource? A book or a website, really anything... I had a dream of a teacher I know who was accompanied by a Shinto lady, which has inspired me. I too think there is a harmony between the Native American spirituality and Japan, at least those from the Pacific Northwest Coast, although very far apart they share an ocean and I've the idea there was at least a spiritual relationship of some degree between them.
Oh man----I could write a lot on this subject----if only I had the time. Shinto is one of the few religions I can really dig. (I mean, I can dig whatever religious trip anybody is on----if they are sincere----but personally I have issues with institutions, and while I see the value of all religions, it's not my trip---spirituality is my trip). I spent about 14 years living in japan and speak fluent Japanese. But you are only true Shinto if you are born Japanese. You guys are right when you think that Native American spirituality fits with Shinto. Shintoism was Japan's indigenous spirituality, my belief is that it evolved from Shamanism originating among ancient Ural-Altaic people somewhere in Central Asia. It was a shamanistic spirituality in early Japan, but when the Chinese introduced Buddhism it imitated the institutional structure of religion (Buddhism is a religion), and became a religion itself. In Japan, you are born shinto and die buddhist---both religions are interconnected. But Shinto is the least institutional of any religion----there are no commandments, no doctrines----it is even less of a religion than Taoism, which in practice is very much a religion. Shinto is related to Taosim, it is related to the indigenous Shamanism of Korea, and is connected to the Shamanism of the Ainu (Japan's indigenous people). State Shinto, which is the aspect of Shinto connected to the Emperor is the most institutional aspect of it. But this is how the ancient Japanese gave divine credence to their race. The emperor's were obviously descendants of ancient Shamans, and Shamaness' just like the Imperial lines of the Chinese evolved from Shamans. One recurring theme of Shamanism through all the Imperial lines of China, Japan, Korea, and the Ainu is that of the Bear spirit. China's Emperor could change into a bear, as his wife drummed. The great ancestress of the Korean people was a bear. The same is true of the Ainu. The Korean word for Bear in Korean, Ainu, and Japanese is very similar. Now I have to rely on my memory here about Ainu, because I don't have time to look it up---but the Ainu word for God and bear is Kumay----if my memory fails me, it is about that (I forget which vowel comes first). The Japanese word for bear is kuma, the word for God is Kami. There are three sacred items in Shinto, and are the State treasures of Japan---an ancient sword, a mirror, and the magatama-----the magatama is a jewel that is curved into what is obviously a bear claw. Anthropologists do not know exactly what it represents----I believe it represents both the bear claw, and a clitoris. It is actually pretty obvious, and when you start comparing ancient Asian and Ural-Altaic myths, it is even more obvious. The Kami-sama, or Shinto Gods are much like the Kachina in certain ways. But they are the animistic spirits of all things. How is that for an explanation? Mountain Valley Wolf
Hope you keep an eye on this thread and input when you can. Just Googled "Ainu" and came up with this image... cool looking dude no? http://www.travel-destination-pictures.com/picture-of-an-ainu-elder-hokkaido-japan-1399-pictures.htm Ainu elder
The people of the americas came originally from asia past japan and korea. The link between the 'religions' makes the history lesson a level more interesting Shamanism is the native culture of all the northern Asian lands. The countries practice buddhism.. which is just sort of an extension to their native beliefs. if we trace downward to southeast asia, and go across the ocean, there is a miriad of animistic indigenous religion. Across the southern asian lands is hinduism, which is one of the ancient religions stemming from animism once certain spirits become special Gods and special interest in human affairs, and see over large lands. moving further west is the middle east.. the aramaic lands.. now islamic, but previously they followed pagan worship of gods, as was the case all the way across to the meddeteranian, north africa, and europe. These cultures developed into grand empires honouring the gods as in Greek and Egyptian religions. The development of religions was proportional to the wealth and prosperity of the nation. The jews came to this idea of one god. Over the last three thousand years or so, this idea spread over the majority of the world. Due to the strict laws about idols, Christians and Islamics outlawed all of the ancient religions. when moving to the Americas, the catholics destroyed all of the ancient works of the people there. When we consider 'what do humans believe?' it is animism in all indigenous cultures. We find that in developed cultures, most religions have been polytheistic, which is sort of a gandiosing of animisim. Then we see judaism amongst it all.. very insular.. didnt really catch on in other places. But out springs jesus character and the religion becomes perfect for the needs and understanding of humans. Eventually the romans get into it.. and mahammed starts something in arabia (might I add that I think islam wwoul dhave been started from similar teachings that led to the development of christianity, away from judaism) and the religions that come of these two dudes are held by nations that take over the world. And we look at the world and it seems like youve got monotheistic, polytheistic, and then animistic (which in many cultures were 'pantheistic' and in others were atheistic). But If we look at the progression of humanity, they are really just layers of new advanced culture on to the basic idea of animism, with more and more centralised authority, more and more doctrine, more and more concrete moral stances, more prescription of how to live life, etc. the gods become more powerful in order to have more sway on the people (which makes the religion more useful to those people in power). How did judaism pop up? apparently it was because of just a few important people. same with christianity and islam. however, it spread because important people adopted it in their ruling. You cant rule civilised but ambitious individuals under animism on any sort of large scale. Unless, of course, you have a culture of intense duty and pride... which is how animism pervaded in asian culture. I think that both animism and pantheism is the root religion of humanity, it is part of the way we function as conscious beings, and different religions speak to different parts of this animistic pantheism. Some approach from the animistic end, others start making the spirits more all encompasing and overbearing while still part of a communion, and others preach a single uniting god behind it all, which speaks to the pantheistic grandeur of the universe. This all ties in very closely with psychedelic drugs. There is unity amongst it all but each part is also an individual on many different scales - part of larger individuals and made of smaller individuals. animism speaks to the individual element and concentrating on gods or God speaks to the all-encompasing element, which is really just the realisation that all the spirits ultimately amalgamate into one unity but now im gettin too away from shinto and too into my own head
That is a cool dude Huronsky. And you are exactly right StonerBill. Shamanism is actually the primal spirituality of all spirituality and subsequent religion----right out of ancestral Africa (though the term shaman is actually from North-Central Asia). In fact, the Neanderthal's who rulled over Eurasia before Homo-sapiens crossed out of Africa had a cave bear cult which must have represented their version ofthe same thing. It is our most natural way of interacting with the universe. One key element that connects shamanism clear accross the globe is the axis mundi---the celestial pole or axis, world tree, tree of life---this is common through all cultures, and it is most commonly connected with the serpent or snake, or some other reptilian creature, including the dragon. Even in cases where the snake is not endemic, and it has been forgotten from the local mythos, we still find it in simile----for example in the islands of the Western pacific, it is the world tree circled by the world lizard's tail. As you travel deeper into the pacific, it becomes the eel. The Christian cross is also an example of the axis mundi----though its conection to the serpent is repressed as it evolved out of a Judaic concept of the evil of the Leviathan, or the serpent on the tree of knowledge that tempted Eve. The cave is also an axis, as is the peace pipe, and the smoke rising up through the Siberian yurt or the teepee, through the central smoke hole. It is through the axis that the divine passes from one level of the universe to the other. It is through the axis that the shaman will move to the other side, and back. It is through the axis that man passes to the other side upon death (hence the tunnel of the near death experience. But shamanism best fits with the individualism of the hunter gatherer. Upon the dawn of agriculture, as people began to group together in villages, then cities, then city-states, an individualistic ethic did not adequately ensure survival. A group ethic was needed, and with that, institutions began to form. The natural animistic spirituality of shamanism began to develop into the institution of religion. You see this in the difference between the hunter gatherer tribes of the American plains and the Arctics, who have a shamanism closer to that of the nomadic tribes of Siberia, but in the Southern portion of North AMerica all the way down through Central and into South America, agriculture developed and you have the pseudo-religions of Kachina cults and Mayan and Incan shamanism, etc. Shamanism is still a big element, but it was becoming institutionalized. Religion then is a political force which you alluded to. Christianity was a product of the Roman Empire---a powerful tool that in many ways related to the pagan religions in ways that would make it acceptable to them. For example, Mother Mary served as the surrogate Goddess. This enabled the massive growth of the Roman Empire, and with all of their dominions under 1 religious roof---it was easy to control all of them. I find the argment of polytheism vs monotheism to be somewhat silly---Hinduism, while being polytheistic, is also monotheistic-----atman is that one unified great spirit that is in all things. All gods are a manifestation of atman. By the same token----christians believe in a father son and holy ghost (how polytheistic). Different manifestations ofthe same thing. And how different are angels from various Hindu gods.
By silly----I don't mean your comments----I mean the general argument of polytheism vs monotheism. I think it is really culturally biased argument from the West----or perhaps I should say Judeo-christian-islamic biased argument. In the end what does it really matter? Is a Hindu god more like a bunch of Christian Gods, or more like an angel. If Jesus prays to god he must be a separate manifestation of god than god, no different from the different avatars, or manifestations of polytheism, Is the Atman equivalent to the Holy Spirit? etc. etc. I much prefer the theology of the Native Americans---in all the thousands of languages and dialects there is no word for religion. There is no need for a concept of religion, because there is no concept of non-religion (ie secular vs non-secular). Everything is simply part of the great spirit----everything is sacred. This is much like Shinto (See how I got us back on track to Shinto : ) ) One of my favorite Shinto Gods is the Fox God---Inari. The fox is the trickster hero in Japanese mythology---just like the coyote in Native American mythology. If you ever get to Japan, you have to visit Kyoto and go to Fushimi Inari Jinja, the main shrine of the Fox cult. It covers a whole mountain side, and has trails running all over it. The trails are unique in that they are lined with thousands of shinto gates which you pass through. As it winds through the forests you hear crows and the insects of the forest. It winds through pine and into bamboo groves. It is the most spiritual place I have ever been in Japan. To the Japanese, the fox has a lot of powers. He can be crafty, and bewitch you into thinking he or she is a beautiful woman, lure you into a forest and steal your life force. To both the Chinese and Japanese, this life force is semen. So the legends tell what a wonderful time this poor bewitched fellow enjoys, but the next morning he is weak, and does not have long to live. The fox also brought the art of swordsmithing to the Japanese. Inari is the god of rice---so rice cultivation is also deeply connected to this trickster, as is wealth creation. Mountain Valley Wolf
Thank you Huronsky, I did want to point out that it is actually Fushimi Iinari Taisha. A Taisha is a large main shrine. A jinja is a smaller shrine that could be anywhere in size from a small road side shrine to a church-sized shrine. A Jingu is an Imperial shrine. Iinari actually refers to the rice plant. The word for fox is Kitsune. But the name of the fox god as the rice god is----Iinari Another Japanese fox is Kokuri-san. It is a mischevious spirit that is used in the Japanese version of the Ouija Board. The board itself is drawn with a Japanese torii gate at the top center of the page as an entry way into a circle. Within the circle they draw a yes, no, and the hiragana (phonetic) alphabet. A 10-yen coin is placed in the circle and 3 people put their pinky fingers on the coin. A window is opened and the participants invite Kokurisan to come into that window---if the window is on the East, they invite him in from the east window. I tried it once and was amazed at how the coin moved, after we asked questions. But Kokurisan is mischevious, and most high school Japanese kids could tell you scary stories about someone who knows someone who got very sick, or possessed or what ever the story is, after inviting Kokurisan in. I guess I will add a few more points to your comments StonerBill----first I will point out, which you also alluded to---that as mankind evolved from the spirituality of animism into the institution of religion---civilization developed. We are here today in the societies we live in, with the technology of today, and the lessons of history up until now, largely because of the development of religion. Both the good things about society and the bad things, have come about largely because of the institution of religion. The worse thing about religion, is that it alienates us from the divine. It begins with a splitting of our world into the secular and non-secular. And then we place priests and popes, kings and masters, between us and the divine. In the individualistic tribal society of the hunter-gatherer the shaman or shamaness has the closest connection to the other world----but he/she is only a helper. There is no secular and non secular, there is only the great spirit----or the spirits----however you want to view it, just as I said lastnight. There is no one who is not of the spirit----everything and everyone is divine, and a part of the spirit. Unfortunately this is why it is so easy for missionaries to prosyletize indigenous people-----If everything is divine, then the Christian God is just as divine as the Bush Gods-----nothing is not of the spirit-----until the missionaries change the indigenous peoples concept of the divine. Then suddenly the old spirits are not divine. Here is another point----part of the reason that animism remains more evident in Asia was because the Asians have a stronger appreciation of nature. which falls back to the Judeo-Islamic-Christian philosophy of man vs nature. Man is meant to control and shape nature, not co-exist wth nature. I believe that this was because Judaism, and its subsequent religions (Christianity, Islam) developed later than most other major religions. Judaism borrowed extensively from the beliefs of the Babylonians, Hittites, Egyptians and so forth. They also were influenced by the Middle Eastern Goddess faiths. Depsite the fact that the Jewish and Arab people strongly emphasized the male, and God as the all-powerful male god, both faiths contain traditions, relics, and practices straight out of the Goddess faiths. This fit well with Indo-European tribes who at the higher levels also stressed the male god. Indo-Europeans were polytheistic, and the upper castes---priestly and warrior castes---found the male god as a very good fit for their way of life. The lower farming castes remained closer to nature and saw the universe in a more animistic manner like with Asia. That's why remnants of European paganism remained for centuries with farmers after the conversion of Europeans to Chrisitanity. The Hittites were Indo-European, and I suspect had strong influence on the Judaic male God. There is evidence that early versions of Jehovah had Astarte as a consort. An example of an older religion that developed differently from Judaism----is Hinduism. Hinduism was actually developed by----Indo-Europeans. The Aryan tribes that came down into the Indian subcontinent used religion to overcome the Goddess cults of the Indians---creating the most powerful political institution that man has ever known. The oldest pre-Hindu book that ties into the later Hindu sutras, is the Rig Veda. It is pure Indo-European. But it is the holy teachings of the upper castes---warriors and priestly castes. It has the first male god who sacrifices himself to himself (as did the later Jesus/God case). All the previous godly sacrifices consisted of the male god, who is sacrificed and brought back to life by the benevolence of the Goddess. But a male God who can sacrifice himself to himself---is proving his omnipotence, because he does not need the Goddess. But the Aryans were clever----they absorbed the Goddess faiths and teachings into their own, but in a way that put their beliefs on the top. They also had the brute force of Iron (The ancestral home of the Indo-Europeans is the Caspian Sea which was rich in Iron Ore). The Rig Veda is also filled with shamanism. The horse sacrifice that shamans still perform accross Siberia, and what the Ancient europeans used to practice, was done by the Aryan tribes of the Rig Veda. They also used the Amanita mushroom (Soma). There are many good lessons and teachings within Hinduism. But it's Aryan legacy also has created a caste system with the whiter skinned people on top as the priests and warriors and the darker skinned people on the bottom. You will also find that the lower you go in Indian society the stronger the Goddess becomes. But the fact that this occurred long before the rise of Judaism, is why the animistic element was so well preserved. Man was not as aliented from the animistic universe as he was in later centuries. Another powerful element to Hinduism is that there is no opposing religion to the Hindus----they just absorb it. For example, when Christians came to India, the Hindus simply said Jesus is another manifestation of Krishna or whoever---and just created it as another sect. Indo-Europeans continued to use this technique of controlling through religion, even up to more modern times. I can show you evidence of CHristianity as an Indo-European creation----elements of the story of Jesus, for example, do not fit with the Middle Eastern environment he was born into----they are aspects of a Northern people, and, in fact, very Indo-European. I would say that Jesus was an enlightened hippy that rebelled against the Jewish hierarchy---but that the Romans enhanced his story to create a more powerful political tool. The New Testament was after all, written in Greek. Anyway I've got to get to bed----but let me just add that I think that now that religion has taken us this far----it is time to go back to the garden---to once again find that indiviualistic oriented spirituality that once again makes all things sacred. It is the closing of the sacred hoop. You see it in strange ways---most people at a nightclub rave have no idea of the implications of the repetitive beat, the repetitive dance movements, the mind-altering drugs----but I think it is fulfilling a subconscious urge to get back to that primal spirituality-----because that is what all of that clues into. It is very tribal. Mountain Valley Wolf
Thank you Blazing Dervish----on behalf of myself, StonerBill, HuronSky, Fountains of Nay (and her Komaneko picture) who has yet to share her experiences in tea ceremony and shinto----I studied a bit of tea ceremony in Japan as well for a cultural visa and thought it was really cool... Mountain Valley Wolf
My husband and I have studied tea as well. And while a Japanese tea ceremony may require 'japaneseness' to do authentically - there are few things on this planet that are as universally simple and as deep as sharing a cuppa tea. We had a great tea experience this summer. Always looking for anything that bills itself a teahouse and in general, that means you land in proper English sitting room, which is a great way to take your tea but we've been looking for something different. We found it while visiting Lake Louise on a day trip. There's a trail there that leads up to a teahouse at Lake Agnes. I'd have to call it touristy since it's a popular spot to hike to, though it's more for the robust tourist as it's a 2.2 mile x 1,300ft hike up. I was surprized that the trail's 'vibe' was great because of all the people you met on it - everyone smiles. Once you start getting near Lake Agnes the trail gets steeper and this feeling of entering 'Another Place' begins to seep in and from the bottom of the water fall to the stairs to the teahouse and lake, there's a tangible transition. The log cabin tea house was so cozy. No running water(besides the glacial waterfall, that is) no electricity. It's bulk supplies come in by helicopter once a year and for the rest of the season, it's horses or on the backs of the staffers that have to hike to it daily. So there we were, having a wood stove tea on the side of a mountain next to a glacial lake sharing good times and a cuppa with a lovely Australian family. A fantastic tea moment for us. We plan to go back in the spring and hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. Sorry for the tea tangent. It's been known to happen.
Here is an image from Fushimi Inari Taisha. I dig the story BlazingDervish. I always thought that Tea Ceremony would be an incredible thing to share with a spouse---I think there is a deep intimacy as the one who prepares the tea is ritually and spiritually devoted to making that perfect bowl of tea for the one who drinks it. While the one who drinks it is ritually and spiritually devoted to experiencing the aesthetics of every move, and every bit of atmosphere created by the one preparing the tea----a mutual devotion at many different levels. I live for aesthetics. My first wife was Japanese and studied under the Urasenke school. It was through her that I got my classes. But the Japanese today are too wrapped up in a confucianist mentality and, unfortuanately, take the heart out of their culture. So we never had that connection----we came close in tea ceremony----but not quite. The ritual was more important than the spirit. My second wife is a Filipina, and were she finds aesthetics is a little more----how should I say-----specified. She doesn't dig things like tea ceremony, I don't think. The ritual would be a waste of time----she is more into the spontaneous. I can dig that too, but...
