Shinto is one of the religions of the world. It is practiced in Japan. Based on the beliefs of the ancient Japanese, who worshiped the spirits of the dead and numerous deities. The development of religion was greatly influenced by Buddhism.
Description of religion
Shintoism is based on the deification of natural phenomena, forces and their worship. Believers believe that things have their own soul - "kami". It can be near a tree, stone, rain, etc. Some "kami" are the spirits of natural objects - mountains, rivers, areas. There are also gods of natural phenomena - the sun, earth, moon, etc. Shintoism includes totemism, magic, belief in amulets and talismans. Believers use special rituals to protect themselves from evil "kami" or, conversely, subjugate them to themselves.
The main spiritual principle of religion is life in harmony and harmony between people and nature. According to the adherents of Shintoism, the whole world consists of people, souls of the dead and "kami".
History of Shintoism
There are two versions of the origin of Shinto: in the first version, the religion came to Japan from Ancient China and Korea in the 1st century AD; in the second, the emergence of Shintoism directly on the islands of Japan since the Mesolithic and Neolithic times. It should be noted that such an animistic belief is typical of many well-known cultures at a certain stage of development. But only in Japan it was not forgotten over time, but became, partially modified, the main state religion.
The formation of Shintoism as the national religion of Japan is attributed to the period of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Soon, by order of the emperor, a set of "Engisiki" was compiled, which contained a list of the order of rituals, a list of gods for temples and texts of prayers.
In the 10th century, Buddhism penetrated Japan; it was especially popular with aristocrats. In order to avoid inter-religious conflicts, the "kami" were declared patrons of Buddhism, then they began to be associated with Buddhist saints. Over time, Buddhist temples began to be built on the territory of Shinto temples. Mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings appeared. Buddhism became the state religion until 1868. This year, the emperor comes to power in Japan, who officially proclaimed himself a living god and gave Shinto the status of a state religion. In 1947, after World War II, under American control, Japan adopted a new constitution. Shintoism lost its status, and temples ceased to occupy a special position and lost the support of the emperor.
Shinto is currently the most widespread religion in Japan. Outside the country, the religion is spread by ethnic Japanese. There are also several non-Japanese Shinto priests. The most famous of them is Koichi Barrish, a native of the United States and a master of aikido. He built a sanctuary in America and works there as a clergyman.
