Shinto Concept Of The Sin example essay topic

Shintoism is an ancient religion that originated in Japanese culture. Shinto is a general term for the activities of the people of Japanese descent to worship all the deities of heaven and earth, and at the end of the 6th century the Japanese were conscious of these activities and called them the "Way of Kami" (the deity or the deities) '. The practice of Shintoism finally recognized when Yomei, the 31st Emperor of Japan, prayed before an image of Buddha for the first time as an emperor for recovery of his illness. Then Yomei accepted Buddhism, a foreign religion, the Japanese realized existence of a tradition of their own faith. The Shinto faith is based on Japanese mythology. One of the most important mythological stories in the Shinto religion is the "Creation Story".

The Shinto believes that Japanese are originally given birth by the couple of deities named Izanagi and Izanami. They had Kami nature in them. So, it is the utmost importance for every individual Japanese that one should endeavour oneself to help and assist the emperor, the ascendant of Amaterasu Ohmikami, whose mission was to make the land prosperous and stable, and to make the land where the human life can be meaningful and joyful. Accordingly, to live means to work, and basically working is the source of joy.

This belief is considered to be the base of the Japanese ethics as well as the Shinto philosophy of life. This is because the individual life is, of course, given by the parents; yet, the root of the life is imbedded in Kami. According to the Shinto faith, a human spirit is believed to remain forever like the spirit of Kami does. The spirit, however, is not conceived as a substantial existence. It is believed because of its work, and the places where the spirit dwells.

Are often mentioned as the other world. In each other world, there live Kami. The most well known other world is 'the other world of Heaven' where the most venerable deities live, and then it comes to 'the other world of Yomi' where Izanami, the deity who gave birth to the land of Japan lives. This world is to believed to be underground, and it is believed to have the connection with the habit of burial of the dead. The third other world is called 'Tokyo; which is believed to exist somewhere beyond the sea.

According to the Shinto faith there is a belief of the other world in the Mountains. The Shinto faith also believes that graveyards were on a hill, which has a panoramic view over a village. Also a fact that people of Shinto descent often express their wish to watch their descendants even after their death. These other worlds, however, are not described as Heaven or Hell. The Shinto believe these other worlds are no different at all from this world.

It reflects a faith in the spirit of the dead who can visit this world if people make a ritual to revere the spirit, like the divine spirits visit this world whenever people show their reverence by holding festivals. There is also a faith in that Kami and ancestral spirits protect their descendants as far as the descendants continue to hold festivals. It can be said that Shinto is not a religion, which centralized its interests in the life after death, but in this world. Shinto was originally a natural religion, which became into existence in a village community. So, the concept of a sin or of ethics is also formed according to the value system of the community: that is to wish prosperous continuation and development of the community. It is the same consciousness to hold rites and festivals.

Accordingly the Shinto concept of the sin and also the concept of the Shinto ethics have no identical difference from the secular sin or social ethics, which is taught through the social education in order to, support the continuous development of the community. Historically, it was the time of Emperor Seiko, the 33rd Emperor (593-628 B. C) when Japan started to rise as a nation, forming its administrative structure, from the stage of united clans under the emperor ship. It was between the eras of the 38th Emperor Tenchi and the 40th Emperor Ten mu (661-686 B. C) when Japan could proceed a step farther to become a state with the centralized government. The form of the Shinto rituals is considered to be established at this time including Haraekotoba. In this Haraekotoba, which was chanted for a purification ceremony at that time and is still chanted, the sins are listed and they are categorized into two: Amatsu-Tsumi and Kunitsu-Tsumi.

At this time, Ritsu (or the criminal law) were established under the influence of the Chinese Law of the Tang Age. It is convenient to see these laws in order to look at the Shinto concept of the sin and those sins, which were prohibited by the secular laws. The gravest sin called Amatsu-Tusmi described in the Ohara e is those deeds, which were committed by Susanowo-no Mikoto, the brother deity of Amaterasu Ohmikami, the supreme Kami. According to the myth, he was so rejoiced by being able to prove that he had no ill feeling against his sister deity, Amaterasu Ohmikami, that he committed vulgarity such as destroying the paddy fields of Amaterasu Ohmikami to have crop for Niinamesai (Rice-crop rite), the weaving shop where the cloths for the deities were woven and also several other violent mischievous deeds. It means that all these deeds were against divine festivals. It is described in the myth that because of these vulgarities, a part of Susanowo's assets was taken away from him and purged from Heaven.

According to the Ritsu, these deeds correspond to the sixth sin, which is described as one of the grave eight sins: the sin to destroy a shrine and to steal divine object. Stealing of the symbolic object of the divine spirit was ruled to be condemned to the capital punishment and other destructive deeds were ruled to be condemned to exile. These punishments almost correspond to those, which was given to Susanowo-no Mikoto. The other sins described as Kunitsu-Tusmi include injury, murder including infant murder, incest, poisoning, cursing. At the same time, natural hazard brought by a thunder, the birds, and the reptiles (creeping things) are included in Kunitsu-Tsumi. It means that all the human deeds and natural hazard, which endanger continuity of a community, are considered to be Kunitsu-Tsumi.

These human deeds were punished by the law as crimes at the time of Ritsu (the criminal laws). In the case of natural hazards, people tried to wipe off the evil elements by holding religious rites. Traditionally in Japan, a religion has never had its own commandments, which are different from the secular laws mentioned before. The religion has always put its main value on the continuity and development of a community. It is a historical fact that, since the secular laws were established, Shinto has performed as a religion, which believes in the rites of purification in order to pacify negative forces both man and nature have, and to strengthen positive forces for constructing a better community. The ethical nature of religion in the Japanese society has not been changed basically even by the Meiji Restoration (1868) when Japan started to have the contact with the western world in order to modernize the country.

The secular statutes provides with sins and regulate punishments against them. On the other hand, Shinto does not have any prescriptions expressed in the negative form of 'Should not', but has the teachings by the emperor who is the central figure to execute divine rites have been considered to be the base of the ethics. The Imperial Rescript on Education written by Emperor Meiji was its concrete expression. The virtues listed in the Imperial Rescript were firstly the loyalty towards the country, then, the ethics which should be observed in a family, that means, appreciation and respects for parents, to have an amicable relation with brothers and sisters, to have harmonious relationship of a couple. Then it goes with harmonious relationship in a society. Trust in friends, discretion and modesty, fraternity, intellectual development and to contribute in a society with this intellectual ability.

It can be safely said that Shinto is a religion to believe that man should directly succeed the activities of Kami. After the Meiji era, when Japan opened the door to the west in order to exchange with them officially, the hereditary system of the Shinto priesthood was abolished, although there still exist some shrines for which priests who have a certain family background can exclusively serve. There are six grades for the priesthood: the Superior, the First, the Second, the Semi-Second, the Third, and the Fourth grades. There are also five ranks for priesthood called Joh kai, Meikai, Seikai, Gon-Seikai, and Chokkai. As to grades above the semi-second, they are given only to those who have served in shrines for more than twenty years as priests, though they are some exceptional cases according to educational background and the rank of each priest. To become Gui (or the chief priest), it is required to obtain ranks higher than Meikai in the case of serving for certain eminent shrines, and in the case of serving for ordinary shrines, to obtain those ranks which are higher than Gon-Seikai.

There are several institutions to give education and examinations to those who wish to become priests or to prepare for obtaining higher grades and status as priests, After the Second World War, the priesthood has been opened to women, and presently there are about two thousand female priests among twenty thousand priests in total. Even those shrines served only bu men priests, the dance of Kaguramai (sacred dance offered to Kami) is always performed by women. This is a tradition followed in Japan from the mythological time. In some agricultural areas, we can see festivals or rites, which are performed by a community member who has no education as a professional priest, but just rotating annually a religious obligation among the community members in the Shinto religion. The biggest gathering of the Shinto religion is Tais ai (the major festival), not only a shrine but also its surrounding area is prevailed by a joyous atmosphere. Hanging Shim e (a sacred rope) at the door of a house, people wait for a visit of Mikoshi (a portable shrine).

At a shrine, on the other hand, the spirit of Kami or a symbolic object where Kami is dwelling is placed into Mikoshi in order to make a parade into the centre of a community. The community members march following their representatives, and after them, the chief priest on horseback ahead Mikoshi, which is carried by many carriers, priests or the community members. After them, divine treasures, children in traditional festival clothes and other worshippers follow. In the community center, there are some stops prepared for Mikoshi so that the community members can worship Kami and receive a divine blessing. In many cases this festivity lasts two or three days, and during that period, Mikoshi lodge sat Otabisho (or a lodging place) afar from the main shrine. There are festivals of large scale.

In such cases, tours of Dashi (or an ornamented festival float) are prepared by groups of the community members. These Dashi are quite large. Some of them have two or three storey's, which are taller than an ordinary house. Fine brocade and curtains gorgeously decorate them. The carriage for Dashi is often decorated by various curbing's. In the evening, the center of a community is brightly lit by lanterns that hang at the eaves of each house, and on Dashi, which is also lit by many lanterns, musicians and dancers, make their performances.

At this moment, the festivity reaches its climax. This can be similar to the atmosphere of a carnival in the Christian society. Since Dashi is carried by many people, they shout time and the crowd also respond with the encouraging shout. The festivity becoming an orgy, it happens, some quarrels and some wounds as a result. At this time, people are in an extraordinary stage. A common idea in an everyday life is discarded there.

Emotion pent up in a daily life is burst up. Energy preserved through a year is spent up. In a sense, busting up emotion and spending up all the energy ensure peace in the ordinary life, which comes after the festival. At each household a festival banquet is prepared and a day of festivity becomes the most joyful day of the Shinto community.