Buddhism and S hintoism

1. Buddhism and Shintoism By Sofia, Lauren, Alex, Jose

2. Introduction to Religion of Japan • Religion is the backbone of Japan’s culture identity • Religion was important to Japan because it affected daily life • The two main religions were Shintoism and Buddhism

3. Beliefs of Shintoism • The word Shinto means “ Way of the Gods” • Shintoism expresses the love and respect for nature • They believed you must purify the unclean • This means that is a human was dead you could not touch him or have care for it since it is unclean • They worshiped a spirit named Kami • The Kami represents live things that are natural and clean (ex. Wind, lightning., river, mountains, etc.)

4. Shintoism Rituals • A Shinto tradition is the formal reading of prayers of ancient traditions • They had to bring things to offer to the Kami such as Food • The most common type of ritual involves purification • Purification is when you communicate with the Kami • You do the ritual of Purification is usually done with water

5. Transition to Buddhism • Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 538 CE • The ruler of the Baekje (Korean Kingdom) sent a bronze image of Buddha and some sutras (Sanskrit Literature) to the Japanese Emperor Kimmei. • Controversy broke between the emperor’s court, on whether or not they should accept the “foreign cult” • Clans that opposed the acceptance was the Monobe and Nakatomi because they thought that Japan already had its traditional religion of Shinto • The Soga clan favored Buddhism because they thought it was beneficial and would enrich the Japanese culture. • Even though there were opposing thoughts against Buddhism, the religion was accepted by Emperor Kimmei because the Soga clan was very influential.

6. Beliefs of Buddhism • Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama • The word comes from “bidhi” meaning “to awaken” because Siddhartha awakened when he saw suffering and death • Buddhists see life as pain and suffering • They thought life was just a big cycle of birth, death, and rebirth • They believed you had to follow the eightfold path to reach nirvana so you could stop this cycle

7. The Eightfold Path

8. Buddhism Rituals • One ritual they did was meditation • They believed it was a way to clear your brain and relax • Similar to Shintoism, families would offer food and pray to a figure of the Buddha in their home • Some steps to connecting with the Buddha were - offer a blessing - connect to what is sacred - make a commitment - let go of something, leave something behind, or say good-bye

9. Combination of Buddhism and Shintoism • ShinbatsuShugo was developed which involved both belief in kami and Buddha. • Throughout the country jingujis (Buddhist temples attached to shrines) were built and sutras were read before the kami. • The belief behind the creation of jingūji is that kami were lost and suffering beings who needed to be freed through the power of Buddhist teachings. • Buddhism and Shintoism co-existed for several centuries. However, in the 18th century, scholars (kokugaku) devoted to Japanese studies tried to separate Shintoism from Buddhism • The kokugakufelt that Shintoism could be the unifying factor for the country to support the Emperor. A Ministry of Rites was created to formalize and promote Shintoism, but this ended abruptly in the 1870s. • Shintoism declined further after WWII when the Emperor lost his divine status. However, many Japanese continued to practice both Shinto and Buddhist rites that supposedly promote better fortunes or well-beings for its practitioners. • As there are very little devoted Japanese Shintoists nowadays, Shintoists visit Buddhist temples and pray for luck and happiness at Shinto shrines.

10. Conclusion • Japanese culture and religious beliefs allowed for the co-existence of Shinto and Buddhism for several centuries. • Shinto was closely tied to Japanese nationalism, as it is linked to the belief in the Emperor’s divinity. • However, belief in both Shintoism and Buddhism declined after WWII when the Emperor lost his divine status. • Nowadays, Shinto and Buddhism still coexist: many Japanese practice Shinto rituals in Buddhist temples. • Shinto and its teachings have become ingrained in the Japanese mindset.