A native religion of Japan and involves the worship of Kami, or spirits and an
animistic belief system.
The word "Shinto" originated from the Chinese word "Shen Dao", where "Shen"
meaning Gods or spirits and "Dao" meaning a philosophical way or path. Shinto is
no longer Japan's official religion but is still considered the native religion.
The most widely worshipped of all Kami is the sun-goddess Amaterasu.
The afterlife is not a primary concern of Shinto, much more emphasis is placed
on fitting into this world, instead of preparing for the next.
Shinto is a collection of rituals and methods meant to mediate the relations of
living humans and Kami. Purification rites are a vital part of Shinto.
The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great love and
reverence for Nature in all its forms and for natural artifacts and processes.
Shinto teaches that certain deeds create a kind of ritual impurity that one
should want cleansed for one's own peace of mind and good fortune, not because
impurity is wrong in and of itself. |
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