The basis of Shinto is the deification and worship of natural forces and phenomena. It is believed that everything that exists on Earth is, to one degree or another, animate, deified, even those things that we are accustomed to consider inanimate - for example, a stone or a tree. Each thing has its own spirit, a deity - kami. Some kami are spirits of the area, others personify natural phenomena and are patrons of families and clans.

Since ancient times, various objects and phenomena have been classified as kami. Kami are qualities (development, productivity), natural phenomena (wind and thunder), and natural objects (sun, mountains, rivers, trees, rocks). Kami include some animals and ancestral spirits, such as the spirits of the Emperor's ancestors and other noble families. In a certain sense, all ancestral spirits are kami. Other kami represent global natural phenomena, such as Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess.

Also revered as kami are crafts and skills, spirits who protect the earth and the souls of national heroes - people who distinguished themselves by virtuous deeds, who contributed to the development of civilization, culture, improving the lives of people, or who died for their state or clan. Obviously, nature spirits had an advantage over humans, since, unlike humans, even the most pitiful and powerless of them were still kami.

In many cases, kami are almost impossible to distinguish from animistic deities, but in modern Shintoism, kami are generally considered spirits of noble birth, possessing power and authority. Modern kami concept is based on the idea of ​​justice, order, holiness and the following basic principle: the kami interact with each other in concert and rejoice, being in harmony with the entire universe.

In Shintoism there is no supreme deity - the creator and ruler of all things, the world arises and develops thanks to the joint efforts of the kami, each of which performs a specific mission. Even the main one among the kami - the ancestor of the imperial family, the Sun Goddess, who fills the world with solar grace, takes into account the opinions of other kami, yields to them and sometimes asks them for help.

It can be argued that there are differences between the modern and ancient concepts of kami, but the ancient concept still exists in parallel with its improved modern version.

There are many parts of the concept of kami that cannot be fully understood, giving rise to disagreements even among recognized experts. The Japanese themselves do not have a clear idea of ​​these deities. Perceiving kami intuitively, people try to communicate with them directly, without a clear theological concept explaining their nature. Only recently have the spiritual leaders of Shinto tried to create a unified theory of kami, and even despite this, many questions remain that are incomprehensible even to Shintoists.

Each kami has a certain character, capabilities and performs its own task; he is worshiped as the creator or custodian of any object or phenomenon. So, one kami is responsible for water consumption, another for making medicine, and a third for healing. Ancestral kami look after a certain social group, the territory of a clan or a clan - people united by family relations. However, it is not always possible to find an answer to the question of who or what is protected by this or that kami.

A special place among the kami is occupied by the guardians of clans (uji), who are usually called ujigami, who are always worshiped in temples. Shrines associated with the cult of one or another ujigami are scattered throughout the country, but after population migration increased and the concept of clan began to gradually collapse, the word ujigami began to be used to refer to the patrons of a particular area and the people inhabiting it. In other words, if in the past family ties played the main role, in our time relationships in the community are becoming increasingly important.

Nevertheless, even now there are many people who are devoted to their clan; they regularly visit their native places to take part in the holidays in honor of their guardian kami. Also worth noting is Hitogami - these are kami associated with sacred people: shamans, sages, saints. The hitogami system is strictly individualized and built on the veneration of religious leaders from the history of Shintoism.

Three items still constitute the sacred regalia of imperial power. The mirror symbolizes truthfulness, the jasper pendants symbolize mercy, and the sword symbolizes wisdom. The emperor ruled the country by resorting to these divine symbols given to him by the Sun Goddess.

The main purpose of a temple is to provide shelter for one or more kami, and to provide a place for people to worship and serve the kami according to the traditions and customs of Shintoism.

Classic Shintoism (Shinto) as the national religion of Japan is a set of local traditions of veneration of certain deities.

The problem of the ethnogenesis of the Japanese still remains not fully clarified. It is believed that many peoples of East Asia took part in this process, which was generally completed by the beginning of the new era. In line with the formation of a special culture of the Japanese people, the formation of a complex of religious ideas that had the features of animism, fetishism and totemism took place. Magic and shamanism also played a significant role in this complex. For a long time, these religious beliefs and practices did not have a common name. The need for it appears as the Japanese state expands and consolidates. At the beginning of the 8th century. By order of Empress Genmei, the first pseudo-historical chronicles of a mythological nature were compiled - “Kojiki” (“Records of Ancient Acts,” 712) and “Nihon Shoki” (“Annals of Japan,” 720). It was in “Nihon Shoki” that the term “Shinto” (finished, way of the gods) was first used. In addition to these two works, “Fudoki” (8th century), or “Descriptions of Manners and Lands,” is a valuable source for understanding the ancient beliefs of the Japanese.

The peculiarities of Shintoism include the lack of separation of the actual religious components from the everyday life of its followers. Only in 1868, after the restoration of the power of the monarch in the country, was an attempt made to turn this blurred multitude of cults into a state religion. State Shinto became a source of growing nationalist sentiment in the country. This period ended with the defeat of Japan in World War II. In addition to folk and state Shinto, scientists also distinguish sectarian Shinto, individual movements of which have appeared since the 19th century. This type of Shinto is characterized by a high degree of syncretism; Shinto ideas themselves are combined in it with ideas taken from other religions. Finally, there is also temple Shinto, or the system of rituals performed at shrines by Shinto priests (kannushi).

Shintoism is a polytheistic religion. The main objects of veneration in it are numerous Komi There is no canonical definition of kami in Shinto texts. In religious studies, kami are usually understood as deities. However, due to its vagueness, the word “kami” can also mean various spirits, including the spirits of deceased ancestors, and in a broad sense - in general, everything that seems very unusual, wonderful. Initially, kami were revered as faceless and nameless spirits of certain natural objects - fields, mountains, rivers, etc. Over time, some of them become more famous, go beyond the boundaries of local communities, where they are revered, receiving special names and mythological stories. Kami are very closely connected with the objects for which they are “responsible”, which is typical even for deities of the highest status (for example, Amaterasu). This idea of ​​the concreteness and functionality of deities, associated with the peculiarities of the Japanese mentality, prevented the emergence of the idea of ​​​​a supreme and only deity. “Official” mythology divided the kami into earthly, celestial and “countless”, establishing ranks of different dignity for them.

The worldview tolerance, as well as the pragmatism of the Japanese, allowed them to painlessly include supernatural characters from other religions in the pantheon of kami, who sometimes changed their functions. Among these “foreign” kami one can single out, for example, the Buddhist bodhisattva Kshitigarbha (Jap. Jizo), who became the patron saint of deceased children in Japan. The popular group of the seven gods of happiness also includes kami of foreign origin: Hotei, whose prototype was the Chinese Buddhist monk Qitsi (Japanese: Kangxi); Daikokuten (Sanskrit: Mahakala, epithet of Shiva), guarding the hearth; Benzaiten (Skt. Saraswati), water deity, etc.

The sun goddess Amaterasu occupies a dominant position in the Shinto pantheon. The cult of this goddess was for a long time the prerogative of the imperial family and therefore was not widespread. The popularization of Amaterasu begins in the 17th century. In addition to her, the god of war Hachiman, the couple of progenitor gods Izanagi and Izanami, the god of the wind Susanoo, the main deity of the Izumo province - Okuninushi, the god of thunder Tenzin and many others are also widely known. Most of the sanctuaries (32 thousand) belong to the agricultural god Inari.

Shinto is a theanthropic type of religion, characterized by blurred boundaries between deities and people. The deities did not create people, but gave birth to them; hence the attitude of people towards kami as their ancestors. This or that clan called its divine ancestor ujigami (kami of the clan), and themselves - ujiko (children of the clan). Therefore, the cult of ancestors is of great importance in Shinto. The number of kami is constantly replenished by dead people. When a person dies, his soul is in a state of “rampage” (arama) for some time, then it calms down, and 33 years after death, the deceased ancestor himself becomes a kami. But in some cases, people are revered as kami during their lifetime. This is most characteristic of the person of the emperor (mikado), a “living god” of high rank. The imperial family is traditionally traced to Amaterasu. According to legend, the sun goddess ordered her grandson Ninigi to descend to earth (i.e., the Japanese islands) and rule it. The grandson of Ninigi himself was the first earthly emperor, Jimmu, from whom all subsequent generations of emperors descend. In addition to the political governance of the country, the emperor also performed the duties of the high priest, performing the required rituals and offering norito prayers to the deities. Three important regalia are considered symbols of sacred imperial power: magatama beads, a mirror and a sword. The most important symbol is the mirror, which has been used since the 19th century. symbolizes Shintoism as such. During the XII-XIX centuries. The Mikado were deprived of direct political power, while at the same time retaining priestly power. In 1868, direct imperial rule was restored, which lasted until August 1945, when, in an address to the nation, Emperor Hirohito announced surrender, and also that the imperial family did not go back to Amaterasu, thereby effectively abandoning status of a "living god".

The bearer of the classical Shinto religion is not an individual, but the entire community. On behalf of the community, priests-kannusp (lit., masters of the kami) come into contact with the kami. The ritual side prevails in Shinto over the ideological side; observance of commandments and regulations is of great importance. Everything that is pure and light is considered good, everything unclean and dark is considered evil. Physical pollution can be equated with ethical impurity. The polluting effect on a person is primarily caused by death, as well as by what is associated with it - for example, blood. Impurity is removed by performing cleansing rituals using white substances and observing fasts of varying degrees of severity. For the community, cleansing from filth is performed by the community priest, but on a national scale, the cleansing ceremony is performed by the emperor as the supreme pontiff.

Initially, Shinto did not have shrines as separate buildings. In order to distinguish a particular object from its surroundings as sacred, it was fenced off with a special shimenawa rope. Such an object was most often a tree onto which deities were believed to descend from above. Later, trees as places for the kami to descend were replaced by pillars, which became the central parts of the shrines. This is the so-called "body of god" ( shintai). The “body of a kami” can be an entire mountain or grove.

The first places of worship were shaped like barns. It is believed that permanent buildings began to be built relatively late, not earlier than the 7th century. The oldest and most important Shinto shrine is located in Ise (Central Japan). Until the end of the 12th century. Imperial princesses became servants in Ise

bonds of blood, who took a vow of celibacy and, if necessary, served as oracles on important political issues. Some important Shinto shrines in the Heian era (8th-12th centuries) were under the control of the emperor and local authorities, supported by public funds and divided into ranks. However, from the end of the 12th century. Due to a change in political course caused by the rise to power of shoguns sympathetic to Buddhism and a lack of funding, the importance of such sanctuaries began to decrease. During the period 1868-1945. the practice of state provision of Shinto shrines was restored. After 1945, most of the shrines became part of the Main Directorate of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honcho), which is of a public nature.

Shinto shrines ( jinja) differ from each other in size, elements of buildings, significance, order of services and their number. Typically, a Shinto shrine consists of several rooms: the kami pavilion (where the "kami's body" is kept), the veneration pavilion, and the offering pavilion. A characteristic element of a Shinto shrine is the sacred torii gate. The temple complex in Ise is surrounded by the sacred Temple River (Miyagawa), separating the sacred space of the complex from the secular world.

The veneration of deities consists of praising them, treating them, giving various gifts and entertaining them. Before the service, priests perform purification ceremonies, prepare vegetarian food and pray to God to come down and taste it. Food offered to the deities is then eaten by people; it is believed that she is filled with various perfections. At the end of the veneration ceremonies, the ritual of raising the kami is performed. Worship of deities can be carried out not only in temples, but also at home, on special kamidana altars. Entertainment includes various public holidays on a religious basis. Ritual dances are held, competitions of sumo wrestlers, archers and fencers are held, Noh dramas are performed, etc.

Having survived various metamorphoses, Shintoism still retains its vitality, being an important factor in the unity of the Japanese nation. However, many of today's Shinto practitioners (more than 100 million people) perceive Shinto not as a religion, but as a form of culture that connects the past and present of Japan. Rites of Shinto origin are considered in this sense as elements of Japanese national customs.

The plasticity of Shintoism allowed it to easily adapt to other religious traditions. Thus, for many centuries it coexisted with Buddhism and experienced its significant influence.

Review questions

• 1. Who are the Kami?
• 2. Which goddess occupies a dominant position in the Shinto pantheon?

Kojiki. Records of ancient deeds. St. Petersburg, 1994.

Konrad N. I. Essays on the cultural history of medieval Japan. M., 1980. Meshcheryakov A. N. Ancient Japan. Buddhism and Shintoism. M., 1987. Nakorchevsky A. A. Shinto. St. Petersburg, 2000.

Svetlov G. E. The path of the gods. M., 1985.

Sansom J.B. Japan. Brief history of culture. St. Petersburg, 1999.

What is Shintoism (Shinto)

Shintoism is an ancient historical religion of Japan that is based on the belief in the existence of many gods and spirits living locally at specific shrines or throughout the world, such as the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. Shintoism has aspects, that is, the belief that spirits reside in natural inanimate objects, in fact, in all things. For Shintoism, the primary goal is that man lives in harmony with nature. , Shintoism or “Shinto” can be translated as – The Way of the Gods.

Shintoism is the essence of religion - briefly.

In simple words, Shintoism is not quite a religion in the classical sense of the term, but rather a philosophy, idea and culture based on religious beliefs. In Shinto there are no specific canonical sacred texts, no formal prayers and no obligatory rituals. Instead, worship options vary greatly depending on the shrine and deity. Very often in Shinto it is customary to worship the spirits of ancestors, who, according to beliefs, constantly surround us. From the above we can conclude that Shintoism is a very liberal religion aimed at creating the common good and harmony with nature.

Origin of religion. Where did Shintoism originate?

Unlike many other religions, Shintoism does not have a founder or a specific point of origin in time. The peoples of ancient Japan long practiced animistic beliefs, worshiping divine ancestors and communicating with the spirit world through shamans. Many of these practices migrated to the so-called first recognized religion - Shinto (Shintoism). This happened during the Yayoi culture from about 300 BC to 300 AD. It was during this period that certain natural phenomena and geographical features were given the names of various deities.

In Shinto beliefs, supernatural powers and entities are known as Kami. They control nature in all its forms and live in places of great natural beauty. In addition to the conventionally benevolent spirits “Kami”, Shintoism contains evil entities - demons or “They” which are mostly invisible and can live in different places. Some of them are represented as giants with horns and three eyes. The power of "They" is usually temporary, and they do not represent an inherent force of evil. As a rule, in order to calm them down, it is necessary to perform a certain ritual.

Basic concepts and principles in Shintoism.

• Purity. Physical purity, spiritual purity and avoidance of destruction;
• Physical well-being;
• Harmony must be present in all things. It must be maintained to prevent imbalance;
• Food and Fertility;
• Family and clan solidarity;
• Subordination of the individual to the group;
• Respect for nature;
• Everything in the world has the potential for both good and bad;
• The soul (Tama) of the dead can influence life before it joins the collective Kami of its ancestors.

Shinto gods.

As in many other ancient religions, Shinto deities represent important astrological, geographical and meteorological phenomena that have ever occurred and are believed to influence everyday life.

The creator gods are considered to be: Goddess of creation and death - Izanami and her husband Izanagi. They are considered to be the creators of the islands of Japan. Further down the hierarchy, the sun goddess is considered to be the supreme deity - Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo-god of the sea and storms.

Other significant deities in Shintoism include the god-goddess Inari, who is considered the patroness of rice, fertility, trade and handicrafts. The messenger of Inari is a fox and a popular figure in temple art.

Also in Shintoism, the so-called “Seven Gods of Happiness” are especially revered:

• Ebisu– the god of luck and hard work, who is considered the patron saint of fishermen and traders;
• Daikoku- god of wealth and patron of all peasants;
• Bishamonten- God of the warrior-protector, god of wealth and prosperity. Very revered among the military, doctors and servants of the law;
• Benzaiten– goddess of sea luck, love, knowledge, wisdom and art;
• Fukurokuju– god of longevity and wisdom in actions;
• Hotei- god of kindness, compassion and good nature;
• Jurojin- god of longevity and health.

In general, the pantheon of Shinto gods is very large and includes various deities responsible for almost all aspects of human life.

Shrines and altars in Shintoism.

In Shintoism, a sacred place can belong to several “Kami” at once, and despite this, there are more than 80 thousand different shrines in Japan. Some natural sites and mountains can also be considered shrines. Early shrines were simply mountain altars on which offerings were laid out. Then, decorated buildings were erected around such altars. Shrines are easily identified by the presence of sacred gates. The simplest ones are just two vertical pillars with two longer crossbars, which symbolically separate the sacred space of the shrine from the outside world. Such shrines are usually managed and cared for by a chief priest or elder, and the local community funds the work. In addition to public shrines, many Japanese have small altars in their homes dedicated to ancestors.

The most important Shinto shrine is the Ise Great Shrine (Ise Shrine), dedicated to Amaterasu with a secondary shrine to the harvest goddess Toyouke.

Shintoism and Buddhism.

Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century BC as part of the Chinese colonization process. There was virtually no opposition to these belief systems. Both Buddhism and Shintoism found mutual space to flourish side by side for many centuries in ancient Japan. During the period 794-1185 AD, certain Shinto "kami" and Buddhist bodhisattvas were formally combined to create a single deity, thus creating Ryōbu Shinto or "Double Shinto". As a result, images of Buddhist figures were included in Shinto shrines, and some Shinto shrines were administered by Buddhist monks. The official separation of religions occurred already in the 19th century.

Shintoism, Shinto (Japanese 神道, Shinto, “way of the gods”) is the traditional religion of Japan. Based on the animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese, the objects of worship are numerous deities and spirits of the dead. In its development it experienced a significant influence of Buddhism. There is another form of Shinto called the "thirteen sects". In the period before the end of World War II, this type of Shinto had distinctive features from the state one in its legal status, organization, property, and rituals. Sectarian Shintoism is heterogeneous. This type of Shintoism was characterized by moral purification, Confucian ethics, the deification of mountains, the practice of miraculous healings, and the revival of ancient Shinto rites.

Shinto philosophy.
The basis of Shinto is the deification and worship of natural forces and phenomena. It is believed that everything that exists on Earth is, to one degree or another, animate, deified, even those things that we are accustomed to consider inanimate - for example, a stone or a tree. Each thing has its own spirit, a deity - kami. Some kami are spirits of the area, others personify natural phenomena and are patrons of families and clans. Other kami represent global natural phenomena, such as Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess. Shinto includes magic, totemism, and belief in the effectiveness of various talismans and amulets. The main principle of Shinto is to live in harmony with nature and people. According to Shinto beliefs, the world is a single natural environment where kami, people, and the souls of the dead live side by side. Life is a natural and eternal cycle of birth and death, through which everything in the world is constantly renewed. Therefore, people do not need to seek salvation in another world; they should achieve harmony with the kami in this life.
Goddess Amaterasu.

History of Shintoism.
Origin.
Shinto, as a religious philosophy, is a development of the animistic beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands. There are several versions of the origin of Shinto: the export of this religion at the dawn of our era from continental states (ancient China and Korea), the emergence of Shinto directly on the Japanese Islands since the time of Jomon, etc. It can be noted that animist beliefs are typical of all known cultures at a certain stage of development , but of all any large and civilized states, only in Japan were they not forgotten over time, but became, only partially modified, the basis of the state religion.
Association.
The formation of Shinto as the national and state religion of the Japanese dates back to the period of the 7th-8th centuries AD. e., when the country was united under the rule of the rulers of the central Yamato region. In the process of unifying Shinto, a system of mythology was canonized, in which the sun goddess Amaterasu, declared the ancestor of the ruling imperial dynasty, was at the top of the hierarchy, and local and clan gods took a subordinate position. The Taihoryo code of laws, which appeared in 701, approved this provision and established the jingikan, the main administrative body, which was in charge of all issues related to religious beliefs and ceremonies. An official list of state religious holidays was established.
Empress Genmei ordered the compilation of a collection of myths of all the peoples living on the Japanese Islands. According to this order, in 712 the chronicle “Records of the Deeds of Antiquity” (Japanese: 古事記, Kojiki) was created, and in 720, “Annals of Japan” (Japanese: 日本書紀, Nihon Shoki or Nihongi). These mythological codes became the main texts in Shinto, some semblance of sacred scripture. When compiling them, the mythology was somewhat corrected in the spirit of the national unification of all Japanese and the justification of the power of the ruling dynasty. In 947, the code “Engisiki” (“Code of Rituals of the Engi Period”) appeared, containing a detailed presentation of the ritual part of state Shinto - the order of rituals, the necessary accessories for them, lists of gods for each temple, texts of prayers. Finally, in 1087, an official list of state temples supported by the imperial house was approved. State temples were divided into three groups: the first included seven sanctuaries directly associated with the gods of the imperial dynasty, the second included seven temples of greatest importance from the point of view of history and mythology, and the third included eight temples of the most influential clan and local gods.

Shintoism and Buddhism.
Already the initial unification of Shinto into a single national religion took place under the strong influence of Buddhism, which penetrated into Japan in the 6th-7th centuries. Since Buddhism was very popular among the Japanese aristocracy, everything was done to prevent inter-religious conflicts. At first, the kami were declared the patrons of Buddhism; later, some kami began to be associated with Buddhist saints. Ultimately, the idea developed that kami, like people, may need salvation, which is achieved in accordance with Buddhist canons.
Shinto shrine.

Buddhist temple.

Buddhist temples began to be located on the territory of Shinto temple complexes, where appropriate rituals were held; Buddhist sutras were read directly in Shinto shrines. The influence of Buddhism especially began to manifest itself starting from the 9th century, when Buddhism became the state religion of Japan. At this time, many cult elements from Buddhism were transferred to Shintoism. Images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas began to appear in Shinto shrines, new holidays began to be celebrated, details of rituals, ritual objects, and architectural features of temples were borrowed. Mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings emerged, such as Sanno-Shinto and Ryobu-Shinto, which consider kami as manifestations of the Buddhist Vairocana - “the Buddha who permeates the entire Universe.”
In ideological terms, the influence of Buddhism was manifested in the fact that in Shinto there appeared the concept of achieving harmony with the kami through purification, which meant the elimination of everything unnecessary, superficial, everything that prevents a person from perceiving the world around him as it really is. The heart of a person who has purified himself is like a mirror; it reflects the world in all its manifestations and becomes the heart of a kami. A person who has a divine heart lives in harmony with the world and the gods, and the country where people strive for purification prospers. At the same time, with the traditional Shinto attitude to rituals, real action was put in first place, and not ostentatious religious zeal and prayers:
“It can be said that a person will find harmony with the deities and the Buddha if his heart is straight and calm, if he himself honestly and sincerely respects those above him and shows compassion for those below him, if he considers the existing existing, and non-existent - non-existent and accept things as they are. And then a person will gain the protection and patronage of the deities, even if he does not perform prayers. But if he is not upright and sincere, heaven will leave him even if he prays every day.” - Hojo Nagauji.

Shintoism and the Japanese state.
Despite the fact that Buddhism remained the state religion of Japan until 1868, Shinto not only did not disappear, but all this time continued to play the role of the ideological basis uniting Japanese society. Despite the respect shown to Buddhist temples and monks, the majority of the Japanese population continued to practice Shinto. The myth of the direct divine descent of the imperial dynasty from the kami continued to be cultivated. In the 14th century, it was further developed in Kitabatake Chikafusa’s treatise “Jino Shotoki” (“Record of the True Genealogy of the Divine Emperors”), which asserted the chosenness of the Japanese nation. Kitabatake Chikafusa argued that the kami continue to live in the emperors, so that the country is governed in accordance with the divine will. After the period of feudal wars, the unification of the country carried out by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the establishment of military rule led to the strengthening of Shinto's position. The myth of the divinity of the imperial house became one of the factors ensuring the integrity of the united state. The fact that the emperor did not actually rule the country did not matter - it was believed that the Japanese emperors entrusted the administration of the country to the rulers of the Tokugawa clan. In the 17th-18th centuries, under the influence of the works of many theorists, including followers of Confucianism, the doctrine of kokutai (literally “body of the state”) emerged. According to this teaching, kami live in all Japanese people and act through them. The Emperor is the living embodiment of the goddess Amaterasu, and should be revered along with the gods. Japan is a family state in which subjects are distinguished by filial piety towards the emperor, and the emperor is distinguished by parental love for his subjects. Thanks to this, the Japanese nation is the chosen one, superior to all others in strength of spirit and has a certain higher purpose.
After the restoration of imperial power in 1868, the emperor was immediately officially proclaimed the living god on Earth, and Shinto received the status of a compulsory state religion. The emperor was also the high priest. All Shinto temples were united into a single system with a clear hierarchy: the highest position was occupied by the imperial temples, first of all the Ise temple, where Amaterasu was revered, then the state, prefectural, district, and village ones. When freedom of religion was established in Japan in 1882, Shinto nevertheless retained its status as the official state religion. Its teaching was compulsory in all educational institutions. Holidays were introduced in honor of the imperial family: the day of the emperor's accession to the throne, the birthday of Emperor Jimmu, the day of remembrance of Emperor Jimmu, the day of remembrance of the father of the reigning emperor, and others. On such days, educational institutions performed a ritual of worshiping the emperor and empress, which took place in front of portraits of rulers with the singing of the national anthem. Shinto lost its state status in 1947, after the adoption of a new constitution for the country, formed under the control of the occupying American authorities. The Emperor ceased to be considered a living god and high priest, remaining only as a symbol of the unity of the Japanese people. State churches lost their support and special position. Shintoism became one of the religions widespread in Japan.

A Japanese samurai prepared to perform the ritual of seppuku (harakiri). This ritual was carried out by ripping open the abdomen with a sharp wakajishi blade.

Mythology of Shintoism.
The main sources of Shinto mythology are the aforementioned collections “Kojiki” and “Nihongi”, created, respectively, in 712 and 720 AD. They included combined and revised tales that had previously been passed down orally from generation to generation. In records from the Kojiki and Nihongi, experts note the influence of Chinese culture, mythology, and philosophy. The events described in most myths take place in the so-called “era of the gods” - the period from the emergence of the world to the time immediately preceding the creation of collections. Myths do not determine the duration of the era of the gods. At the end of the era of the gods, the era of the reign of emperors - the descendants of the gods - begins. Stories about events during the reign of ancient emperors complete the collection of myths. Both collections describe the same myths, often in different forms. In Nihongi, in addition, each myth is accompanied by a list of several variants in which it occurs. The first stories tell about the origin of the world. According to them, the world was originally in a state of chaos, containing all the elements in a mixed, formless state. At some point, the primordial chaos was divided and Takama-nohara (High Sky Plain) and the Akitsushima Islands were formed. At the same time, the first gods arose (they are called differently in different collections), and after them divine couples began to appear. In each such pair there was a man and a woman - brother and sister, personifying various natural phenomena. Very indicative for understanding the Shinto worldview is the story of Izanagi and Izanami - the last of the divine couples to appear. They created the island of Onnogoro - the Middle Pillar of the Whole Earth, and married each other, becoming husband and wife. From this marriage came the Japanese islands and many kami who populated this land. Izanami, having given birth to the god of Fire, fell ill and after some time died and went to the Land of Darkness. In desperation, Izanagi cut off the head of the Fire God, and new generations of kami arose from his blood. The grieving Izanagi followed his wife to return her to the world of High Sky, but found Izanami in a terrible form, decomposing, was horrified by what he saw and fled from the Land of Darkness, blocking the entrance to it with a rock. Enraged by his flight, Izanami promised to kill a thousand people a day; in response, Izanagi said that he would build huts every day for one and a half thousand women in labor. This story perfectly conveys the Shinto ideas about life and death: everything is mortal, even the gods, and there is no point in trying to bring back the dead, but life conquers death through the rebirth of all living things. From the time described in the myth of Izanagi and Izanami, myths begin to mention people. Thus, Shinto mythology dates the appearance of people to the time when the Japanese islands first appeared. But the very moment of the appearance of people in myths is not specifically noted; there is no separate myth about the creation of man, since Shinto ideas generally do not make a strict distinction between people and kami.
Returning from the Land of Darkness, Izanagi purified himself by washing in the waters of the river. When he performed ablution, many kami appeared from his clothes, jewelry, and drops of water flowing from him. Among others, from the drops that washed Izanagi’s left eye, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu appeared, to whom Izanagi gave the High Sky Plain. From the drops of water that washed the nose - the god of storm and wind Susanoo, who received the Plain of the Sea under his power. Having received parts of the World under their power, the gods began to quarrel. The first was the conflict between Susanoo and Amaterasu - the brother, having visited his sister in her domain, behaved violently and unrestrainedly, and in the end Amaterasu locked herself in a heavenly grotto, bringing darkness to the world. The gods (according to another version of the myth - people) lured Amaterasu out of the grotto with the help of birdsong, dancing and loud laughter. Susanoo made an atoning sacrifice, but was still expelled from the High Sky Plain and settled in the country of Izumo - the western part of the island of Honshu.
After the story of the return of Amaterasu, the myths cease to be consistent and begin to describe separate, unrelated plots. They all talk about the struggle of kami with each other for dominion over a particular territory. One of the myths tells how Amaterasu's grandson, Ninigi, came to earth to rule the people of Japan. Together with him, five more deities went to earth, giving rise to the five most influential clans of Japan. Another myth says that a descendant of Niniga, Iwarehiko (who bore the name Jimmu during his lifetime), undertook a campaign from the island of Kyushu to Honshu (the central island of Japan) and subjugated all of Japan, thus founding an empire and becoming the first emperor. This myth is one of the few that has a date; it dates the Jimmu campaign to 660 BC. e., although modern researchers believe that the events reflected in it actually took place no earlier than the 3rd century AD. It is on these myths that the thesis about the divine origin of the imperial family is based. They also became the basis for the Japanese national holiday - Kigensetsu, the day of the founding of the empire, celebrated on February 11.

Cult of Shintoism.
Temples.
A Shinto temple or shrine is a place where rituals are performed in honor of the gods. There are temples dedicated to several gods, temples that honor the spirits of the dead of a particular clan, and the Yasukuni Shrine honors Japanese military personnel who died for Japan and the emperor. But most shrines are dedicated to one specific kami.
Unlike most world religions, in which they try, if possible, to preserve old ritual buildings unchanged and build new ones in accordance with the old canons, in Shinto, in accordance with the principle of universal renewal, which is life, there is a tradition of constant renovation of temples. The shrines of the Shinto gods are regularly updated and rebuilt, and changes are made to their architecture. Thus, Ise temples, which were previously imperial, are reconstructed every 20 years. Therefore, it is now difficult to say what exactly the Shinto shrines of antiquity were like; we only know that the tradition of constructing such shrines appeared no later than the 6th century.

Part of the Toshogu Temple complex.

Temple complex to Oedipus.

Typically, a temple complex consists of two or more buildings located in a picturesque area, “integrated” into the natural landscape. The main building, the honden, is intended for the deity. It contains an altar where the shintai - “the body of the kami” - is kept, an object that is believed to be inhabited by the spirit of the kami. Shintai can be different objects: a wooden tablet with the name of a deity, a stone, a tree branch. Xingtai is not shown to believers; it is always hidden. Since the soul of a kami is inexhaustible, its simultaneous presence in the shintai of many temples is not considered something strange or illogical. There are usually no images of gods inside the temple, but there may be images of animals associated with a particular deity. If the temple is dedicated to the deity of the area where it is built (kami mountains, groves), then the honden may not be built, since the kami is already present in the place where the temple is built. In addition to the honden, the temple usually contains a haiden - a hall for worshipers. In addition to the main buildings, the temple complex may include a shinsenjo - a room for preparing sacred food, a haraijyo - a place for spells, a kaguraden - a stage for dancing, as well as other auxiliary buildings. All buildings of the temple complex are maintained in the same architectural style. There are several traditional styles in which temple buildings are built. In all cases, the main buildings have the shape of a rectangle, at the corners of which there are vertical wooden pillars supporting the roof. In some cases, a honden and a haiden may stand close to each other, with a common roof being built for both buildings. The floor of the main temple buildings is always raised above the ground, so a staircase leads into the temple. A veranda can be attached to the entrance. There are sanctuaries without buildings at all; they are a rectangular area with wooden pillars at the corners. The pillars are connected by a rope of straw, and in the center of the sanctuary there is a tree, stone or wooden pillar. In front of the entrance to the territory of the sanctuary there is at least one torii - structures similar to gates without leaves. The torii is considered the gateway to the place that belongs to the kami, where the gods can manifest and communicate with them. There can be one tori, but there can be a large number of them. It is believed that a person who has successfully completed some truly large-scale undertaking must donate a torii to some temple. A path leads from the torii to the entrance to the honden, next to which there are stone basins for washing hands and mouth. In front of the entrance to the temple, as well as in other places where it is believed that kami are constantly present or may appear, shimenawa - thick ropes of rice straw - are hung.

Rituals.
The basis of the Shinto cult is the veneration of the kami, to whom the temple is dedicated. For this purpose, rituals are performed with the goal of establishing and maintaining a connection between believers and kami, entertaining the kami, and giving him pleasure. It is believed that this allows one to hope for his mercy and protection. The system of cult rituals has been developed quite meticulously. It includes the ritual of a single prayer of a parishioner, his participation in collective temple actions - purification (harai), sacrifice (shinsen), prayer (norito), libation (naorai), as well as complex rituals of matsuri temple festivals. According to Shinto beliefs, death, disease and blood violate the purity that is necessary for visiting the temple. Therefore, patients suffering from bleeding wounds, as well as those in grief after the death of loved ones, cannot visit the temple and participate in religious ceremonies, although they are not forbidden to pray at home or anywhere else.
The prayer ritual that is performed by those who come to churches is very simple. A coin is thrown into a wooden lattice box in front of the altar, then, standing in front of the altar, they “attract the attention” of the deity by clapping their hands several times, after which they pray. Individual prayers do not have established forms and texts; a person simply mentally addresses the kami with what he wants to tell him. Sometimes it happens that a parishioner reads a prepared prayer, but usually this is not done. It is characteristic that an ordinary believer says his prayers either very quietly or even mentally - only a priest can pray out loud when he performs an “official” ritual prayer. Shinto does not require the believer to visit temples frequently; participation in major temple festivals is quite enough, and the rest of the time a person can pray at home or in any other place where he deems it right. To offer prayer at home, a kamidana is set up - a home altar. A kamidana is a small shelf decorated with branches of pine or the sacred sakaki tree, usually placed above the door of the guest room in the house. Talismans bought in temples, or simply tablets with the names of the deities that the believer worships, are placed on the kamidana. Offerings are also placed there: usually sake and rice cakes. Prayer is carried out in the same way as in a temple: the believer stands in front of the kamidan, clapping his hands several times to attract the kami, after which he silently communicates with him. The harai ritual consists of washing the mouth and hands with water. In addition, there is a procedure for mass ablution, which consists of sprinkling the believers with salt water and sprinkling with salt. The shinsen ritual is an offering to the temple of rice, clean water, rice cakes (“mochi”), and various gifts. The Naorai ritual usually consists of a communal meal of worshipers who eat and drink part of the edible offerings and thus, as it were, touch the kami's meal. Ritual prayers - norito - are read by the priest, who, as it were, acts as an intermediary between the person and the kami. A special part of the Shinto cult are holidays - matsuri. They are held once or twice a year and usually relate either to the history of the sanctuary or to the mythology surrounding the events that led to its creation. Many people are involved in the preparation and execution of matsuri. In order to organize a magnificent celebration, they collect donations, turn to the support of other temples and widely use the help of young participants. The temple is cleaned and decorated with branches of the sakaki tree. In large temples, a certain part of the time is allocated for the performance of sacred “kagura” dances. The central point of the celebration is the carrying out of the o-mikoshi, a palanquin representing a small image of a Shinto shrine. A symbolic object is placed in the o-mikoshi, decorated with gilded carvings. It is believed that in the process of moving the palanquin, the kami moves into it and sanctifies all participants in the ceremony and those who come to the celebration.

Gardens of the Spirit: Kodaiji Temple.

Clergymen.
Shinto priests are called kannushi. Nowadays, all kannusi are divided into three categories: clergy of the highest rank - the main priests of temples - are called guji, priests of the second and third ranks, respectively, negi and gonegi. In the old days, there were significantly more ranks and titles of priests, in addition, since the knowledge and position of the Kannusi were inherited, there were many clans of clergy. In addition to kannushi, kannushi’s assistants, miko, can take part in Shinto rituals. In large temples there are several kannusi, and in addition to them there are also musicians, dancers, and various employees who constantly work at the temples. In small sanctuaries, especially in rural areas, there may be only one kannusi for several temples, and he often combines the occupation of a priest with some kind of regular work - a teacher, an employee or an entrepreneur. The kannushi ritual attire consists of a white kimono, a pleated skirt (white or colored) and a black cap. They wear it only for religious ceremonies; in ordinary life, Kannusi wear ordinary clothes.
Kannusi.

Shintoism in modern Japan.
Shinto is a deeply national Japanese religion and, in a sense, personifies the Japanese nation, its customs, character and culture. The centuries-old cultivation of Shinto as the main ideological system and source of rituals has led to the fact that at present a significant part of the Japanese perceive rituals, holidays, traditions, life attitudes, and the rules of Shinto as not elements of a religious cult, but the cultural traditions of their people. This situation gives rise to a paradoxical situation: on the one hand, literally the entire life of Japan, all its traditions are permeated with Shinto, on the other hand, only a few Japanese consider themselves adherents of Shinto. In Japan today there are about 80 thousand Shinto shrines and two Shinto universities where Shinto clergy are trained: Kokugakuin in Tokyo and Kagakkan in Ise. In temples, prescribed rituals are regularly performed and holidays are held. Major Shinto holidays are very colorful and are accompanied, depending on the traditions of a particular province, by torchlight processions, fireworks, costumed military parades, and sports competitions. The Japanese, even those who are not religious or belong to other faiths, take part in these holidays en masse.
Modern Shinto priest.

The Golden Hall of Toshunji Temple is the tomb of representatives of the Fujiwara clan.

Itsukushima Temple complex on Miyajima Island (Hiroshima Prefecture).

Todaiji Monastery. Big Buddha Hall.

Ancient Shinto shrine Izumo Taisha.

Horyuji Temple [Temple of the Prosperity of the Law] in Ikaruga.

An ancient pavilion in the inner garden of a Shinto shrine.

Temple of Hoodo (Phoenix). Buddhist monastery Byodoin (Kyoto Prefecture).

O. Bali, Temple on Lake Bratan.

Kofukuji Temple Pagoda.

Toshodaiji Temple - the main temple of the Ritsu school of Buddhism

Sites worth visiting.