Compartive Relgion: Shinto and Judaism - Term Paper Example

Comparative Religion- Shinto and Judaism Religion is human notion concerning the supernatural, spiritual, sacred and divine personalities and worlds.There exist different religions depending on what every group of people believes in. In every religion, different rituals are performed at different stage of age. Today religious rituals are mainly categorized into three main groups based on purpose. There are rituals meant for initiation, death and worship. Initiation rituals are those actions or practices that signify rite of passage from one state to another in the community. Death rituals are usually performed when a person dies and in many cases act as last show of respect in many communities. In recognition and appreciation of the supernatural personalities that control or ultimately wield power and authority, different religions perform rituals of worship. Each religion has its own ways and symbolic meanings of the acts performed different rituals. This paper will look each category and how some rituals are performed; both in Judaism and in Shinto. The paper will focus mainly on Shinto of Japan and Judaism as practiced mainly by Jews. The paper will look at the similarities and differences in rituals as performed by the two religions. In particular, the paper will focus on death rituals, rituals for worship, and those performed during initiations. Further, the paper will analyze actions performed and the significance of the rituals to the various religious groups. Judaic Rituals Being amongst the oldest religion that has survived on earth, Judaic rituals and practices have continually influenced other religions such as Islam and Christianity (John 2000). The religion holds on a number of religious principles the most being the belief in a single supernatural authority – Yaweh or God. This means that absolute authority is neither placed on any human or mortal personality nor on bodily beings but in the Most High God who is believed to be all powerful, all present and omniscient (Daniel, 1994). Death Rituals Once a person is proclaimed dead, their eyes are shut and the body is, on the floor, laid. The body is then covered and next to the body candles are lit. As a sign of showing respect, the body must never be left alone (George, 2000). The shomerim (keepers or guards) – rooted from Shin-Mem-Resh - are charged with the responsibility of keeping the body company at all times. Since giving respect to the deceased is of great importance, the shomerim are not allowed to drink, eat or perform any commandment in their presence. Doing this is considered a mock to the dead since they can no longer do the same (George, 2000). Volunteers commonly referred to as the chevra kaddisha - meaning the society of holy people – are charged with the responsibility of caring for the dead. In Judaism, these people are considered as extremely meritorious since the service they offer cannot be repaid by the person receiving them (the service). In the discharge of their duties, chevra kaddisha must not mutilate the body since this is considered an act of discretion to the dead. This in effect means that generally autopsies are discouraged in Judaism. In the event that performing such an act will save life or where it is required by law, however, then they are permitted. Since being in the presence of a corpse makes a person ritually unclean, kohein(s) are not allowed to be in the presence of the body; they must always remain ceremonially clean at all times. Before entering any home, those who have been with the corpse must wash their hands (George, 2000). This, symbolically, is done to cleanse one from spiritual impurity – not from un-cleanliness in the physical sense. This is a requirement whether a person has or has not physically been in contact with the body. The body is cleaned thoroughly before burial and wrapped in a simple shroud made of plain linen. By Sages’ decree, both coffin and dress of the body must remain simple (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). This is meant to dispel the idea of poor people receiving less honor in death than their rich counterparts. In a “tallit”, the body is wrapped and its “tzitzit” is not validated. No embalmment, cremation or removal of fluids or organs from the body is done. This means that the body must be buried in contact with the soil or earth. Although coffins are not commonly used, wherever used they must be drilled to ensure that the body is at least in contact with soil. At funerals, the dead are not displayed; Jewish law forbids this. According to law, exposing the body is a show of disrespect as it allows enemies as well as friends to view, and therefore mock, the person in their helpless condition (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). In order for the deceased to remain constantly in memory, a tombstone is prepared. In some cases, a formal unveiling of the tomb which may be covered is performed. Life, in Judaism, is valued above virtually everything. According to the Talmud, humanity descended from one person and hence taking one life is tantamount to taking the life of all humanity (John, 2000). Conversely, saving one life is as good as saving the entire world. Death on the other hand, is not considered a tragedy but rather a natural process that marks the beginning of the afterlife. Death rituals in Judaism are not to express distaste or fear but have two main purposes: nihum avelim (to comfort the living) and kavod ha-met (to express respect for the departed who will be missed by the living) according to the Jewish Virtual Library Organization (2009). Worship Rituals Judaic worship is generally characterized by recitation of prayers which are often commentary and instructions found in the Jewish traditional prayer book called siddur. Jews commonly recite three prayers per day while more praying is done during religious holidays and on the Sabbath. During prayer, Jews don the tefillin, tallit and tzitzit (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). Attending synagogue with at least 10 adult males for prayer is usually ideal. Prayer is usually characterized by the to and fro swaying of bodies and is termed “shokeling” in Yiddish but is not mandatory (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). This is in reference to the Talmud where Mishnaic sage Akiva Rabbi would forcefully sway to a point of ending up in the other side of the room while praying. During prayerful worship, proper meditation (kevvanah) is usually essential. In fact, there are some prayers that are invalidated if recited without the required intention and awareness. These according to the Jewish Virtual Library Organization (2009) include the first nineteen Amidah benedictions and the first line of Shema Yisrael. Jews believe in the worship of God and conduct their worship rituals as initially instructed to Levites and priests of ancient times. Since God is spirit, proper meditation is one way through which one links to the spirit. Judaic Initiation Rituals At the age of 12 for girls and 13 for boys, bar mitzvat and bat mitzvah occasions are conducted to the parties respectively. This is to initiate the child into adulthood in the community. The transition from childhood to manhood is usually marked by the Bar Mitzvah celebration. Immediately after a boy’s thirteenth birthday on a Sabbath day, he is upon the synagogue, called up to read a portion of the scriptures from the Torah (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). The boy should have practiced and mastered the art of reading, and especially the specific passage at this point. Before commencing the reading, the recites a special prayer in which he makes a solemn promise to keep God’s commandments and accepts to bear and undertake the responsibilities of his personal actions (Jewish Virtual Library Organization, 2009). During the ritual, the boy wears a prayer shawl (tallit) for the first time ever. This act symbolizes a new beginning for the boy. After the Torah has been read and to the Ark returned, the initiate listens to a sermon by the Rabbi. The sermon usually is in form of advice for his future as a grown up Jew. The sermon ends with blessings being proclaimed upon the boy which is followed a blessing celebration over wine (George, 2000). A light buffet marks the occasion which may continue during the weekend. The initiate is showered with gifts that are meant to serve him in his adult life. These include scriptural book, briefcases, money and pens among others. Jews believe that at some stage a person must be accountable to God for their individual actions (Kjeilen, 2009). This comes as one develops and comes of good age and is marked by the symbolic wearing of a shawl by the initiate for the first time. Shinto Rituals Shinto is the natural spirituality of Japan and the Japanese (Scott, 2002). In fact, it is a term that refers to the indigenous religious practices and beliefs of the natives of Japan. The religion does not posses any fixed creed, official sacred scripture and has no founder (Yoshio, 1997). The religion has all along been centered on Kami of communities, places and families who are believed to interact with the people every time. The Kami who are believed to be innumerable gods or spirits are frequently related with particular places such as waterfalls, valleys, groves of impressive trees, towns and even villages (Stuart 2002). Here, they are believed to move around their shrines and reside in a small house shaped box made for them at the shrine. Shinto Worship Ritual According to Shinto religion, there is a belief that some Kami (dieties) come into being as mysterious forces of nature related primarily to permanent features in landscapes like rocky cliffs, trees, mountains, stones, springs and caves (Scott, 2002). It is for this reason that they are seen in one place or another in time of sacrifice or worship. Shinto faithful carry out their worship rituals in shrines. One is expected to bow respectfully while approaching the shrine. People are also expected to clean their hands, rinse their mouths and ring the bell prior to commencing prayers (Scott, 2002). While praying, they have sequences of bows and claps. Perhaps to ensure that kami’s attention is drawn to the worshipers, two bows are followed by two claps after which coins are thrown into offertory boxes that are made of wood. Also, worshippers characteristically hold the second clap and put their hands together in front of the heart for the closing bow after prayers (Religious Tolerance, 2009). It is vital to remember that one is not expected to be in the shrine with shoes on, and cleanliness has to be observed at all times as they believe that the shrine is a holy place. When one is injured on the shrine grounds, the location is believed to be impure and needs to be purified for any sacrifice to be offered on it. Generally, different prayers are conducted for different deities in Shinto. Shinto Death Rituals In Shinto, great reverence is accorded to ancestors and in fact they are worshipped as deities (Scott, 2002). This in essence means that planning funerals must be given great respect and care must be taken in activities related to the dead. Precision is usually key in the performance of burial ceremonies. In general, over twenty century-old rituals are conducted during burials four of which take pre-eminence. These include bunkotsu, kotsuage, koden and kichu fuda.Mornours carry rosaries and wear solid black apparel and Shinto priests take active part in performing various burial rites which include praying, singing and chanting (Scott, 2002). Koden or obituary gifts are usually given to members of the deceased family, this aimed at reducing the financial burden of the services related to burial. A dead person is cremated and ashes placed in home shrines while some of it is buried at a gravesite. Shinto Initiation Rituals An initiation ritual called Shichi go san is usually performed as initiation for children of three, five and seven years. This is done by visiting a Shinto shrine accompanied by the child’s parents. The initiation is pegged on the belief that babies are born into this world right from the kami world and therefore need to be fully ushered into the world once they gain consciousness of the reality of the new world they are in according to Scott (2002). The initiation is however conducted in a manner that reminds the child of the kami and aims at making the child receive the grace to prosper and be healthy by kami’s help (Scott, 2002). The celebration is wound up by sharing wine, rice and other foods previously dedicated to kami. The child is also given an omamori and a candlestick as a token of kami’s protection. In general, Shinto focuses on performing rituals in action rather than word. Also, great attention is given to ritual impurity, cleansing/ purification, and the afterlife. Whenever one goes against Shinto norms, they are regarded as impure and need to be cleansed in order to restore their own peace of mind and good fortune. Conclusion Common knowledge has it that rituals differ from one community/religion to another. Nonetheless, it is clear that some practices tend to be almost similar between two or more religions. Rituals in many religions focus on life after death, purity, and awareness of one’s state at a particular time through initiation rituals. As much as Shinto people do not believe in death, they still believe that there is life after death is it to his reason that they put ones name on the list after his death. Also, unity of body, mind and soul or spirit are key in the performance of most religious rituals; mourning, prayer and grieving are, for example, involved in death rituals. Also, great respect is usually accorded to certain personalities in the performance or rituals; the dead, ancestors and deities. References Daniel, B. Radical Jew Paul and the Politics of Identity. Berkeley University of California Press. (1994). George R. Essential Judaism. Pocket Books (2000): pp. 7-54. Jewish Virtual Library Organization (2009) “Life, Death and Mourning”. Retrieved 20th Oct 2009 from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/death.html John, D. Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Chippenham Sheffield Academic Press. (2000). Kjeilen, T. (2009). Judaism. Retrieved 20th Oct 2009 from http://lexicorient.com/e.o/judaism.htm Scott, L. C. Shinto: Origins, Rituals, Festivals, Spirits, Sacred Places. Oxford New York Oxford University Press. (2002). Religious Tolerance (2009). Shinto. Retrieved 20th Oct 2009 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm Stuart, D. P. Historical Dictionary of Shinto. Lanham & London Scarecrow Press. (2002). Yoshio, S. Introduction to Japanese Society. Cambridge. NY Cambridge. (1997). Read More