The Peculiarities and the Role of Shintoism - Essay Example

The Peculiarities and the Role of Shintoism The of the The Peculiarities and the Role of Shintoism The everyday news on television, in newspapers or Internet brings people sad information about new disasters of antropogenic origin. The thing is about numerous different fires, arsons, robberies, injuries, violent deaths of humans and animals. In such a situation there occurs a simple question, namely: what is the very cause or what is the main contributor of the dreadful state of affairs in which everything and everybody suffers and perishes regardless their nature or character. Frankly speaking, there is a reason to believe that the background is explained by people’s perception of the world resulting from faith that leads human thinking in a very active way. In this respect, religions of the Oriental world appear to be extremely interesting for research and deductive in their heart from the perspective of their main principle of leading a spiritual life in harmony with inner and outer world. One of such confessions or rather to say ways of life is the Shinto religion. So, lets consider common characteristics of Shintoism and Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism in general and a specific contemporary state of Shintoism in particular. “Today, if you ask what religion they follow, most Japanese would say that they do not follow any religion” (Miyamoto, 2011).The same image appears in other countries of the Oriental world, for its peoples really don’t confess any religion but abide this or that living philosophy. One way or another, there is nothing surprising in the fact that all nations of the same semantically unionized area share some common traits in their believes. As it has been mentioned above, Shintoism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism advocate the same key principle of a balanced life within nature and the world. It refers to a grateful and favorable attitude towards everything of animated and inanimate nature, as any creature comes laden with a particular meaning for the world (everything has its sole). Moreover, a destiny of stones, trees, animals, humans is defined by their positively or negatively lived being, which is led by a particular way of thinking. As a result, souls are degenerated influenced by deeds and their effects while living. Hence, there is another common characteristic, that is, a belief in circulation of life and death, reincarnation of soul into bodies of inanimate subjects, animals, humans and gods (Bumb, 2010). Polytheism is the next common denominator of the Oriental religions, since there are numerous gods, the great people and saints who are considered to be spiritual advisors and fathers of confessions. Obviously, it must be mentioned that Shintoism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism serve as a guide for life or the very philosophy for a particular way of life according to certain principles. And one of such fundamentals is contained in solicitous attitude and careful treatment of everything around people. This aspect comes alongside with refusal of the whole unnecessary for holy life deprived from material goods. In such a way, humans gain their catharsis. Consequently, their soul becomes a kind of a mirror, in which everything is reflected in its original appearance without deformations resulted from unsound thoughts subordinated and dictated by evil. Followers of the Oriental religions believe in initially good nature of everything in the world. Still, there is a possibility of inciting for harmful ideas and actions on the part of the evil spirits (Williams, 2005). Evil is perceived as a disease of the universe and a man, which can be treated by the means of expurgation of evil thoughts and everything excessive for living according to principles of harmony. In such a manner, the very life goal is attainment of a union with the world through reaching of omniscience with its result of eternity living, being equal with gods. All together, the common features of the Shinto religion and Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism form a kind of an ideal creature, which is guided by the principle of love for everything in the universe and strives for harmony and appearance in salvation by the means of peaceable things. It is natural that the modern pass of life has set a stamp upon functioning of the Shinto religion in the current world of technological and industrial progress. One of the challenges facing Shintoism finds its condition in the hybrid form of the religion as well as its tolerance to other ones. The case is that openness to other doctrines has affected it in a negative way, as “From a religious perspective, proliferation of other religions especially the monotheistic Christianity and Islam has dented the position of Shinto in Japanese culture” (Glenn). As a result, the principles of Shintoism are somehow losing their positions among people. Furthermore, peculiarities of the modern life with its primary orientation on solution of human issues of economic origin has almost deprived them from adequate attention to mental development and the life goal of reaching harmony in union with nature. Anyway, many Japanese don’t spend much of their time for practices of the religion. More than that, there are also men who just realize some rituals without putting their heart into them, or, in other words, they just have lost the sense of spirituality and narrowed the meaning of religious practice to its mechanic performance. Finally, some Japanese moving from their native country to Europe, America or other places just forget their origins and religious roots of their family. On the back of such a fact is an absence of ideological teaching of their children and further extinction of Shintoism. As for the role of females in the Shinto religion of modern time, it has really transformed. Surely, particular changes in the world views and different sociological factors are a direct contributor of the state. The main shift in the role lies in gaining of an active position in religious area instead of passive one. In fact, from the earliest times women in Japanese culture have been perceived as objects of worship serving as embodiment of earth goddess, deities, spouses of gods, chiefs and rulers, priestesses or other mystical figures. But still, females’ part has been just passive as the whole activity has been at hands of their men. Today women have gained not only greater importance, but have taken the authority of Shinto priesthood. “According to Jinja Honcho, the umbrella organ of Shinto shrines, there were 667 female chief priests at the end of 2012, or about 7 percent of all chief priests” (Nishide, 2014). Then it is obvious that the time has changed the attitude towards women and has given them an immediate responsibility to maintain people’s hearts in their aspiration for harmony. To sum it up, the Shinto religion has numerous common characteristics with other Oriental religions or philosophies. The key common principle advocates people’s life in harmony with the world and nature with its belief in reincarnation of souls due to the thoughts and deeds during life. Shintoism as well as others confessions has its particular challenges in the modern world, which primarily touch decrease of its followers’ number, in the result of shift of values and specific rules of the contemporary life. A certain feature of the religion is an active participation of women in priesthood. Altogether, the Shinto religion has a great spiritual part, which cannot disappear completely, as it manifests the greatest aspect of lifestyle – the love for the world and favorable treatment of everything in surroundings, which must be the key principle for the prosperous future existence of the whole humanity. References Bumb, N. (2010). Jain or Hindu? Finding a distinct religious identity in a multi-faith society. The Blog, Dec.13, 2010. Retrieved June 21 from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikhil-bumb/jain-or-hindu-finding-a-d_b_794001.html Glenn. How Shinto is responding to challenges in the modern world. Slidegur.com. Retrieved June 21 from: http://slidegur.com/doc/125779/how-shinto-is-responding-to-challenges-in-the-modern-world Miyamoto, Y. (2011). Daoism, Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Demystifying Confucianism Series, 2011. Retrieved June 21 from: http://www.demystifyingconfucianism.info/daoism-shinto-buddhism-and-confucianism Nishide, T. (2014). Women’s entry into Shinto priesthood is on the rise. The Japan Times, Mar. 06, 2014. Retrieved June 21 from: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/03/06/lifestyle/womens-entry-into-shinto-priesthood-is-on-the-rise/#.VYZKjfntmkr Williams, G. (2005). Religions of the world. Shinto. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. Retrieved June 21 from: http://www.e-reading.by/bookreader.php/134833/Religions_of_the_World._Shinto.pdf Read More