Similarities Between Shinto And Japanese Buddhism

Decent Essays
Japanese Buddhist and Chinese Buddhist are similar when it comes to their basic Buddhist doctrines, which includes Four Noble Truths. But Japanese Buddhism was influenced by Shinto. Shinto is the native religion for Japanese. Japanese Buddhism also called Zen Buddhism believe in Buddha being anything. For example, a Buddha can be a person, a tree or a dog. Zen aren’t worried about a Buddha being just one person or a god. They are more focused on self-enlightenment than worshiping gods or ancestors. On the other hand, Chinese Buddhism has to do a lot with worshiping gods and ancestors that had a lot of influence from Tao. Also, Chinese Buddhism cares about reaching nirvana, which is a state of freedom. When Shinto is translated directly,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Buddhism is an ancient religion. After thousands of years, some people still actively follow it as a way of life and people are still converting to the ideology. Even though It may instigate hostile feelings towards the religion of Buddhism and may draw away from your current religion, everyone should add elements of other religions, such as Buddhism, that do not contradict their own because, it may reduce hostile behaviors towards cultures that are not your own and allowing other cultural elements in your individual life improves understanding and quality in social situations. Just as so many other religions, Buddhism began its inception in ancient India. Its creation began with one individual, Siddharta Gautama, an Indian prince.…

    • 1465 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Religion and Culture Religion in Japan: Shinto and Buddhism are Japan?s two major religions. Shinto is an old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was important from the mainland in the 6th century. 51.82 % of Japanese are Shinto, 34.9% are Buddhists and about 2.3% are Christians.…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Religions have very distinct differences because every religion has something that another one does not. The differences can even cause conflicts between different religions, even if they are in the same family. Religions also have similarities that can cause feuds to end if people use it in the right way. These religions came from very different places and are influenced by very different things but they both contain the concept of nature worship. You can see these similarities and differences in Shinto and Native American religions if you look at their concept of gods and the rituals they have to worship said gods.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A comparative analysis of the two religions Christianity and Buddhism shows many similarities and differences. Both religions believe in their own form of creator, they both have sacred text and symbols either the Christian bible or the 4 books of Buddha. The Christian faith believe in the cross, Buddhist have the Dharma. They both celebrate the life of their creator with different forms of…

    • 65 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Japanese society has been majorly influenced by China throughout history. This is visible in Japan’s religious art, technology, philosophy, and architecture. One of the largest influences of Chinese culture on Japan actually came through Korea. Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 552 by the gift of a Korean king to the Emperor. This gift consisted of a gilded bronze Buddha and sutras written in Chinese.…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    At first glance, Buddhism and Catholicism might seem to be as unlike as any two religions can possibly be. In some sense, this statement is correct. Originating from northern India, Buddhism views the rights and role of women in their society in much differently than Catholicism, which grants its roots from Judaism and was created in the now non-existent Roman Empire. The typical modern-day Catholic may assume that Buddhism holds its female population in a lower regard than their own religion, but according to some theological experts, this has been proven opposite. As dissimilar as these religions may seem, they do share some common elements, but their variances greatly outweigh this factor.…

    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Because each offers their own view of enlightenment, respect for elders, and the question and answer method . So yes, they each have their own view of reality. With Buddhism using the middle path method and being a good person and Confucianism’s respectful method and Greek platonic philosophy of questioning. It makes clear evidence of their differences.…

    • 1297 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The kind of Buddhism that is most popular in China is Mahayana Buddhism, where believers compare the teachings of Buddha as more abstract and they also accept Amitabha a contemporary Buddha but the Theravada Buddhists don’t expect.…

    • 256 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Religion is an arranged system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience.” (Mark, 2017), Ancient religions are the religions of early civilisations, they were influenced by previous beliefs and also the traditions of their location. Daoism is a religio-philosophical tradition that has affected the Chinese way of life for many years, their attitude towards life can be seen within the accepting and joyful personalities in the believers. Shinto means the way of the Gods; Shintoism preaches the belief that spiritual powers exist in the mundane world.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    1. Though Shintoism has no known founders, a single sacred text, and is still a subject of mysterious study as to how it began; it is clear that the belief system that is Shintoism dates well back into all three pre and pro-tohistoric periods. Into the 8th Century, Shintoism was influenced by both Chinese Confucianism and Daoism. Confucianism’s veneration for ancestors and clan traditions are some clear parallels, but it was not nearly as profound an impact as Daoism was. Shintoism and Daoism both discuss the balance of yin and yang or the balance of the negative and positive in all things.…

    • 168 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Christianity is one of the three major monotheistic religions. A monotheistic religion is one where there is only one god. The god of the Christian religion is Jesus. Jesus is the creator of the world as shown in John 1:1-4. Another view of Jesus is as the judge and punisher of human.…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Buddhism Research Paper

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    They also follow the concept of becoming a Budda and are stricly focusing on meditaion. Also, this part of Buddhism was founded in southern Asia, and has one of the oldest schools for Buddhism. Another type of Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, was founded in northern Asia. Unlike Theravada Buddhism, this version of Buddhism focuses on saving everyone and focuses on the fact that anyone can reach Nirvana. Plus, the Boddhuisatvas, an enlightened one who stays on earth to help people to Nirvana, can be anyone.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The religion here is basically split between two different religions, Zen Buddhism and Shinto. Zen Buddhism was very important to this country because it made spiritual enlightenment equally accessible to both lower and higher classes through meditation. Shinto is Japan's native religion and emphasizes the beauty of nature in Japan. Additionally, samurai in Japan have to follow a code, called the Bushido code, which includes Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty. Other impressive feats of the Japanese include Zen gardens and Noh Theater.…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Christianity and Buddhism spread both differently and the same. The two were the same because they both were a runoff of another religion. They both were open for people to convert from another religion, they both creators had their religion spread by their disciples after their death, and they both spread through trade and peaceful contact. A major difference was that Christianity and Hinduism originated from different places. Also Christianity spread through the downfall of the Roman Empire and later on through war and conquer.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The way that these devotees are able to accomplish this, is by putting themselves in a category called “Lay-Buddhists”. Shintoism is…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics