Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan
Introduction
Many people believe that Shintoism and Buddhism are “distant relatives” like how there are different branches of Christianity. People also think one came from the other, but that is not the case. Shintoism and Buddhism are two entirely different religions and have different ideas and cultures. Shinto has probably been in Japan since humans started settling there. Then, Buddhism was brought in by Koreans and quickly became a widely practised religion in Japan. In this essay, I will explain how Shintoism and Buddhism came to be and how they have been practised together in Japan.
Shinto’s Origin in Japan
Shinto is a very old religion that originated in Japan. It focuses on respecting nature and ancestors, …show more content…
It is a religion that is practised in Japan and isn’t widely practised anywhere else, and other religions have overshadowed Shinto. Shinto is a religion that is considered old-fashioned due to its nature-worshipping beliefs. It doesn’t have any original written scriptures, so there isn’t anything to base it off of if it is lost, and it is being ignored by younger generations. The term “Shinto” was created in the late 6th century to distinguish it from the other religions that were being introduced. During this time, Shintoism started spreading and “priests started schools that taught Shintoism in an effort to preserve the philosophy in the face of burgeoning Buddhist and Confucianist influences.” Most of the people who have been carrying it down are monks, and if there are no monks, you would probably lose the religion. That is why the Japanese government is trying to save it, so we can believe in Shinto for many generations to …show more content…
When Buddhism was brought over, “many Shinto shrines and their deities were combined with Buddhist temples and figures”, like a fusion of the two religions to make an even better one. Many families who were Shinto when Buddhism arrived worshipped Shinto but added Buddhist customs to their routine. Art was also changed, as people started making paintings and sculptures of gods and even the Shinto deities portrayed by human gods, or paintings of Buddha in harmony with nature. Hiroshi Ikeda, special research chair of the Tokyo National Museum, said that “there were no iconographic rules for Shinto kami statues, as there are for Buddhist ones, they were represented more freely, modelling court style.” People prayed to the gods and respected nature, and this idea was passed down over many years and still exists in modern
Introduction
Many people believe that Shintoism and Buddhism are “distant relatives” like how there are different branches of Christianity. People also think one came from the other, but that is not the case. Shintoism and Buddhism are two entirely different religions and have different ideas and cultures. Shinto has probably been in Japan since humans started settling there. Then, Buddhism was brought in by Koreans and quickly became a widely practised religion in Japan. In this essay, I will explain how Shintoism and Buddhism came to be and how they have been practised together in Japan.
Shinto’s Origin in Japan
Shinto is a very old religion that originated in Japan. It focuses on respecting nature and ancestors, …show more content…
It is a religion that is practised in Japan and isn’t widely practised anywhere else, and other religions have overshadowed Shinto. Shinto is a religion that is considered old-fashioned due to its nature-worshipping beliefs. It doesn’t have any original written scriptures, so there isn’t anything to base it off of if it is lost, and it is being ignored by younger generations. The term “Shinto” was created in the late 6th century to distinguish it from the other religions that were being introduced. During this time, Shintoism started spreading and “priests started schools that taught Shintoism in an effort to preserve the philosophy in the face of burgeoning Buddhist and Confucianist influences.” Most of the people who have been carrying it down are monks, and if there are no monks, you would probably lose the religion. That is why the Japanese government is trying to save it, so we can believe in Shinto for many generations to …show more content…
When Buddhism was brought over, “many Shinto shrines and their deities were combined with Buddhist temples and figures”, like a fusion of the two religions to make an even better one. Many families who were Shinto when Buddhism arrived worshipped Shinto but added Buddhist customs to their routine. Art was also changed, as people started making paintings and sculptures of gods and even the Shinto deities portrayed by human gods, or paintings of Buddha in harmony with nature. Hiroshi Ikeda, special research chair of the Tokyo National Museum, said that “there were no iconographic rules for Shinto kami statues, as there are for Buddhist ones, they were represented more freely, modelling court style.” People prayed to the gods and respected nature, and this idea was passed down over many years and still exists in modern