Shinto

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Peace,

The way of the kami

Japan has embraced and adapted many religions that originated in other countries, but it also developed its own unique path, closely tied to nature and the unseen world: Shinto is not a single self conscious religious tradition but rather an overarching label applied to ways of honoring the spirits in nature that have evolved since ancient times in Japan. Traditional veneration of ancestors links the living to their family history, and the way called Shinto harmonizes people with their natural world.

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Peace,

The essence of Shinto

The spiritual heart of Shinto has no founder, no orthodox canon of sacred literature, and no explicit code of ethical requirements. It is so deep seated and ancient that the symbolic meaning of many of its elaborate rituals have been forgotten by those who practice them. It seems to have begun as the local religion of agricultural communities and had no name until Buddhism was imported in the Sixth century CE.

To distinguish the indigenous Japanese way from the foreign one, the former was labeled SHIN (divine being) and DO (the way). Much Like the Martial arts realm in reference to Jujutsu which is now known as Judo.
During one period it was used by the central government to inspire Nationalism , but since the forced separation of church and state post WW II Shinto has quietly returned to its roots.

They can be described through the three central aspects of the path: Affinity with natural beauty, Harmony with the Spirits, and Misogi purification rituals.

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Peace,

Honoring the Kami

Surrounded by nature's beauty and power, the Japanese people found the divine all around them. In Shinto, the sacred is both immanent and transcendent. In Japanese mythology, the divine originated as one essence:

In primeval ages , before the earth was formed, amorphous matter floated freely about like oil upon water. In time there arose in its midst a thing like a sprouting reed shoot, and from this a deity came forth of its own. --Nihon Shoki

This deity gave birth to many Kami , or spirits, two of which--- The Amatsu Kami --- were told to organize the material world.

Standing on the bridge of Heaven, they stirred the ocean with a jeweled spear. When they pulled it out of the water, it dripped brine back into the ocean, where it coagulated into eight Islands, with mountains, rivers, plants , and trees. To rule this earthly kingdom they created the Amaterasu , the Goddess of the Sun. Through their Union all of the natural world --land, trees, mountains, waters, animals, people-- is thus joined in kinship as the spiritual creation of the Kami .

Although the word Kami is usually translated as "god" or "spirit" these translations are not exact. Kami can be either singular or plural, for the word refers to a single essence manifesting in many places. Rather than evoking an image, Kami refers to a quality. It means that which evokes a wonder and awe in us.

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Peace,

Shrines

Recognizing the presence of Kami , humans have built shrines to honor it/ them. There are now even more than 100,000 Shinto shrines in Japan. Shrines may be as small as a bee hive or elaborate temple complexes covering thousands of acres.
Some honor Kami protecting the area; some honor Kami with special responsibilities, such as healing or protecting crops from insects. The shrines are situated on sites thought to have been chosen by the Kami for their sacred atmosphere. At one time, every community had its own guardian Kami.

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Peace,

Ceremonies

To properly encourage the spirit of the Kami to dwell in the holy sanctuary, long and complex ceremonies are needed. In some temples, it takes ten years for the priests to learn them. The priesthood was traditionally hereditary.
One temple has drawn its priests from the same four families for over a hundred generations, not uncommonly , the clergy are women priestesses.
To acknowledge and follow the Kami is to bring our life into harmony with nature, Shintoist's feel. The word used for this concept is Kannagara ,which is the same word used for the movements of the sun, stars, moon and planets.

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Peace,

Is there any solace in idol / sanctuary / temple veneration, or is the true path with in oneself?

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