Shinto: The Way of Kami in Japanese Thought - Shintoism

By B R SOOD

Shinto: The Way of Kami in Japanese Thought

Japanese culture has been influenced by two spiritual traditions, Shinto or Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto is Japan's ancient indigenous religion which evolved over hundreds of years.

When Buddhism took roots in the sixth century Shinto existed more as a way of life, realised by the people in their natural surroundings, rather than as an organised religion. Shinto shaped both the spiritual as well as material aspects of Japanese lifestyle. Japanese culture, psyche and ethos are so closely intertwined with Shinto that it can be called the national religion.

Shinto, in its pristine form, had neither doctrinal system nor theoretical structure. It was simply an expression of the views of the people of life and of the world. Shinto philosophy encouraged people to be one with nature. This was possible only if people lived in tune with nature and not in fear of it. To cultivate a close relationship with nature it was essential to have intimacy, on a one-to-one basis. Life, in Shinto, is considered to be a common element between man and nature.

Thus nature has to be perceived as a living organism and respected as such. Life and its mystical power are to be revered. Deep feelings for life and an inspiring attraction towards its mystical power makes everything exist as such. The mystical power of life is the most real entity in Shinto.

Shinto literally means Ôway of kami'. And kami is something unusual and superior. It includes things which are especially good and others which are bad. The commonly known kami are water, rain, wind, sun, storm and vagaries of the weather. The way of the kami can be beneficial at times and punishing at other times. Since the ancient Japanese were agriculturists, they had reverence for nature, praying to good entities for their beneficence and to bad entities to not harm their harvests. Nature worship is the key element in Shinto. The co-existence of man and nature was an accepted fact and no action of man ever disturbed nature in its manifold manifestations.

The most joyful event that fascinated the ancient Japanese was the mystery of something being born or appearing. Kami of generation manifesting in the process of generating is the most remarkable function of the mystical power of life. Generation but not creation forms the basic principle of Shinto mythology. In case of generation that which was generated then becomes that which generates, be it man, flora of

Shinto understands birth as appearance from the invisible world to the visible world by the mystical power of life. And it regards death as disappearance or hiding from the visible world into the invisible world. Birth and this visible world are positive realities, while death and the other world are merely negative aspects of the former.

Further, Shinto highlights evil and sin as defilement or pollution. So purification is an important ritual of Shinto. Neither good nor truth - purity is the highest value in Shinto. In a similar manner neither evil nor falsity, but defilement is the most remarkable anti-value. The idea of purity in Shinto includes good, truth and beauty within itself and its special emphasis is on pure and bright mind and on honesty in inter-personal affairs.

The way of life realised in Shinto is the realisation of the simple fact that life is a common element between man and nature. Nature has never been opposed to man and is not something to be overcome. Co-existence in harmony with nature is the fundamental aspect of Shinto. Nature is superior to man and it has to be treated as such. By yielding to nature gracefully and by accepting the way of kami, we can achieve peace of mind.