Religion of Japan Shinto is the traditional national religion, culture and philosophy. Shinto translates as the way of the gods. State Japanese Shintoism is based on the rituals and animistic beliefs of the ancient Japanese. The Shinto religion, as Wikipedia points out, has many objects of worship called kami. Shinto has many gods, but in it the cult includes not only gods, but also numerous ranked deities, spirits of the dead and forces of nature. The religion of Japan, Shinto, has been influenced not only by Buddhism, but also by Taoism, Confucianism, and even Christianity. Briefly describe Shinto, the religion of Japan is a symbiosis, with millions of objects of worship, as well as hundreds of new religions that have appeared since the 18th century, not counting the influence of Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism. Huge, one might say decisive, is precisely the rite, that is, the practice that must be followed in a given situation.

Shinto as a religion in Japan cannot be called a highly organized religion, such as Christianity. Shintoism or Shinto, its essence is the deification of all kinds of natural forces and phenomena and the corresponding worship of them, rituals. It is also believed that many things have their own spiritual essence - kami. Shinto describes kami precisely as spirituality, the spiritual essence of the subject. Kami in Shinto can exist on Earth in any material object, and not necessarily in one that is considered to be alive in the usual standard sense of the word. Shinto believes that kami is in everything, such as a tree, a stone, a sacred place, or this or that natural phenomenon. Shinto also describes that, under certain conditions, a kami can be placed in divine dignity.

The Japanese religion of Shinto describes that some kami are the spirits of a particular area or certain natural objects, for example, the spirit of a particular mountain. Kami of other levels personify global natural phenomena, and in addition to them there is the central goddess of Shintoism - Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess of the Sun. Shinto also honors the kami as patrons of families and clans; among the kami there are also the spirits of deceased ancestors, who are considered patrons and protectors of their descendants. Japan's Shinto religion also includes magic, totemism, belief in the effectiveness of various protective talismans and amulets. It is also considered possible in Shintoism to protect against hostile kami or subjugate them with the help of special rituals and spells.
Briefly, the essence of Shintoism can be described as a spiritual principle - this is life in harmony with nature and the people around you. According to Shinto adherents, the whole world is a single natural harmonious environment where kami, people and the souls of dead people live side by side with each other. Shinto believes that kami are immortal and are included in the cycle of birth and death. Shinto believes that through such a cycle there is an incessant renewal of everything in the world. Shinto also argues that today's cycle in its current form is not endless, it will exist only until the destruction of the earth, after which this process will take on other forms. In Shinto there is no concept of salvation as such, as in Christianity. Here, each believer himself determines his natural place in the world around us through his feelings, motivations and actions.
State Japanese Shinto cannot be considered a dualistic religion. Shinto does not have a common strict law inherent in the Abrahamic religions. The concepts of Shinto about good and evil differ significantly from European traditional Christian ones, primarily in their relativity and concreteness. An example can be given of how enmity between two kami who are antagonistic in their nature or who keep personal grievances is considered quite natural and does not make one of the opponents unconditionally bright or good, and the other dark or unconditionally bad. In ancient Shintoism, light and dark forces or good and evil were denoted by the terms yoshi, which means good and asi, which means bad. Shinto fills these definitions with meaning not as a spiritual absolute in Christianity, but only what should be avoided and what should be strived for in order to avoid tsumi, which is socially reprehensible, harmful to people around, distorting human nature, actions, motives and deeds.
Japanese Shintoism states that if a person acts with a sincere, open heart, perceives the world as it is, if his behavior is respectful and impeccable, his motives are pure, then he is most likely to do good, at least in relation to himself. and their social group, which is extremely important. Shinto recognizes as a virtue sympathy for others, respect for elders in age and position, an important ability to live harmoniously among people and maintain sincere and friendly relations with everyone who surrounds a person and makes up his society here and now. Shintoism in Japan condemns malice, human selfishness, rivalry for the sake of the very fact of rivalry, as well as intolerance for other people's views and opinions. Evil in Shinto is everything that violates the established social order, destroys the harmony of the surrounding world itself and interferes with the service of the kami and the spirits of the dead or the forces of nature.
The Shinto religion defines the soul of a person as the primordial good, because it is sinless, and the world around is initially good, that is, it is correct, although it is not at all necessary and blissful. Shinto claims that evil invades from the outside, evil is brought by evil spirits that take advantage of the various weaknesses of a person, his various temptations and unworthy thoughts and motives. Thus, evil in Shintoism is a kind of disease of the world, as well as of the person himself.
Shinto shows in this way that the process of creating evil, that is, intentionally or unconsciously causing harm to a person, is generally unnatural, because a person does evil only when he is deceived or has undergone self-deception. A person does evil when he cannot or does not know how to feel happy, to distinguish evil from good, living among people, when his life is bad and wrong, burdened with bad thoughts and negative motives that invaded a person’s life.
Traditional Japanese Shintoism shows that there is no absolute good and evil, and only the person himself can and should be able to distinguish one from the other, and for a correct judgment, he needs an adequate perception of reality. Shintoism defines adequacy very poetically, that is, a person must have a heart like a mirror, and there must be a union between a person and God. Any person can achieve such a high state by living correctly and not committing evil deeds.
Traditional Japanese state Shinto as a religious philosophy is a development of the animistic beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the Japanese islands. There is no consensus on how Shintoism arose. There are several traditional versions of the origin of Shintoism. One of these versions tells about the export of this religion at the dawn of our era from continental states such as ancient China and Korea. There is also a version about the origin of Shintoism directly on the Japanese islands. It can also be noted that animistic beliefs are typical for all known cultures in the world at a certain stage of development, but of all the large and civilized states, only in Japan they were not forgotten over time, but became, only partially modified, the basis of the state religion of Japan, Shintoism.
Shintoism or the path of the gods as the national and state religion of the Japanese is attributed to the period of the 7th-8th centuries AD. e., when Japan was united under the rule of the rulers of the central Yamato region. In the process of unification, the state religion of Japan was canonized, and the system of internal mythology received the main goddess of Shinto. The Goddess of Shinto is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, declared the ancestor of the ruling imperial dynasty, and the local and clan gods have taken a corresponding subordinate position. The religion of Shinto has a hierarchy that is similar to the state ranks of government officials.
Shintoism was formed into the state religion of Japan, and Buddhism helped it in this. Shintoism was originally united into a single religion in Japan in the 6th-7th centuries. Since Buddhism had penetrated Japan by this point, it was quite popular primarily among the Japanese aristocracy. At that moment, the authorities did everything to prevent inter-religious conflicts. In Shinto, at first, kami were declared patrons of Buddhism, and later some kami became associated with Buddhist saints. Ultimately, as a result of such religious fusions, the idea was formed that kami, like people, may need salvation, which is already achieved in accordance with Buddhist canons. Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan, as can be seen, are quite intertwined from the very beginning.
It can also be noted that various Buddhist temples began to be located on the territory of the Shinto temple complexes, where the corresponding religious rites were held. Thus, Buddhist sutras were now read directly in Shinto shrines. Shinto recognizes the emperor as a direct follower of the god on earth. A particularly strong influence of Buddhism began to manifest itself already from the 9th century. At this time, Buddhism became the state religion of Japan. At this time, many elements of the cult from Buddhism were transferred to Shintoism by the state apparatus of Japan.
Various images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas began to appear in Shinto shrines. In Shintoism, new holidays began to be celebrated, details of various rites, ritual objects, as well as architectural features of buildings and temples were borrowed. At this time, various mixed Shinto-Buddhist teachings appeared, such as Sanno-Shinto and Ryobu-Shinto, considering spiritual kami as manifestations of the Buddhist Vairochana, that is, the Buddha himself, penetrating the entire Universe, that is, the primary Buddha, and kami as their Japanese incarnations.

Japan is the land of the rising sun. Many tourists are very surprised by the behavior, customs and mentality of the Japanese. They seem strange, not like other people in other countries. Religion plays a big role in all this.

Religion in Japan

Since ancient times, the people of Japan have believed in the existence of spirits, gods, worship and the like. All this gave rise to the religion of Shintoism. In the seventh century, this religion was officially adopted in Japan.

The Japanese don't have sacrifices or anything like that. Absolutely everything is based on mutual understanding and friendly relations. It is said that the spirit can be summoned simply by clapping two hands while standing near the temple. The worship of souls and the subordination of the lower to the higher had no effect on self-knowledge.

Shintoism is a purely national religion of Japan, so you probably won’t find a country in the world in which it thrives so well.

Shinto teachings

1. The Japanese worship spirits, gods, various entities.

In Japan, they believe that any object is alive. Be it wood, stone or grass.

The soul is in all objects, the Japanese also call it kami.

There is one belief among the indigenous people that after death, the soul of the deceased begins its existence in stone. Because of this, stones in Japan play a big role and represent family and eternity.

The Japanese, the main principle is to unite with nature. They are trying to merge with her together.

The most important thing in Shintoism is that there is no good and evil. It's like there are no completely evil or good people. They do not blame the wolf for killing its prey because of hunger.

In Japan, there are priests who "possess" certain abilities and are able to perform rituals to expel the spirit or tame it.

A large number of talismans and amulets are present in this religion. Japanese mythology plays a big role in their creation.

In Japan, various masks are created, which are made based on the images of spirits. Totems are also present in this religion, and all followers believe in magic and supernatural abilities, their development in man.

A person will "save" himself only when he accepts the truth of the inevitable future and finds peace with himself and those around him.

Due to the existence of kami in Japanese religion, they also have a main goddess - Amaterasu. It was she, the goddess of the sun, who created ancient Japan. The Japanese even "know" how the goddess was born. They say that the goddess was born from the right eye of her father, due to the fact that the girl shone and warmth emanated from her, her father sent her to rule. There is also a belief that the imperial family has family ties with this goddess, because of the son she sent to Earth.

Ideological, cult features of religion. Shinto (the religion of Shinto) is limited to Japan, where it is closely intertwined with Buddhism. This religion has centuries of its existence. Japan has developed sacred Shinto sites and pilgrimage traditions.

Most Japanese practice Shintoism and Buddhism at the same time. Recently, many specialists dealing with religious issues, including confessional statistics, have begun to use the term japanese National Religion, referring to the close coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism. The "effective" side of religions in Japan prevails over the spiritual and doctrinal. In this regard, pilgrimages are of great importance.

The word "Shinto" means "the way of the gods". The Shinto religion is also called kami no michi.

The Shinto religion claims that nature is inhabited by countless gods (deities) - Komi, including ancestral spirits. Kami inhabit all things and natural phenomena, including groves, rivers, lakes, mountains, rocks, stones, etc. Human nature is the highest because man has the most kami nature. The connection of a person with the deities is indissoluble, and the strongest connection is with the spirits of ancestors.

The Shinto religion considers the universe to be divine and states that man should live in harmony with its holiness. By observing truthfulness and purification, a person can discover the divine nature inherent in him and receive protection and support, help, blessing and guidance from the kami.

The main goal of Shinto followers is to achieve immortality among the spirits of their ancestors. There is no supreme god, but there are many deities in the world. The nature of kami in a person is immortal, and he wants to be remembered with kind words, so the fulfillment of duty is the most important element of Shinto.

The religious ethics of Shinto is interesting. The state is considered a divine institution whose laws cannot be violated. For its sake, individuals must sacrifice their interests. Shinto deifies imperial power, considering Japanese emperors to be descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu. To this day, the devotion of the Japanese to their state remains, there is a bright collective-corporatist orientation of Japanese society.

The Shinto religion does not have its own founder, scriptures and well-defined religious doctrine. Books related to the 8th century are considered authoritative. AD, created under the strong influence of the Chinese spiritual heritage. First of all, these are Kojiki (“Records of the Affairs of Antiquity”, 712) and Nihongi (“Annals of Japan”, 720).

Shinto is represented by two levels. State Shinto sought to strengthen the power of the emperor and maintain the authority of state institutions. It was the state religion of Japan after the Meiji Revolution in 1868 and until Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945. "Temple Shinto" aims to express gratitude to the kami for their help and support. He also ordered to help people, to be loyal, to strive for peace and prosperity of the country.

In modern Japan, there are about 100 thousand shrines. Shinto is a religion of love for nature. This is reflected in the fact that many Shinto shrines are located in a natural environment. A mountain or forest can also be considered a sanctuary or temple, even if there is no temple building there. Food and water are brought to the altars, incense is burned on them. There are no images of deities, it is believed that kami already live in shrines.

Religious holidays are of great importance in the cult and ritual practice of the Japanese. matsuri. The Japanese believe that kami reside permanently in shrines, but they come to life on holidays. Different shrines are dedicated to different kami, and the ceremonies in them differ from each other. There is usually a gate in front of the entrance to the sanctuary - torii, symbolizing the transition from the ordinary world to the sacred world. In those sanctuaries in which there are temple buildings, the main room - honden, where the deity dwells is open only to the servants of the temple. Visitors pray before haiden - prayer hall. The prayer process includes donating money to a special donation box, two deep bows, two handclaps and one deep bow. Before haiden, notes are submitted with requests addressed to the kami. Only on special occasions can worshipers enter haiden to receive ritual cleansing from a temple attendant.

History, features, pilgrimage centers. Pilgrimage traditions in Japan are rooted in the past. The Edo period (1600-1868) saw an increase in the number of pilgrims. The pilgrims followed the Tokaido Road from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto. Along the way, stations and entire cities arose to serve the needs of pilgrims. The main pilgrimage destinations were Ise, Mount Fujisan, Shikoku Island, etc. Local residents shared their food with pilgrims - it was believed that thanks to this they would be able to arouse the gratitude of the deities, which the pilgrims followed to worship. As in other religions, pilgrims walked long distances. Travelers took with them only the most necessary - a staff (tsue) and a small knot furoshiki).

The purpose of the pilgrimage was to receive the mercy of the deities and gain earthly material goods - health, good harvest. For many, including peasants, the pilgrimage was an opportunity to get a break from the daily hardships of a monotonous life.

Today, pilgrims also continue to visit numerous Shinto shrines. One of the most revered is the sanctuary Itsukushima, emerged in the 12th century. Itsukushima is located on Miyajima Island in the Inland Sea of ​​Japan, southwest of Hiroshima. A special sign of the sanctuary is that part of the complex of buildings, including the gate - torii, stands on stilts right in the water of the bay.

Behind the gate on the edge of the bay is the building of the sanctuary. Just like in many other Japanese shrines, Itsukushima has halls for worship, sacrifices, purification, many of which are available only to the clergy. On the hill stands the main temple with the Hall of a Thousand Mats. The main temple is dedicated to the daughters of the storm god Susanoo - the goddesses of the three elements.

An integral part of the liturgical ceremonies at Itsukushima are ritual dances. For them, a stage was built here, which is framed by two musical pavilions. In the theater building, performances were held in the style of the traditional theatrical art of Japan - No.

In an old Japanese city Nikko There is a temple complex Tosegu, which is visited by more than 1 million pilgrims a year. It is interesting for sightseeing tourists, as it allows you to get acquainted with the traditional art of Japan. Tosegu was dedicated to the deified shogun Ieyasu (1542-1616) of the Tokugawa house, the founder of the last dynasty of shoguns in Japan.

The Heian Jingu Shrine is located in Kyoto. The shrine temple, built in 1895, is dedicated to Emperor Kammu (781-806). In October, the Jidai Matsuri festival is held here. During the holiday, colorful processions are organized, the participants of which are dressed in costumes from different eras. The shrine of Yoshida-jinja is quite large, and services are held here in several chapels at once. The main room (honden), in which the main deity lives, is open only to the servants of the temple. In Ise, there is a temple complex dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu.

04Oct

What is Shinto (Shinto)

Shinto is the ancient historical religion of Japan, which is based on the belief in the existence of many gods and spirits living locally in certain shrines or throughout the world, for example, the sun goddess Amaterasu. Shinto has aspects, that is, the belief that spirits reside in natural inanimate objects, in fact, in all things. For Shinto, the first priority is that a person lives in harmony with nature. , Shinto or "Shinto" can be translated as - the Way of the Gods.

Shinto is the essence of religion - briefly.

In simple terms, Shinto is not exactly a religion in the classical sense of the term, but rather a philosophy, idea and culture based on religious beliefs. In Shintoism, there are no definite canonical sacred texts, no formal prayers and mandatory rituals. Instead, worship options vary greatly depending on the shrine and deity. Very often in Shinto it is customary to worship the spirits of ancestors, who, according to beliefs, constantly surround us. From the above, we can conclude that Shinto is a very liberal religion, aimed at creating the common good and harmony with nature.

Origin of religion. Where did Shinto originate?

Unlike many other religions, Shinto does not have a founder and a specific point of origin in time. The peoples of ancient Japan long practiced animistic beliefs, worshiped divine ancestors, and communicated with the spirit world through shamans. Many of these practices migrated to the so-called first recognized religion - Shinto (Shintoism). This happened during the Yayoi culture from about 300 BC to 300 AD. It was during this period that certain natural phenomena and geographical features were given the names of various deities.

In Shinto beliefs, supernatural powers and entities are known as Kami. They govern nature in all its forms and inhabit places of particular natural beauty. In addition to the conditionally benevolent "Kami" spirits, there are evil entities in Shinto - demons or "Oni" who are mostly invisible and can dwell in different places. Some of them are represented as giants with horns and three eyes. The power of "They" is usually temporary, and they do not represent an inherent force of evil. As a rule, in order to calm them down, a certain ritual is required.

Basic concepts and principles in Shintoism.

• Purity. Physical purity, spiritual purity and avoidance of destruction;
• physical well-being;
• Harmony must be present in all things. It must be maintained to prevent imbalance;
• Food and fertility;
• Family and tribal solidarity;
• The subordination of the individual to the group;
• Reverence for nature;
• Everything in the world has the potential for both good and bad;
• The soul (Tama) of the dead can influence life before it joins the collective Kami of its ancestors.

Shinto gods.

As in many other ancient religions, Shinto deities represent important astrological, geographical and meteorological events that have ever happened and were considered to affect daily life.

The creator gods are: Goddess of creation and death Izanami and her husband Izanagi. It is they who are considered to be the creators of the islands of Japan. Further along the hierarchy, the supreme deities are considered to be the goddess of the sun - Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo-god of the sea and storm.

Other significant deities in Shinto include the god-goddess Inari, who is considered the patroness of rice, fertility, trade and handicrafts. Inari's messenger is a fox, a popular figure in temple art.

Also in Shintoism, the so-called “Seven Gods of Happiness” enjoy special reverence:

• Ebisu- the god of luck and diligence, who is considered the patron saint of fishermen and merchants;
• Daikoku- the god of wealth and the patron of all peasants;
• Bishamonten- the god of the warrior-defender, the god of wealth and prosperity. Very revered among the military, doctors and ministers of the law;
• Benzaiten- the goddess of sea luck, love, knowledge, wisdom and art;
• Fukurokuju- the god of longevity and wisdom in actions;
• Hotei- the god of kindness, compassion and good nature;
• Jurojin- the god of longevity and health.

In general, the pantheon of Shinto gods is very large and includes various deities who are responsible for almost all aspects of human life.

Shrines and altars in Shinto.

In Shintoism, a sacred place can belong to several "Kami" at once, and despite this, there are more than 80 thousand various shrines in Japan. Some natural features and mountains can also be considered sacred. Early shrines were simply mountain altars upon which offerings were laid out. Then, decorated buildings were erected around such altars. Shrines are easily identified by the presence of sacred gates. The simplest are just two vertical pillars with two longer crossbars, which symbolically separate the sacred space of the shrine from the outside world. Such shrines are usually run and run by a head priest or elder, with funding from the local community. In addition to public shrines, many Japanese have small altars in their homes dedicated to their ancestors.

The most important Shinto shrine is the Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Shrine), dedicated to Amaterasu with a secondary shrine to the harvest goddess Toyouke.

Shinto and Buddhism.

Buddhism arrived in Japan in the 6th century BC as part of the process of Chinese colonization. These belief systems have hardly been in opposition. Both Buddhism and Shinto found mutual space to flourish side by side for many centuries in ancient Japan. During the period 794-1185 AD, some Shinto "kami" and Buddhist bodhisattvas were formally combined to create a single deity, thus creating Ryobu Shinto or "Double Shinto". As a result, images of Buddhist figures were incorporated into Shinto shrines, and some Shinto shrines were run by Buddhist monks. The official separation of religions occurred already in the 19th century.

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The national religion of Japan is Shinto. The term Shinto means the way of the gods. The son or kami are gods, spirits that inhabit the whole world around a person. Any object can be the embodiment of kami. The origins of Shinto go back to ancient times and include all forms of beliefs and cults inherent in primitive peoples: totemism, animism, magic, fetishism, etc.

Development of syntonism

The first mythological monuments of Japan related to the 7th-8th centuries. AD, - Kojiki, Fudoki, Nihongi - reflected the complex path of the formation of the system of Shinto cults. A significant place in this system is occupied by the cult of dead ancestors, the main of which was the clan ancestor ujigami, who symbolized the unity and cohesion of the members of the clan. The objects of worship were the deities of the earth and fields, rain and wind, forests and mountains, etc.

In the early stages of development, Shinto did not have an ordered system of beliefs. The development of Shinto followed the path of forming a complex unity of religious, mythological ideas of various tribes - both local and those who came from the mainland. As a result, a clear religious system was never created. However, with the development of the state and the rise of the emperor, the Japanese version of the origin of the world, the place of Japan, its sovereigns in this world is being formed. Japanese mythology claims that Heaven and Earth first existed, then the first gods appeared, among which was the married couple Izanagi and Izanami, who played a major role in the creation of the world.

They disturbed the ocean with a huge spear tipped with a precious stone, the sea water dripping from the tip formed the first of the Japanese islands. Then they began to run around the celestial pillar and gave birth to other Japanese islands. After Izanami's death, her husband Izanagi visited the realm of the dead, hoping to save her, but was unable to. Returning, he performed a rite of purification, during which he produced from his left eye the goddess of the Sun - Amaterasu - from the right - the god of the Moon, from the nose - the god of rain, who devastated the country with a flood. During the flood, Amaterasu went into a cave and deprived the land of light. All the gods, having gathered, persuaded her to go out and return the Sun, but they succeeded with great difficulty. In Shintoism, this event is, as it were, reproduced in holidays and rituals dedicated to the arrival of spring.

According to mythology, Amaterasu sent her grandson Ninigi to earth to rule the people. Japanese emperors, who are called tenno (heavenly sovereign) or mikado, trace their genealogy from him. Amaterasu gave him the "divine" regalia: a mirror - a symbol of honesty, jasper pendants - a symbol of compassion, a sword - a symbol of wisdom. In the highest degree, these qualities are attributed to the personality of the emperor.

The main temple complex in Shinto was the sanctuary in Ise - Ise jingu. In Japan, there is a myth according to which the spirit of Amaterasu, who lives in Ise Jingu, helped the Japanese in the fight against the Mongol conquerors in 1261 and 1281, when the divine “kamikaze” wind twice destroyed the Mongol fleet going to the shores of Japan. Shinto shrines are rebuilt every 20 years. It is believed that the gods are pleased to be in one place for such a long time.

Characteristics of syntonism

The very name of the religion "Shinto" consists of two hieroglyphs: "shin" and "to". The first is translated as "deity" and has another reading - "kami", and the second means "path". Thus, the literal translation of "shinto" is "the way of the gods". What is behind such an unusual name? Strictly speaking, Shinto is a pagan religion. It is based on the cult of ancestors and the worship of the forces of nature. Shinto is a national religion, addressed not to all mankind, but only to the Japanese. It arose as a result of the union of beliefs, common in certain areas of Japan, around a cult that developed in the central province of Yamato and is associated with the ancestor deities of the imperial house.

In Shinto, the oldest forms of beliefs have survived and continue to live, such as magic, totemism (veneration of individual animals as patrons), fetishism (belief in the supernatural power of amulets and talismans). Unlike many other religions, Shinto cannot name its specific human or deity founder. In this religion, there are no clear distinctions between people and kami at all. People, according to Shinto, descended directly from the kami, live in the same world with them and can move into the category of kami after death. Therefore, he does not promise salvation in some other world, but considers the harmonious existence of a person with the surrounding world, in spiritual unity, as an ideal.

Another feature of Shinto is the many rituals that have survived almost unchanged over the centuries. At the same time, Shinto dogma occupies a very insignificant place compared to ritual. In the beginning, there were no dogmas in Shinto. Over time, under the influence of religious teachings borrowed from the continent, individual clergy tried to create dogmas. However, the result was only a synthesis of Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian ideas. They existed independently of the Shinto religion itself, the main content of which to this day remains rites.

Unlike other religions, Shinto does not contain moral precepts. The concept of good and evil is replaced by the concepts of pure and impure. If a person is "dirty", i.e. has done something inappropriate, he must go through a ritual of purification. The real sin in Shinto is the violation of the world order - "tsumi", and for such a sin a person will have to pay even after death. He goes to the Land of Gloom and there leads a painful existence surrounded by evil spirits. But there is no developed doctrine of the afterlife, hell, heaven or the Last Judgment in Shinto. Death is seen as an inevitable attenuation of vital forces, which are then reborn again. The Shinto religion teaches that the souls of the dead are somewhere nearby and are not fenced off in any way from the world of people. For the follower of Shinto, all major events take place in this world, which is regarded as the best of all worlds.

From the adherent of this religion is not required daily prayers and frequent visits to temples. Participation in temple holidays and performances of traditional rites associated with important events in life is quite enough. Therefore, the Japanese themselves often perceive Shinto as a combination of national events and traditions. In principle, nothing prevents a Shintoist from practicing any other religion, even considering himself an atheist. When asked about their religious affiliation, very few Japanese say they are Shinto. And yet, the performance of Shinto rites is inseparable from the daily life of the Japanese from the moment of his birth until his death, it's just that for the most part the rites are not considered as a manifestation of religiosity.