Buddhist and Shinto Shrines Essay

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Buddhism vs. Shinto

This report will compare and contrast the Shinto and Buddhism belief systems. There will also be a comparison between the art and architecture that is common to the two faiths. Some of the more Western religions have a place in countries like Japan but the Eastern religions obviously dominate in the area with Buddhism, Shinto and Zen being three of the major examples. These beliefs are so strongly entrenched with the Japanese people that they are part of the national identity and culture of the country, at least in the eyes of many of their people. While both of the religions are Eastern in their origin and they share some common traits, there are some obvious and easily explainable differences between the two as well.

Analysis

As noted in the introduction, many people in Japan regard the beliefs and religious habits of Japan as an inextricable and irreplaceable part of their national culture. Indeed, countries like the United States do not portend to make such an assertion because faith is deemed to be an individual choice in that country, among others. This is not to say that other religions, including those that are not Eastern in nature, are shunned or disregarded. For example, there are some manifestations of Christian rites and rituals, just as an example. However, the Eastern religions, as noted in the introduction, are dominant (JTB, 2016).

Shinto has the distinction of being the religion that is native to Japan. At one point, Shinto was the official state religion of the entire country. The general point and focus of the Shinto faith is the focus on what is known as kami, or spirits. There are some kami that are considered to be local. An example would be the spirituality of a place. However, there are also spirits in the Shinto faith that are associated and/or represent natural phenomena. Two quick examples of these would be Mount Fuji or Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Even though it is a religion, the Shinto faith does not have a specific book or "dogma" that has to be followed by its people. There is also not a huge focus on the afterlife in the Shinto faith. Indeed, Shinto adherents are taught to fit well in their current body and experience rather than focusing on the next one to come. While there are the spiritual places mentioned before, there are no specific "holy places" associated with Shinto people and what they believe. There are some public shrines that are quite elaborate and opulent. However, this is by no means the norm as most shrines are simple, unimposing and perhaps easy to miss. However, one thing that is common to many of these shrines, regardless of their grandeur and presence, is the existence of two small animal carvings or monuments that "guard" the entrance. Many of the common cultural practices associated with the Japanese people to this very day have their roots in the Shinto faith. Just two examples are the removal of shoes before entering buildings and the use of wooden chopsticks (JTB, 2016).

Buddhism, first of all, is different in one major way as compared to the Shinto faith and that would be that it has its roots in China, not Japan. However, the religion migrated to Japan starting in the sixth century. Even with the transition to Japan, there was an adaptation and evolution involved and this led to what is known as the Mahayana, otherwise known as the Great Vehicle. This is in contrast to other countries and their Buddhism, which commonly have the Theravada form of Buddhism. That form of Buddhism is most prevalent in India, Sri Lanka and other nations in southern Asia. Another form of Buddhism, however, is known as jodo-kyo or Pure Land Buddhism. This particular strain of Buddhism is much more focused on the next life or plane of existence. For example, someone is supposed to be able to utter the phrase "namo amida butsu" upon death. If this is done, it is said that a person will be atken to Amida, which is otherwise referred to Western Paradise or the Pure Land. After that, the person is taken to Nirvana. A third major strain of Buddhism is more extreme and radical in nature. This strain is known as Nichiren Buddhism. Named after the monk who created it, they praised the Lotus Sutra. This strain of Buddhism has strong political links in the areas that they operate (JTB, 2016).

Even with the variances and somewhat different beliefs, the Buddhism and Shinto are strongly linked and knit together.

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In many instances, Buddhist and Shinto practices were merged together. Beyond that, there are people that observe the facets and aspects of both religions and there is no perceived contradiction or discord between the two or the fact that they are being practiced at the same time. With that being said, the religion that is followed at any given time can vary based on what precisely is going on. For example, weddings in Japan are quite often Christian and/or Shinto in nature. However, funerals are Buddhist much more often (JTB).

As already noted, Shinto shrines are usually nondescript and the same is true of Buddhist ones. Indeed, it is commonplace and expected for someone of the faith to have a shrine in their home. When it comes to making a home-based Buddhist shrine, some amount of customization is allowed for and happens, but there are certain things that are deemed to be normal and required no matter how expansive or small the shrine might be. Some people use a corner of a room while others dedicate a whole room to their shrine. There is the use of stands and shelves to support objects that will be in the shrine. One key aspect of any shrine is that a statue of Buddha must be on the highest shelf in the room. If a statue of Buddha is not available, a picture of Buddha's relics is acceptable. A statue of a Buddhist teacher can also be placed. One example would be the Dalai Lama. However, that statue would be placed below the Buddha and will generally be smaller than the Buddha. At the lowest level will be reservoirs for offerings and gifts to present to Buddha. These offerings can include candles, flowers, incense or even food items like fruit (WikiHow, 2016). An example of an official Buddhist shrine is known as Bodhgaya. It is considered to be a holy shrine of the Buddhists. It is a rather tall structure with an interesting shape. The shrine is shaped like a narrow pyramid with a cut-out at the top that has what looks like the top of a castle tower. This tower is capped with a pointed roof. The structure is earthen in color, that being a tannish color. The temple actually sat unused and unloved for quite a long time. Indeed, the place was not recently considered a Buddhist holy site until the middle part of the 18th century even though it was built in the second century BCE. The people that came to reclaim it consisted of both Hindus and Buddhists, with there being four of each (I Love India, 2016).

An example of a Shinto shrine is the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is a very revered and famous Shinto shrine that exists in southern Kyoto. A key facet of that temple is its long row of what are known as tori gates. These are essentially U-shaped gates that form a square with the ground. They are topped with a rather ornate-looking mantle. Anyhow, there is a trail with so many of these one after the other. This main trail straddles some ancillary trails that lead into the wooden forest that contains the sacred Mount Inari. This is no accident as the shrine is dedicated to Fushimi Inari. The shrine itself has a pronounced hunter green roof that is actually wider than the building itself. There are also some outbuildings and other structures right near the main shrine. The temple's main floors are two-toned in shade of pinkish red and there is a final giant Torii gate right in front of the entrance. The temple is always open and does not charge any sort of fee for entrance. There are additional lines of Torii gates in the Senbon Torii area of the property. For those that wish to climb the aforementioned mountain, the process takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get to the main observatory point. One can go further but most people do not do so and just go the first waypoint. The Torii gates line that trail as well although they become less and less prominent the further up the mountain that one goes (Japan Guide, 2016).

The fourth and final temple that will be discussed is also the second Shinto temple mentioned. Rather than being non-descript and plain, the Toshogu Shrine is rather opulent, fancy and ornate. Indeed, the shrine serves as the final….....

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