Adieu, the final farewell, an exploration of death!
Shinto: Forward to Taoism – Famous Cemeteries - Back to Jainism
Back to Next tier of religions – Religions – Death
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Quick Links:
| Definition | Obake |
| Kami | Death |
| Shrines | Funeral |
| No founder | Faces north |
| Non exclusive | Coffin |
| Origins | Purification |
| Japan’s largest | Burial site |
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Shinto is observed by 4m people worldwide, just 0.05% of world population. There is an ongoing argument as to whether it is a ‘religion’, or a ‘way’, the latter considered merely as a tradition.
Shinto religion was founded in Japan, some say in 800, others in the 19th c.
Those who opt for religion, consider it as a nature religion, it is polytheistic and animist. It believes in kami spiritual beings that inhabit all things.
The word Shinto is formed from shen (spirit) and dao (road, way) which together means ‘the way of kami’. It is said that there are eight million kami, but that is actually their term for an infinite number. The most significant kami is the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, there are also seven lucky gods – these are the goddess Benzaiten representing kindness, the god Bishamonten for dignity, the god Daikokuten for prosperity, the god Ebisu who represents integrity, the god Fukurokuju for popularity, the god Jurōjin for longevity, and the god Hotei for happiness.
They worship in kamidana shrines created in the home, and/or jinja public shrines. The jinja have priests, kannushi, who assist in the donations of food and drink to specific kami.
It has no named founder and has published no authoritative doctrine, as it is more a set of traditions and practices. It has no central body. As a result, there are broad differences in beliefs and practices across different regions. Some suggest multiple forms – popular Shintō, folk Shintō, domestic Shintō, sectarian Shintō, imperial house Shintō, shrine Shintō, state Shintō, new Shintō religions, etc. rather than regard Shinto as a single entity.
Shintō is not exclusive and its followers are free to follow another religion too. One constant however is purity, there is much ritual washing and bathing.
Some say that Shintō originated from Japan and its Yayoi period, 300 BCE to 300 CE. Buddhism reached Japan in the latter part of the Kofun period, 300 to 538 CE. The two religions became virtually inseparable, and the kami were integrated into Buddhist cosmology. Many suggest Shintō began in the eighth-century.
As the twentieth century dawned the nationalist government separated the two religions (Shintō and Buddhism) and thus many believe that Shintō formally began as a religion when the nationalist’s founded State Shinto. Shrines came under government control and the people were encouraged to worship kami.
Today there are over 100,000 Shintō shrines in Japan. It is Japan’s largest religion. The second largest is Buddhism, and many Japanese respect both religions.
There is a rudimentary creation myth and a belief in good and evil, there is a Nether World where the unclean spirits reside. There is a belief that there are restless spirits, obake, who died badly and seek revenge. There is no belief in an end of times.
Shintō’s dead are capable of becoming a kami. Little emphasis is placed on pursuing a specified moral code and there are few beliefs about the afterlife. They do believe that the spirit survives bodily death and that spirits assist the living. After 33 years that spirit becomes part of the family kami.
Most homes have both a Buddhist altar and a Shintō shrine. When a death occurs, the altar and shrine are covered to keep the spirits of the dead away. A small table with flowers, a candle and incense are placed next to the bed of the deceased. The arrangements are usually managed by the eldest son, and the funeral is expected to be held as quickly as possible.
A death is informally advised to the authorities and to close family. Formal notification is part of the funeral ceremony. Traditionally Shintō followers do not practise organ donation.
In Japan funerals tend to be cremations at a Buddhist temple, Shintō funerals are rare and usually for a Shintō priest, the ashes interred near a shrine. Others tend to be born Shintō and die Buddhist. Death is considered impure and has a number of taboos.
The funeral process is detailed. The lips of the deceased are moistened, this is done as close to death as possible. The body is washed ceremonially by the family. Orifices are blocked with cotton or gauze.
The death announcement is made formally to the spirit world by prayers. Then the head of the deceased is propped up on a pillow and faces north. Food is offered to the gods and a knife is placed beside the deceased.
The body is transferred to the coffin, and given food offerings, twice each day until the cremation. The announcement of the death is then made at the local shrine. The priests from the shrine then purify the ground where the remains are to be buried.
The priest then purifies himself by washing and prayer. The mourners then gather and express their condolences to the family, and the priest gives prayers of thanksgiving and comfort. The priest then transfers the deceased’s spirit into a wooden tablet, the senrei sai. Food is then taken.
The room is purified by the priest and then he performs the farewell ceremony. The mourners pass the deceased in single file and make their final farewells. The coffin is prepared to be transported to the grave site. A sword is placed on the coffins and banners surround it so the deceased becomes aware it is time to depart. Then a procession is made to the cremation site. The deceased’s home is purified, by prayer and offerings.
At the burial site offerings are made to the deceased and placed with the coffin. Any bones remaining are collected with chopsticks and buried. Some of the ash is collected and taken home to the family shrine.
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Shintō: Forward to Taoism – Famous Cemeteries - Back to Jainism
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