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Kami are spirits that live in local natural objects (rocks, trees, streams). In Shintoism, various kami are prayed to for sustenance and assistance.
In modern Japanese, Kami is typically used to refer to God.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago"Kami" refers to gods and spirits. Shintoism is a faith that believes that there are many kami representing various aspects of the Earth and that these kami should be venerated.
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What mountain in japan is regarded sacred in national Shinto religion?
Shintoism is an animist-Buddhist religious combo. While there are separate temples for Shinto priests and the various Buddhist sects, the national religion is a combo of the two ideologies. As such, their religion reveres nature, such that any ancient/ especially beautiful part of nature holds a kami. This is why Shinto shrines are often build out in the wilderness, so that prayers and offerings can be made to the local kami which live there. So there are many, many kami in Japan (kami means God, by the way), but the most recognizable natural feature of Japan would be mt. Fuji, with its associated shrine(s) and kami.
Who is the evil Shinto kami or a kami equivalent to Mara of Buddhism?
The answer to this question is both No and Yes. There is no singular evil kami in Shinto, nor is there a set, identifiable kami equivalent to Mara. The term Kami refers to any sort of essence or force in nature, like that of a spirit or a deity. Everything can have a kami because everything has an essence. There are different types of kami just like there are different types of spirits. For example, there are greater, or "heavenly," kami which are the kami that we would commonly identify as a deity, spirit or god. There are lesser kami, like the kami of deceased individuals. There are also earth kami, fire kami, water kami, death kami, etc. Basically there is a kami for just about everything. "Kami" can mean anything from a sun goddess (like Amaterasu-o-mi-kami) to the essence of a rock. This being said, in an of themselves Kami can be either good or evil. There are different types of evil kami, demons, and spirits in Shinto. For example, mizuko are the spirits of dead children that roam the earth causing discord and bringing misfortune. Aragami are very powerful, evil kami that come to seek revenge for some grudge they died with. Oni are powerful supernatural demons that can be considered either good or bad and are sometimes considered a subcategory of Kami. There are three types of Oni: good Kami, evil Kami, and foreign Oni. The answer to this question is based on two particular Kami: Yomotsu-o-kami and O-Magatsuhi-no-Kami First: The most important realm for evil Kami is Yomi-no-kuni, the netherworld (aka the Shinto version of Hell). The principle kami of Yomi-no-kuni is the Yomotsu-o-kami, or "Greater Deity of Yomi." She rules over the netherworld as a principle "death kami." Even though she is basically the Queen of Hell, she is NOT an "evil" Kami the way Western ideology views Satan ruling over Hell. In Shinto, a spirit can be a demon and still NOT be evil. She is given a much more demonized appearance than other Kami but her function is really just as a death kami: She is a Kami that is inevitable but not necessarily good or evil, just like the other Oni, or "demons." Second: The Magatsuhi-no-kami are evil kami that bring about all forms of evil and disaster and reside in Yomi. There is a certain Magatsuhi-no-kami that bears the title of O-Magatsuhi-no-Kami and this means "Great Magatsuhi God" or, more importantly for the purposes of this question, "Great God of Evil Things." So, the two aforementioned titles of different Kami are the closest thing in Shinto to what Mara would be for Buddhism. *HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE DISCUSSION ABOVE, THERE ACTUALLY IS NO ONE, SET, NAMED KAMI THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS AN EQUIVALENT TO MARA. RATHER, THERE ARE MANY, MANY EVIL KAMI OF ALL DIFFERENT TYPES AND NAMES THAT ALL FUNCTION IN DIFFERENT WAYS BUT SOME OF WHICH CAN POSSIBLY BE SEEN AS DOING SIMILAR THINGS OR HAVING SIMILAR ROLES TO MARA.* ****Please Note:**** 1. This by no means is a comprehensive list of all the types of Kami and their categorizations. There are literally millions of kami (both good and evil) and this is simply a brief discussion of only certain subsets of evil Kami for the premises of answering the above question. 2. The Yomotsu-o-kami was formerly known as Izanami-no-Mikato, the female kami creator. It is only after her death and descent to Yomi that she achieved the title Yomotsu-o-kami. She can be referred by her name or by her title interchangeably.
Shinto beliefs about evolution?
I'd say that the beliefs regarding evolution vary. However, most Shinto practicioners would accept evolution as a fact to be dealt with. Shinto isn't dogmatic in doctrine, so it is very adaptable with the newest scientific findings. After all, the Kojiki states that even the greater heavenly kami came from chaos. Most today see the creation myth as symbol after symbol. We could see evolution as the literal route which the kami used to fashion biological organisms. Shinto is partially influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, which would stress the impermanence of things. This would include definite forms, so that over time there would be change in offspring.
Why was belief in gods so important to the Egyptians?
the belief was so important because they believed that the gods controlled everything
Who are the supreme beings of shintoism?
there isn`t one.....or more accurately there isn`t JUST one. Shintos believe in a plurality of kamis. At New Year the 7 gods of fortune are worshiped.....so they could be considered to be more important than other gods.
What are the differences between Buddhism and Shintoism?
Shinto (神道, shintō?) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. It involves the worship of kami (神, kami?), spirits. Some kami are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but other ones represent major natural objects and processes: for example, Amaterasu, the Sun goddess, or Mount Fuji. Shinto is an animistic belief system. Shinto and Buddhism The introductions of writing in the 5th century and Buddhism in the 6th century from the Korean Peninsula had a profound impact on the development of a unified system of Shinto beliefs. for full text, see link "Wikipedia: Shinto" on left
How do Shinto beliefs and practices show the Japanese respect for nature?
The Japanese have something called a Kami value, which is in everything in nature. So, in essence, nature is divine. Thus, one must respect nature, for it is as divine and sacred as human life itself.
What's the main religion of Japan?
the main religion in Japan is Shinto and Buddhism. Buddhism started first in India and then came to Japan after the king of Paekche from Korea sent a buddha statue during the 6th century to Japan, and i am not sure how Shinto started but I think it was there from the start.There was 110million people who belief in Shinto 89 million were followers of buddha and almost 1and a half was christian,by the way the population is japan was 120 million so many people had to belief in more than 1 religion
Why is origami so special to japan?
Origami is so special to Japan is because it originates from Japan when they first became a civilization. It correlates with their one of their primary religion, Shinto. Shinto is the belief of nature and that everything in nature has their own soul.
Why was education so important to the Saxons?
Because they had a strong belief in it
When was Shinto intruduced to Japan?
Shinto was never introduced to Japan that it where it originated and it is unclear as to when it started but it received the name Shinto in the 6th century so it could be distinguished from the other eastern religions
What is a Shinto's place of worship called?
A shinto shrine (Jinja)A shrine (jinja) is a sacred place where kami live, and which show the power and nature of the kami. It's conventional in Japan to refer to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples - but Shinto shrines actually are temples, despite not using that name. Every village and town or district in Japan will have its own Shinto shrine, dedicated to the local kami.The Japanese see shrines as both restful places filled with a sense of the sacred, and as the source of their spiritual vitality - they regard them as their spiritual home, and often attend the same shrine regularly throughout their lives. Shrines need not be buildings - rocks, trees, and mountains can all act as shrines, if they are special to kami.A large shrine can contain several smaller sub-shrines. Shinto shrines can cover several thousand acres, or a few square feet. They are often located in the landscape in such a way as to emphasise their connection to the natural world, and can include sacred groves of trees, and streams.Various symbolic structures, such as torii gates and shimenawa ropes, are used to separate the shrine from the rest of the world. Some major shrines have a national rather than a local role, and are visited by millions of people from across Japan at major festivals.Japanese people don't visit shrines on a particular day each week. People go to the shrine at festival times, and at other times when they feel like doing so. Japanese often visit the local shrine when they want the local kami to do them a favour such as good exam results, a good outcome to a surgical operation for a relative, and so on.
