まゆの部屋

神道

On Afterdeath

According to the Shinto faith, a human spirit is believed to remainforever like the spirit of Kami does. The spirit, however, is not conceivedas a substantial existence. It is believed because of its work, and theplaces where the spirit dwells are often mentioned as the other world inthe classics such as Kojiki (The Ancient Matters), Nihonshoki (the Chroniclesof Japan), Manyoshu (Anthology of Poems), etc. In each other world, therelive Kami. The most well known other world is 'the other world of Heaven'where the most venerable deities live, and then it comes to 'the other worldof Yomi' where divine female parent who gave birth to the land of Japanlive. This world is long considered to be underground, and it is believedto have the connection with the habit of burial of the dead. (But nowadaysit is regarded that there is no academic base for this). The third otherworld is called 'Tokoyo; which is believed to exist somewhere beyond thesea. According to the folk faith which originates in agricultural culture,there is a belief of 'the other world in the mountains'. This faithhas the connection with a fact that grave yards were on a hill which hasa panoramic view over a village and also a fact that people often expressedtheir wish to watch their descendants even after their death. These otherworlds, however, are not described a utopia nor as a hell. There is no differenceat all from this world. It reflects a faith in the spirit of the dead whocan visit this world if people make a ritual to revere the spirit, likethe divine spirits visits this world whenever people show their reverenceholding festivals. There is also a faith in that Kami and ancestral spiritsprotect their descendants as far as the descendants continue to hold festivals.It can be said that Shinto is not a religion which centralized its interestsin the life after death, but in this world.

The Jinja Shinto (The Shrine Shinto)

Sins and the Concept of Shinto Ethics

Shinto was originally a natural religion which became into existencein a village community. So, the concept of a sin or of ethics is also formedaccording to the value system of the community: that is to wish prosperouscontinuation and development of the community. It is the same consciousnessto hold rites and festivals.

Accordingly the Shinto concept of the sin and also the concept of theShinto ethics have no identical difference from the secular sin or socialethics which is taught through the social education in order to supportthe continuous development of the community.

Historically, it was the time of Emperor Suiko, the 33rd Emperor (593-628)when Japan started to rise as a nation, forming its administrative structure,from the stage of a united clans under the emperorship. It was between theeras of the 38th Emperor Tenchi and the 40th Empeor Tenmu (661-686) whenJapan could proceed a step farther to become a state with the centralizedgovernment. The form of the Shinto rituals is considered to be establishedat this time including Haraekotoba. In this Haraekotoba, which was chantedfor a purification ceremony at that time and is still chanted, the sinsare listed and they are categorized into two: Amatsu-Tsumi and Kunitsu-Tsumi.At this time, Ritsu (or the criminal law) were established under the influenceof the Chinese Law of the Tang Age. It is convenient to see these laws inorder to look at the Shinto concept of the sin and those sins which wereprohibited by the secular laws. The most grave sin called Amatsu-Tusmi describedin the Oharae is those deeds which were committed by Susanowo-no Mikoto,the brother deity of Amaterasu Ohmikami, the supreme Kami. According tothe myth, he was so rejoiced by being able to prove that he had no ill feelingagainst his sister deity, Amaterasu Ohmikami, that he committed vulgaritysuch as destroying the paddy fields of Amaterasu Ohmikami to have crop forNiinamesai (Rice-crop rite), the weaving shop where the cloths for the deitieswere woven and also several other violent mischievous. It means that allthese deeds were against divine festivals. It is described in the myth thatbacause of these vulgarity, a part of Susanowo's assets was taken away fromhim and purged from Heaven. According to the Ritsu, these deeds correspondto the sixth sin which is described as one of the grave eight sins: thesin to destroy a shrine and to steel divine object. Steeling of the symbolicobject of the divine spirit was ruled to be condemned to the capital punishmentand other destructive deeds were ruled to be condemned to exile. These punishmentalmost correspond to those which was given to Susanowo-no Mikoto.

The other sins described as Kunitsu-Tusmi include injury, murder includinginfant murder, incest, poisoning, cursing. At the same time, natural hazardbrought by a thunder, the birds, and the reptiles (creeping things) areincluded in Kunitsu-Tsumi. It means that all the human deeds and naturalhazard which endanger continuity of a community are considered to be KunitsuTsumi. These human deeds were punished by the law as crimes at the timeof Ritsu (the criminal laws). In the case of natural hazards, people triedto wipe off the evil elements by holding religious rites. Traditionallyin Japan, a religion has never had its own commandments which are differentfrom the secular laws mentioned before. The religion has always put itsmain value on the continuity and development of a community. It is a historicalfact that, since the secular laws were established, Shinto has performedas a religion which believes in the rites of purification in order to pacifynegative forces both man and nature have, and to strengthen positive forcesfor constructing a better community.

The ethical nature of religion in the Japanese society has not been changedbasically even by the Meiji Restoration (1868) when Japan started to havethe contact with the western world in order to modernize the country. Thesecular statutes provides with sins and regulate punishments against them.On the other hand, Shinto does not have any prescriptions expressed in thenegative form of 'Should not ....', but has the teachings by the emperorwho is the central figure to execute divine rites have been considered tobe the base of the ethics. The Imperial Rescript on Education written byEmperor Meiji was its concrete expression. The virtues listed in the ImperialRescript were firstly the loyalty towards the country, then, the ethicswhich should be observed in a family, that means, appreciation and respectsfor parents, to have an amicable relation with brothers and sisters, tohave harmonious relationship of a couple. Then it goes with harmonious relationshipin a society. Trust in friends, discretion and modesty, fraternity, intellectualdevelopment and to contribute in a society with this intellectual ability.It can be safely said that Shinto is a religion to believe that man shoulddirectly succeed the activities of Kami.

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