Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. It started about in the 500 BC. It was originally a mixture of amorphous nature devotion, fertility cults, divination, hero devotion, and shamanism. Its name derived from the Chinese word "Shin Tao." The term came into use only after the introduction of Buddhism in Japan. There are four "observances" in Shinto,
• Tradition and the family. The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. The main celebrations relate to birth and to marriage.
• Love of nature. Nature is sacred, therefore becomes important to be in contact with nature in order to be close to Kami. Natural objects are worshiped as sacred spirits.
• Physical cleaning. Taking baths, washing …show more content…
After them came two other minor deities: Umashiashikabihikoji and Amanotokotachi. They were followed by seven generations of male and female Kami. At that time the Earth was covered with a primordial soup. The gods chose the two younger kami, which were Izanagi and Izanami, brother and sister, to create the world and, for this purpose, gave them a jeweled spear. From the bridge of heaven, linking Earth to Heaven, Izanagi, the male deity, waved the primordial mud with a spear from which, once portrayed, fell a few drops of salt water. From those drops was born the Island of Onogoro. The two deities then came down on the ground and went to live on the island. They married and had eight children who were nothing more than the eight islands of Japan: Sado, Yamato (Honshu), Oki, Tsushima, Iki, Tsukushi (Kyushu), Iyo (Shikoku) and Awaji. Izanami and Izanagi subsequently had other children, but during the birth of the god of fire Kagutsuchi, Izanami died and was buried at Mount Hiba. Izanagi, mad with rage, killed Kagutsuchi and this incident gave birth to dozens of other deities, and others were born from the tears of Izanagi who decided to embark on a journey into the realm of the Underworld, Yomi-tsu kuni, to try to bring back the beloved wife and sister. A Yomi darkness reigned, but she managed to find her and, after much insistence, to get her to …show more content…
Arisen both in the sixth century BC, had soon assumed a position of anti Brahmanic, rejecting the authority of the Vedas and offering completely new types of speculations. It is for this reason that, from the perspective of Hindus, should be considered heresies. Jainism, was never very popular and remained strong until the time of the great persecutions that, especially towards the end of the twelfth century, had marked the revival movements Saivite and Vaishnava, but his influence on Hinduism was quite negligible. As for Buddhism, the decline of this form of thinking is started early enough in the continental India, except for some specific points, such as the establishment of monastic orders and, perhaps, the reception of the theses of ahimsa or non-violence, its action on the environment Hindu refuses to be easily measured. More likely is, instead, its influence on philosophical speculations. The introduction of new values in the Upanishads of the term "medium" term, as the Maitri Upanishad, and, more recently, the dispute between the logical and metaphysical Hindus and Buddhists from the VII to the IX century reveal, if not a decisive influence, given that the positions of both parties remained, until the end, totally unchanged, at least a prolonged contact that made the argument more compelling and specified doctrines. If Hinduism has drawn little from the outside, on the contrary has