The Land of the Rising Sun - Japan - culturally stands apart from the rest of the world. Being relatively small in territory, Japan has managed to create its own unique style, its own tradition, not only similar to the West, but also to the neighboring eastern states. Until now, for a huge number of people, the religious tradition of the Japanese and the Japanese gods remain a secret behind seven seals.
Japan's Religious World
The religious picture of Japan consists mainly of two components - Buddhism and Shintoism. If something else can be known about the first of them to the Russian-speaking reader, then traditional Japanese Shintoism is most often a complete mystery. But it is from this tradition that almost all the traditionally revered Japanese gods and demons come from.
It is worth saying that the vast majority of the population of Japan formally associate themselves with Buddhism and Shintoism - up to more than ninety percent, according to some studies. Moreover, almost all of them profess both religions at once. This is a characteristic feature of Japanese religiosity - it gravitates towards a syncretic synthesis of differenttraditions, combining various elements of both practice and doctrine. So, for example, Japanese gods originating from Shintoism were perceived by Buddhist metaphysics, their veneration continued in the Buddhist religious context.
Shinto is the way of the gods
It is necessary to briefly talk about the traditions that gave life to the pantheon of Japanese gods. The first of these, of course, is Shinto, which means "the way of the gods." Its history goes deep into history so far that today it is impossible to unequivocally establish either the time or the nature of its occurrence. The only thing that can be stated with absolute certainty is that Shinto originated and developed on the territory of Japan, remaining an inviolable and original tradition, up to the Buddhist expansion, which did not experience any influence. The mythology of Shintoism is very peculiar, the cult is unique, and the worldview is rather difficult to understand deeply.
In general, Shinto is focused on honoring the kami - the soul or some spiritual essence of various creatures, natural phenomena, places and inanimate (in the European sense) things. Kami can be malicious and benevolent, more or less strong. The patron spirits of a clan or city are also kami. In this, as well as the veneration of ancestral spirits, Shinto is similar to traditional animism and shamanism, inherent in almost all cultures and pagan religions at a certain stage of development. Kami are Japanese gods. Their names are often quite complex, and sometimes extremely lengthy - up to several lines of text.
Japanese Buddhism
The teachings of the Indian prince found fertile ground in Japan and took deep root. Since the 6th century, as soon as Buddhism entered Japan, it found many patrons in the form of powerful and influential aristocrats of Japanese society. And after three hundred years, he managed to achieve the position of the state religion.
By its nature, Japanese Buddhism is heterogeneous, does not represent a single system or school, but is divided into many different sects. But at the same time, it is still possible to postulate the involvement of most of them in the direction of Zen Buddhism.
Historically, Buddhism has been characterized by religious integration. In other words, if, for example, a Christian or Islamic mission invites believers of one religion to convert to another, then Buddhism does not enter into this kind of confrontation. Most often, Buddhist practices and teachings flow into the existing cult, replenishing, budding it. This happened with Hinduism in India, the Bon religion in Tibet, and many other religious schools, including Shinto in Japan. Therefore, today it is difficult to unequivocally answer what the Japanese gods and demons are - either Buddhist Bodhisattvas, or pagan spirits of nature.
Influence of Buddhism on Shinto
From the middle of the first millennium, and especially from the 9th century, Shinto began to experience the strongest influence of Buddhism. This led to the kami first becoming the protective spirits of Buddhism. Some of them merged with Buddhist saints, and later it wasthe teaching is proclaimed that the kami even need to be saved through the path of Buddhist practice. For Shintoism, these are non-traditional ideas - from time immemorial there was no concept of salvation, of sin. There was not even an objective representation of good and evil. Serving the kami, the gods, brought the world to harmony, to beauty, to the consciousness and development of a person who, inspired by the connection with the deities, decided what was good and what was bad in each specific situation. The internal inconsistency of the two traditions led to the fact that movements appeared quite early to purify Shinto from Buddhist borrowings. Attempts to reconstruct the original tradition ended with the so-called Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, which separated Buddhism and Shinto.
Japanese supreme gods
The mythology of Japan includes many stories about the deeds of the gods. The first of these arose a group of three kami called Takamagahara. This Shinto trinity included the supreme god Ame no Minakanushi no Kami, the god of power Takamimusuhi no kami, and the god of birth Kamimusuhi no kami. With the birth of heaven and earth, two more kami were added to them - Umashi Ashikabi Hikoi-no kami and Ame no Tokotachi-no kami. This five deities were called Koto Amatsukami and are revered in Shinto as a kind of supreme kami. Below them in the hierarchy are Japanese gods, the list of which is virtually endless. On this topic, there is even a proverb in Japanese folklore that "Japan is a country of eight million gods."
Izanagi andIzanami
Koto Amatsukami is immediately followed by seven generations of kami, of which the last two are especially revered - the married couple Izanagi and Izanami, who are responsible for the creation of Oyashima - the Japanese islands. They were the first of the kami who had the ability to give birth to new gods and gave birth to many of them.
Izanami - goddess of life and death
All phenomena of this world are subject to kami. Both material things and non-material phenomena - everything is controlled by influential Japanese gods. Death is also given attention by a number of Japanese divine characters. For example, there is an interesting legend that tells about the appearance of death in the world. According to her, Izanami died during the birth of her last son - the god of fire Kagutsuchi - and moved to the underworld. Izanagi goes down after her, finds her and even persuades her to return. The wife asks only for the opportunity to rest before the journey and retires to the bedroom, asking her husband not to disturb her. Izanagi defies his request and finds the ugly, decomposed corpse of his former lover in bed. Terrified, he runs upstairs, blocking the entrance with stones. Izanami, enraged by her husband's act, swears that she will take revenge on him by taking thousands of human souls to her kingdom every day. Thus, ironically, the Japanese gods of death begin their dynasty with the mother goddess, the great kami who gave life to everything. Izanagi himself returned to his place and underwent a ritual purification after visiting the world of the dead.
Japanese gods of war
When Izanami died giving birth to her last offspring, Izanagi flew into a rageand killed him. Shinto myth reports that as a result of this, several more kami were born. One of them was Takemikazuchi, the god of the sword. He is probably the first from whom the Japanese gods of war originate. Takemikazuchi, however, was not perceived as just a warrior. He was closely associated with the sword and embodied its sacred meaning, representing, so to speak, the soul of the sword, its idea. And as a consequence of this, Takemikazuchi was associated with wars. Following Takemikazuchi kami, associated with battles and battles, is the god Hachiman. This character from time immemorial patronized warriors. Once, in the era of the Middle Ages, he was also revered as the patron of the Minamoto samurai clan. Then his popularity increased, he began to patronize the samurai class as a whole, at the same time taking a prominent place in the Shinto pantheon. In addition, Hachiman served as the guardian of the imperial fortress and the emperor himself, along with his family.
Patrons of happiness and good luck
The Japanese gods of fortune make up a group of seven kami called Shichifukujin. They are of rather late origin and are images reworked by one of the monks on the basis of Buddhist and Taoist deities mixed with traditional Japanese traditions. Actually, the Japanese gods of luck are only Daikoku and Ebisu. The remaining five are introduced or imported from outside, although they have taken root well in Japanese culture. Today, each of the seven has its own sphere of responsibility and influence.
Sun Goddess
One cannot fail to mention one of the most important representatives of Japanese mythology - the goddess of the sun Amaterasu. The sun has always occupied an important position in the religiosity of mankind, because it is organically connected with life, light, warmth, and harvest. In Japan, this was added to the belief that the emperor is literally a direct descendant of this goddess.
Amaterasu emerged from Izanagi's left eye while he was performing his cleansing bath. Several more kami came into the world with her. But two of them took special places. Firstly, it is Tsukuyomi - the god of the moon, born from another eye. Secondly, Susanoo is the god of the wind and the sea. Thus, each of this trinity received its share. Further myths tell of the exile of Susanoo. He was banished by the Japanese gods for a series of grave offenses against his sister and father.
Amaterasu was also revered as the patroness of agriculture and silk production. And in later times, it began to be identified with the Buddha Vairochana, revered in Japan. In fact, Amaterasu stood at the head of the Japanese pantheon.
