Kami, or gods, are things like birds, beasts, trees, grasses, the seas and the mountains, whatsoever is fearful and unusual even though they have, on the other hand, beautiful virtues. In studying the history of Shinto, the first scholar to offer a feasible definition of the kami was Norinaga Motoori. It is well for me now to introduce some scholarly opinions regarding the essential character of the native gods of Japan in order to provide a premise for grasping a true picture of them. One of these ancestor gods, Amaterasu Omikami, caused her great light to shine throughout the heavens, as can be seen in the old name of Japan, Toyashihara no Chiaki no Nagaihoaki no Mizuho no Kuni, or “the Fair Land of Reed-Plains and Fifty-Hundred Autumns of Golden Ears of Rice.” Amaterasu is also described as a priestess who worships an uncertain supreme existence and who sits down in the sacred weaving room weaving robes of dedication for that uncertain existence now and then. This duality leads to the question, “What were the gods in Japan?”Īfter the Central Deity of Heaven disappeared so hurriedly in the Kojiki, the gods of succeeding ages appeared as beings with the highest authority and in the form of the imperial family’s ancestors. However, the ancient Japanese easily and unrestrainedly bestowed divinity on mountains, seas, and stones, and worshipped them as gods even though they had already accepted the concept of human gods. In Homer’s world of Greek mythology, deistic aspects are rarely seen, and they are hidden behind a hedge of human gods. For instance, if a comparison can be made between the mythology of Japan and Greece, a different concept of the so-called “god-nature” relationship would emerge. Instead, they preferred to give human form to natural forces. This use of human form is significant and tells us something about the religious mind of the ancient Japanese.įirst, the ancient Japanese, according to the Kojiki, abandoned an abstract concept of heaven and metaphysical ideas of the universe. Generally speaking these gods, who are performing characters on the stage of mythology, are gods with human form. Immediately after this, the gods of nature come onto the stage. This deity does virtually nothing and soon disappears. The first character to appear in the Kojiki is the Central Deity of Heaven. For this purpose, the oldest literature of Japan, the Kojiki, or “Record of Ancient Matters,” should first be carefully studied. These “ridiculous” aspects of ancient Japanese religion are the topic of my discussion. You might be surprised if you were to hear that there is a strange god, “the ancestor god of electricity-the prince of the excellent magnet,” in the Osaka area who is one of the great American inventors, Thomas Edison. They are beasts, natural phenomena, plants and trees, seas and mountains, human beings, and so forth. There have been numberless native gods and goddesses in Japan. Instead, I would like to suggest a scheme which might be helpful within the framework of this panel in stimulating further discussion. I thought of changing my title to “Why are there so many regrets in my mind?” because it is beyond my ability to make any definite conclusions. No sooner had I submitted this title than I regretted choosing a difficult topic. Palmer (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1978), 121–34. Seiji Katanuma, “Why Are There So Many Gods in Japan? Ethos and Pathos in Japanese Religion,” in Deity & Death, ed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |