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After being handed down from generation to generation, Shinto today is still a "religion of the forest" where the natural landscape, steep mountains, deep valleys, and even planted forests are sacred places where the Kami dwell. A grove of trees itself was considered a shrine and a sacred place for the village. The life of the ancient Japanese was deeply rooted in the Divine Forest. Jinja shrines are surrounded by Sacred Groves because the Kami who live in deep valleys or on steep mountains need a place to stay for awhile when they come to visit. The people can then conduct festivals and rituals in the grace of the deity. Shinto perceives the sacred in nature and the presence of deities in trees, rivers, thunder, stones, waterfalls, mountains, and valleys. Shinto Kami are sacred spirits that are the objects to pray to for blessings and grace and to worship for their spirituality. The Kami can take various forms including: the forms of natural elements like trees, rocks, mountains, the wind, and the sun; the forms of national heroes and protectors of family clans; or abstract things like fertility. Kami are the only things that have great influence on daily life. The Kami of natural phenomena are worshiped: Kami of the Forests, Kami of the Seas, Kami of the Rivers, Kami of the Thunders, Kami of the Rains, Kami of the Mountains. It is important to perform rites for Kami since although they usually guard and bless people. They can also get angry and bring misfortunes upon them. The numinous Kami are worshiped, as well as, the ancestral and guardian spirits, and the spirits of national heroes.
Ancient folk beliefs and
rituals were deeply rooted in a distant past. Worship of the Kami usually takes
places in shrines located in the beauty of nature, but they may be revered
anywhere. Local shrines where festivals take place are the focal point of the
community.
As old as the people themselves, Shinto is deeply rooted in Japanese traditions. The Way of the goddesses and gods, the Divine Forest, was the indigenous faith of the Japanese people. Shintoism has neither a founder nor sacred scriptures like the Bible or the Sutras. Shinto is an optimistic faith that believes all humans are intrinsically good and that all evil is caused by evil spirits. Most of Shinto rituals focus on prayers, purification, and offerings to keep away evil spirits. In Shinto everything is spiritual with no separation between the material and spiritual. In Shinto mythology, the Kamiah that gave birth to the land of Japan failed at first and had to ask for help from other Kami in heaven who told them to search for the answers through the practice of divination. The Kami are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. There are no absolutes or perfect Kami. The people worship the divine spirits, Shinrei, because they have great influence in their lives, and they are in awe of the Magatsuhi Kami who bring evil into them. Worship of the Kami usually takes places in shrines located in the beauty of nature, but they may be revered anywhere. Local shrines where festivals take place are the focal point of the community. The Jinja shrine is usually situated in a natural environment. To give the impression of purity, the architectural style is simple. A shrine grove and tree lined path leads to the main shrine building (even in urban areas were they are maintained on a smaller scale).
Shinto shrines can be found
in groves of trees all over Japan. All the shrines have Torii, sacred gates, and
often contain water for symbolic purification of hands and mouth; larger shrines
have main halls, buildings for offerings, and oratories.
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