Shinto/Amalgamation Flashcards
describe the development of shinto
became tradition in 15th century
comprises # of a distinct phenomena across japan history:
- imperial rule and ritual dedicated to kami worship
- Ritsuyo law - kami worship centralized by jingkan
- unstable after 10th c. bc of economic burden of offerings
- new court system of 22 shrines
Describe the return of hachiman
- minamoto and yoritomo build a new ritual institution: tsurugaoia hachimangu
- ID’d as spirit of emperor skin, became ancestral deity
- adopted a marital character and became protector deity of warrior class
What were the doctrinal ideas of the Ryobu (twofold shinto) school?
- shinto was integrated with esoteric buddhism
- 1st texts come from ice shrine estate
- ise shrine: long established taboo against buddhism
- texts provided doctrinal explanation of ise, its deities, and its rituals in terms of esoteric buddhist doctrine
- visualization rituals
- name was given to it
- occurs at isa shrine
What was the Nakatomi Harae Kunge (Ryobu)?
important commentary on the Great purification prayer
- argues that prayer is ultimate dharani (spell that dispels all demons that block path of salvation)
- claims that prayer was the words of buddhist deity daigizaten
- claimed that amaterasu’s true nature is buddhist
- applied original enlightenment to the world of kami
what was the great purification prayer (Ryobu)?
cleansing of moral, ritual atonement
- text: important for kami ritual, rethought with buddhist rituals
- dharani = mantra: buddhist incantations
What are the doctrinal ideas of ise/watarai shinto?
- inner shrine (haiku) was traditionally considered better than outer (geku)
- amaterasu > toyouke
- political problem with the inner and outer shrine
- beginning of kamakura period
- 5 phases: five element theory - fire, water, each, metal, wood
- based on esoteric buddhism, but drew heavily from yin-yang + five theories
- *SHINTO SCHOOL, not buddhist
Why did the watarai come up with their own tradition of shinto?
they believed that the inner shrine wasn’t giving them enough respect
- argued that toyouke was actually an imperial ancestor, ID’s with age no minakanushi (primordial god)
What did sanno shinto worship?
sanno/hie deity = mountain king
- tutelary deity of mt. hiei
- worship began since saicho founded tendai temple
What are the doctrinal ideas of sanno?
- local cult focused on Hie/Sanno = supreme deity
- kami correspond as buddha: local divinities that put under totality of sanno
- Hiei monks developed kami theories that were clearly based on Ise and Ryobu shinto
- made sense of kamis in terms of buddhist doctrines
- associated with monkeys
In sanno, what is sanno?
- supreme deity, referenced as singular god
- also referenced as collection of many gods
- ex. Juzenji: buddha kami interaceton = 10 zen masters
Describe the kami-buddha amalgamation
- buddhist and kami beliefs are intertwined
- amalgamation started by buddhist monks that work at shrines
- began merging during Nara period
- Heian period: believed kami are traces (suijaku) and buddha are higher (honji)
- original ground: buddhas came to this world, best way to teach us is with kami
Describe the honji suijaku theory
- kami are emanations of universal buddhas who are original essence
- kami and bodhisattvas temporarily appear among kami to bring salvation
- 10th c
- idea that buddha gave up their lofty land to teach enlightenment
- source of belief: lotus sutra chapter of infinite lifespan of tathagata
What is the historical interactions between kami and buddhas?
kami were personified and came to be depicted in image and sculpture as aristocratic laymen and occasionally buddhist monks
What is goho zenshin? (kami buddha amalgamation)
kami become protector deities of buddhism in the court (soho zenshin)
What is a gongen (kami buddha)
avatar - how gods were linked to other deities
- 10th 11th c, sources refer to gongen
- title given to deities at sites of mountain practice such as kimono and hajusan
