Two Religions Co-existing with One Another
Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from India in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing. Most Japanese consider themselves Buddhist, Shintoist, or both. Shinto means"the way of the gods". It is the faith of the Japanese people and is as old as Japan itself. It remains Japan's major religion alongside Buddhism. Shinto does not have a founder or a sacred scriptures like the bible. Preaching is not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. Buddhism was imported to Japan from China and Korea in the form of a present from the friendly Korean kingdom of Kudara in the 6th century. While Buddhism was welcomed by the ruling nobles as Japan's new state religion, it did not initially spread among the common people due to its complex theories.
Japan's Original Religion: Shinto
Shinto was founded in Japan around 500 BC. The Shinto religion has no one person or group create it. It is a religion of no sacred texts (in relation to the Bible or Torah). Shintoism is a polytheistic religion, meaning it has more than one god or deity. Shinto is like many other religions having a spiritual supernatural being: kami , but it is unique in the respect that these kami can take form in nature. Kami are believed to be in mountains, trees, and other geographical features and regions. The message or central teaching of Shintoism is to have humans and nature co-exist peacefuxlywithout conflict or imbalance. The teachings of harmony with nature aided Shintoists when Buddhism was imported to them.
For more information on Shinto, click the following link: ./shinto.html
For more information on Shinto, click the following link: ./shinto.html
A New Way of Life: Buddhism
Buddhism started with Prince Siddhartha in 624 BC. He gave up his royal life at 29 years old and reached enlightenment years later under the Bodhi Tree. But that's how Buddhism was started. Buddhism is presumed to be formally introduced to Japan in A.D. 538. It was presented to Japan by a Korean ruler but he had refused to inherit the religion. About 40 years later Prince Shotoku (A.D. 574–621) declared Buddhism as the official religion. The teachings of Buddhism are centralized around the stage of reaching enlightenment, where a person is in a state of happiness. This is done through meditation.
For more information on Buddhism, click the following link: /buddhism.html
For more information on Buddhism, click the following link: /buddhism.html