8. Japanese Religious Core Belief

Japanese version, here

Shoji Sugita

• The Japanese religious core belief comes from their folk Shintoism.
• Essentially, for the Japanese, and sometimes for some Japanese Christians, too,
• The gods are the same as gods and buddhas for them.
• And they believe that every Japanese will become a god or a buddha when he dies.
  And Japanese are fond of Matsuris (festivals) with gods buddhas as their guests of honor.
    Preface.
  
   There is misunderstanding by foreigners regarding the religious belief
  of Japanese, for occasionally an intelligent Japanese will say, "I don't
  have any religion." However, even he or she will adhere to the Japanese
  core belief of Shintoism which is some combination of gods and buddhas.
  
    So, Japanese always keep some distance from peoples who adhere to one God.
• And Japanese are generous to foreigners of alien beliefs.
  Moreover, Japanese enjoy celebrating festivals with these alien gods and
  treat them as guests of honor.
  
    Well, how do Japanese hold their religious core belief in today ? Modern, urbanized and isolated
• they live　　It is a very difficult question,　but I think as follows:
    As I said above, Japanese1 religious core belief comes from their folk Shintoism. Therefore,
• they have to put the core in their daily lives and have to remember their fundamental belief in
• Shintoism and are comforted in their minds
• .
    For instance, in Nagoya, more than one and a half million Japanese visit Atsuta Shrine during
• the first three days of the New Year holiday, every year. Like this In Tokyo, more than two million
• visit Meiji Shrine. Many other shrines, too, Some shrines are famous; others are not so much,
• but they will pray there sincerely. Yasukuni Shrine is regarded as just one of them. But recently .
• they have to think about more carefully as a symbol of the theory of  Separation of
  Religion and Politics and narrow patriotism..
    i
• Someother example I wiill show now. It is called as Jichinsay. Some ceremonies are performed by Shinto
• priests at the beginning of the construction of houses, factories, technological
  institutions, highways and some others. The owners, the representatives of the workmen and some others
• pray sincerely in the Shinto way there. They only pray for their safe jobs and perfect achievements.
  in minds.
  
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