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Daoism and Confucianism
Chinese religion goes back thousands of years. The oldest religions are
Daoism and Confucianism. Buddhism began to spread sometime in the first
century B.C.
Daoist and Confucian ideas existed long before Kong Fuzi (Confucius) or
Laozi (an early Daoist teacher) articulated these beliefs, but these men are
considered to be the founders of their respective religions/philosophies.
Prior to the development of Confucianism and Daoism, Chinese followed a
folk religion that had slowly evolved into a worldview. This folk religion was not
based on any writings but was a worldview that influenced Chinese culture and
society. The more important features of this ancient Chinese religion included a
deep respect for nature and for spirits of deceased ancestors. The central focus of
ancient Chinese religion was the pursuit of happiness through harmony with
nature, ancestors, family, and neighbors. Community is more important than the
individual. Other important features of ancient Chinese religion are: the existence
of many gods and goddesses and evil spirits, ancestor worship, burnt-offerings,
superstition, and folk medicine. The worship of ancestors is the worship or
reverence of ancestors as spiritual beings to whom offerings are presented in the
belief that these spirits can bring harm or good fortune. Chinese folk religion has
also many mythological creation stories, stories of Chinese heroes, magic,
superstition, and spirit and ancestor worship.
One of the Chinese creation stories is the story of Pangu. Pangu is god or a
primal first being who created the universe. Before Pangu existed the universe was
only chaos without light and without substance. In Chinese mythology they
compare this chaos to a cosmic egg. Inside the cosmic egg of chaos slept a giant
named Pangu. Then one day Pangu woke from his long sleep and as he moved
about in the egg of chaos the egg cracked open and Pangu emerged from the chaos.
The chaos also flew from the egg and that which was light formed the sky and the
solid material of chaos formed the earth. The separation of the sky from earth is
the basis for belief in the two opposing forces of the universe—the yang and the
yin.1
Today, most Chinese are not Daoist or Confucian, or Buddhist. Most
Chinese believe and practice traditional Chinese religion which is a mixture of folk
religion and Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Traditional Chinese religion
includes the belief in a connection or relationship between people and spirits, the
belief in the need to keep balance and harmony in these relationships, and the
1
Pan Gu [web-page] available at: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Pa-Pr/Pan-Gu.html. Encyclopedia of Myths.
Internet accessed on March 2, 2009.
2
belief in following a correct way for people to relate to other people, spirits, and
forces in nature and society.
Daoism
Daoism is the belief that life should rest in the energy that comes from the
harmonious balance of nature. Daoists believe that intuition is the proper way to
understand the nature of the universe. Traditional Daoism had no formal worship,
temples, or prayers until sometime in the first century A.D. a priesthood
developed, temples were built, and many rituals are now practiced by Daoists.
One of the very early Daoist concepts is the Yinyang. Yinyang has three
main ideas. These three basic ideas have been the underlying philosophy for much
of Chinese thought. The first idea is the harmonious nature of Yin and Yang. The
opposites of the universe exist in harmonious balance. Yin and Yang are never
static but they are constantly changing to stay in balance. The second idea is the
interaction between the Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang cannot exist independent of
the other. These two opposite forces are constantly interacting with one another in
nature and in society between individuals. The third idea is the action or process
of harmonization between the Yin and the Yang. This action or ongoing process
keeps the Yin and Yang in balance.2
Another concept from Yinyang is Feng Shui. Feng Shui is concerned with
correct aesthetics. Aesthetics is the science or philosophy of beauty and harmony.
These Daoist concepts have been written in one of the earliest Chinese
philosophical writings the I Ching, “Book of Changes”. The I Ching is a book of
symbols used to help people have success in life and help them to make decisions.
I Ching is dated about 1150 B.C. so it predates the philosopher Laozi (founder of
Daoism) by almost two hundred years. I Ching was a series of symbols that could
answer questions similar to how some people use a a ouija board. The I Ching or
Book of Changes presents sixty-four life situations and gives advice about how to
live in these situations.
2
Robin R. Wang, Yinyang (Yin-yang), [web-page] available at: http://www.iep.utm.edu/y/yinyang.htm. The
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2006. Internet accessed on March 3, 2009.
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The Book of Changes relates tells how to have a happy and successful life
and explains that the way to this life is through contemplation and reflection to
seek harmony. Another Daoist method of fortune telling is called fiji or spirit
writing.
Kongfuzi also studied the I Ching and wrote a commentary on it called
T'uan Chuan (Commentary on the Decision).3
Another important Daoist writing is the Dao De Jing. The Dao De Jing is
generally related to the teacher Laozi. Laozi lived around 800 B.C. about two
hundred years before Kong Fuzi who lived around 500 B.C. Laozi (Lao-tzu)
developed Chinese philosophy known as “Daoism” which are found in Laozi’s
writings, called the book of Dao De Jing (Tao te Ching) or The Way and Its
Power. Laozi’s Dao De Jing focuses on seeking harmony between opposites. The
person who lives in harmony with the Way of Dao can reach the highest possible
achievement. Laozi preferred nature and solitude to society and personal
relationships with other people. Around the first century A.D. Dao De Jing was
elevated to the status of a god and is now worshipped in Daoist temples. Then in
A.D. 1012 Daoists incorporated Shang Di as the ruler of heaven into their religion.
A Daoist maxim is “Bend with the wind”. Daoists believe that to live with
the Dao is feng liu which means to live a “wind and stream” life. Feng liu is the
creative aspect of nature. It is the dynamic principle of Yang and counterpart to
the static principle of Yin.4 Daoism is a philosophy of life that says we should
learn to live according to the moment and the circumstances of that day. Don’t
worry about tomorrow. Don’t plan your life. Live for the moment.
3
Richard Wilhelm, The Book of Changes, translated by Cary F. Baynes [webpage] available at:
http://www.iging.com/intro/introduc.htm. Internet accessed March 1, 2010.
4
Feng Liu and Florentin Smarandache, Intentionally and Unintentionally [webpage] available at:
http://arxiv.org/ftp/math/papers/0201/0201009.pdf.
4
Another Daoist idea is Wu-Wei. Wu Wei is the Daoist teaching that we can
succeed if we proceed without struggle or to bend with the wind. The central
teaching of Wu Wei is quietude. We can succeed without struggle. All things
flow naturally and spontaneously from the Dao and we must simply flow along
with the Dao.
Our information Laozi from Sima Qian a Chinese historian who lived about
145 to 186 B.C. Sima Qian was an administer of the official scribes of the Han
Dynasty. Sima Qian is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography. His Shiji,
Records of the Grand Historian are some of the earliest written records about
ancient China. From his writings we have the earliest records about Kongfusi and
Laozi. In the 1970s Chinese archaeologists discovered an almost complete text of
the I Ching, the Dao De Jing, and other works. These texts were written about 200
B.C. during the Han dynasty, and are copies of much older manuscripts.5
Zhuangzi was another leading Daoist philosopher. Zhuangzi wrote a story
in which Zhuangzi expresses pity to a skull he sees lying at the side of the road.
Zhuangzi laments that the skull is now dead, but the skull retorts, "How do you
know it's bad to be dead?".6
Confucianism
After Laozi came Confucius Fuzi or Kong Fuzi. Kong Fuzi lived about 551
to 479 B.C. in the Chinese province of Lu during the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou
dynasty was a stable time in China’s history which lasted almost a thousand years.
Much of what we think about Chinese society was established during the Zhou
dynasty. Chinese believe that Kong Fuzi was born into a noble family, then after
his parents died, he became a teacher. Kong Fuzi saw the societal conflicts and the
oppression of the Fajia school and developed a better way for people to live in
harmony. Kong Fuzi wanted to teach his ideas to others by being employed as a
public administrator. He tried to find work in local and state governments but was
unsuccessful. Kong Fuzi continued to travel in search of work as a scholar and
political reformer but had little success and was only hired for a brief time. Some
rulers even felt threatened by his teachings and opposed him. He spent most of his
life ignored and unemployed.
In contradiction to Daoism and Laozi’s emphasis on individualistic pursuit
of the Dao, Kong Fuzi emphasized harmony among people and smooth personal
relationships. Kong Fuzi returned to his home province and began to expand his
small group of students. He taught them to seek proper conduct and harmony
5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching.
Zhuangzi[web-page] available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi. Wikipedia, 2008. Internet accessed
October 28, 2008.
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between people. Kong Fuzi’s essential teaching is the idea of benevolence. He
taught that by being kind to others society will achieve success. If people could be
kind and respectful the world would be a place of peace and harmony. The goal of
all life is to seek harmony, and the pursuit of harmony will result in a harmonious
society. Kong Fuzi believed that people lack proper education and need to learn
how to conduct themselves appropriately according to their roles in society.
Therefore, our task in life is to learn these proper roles and strive to live a moral
life. Kong Fuzi taught five types of relationships: the relationship between father
and son, the relationship between husband and wife, the relationship between elder
brother and younger brother, the relationship between elder friend and younger
friend, and the relationship between emperor and subject.
Kong Fuzi’s most important writings are his Analects. The Analects were
not written by Kong Fuzi, but are a collection of sayings attributed to Kong Fuzi
by his students. The Analects embody much of the ideas of Confucianism and they
continue to have great influence on Chinese today. The Analects are grouped into
twenty books or chapters. The oldest surviving manuscript of the Analects was
found in 1973 and are believed to have been written around 55 B.C.
The two most important concepts in the Analects are Chung Yung
(Zhongyong). Chung is the ability to remain moderate neither bending one way or
another. Yung is the principle of steadfastness or permanence. A combination of
Chung and Yung could be called a “state of equilibrium”. Chung is also the
practice of fulfilling obligations to others. Sometimes Chung is translated as
“loyalty”. Success is not the goal of Chung. Chung is simply living correctly
without regard to outcomes. Chung is the effort to be a force for good for others.
Your success is not important but the success of others is important. Another
important concept for Kong Fuzi was “Shu”. Shu, sometimes translated as
“reciprocity” is similar to the concept of the golden rule—do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.
Shu helps us know how to live in harmony. Kong Fuzi taught that shu is a
way to act towards others as you would believe you would like people to act
towards you.
Chung and shu are aspects of ren. Ren is the humane principle of
compassion in which relationships are best expressed by obligation and loyalty.
Ren is the overall concept of right relationships in which Shu—reciprocity—and
Chung—loyalty are its primary features. Ren is the virtues of love and humanity.
Ren has two features: loyalty and reciprocity. The first feature of Ren is
loyalty or a commitment to the Dao, the Way. The second feature of Ren is
reciprocity which means to treat others the way you would like to be treated.
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Kong Fuzi taught that to be an exemplary person you must imitate the Junzi.
The junzi is the ideal person who treats people properly, is honest, hard working,
loyal to parents and government, and studious. Kong Fuzi taught that man’s
greatest problem is disharmony and the solution to disharmony is education by
example.
Kong Fuzi dedicated his life to the study of finding the right path or right
way to achieve harmony with nature, harmony with other people, and harmony
with society as a whole—especially government. One of Kong Fuzi’s most
important principles was filial piety. Filial piety is the duty a child has toward his
or her parents.
Some sayings that are attributed to Confucius include the following: “A journey of
a thousand miles begins with a single step.” “To study something and practice it at
appropriate times, is that not a great joy?” “Study the past if you would define the
future.” “To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage or principle.”
Although shunned during his lifetime, after his death Kong Fuzi became the
greatest of all Chinese teachers and philosophers. This honor began in the Han
dynasty 206 B.C. to A.D. 220 AD. During the Han dynasty an official government
policy began to glorify Kong Fuzi. During the Han dynasty a new way of thinking
that combined or blended together Daoist and Confucian concepts. The blending
of these two philosophies during the Han dynasty is called “Han synthesis”.
Another important Confucian idea is the doctrine of the mean. Kong fuzi
believed in effort but not strife. Moderation in all things is an important aspect of
the doctrine of the mean. The main idea of The Doctrine of the Mean is to educate
people to pursue a life of “self cultivation, self supervision, self education and self
perfection to become an ideal person that is extremely good, kind, honest, moral,
ethical and holy.”7
Other Chinese ideas and leaders
Tian Ming is the Confucian “Mandate of Heaven”. The concept of the
Mandate of Heaven is still an important aspect of Chinese society. It underlies
Chinese concepts of authority structures: children to parents, wife to husband,
student to teacher, and citizen to ruler. During the Ch’u dynasty (1030 – 221B.C.)
the rulers promoted the idea that the imperial throne was “in an intermediary
position between heaven and earth.”8 Shang Di is the Chinese ruler of heaven.
Shang Di as the Supreme God can be traced back to the second century B.C.
during the Han dynasty.
7
http://history.cultural-china.com/en/37History593.html
Richard Hooker, Ancient China, [webpage] available at: http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCCHINA/CHOU.HTM.
Washington State University
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7
The three great teachers of Chinese philosophy are Laozi who interpreted
nature, Kong Fuzi who interpreted human relationships, and Mozi who taught
about relationship to the supernatural. Mozi lived 479 to 381 B.C. He founded the
school of Mohism. Mohism emphasizes the need to treat people the way we would
like to be treated. Impartiality and love for all mankind is important. Mozi argued
against Confucianism and Daoism in that all action should be directed towards the
good of the people. Mozi differed from Kong Fuzi by emphasizing that humans
should practice love. Mozi taught equality of human beings and of states.
The Fajia school of China taught legalism and a strict rule of law and
punishment. The Fajia school came about during an tumultuous time in China
from 770 to 221 B.C. This time in China was a time of great cultural and political
upheaval. The ideas of the Fajia School of Law or Legalism was first taught by
Han Feizi. Han Feizi was born about 233 B.C. Han Feizi believed that people
cannot be trusted and need the government to compel them to act right. In contrast
to Kong Fuzi who said humans can be trusted, Han Feizi, believed that man
cannot be trusted.
The second teacher of Fajia was Li Si who was born about 208 B.C. Li Si
was a powerful minister during the rule of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and later under
Qin’s son Qin Er Shi. Li Si established a totalitarian rule in China.
Mengzi or Mencius was the greatest of Confucian teachers only after Kong
Fuzi. Mencius believed that man was essentially good. In contrast to Mengzi,
Xunzi another important Confucian teacher believed that man is inherently evil.
Zhuxi was a leading Neo-Confucianist. Zhuxi’s contribution to
Confucianism include his promotion of Confucian literature: the Analects of
Confucius, the Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean.
Another important Chinese teacher was Zhang Daoling. Zhang Daoling
lived from A.D. 34 – 156. He started a Daoist sect called “Tianshi Dao" (Way of
the Celestial Masters). This sect was a secret society in which the members
practiced faith healing and herbalism.
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Japanese Religions
Shinto
The original religion of the Japanese people is Shinto. Shinto began around
500 B.C. The Japanese word for their religion is kami-no-michi which means “the
way of the gods”. Kami-no-michi is an ancient folk religion of spiritism. Shinto is
a folk religion which emphasizes nature worship, ancestor worship, devotion to
gods and heroes, belief in the divinity of the Japanese emperor, fertility cults. The
word “Shinto” comes from two Chinese words shin meaning “god” and tao
meaning “way” or the “Way of the Gods”.
Although Shinto does have some theological doctrines, it is not a religion of
doctrines. Shinto is primarily a religion of rituals and traditions.9 Many of these
rituals and traditions involve local and national holidays and festivals. Japanese
national and ethnic identity is so inseparably linked to these holidays that not to
participate in the festivals is to not be Japanese. Many Japanese holidays involve a
pilgrimage to a shrine to worship the kami of the shrine. All the holidays are
inextricably connected in some way to Shino religion.
Shinto Scriptures
9
Shinto, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07 [web-page] available at:
http://www.bartleby.com/65/sh/Shinto.html. Internet accessed March 2, 2009.
9
People have lived in Japan for at least 30,000 years. No written documents
or other archeological evidence survives that tells us anything about their religious
beliefs. The first written records concerning Japan come from first-century China.
However, religious and anthropological scholars speculate that Shinto as a formal
belief or religion began about 500 B.C.10 No records of Japanese religion exist
prior to A.D. 720 when the Nihongi (Nihon Shoki, Chronicles of Japan) were
written. Writing was introduced from China and the Nihongi and another early
Shinto document, the Kojiki (Chronicles of Ancient Events) were written to defend
Japan against Chinese accusations that Japan was uncivilized. In these ancient
texts can be found Japanese creation myths and the histories of ancient Japanese
kings and emperors. The first emperor of Japan mentioned in the Nihongi and the
Kojiki is Jimmu Tenno. Jimmu Tenno means “the one who came from heaven.
Shinto gods
One of the myths found in Shinto writings the is the story of the god and
goddess Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto. These two gods gave birth to
the islands of Japan.
The children of Izanagi and Izanami became the various kami of the
Japanese people.
The most important children of Izanagi and Izanami are Amaterasu
Omikami, the Sun Goddess; Susanoo, the god of the sea and storms, and
Tsukiyomi, the moon god. The most important of all the gods and goddesses is
Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. The people of Japan believe that they are all
descendants of Amaterasu and she is considered to be the ancestress of the
Imperial family. For centuries this belief unified the country under the authority of
the Japanese Emperor. Many Japanese people make a pilgrimage to the shrine of
Amaterasu at Ise. The Shinto shrine at Ise stands within a dense forest of giant
cypress trees beside the Isuzu River in a valley between Mount Kamiji and Mount
Shimaji in southern Honshu, Japan. The Ise Shrine is separated into two groups of
buildings which are actually two different shrines. One of the shrines is called the
“Inner Shrine” dedicated to Amaterasu and the other is called the “Outer Shrine”
dedicated to Toyouke, the goddess of abundant food. These two shrines are about
three miles apart.
Two other famous Shinto gods are the brothers of Amaterasu -- Susanoo and
Tsukiyomi. Susanoo is god of the sea. He came to earth and killed a great evil
serpent. Tsukiyomi is god of the moon.
10
Shinto [web-page] http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm
10
Japanese have thousands of gods or kami. They believe that these kami are
super-powerful spirits who live inside trees, animals, and forces of nature like
rivers and the ocean. Some kami live in rocks or in a mountain. Japanese fear
these kami and believe that they can cause good or bad things to happen to people.
Shinto Shrines
Jinja and yashiro are two words to describe a Shinto shrine. The name of
the shrine may be the name of the place as in Ise Shrine or the name of the kami as
in Tokyo's Meiji Shrine enshrines the Meiji Emperor.
A mori is a place where a kami is present. A mori can be a shrine or it can
be small wooded grove. The mori or grove was the place where the kami lives. In
some of these mori shrines have been built.
The first part of the yashiro is the torii or gate. The gate has two vertical
posts and two horizontal beams near the top. Many torii are painted bright red or
orange. Very important yashiro will have two or three torii. The first torii marks
the entrance to the mori. Sometimes the torii may be some distance from the
shrine it still is a sort of gate into a more pure place. As the visitor gets closer to
the shine he or she will be leaving behind more and more of the pollution of the
world. The shrine itself is thought to be a place of purity separated from the
pollution of the world. So the pat the shrine is a series of steps or levels through
with the pilgrim enters on his way to purity.
Once the visitor has passed through the first torii he is on the sando—the
pathway to the kami. Under the beams of the torii is hung a rope made of rice
straw. This rope is called a shimenawa. The shimenawa serves as a boundary
marker signifying that the visitor is entering into a special place.
After entering the sando and passing under the first torii the visitor will
encounter another boundary marker. This step along the sando is a small stream
that must be crossed after passing through the first torii. This stream is crossed by
a small wooden bridge.
As the visitor moves closer to the mori he may pass other torii gates which
let the worshipper know that he is getting closer to the honden—the place where
the kami resides. Each boundary or step along the way reminds the worshipper
that he is leaving behind some undesirable or unworthy aspect of his life that has
polluted his life in the world outside of the mori. Before approaching the kami and
the worshipper must purify himself in the waters of the temizuya. At the temizuya
the worshipper washes his mouth and his hands. If the mori has buildings it may
have one or more buildings. The first building will be the heiden or hall of
worship. Some heiden have places where people may sit for prayer.
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If a mori has a honden then it will be located behind the heiden. If the mori
does have a honden it is the center of the mori. Often the honden is protected by a
fence that further marks it as sacred and keeps people away except during times of
festivals.
Sometimes another building called a kaguraden is built for special dance or
music is performed.
Shinto Sects
Today Japanese religion is a syncretistic blending of Shinto, Confucian, and
Buddhist beliefs. Japanese have combined these religions/philosophies in such a
way that today their Shinto gods have taken on some of the characteristics of
popular Buddhist gods and the Buddhist gods resemble Shinto gods. For example
the founder of Shingon school of Buddhism in Japan was Kukai who believed that
the Shinto kami were manifestations of various Buddhas.11 Shinto is a word used
to differentiate Japanese indigenous religion from Confucianism and Buddhism.
The largest Shinto sect is Jinja or Shrine Shinto. Jinja is the original form of
Shinto and has a long history. Jinja is the form of Shinto that focused on Emperor
worship. They believed that the Japanese emperor was a living God. By the
sixteenth century a warrior class dedicated to serve the emperor developed called
Samurai. Worship of the emperor and the cult of the Samurai were once very
important in Shinto. A leader among the Samurai was the Shogun. A Shogun is a
Japanese military ruler who serves under the Emperor of Japan. The most powerful
of the Shogun ruled Japan.
A code of conduct for these Samurai warriors grew out of the Shinto belief
in the deity of the emperor and the Confucian philosophy of filial piety. In Japan
this code became known as Bushido. Bushido teaches the Samurai to be loyal,
courageous, honest, courteous, and honorable. If a Samurai failed to live up to the
code then his disgrace could only be taken away by suicidal act of hara-kiri.
Almost all shrines in Japan are shines of Jinja.
shrines. Jinja members are encouraged to:
11
Mark Schumacher, Shinto Guidebook [webpage] available at:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shinto.shtml
Jinja has about 80,000
12
“To be grateful for the blessings of Kami and the benefits of
the ancestors, and to be diligent in the observance of the
Shinto rites, applying oneself to them with sincerity.
brightness, and purity of heart. To be helpful to others and in
the world at large through deeds of service without thought of
rewards, and to seek the advancement of the world as one
whose life mediates the will of Kami. To bind oneself with
others in harmonious acknowledgment of the will of the
emperor, praying that the country may flourish and that other
peoples too may live in peace and prosperity.”12
Shinto festivals -- Matsuri
The festival of Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed
(deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a
family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and
visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are
supposed to revisit the household altars. Also called the Feast of Lanterns, it has
been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a
dance, known as Bon-Odori. The festival of Obon lasts for three days.
Bon Odori originates from the story of Mokuren, a disciple of the Buddha,
who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother. He
discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering.
Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his
mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many
Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day
of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He
also began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices
that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and
grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes
Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are
remembered and appreciated. The festival ends with Toro Nagashi , or the floating
of lanterns. Paper lanterns are illuminated and then floated down rivers
symbolically signaling the ancestral spirits' return to the world of the dead. This
ceremony usually culminates in a fireworks display.
The Tenrikyo sect has over two million followers who meet in over fifteen
hundred shrines and worship centers. The Tenrikyo sect was started by a woman
12
Jinja Shinto [on-line page] available at: http://jinja.jp/english/s-4.html. Shinto Online Network Association, 20052006
13
named Miki Nakayama. Miki Nakauyama was born to a peasant family in1798.
Her family had little money or material possessions. Miki Nakayama believed that
she had received the power to heal from the kami of Divine Reason. According to
Shinto tradition she was able to heal her son and many others of their suffering and
painful disorders. She had a revelation and fell into trances and spoke as if God
was speaking through her. From her revelations she received the Teaching of the
Heavenly Reason and began to teach others about her revelation.
The Konko-kyo sect worships Tenchi Kane No Kami, the Golden kami of
Heaven and Earth. The movement was founded in 1859 by Kawate Bunjirō who
was a farmer. Kawate Bunjirō believed that the kami Konkō wanted him to spread
the news that Konko was a benevolent kami. Previously people called this kami
“Konjin” and believed that he was evil. As Konko’s mediator Kawate Bunjiro was
also to take on the pain and sufferings of his followers and transmit them to
Konko. Konkō-kyō emphasizes the interdependence of god and man. The
relationship is similar to the relationship of a parent to his child. Today they have
at least half a million followers.
The Konko Faith: Our Creed
We believe in Tenchi Kane no Kami, the Divine Parent of the Universe.
Our Founder, Konko Daijin, embraced Kami's revelations and,
as Divine Mediator, answered the Call to Eternal Mediation.
Our continuing goal,from moment to moment,
is to realize Kami within each of us.
We are fulfilled through Kami,Kami is fulfilled through us.
The happiness of everyone is Kami's greatest wish.
We give thanks for Kami's blessings - mysterious, wondrous and mundane.
Blessings begin with our own hearts, hearts filed with harmony and joy.
We pray wholeheartedly to Kami, today and every day,
trusting Kami as our loving Parent,finding peace of mind.
We live our faith in service to Kami, each other,
and our world - nurturing and nurtured, mutually fulfilled.
We revere those who have gone before us,
spirits one with Kami, caring for us eternally.
We respect and appreciate other paths taken by humanity
toward spiritual fulfillment13
13
Konko Churches of North America, [web-page] available at: http://www.konkofaith.org/index.html.
14
The Kurozumikyo sect has about a quarter million followers. Kurozumikyo is a
religion that worships the rising sun. The founder of Kurosumikyo, Kurozumi
Munetada, was born in 1780. When Kurosumi parents died he went into a
depression that caused physical sickness. Then one day Kurosumi performed the
morning worship of the rising sun but this morning he broke out of his depression
and performed the worship with an deep emotion causing him to have a mystic
religious experience in which he experienced unity with Amaterasu, the sungoddess. This experience was a spiritual awakening for Kurosumi that gave him
access to what he believed was a new Opening Way. The followers of the
Kurozumikyo sect call this experience "the Direct Receipt of the Heavenly
Mission" and believe that Kurosumi’s experience was the beginning of
Kurozumikyo.14
There are five Articles of the Kurozumikyo: 1. The worship of Kami
through the rising sun. 2. Practice respect to parents and ancestors. 3. Speaking
kindly to others. 4. Being kind and helpful to others, especially the disadvantaged.
5. Praying for others.
Shinto Taikyo is another Shinto sect. Initially the Taikyo sect taught the basic
ideas of the Taikyo (Great Teaching). These teachings go back as far as the early
Meiji period (1868-1877), a time when the Japanese government began to
modernize its military to be able to defend itself against other more modern
nations. The Taikyo sect encouraged Japanese nationalism and urged the sect
members to give their lives in devotion to the Japanese emperor. World War Two
changed everything in Japan when the Japanese emperor was forced to admit that
he was not divine. After World War Two the sect no longer emphasized
nationalism or emperor worship. Today the sect teaches its members to live a life
that conforms to the way of the kami so as to achieve peace and harmony. Shinto
Taikyo doctrine is based on an interpretation of the ‘three kami of creation’ found
in the Kojiki. The three kami of creation are Ame-no-minakushi-no-kami, Takamusubi-no-kami and Kami-musubi-no-kami.15
14
Marukoto: The Teaching of Roundness, [web-page] available at:
http://www.kurozumikyo.com/marukoto_e.html#founder.
15
Shinto Taikyo, [web-page] available at: http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/shinto/shitai.html
15
Most Shinto-sects teach the following ideals:
"To be grateful for the blessings of Kami and the benefits of the ancestors, and to
be diligent in the observance of the Shinto rites, applying oneself to them with
sincerity. brightness, and purity of heart."
"To be helpful to others and in the world at large through deeds of service without
thought of rewards, and to seek the advancement of the world as one whose life
mediates the will of Kami."
"To bind oneself with others in harmonious acknowledgment of the will of the
emperor, praying that the country may flourish and that other peoples too may live
in peace and prosperity."
Shinto Concepts: Kami-dana, butsudan, Jinja, harai, and harai Connection with
kami at the harai and celebration of kami harai
Traditional sects, Mountain worship sects, Revelation sects
Japanese often go to Buddhist temples. In these Japanese Buddhist temples
can be found a butsudan. A butsudan is a Buddhist shrine. In these shrines are
placed small figurines or statuettes of Buddha or small sacred scrolls. Butsudan is
a Japanese word that means “Buddha's House”. Some wealthy Japanese who are
dedicated Buddhist may have a Butsudan in their home so that they can pray to
Buddha.