What are the characteristics of Japanese nature worship

今日は日本での自然崇拝の歴史を見ていきましょう。(English) Today we look at the history of nature worship in Japan.

What are the characteristics of Japanese nature worship?

1)

Ancient Japanese believed nature was where "Kami(=God)" lived and interacted between heaven and earth.

They had a deep appreciation and respect for nature and its powers.

They used rivers, waterfalls, and the ocean to perform purification(=Harai).

Mountain worship became especially important.

2)

*Harai

= Shinto religious practice. Shinto rituals and incantations to rid the body and mind of impurities, such as sin, play, and calamity.

In general, prayers in temples are called exorcisms, including those other than prayers for removing calamities.

3)

These ancient people believed nature was sacred, not just because the "Kami created it."

They believed that places of beauty were sacred themselves.

Therefore, they created shrines at sites of natural power and beauty.

Today nature worship underlies Japanese religiosity, even though it is not as evident as it was in ancient times.

4)

What are the Yama-no-kami and Ta-no-kami?

In ancient Japan, people believed that deities(kami) lived on the tops of mountains.

During the rice-growing season, the Yama-no-kami(mountain deities) came down to the fields from the spring planting to the autumn harvest.

5)

Farmers greeted them as the local Ta-no-kami, the fields' deities, with a spring festival.

The farmers thanked the deities at harvest time, returning to the mountains.

6)

What is mountain worship?

Mountains were long worshipped for three reasons.

First, they were considered to be kami(deities).

Second, they were considered to be places where deities lived.

They also included Ta-no-kami, the kami of the rice fields, who descended to the areas in the spring and returned to the mountains after the harvest.

7)

Third, they were closer to the "other world."

It is easier to communicate with the spirits of the dead from the top of a mountain.

8)

Mountains such as Mt. Ontake (on the border of Nagano and Gifu prefectures), Mt. Osore (Aomori prefecture), and Mt. Fuji were considered especially auspicious.

In ancient times, people worshipped Mt. Fuji as a female mountain deity.

In the Heian period, Mt. Fuji became a center of "Shugendo," mountain worship.

*Shugendo

=Japanese mountain asceticism-shamanism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts.

Climbing Mt. Fuji has been a religious act for centuries and is often seen as an act of purification.

Ref)

A)

What is a Tengu?

A Tengu is a half-bird, half-man creature from Japanese folklore.

He has a man's body, arms, legs, red face, and wings.

*Folklore

= The passing of old customs, manners, beliefs, legends, skills, and knowledge to future generations within a particular group of people.

Or, it refers to matters and objects that have been handed down in this way.

Important source material for historiography and folklore.

B)

He also has a long nose and brushy eyebrows.

Tengu masks are often painted red and have eyes that glitter.

They are sometimes sold at inns and shops in the countryside as talismans.

C)

The Tengu is the bodily form of a Yama-no-kami, the guardian of a particular mountain.

He is feared for his supernatural powers but may also be seen as a protector.

The Tengu is associated with the Yamabushi, ascetics who live and practice rites in the mountains.

Often Tengu is shown wearing items of the distinctive costume of the Yamabushi.

Ref-2)

D)

Who are the Seven Deities of Good Fortune?

The Seven Deities of Good Fortune, "Shichifukujin," became popular during the 15th through 17th centuries.

They include Hindu, Buddhist, and Daoist deities and sages from India, China, and Japan.

They are usually pictured riding on a treasure ship, "Takarabune."

F)

Bishamonten

Daikokuten

Benzaiten

Fukurokuju

Hotei

Jurojin

Ebisu

G)

Bhisyamonten(India) is the god of warriors and protects against harm and injury.

Daikokuten(India) protects farmers and the kitchen and prevents floods.

This deity is often shown with a magic mallet and mice, which increase during a good harvest.

F)

Benzaiten(India), the only female deity, is the patron of music, literature, and the arts.

Fukurokujyu(China) is the deity of long life and fertility.

He is often shown with a drinking gourd and a scroll inscribed with the world's wisdom.

G)

Hotei(China) is the deity of happiness and contentment.

He is also called the Laughing Buddha, and rubbing his stomach is said to bring good luck.

Jurojin(China) brings long life and good fortune.

He carries a drinking gourd filled with rice wine.

Ebisu(Japan) is the deity that protects fishermen, businesses, and wealth.

He is often shown with a sea bream(=Tai=Fish), symbolizing congratulations.

Bilingual translation: Buddhism Q&A explained in English.

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