The history of correctional institutions is well documented. Correctional institutions (jails and prisons) house individuals who are awaiting trial and serving both short- and long-term sentences. Cor

Running Head: The Eastern Religions

The Eastern Religions

Yvonne Winn

Strayer University

Professor Dr. James Allen

May 7, 2020

Shintoism and Buddhism

Shintoism and Buddhism are both Asian and old religions. The records of Shintoism and Buddhism dates back to the 8th century. The origins of Shinto are ambiguous since little information about it wasn’t written until the time when Buddhism came to Japan. Buddhism has a broad beginning. The difference and similarities of these religions can be studied by looking at their aspects, including origin, foremost leaders, origins, scriptures, rituals, impact of their beliefs, and teachings.

Buddhism and Shinto are commonly practiced in Japan. Most of the Japanese consider themselves members of both Shintoism and Buddhism despite having overlapping features (Browning 2018). They are unique and distinct religions with exclusive origins and traditions. Shintoism is more practiced in Japan, while Buddhism is the fourth largest religion globally and is practiced predominantly in Korea, Bhutan Singapore, Laos, China, Malaysia, Japan, and Sri Lanka.

Shintoism is a collection of beliefs and traditions that originated from Japan and borrowed a lot from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Shintoism covers divination, spirit possession, and reverence of Shaman's healing powers (Miyashita 2016). It is a polytheistic religion with several deities perceived to dwell in both the dead and the living. These deities are referred to as KamiKami and can either be destructive or benevolent.

Buddhism religion from ancient India and has the Buddha as its founder. Buddhism teaching from the Sramana traditions was extensively spread by his cohorts and evolved into three distinct categories, namely Vajrayana, Mahayana, and Theravada. Shintoism and Buddhism vary their belief systems. Shinto is a philosophical system religion implying that its followers believe that living things, including inanimate objects like rocks, possess a spirit and are animate. Buddhism is not a theistic religion. Instead, everyone who is enlightened, including Buddha himself, is worshiped.

Believers of both Shintoism and Buddhism pray at different holy sites. Shrines and temples in Japan are differentiated by which religion each represents. Temples are for Buddhists, whereas shrines are Shinto sites of worship. Both the shrines and temples have unique aesthetics and architectural designs (Nakai 2017). Temples are a reserved color on the outside, and the interior is bursting with decorations and ornate gold statues. Shinto shrines are decorated vermillion, have a large gate at the entrance, and guarded by a dog or a fox.

Prayers and other practices in the shrines and temples he slight difference. At Shinto shrines, clap their hands and ring a bell to pray and rouse the gods. The Buddhists pray silently in temples. The followers of both religions recognize different holidays. The three most celebrated annual festivals in japan are Gion Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri, and Kanda Matsuri. These festivals are all Shinto. Obon, which is the Buddhist holiday, is described as the busiest travel period during which individuals visit their homes to pray to their ancestor’s spirit.

Buddhist nuns and monks have diverse lifestyles from Shinto priestesses and priests. Buddhist nuns and monks live more ascetic lives, whereas Shinto priests take charge of shrine ceremonies officiating. Individuals who dedicated the better part of their lives to Buddhism and for various worldly possessions stands a better chance of becoming monks or nuns. In those days, Shinto priest was selected from birth, but currently, any male or female Japanese who passes an exam can become Shinto priest.

Shintoism and Buddhism have different myths on the afterbirth (Nelson 2018). Buddhist base their religion on a cycle of death and rebirth that goes on until someone becomes enlightened. Shinto tradition affirms that after death, an individual's KamiKami passes to a different world and oversees their descendants. This explains the reason behind the prevailing and widely practiced modern-day Japanese.

Reference

Browning, C. (2018). Social Problems in Modern Japan from Buddhism and Shintoism.

Miyashita, H. (2016). How Shintoism and Buddhism Influenced the Creation of the First Japanese Manga and Anime Down Through Modern Times. New York.

Nakai, K. W. (2017). State Shinto. Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese History, 147-159.

Nelson, J. (2018). Shintoism. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 1-12.