What Is The Shinto Religion?

The Shinto religion is a religion that embraces nature and natural beauty. This religion is common in Hawaii and Brazil, but its roots lie with the Japanese people. This religion is very unique since it is based on the admiration of and worship for the spirits of nature and the unseen world. Shintoism is also unique in the way that it does not have a known creator or founder, a sacred scripture, an obvious code of ethics or any concept of sin. However, it did have a starting point. When the religion first came about, it developed in small farming communities. It was so widespread that it did not have a specific name and it did not need one until Buddhism began to spread through the country. After such, it was named “the divine way” or Shinto,
The kami are the “spirits” of natural manifestations. Since the religion has such an emphasis on nature and beauty, we can collect that their main focus is on the spirits of such things. Some examples include the kami of water, rocks, trees, and land. These things are said to possess a special aura, so they are protected. The Shinto people will protect these things with a rope made of straw and ornamented with colorful paper. This is referred to as nawa (http://shawcss.tripod.com/shinto.htm). One of the most interesting things about the Shinto religion is that it has three main aspects or features. These three things separate it from most other religions and also make it very unique. The three main concepts of the religion are affinity with natural beauty, harmony with the kami, and purification rituals (http://shawcss.tripod.com/shinto.htm). These things are extremely important to the followers of this religion and are the basic foundations of their lives. The first and the most important aspect of the Shinto is the affinity with natural beauty. First of all, for those that aren’t aware, beauty has always been important in Japan. Japanese women have gone to great lengths to acquire beauty for centuries. Therefore, it is only practical that the most important part of the Shinto religion is natural beauty
This aspect is also very important to the Japanese people since the religions main focus is the kami. Honoring the kami faithfully allows the people of Japan to achieve natural order throughout their lives. Before discussing this important aspect of Shintoism, one must fully understand the kami. First, Shintoism allows everything to be considered sacred. These spirits are believed to be everywhere. It refers to the spirit found in all human beings, animals, and plants. It can also refer to the gods, other kinds of spirits, and the deities of Heaven and Earth. The kami also keep the Earth aligned and in motion, while giving humans the ability to wonder in thought