Definition
In the shinto, powers or venerated presences linked to natural phenomena, places, ancestors, remarkable beings or mythical stories.
The kami are honored in the shrines by offering, purification, feasts and prayers. Shinto has evolved in contact with Buddhism and has also been reorganized by the modern state.
To be retained
- Avoid a single translation
- Respect the rules of the sanctuary
- Putting shinto back in its history
- Do not universalize animism
Origin of the term and context
Kami is an ancient Japanese term whose translation by "god" or "spirit" remains partial. The same word may refer to realities of very different rank and nature.
Why does it matter?
Religious sciences study the cults of the kami and their history. They cannot measure their presence; the notion must not be assimilated without care to the minds of other cultures.
- Avoid a single translation
- Respect the rules of the sanctuary
- Putting shinto back in its history
- Do not universalize animism
How can it be explored or practised?
- Observe the passage of the torii and the gestures indicated
- Ask Before Photographing
- Discover the local party in your community
- Avoid taking away a natural object from a protected space
Misconceptions and points of caution
- Kami does not mean "energy of nature".
- Not all Japanese people have the same practice.
- State shinto and nationalism require a historical context.
Perspectives from different traditions
- Shrine Shinto: local worship, purification and matsuri.
- Classic myths: kami related to the stories of Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.
- Sync: a long history of kami-buddhas articulations.
To go further
- Shinto: A History — Helen Hardacre
- A New History of Shinto — John Breen and Mark Teeuwen