Invisible world, Matsuri and Geneology, Sacred Mountain and Temple

The Shinto believe in a visible and invisible world. The invisible world is not a seperate realm but an extension of the everyday world. They do not split the universe into a natural , physical world and a supernatural, transcendent world. They regard everything as part of a single, unified creation. However Shinto believes and their religeous texts discuss the "Darrk Land of the Unclean Dead" and the "High Plain of Heaven"

Shinto does not make the division between body and spirit. Spirit beings exist in the same world as humans.

I believe the spirit world is invisibly around us. That world is upon the earth. Joseph Smith, a prophet of God, said in one of his discourses that "The spirits of the just are not far from us." Bruce R. Mc Conkie, an apostle of the Lord said "The spirit that enters the body before birth, leaves it at death and immediately passes from this physical world into the spirit world."

The spirit world is divided into two parts, paradise and prison. Spirit prison is a place for those that are unrighteous, good. There is an underground world which is hell where lucifer {the evil spirit} lives and his angels {demons} and those who serve him. It is a place that sounds like it is at the core of the earth because of it's description, " a place of fire and brimstone". In "Doctrines and Covenants", a books of revelations revealed to a prophet of God, it reads "Thus was it made known that our redeemer spent His time during His sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who has testified of Him in the flesh. That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead unto whom He could not go personally because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of His servants might also hear His words." In other words, Jesus the Christ instructed the spirits in paradise. In Alma 40:12-13 {Another Testement of Jesus Christ}, gives more insight. It reads "And the wicked who are evil... for behold, they choose evil works rather than good, therefore the spirit of the devil did enter them." "Then it shall come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care and sorrow."

The creator of our spirits, Heavenly Father, lives in a kingdom seperate from the earth. God is a fair God and a just God. He would not deny any person any opportunity to know a way to be with Him in His kingdom, He would not deny any person the opportunity to know His gospel. He would not deny any person a blessing that desires it.

Part 2 "Musuhi and Makoto" to follow

Buddhism and Shinto share the Kami concept. Buddhism in Japan regards Kami as manifestations of Buddha.

Shinto believe there are Kami related to:

1. natural objects {plants and creatures}
2. abstract creative forces
3. exceptional people such as their emperors but not the last emperor

Musuhi is Kami's creative and harmonizing powers.

I see Musuhi as manifestations of God's creative and harmonizing powers

1. in His creations such as plants and animals
2. in His design with natural laws such as those that govern the air, water, fire and earth and the program He designed for His vegetation to grow from a seed in the earth and His creatures and humans to grow and develope from the ability to propcreate.
3. through the qualities and attributes in people that makes them exceptional, a divine personality.

Shinto aspire to have Makoto, sincerity or True Heart.

Compared to Confucius or Tao, this is regarded as the Will or the Way. Sincerity is one of the Jen virtues of social goodness. It is also one of the steps for self development. Being honest and true is a christian value. Prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints mention this principle time and time again in their addresses at conference. One prophet has said honesty, truthfulness and sincerity are the principles for the foundation of character. He said "The fundamental thing is to be honest, to value your word as faithfully as your bond. Be honest in our dealings with people, one with another and be true to our word and let our word be our bond." Another prophet said "Be honest with yourselves. Be loyal to the best that is within you. truth is loyalty to right." Another prophet has said "being true is honorable and an element of true greatness."

Being honest and true is in the thirteenth article of faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints. It reads "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men." The Savior {Jesus the Christ}, praised sincerity of purpose. A prophet said it this way, "Mere compliance without corresponding inward desire will avail little. Indeed such outward actions and pretending phrases may disclose hypocrisy. The Savior's constant desire and efort were to implant in the mind right thoughts, pure motives, noble ideals, knowing full well that right words and actions would eventually follow." The Savior taught that if the hert be pure, actions will then be in accord therewith. Prophets have said to be honest with our spouses and loyal to them, to be honest with our children and keep our promises to them. Be trustworthy! We should teach our children honesty and integrity, fairplay, which is a Xin value in Confucianism.

Shinto morality is based upon that which is of benefit to the group or community. The value system began in a rural farming community.

Virtues lited in the Imperial Rescript were:
1. first Loyalty to country
2. Harmonious relationships of a couple
3. Respect and appreciation for parents
4. Amicable relation with brothers and sisters
5. Harmonious relationships in society, trust with friends and fraternity
6. Intellectual developement and to contribute in a society with this intellectual ability.

These are Confucius values

Part 3 "Matsuri and Geneology" to follow

There are 4 Affirmations in Shinto

1. The Family and Tradition
Shinto see family as a way to preserve traditions, their main celebrations that relate to birth and marriage.

2. Matsuri
Shinto revere ttheir ancestors. Honor is given to ancestral spirits.

I am familiar with geneology, the desire to know ancestors, those that passed away before their descendants were born. There is a curiosity to know something about them, who they were. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints trace lines of decent in their famies such as great grandparents or great aunts and uncles. They research using clues they may have to find them such as a place of birth or place of death of a granparent that may reveal information about their great grandparents. They write to places that keep records of births and deaths. Sometimes they look at grave stones to find information there. When they find it, they add that name or names, birth dates, deaths to pedigree charts. They want to identify their dead ancestors.

The Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints maintains the world's largest geneology library. Much of the geneological material of various nations of the earth has been or is being microfilmed. a reservoir of hundreds of millions of names and other data about people who lived in past generations is available for study. The website is
lds.org

Sealings
The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints visit temples that have been built to perform ordinances. One of those is sealing their deceased ancestors together. Sealings are ordinances performed in the temples whereby husbands and wives are sealed eternally together in the marriage union so that they have a right to stay together forever in the spirit world and beyond. Children are sealed eternally to parents so that they remain a family unit in the spirit world. Families are sealed together. God's mercy and justice provided these ordinances by proxy, for righteous persons who are deceased. Doctrines and Covenants 128:14 reads "The records on earth in relation to your dead which are truly made...so also are the records in heaven." and Doctrines and Covenants 68:12 "And as many as the Father shall bear record to you shall be given power to seal them up unto eternal life." Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom {of God} of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Ephesians 1:13 "Afetr that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation... after that ye believed ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise"

"Doctrines and Covenants" 128:5,12-13,22,24 "The baptismal font was instituted as a similitude of the grave." "The ordinance of baptism by water, to be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead...to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead in comming forth out of their graves." "You may think this order of things to be very particular but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world for the Salvation of the dead who died without a knowledge of the gospel." " which will enable us to redeem them out of their prison {spirit prison or the "dark land of the unclean dead"}" "let us present in His holy temples, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acception."
1 Corinthians 15.29 "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" "Doctrines and Covenants" 127:5-9 "I give unto you a word in relation to the baptism for your dead. Thus saith the Lord unto you concerning your dead. When any of you are baptized for your dead, let there be a recorder. And again, let all the records be had in order that they may be put in the archives of my holy temple, to be had in remembrance from generation to generation, saith the Lord of Hosts."

Part 4 "Love of Nature,Cleaness and Prayer" to follow

The third Affirmation of shinto is Love of nature, to be close to nature. Being close to nature is being close to God. Objects of nature are worshipped as sacred spirits.

I love nature, it's beauty. It calms me and I feel closer to God, it's creator when I am with nature. I worship the craeot of the creation.

The fourth Affirmation of the shinto is physical cleanliness. Followers of shinto wash hands, rinse mouth and bath often.

In the past, believers practiced "Misogi", the washing of their bodies in a river near a shrine. recently they only wash their hands and wash their mouths in a wash basin provided within the shrine grounds. Shrine ceremonies include cleansing too.

The Jewish people practiced washing for purification

I believe hygiene is important, necessary for health.

Shinto Shrines are dedicated to specific Kami. Shinto believe Kami have divine personalities that respond to sincere prayer of the faithful.

Prayer I seek God. I speak to God in prayer to ask and to know.
"Come and let us reason together" Isaiah 1:18 {in bible}
"We ought always to pray" Doctrines and Covenants 101:81 "Do all things with prayer and thanksgiving. Let him offer himself in prayer upon his knees before God." Doctrines and Covenants 88:133,135

Jesus the Christ taught how to pray to Heavenly Father with a model of prayer {pattern} in Matthew 6.9-13

1. Call upon Heavenly Father, addressing Him with His name, that acknowledges Him
Say "Heavenly Father"
or
Say "Dear Heavenly Father

2. Pray with thanksgiving
thanking God in all things that He has bestowed according to His loving kindness.
Praise Lord with prayer
"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving." Doctrines and Covenants 136:28

3. Confess sins with humble heart

4. Pray for forgiveness

5.
A, Pray with a contrite spirit that ye enter not into temptation Luke 22:40 {in bible}

B, Pray to escape satan and his servants.
"Pray always that you may come off conqueror, yea that you may conquer satan and that you may escape the hands of the servants of satan that do uphold his work."
Doctrines and Covenants 10:5

6. Pray for faith

7.
A, Make your requests
"Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" John 16:24 {in bible}
"And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find." Luke 11:9-10 {in bible}

B, According to your faith
"According to your faith be it unto you" Matthew 9:29 {in bible}

C, Abide the law appointed for that blessing
"For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing and the conditions thereof as were instituted from before the foundation of the world." Doctrines and Covenants 132:5
"I the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Doctrines and Covenants 82:10

8. Ask to know what is the most worth to you

9. Seek the best gifts

10. Ask for the knowledge He wants to give to you

11. Seek wisdom
"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom, yea seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning, even by study and also by faith." Doctrines and Covenants 88:118
"truly humble and are seeking diligently to learn wisdom and find truth."
Doctrines and Covenants 97:1

12. Seek to know Jesus is the Christ that was crucified for the sins of the world, to know that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
"But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart..."
Doctrines and Covenants 46:7

13. Pray to know whether a word of wisdom is of God

Desire Truth

14 Pray for discernment, to discern truth

Whatever is expedient for you, it shall be given you

IF needed

15. Pray to have faith to be healed

16. Pray to preserve what thou hast

17. Pray for others
their welafare, family, friends, relatives, etc

18. Pray for PEACE

19. Pray for protection

Finish prayer with saying "I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ"

Continue calling upon God in Jesus' name

Continue to pray

He instructs us to listen to His counsel, obey His counsel that we receive through the Holy spirit or through reading His counsel in scriptures.

"Pray always and I will pour out my Spirit upon you and great shall be your blessing, yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness..."
Doctrines and Covenants 19:38

"They did fast and pray oft and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." Helaman {Another Testment of Jesus Christ} 3:35

Trust in the Lord, Hope in the Lord

A condition for prayer is a contrite spirit
"Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite {repentant,feel regret because of wrong doing or failing to do}, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances." Doctrines and Covenants 52:15

Our language should be meek, humble, reverant and our heart sincere.

Wait patiantly on the Lord.
"Rest in the Lord and wait patiantly for Him, fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalms 37:7

"Pray always and I will pour out my Spirit upon you and great shall be your blessings, yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth..."
Doctrines and Covenants 19:38

Part 5 "Fast Offerings" to follow

God is Love,

I'm sorry, but I'm very confused. What on earth prompted you to submit four lengthy posts containing mostly LDS doctrine on the Shinto forum?

Kathryn

Shinto Shrine ceremonies include prayers and offerings, dances, Kagura are ritual dances accompanied by ancient musical instruments. They are perfomed bt trained dancers.

Christians worship with songs

Followers are expected to visit the shrines at various life passages. Shichigosan Matsuri is a blessing by the shrine priest of girls aged 3 and 7 and boys aged 5.

Origami is often seen around shinto shrines. Origami is Japanese folk art in which paper is folded into beautiful shapes. The paper is never cut which shows respect for the trees that gave their life to make the paper.

I love trees. I'm a "tree hugger".

Many Shinto followers bypass a meal, once a month once per month and donate the money saved to their religeous organization for international relief.

The Association of shinto shrines urges followers to be helpful to others in the world through service without thought of reward.

The Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints also urges members to fast once per month. It is a 24 hour fast though. They bypass 3 meals and donate the money to the church to distribute to the poor, both members and those who are not members, both in this country and abroad. "Let thy love abound unto all men."
Doctrines and Covenants 112:11

Other Offerings

"Behold, now it is called today until the comming of the son of God and verily it is a day for the tithing of my people for he that is tithed shall not be burned at His comming."
Doctrines and Covenants 64:23
"This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. Those who have thus been tithes shall pay one tenth of all their interest annually and this shall be a standing law unto them forever..." Doctrines and Covenants 119:3-4
Members of the Church pay 10% of their annual income to the church for the places of worship, the church buildings and Temples.
"And inasmuch as ye impart of your substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me {jesus Christ}" Doctrines and Covenants 42:31
"And to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints also offer their time and talents and service, service such as being teachers to edify one another and being missionaries to share the truths of the gospel with others, all humanity.

Part 6 " Sacred Mountain and Temple" to follow

Shinto believers have respect for animals as messengers of the gods

Believe it or not in the bible God gave a donkey a voice to speak.
It's found in Numbers 22:28-31
"And the Lord opened the mouth of the *** and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?"

Shinto sees springs and mountains as sacred places.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house {Temple} shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it." Isaiah 2:2 {in bible}
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Doctrines and Covenants 11:9
"So shall ye know that I am the Lord, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain."
Joel 3:17 {in bible}
These scriptures speak of a Holy Mountain that God's House {Temple} was built upon.
I guess God sees mountains the same way. It lifts things up to be seen of all.

Taoists retreat to nature, to mountains, they retreat to nature to find rest and to heal. I feel the same way. it helps me to heal emotionally.

Speaking of healing, I read that Shinto believers wear healing charms.
Oil is mentioned in James 5:14-15 "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick...." also in 1 Nephi 11:31 {Another testement of Jesus christ}, "They were healed by the power of the lamb." and in Doctrine and Covenants 84:68-69 " In the name {Jesus Christ} they shall heal the sick, they shall open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf."
Alma said in Alma 15:8 {another Testement of Jesus Christ} "If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed." "Behold a woman which was diseased came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. For she said within herself, If I may touch the hem of His garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned about and when He saw her, He said "Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole {healed} from that hour." Matthew 9:20-22 {in the bible}.
"And again it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed. He who hath faith to see shall see. He who hath faith to hear shall hear..." Doctrines and Covenants 42:48-50
"And whosoever among you are sick and have not faith to be healed but believe shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food."
Doctrines and Covenants 42:43
"Wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation or by prophesy or by gifts, or by healings..."
3 Nephi 29:6 {Another Testement of Jesus Christ"

Shinto originated in a village community. The community formed the value system. They wished their community to develope and to continue with prosperity. The value system is the same as social ethics which is taught through social education which supported the community. Their commandments are the same as secular laws. It's main value is continuity of the community.

Haraekotoba is chanted for a purification ceremony. At that time sins are listed. They are categorized into two categories:

Amatsu-Tsumi and Kunitsu-Tsumi

Amatsu-Tsumi are 4 grave sins. The only one mentioned in the article was the sixth which is to destroy a shrine and/or to steal a divine object.

Kunitsu-Tsumi are these:
murder
infant murder
poisoning
injury
incest
cursing
and natural hazards which endanger the community that are brought about by weather or animals. They are thought to be sin against the community. In the case of natural hazards, people have tried to wipe off the evil elements by holding religeous rites. Shinto believes in the rites of purification to pacify negative forces between man and nature.

It's not a surprise that like some other non Abrahamic religeons, there are principles that are similar to the ten commandments. "Thou shalt not kill" for an example.
"Let every man esteem his brother as himself" Doctrines and Covenants 38:24
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them." Matthew 7:12 {in the bible}

As regarding incest...
"Whoso shall offend one of these little ones {children} that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Matthew 18:6

Shinto religeon believes that "Mankind should directly succeed the activities of Kami."
I guess they believe that humans can be better and do better than these divine spirits they consider to be deities.

According to Shinto faith, a human spirit remains forever like the spirit of Kami. They believe the "Other World of Heaven" is where the most venerable deities live.

I believe too that spirits are immortal and continue to live after they leave the physical body.
See post {if interested} "Life After Death, Medical records" that I posted in Comparative Religeon awhile ago.

This concludes the sharing of what we have in common although we may think or see what we have in common, differently and have differing methods of implementing principles, we have at least some similar principles and ethics.
Thank you for permitting me to share this with you.

God is love said:

This concludes the sharing of what we have in common although we may think or see what we have in common, differently and have differing methods of implementing principles, we have at least some similar principles and ethics.
Thank you for permitting me to share this with you.

Click to expand...

Okay, now I understand what you were doing. I, too, enjoy seeing what my religion has in common with other religions. Now that I see what you were intending to do, it makes more sense. Thank you for sharing.

God is love said:

The Shinto believe in a visible and invisible world. The invisible world is not a seperate realm but an extension of the everyday world. They do not split the universe into a natural , physical world and a supernatural, transcendent world. They regard everything as part of a single, unified creation.

Click to expand...

To my understanding, this view isn't especially unique to shinto, but is fairly common within Animism in general.

If I'm mistaken, though, that means I have a very Shinto brand of Animism.