hindupridemn
Defender of the Truth
Are there differing forms of practicing Shinto? Or is it pretty monolithic? Are there "denominations"?
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Shinto sects
- Thread starter hindupridemn
- Start date
Sylvan
Unrepentant goofer duster
There are lineages of priests connected to particular temples and who honor particular kami as a result. Anyone can go to any shrine but might want to go to particular ones either due to a family connection, for instance, or because a particular kind of aid is needed. This is my understanding at least.
Sylvan
Unrepentant goofer duster
Here is an example of what Shinto might look like outside Japan: Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America
Established by Rev. Dr. Yukitaka Yamamoto, the 96th High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie, Japan. Currently located in Granite Falls, Washington.
One of the deities enshrined there is "America Kokudo Kunitama no kami", the kami of the North American continent.
Established by Rev. Dr. Yukitaka Yamamoto, the 96th High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie, Japan. Currently located in Granite Falls, Washington.
One of the deities enshrined there is "America Kokudo Kunitama no kami", the kami of the North American continent.
hindupridemn
Defender of the Truth
Is this devotion to particular kami at all like devotion to saints in Catholicism and Orthodoxy in that the are not seperate denominations but merely distinct traditions within Shinto?
Sylvan
Unrepentant goofer duster
Similar to Saints indeed, in that some are generally known and some are regional. The priests lineages connect with the Shrine and therefore are intertwined with the Kami honored there. There are, for instance, whole genres of flute music which are the provenance of a particular lineage of priests. They began around a master in one area and spread to different Shrines when the students of the original master traveled to other areas. Some of this music may be to honor the Kami of the originating region, and some will be composed for the new place. Similar specializations in talents or skills or a Kami considered to be for some reason particularly effective may spread in the same manner. But the priestly lineages are primarily regional. And therefore also intertwined with the families of those who live there, and the spirits of their ancestors.