Delmo, Arlance S.

H11C
I. Shintoism
“Sincerity is the single virtue that binds the divine and man in one”
- Jingishoju
NATURE- CENTRIC AND INDIGENOUS RELIGION
SHINTO
- used to designate the religion of the Japanese people
- Shinto means the kami way or way of the gods
- The religion is nature-centric
- They do not recognize any book as its authoritative scriptures focus on temple worships
KAMI, the Shinto “gods”
- The divine principle of Shinto worship is the kami – an honorific title for greatness and benevolence.
- It can be manifestations of the sacred in nature or extraordinary people.
- Earlier accounts of Shinto viewed the religion as polytheistic
SHINTO KAMI
Ameno-minaka-nushi-no-kami Kami of the Center of the Heaven
Takamimusubi-no-mikoto Kami of the Birth
Kami-misubi-no-mikoto Kami of Growth
Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto Parents of the Eight Islands and other kami
Amaterasu-o-mikami Sun Goddess
Susano-o-no-mikotoa Kami of the High Plain of Heaven
Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto Moon Goddess
Okuninushi-no-kami Kami of Izumo
Ninigi-no-mikoto Ruler of Japan
AMATERASU-O-MIKAMI
- The Kami of the Sun is revered as the highest in Shinto mythology and worship. The Sun Goddess is the
giver of life.
- The Japanese Emperor is believed to be a direct descendant of the kami.

SHINTO ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

How did Shintoism began?
- The development of Shintoism in Japan has a long history. The prehistoric period of Japan, animism
was evident in the agricultural affairs of the people. Agricultural rites were celebrated seasonally and all
communal religious activities were focused on objects or places believed to be inhabited by kami or
spirits.
The Kojiki Creation Story
- This story is considered as the creation story about Japan that narrates how the two kami, Izanagi-no-
Mikoto (male) and Izanami-no-Mikoto (female) said to create the islands of Japan and guide heaven
and earth.
Asuka Period (552-794 CE) - Rise of the Yamato clan as the imperial family of Japan
- Taiho Code – contained rules for the upkeep of Shinto shrines
and the worship of kami as one of the duties of the chief
officials of the empire.
Nara Period (552-794 CE) - Capital city was transferred to the city of Nara
- Emperor Shomu- Buddhist emperor
- Shoku Nlhoni- Emperor Shomu ordered the casting of the
bronze Buddha
Heian Period (794-1185 CE) - Capital was transferred to Kyoto.
- A time of peace and flourishing of Japanese culture.

Kamakura Period (1185-1333 CE)
Muromachi (1333-1568 CE) and
Azuchi-Momoyana period (1568-
1615 CE)
Edo Period (1615-1858)
Meiji (1969-1912), Taisho(1912-
1926) and Showa (1926-1989)
SHINTO BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Religious Rituals
- Rituals are the outward manifestation of the people’s belief in kami.
- Jingu-Ji (shrine temple) – Both Buddhism and Shinto may be
practiced
- Early period of social disorder due to political struggles among
the nobility.
- Minamoto Yoritomo- Military governor
- Rise of Shugendo, the path of spiritual power
- Offering to the important shrines were sometimes discontinued
due to political and economic stability.
- Rise of Urabe Shinto (Urabe Kanetomo)
- Tokugawa leyasu- Japan’s most powerful shotgun
- Capital was move from Kyoto to Edo.
- Country was closed to the world for 200 years
- Rise of Confucian Shinto
- Represented modern and Contemporary Japan
- Meiji – Shinto as a State religion by the Meiji emperors

- Shinto Priests (naka-torimochi ) officiates at all temple worships.

o Contemporary Japan – most priests are male
o Early Japan – shamans (mostly women) or heads of clan
- Most rituals are public in character and public prayers are called norito.
Four Important Elements in Shinto Worship
Norito Harai Shinsen Morai
This are special dignified It also means It means offering. It is Known as the symbolic
prayers pronounced by purification. It involves one of the most important feast. This involves
Shinto priests in the using water to purify rites in a Shinto temple. drinking sake (rice wine)
presence of the Kami one’s tsumi or kegare Usually done every day offered by the priest. The
(Defilements or evil in a large shrine. When a purpose is to literally to
elements) community neglect the dine with kami.
shinsen, the kami is
displeased.

The GRAND SHRINE OF ISE in Nara is designated as the highest Shinto temple in terms of importance.

Oshogatsu (New Year)

- Shinto shrines celebrate the coming of the new year with prayers and festivities.
Hatsu Mode
- visiting the temple during the first day of the year.
Setsubun-sai
- Marks the beginning of the spring season.
- Worshippers would throw beans, which symbolizes the throwing away of evil and bad luck
Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival)
- A festival summon to the kami to protect the crops from the heat of summer and from pestilence.
Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival)
- Spring-related festival that assures safety of rice planting.
Aki Matsuri (Autumn Festival)
- A festival celebratory in nature; people thank the kami for the good harvest.

MAIN DIVISIONS OF SHINTO

 1. Jinja Shinto - The conventional Shinto worship in government-registered shrines
throughout Japan; temple-based Shinto
2. Kyoha Shinto - Shinto groups and sects are not affiliated with government-recognized
shrines. They rose because they tend to emphasize on certain beliefs and
practices that are not in line with Jinja Shinto
3. Tsuzoku Shinto - Shinto groups and practices are mostly localized in scope and not
institutionalized as the Jinja and Kyoha. Some practices are hybrids of
Shinto and folk rituals
II. INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
- They are the identities who have been kept preserved against foreigners.
- They are persons and their descendants who lived on their lands before settlers came from elsewhere

- More people in the Philippines practice tribal religion today, than in 1521.
- Yet the culture, languages, and beliefs of the indigenous population are still heading for extinction.
IGOROT
- The term means people from mountains
- They are referred to various ethnic groups such as the Kankanaey, Bontoc, Ifugao, Kalinga, Ibaloi,
Isneg, Tingguian.
MANGYAN
- These are the indigenous people in Mindanao, Sibuyan and some islands in Palawan.
- Some ethnic groups include the Tadyawan, Hanunuo, Tagbanua and Palaw-an
LUMAD
- Visayan term meaning born from earth
- Residual category – indigenous communities’ secondary status in Mindanao
- They did not convert to Islam and become Moros.
- 18 major Lumad groups: Subanen, B’laan, T’boli, Manobo, Talaandig, Mamanwa, Manguangan
NEGRITO
- They are located in the different parts of the Philippines.
- Physical appearance: dark skin and curly hair
- Ethnic groups: Agta in Cagayan, Dumagat in Sierra Madre, Aeta in Zambales, Ati in Visayas

INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE EARLY FILIPINOS

- The religious beliefs were as varied as the languages of the country.
- Throughout the Philippines, there was a great diversity of religious belief.
- The belief in supreme god seems to be one of the most natural and simplest of beliefs.
- In the Philippines, based from the Spanish records and surviving indigenous traditions, it leaves little
doubt that the Filipinos had a belief in a Supreme Creator God.
BELIEF IN SUPREME GOD
Supreme God

Creation Creation

God (benefic) Gods (malefic)

Anitos Earthly Beings

Lower Beings
THEMES OF THE INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
Divine Revelation - Followers of indigenous people receive this through direct
communication in the form of visions, dreams and spirit possession.
Cosmologies - Many indigenous communities rely on the oral transmission of beliefs
and practices. Although this may not be fully coherent.
Physical and Material - Indigenous religions are primarily inner-worldly in terms of their
Gains worldview concerning salvation.
- This is usually tied to their economic activities-central to their religious
activities.
Nature is a sacred identity - For many indigenous religions, the Creator (Divine beings) has
entrusted the people. Stewardship of nature is therefore a religions
duty.
Kinship-based - The spirits of ancestors’ figure in religious practice and worship.
- They are believed to be active in the life of the community.
Spirits of nature deities - This is preserve of particular religious officials or ceremonies.
and life-forces
Rituals - Given that religious life follows a community’s genealogy or ancestry,
to convert other people is not a mission.
THE CREATOR GOD
- It was always said to be invisible, without form, and as such, images of deity were not generally made
- The name was considered sacred, and very rarely uttered, usually only in sacred rituals
- It was seen as distant and too involved in higher matters for direct worship. Instead, lower class of
deities, who like humans, were also created, were the principle objects of prayer, supplication and ritual.
LOWER GODS
- There were known by names like diwata, tuhan and anito.
- As in many shamanistic culture, these deities were divided into benefic (female) and malefic (male)
categories.
RITUALS AND PRACTICES
- Cosmology are viewed with consisting multiple heavens or universe each without form or boundary.
- The ancient Filipinos believed, like many animistic people, that all objects had spirits or were inhabited
by such.
- Inanimate objects like rocks, mountains, lakes, etc., and natural phenomena like wind, thunder, and fire
were said to be inhabited by particular spirits, or to be governed by certain gods.
- In ancient times, Filipino made offerings to particular trees that were thought to be the habitation of
benevolent deities, or even certain ancestral spirits.
- Rituals were often performed for even the most mundane tasks like cleaning the pig pen. Omens were
constantly watched for, especially before long journeys or the start of important enterprises.
- The star were also consulted for auspicious times. Among certain Igorot tribes, certain stars would have
to come in line with the Moon before the important events like hunting expeditions, battles, sacrifices,
etc.
- The early Filipino “temple” was known as the simbahan among the Tagalogs, the Tenin among the
Tirurai, Buis among the Bagobo, etc. These structures were often temporary in nature and usually small,
although when they were attached to chief’s houses, they could be large enough for great feasts
involving the whole barangay.
- There also existed the belief in amulets known as “anting-anting” gave the possessor unique powers, or
made them invincible. One of the most common powers of the anting- anting is to protect one from iron
 weapons. In some special cases, some operations were formed in which anting-anting were implanted
under the skin.
IPRA LAW
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHT (IPRA) of 1997
- One of the first laws in Asia (Philippines) enacted to protect and promote the rights of indigenous
communities.
- It recognizes their long history and marginality.
- Indigenous people refer to a group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and
ascription by others