![]() ![]() I know that Shinto is in inseparable part of Japanese culture and what it means to be Japanese. I feel that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing thoroughly and well. I'm not sure how good the translations of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki I have are, so I am also learning Japanese (I've wanted to for a long time anyway). Currently I am reading the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and Shinto: the Kami way. I kind of view it as a 'blueprint', a framework, for how to put together the various 'raw material' pieces of my life and beliefs which I already have, and as far as I can tell, my 'raw material' will fit the 'blueprint' rather well. I feel that Shinto offers a way of living, thinking, and acting that I could really use in my life. I am very appreciative of the immense long-term impact Shinto has had on Japanese culture over thousands of years, and given its age, I feel it must still be active and vibrant for very good reasons. I like that, as far as I can tell, there seems to be no "authority", aside from the organization which certifies clergy. I like that it is not so structured and scripted as so many other faiths are - is action centered and has a lot of room for individual meaning and practice. I find the practices and rituals to be very sensible for their purposes - they just seem to make sense for the goals they are meant to accomplish. I like the idea of kami, what they represent and how they do so, as mediums through which to view, respect, and appreciate the world, even if only anthropomorphically. ![]() ![]() I find Shinto is great because of its approach towards living purposefully and mindfully through action. My knowledge is limited and really just growing, so please forgive me if I get something wrong or misunderstand something. Lately though, for whatever reason, I have had massively renewed and very serious interest in Shinto. I had a brief moment some time ago where I had "encountered" Shinto, but it amounted to little more than an academic interest. I am not Japanese and don't live in Japan, which I know is a problem for many people. I have recently begun to seriously start studying and practicing Shinto. ![]()
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