The Shino myth was first compiled in a work known as the Kojiki or chronicle of ancient events. Shinto has traditionally been described by scholars as to the indigenous religion of Japan which illustrates the love for beauty in nature. The natural sensibility has shaped Shinto’s artful worldview that is based on reverence for the spirits of nature and the unseen world. Nature, beauty, and symmetry have been important religious aspects in Japan with people worshiping things such as Mount Fuji as an embodiment of divine power. Animism is a characteristic of indigenous religions that believes nature has feelings for the spirits.
Characteristics of an indigenous religion include the worship of spirits and deities embodied in several forms. The religions lie in the practice of worshipping a deity such as ancestors and other unseen beings. In Shinto, the deities are embodied in nature, family ancestors and community-venerated dead. The gods in Shinto are known as Kami, which are more like spirits defined by a special essence of divinity.
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Geographical location is another characteristic of indigenous religion. This includes the idea of worshipping in shrines located in some sacred locations. The sacred is an immanent place where spirits reside and may appear in abstract forms. For example, they may exist in mountains, oceans or other forms of nature. There are numerous shrines under the Shinto religion with special responsibilities such as healing and protection Shinto followers have worshipped at various sacred paces including sacred trees and groves. The shrines have a sacred sanctuary where spirits dwell, and followers come to conduct rites and purifications.
Other characteristics of indigenous religions include the use of rituals and ceremonies to invite spirits into taking residence. Priests perform these ceremonies by serving as experts in the complex rituals. In Shinto religion, there are both seasonal and life cycle festivals including New Year. Sacrifices happen whenever believers of religion need favor from the spirit world. The sacrifices are used in purification services as a feature of Shinto. There is an aspect of ritual washing in the oceans and waterfalls to clear impurities such as defilement and natural catastrophes.
