Compare and contrast Japanese religious ideals in the sixtee

Compare and contrast Japanese religious ideals in the sixteenth century: Shinto, Buddhism, and Catholicism. The topic proposal should include two full paragraphs: one paragraph explaining the topic itself, and a second paragraph containing ideas for exploring that topic in a way that satisfies the paper requirements .  Your thesis statement must contain the force of your argument. You should be able to argue both for and against each sentence. Avoid sentences that are mere observations.

Solution

1st - 5th centuries C.E.

500 BCE

c. 5th century B.C.E.

1,170,000,000

3,000,000

350,000,000

Roman-Latin Empire

Japan

India

God (Trinity)

Polytheistic

None / pantheon of deities

Bible

The Kojiki, The Nihongi

Pali Tipitika, Mahayana, Vajrayana Canons

Vatican City

None

None

Roman Catholicism Origins

Shinto Origins

Buddhism Origins

The Church marks her origins from when Jesus chose apostles and began his public ministry, continuing on after his passion and ascension under the leadership of the Apostle Peter and his successors.

Shinto is sometimes called Japan\'s \"indigenous\" religion, but it may have originated in an animistic tradition that may be older than the Japanese islands themselves. Its beginnings are difficult to trace, as its original forms have been obscured by later forms that were shaped by political forces.

After a profound spiritual realization, the Buddha gathered many followers. He organized them into a community that fundamentally reshaped religious, social, and political structures.

Jesus declared that he was the fulfillment of the precepts of Judaism. Initially apocalyptic in outlook, the Early Church drew on a variety of sources—Jewish ideas, Greek philosophy, etc.—to explain the mission of the Church as both a visible sign of the Kingdom of God and the path of salvation for all humanity.

Shinto was probably influenced by all of the cultures from which people came to populate the islands we now call Japan millennia ago. These include the east Asian continent, the islands of the Pacific, and areas in what is now Russia. Later, Chinese culture and Buddhism in particular had considerable influence on Shinto.

Buddhism emerged in response to social, political, and religious changes taking place on the northern Indian subcontinent during the 8th to 6th centuries B.C.E.

Jesus founded the Church, which recognizes the Apostle Peter as his representative on earth. As the original apostles established missionary churches, the concept of apostolic succession developed into a system of bishops tracing their origins back as custodians and defenders of the deposit of faith.

Shinto has no founder in the sense that Buddhism or Christianity has a founder, nor is there an individual or group of individuals who were responsible for developing Shinto as a religion. The institution now called Shinto was initially created by the Yamato clan in their bid to assume rulership of the Japanese islands.

Buddhism\'s founder was a wealthy prince, born in India in the 6th or 5th century B.C.E., who renounced wealth and power to seek enlightenment.

The writings of the apostle Paul to local churches were the beginnings of New Testament scriptures. Shortly thereafter, eyewitness accounts of Jesus\' life were set down as well. The canon of scriptures was determined over time authoritatively by various Church councils.

While regarded as histories, the Nihonshoki (Chronicle of Japan) and Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) are texts that include records of ancient mythology and deal with religious matters. A number of esoteric texts detailing ritual and religious matters of the shrines, and discussing the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism, are also among the sacred texts of Shinto.

Originally preserved by oral tradition, Buddhist scriptures contain a record of the Buddha\'s teachings and structures for Buddhist social organization. As Buddhism evolved through the centuries, systematic philosophical treatises and devotional stories were added to the canon.

Through various Councils, the most recent being the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church continues to proclaim, and develop more fully, the teachings of her founder.

Recent scholarship has focused on unpacking the effects on Shinto brought about by various modern movements in Japan—from the \"National Learning\" movement that began in the 17th century, to the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, to the \"State Shinto\" that dominated in Japan until the end of World War II.

Scholars have criticized the popular emphasis on Buddhist philosophy and the practice of meditation over the ritual and devotional practices much more typical of Asian Buddhism.

Roman Catholicism

Shinto Historical Development

Buddhism Historical Development

Within 400 years after Jesus\' passion, Christianity developed from an illegal, persecuted, and underground religion into the official, only, and dominating faith of the Roman Empire. Roman Catholicism was the Western expression of that faith.

In the 8th century C.E., the Nihonshoki (Chronicle of Japan) and the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) were written to legitimate the rule of the Yamato clan as descendants of the gods. Using elements of an earlier mythology, the Yamato rulers created a unified Japan, sanctified by their claims to divinity and supported by a system of shrines.

Early Buddhism was primarily monastic, and Buddhist monks and nuns were expected to follow strict rules and regulations. Lay followers supported the monks by providing food, shelter, and clothing.

Catholicism experienced intermittent theological heresies and three major schisms: the Great Schism between east and west, the Great Western Schism of rival papacies, and the Protestant Reformation.

Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea, and later, China, in the 6th century C.E. Along with Buddhism, Japan adopted many elements of Chinese culture, including its written language. The name \"Shinto\" is derived from the Chinese (shen dao, or way of the gods), and its emergence as a formal tradition was a native response to Buddhist influence.

Buddhism continued to evolve after the Buddha\'s death. Philosophical innovations led to new sutras and new divisions of Buddhism emerged.

Roman Catholicism spread around the world—first through the Roman Empire, later by Irish missionaries, and still later by European religious orders and lay missioners. Roman Catholicism often built on and incorporated the customs of evangelized peoples via the process of enculturation.

Buddhism and Shinto developed side-by-side for many centuries. While Shinto was, in a sense, a state religion, there were many occasions in which Buddhism also received state support. Systems of equivalency between Buddhas and kami were developed, and worship of both was normally conducted in the same temple complexes.

In the first millennium of the Common Era, Buddhism spread throughout Asia, spawning new social identities, new languages, and new institutions.

Before and after Columbus\'s voyages starting in 1492, Catholicism\'s expansion was marked not only by growth and innovation, but also sometimes by violence, persecution, and imperialistic tendencies.

By the end of the 11th century, there were only twenty-two \"official\" Shinto shrines, and even at these, Buddhist deities regarded as the same as specific Shinto kami were worshipped. The imperial line continued but had little power. Toward the end of the 12th century, the first of the shogun governments was established.

Ashoka, who ruled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century B.C.E., was a key figure in Buddhism\'s transformation from local to international religion.

Roman Catholicism responded to the Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, and modernity\'s push to democracy first by closing its doors to the world, but then by opening its windows.

During the Edo period (1600-1868), efforts were made to redefine Shinto as a tradition separate from Buddhism, and a \"National Learning\" movement emerged. In 1868, the Meiji emperor was restored to power and Buddhism and Shinto were forcibly separated. An aggressive, militaristic attitude was supported by \"state Shinto,\" buttressed by the ancient notion of the emperor as a direct descendent of the deity of the sun, Amaterasu.

Buddhism has become an international religion with adherents all over the world. It is integral to Asian cultural, political, intellectual, charitable, and religious institutions, and it has made significant in-roads into the west.

Roman Catholic Beliefs

Shinto Beliefs

Buddhism Beliefs

Roman Catholics hold the canon of Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) and tradition to be sacred. The living transmission of divinely guided truth through Church teaching, called the Magisterium, is held as authoritative.

The deities (kami) Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to all things, including the Japanese islands, and also to three major Japanese gods. One of these is Amaterasu, the sun goddess. The emperors of Japan, and all of the Japanese people, are believed to be descendents of these kami.

Buddhist sacred narratives include the life story of the Buddha, stories about his past lives, and stories he told as a teacher as recorded in the sutras.

Roman Catholics believe in one God in three persons: a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They also believe in angels as heavenly messengers, and they venerate the saints, especially Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Ultimate reality in Shinto includes the chaos from which the kami emerged, but the focus of the ultimate in relationship to humanity is earth. Certain kami gave birth to the earthly realm and everything in it. Kami can occupy natural objects such as mountains, rivers, or trees. They can also occupy sacred areas and, more rarely, human beings.

There are varying and sometimes contradictory notions of ultimate reality in Buddhism. There are scholarly interpretations and popular interpretations, interpretations within different countries and in different eras.

Made in the image and likeness of God, humans are intrinsically good, though corrupted by sin. Humanity\'s purpose is to live forever with God in the happiness of heaven.

Humans are part of the natural realm, which is sacred. Pollution does occur through normal acts such as contact with things that threaten life, for example: death, blood, or disease. This is unavoidable and constitutes no \"sin.\" Pollution is washed away regularly through acts of purification. Thus one\'s purpose is to maintain the pure and natural state of existence.

Human nature is illustrated by the Buddhist teaching of dependent origination, or arising, which shows how poisonous mental states give rise to suffering.

Humans suffer as a result of sin, which has its origins in the gift of human free will, given by God. The source of evil is humanity\'s freedom to reject God.

In Shinto, the ideas closest to the western notion of evil are pollution and impurity, and these are addressed through rituals of purification. Suffering is not regarded as a form of punishment for human behavior, but, rather, as a natural element of human experience. Shinto deities are equally capable of being gentle and loving, or awesome and terrifying.

In Buddhism, there is no \"problem of evil.\" Suffering is a normal part of life, but the nature of suffering is determined by how one responds to it.

Roman Catholics believe that Christ makes salvation possible for all people. By freely choosing to embrace or reject God\'s grace, humans may spend eternity either in heaven or in hell.

There is an old saying in Japan: \"born Shinto, die Buddhist.\" Before Buddhism, it was believed that all who died went to a vast hellish underworld from which there is no escape. Buddhism introduced the idea of rewards and punishments in the afterlife, and death and salvation in the afterlife came to be regarded as Buddhist matters.

There is no consistent notion of the afterlife or salvation in Buddhism. It varies according to country, era, and individual perspective.

Roman Catholicism Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism

Shinto Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism

Buddhism Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism

The Mysteries of Christ\'s life are celebrated via a liturgical calendar throughout the year. The two greatest feasts celebrate Christ\'s Resurrection (Easter) and God\'s Incarnation (Christmas).

Sacred time in Shinto is focused on the human life cycle, particularly on milestones such as birth, coming of age, and marriage. The New Year, harvest, and other significant moments in a yearly cycle are also celebrated, sometimes in conjunction with Buddhism. When one enters the confines of a shrine with a reverent attitude, one can also experience sacred time.

Early Buddhists sought to escape from time. Their goal was nirvana, which is beyond experience and thus not a form of sacred time. Later developments deconstructed the nirvana/samsara dichotomy.

Cathedrals of great artistry and more modest churches serve as worship spaces for Roman Catholics, who believe that all the earth is holy as God\'s handiwork and the place of God\'s Incarnation in Jesus Christ.

Any space where a kami has manifested is sacred space. This includes natural objects such as trees or mountains, and the precincts and altars of Shinto shrines. In Japan today it is not uncommon to see a small shrine, marked by a specially designed rope called a shimenawa, in the middle of a downtown shopping district, or a shrine indicated by a torii gate atop a high-rise building.

Buddhist sacred spaces include stupas, containing relics of the Buddha or other monks, and the monastic complexes that grow up around them. Some mountains are also considered sacred.

Roman Catholic worship is centered around the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Seven sacraments serve as efficacious outward signs of sanctifying grace for believers.

Ritual is central to the practice of Shinto. Every step of a ritual within a shrine follows a carefully prescribed pattern, with segments including purification, prayer, offering, and entertainment for the kami. Matsuri, or festivals, are yearly celebrations that encompass an entire community and may last for several days.

Buddhist ritual calendars vary widely, but all usually include celebrations of the Buddha\'s birthday and the New Year. Other ceremonies typical of Buddhism are pilgrimages and rituals surrounding death.

Catholic life is full of prayer and the use of sacramentals that prepare the Catholic to receive grace, such as the rosary, the wearing of medals, and the giving of blessings.

In earlier generations, it was common to have a kamidana within the home and workplace. These would be purified daily, and daily offerings were placed on them for the kami. Talismans from local shrines might also be placed in the kamidana. Today individuals will visit a local shrine to pray whenever they have a need or desire to do so.

The daily life of a Buddhist monk is quite different from that of a lay person. The interrelationship between the two reflects a symbiosis that revolves around the concept of merit.

Roman Catholic rituals and sacred spaces are filled with symbols pointing to the sacrificial life of Christ crucified, the example of the saints, the liturgical seasons, etc.

There are many Shinto symbols. Among these are the torii gate that is found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine, the sword and the mirror (both related to the myth of Amaterasu), and a pair of foxes seen at the entrance to shrines for the deity Inari. Symbols placed on Shinto altars are usually covered or hidden.

Early Buddhist symbols include the Buddha\'s footprint, the dharma wheel, and the stupa. Other symbols include mudras, mandalas, and monk\'s robes. Different Buddhist countries also have their own unique symbols.

Roman Catholicism Ethics, Morality, Community

Shinto Ethics, Morality, Community

Buddhism Ethics, Morality, Community

The Roman Catholic Church is hierarchically organized, with local parishes and dioceses as its building blocks, led by bishops whose leaders are in communion with the pope.

A typical shrine will exist for the worship of one or more specific kami. Shrines are supported and maintained by community groups, and often serve as centers for community life. The larger shrines are members of national shrine associations, and certain shrines such as Ise, the main shrine of Amaterasu, have significance for the Japanese nation as a whole.

Buddhist institutions are deeply involved in local communities in a variety of ways, both religious and secular. They provide rituals, festivals, places to worship, and practical benefits.

The Roman Catholic clergy is comprised of the sacramental roles of deacons, priests, and bishops, with administrative roles extending up to the pope as leader of the world\'s Catholics. The magisterium is the Church\'s teaching authority.

Shinto priests are ranked both within a shrine and nationally. They are typically male, although there are a few female priests. Today, many Shinto priests attend a Shinto university and then train at one of the larger shrines. Some rituals also involve miko, or shrine maidens; these are typically young women who serve until they marry.

All Buddhist clergy wear distinctive robes and devote their lives to religious practice and service. The organizational structures of leadership are different, depending on region, size, and sect.

Moral thought begins in the conscience informed by natural law. The Ten Commandments and Jesus\' life are the foundations for Catholic moral action, which has resulted in the Church\'s strong social teachings.

Shinto moral principles are strongly influenced by Confucianism. It is believed that humans have an innate moral sense, and can be motivated by shame to avoid doing wrong. Acts of wrong-doing are cleansed through acts of purification. Sincerity, which is the harmony of thought and action, is a prized human characteristic.

Buddhist principles of moral thought and action include karma, merit, and the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path provides guidelines for behavior that will lead to spiritual growth.

The Roman Catholic Church seeks to build a society that is more human, that protects the dignity of the human person, and that fosters a renewed emphasis on charity in social life as the norm for all activity.

The Shinto vision for society has varied in different eras, but at its core is the idea of harmony—harmony between humans and kami, harmony within social groupings, and harmony between humans and nature.

The social vision of Buddhism is to unite the entire cosmos and all beings within it into one harmonious whole.

Roman Catholicism teaches that the sexes are complementary, that all are called to chastity, and that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman.

Ethics in Shinto are cultural and situational; there are no Shinto commandments or precepts forbidding certain actions. Male homosexuality has sometimes been socially acceptable, and at other times it has been frowned upon. Marital infidelity by men has often been overlooked, but women are almost always expected to be faithful. Until the last century, men were allowed to divorce their wives, but the reverse was not the case.

Attitudes regarding sexual misconduct, abortion, and divorce are often governed by societal norms rather than religious regulation. The issue of gender equality has been of greater interest in recent Buddhist scholarship.

Formed 1st - 5th centuries C.E. 500 BCE c. 5th century B.C.E. Adherents 1,170,000,000 3,000,000 350,000,000 Origin Roman-Latin Empire Japan India Deity God (Trinity) Polytheistic None / pantheon of deities Sacred Text Bible The Kojiki, The Nihongi Pali Tipitika, Mahayana, Vajrayana Canons Headquarters Vatican City None None Details Origins Roman Catholicism Origins Shinto Origins Buddhism Origins Beginnings The Church marks her origins from when Jesus chose apostles and began his public ministry, continuing on after his passion and ascension under the leadership of the Apostle Peter and his successors. View Detail Shinto is sometimes called Japan\'s \"indigenous\" religion, but it may have originated in an animistic tradition that may be older than the Japanese islands themselves. Its beginnings are difficult to trace, as its original forms have been obscured by later forms that were shaped by political forces. View Detail After a profound spiritual realization, the Buddha gathered many followers. He organized them into a community that fundamentally reshaped religious, social, and political structures. View Detail Influences Jesus declared that he was the fulfillment of the precepts of Judaism. Initially apocalyptic in outlook, the Early Church drew on a variety of sources—Jewish ideas, Greek philosophy, etc.—to explain the mission of the Church as both a visible sign of the Kingdom of God and the path of salvation for all humanity. View Detail Shinto was probably influenced by all of the cultures from which people came to populate the islands we now call Japan millennia ago. These include the east Asian continent, the islands of the Pacific, and areas in what is now Russia. Later, Chinese culture and Buddhism in particular had considerable influence on Shinto. View Detail Buddhism emerged in response to social, political, and religious changes taking place on the northern Indian subcontinent during the 8th to 6th centuries B.C.E. View Detail Founders Jesus founded the Church, which recognizes the Apostle Peter as his representative on earth. As the original apostles established missionary churches, the concept of apostolic succession developed into a system of bishops tracing their origins back as custodians and defenders of the deposit of faith. View Detail Shinto has no founder in the sense that Buddhism or Christianity has a founder, nor is there an individual or group of individuals who were responsible for developing Shinto as a religion. The institution now called Shinto was initially created by the Yamato clan in their bid to assume rulership of the Japanese islands. View Detail Buddhism\'s founder was a wealthy prince, born in India in the 6th or 5th century B.C.E., who renounced wealth and power to seek enlightenment. View Detail Scriptures The writings of the apostle Paul to local churches were the beginnings of New Testament scriptures. Shortly thereafter, eyewitness accounts of Jesus\' life were set down as well. The canon of scriptures was determined over time authoritatively by various Church councils. View Detail While regarded as histories, the Nihonshoki (Chronicle of Japan) and Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) are texts that include records of ancient mythology and deal with religious matters. A number of esoteric texts detailing ritual and religious matters of the shrines, and discussing the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism, are also among the sacred texts of Shinto. View Detail Originally preserved by oral tradition, Buddhist scriptures contain a record of the Buddha\'s teachings and structures for Buddhist social organization. As Buddhism evolved through the centuries, systematic philosophical treatises and devotional stories were added to the canon. View Detail Historical Perspectives Through various Councils, the most recent being the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church continues to proclaim, and develop more fully, the teachings of her founder. View Detail Recent scholarship has focused on unpacking the effects on Shinto brought about by various modern movements in Japan—from the \"National Learning\" movement that began in the 17th century, to the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, to the \"State Shinto\" that dominated in Japan until the end of World War II. View Detail Scholars have criticized the popular emphasis on Buddhist philosophy and the practice of meditation over the ritual and devotional practices much more typical of Asian Buddhism. View Detail Historical Development Roman Catholicism Shinto Historical Development Buddhism Historical Development Early Developments Within 400 years after Jesus\' passion, Christianity developed from an illegal, persecuted, and underground religion into the official, only, and dominating faith of the Roman Empire. Roman Catholicism was the Western expression of that faith. View Detail In the 8th century C.E., the Nihonshoki (Chronicle of Japan) and the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) were written to legitimate the rule of the Yamato clan as descendants of the gods. Using elements of an earlier mythology, the Yamato rulers created a unified Japan, sanctified by their claims to divinity and supported by a system of shrines. View Detail Early Buddhism was primarily monastic, and Buddhist monks and nuns were expected to follow strict rules and regulations. Lay followers supported the monks by providing food, shelter, and clothing. View Detail Schisms, Sects Catholicism experienced intermittent theological heresies and three major schisms: the Great Schism between east and west, the Great Western Schism of rival papacies, and the Protestant Reformation. View Detail Buddhism was introduced to Japan from Korea, and later, China, in the 6th century C.E. Along with Buddhism, Japan adopted many elements of Chinese culture, including its written language. The name \"Shinto\" is derived from the Chinese (shen dao, or way of the gods), and its emergence as a formal tradition was a native response to Buddhist influence. View Detail Buddhism continued to evolve after the Buddha\'s death. Philosophical innovations led to new sutras and new divisions of Buddhism emerged. View Detail Missions, Spread, Changes, Regional adaptations Roman Catholicism spread around the world—first through the Roman Empire, later by Irish missionaries, and still later by European religious orders and lay missioners. Roman Catholicism often built on and incorporated the customs of evangelized peoples via the process of enculturation. View Detail Buddhism and Shinto developed side-by-side for many centuries. While Shinto was, in a sense, a state religion, there were many occasions in which Buddhism also received state support. Systems of equivalency between Buddhas and kami were developed, and worship of both was normally conducted in the same temple complexes. View Detail In the first millennium of the Common Era, Buddhism spread throughout Asia, spawning new social identities, new languages, and new institutions. View Detail Exploration, Conquest, Empire (incl. violence, persecution) Before and after Columbus\'s voyages starting in 1492, Catholicism\'s expansion was marked not only by growth and innovation, but also sometimes by violence, persecution, and imperialistic tendencies. View Detail By the end of the 11th century, there were only twenty-two \"official\" Shinto shrines, and even at these, Buddhist deities regarded as the same as specific Shinto kami were worshipped. The imperial line continued but had little power. Toward the end of the 12th century, the first of the shogun governments was established. View Detail Ashoka, who ruled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century B.C.E., was a key figure in Buddhism\'s transformation from local to international religion. View Detail Modern Age Roman Catholicism responded to the Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, and modernity\'s push to democracy first by closing its doors to the world, but then by opening its windows. View Detail During the Edo period (1600-1868), efforts were made to redefine Shinto as a tradition separate from Buddhism, and a \"National Learning\" movement emerged. In 1868, the Meiji emperor was restored to power and Buddhism and Shinto were forcibly separated. An aggressive, militaristic attitude was supported by \"state Shinto,\" buttressed by the ancient notion of the emperor as a direct descendent of the deity of the sun, Amaterasu. View Detail Buddhism has become an international religion with adherents all over the world. It is integral to Asian cultural, political, intellectual, charitable, and religious institutions, and it has made significant in-roads into the west. View Detail Beliefs Roman Catholic Beliefs Shinto Beliefs Buddhism Beliefs Sacred narratives Roman Catholics hold the canon of Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) and tradition to be sacred. The living transmission of divinely guided truth through Church teaching, called the Magisterium, is held as authoritative. View Detail The deities (kami) Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to all things, including the Japanese islands, and also to three major Japanese gods. One of these is Amaterasu, the sun goddess. The emperors of Japan, and all of the Japanese people, are believed to be descendents of these kami. View Detail Buddhist sacred narratives include the life story of the Buddha, stories about his past lives, and stories he told as a teacher as recorded in the sutras. View Detail Ultimate Reality and Divine Beings Roman Catholics believe in one God in three persons: a Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They also believe in angels as heavenly messengers, and they venerate the saints, especially Mary, the mother of Jesus. View Detail Ultimate reality in Shinto includes the chaos from which the kami emerged, but the focus of the ultimate in relationship to humanity is earth. Certain kami gave birth to the earthly realm and everything in it. Kami can occupy natural objects such as mountains, rivers, or trees. They can also occupy sacred areas and, more rarely, human beings. View Detail There are varying and sometimes contradictory notions of ultimate reality in Buddhism. There are scholarly interpretations and popular interpretations, interpretations within different countries and in different eras. View Detail Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence Made in the image and likeness of God, humans are intrinsically good, though corrupted by sin. Humanity\'s purpose is to live forever with God in the happiness of heaven. View Detail Humans are part of the natural realm, which is sacred. Pollution does occur through normal acts such as contact with things that threaten life, for example: death, blood, or disease. This is unavoidable and constitutes no \"sin.\" Pollution is washed away regularly through acts of purification. Thus one\'s purpose is to maintain the pure and natural state of existence. View Detail Human nature is illustrated by the Buddhist teaching of dependent origination, or arising, which shows how poisonous mental states give rise to suffering. View Detail Suffering and the Problem of Evil Humans suffer as a result of sin, which has its origins in the gift of human free will, given by God. The source of evil is humanity\'s freedom to reject God. View Detail In Shinto, the ideas closest to the western notion of evil are pollution and impurity, and these are addressed through rituals of purification. Suffering is not regarded as a form of punishment for human behavior, but, rather, as a natural element of human experience. Shinto deities are equally capable of being gentle and loving, or awesome and terrifying. View Detail In Buddhism, there is no \"problem of evil.\" Suffering is a normal part of life, but the nature of suffering is determined by how one responds to it. View Detail Afterlife and Salvation Roman Catholics believe that Christ makes salvation possible for all people. By freely choosing to embrace or reject God\'s grace, humans may spend eternity either in heaven or in hell. View Detail There is an old saying in Japan: \"born Shinto, die Buddhist.\" Before Buddhism, it was believed that all who died went to a vast hellish underworld from which there is no escape. Buddhism introduced the idea of rewards and punishments in the afterlife, and death and salvation in the afterlife came to be regarded as Buddhist matters. View Detail There is no consistent notion of the afterlife or salvation in Buddhism. It varies according to country, era, and individual perspective. View Detail Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism Roman Catholicism Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism Shinto Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism Buddhism Ritual, Worship, Devotion, Symbolism Sacred Time The Mysteries of Christ\'s life are celebrated via a liturgical calendar throughout the year. The two greatest feasts celebrate Christ\'s Resurrection (Easter) and God\'s Incarnation (Christmas). View Detail Sacred time in Shinto is focused on the human life cycle, particularly on milestones such as birth, coming of age, and marriage. The New Year, harvest, and other significant moments in a yearly cycle are also celebrated, sometimes in conjunction with Buddhism. When one enters the confines of a shrine with a reverent attitude, one can also experience sacred time. View Detail Early Buddhists sought to escape from time. Their goal was nirvana, which is beyond experience and thus not a form of sacred time. Later developments deconstructed the nirvana/samsara dichotomy. View Detail Sacred Space Cathedrals of great artistry and more modest churches serve as worship spaces for Roman Catholics, who believe that all the earth is holy as God\'s handiwork and the place of God\'s Incarnation in Jesus Christ. View Detail Any space where a kami has manifested is sacred space. This includes natural objects such as trees or mountains, and the precincts and altars of Shinto shrines. In Japan today it is not uncommon to see a small shrine, marked by a specially designed rope called a shimenawa, in the middle of a downtown shopping district, or a shrine indicated by a torii gate atop a high-rise building. View Detail Buddhist sacred spaces include stupas, containing relics of the Buddha or other monks, and the monastic complexes that grow up around them. Some mountains are also considered sacred. View Detail Rites and Ceremonies Roman Catholic worship is centered around the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Seven sacraments serve as efficacious outward signs of sanctifying grace for believers. View Detail Ritual is central to the practice of Shinto. Every step of a ritual within a shrine follows a carefully prescribed pattern, with segments including purification, prayer, offering, and entertainment for the kami. Matsuri, or festivals, are yearly celebrations that encompass an entire community and may last for several days. View Detail Buddhist ritual calendars vary widely, but all usually include celebrations of the Buddha\'s birthday and the New Year. Other ceremonies typical of Buddhism are pilgrimages and rituals surrounding death. View Detail Worship and Devotion in Daily Life Catholic life is full of prayer and the use of sacramentals that prepare the Catholic to receive grace, such as the rosary, the wearing of medals, and the giving of blessings. View Detail In earlier generations, it was common to have a kamidana within the home and workplace. These would be purified daily, and daily offerings were placed on them for the kami. Talismans from local shrines might also be placed in the kamidana. Today individuals will visit a local shrine to pray whenever they have a need or desire to do so. View Detail The daily life of a Buddhist monk is quite different from that of a lay person. The interrelationship between the two reflects a symbiosis that revolves around the concept of merit. View Detail Symbolism Roman Catholic rituals and sacred spaces are filled with symbols pointing to the sacrificial life of Christ crucified, the example of the saints, the liturgical seasons, etc. View Detail There are many Shinto symbols. Among these are the torii gate that is found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine, the sword and the mirror (both related to the myth of Amaterasu), and a pair of foxes seen at the entrance to shrines for the deity Inari. Symbols placed on Shinto altars are usually covered or hidden. View Detail Early Buddhist symbols include the Buddha\'s footprint, the dharma wheel, and the stupa. Other symbols include mudras, mandalas, and monk\'s robes. Different Buddhist countries also have their own unique symbols. View Detail Ethics, Morality, Community Roman Catholicism Ethics, Morality, Community Shinto Ethics, Morality, Community Buddhism Ethics, Morality, Community Community Organization and Structure The Roman Catholic Church is hierarchically organized, with local parishes and dioceses as its building blocks, led by bishops whose leaders are in communion with the pope. View Detail A typical shrine will exist for the worship of one or more specific kami. Shrines are supported and maintained by community groups, and often serve as centers for community life. The larger shrines are members of national shrine associations, and certain shrines such as Ise, the main shrine of Amaterasu, have significance for the Japanese nation as a whole. View Detail Buddhist institutions are deeply involved in local communities in a variety of ways, both religious and secular. They provide rituals, festivals, places to worship, and practical benefits. View Detail Leadership/Clergy The Roman Catholic clergy is comprised of the sacramental roles of deacons, priests, and bishops, with administrative roles extending up to the pope as leader of the world\'s Catholics. The magisterium is the Church\'s teaching authority. View Detail Shinto priests are ranked both within a shrine and nationally. They are typically male, although there are a few female priests. Today, many Shinto priests attend a Shinto university and then train at one of the larger shrines. Some rituals also involve miko, or shrine maidens; these are typically young women who serve until they marry. View Detail All Buddhist clergy wear distinctive robes and devote their lives to religious practice and service. The organizational structures of leadership are different, depending on region, size, and sect. View Detail Principles of Moral Thought and Action Moral thought begins in the conscience informed by natural law. The Ten Commandments and Jesus\' life are the foundations for Catholic moral action, which has resulted in the Church\'s strong social teachings. View Detail Shinto moral principles are strongly influenced by Confucianism. It is believed that humans have an innate moral sense, and can be motivated by shame to avoid doing wrong. Acts of wrong-doing are cleansed through acts of purification. Sincerity, which is the harmony of thought and action, is a prized human characteristic. View Detail Buddhist principles of moral thought and action include karma, merit, and the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path provides guidelines for behavior that will lead to spiritual growth. View Detail Vision for Society The Roman Catholic Church seeks to build a society that is more human, that protects the dignity of the human person, and that fosters a renewed emphasis on charity in social life as the norm for all activity. The Shinto vision for society has varied in different eras, but at its core is the idea of harmony—harmony between humans and kami, harmony within social groupings, and harmony between humans and nature. The social vision of Buddhism is to unite the entire cosmos and all beings within it into one harmonious whole. Gender and Sexuality Roman Catholicism teaches that the sexes are complementary, that all are called to chastity, and that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. View Detail Ethics in Shinto are cultural and situational; there are no Shinto commandments or precepts forbidding certain actions. Male homosexuality has sometimes been socially acceptable, and at other times it has been frowned upon. Marital infidelity by men has often been overlooked, but women are almost always expected to be faithful. Until the last century, men were allowed to divorce their wives, but the reverse was not the case. Attitudes regarding sexual misconduct, abortion, and divorce are often governed by societal norms rather than religious regulation. The issue of gender equality has been of greater interest in recent Buddhist scholarship.