EACS 21 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Rujing, Kennin-Ji, Impermanence
Document Summary
Religion in japanese islands were not well-structured. Religion focused on nature & the cosmos. Cosmos were made of living beings who all share sacred nature (kami) . Japanese felt they were an integral part of the cosmos energies/spiritual powers that animate the natural landscape. Kami refers to a material thing or spirit that possesses sacred power (rock, animal, etc. ) Kami are all things worthy of reverence. Descend from heaven to earth to participate in earthly endeavors. Kami dwell in different beings & objects. Kami fundamentally identified with the sacred nature of the universe. Kami dwelling place usually marked by a rope (shimenawa) or gate (torii) to mark boundary between sacred & profane. No physical representations of kami until buddhism arrived in japan japanese felt the need to represent their own gods in an artistic form to suggest that there was some tangible reality to it. The notion of clan (uji) also a central religious concept in pre-buddhist japanese islands.
