One of the major feature of Japanese religious life is the way in which man, gods, and nature are closely interrelated on the same plane. The term god can mean kami, Buddhist divinities, or even souls of the dead. Nature stands for not only an objective and inert collection of substance, but 'the sacred rhythm of the cosmos as a living unity'.

As seen in Shinto mythology, the kami express their sacredness and power through their embodiment in Nature, such as the sun, moon, wind, trees, rivers, and mountains. Both kami and man are defined in relation to Nature or as a part of Nature. Buddhism's openness to the natural world later was developed into a return to Nature by the Zen sect.

Shinto Kami
The Shinto's worship of Nature is most significantly evident in its earliest stage. In this stage, Shinto reveals an aspect of low nature religion, bearing a crude view of the world and life in animism, or animatism. The latter is a common belief among ancient cultures, in which they regard everything in Nature as animated, sentient beings like themselves. Some of the old Shinto texts tell that trees, herb, and even rocks are all endowed with the power of speech.

The earliest picture of Japan in the poetry anthology Manyoshu, and also in the early Shinto rituals, shows a refined appreciation of the religious and creative resources in the natural world. For instance, the poem 'The Three Hills' describes the age-old account of how two male mountains competed for the love of another female mountain. Here aesthetic, religious, and romantic elements are blended in portraying the Nature.


The Three Hills

Mount Kagu strove with Mount Miminashi

For the love of Mount Unebi.

Such is love since the age of the gods:

As it was thus in the early days,

So people strive for spouses even now....
However, due to their power in affecting the environment, the natural entities are regarded as superhuman or sacred forces, namely kami. Though the word kami cannot be sufficiently translated into English, the words of the eighteenth century scholar, Motoori Norinaga can be borrowed to cite a comprehensive account of the meaning of kami.

In ancient usage, anything whatsoever which was outside the ordinary, which possessed superior power or which awe-inspiring was called kami...  In the Nihongi and Manyoshu the tiger and the wolf are also spoken of as kami. There were cases in which peaches were given the name, August-Thing-Great-Kamu-Fruit. There are again numerous places in which seas and mountains are called kami. This does not have reference to the spirit of the mountain or the sea, but kami is used here directly of the particular mountain or sea. This is because they were exceedingly awe-inspiring.  Hence, kami is basically a term that distinguishes between a world of superior beings and things which are thought of as filled with mysterious power, and a world of common experiences that lie within the realm of ordinary human technique.

Practical aspects
The Japanese believed that kami regulate the forces of Nature, and that incantation was used to invoke the kami, to control these forces of Nature, and to realize a desired goal. Study of the early rituals indicates that the primary interests expressed in the public religious rites were to safeguard the food supply, to ward off calamities of fire, wind, rain, drought, earthquake and pestilence, to obtain numerous offspring and peaceful homes, to secure the prosperity and permanence of the imperial reign, and to effect purgation of ceremonial and moral impurity. These concerns are of most values and priorities to the ancient agricultural society in Japan.

The real importance of any deity to man lies in the fact of some kind of operation or resources which the former is regarded as discharging toward the latter. It is fair to say that religion bears at its heart the human feelings of dependence, and that this feeling of dependence or insecurity seeks the resolution of the problem of its unmet needs by recourse to the operation of superhuman or supernatural agencies. In this manner, the sun goddess Amaterasu-Omikami functions as a beneficent being who sustain agriculture, while the mountains were seen as the source of water for irrigation.

The fear of natural disasters also calls for the need to pacify kami in charge of those forces. For example, volcanic eruptions were seen as the rages of gods. Gods on Kozushima in the Izu island chain were worshipped to pacify their angers and revered as the creator of all things.

Harmony with Nature
As human is considered inferior to the sacred forces of Nature, the primary purpose of Shinto is to bring about a sense of unity by revering the land, harmonizing its people and their natural environment, and developing a feeling of belonging to the community, fellowship among the members of that community, and loyalty to the state.

Despite its significance in fanning the flames of nationalism in war time, Shinto is basically a religion of peace. In this case, the meaning of peace refers to a life of gratitude to the gods, the kami; an attitude which urges one to honor life in all forms and all things that sustain life, and to live harmoniously with nature, people, and society. Since gods-kami exist in all phenomena, 'god' and 'Nature' are the same.

It is obvious that Shinto favors the simple and natural way of worship. The earliest worship of the kami was not necessarily at man-made shrines. Mountain, groves, trees, rivers, springs, rocks, and other natural objects served as primitive sanctuaries. The oldest shrines known to have constructed by men were simple taboo areas formed by the dedication of sacred trees and stones. Artificiality was discouraged due to its hindering of natural beauty.

Purification
Shinto commands for a high degree of purification in religious and everyday life. The ideal is a cosmic harmony in which men, kami, and Nature all participate in total unity. In early times, sickness, childbearing, blood(especially menstrual blood), death, and ritual mistakes were considered to upset the triangular balance of the sacred. Hence, purification procedures served to regain the balance and harmony, and some of them were highly formalized as religious ceremony.

The precedent of purification is the mythological incident when the great kami descended to earth and pacified the land. In accord with this precedent, the deities were invoked to descend once more and with their power to remove impurities from the land and people. The purifying kami were symbolized as the cleansing force in water and wind.

The emphasis on purification is echoed in everyday family practices. The Japanese are concerned with personal hygiene, as witnessed by the hot face towel(o-shibori) provided in good restaurants, their fondness of hot bath(o-furo) and hot springs(onsen) even in summer times.

Zen:  The Path to Unconscious
In Japanese culture the creative process is described in terms of vital energy-ki, transcendent intuition-kan, and wondrous action-myo. When energy is intense and clear enough, transcendent intuition works, and wondrous action emerges.

The highest stage is the wondrous action myo which is mysterious, synchronous, and creative. Suzuki describes myo as 'a certain artistic quality perceivable not only in works of art but in anything in Nature or life. The sword in the hands of the swordsman attains this quality when it is not a mere display of technical skill patiently learned under the tutorship of a good master, for myo is something original and creative growing out of one's own unconscious....They are wonders of Nature.

In fact, the whole Universe is a miraculous exhibition of a master mind and we humans who are one of its wonderful achievements have been straining out intellectual efforts ever since the awakening of consciousness, and are daily being overwhelmed by Nature's demonstrations of its unfathomable and inexhaustive myo. The function of human consciousness, as I see it, is to dive deeper and deeper into its source, the unconscious.'

To seek for the unconscious Way is again to harmonize with Nature. There are five levels of mastery in the Way: 1. the use of physical technique, 2. the use of vital energy, 3. yielding, 4. according to Nature, and 5. abiding in Tao. The highest level is a state of purposelessness and void mind, in which Nature displays its own way (in the person), and pursues its original and spontaneous course.

Such a state is a complete unconsciousness, a union with Nature, and is beyond limitations. Here witnessed a parallelism with the Buddha's teaching of transcending the material world and karma, but the emphasis of Zen is a path back to Nature.

Identity of Man and Nature
In Zen, human is a part of Nature, for they are dependent on Nature. Nature produces human out of itself; they live in an environment sustained by Nature; they have their being rooted in Nature.

Hence, there must always be a friendly understanding and a sympathetic communication between human and Nature. Even beyond that, Zen does not bear in itself a dichotomy of Man-Nature, God-World, etc. In Zen, human and Nature are identical, and it is the highest aim of Zen to point the way back to the Nature.

In terms of Nature, Zen is where one of the masters remarked; 'when I began to study Zen, mountains were mountains; but when I thought I understood Zen, mountains were not mountains; but when I came to full knowledge of Zen, mountains were again mountains.

When mountains are seen as not standing against me, when they cease to exist as objects of Nature, they are not mountains. However, when they are seen as standing against me, as something separate from me, they are not mountains either. They will be some unknown quantity and a brute fact, which can not be understood for certain. The mountains are really mountains when they are assimilated into my being and I am absorbed into them.

Nature becomes part of myself as soon as it is recognized as Nature. I am in Nature and Nature is in me. It is not mere participation in each other, but a fundamental identity between the two, that is tat tvam asi(you are that <ultimate reality>) as in the Upanishads. In this state, the person regain his/her identity as Nature, and transcend the ordinary realm of human.

Conclusion
In dealing with Nature, both Shinto and Zen emphasize the interrelation between human and Nature, and the need for human to harmonize with Nature. Shinto worships the sacredness and mysterious power of natural forces, and strive to maintain the balance between men and Nature by means of rituals and purification.

In Shinto, natural entities are thought to possess superhuman power, hence the interactions between men and kami, though on the same plane, bear a hierarchical structure with the kami being superior to human.

Zen, on the other hand, stresses the fundament identity of human and Nature in which the relationship is on a more equal basis. By proper meditation and practices, human are able to unite with Nature, where the unconscious mind lead the way to transcend human limitations.

Bibliographies

Earhart, H.. Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity. 2nd ed. Encino: Dickenson Publishing Company, Inc., 1974.


________. Religion in the Japanese Experience. Dickenson, 1974.

Holtom, D.. The National Faith of Japan. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., 1938.

Kato, Genchi. What is Shinto? Tokyo: Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways, 1935.

Kiyota, Minoru. Gedatsukai: Its Theory and Practice. Tokyo: Buddhist Books International, 1982.

Maraini, Fosco. Japan-Patterns of Continuity. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd, 1971.

Samaya, M.. Samadhi. Self-Development in Zen, Swordsmanship, and Psychotherapy. New York: State University of New York Press, 1986.

Resources

Shintoism

ALLFaiths Press®Shintoism - Some basic facts about shintoism.

The "Interi" Shinto Homepage - An introduction to Interi Shintoism. It includes various topics of importance to the person seeking an understanding life and death.

International Shinto Foundation

Jinja & Shinto - A site from Jinja Online Network League.

Kami - As seen in Shinto mythology, the kami express their sacredness and power through their embodiment in Nature, such as the sun, moon, wind, trees, rivers, and mountains. Both kami and man are defined in relation to Nature or as a part of Nature.

Study Guide: Shinto - A short and basic page about shintoism.

World Religion - Shinto - A list of rated links related to shintoism.