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Buddhism and Shinto Explained: A Complicated History

ReligionForBreakfast

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This series was co-written by Kaitlyn Ugoretz, scholar of Japanese religion and new media. Follow her on Twitter @KaitlynUgoretz and learn more about her research on Shinto at www.digitalshinto.com."

REFERENCES:
Mark Teeuwen and Fabio Rambelli’s 2003 book “Buddhas and Kami in Japan: Honji Suijaku as a Combinatory Paradigm”

Helen Hardacre’s 2016 book “Shinto: A History”

Kuroda Toshio’s 1981 article “Shinto in the History of Japanese Religion” in Journal of Japanese Religions, vol. 7, no. 1

Ian Reader and George Tanabe Jr.’s 1998 book “Practically Religious: Worldly Benefits and the Common Religion of Japan”

Ana Andreeva’s 2017 book “Assembling Shinto: Buddhist Approaches to Kami Worship in Medieval Japan”

PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS:
Asuka dera Prince Shotoku, Chris 73, Wikimedia Commons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:As...

Hachiman statue, Ihimutefu, Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

Onin War Scene 3 image, Docsubster, Wikipmedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

Buddha statue, Hemuta999, Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

Ise shrine Torii, N yotarou, Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Is...

20 Comments

@ReligionForBreakfast Creator 5 years ago Pinned

Watch Shinto: Episode 1 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlKeVY_FsVg&feature=youtu.be

@reveranttangent1771 5 years ago

In old China, you went to
Confusian for ethics
Taoists for health and
Buddhists for grief.

@themugwump33 5 years ago

When are we going to get the video “religious scholar reacts to anime about Jesus and Buddha as roommates”????

@lilsaam 5 years ago

It's a good day when religionforbreakfast uploads 🤗

@Max0r 5 years ago

This has become one of my favorite informative channels on YouTube

@elaiej 5 years ago

I think 'chinese folk religion' could be an interesting topic too, kinda like that happened with shinto and buddhism in japan. And as an off-shoot of that, you could also look at 'na tuk kong'/datuk keramat as a blend of indigenous southeast asian elements with chinese folk religion.

@Emymagdalena 5 years ago

I know we’re doing Shintoism right now but I’d love a video on the divergence of Indian Buddhism and East Asian Buddhism

@lshulman58 5 years ago

This combining of traditions in japan reminds me of how Catholic and African traditions combined in the Carribean to create Voodoo (though this became a more distinctive religion than any buddhist-shinto combination in Japan). Still, with Voodoo we see the Catholic saints associated with the Loa spirits of Voodoo much the way Buddhist bodhisattva were identified with shinto kami.

@merrittanimation7721 5 years ago

"Born Shinto and die Buddhist" is an interesting dichotomy to me.

@SanityVideo 5 years ago

Buddhism has a tendency of mixing with local religion. Most kinds of buddhism are buddhism plus a previous local religion. In places like tibet there are a lot of layers of added tradition and I refuse to see that as some kind of corruption of an original fundamentalist ideal. Peoples needs are always changing and religion works better when it doesn't try to hammer people into a mold.

@werewook 5 years ago (edited)

Good video but I feel like you should have more clearly explained that Buddhism has multiple Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other beings since many people erroneously assume there is only one figure, being "the Buddha". Also probably should have mentioned that Buddhism has gods in the form of devas (天部 tenbu), which made syncretism with kami quite easy.

@demianchoi655 5 years ago

Would you mind going over traditional Korean Shamanism and it’s comparison with Mongolian, Chinese, and Japanese shamans? I’ve found them very unique, though information on them is pretty scarce.

@aldrinpaulcarreon9983 5 years ago

The upload time is usually morning in my timezone and so I watch this everytime I eat breakfast.

@-1-alex-1- 5 years ago

It's interesting how those historical stages similar to what happened in Tibet with Buddhism and local beliefs, the only difference being that they absolutely merged together, now Bon being basicly a branch of Buddhism.

@ti2182 5 years ago

"Which is your religion shinto or buddhism?"
Japanese: Yes

@matthewblackwelder6487 5 years ago

Can you do one on Mormonism? Especially the folk magic practices in early mormonism.

@nickp2582 5 years ago

You’re really out here being brilliant and prolific. PLEASE keep this up. Your upload rate right now is perfect and the content is wonderful.

@robertodecarvalho563 5 years ago

Buddhism and Shintoism were manipulated according to the interests of the Japanese ruling classes. The Nichiren sect was supported by its patriotism, the Zen sect had enormous appeal to warriors of the Kamakura period for its characteristic of full obedience to Zen masters, etc

@smiley4-c3z 5 years ago

You could make series about people who live for religion, not just as believers but as priests, monks, nuns, pastors and any other denomination within religions

@omarcillo060 5 years ago

It's interesting, this reminds me of a friend, long time ago we spoke about different religions, he was baptized catholic, converted to buddhism, and not too long ago converted back to catholicism. I once asked him what buddhism was, can't remember his answer but this @religionforbreakfast reminded me of how some people's needs can be unsatisfied by one faith but enriched by another.