Japan In-Depth Learning 2: Shinto and Buddhism

Explore Shinto basics: nature worship and ancestor worship, the indigenous Japanese faith with no fixed doctrine or founder, emphasizing reverence for nature and protection by ancestors.

Explore how Shinto emphasizes nature worship and ancestor worship, and how spiritual purity achieved through cleansing like rinsing hands and mouth with pure water shapes shrine rituals.

Explore how rice, sake, and mochi embody sacred offerings in Shinto, tracing their mythic origins, ceremonial uses, and the cultural practice of sharing divine power and avoiding waste.

Explore Shinto shrines by purpose, from business and wealth to academic success, featuring fox messengers and vermilion gates, and visit the grand Mie prefecture shrine rebuilt every 20 years.

Explore Shinto festivals, matsuri, across Japan, with parades, floats, and portable shrines. See how communities practice, perform traditional music and dance, and preserve UNESCO world intangible heritage.

Explore Buddhism's basic philosophy of life, attachment, and impermanence; see how embracing change leads to enlightenment, and learn to shape perception rather than control people, events, or desires.

Explore Japan's three major Buddhist traditions: esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism, covering origins, central figures, and their impact on samurai culture and arts.

Explore four categories of buddhist statues in Japan: buddhas, those who attained enlightenment, bodhisattvas, and guardian kings. See guardian kings protect believers and statues reflect Hinduism and Brahmanism influences.

Trace the danka system in early modern Japan, revealing how Buddhist temples monitored parishioners under Tokugawa rule, suppressed Christianity, and shaped temple income and social control.

Zen Buddhism emphasizes living in the present moment and practicing Zen meditation, guiding us to avoid dwelling on past regrets or future plans to understand Japanese traditional culture and art.

Explore how Zen Buddhism prioritizes heart-to-heart training and first-hand experience over written words, taught by a master, with meditation as the core practice to stay present.

Explore Zen meditation basics across forms, focusing on a straight spine, relaxed posture, and half-open eyes. Breathe through the nose, let thoughts drift, and stay present in the moment.

Explore how Zen Buddhism shapes Japanese traditional arts, guiding practitioners to ego-less, mindful states through meditation, breathing, and being one with nature during tea ceremony and calligraphy.

Explore Shinto and Japanese Buddhism and deepen appreciation of Japanese culture through the art of the tea ceremony, taught by a senior instructor who highlights its history and mastery.