Shinto is an ancient faith of forests and snow capped mountains. It sees the divine in rocks and streams communing with spirit worlds through bamboo twigs and the evergreen sakaki tree. Yet it is also the manicured suburban garden and the blades of grass between cracks in city paving stones. Structured around ritual cleansing Shinto contains no concept of sin. It reveres ancestors but thinks little about the afterlife, asking us to live in and improve the present. Central to Shinto is Kannagara or the intuitive acceptance of the divine power contained in all living things. Dai Shizen (Great Nature) is the life force with which we ally ourselves through spiritual practice and living simply. This is not asceticism but an affirmation of all aspects of life. Musubi (organic growth) provides a model for reconciling ancient intuition with modern science and modern society with primal human needs. Shinto is an unbroken indigenous path that now reaches beyond its native Japan. It has special relevance to us as we seek a more balanced and fulfilled way of life.
Shinto: A celebration of Life
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This exceptional and timely book brings the primal wisdom of Japan into the global arena. Shinto offers a message of hope to humanity and all life on this planet. --(Paul de Leeuw, Kannushi (Shinto Master) and Director of the Japanese Dutch Shinzen Foundation)
About the Author
Aidan Rankin is a writer and researcher on spiritual and esoteric matters. He is on the National Council of the Theosophical Society in England and lives in London.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
SHINTO REALLY IS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE !!!!!
22 April 2012
By DAVID G. MCHALE IV
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved this book and I felt I was coming home spiritually as I read this engrossing account on this ancient philosopy as well as way of life. Shinto spiritually completely resonated with me and honestly spoke to my Pagan/Universalist souls pathway. I didn't really know much about this religion and discovered it is the original indiginous religion of Japan; it has ancient roots being decended directly from spiritual pracitices dating back at least 14,000 BCE. As an indigenous pathway, Shinto is in the same spectrum as Native American and Australian Aborigines. It is also comparable to the spiritual path's of the Celts and German peoples before the coming of Christianity. Unlike the Celts, Germans and too many other Earth Based/Indigenous spiritual pathways Shinto has remained intact since its inception - unlike so many others who were intensionally wiped out (can you say genocide anyone?). This book is wonderfully written, and gets you familiar with such key concepts as Kami, Musubi, Kannagara, and of course Great Nature. There are no sacred books or tenants as Shinto is really more of a mindset, way of life, philosopy, and is celebratory in nature. I would highly recommend AIDAN RANKIN'S enchantingly thorough read - SHINTO A CELEBRATION OF LIFE for anyone who's feeling disconnected from our often souless modern world and whose not finding their spiritual home in any of the more volatile Abrahamic faiths. If you've always had a connection to Japan, loved Nature and the Earth Based spiritualities, into Wicca/Witchcraft, or the like - this wonderous ancient mentality could add greatly to your soul's journey.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent discussion on the philosophy/beliefs of ancient, tribal Shinto
11 Jan 2012
By K. Salinger
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am mid-way through this book and have been loving it so far. Rather than an academic discourse on the history of Shintoism, this focuses on what is known of the actual philosophy and beliefs, as practiced in individual communities and villages. How politics, interaction with other cultures and beliefs (such as interaction with early Chinese and Taoism as well as Indian Buddhism) have influenced Shintoism is outlined from the perspective of beliefs and practice today. The author also discusses common misconceptions about Shintoism, areas within Shinto that may differ from practitioner to practitioner, and other valuable information on the philosophy.
Anyone interested in Earth & nature honoring spirituality, Goddess based spirituality, Pagan beliefs, or comparative philosophy and religion will appreciate the philosophy of Shinto as discussed in this book.
Anyone interested in Earth & nature honoring spirituality, Goddess based spirituality, Pagan beliefs, or comparative philosophy and religion will appreciate the philosophy of Shinto as discussed in this book.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Well meaning book
29 Feb 2012
By Mr. P. G. Chesters
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I saw this book in Watkins the London esoteric bookshop, and as I am a big fan of Japanese mini dramas where you see people having a christian or shinto wedding, having festivals at the shinto shrines, the new year festival at the shinto shrine, and leaving Ema or small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers write their prayers or wishes, which are then left hanging up at the shrine, Then a Buddhist funeral.
This book details the cosmology of Shinto yet I came away with feeling i didn't really know much more than before I started reading it, partly I suspect it is because the author does not have seem to have any particular connection to Shinto, and is a writer and researcher, so we have no description on how Shintoism impacted on him, or indeed on Japanese people. Strangely enough he doesn't mention the festival or ema in the book (or weddings either).
Areas covered include Misogi (purification) but I felt this section was to short particular that relating to the lack of guilt in relation to sex in contrast to Christian mindset. The centre of the book is about Kami or spirits and the hidden world, Kannagara ,or going with the flow and Musubi or Spiritual ecology
This book details the cosmology of Shinto yet I came away with feeling i didn't really know much more than before I started reading it, partly I suspect it is because the author does not have seem to have any particular connection to Shinto, and is a writer and researcher, so we have no description on how Shintoism impacted on him, or indeed on Japanese people. Strangely enough he doesn't mention the festival or ema in the book (or weddings either).
Areas covered include Misogi (purification) but I felt this section was to short particular that relating to the lack of guilt in relation to sex in contrast to Christian mindset. The centre of the book is about Kami or spirits and the hidden world, Kannagara ,or going with the flow and Musubi or Spiritual ecology
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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