Analysis Of The Tigress By Ise Jingu Shinto Shrine

The nobles of Japan claim that they are the descendants of the five gods which Susanoo-Wo created. In Japanese art Amaterasu is seated with her other brother Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, who is the moon god. The cocks from the myth are associated with her and the rising sun. In Japan the Ise Grand Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine. It is dedicated to Amaterasu, and represented with three of her symbols. The cocks, the mirror, and a raven (who is believed to be her messenger.) The mirror is called the Yata no Kagami, held in the center of Japan at the Great Shrine at Ise. The mirror has been hidden for over a thousand of years but it is said to have eight sides which is also Shinto’s number of perfection.

Human search for meaning in Shinto is based off of their beliefs, rituals, origins and culture. There are four components that make up the Shinto human search of meaning, Simplicity, one with the world, peace within the world and the individual journey to self-discovery and potential. Simplicity refers to the lack of scripture, rules and expectations the individual to interpret hoe they are to live their lives. Peace with the world is to be what the individual interprets to be the best person they can have an optimistic approach to the world encouraging world peace and peace within themselves. One with the world refers to the immanent nature of the religion, the way the world is viewed individually contributing to their connection with the

To begin, the English settlements contained countless differences between their regions. Colonies such as Massachusetts and Pennsylvania where settled for the purpose of allowing the citizens of that area to be able to practice the Protestant faith in peace. Unfortunately, the Southern Colony, Georgia was founded for the purpose of having a barrier between the hostile Indians and Spanish from Florida and South Carolina. Religious tolerance as well varied from colony to colony. In Massachusetts many had to agree to convert to their Church or leave the town. The exact opposite happened in Rhode Island for a time; the colony went as far as to allow even Jews to practice the faith without fear. New Jersey as well was ethnically and

One day I was taking a hike in the Himalayan mountains and came upon a big wall of stone blocking the path. In the middle of the stone wall was a round little door with a key hanging on a hook beside it. Being cautious I crept up to the door and knocked. I don’t know who would have answered the door if someone had answered. I was puzzled and stuck to the spot thinking of what to do. I decided to walk back to my village way down below and come back tomorrow to see if the wall was still there. When I got home I ran straight to the town square to go to my father’s workshop. I told Papa all about my journey in the mountains. He warned me of animals that would take me away to the darkest corners and eat me up. Just then Tijana came running into the store. “There is a tiger in the rice fields!” he shouted. Every once in awhile the wild beasts from the jungle would come into the valley in which the village sat. Our bravest men would shoot arrows and protect us. When the creature went away or was dead we would celebrate, but that never

When reading a Record of Buddhist Kingdoms, by Fa-hsien I recognized a recurring theme. Fa-hsiens travels, through different kingdoms provides the reader with insight on the life and teachings of Buddha, and the tenets of the religion he founded. Although I recognized many themes, I will reflect on three that I found insightful, and inspiring. They are self-denial, Kindness to strangers, and sacrifice.

In his 2001 journal article “Ise Shrine and a Modernist Construction of Japanese Tradition” of The Art Bulletin, Jonathan M. Reynolds examines the differing representation of the Ise Shrine through time, emphasizing on the changing cultural significance of the Ise after the second world war. Reynolds discussion of the Ise Shrine centers on its representation in texts and images. The texts and images in which Reynolds analyzes date as early as the 8th century with the Nihon Shoki, and as recent as the 20th century.

First, let’s talk about Ise Jingu situated in Japan. It is the largest Shinto shrine located in the city of Ise. Millions of people make their pilgrimage to this shrine for either tourism or religious purposes. It holds a lot of both spiritual and historical value of Japan. Spiritually as the shrine was made in light of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and the traditional progenitor of the imperial Japanese family, later another God Toyaku Okami being another sacred being, being worshipped. (Pletcher) The architectural design of the shrine consists of many rows of buildings but the most distinct are two large huts, being the inner (Naiku) and outer shrine (Geku). (Pletcher) Naiku was first constructed, which had the Goddess of Amaterasu, later Geku with the intention of worshipping Toyaku Okami, the god of food and benevolence. (Pletcher) The shrine is surrounded by a thick forest, which the buildings were made from. Using the essence of nature, or “ke”, the priests and priestesses used the surrounding trees as the buildings blocks of the shrine, as the trees had much devotion and spirituality of the Japanese people.

The Jataka tales are an integral part of Buddhist literature as they illustrate the “great deeds, in past lives of the being that was to become the Buddha Gautama.” (Harvey 99)In such tales, the Bodhisattva character “…does some inspiring deed of generosity, kindness or wisdom… identified with the Buddha or his key disciples…” (99) In the story of the Hungry Tigress, a human, brahmin Bodhisattva stumbles across a starving tigress with her cubs while out meditating in nearby caves. Shocked and saddened upon seeing the dying creature; attempting to eat her own kin, the Bodhisattva deliberates how he can save this beautiful creature. He decides in a moment of passion and emptiness to hurl himself off the mountainside to where the tigress is so she can be saved by eating his body. His disciples become aware of this awe-inspiring act and are moved by the loving and kindness of this Bodhisattva. Interestingly, when analyzing the Jataka tale of the Hungry Tigress, one can point to parallels between the Bodhisattva protagonist to the practice and teachings of the Arahat of the Theravada school, the Bodhisattva of the Mahayana school and the follower of the quicker path to Buddhahood of the Vajrayana school. However, the self-sacrificial actions of the bodhisattva at the end of the tale is analogous to the Guru of the school of Vajrayana, leading one to believe that this story best follows the thunderbolt vehicle of Vajrayana.

It is said that history is shaped by the lives of great men.  Great men are leaders.  They bring about change; they improve the lives of others; they introduce new ideas, models, and theories to society.  Most of the world's religions were founded, developed, or discovered by great men.  Two particular religions - Christianity and Buddhism - developed in different parts of the world, under different circumstances, and in different social atmospheres.  But each religion is based upon the teachings of a great man.  When one compares the life of Buddha with the life of Jesus, one finds that the two share many things in common.  This essay aims to compare and contrast the lives of Buddha1 and Jesus in two key areas:  conception and birth.

The imperial palaces were built on a grand scale, sparing no expense to display the majesty and dignity of the imperial power of the time. Each successive emperor contributed grandeur to the structures, and today, these palaces stand for all to enjoy. Each imperial palace is a testament to the history and glory of Chinese culture. These glorious structures clearly demonstrate the creative essence and imperial traditions of the Chinese

Milarepa’s captivating life story depicts a man willing to commit sins on behalf of his mother’s command to one that decides to leave his family, in order to achieve enlightenment. This autobiography allows him to remain to be a beloved yogin because of his drastic and fulfilling spiritual transformation, thus encouraging Tibetans to seek a similar path to nirvana in their lifetime. However, Milarepa proves that one’s journey to liberation and enlightenment has to be earned and fought for spiritually and psychologically.

With a survey of history, it is evident that our world has encountered a broad range of cultures throughout time. Each culture is characterized by their own special practices. Bever (2002) samples one of these practices in his extensive journal on the social history of early modern Europe. The “cultural puzzle” that Bever mainly focuses on is witchcraft and its social prevalence in European history.

Shintoism has four affirmations that should be followed in everyday life. The first affirmation is tradition and family must be honored above all. This is a great example of how Shintoism places a great importance on the community and not on one single person. It is also the reason why Japanese

deities act “harmoniously” with one another. Nature, in turn, is a vital part of both the spiritual world and the human world; “Japanese love and reverence for nature lies at the root of Shinto”. For many other religions, this is not the case. For Western religions, the “Creator and the created, and the human and natural realms” do not relate with one another immediately. The Shinto religion can again be seen acting in a more spiritual way than any other religion. The spirituality of Shinto and its people can be expressed further:

According to Karl Marx in all stratified societies there are two major social groups: a ruling class and a subject class. The ruling class derives its power from its ownership and control of the forces of production. The ruling class exploits and oppresses the subject class. As a result there is a basic conflict of interest between the two classes. The various institutions of society such as the legal and political system are instruments of ruling class domination and serve to further its interests. Marx believed that western society developed through four main epochs-primitive communism, ancient society, feudal society and capitalist society.