Basic Terms of Shinto 神道基本用語集

詳細表示 (Complete Article)

Title
Minkan shinkô
民間信仰
Text Folk beliefs. Through its long history, Shinto has been combined with elements taken from such imported religions and philosophies as Buddhism, Confucianism, yin-yang, and Taoism. This accomodating nature has resulted in the acceptance of popular beliefs and legends within Shinto. Since Shinto encompasses most of the Japanese nation, there are rather wide areas in which it is difficult to distinguish living Shinto from folk religion, and it is possible to say that quite a large amount of Shinto consists of popular beliefs. The fact that there are those who avoid the word Shinto and prefer the terms kôdô (Imperial Way), or kannagara no michi reveals the existence of a movement for the purification of the Shinto faith through the rejection of vulgar aspects of "popular" Shinto beliefs.