Shinto, meaning "the way of the gods", is the indigenous faith of the Japanese people. It began around 2,500-3,000 years ago. It has thirteen sects, each with a different founder. It has many scriptures, including Kokiji (The Record of Ancient Things), Nikong (Chronicles of Japan), Yengishiki (Institutes of the Yengi Period), and the Collections of 10,000 Leaves. It has about 30 million adherents, but most are also Buddhists. But, none of the scriptures are sacred, as are the Sutras or the Bible. The kami are the objects of worship in Shinto. They are sacred spirits, and they can take various forms such as natural elements like the sun, mountains, trees, rocks, and the wind, or abstr

rewards for prayers during invasions, while they had recieved nothing. After this, Japan

Shintoism and Buddhism, as well as several other less major religions, including Confusionism and Christianity, have had a major effect on the history of Japan. Not only have they changed the people's lives, but they have actually disintegrated an entire government, as shown through the Kamakura Bakufu. Throughout the history of Japan, it has been these two religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, that have contributed most to the Japanese understanding of themselves and their surroundings, and to many important events.

The Buddhist rituals are performed by Shinto priests, private people who can marry and have children. There are even female priests. The priests are supported by the Miko, young ladies in white kimonos. They must be unmarried, and are often the preist's daughters. Also, in contrast to the Western religions, there are no absolutes, although there is a goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun goddess. An absolute is an object of worship that is always present, such as a God. But, a certain kind of weather is not an absolute, because the weather can change at any moment.

Buddhism, the 2,500 year old Indian religion, entered Japan around the sixth century. It has over 300 million adherents, almost as many as Shinto has. But, many Japanese are members of both religions. Neither Shinto or Buddhism is so strict that a person must adopt one's ideas and practices, and exclude everything else. Buddhism was founded by Guatama Siddhartha, the Buddha, often referred to as "The Enlightened One". He found that enlightenment is found through a life of indulgence and self-denial. According to Buddhism, a person is only a temporary combination of aggrigates that include the material body, feelings, perception, predispositions, and conciousness. The enlightened state, or nirvana, is a place where greed, hatred and ignorance are eliminated. The ethics that lead to this involves kindness, compassion, sympathy, and equality. It prohibits killing, stealing, harmful language, sexual misbehavior, and use of drugs or alcohol. The major scriptures are: the Triptaka, Anguttara-Nikaya, Dhammapada, Sutta-Nippadha, Samyutta-Nikaya, and many others. There are also many sects. Buddhism today is divided into three main sects: Theravada, or Hinayana (located in Sri

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