RELS 131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Ganachakra, Critical Role, Existentialism

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELS 131
• Professor: Aditi Sen- Chowdhury

Document Summary

Shinto coexists with buddhism, not a religion for many. Shinto is a complex idea, that pervades every aspect of the japanese life. No scriptures but some ancient records that are regarded as authoritative. The name shinto comes from chinese characters for shen ("divine being"), and tao ("way") and means "way of the spirits". Translating kami as spirits is an oversimplification of a complex concept. Kamis are on a different energy level than humans (they are a bit more cooler and awesome) Many are involved in creating the universe. Some are in charge of storms, earthquakes and other natural activities. Kamis also do tasks like fermenting sake, perfuming flowers. Some kamis are plain evil, they mostly try to kill in various ways. Most villages will have a shrine dedicated to the kami of the place. Shrines also play a critical role in understanding the japanese idea of spirituality. Many shinto shrines are of national significance.