ArticleKey #11: Divine Buddies

It must have been hard to be cavemen whose world was cold, dark, and full of uncertainty - so, to alleviate their fears and to instill some hope, prehistoric humans had to rely on some higher powers. It took multiple protectors to address various dangers and challenges, and that's how first crude polytheistic beliefs came about. Over millennia, the habit of believing in some or other divinities remained, but living conditions were gradually changing. At some point, some tribes found it more practical to concentrate on just one deity that was made responsible for every aspect of one's life. Heavier responsibilities entailed a much greater authority, and that paradigm shift completely reshaped the concept of faith/belief by turning it into religion - a formalized, rigidly structured pattern of relationship between the Protector and the protected. Monotheism promoted and emphasized, first and foremost, the Supreme God - either in person (as in Judaism) or through a representative, such as an incarnation (Christianity) or a prophet (Islam). That God was no laughing matter, and he had to be treated very properly: feared, obeyed, honoured, and such. To incorporate every nuance of the right attitude, a special word was coined - worship. Worshipping a wrong God, or even the right one in a wrong way, would inevitably spell trouble - such as Crusades, religious wars, Inquisition…The right way of worshipping included, among other things, building so-called "Houses of God". Those house had different names - churches, mosques, synagogues - but their purposes were very similar, if not identical. Rome, arguably the most important Christian city on Earth (because of its proximity to Vatican and the Holy See), has 900 churches, and that's a humongous number! The combined number of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Kyoto is about 2,000… 

Japan wouldn't be Japan if it didn't choose to combine the best of both worlds - the numerous Shinto spirits (kami) that aren't too dissimilar to, say, the Greek Pantheon, and one powerful godlike Protector (Buddha). Having both at the same time completely changes the dynamics of the relationship between them, because each is aware of the existence of the other(s) - so, Buddha can't take his cue from his counterparts in Abrahamic religions to become too authoritarian, while kamis wouldn't risk getting unreasonably whimsical while dealing with mortals. This way, one can pray to both by addressing big requests to the God and leaving smaller ones for the spirits. It goes without saying that it's still better to treat divinities with respect, the difference being that respect is advised, not forced upon. For instance, there is a set way of praying to Buddha upon coming to a temple: make a small offering (it's facilitated by a bigger version of a piggy bank at the entrance), bow twice (casually, then deep), clap your hands twice to attract Lord Buddha's attention, bow twice (deep, the casually). The procedure is well-known to most Japanese but, just in case, written instructions are placed conspicuously on some temples' doors.   

It's easy to see that rituals like the one described above, imply an active-reactive, essentially interpersonal kind of relationship where people are actors rather than “puppets”. One might view them as a supporting cast - less famous than the main protagonists (in this case, Lord Buddha and the spirits) but still crucial to the script or play. They make things happen by taking the initiative, negotiating, upsetting the current balance - and when things start to happen, stories are created. It's those stories that eventually result in temples and shrines because many of them are built by individuals or small communities who want to thank the helpful spirit, or even emphasize their special relationship with one of them or Buddha himself. 

An employee falsely accused of theft and turning to the local kami as the last resort, is another such story. The kami interceded for the man, and he was acquitted. Full of gratitude, he promised to build a new shrine - and fulfilled the promise within 10 years. It might be hard to verify the kami part of the story but the shrine is there - for everybody to see. As is the temple explained by the following picture

The nature of the humans-spirits-Buddha relationships can also explain the Otagi-Nenbutsu phenomenon: familiarity doesn't always breed contempt, sometimes it's conducive to a good-natured, hearty laugh