Q Does Shinto believe in an afterlife or salvation?
A Shinto is an intensely "this-world-centric" faith that focuses on maximizing harmony and purity in the present life. It does not feature a well-defined doctrine of heaven, hell, or spiritual salvation. Traditionally, the spirits of the deceased are believed to travel to a shadowy underworld (Yomi) or remain nearby in the natural world. Over time, through proper ancestral rituals, these spirits are believed to merge with the collective ancestral kami to protect their living descendants.
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A Shinto is an intensely "this-world-centric" faith that focuses on maximizing harmony and purity in the present life. It does not feature a well-defined doctrine of heaven, hell, or spiritual salvation. Traditionally, the spirits of the deceased are believed to travel to a shadowy underworld (Yomi) or remain nearby in the natural world. Over time, through proper ancestral rituals, these spirits are believed to merge with the collective ancestral kami to protect their living descendants.
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What is Afterlife?In religion, the afterlife (also referred to as life after death or the Hereafter) is the concept of a realm, or the realm itself, in which an essential part of an individual's identity or consciousness continues to exist after the death of the body in the individual's lifetime. Some belief systems, such as those in the Abrahamic tradition, hold that the dead go to a specific plane of existence after death, as determined by god based on their actions or beliefs during life.
What is Salvation?Salvation is being saved or protected from harm or being saved or delivered from a dire situation. In religion, salvation is saving of the soul from sin and its consequences. The academic study of salvation is called soteriology. In religion, salvation is the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences. It may also be called "deliverance" or "redemption" from sin and its effects. Historically, salvation is considered to be caused either by the grace of a deity (i.e. unmerited and unearned); by the independent choices of a free will and personal effort (i.e. earned and/or merited); or by some combination of the two.
What is Shinto?Shinto, an ancient Japanese religion began around 500 BC, derived from the Chinese words, "Shin Tao" which translates into "the way of the gods". Like many very ancient religions, Shinto does not have a tightly-knit group of founders, scriptures, or rules. Many in Japan follow both concepts found in Shinto (which has ties to Confucianism) in addition to Buddhism. Many of the religion's concepts reflect those of other ancient religions, including a strong connection to earth, nature, wildlife, and the elements.
