There are several religious traditions that exist in the world today. They vary from one traditional or indigenous group to another but the bottom line is, all of them are based on some traditions that different groups of people from all parts of the world come from. It is for a fact that all the religious traditions have specific characteristics that are helpful in describing all of them. For instance, Judaism has specific attributes that are characteristic to it and so is Christianity, Islam, Shintoism and all other religions. But a case in point, which is Shintoism, as observed by the Japanese clearly demonstrate how traditions have shaped the way in which a religion and its religious practices depict a way of life that is characteristic of all the aspects that help in the definition of a religious group (Underwood 2008). In this case, definition of some terms can be done in its reference which also shows that all other religious groups fit into this kind of classification whereby practices are more or less looked at from one angle. The terms in this case are holy sacred and myth.
The term ‘holy’ from a religious perspective points to the state of sacredness or the sanctity of life that is characteristic of divine powers. It centers on the spirituality of an an individual or group of persons whereby people profess devotion to a given set of spiritual attributes. This therefore means that people hold with reference some ideologies that guide how a person behaves and act in accordance to what they believe is right or is the ultimate way of doing things in a spiritual context. When one is holy, it therefore means that there is a way in which he or she acts which is in accordance to a set of rules or some form of standards which are used as a measuring grid. It therefore goes without saying that if anyone or anything is holy, the divinity or sacredness becomes the center of focus (Fieser & Powers 2012).
In another perspective where objects are the center of focus with regard to being holy, they are seen as the instruments of worship which are used for the service of the divinity. These objects are the blessed or sacred things, places or persons that are often regarded with utmost reverence just for the service of the divinity. The significance of this state of being in regard to understanding religious traditions comes into focus as it is a way of illustrating or showing that one keeps up to or upholds what is thought to be right. Since its inception to present day, Shinto has been regarded as the only way to God and therefore a holy kind of living as it advocates for a holy and pure way of living as seen even through the common Shinto prayer (Livingstone 2009).
When something, someone or a place is considered sacred, it means that there is some transformative effect, truthfulness and the core of a religion. Anything sacred is normally set apart by society and is also held in very high esteem just for the worship of the divinity. In religious circles, sacredness calls for the absolute dedication for the sole purpose of worship and any other action that point to the service of the deity in any religious setting (Fieser & Powers 2012). The sanctity of any action, place or believe in itself encompasses sacredness and it is upon this pillar that almost all religions are built. Just like in Shintoism where almost all natural objects such as rocks, waterfalls, mountains and even trees are seen to be sacred and therefore are held with utmost respect because it is believed that they are natural wonders that came into being through the works of mighty and super natural powers. One such place is the Nachi falls where a shrine has been put up mainly for worship and this place is thus considered sacred It is from this background that Shintoism is built.
Myth on its part is referring to some systems that are regarded as very important in regard to holding the religious traditions garment in place. Myths serve the sole purpose defining what is supposed to be done and how it is to be done. A myth therefore is thought to be a tradition a tale or a story that embodies the ideals of religious group or even society. The characters that are surrounded by these myths are usually gods or heroic legends that are normally revered by the followers or a religious group. Myths therefore serve the sole purpose of expressing profound truths that believers of a given religion hold dear. These myths end up being considered as sacred and very true to an extent that they form the pillars or foundations upon which the religion is built on (Underwood 2008). A religion like Shinto holds its foundations on a myth surrounding the goddess of the sun who is considered the ruler of the heavens believed to have been an ancestor of the imperial family. This is the myth that has shaped this religion and which is the foundation upon which this religion is built.
References
Fieser, J. & Powers, J. (2012). Scriptures of the World’s Religions. 4th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill.
Livingston, J. C. (2009). Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion. Sixth Edition. New York: Pearson.
Underwood, A. C. (2008). Shintoism: The Indigenous Religion of Japan. Vancouver: Read Books
