CHAPTER III

THE KOJIKI AND ITS TEACHINGS, PAGE 59

Origin of the Kojiki. Analysis of its opening lines--Norito.--Indecency
of the myths of the Kojiki.--Modern rationalistic interpretations--Life
in prehistoric Japan.--Character and temperament of the people then and
now.--Character of the kami or gods.--Hades.--Ethics.--The Land of the
Gods.--The barbarism of the Yamato conquerors an improvement upon the
savagery of the aborigines.--Cannibalism and human sacrifices.--The
makers of the God-way captured and absorbed the religion of the
aborigines.--A case of syncretism.--Origin of evil in bad
gods.--Pollution was sin.--Class of offences enumerated in the
norito.--Professor Kumi's contention that Mikadoism usurped a simple
worship of Heaven.--Difference between the ancient Chinese and ancient
Japanese cultus.--Development of Shint[=o] arrested by
Buddhism.--Temples and offerings.--The tori-i.--Pollution and
purification.--Prayer.--Hirata's ordinal and specimen prayers.--To the
common people the sun is a god.--Prayers to myriads of gods.--Summary of
Shint[=o].--Swallowed up in the Riy[=o]bu system.--Its modern
revival.--Kéichin.--Kada Adzumar[=o].--Mabuchi, Motoöri.--Hirata.--In
1870, Shint[=o] is again made the state religion.--Purification of
Riy[=o]bu temples.--Politico-religious lectures.--Imperial
rescript.--Reverence to the Emperor's photograph.--Judgment upon
Shint[=o].--The Christian's ideal of Yamato-damashii.


CHAPTER IV