612 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1913. 



be seen that in aversion to the unclean and the abnormal, in con June 

 tion with the ritual morality, there lies the germ of the idea of evil 

 which, when it implies a social morality, must bring about a full 

 development of the idea of evil and with this also the problem of 

 conscience. 



Like the morality, so the cult of Shintoism was also simple. Sim- 

 plicity and cleanliness were always valued by it. Thus, its temple 

 was and is exceedingly simple. This tendency to simplicity and 

 cleanliness not infrequently led to conservatism. It was the con- 

 stantly recurring endeavor of Shintoism to restore the so-called age 

 of the gods, or at least to preserve as much as possible its form, man- 

 ner, and custom. 



The temple usually consists of two small houses. One, standing in 

 front, is the prayer hall ; the other is the sanctuary. The representa- 

 tion of the god usually consists of a round mirror, but often also of 

 a sword, a jewel, etc., which, according to tradition, originated in the 

 age of the gods. Shintoism proper knows no images. "Where such 

 are found with it, it is due to foreign influence, particularly to the 

 Hindu and Chinese. 



4. LATER FORTUNES OF SHINTO. 



For a better understanding, there may be briefly mentioned in this 

 connection some prominent facts from the history of Japan. 



In the fifth century Confucianism came from Korea to Japan. 

 The Japanese gladly adopted continental culture and the Chinese 

 characters (letters). Confucianism came in its simple form — as a 

 code of morals, as the science of the state, as an educational force — 

 and comported well with Shintoism. But when in the following 

 century Buddhism entered, likewise from Korea, affairs in Japan 

 were different. Very soon Buddhism, by reason of its profound doc- 

 trines and the splendor of its cult, won the favor of some of the 

 prominent courtiers. The chasm between Shintoism and Buddhism 

 was too wide for a reconciliation between them ; conflict was unavoid- 

 able. As a religion Shintoism could not compare with Buddhism. 

 Shintoism, notwithstanding its stubborn resistance, had to give way. 

 But the triumph of Buddhism was not a complete one. The promi- 

 nent Buddhists had to stoop to declare the native gods as manifesta- 

 tions of the Buddha. In this manner arose the so-called " Riobu- 

 Shinto " — that is, the mixed Shinto. This condition continued for 

 about a thousand years, to the injury of both religions. Only as late 

 as the beginning of the eighteenth century did Shintoism begin to 

 exhibit signs of a renewed life. But this movement was a theoretical 

 one, called into life by certain scholars. Their war cry was: Back 

 to the age of the gods, away from the foreign and alien influences and 

 culture. Not only Buddhism, but Confucianism also, was violently 



