Module III·Article II·~1 min read
Chinese and Japanese Mythologies: Cosmos, Ancestors, and Nature
Eastern Mythologies
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Chinese Cosmogony
Pangu is the first human, who emerged from primordial chaos. His body became the Universe: his breath—wind, his voice—thunder, his eyes—the Sun and Moon, his limbs—mountains, his blood—rivers. The body as microcosm, the Universe as macro-human—this is the principle that organizes traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui, and astrology.
Ancestor worship is central to Chinese religiosity. Deceased ancestors are not vanished, but have passed into another state which supports the living. The ritual of honoring ancestors is the foundation of social order: the Confucian five relationships include respect for elders and the dead.
Shinto: Kami and Nature
Shinto, the Japanese religious and mythological system, has no founder, sacred book, or doctrine. It arises from the reverence of kami—spirits inhabiting natural objects: mountains, rivers, trees, stones. Anything can be kami if it is special.
Ise, the main Shinto shrine, is dismantled and rebuilt every 20 years since 690 CE. This is ritual renewal: tradition is preserved through constant recreation.
Question for Reflection: Ritual renewal of Ise—tradition through renewal. How does your organization renew its “sacred practices” while maintaining continuity?
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