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 Shintō 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
Shintō.--Swallowed up in the Riyōbu system.--Its modern
revival.--Kéichin.--Kada Adzumarō.--Mabuchi, Motoöri.--Hirata.--In
1870, Shintō is again made the state religion.--Purification of
Riyōbu temples.--Politico-religious lectures.--Imperial
rescript.--Reverence to the Emperor's photograph.--Judgment upon
Shintō.--The Christian's ideal of Yamato-damashii.