Occult Japan: Shinto, Shamanism And The Way Of The Gods Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Shinto, or The Way of the Gods, is the oldest religious faith of the Japanese people. Based on the aboriginal worship of nature and ancestors, it is a religion of innumerable deities and rituals. As Buddhism established itself in Japan, it absorbed many of the Shinto beliefs while assigning them an inferior status. Officially unrecognized by the Buddhist state, ancient Shinto practices have been kept alive to this day as an occult tradition embodying the magical, primeval, and shamanic rites central to the Japanese culture. 'Occult Japan' was originally published in 1894 and is still unrivaled in its detailed descriptions of Shinto 'miracles, possessions, and incarnations.' Percival Lowell, an explorer and author of several other works on the Far East, drew these descriptions from his own observations and experiences during his travels throughout Japan at the end of the 19th century. Unlike other accounts written on the subject by religious missionaries, his are startling in their frankness and objectivity, neither underestimating nor romanticizing the Shinto religion, but presenting its many contradictions with candor and literary grace.
Paperback: 379 pages
Publisher: Inner Traditions (April 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892813067
ISBN-13: 978-0892813063
Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #649,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #41 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions & Sacred Texts > Shintoism #481 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Shamanism #1349 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Mysticism
Every serious researcher of Japanese myth and religion should read this book. It is overflowing with information. The drawback is that this was originally written in an era where Japanese mythology and religious practices were viewed as superstition and looked down on by the very "Western" researchers writing about them. So the bias is very clear in this book. I hope to see or be part of the wave of researches that take a more objective and less biased look.
a little scuffed up but that was just as advertised. I was really satisfied.
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