from what I understand the spirit passes on (I don't actually know where as I didn't have any interest at the time). Then during Obon week which is in August the spirits of the dead return and are eventually sent back using fire and smoke from incense/bonfires/candles etc. During the year I know that most people will get a Buddhist monk to come in to their home and at the family shrine he'll read certain Buddhist katra/scriptures which helps the deceased in some way (again never discussed this). Where I was living the family shrine was in the room next to me and I would often hear the monk in there chanting and chiming a bell.
I think it's believed that your ancestors will help you/look after you as when I was leaving Japan they invited me to pray at the family shrine. I know that my friend's Grandfather's name was also at the local Shinto shrine. I don't know why his name was kept there but she pointed it out to me when we went there once, so I'm really not sure what the belief is for the dead in Shintoism.
From both belief systems thou (I think but a lot from Buddhism) come stories of spirits that haven't passed on. A story I read was about a woman waiting for her husband to return, she is still there when he finally comes back but in the morning she's gone and he's informed by a neighbour that she died years ago. Stories like that are common as are ones like in 'Genji' where a departed spirit attacks a woman Genji is sleeping with b/c she was sleeping with him too but blah blah blah and she died angry and decided to take revenge or something. (I wasn't that interested when I had to read that excerpt from 'Genji'...) I think in Buddhist beliefs (Japan version) regrets tie you to this world and if you give up all your worldly desires you reach nirvana.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 09:56 pm (UTC)During the year I know that most people will get a Buddhist monk to come in to their home and at the family shrine he'll read certain Buddhist katra/scriptures which helps the deceased in some way (again never discussed this). Where I was living the family shrine was in the room next to me and I would often hear the monk in there chanting and chiming a bell.
I think it's believed that your ancestors will help you/look after you as when I was leaving Japan they invited me to pray at the family shrine.
I know that my friend's Grandfather's name was also at the local Shinto shrine. I don't know why his name was kept there but she pointed it out to me when we went there once, so I'm really not sure what the belief is for the dead in Shintoism.
From both belief systems thou (I think but a lot from Buddhism) come stories of spirits that haven't passed on. A story I read was about a woman waiting for her husband to return, she is still there when he finally comes back but in the morning she's gone and he's informed by a neighbour that she died years ago.
Stories like that are common as are ones like in 'Genji' where a departed spirit attacks a woman Genji is sleeping with b/c she was sleeping with him too but blah blah blah and she died angry and decided to take revenge or something. (I wasn't that interested when I had to read that excerpt from 'Genji'...) I think in Buddhist beliefs (Japan version) regrets tie you to this world and if you give up all your worldly desires you reach nirvana.
Sorry for the long rambling answer... ^_^