On the Problem of Zinguzi Temple -The Beginning of the Syncretism and Buddhism -

In the history of Japanese religion the syncretism of Shintoism and Buddhism which began at the seventh century was most strange event. The beginning of the syncretism was the erection of Zinguzi temple, Buddhist temple which was erected near the Shinto ｓhrine. The aim of its erection was chanting Buddhist scriptures by monks before gods in Shinto ｓhrine. Why Buddhist scriptures were chanted before Shinto gods? Because Shinto gods that were straying on lower world by karma as well as mankind or animals, as a historian said, would be saved up by the charity of Buddhist scriptures. But it was not religious attitude to think that gods are like mankind or animals. They must have been worshiped as super human or super natural in shrine and offered with ardent prayers, even if those of magico-religious. Then I can not agree with the theory of such a historian. The reason why Zingugi Temple was erected was, I suppose, that the ardent prayers for preventing from many disasters must have been offered to gods not only by Shinto rites but by Buddhist rites. As the period from Temmu to Shomu Emperor was full of epidemic diseases, famines and droughts, the Emperos offered ardent prayers by Shinto rites to gods and by Buddhist rites to Buddhas, and moreover with thinking Buddhist rites to be more effective than Shinto rites owing to Buddhist scriptures sayings, they offered prayers to gods by Buddhist rites which had become state religious rites. Thus the Emperors and other Buddhist monks had to erect Buddhist temples near Shinto shrines, especially near the national great shrine Ise, and Local great shrines Kashima, Futara, Atuta, Kamo etc