Dressed in traditional white clothing,

都穿著傳統白色服飾，

the men and women jogged around a shrine and chanted before lowering themselves into the freezing cold water.

不分男女，眾人先是圍繞神社慢跑吟唱，接著將身體浸入冰冷的水中。

This purification ritual is a central tenet of Shinto, a Japanese religion that is as old as the country itself.

這種淨化儀式源於神道教的中心宗旨，此信仰與日本本身一樣的歷史悠久。

So what exactly is Shinto?

那麼神道究竟是什麼呢？

Well, it's the largest religion in Japan, practiced by an estimated 80 percent of the population.

它是日本最大的宗教，估計有百分之 80 左右的人口都信仰此宗教。

Back in the 6th century, indigenous Japanese people invented the word Shinto to distinguish their already existing faith from Buddhism, which was spreading throughout the region.

早在 6 世紀時，日本原住民便發明了神道一詞，將其與既有的信仰，遍及日本的佛教區分開來。

Over time, Shinto and Buddhism came to coexist peacefully.

逐漸地，神道和佛教開始和平共存。

Shinto is considered more of a way of life, rather than a specific set of beliefs or worship of a central deity.

神道被視為一種生活方式，而非特定信仰或對神祇的崇拜。

Most Japanese people identify as both Buddhist and Shinto.

大多數日本人都認為自己既信仰佛教也信仰神道教。

So, how can someone follow two religions at once?

一個人如何同時遵循兩個宗教呢？

Well, Shinto doesn't have many of the characteristics associated with religion.

神道並沒有太多與宗教相關的特性。

Unlike Christianity or Buddhism, it has no official founder or sacred text.

與基督教或佛教不同，神道並沒有正式的創始人或經文。

Shinto does not try to explain the world in a sense of right and wrong, and thus, there are no Shinto preachers or missionaries.

神道並不以對錯來解釋世間事物，因此，其沒有牧師或傳教士。

The only goal of Shinto is to be in touch with Kamil, or spiritual energy, through sacred rituals.

神道唯一的目標是透過神聖儀式和神明，也就是神靈產生連結。

These include weddings, funerals, worship at a Shrine or at home, and huge festivals.

這些儀式包括婚禮、喪禮、在神社或家中的參拜，以及大型節慶活動。

The word "Shinto" means "way of Kami."

「神道」一詞是「惟神之道」之意。

Kami is extremely complex, but basically they are sacred spirits that exist in earthy objects, like mountains and trees, and in concepts, like fertility.

神明的概念極其複雜，但基本上祂們是神聖的靈體，存在於自然中，像高山、樹木，以及生育。

Kami also has an ancestral form, as humans become Kami after they die.

神明也包含祖先，也就是人死後成神。

The Sun Goddess "Amaterasu" is the most important Kami.

天照大神是最重要的為神祇。

In Japanese mythology, the royal family is thought to be descended from Amaterasu, beginning with the first emperor, Jimmu.

在日本神話裡，皇室被認為是天照大神的後裔，始於第一位天皇，神武天皇。

It was thought that prayers and offerings to Kami spirits at Shinto shrines and festivals will wash away evil spirits and thus purify a person or object.

人們認為在神社和節慶時向神靈祈禱能洗淨邪靈，從而淨化人或物。

This process is the lifeblood of the Shito practice, happening on a daily, weekly, seasonal, lunar, and annual basis.

這個儀式是神道實踐的命脈，每天、每週、每季、每月、每年都會舉行。

In fact, taking part in ritualistic worship and purification is the entirety of the faith.

實際上，參與儀式崇拜和淨化便是此信仰的全部。

This has garnered criticism, as some liken Shinto worship to a performance rather than an act of devotion based on values and beliefs.

這招致了一些外界非議，因為有些人將神道崇拜比喻成一種表演，而非基於價值和信念的奉獻。

Adherents to Shinto, however, think of rituals as a religious experience, one that binds a community together even more so than shared beliefs.

然而，神道信奉者將儀式視為一個宗教體驗，認為這比擁有相同信仰更能將人們緊密連結在一起。

Although Shinto is thousands of years old, it still has an active presence in Japanese life.

儘管已有數千年歷史，神道至今仍活躍於日本人生活中。

For instance, new buildings are "purified" by a Shinto priest, and many Japanese-made cars are blessed during the assembly process.

例如，神道僧侶會淨化新落成的建築，許多日製汽車在組裝過程中也會接受祈福。

Japan's national sport, Sumo, is directly derived from Shinto rituals, and symbols of purity can be found on the ring and on sumo garments.

日本國民運動，相撲，就是直接源自於神道儀式的，在相撲場上和相撲服飾上都可以看到純正的象徵。

Many Japanese people keep a tiny shrine-altar in their homes,

許多日本人家中都有小神壇，

and local shrines play a huge role in communities, bringing people together for festivals, and hosting weddings and funerals.

當地的神社也扮演著十分重要的角色，聚集人們一起參與節慶，或舉辦婚喪事宜。

Whether or not they identify as religious, virtually everyone in Japan is, in some sense, a part of Shinto.

無論神道是否被認定為宗教，幾乎每個日本人某種程度上都與神道教有關。

Shinto is a peaceful and generally positive religion, as it regards all humans as inherently good.

神道是個和平且積極正向的宗教，其認為眾生天性善良。

Still, it doesn't hold the title of the World's Most Peaceful Religion.

儘管如此，神道也沒有得到「世界最和平宗教」的頭銜。

So what does?

那麼最和平宗教是哪一個呢？

Find out in this video.

看看這支影片揭曉答案。

Even within the religion, violence may be used to protect oneself or one's country.

即使是宗教，當涉及保衛自己或國家時，暴力也是受其認可的。

One Hindu god states that violence is necessary in the defense of justice and does not conflict with a spiritual life.

一位印度教神祇說過，暴力是捍衛正義所需的，與信仰並沒有衝突。

Thanks for watching Seeker Daily!

感謝收看 Seeker Daily！

Don't forget to like and subscribe so you get new videos every day.

不要忘記按讚並訂閱，獲取每日新影片通知喔。