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wrote from beginning to end some years later. Of the works in this list the first, second and last are alone of interest to the student of Shintô, but as the Zoku Shintô Taii is a hostile criticism of the sects comprehended by the author under the name of vulgar Shintô I shall not ask my readers to go through a summary of its contents. It will be more useful to consider it on some future occasion in connection with the works of the writers against whom it is directed.
The Summary of the Ancient Way treats of the following subjects, firstly, the reason why the subject-matter of his teaching is called the Ancient Learning (Kogaku), secondly, the origin of this study, with a brief account of those who founded it and spread it abroad in the world, thirdly, the foundations upon which it is based, fourthly, the age of the gods, fifthly, the reasons why the gods are entitled to the gratitude of mankind, sixthly, why Japan is ‘the country of the gods,’ seventhly, how it is certain beyond a doubt that every Japanese is a descendant of the Gods, eighthly, the uninterrupted continuance of the imperial line from the beginning of the world, together with proofs of the superiority of Japan over all other countries in the world, both materially and morally, ninthly, the truth that the Japanese, being natives of ‘the country of the Gods,’ are born with a naturally perfect and true disposition, which from the most ancient times has been called Yamato-damashii or Yamato-gokoro[1], and tenthly, how the traditions of the Age of the Gods, and of their actions, appear to the ordinary man to be mysterious and difficult of belief; and the refutation of this error;—in the course of which exposition the real ‘way’ will be disclosed.
Japanese learning may be divided into several branches, firstly, the Way of the Gods; secondly, poetry; thirdly, law; fourthly, romances; fifthly, history and sixthly, archæology. Under these there are subdivisions, such as the various schools of what is commonly called Shintô,
- ↑ Yamato, one of the old names of Japan; tamashii, spirit; kokoro, heart.
