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Hindu Mythology. A Saraswati statue in a park. Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, creativity, and speech. Ganesha, god of wisdom, luck, and new beginnings. Kartikeya, god of war, victory, and knowledge. Brihaspati, guru of the devas. Shukra, guru of the asuras. Dakshinamurti, an aspect of Shiva as the guru of sages.
In the Shinto religion of Japan, Tenjin (天神), also called Tenman Daijizai Tenjin (天満大自在天神), is the patron kami (deity) of academics, scholarship, of learning, and of the intelligentsia. Tenjin is the deification of Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), the famous scholar, poet and politician of the Heian period. Ten (天) means ...
Tenjin Japanese god, also known as the deified Sugawara no Michizane, is a revered figure in Japanese culture. Falsely accused and exiled, Michizane’s spirit was pardoned and worshipped as the Shinto deity of wisdom. Tenjin shrines were established to honor him. Tenjin’s significance extends to education and exams, with scholars and poets ...
- Early Career
- Rise to Power
- Betrayal & Fall
- Revenge & Deification
Sugawara no Michizane was born into a family of modest standing in 845 BCE, although his grandfather and father had both been scholars of note. Despite his lack of rank, Michizane rose to an unusually high position in the state administrative apparatus thanks to his uncanny talents. He was said to have written his first poem in Chinese at the tende...
Michizane supplemented his administrative duties by teaching at the court university and eventually came to the attention of Emperor Uda (r. 887-897 CE). Under the ruler's patronage, Michizane was able to rise even higher in the state bureaucracy and reach positions usually closed to one of so lowly a social rank. It is probable that Uda was delibe...
Michizane's position was now so high that the only way was down, and enemies, especially from the Fujiwara clan who dominated the majority of high posts within the state apparatus, were all around. They wanted this outsider and those officials he had promoted from the Sugawara clan out of government. A plot was hatched by bribing a man to declare t...
The first stirrings of trouble came when several of the plotters died in the years immediately after Michizane's death. Tokihira, Michizane's great rival, died in 909 CE in mysterious circumstances aged 38; in 923 CE his nephew, the Crown Prince Yasuakira, died too, aged just 21; and Tokihira's grandson, Crown Prince Yoshiyori, died at age 5 in 925...
- Mark Cartwright
Sep 4, 2009 · Kami as 'God' The idea that kami are the same as God stems in part from the use of the word kami to translate the word 'God' in some 19th century translations of the Bible into Japanese.
Oct 2, 2024 · Shinto, the indigenous spirituality of Japan, encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices centered on the veneration of kami (gods or spirits), rituals, and the natural world. It plays a significant role in the cultural and spiritual life of the Japanese people. In parallel, education holds a revered place in Japanese society, serving as ...
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In 1355, after Michizane passed away, he was revered as Tenjin-sama, a god of learning and enshrined at Yushima Tenmangu for his significant contributions to scholarship and education. Nowadays, this shrine is a popular destination for students who come to pay their respects to the enshrined spirit as the Kami of Learning.
