It refers to the fusion and harmonization between Buddhism and many of the deities that had been the objects of worship up to that time as a result of the spread and nationalization of Buddhism.
Beginning with the emergence of jinguuji, temples built attached to shrines for the gods to assist Buddhist teachings, and tutelary god shrines, built to protect Buddhism, gradually led to the fusion of Buddhism and Shintoism.
The gods were given bodhisattva titles and transformed into protectors of Buddhism, and Buddhist deities began to appear in the world as Shinto deities.
It was this syncretism between Shinto and Buddhist deities that brought about the identification of Daikokuten [The Japanese god of wealth and agriculture, originally began in India as Mahakala] as Ookuninushi [The Japanese god of magic and medicine] and Dainichi Nyorai [The Japanese name for Vairocana, the Primordial Buddha in esoteric Buddhism and embodiment of 'emptiness'] as Amaterasu Oomikami [Shinto goddess of the sun].
The fusion of Buddhism and Shintoism led to the widespread public acceptance of both Shinto and Buddhist practices, which gradually transformed religious rituals and the variety of methods of worship. In this way, a unique Japanese view of religion was fostered, incorporating a variety of customs.
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