Ryōbu Shintō, shaped by the meeting of Shinto and esoteric Buddhism, understands humans and nature as expressions of a single sacred reality rather than as fundamentally separate realms. Both human beings and the natural world are seen as manifestations of an ultimate ground often associated with Dainichi Nyorai, so that mountains, rivers, trees, and people all participate in the same Buddha‑nature. The kami that dwell in particular places are interpreted as local forms of Buddhist deities, which means that what appears as “nature” is already a field of divine presence. Within this vision, the human place in the cosmos is distinctive but not set over and against the natural world.

This perspective gives rise to a sense of continuity rather than a strict hierarchy between humans and their environment. Humans stand within a graded sacred order that runs through Buddhas, kami, landscapes, animals, and plants, and their significance lies in their capacity for spiritual awareness and practice, not in any absolute mastery over nature. Natural sites such as mountains, forests, and waterfalls thus become privileged arenas for ascetic discipline and contemplation, where the unity of self, world, kami, and Buddha can be directly realized. Experiencing nature in this way is itself a form of awakening to the non‑dual character of reality.

At the same time, the relationship between humans and nature in Ryōbu Shintō is marked by reciprocity and ethical responsibility. Human communities depend upon the powers of the kami for protection, sustenance, and good harvests, and respond through ritual offerings, purification, and the careful tending of sacred places. This mutual exchange reflects an understanding of humans and natural forces as participants in a single ritual and ecological whole, where reverence and harmony are paramount. To live in accord with this vision is to recognize that honoring the natural world is inseparable from honoring the divine presence that permeates both nature and human life.