A Look at Japanese Ascetic Practice
One traceable tradition goes back to En-no-Gyoja (c 7th century CE), also known as En the Ascetic. He became posthumously the founder of a tradition of mountain monks, known as 'yamabushi' and was a well organized religion by the Heian period (9-12th C). This tradition is called Shugendo and translates to "Way of Cultivating Spiritual Powers". It had two branches or schools - Honzan-ha (Tendai); and Tozan-ha (Shingon).
The ritual practices were lost during the Meiji restoration at the end of the 19th Century as the government attempted to universalize Shinto ideology, and disestablish the Buddhist Church.
The followers, known as 'yamabushi' "those who lie in the mountains" or 'shugenja' "those who accumulate spiritual power or experience" through ascetic practices in the mountains such as fasting, seclusion, solitary meditation, group pilgrimages, chanting incantations and sutras, sitting or standing under waterfalls.
One of their main texts is a sutra, "Sutra on the Unlimited Life of the Threefold Body" which apparently was composed through 'Kantoku' ("inspired vision") by a follower in Japan, but is often attributed to either the Buddha or to En-no-Gyoja. It is part of the 'Shugen joyoshu' (collection of Shugen Texts and Liturgies) chanted as part of daily service in the Tozan-ha (Shingon) branch of Shugendo, another text used is the 'Hannya Shingyo' ("Heart Sutra").
In the "Sutra of Unlimited Life..." Manjushri poses questions to the Buddha on the source of the Buddha's teachings and authority. Answers relate to Shakyamuni going through 41 stages of enlightenment and hearing the Dharma directly from Mahavairocana, the "Great Sun" Buddha, (Eternal/Cosmic Buddha). Mahavairocana in turn receiving Dharma teachings from "the beginningless and endless original Buddha who is one mind and one thought." Who in turn heard teachings from "the beginning and endless original Buddha of no mind and no thought."
The sutra assures us there is "no Buddha above and beyond" this Buddha. This Buddha is the fundamental reality and nature of all, that in whom we live and move and have our being.
The sutra points to all beings are Buddhas just as they are, the direct experience of the fundamental reality through meditative concentration (samadhi).
"The supreme path of all Buddhas
Has the marks of perfect light and eternal abiding
Those who enter meditative concentration together with the Buddha
In the same way realize the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta)."
The contemporary practices of the Tendai 'Marathon' Monks, the Shingon Shikoku Pilgrimages and 100 day fast seem to follow in this long Japanese tradition of asceticism and devotion. It seems possible that a certain Mikao Usui (1865-1926), a follower of Shingon tried out this tradition of Shugendo too on the mountain Kurama-yama, becoming a 'yamabushi' (mountain recluse) performing intensive meditation, fasting, chanting etc., and through 'Kantoku' (gaining inspiration/vision by supernatural means) and his many years of study he developed the discipline Reiki. |
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