 |
| Mountain with Yamabushi statues |
At Dewa Sanzan, Japanese mountain hermits called
Yamabushi practice the religion Shugendō. Occasionally Yamabushi can be seen
playing music with a conch shell. Shugendō is a Japanese religion made from
aspects of Chinese Yin-Yang mysticism, Taoist magic, and other Asian religions.
Besides Yamabushi, worshippers of Shugendō may also be known as Shugenja, Shugyōsha, or Keza. Shugendō emphasizes that
worshippers must practice physical endurance in order to achieve enlightenment.
Worshippers practice things like fasting, meditation, recite sutras, seclusion,
and occasionally sit under water falls or sit in the snow. Worshippers may also
place stone or wood markers on the ground in order to prove that they traveled
that location. When entering at temple, a follower of Shugendō may make a
special hand gesture or recite a classical Japanese poem.
The founder of Shugendō is a man named En no Gyōja. It is said that he was a born at Mt.Katsuragi which is located between Nara and Osaka. It was rumored that he had magical powers and was using them to control demons and mislead people so he was banished to an area called Oshima. In addition, before being banished, it was rumored that he was also a skilled healer and was knowledgeable about using plants as medicine. After being banished, he used his powers to climb numerous sacred mountains within Japan. Shugendō had a brother named Tsukiwakamaru that was trained by mountain animals and discovered deposits of Mercury and Silver in the mountains.
Followers of Shugendō come to Dewa Sanzan which is the
center of Shugendō. Dewa Sanzan is located in a remote location so it is
popular for followers to come to. Two famous temples that followers like to go to that
my class and I were unable to travel to are the Churenji and the Daichinibo.
Both temples are said to contain the bodies of men that mummified their bodies
while alive known as sokushinbutsu. It is said that men that become
sokushinbutsu drink sap from the urushi tree, or spring water from nearby
Yudono-san containing arsenic. According to Japan-Guide, men that were
successful in becoming sokushinbutsu became worshipped as Buddhas.
Out of three mountains that make Dewa Sanzan, we could
only visit Mt.Haguro. Mt.Haguro is the first mountain that most travelers visit
and it is meant to symbolize birth. The shrine at Mt.Haguro can be reached by
car, but the traditional way of transportation is by walking. Mt.Haguro
contains a five story pagoda surrounded by cedars. In addition, there is also
the Ideha museum nearby that contains information such as English translations
about the Yamabushi or Shugendō.
 |
| The Five-Story Pagoda |
 |
| A Monk'svegeterian diet |
At Dewa Sanza, we ate a vegetarian meal at a restaurant
called Saikan. According to my professor, it was forbidden for monks to eat
meat at this location. The food quality was acceptable, however other students
had trouble eating the food. This consisted of rice, plumbs, miso soup, soy
beans, and tofu. At this restaurant, we could eat on a tatami, and watch an
early morning ceremony where we could see the monks performing some sort of
ritual.
Since Mt.Haguro is the only location opened all-year at
Dewa Sanzan, Saint Gosaiden is a building that is said to represent all three
mountains at Dewa Sanzan. This building was said to be built during 1818. At
Mt.Haguro, there are numerous stone statues located and some of these statues
represent things such as animals from the Chinese Zodiac.
The three mountains that make up Dewa Sanzan are
important parts of Shugendō. At these mountains travelers may explore these
woods in order to learn about Shugendō and practice the religious customs for
that culture. If someone comes during the right time, someone may see a
Yamabushi practicing.
Bibliography:
"Dewa Sanzan Travel: Churenji and
Dainichibo." Dewa Sanzan
Travel: Churenji and Dainichibo. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
"Dewa Sanzan Travel Guide." Dewa Sanzan Travel Guide. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013
"Dewa Sanzan Travel:
Haguro-san." Dewa Sanzan
Travel: Haguro-san. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
"Shugendo - Japanese Mountain Ascetism,
Shamanism, En No Gyoja, Enno Gyoja, Esoteric Buddhism, Tendai, Shingon." Shugendo - Japanese Mountain
Ascetism, Shamanism, En No Gyoja, Enno Gyoja, Esoteric Buddhism, Tendai,
Shingon. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
