"The world is not held together by atoms, but by stories.."
In the lead up to the release of the new publication, Tales of En no Gyōja, I’d like to share some preliminary material.
Who was En no Gyōja, the legendary patriarch of Shugendo? Even within Japan, En no Gyōja and Shugendo are not commonly known, and more than not likely reduced to plot devices in cinema to suggest a kind of ambiguous evil (the original 'Ring' horror novel, for example, features a statuette of En no Gyōja being dragged out from the ocean).
You may be wondering what relevance this obscure figure could have for us today. Celebrating his 1300th anniversary in the year 2000, various lineages of Shugen began opening up their doctrines and images to the public, and with this came a renewed effort to bring En no Gyōja into the 21st century.
En no Gyōja, is known by many names. Along with 'E' (役; his personal name, also pronounced 'edachi') his name can be read variously as En no Otsunu, En no Ozunu and En no Shokaku. Other common forms of his name are En no Ubasoku - ubasoku being the transliteration of the Sanskrit upasaka (lay-householder), Enkun 'clan chieftain' Gyoja and Gyoja-Daibosatsu; 'great ascetic bodhisattva'. Among the Shugen sects today, he is also referred to as Jinpen Dai-bosatsu (miraculous-transformation great-bodhisattva), a name awarded to him posthumously by Emperor Kokaku (1771-1840). The original declaration, held by Shogo-in temple in Kyoto, is considered important due to it resolving the persecution he faced during his life through granting him the rare title of Great Bodhisattva. In the tales presented in this forthcoming publication, En no Gyoja is referred to as Ozunu (小角), a name which refers to the 'small horns' he is said to have had at birth. Ozunu's official full name was Kamo no Edachi no Kimi Ozunu. Here, Kamo refers to the Kamo clan and Kimi refers to his important status in the clan. Ozunu was born in the village of Chihara in the region of Katsuragi, a region historically outside the control of the Yamato empire. The Kamo clan held deep roots in the Katsuragi region, the members of which were responsible for kami-related ritual and in particular those to do with prophecy and oracular divination.
"Shugendo's founder and spiritual ancestor, En no Gyōja was a 'flesh and blood' human being. Records state he was born in 634 and died in 706. For practitioners of Shugendo, he is considered a second Buddha, like Sakyamuni, and to this day people visit the mountains of Yoshino and Katsuragi where En no Gyōja lived and trained. En no Gyōja was said to have had the power to manipulate kijin (ambiguous spirits) and was a master of petitionary ritual-prayer. Sent into exile, he was said to escape every night and fly to Mount Fuji. From this alone we can gather that his existence had become beyond ordinary human understanding. In Shugendo, practitioners take En no Gyōja as their rolemodel. A large amount of yamabushi training is centered on esoteric ritual (sādhanā). In my opinion, the ideal of Shugendo has at its core the teaching of ritual practices to practitioners and the provision of services to devotees. We maintain that religion is not a business, and should not be used for making money. This is the ideal of En no Gyōja, who was just as much part of the secular world as he was the sagely realm.
When you see the faces of Nōjōsen (Shōken Daibosatsu; the founding figure of the Haguro lineage) and En no Gyōja, you may think that their faces express severity, blind perseverance or suffering. Nōjōsen and En no Gyōja are often shown displaying what could be called an ugly, severe appearance, however we should not mistake this for common anger or agony. The severity of their expression expresses an atmosphere of power different from common-worldiness. In Japan, it is often the case that things which many think should be hidden or shielded from are considered valuable, including things that are ugly, strange or undesirable. En no Gyōja was said to have horns and took demons as disciples rather than banishing them, and Nōjōsen, who was a relative of the emperor, was banished due to his non-human appearance and sent to undertake religious training.
What is the relevance of En no Gyoja's teachings today? The mountain training of death and rebirth based on the ten realms is a practice which establishes a true path of brushing up the mind. This is the foundation which En no Gyōja put into motion about 1400 years ago. Above all, Shugendo is a form of religious Dharma training, but we can also say that its purpose extends into a dignified way of life relevant to the concerns of the world. Our concepts surrounding what we now separately refer to as kinship with 'nature' are completely different when compared to ancient times. Going forward into the future guided only by this kind of behaviour, we are facing something well beyond human understanding. I worry for the future we will face. I have great faith that the legacy left by En no Gyōja may assist in some way to recover from the irregular order of our times. The way of En no Gyōja is worth learning and practicing, not only as a religious path but also as a method to be reborn as a true member of this cosmos. Shugendo contains enormous possibilities beyond its status as a mere religion. It houses the echoes and memories of human beings, and the way we were born and lived. It is a time capsule of human history.
– Shokai Koshikidake
En no Gyōja's Renaissance
Released in the year 2000 by Riten Tanaka.
Translated and edited by Jishō Schroer.
Over the last century, humanity has undergone a rapid period of development. The material splendor of civilisation continues in its reason to make everyday life ever more convenient and comfortable. With this, however, we have also seen disaster, ecological devastation, the dissapearance of cultures, pollution, conquest, the unravelling of social bonds and the threat of nuclear war. As we approach the next century, we human beings are no longer able to turn away from the cracks appearing in the logic of endless prosperity in materially-civilised society. We are coming up against the limits of our experiment with an infinite growth economic system. All this suggests that something very crucial was stamped out or lost on the path to modernity. This year marks the new millennium for the Christian era, but for followers of Shugendo, it is the 1300th anniversary of the founder, En no Gyōja. In the context of cracks appearing in the deadlock and alienation of modern civilised society, it may be a good time to consider the significance of En no Gyōja for our times.
The lantern of Shugendo has been kept alive for over 1300 years. Shugendo recognises the inseparability of humanity, culture and nature - that as human beings we are most alive in nature, and utilises the natural landscape as its training ground. In today's world, I feel there is a strong need to re-evaluate how we exist as human beings, our coexistence with nature, the importance of enhancing our capacity and power through training, and so on.
Unfortunately, it can't be said that En no Gyōja and Shugendo have received high praise throughout the history of religion and culture. Well renowned religious figures in ancient times include Prince Shotoku, Gyōki and Kukai. Compared to these, however, En no Gyōja isn't very well known or understood, and for the most part, Shugendo has been relegated (and content with) the label of an 'obscene folk religion'. There's a reason for this too - the shockwaves of the Meiji Restoration's policy to ban Shugendo are still felt today, affecting its decline and preventing it from receiving proper evaluation.
As a teacher-practitioner living in the present age, I want to propose the following three aims for the 1300th year anniversary.
1. To clearly convey the historical importance of En no Gyōja.
2. To recognise En no Gyōja's religious and cultural impact
3. To reconsider humanity's existence in relation to the natural world.
I will be doing my best to disseminate the significance of Shugendo faith. I'm also aware of the need for mutual respect and solidarity between Shugendo factions, and the network-building that will be required to support this.
Religion must always adapt to its times, catering to the particularities of common peoples' situations in those times. The term 'renaissance' implies a rebirth, and I'd like to position this year's 1300th anniversary to properly review, revive and reconstruct the networks connected with En no Gyōja's legacy. I hope that we will greatly expand the potential of Shugendo to heal and transform modern society. I am convinced that there is something within En no Gyōja which points like a compass towards the direction modern society needs to turn in order to deal with the screaming that is emerging from its cracks. Advocating an 'En no Gyōja Renaissance' is to begin making proposals for the next century, ensuring the right direction for the next 1300 years.
According to legend, En no Gyōja ascended into the celestial plain at the age of 68 at Minō Tenjogatake on June 7th, the first year of Taiho (701). Since then, 1300 years on, Shugendo, which reveres En no Gyōja as its founder, continues on humbly and gracefully into the present age. In 1979, it was decided that Shogo-in, the head temple of Honzan Shugen-shu, would be responsible for carrying out the memorial service for En no Gyōja in the year 2000. At the same time, Shogo-in, Kinpusen-ji and Daigo-ji temples decided to take a leading role in providing easy to access information to the public regarding Shugendo's path of training. With this also came a series of academic conferences held at Daigo-ji , Shogo-in and Kinpusen-ji temples; three temples with strong connections to the Omine mountain range.
That these three temples have managed to come together is hugely significant since the relationship between these three has not always been smooth. Joining hands, we were able to hold a joint exhibition centered on En no Gyōja: an unprecedented event which led to more than 40 discussion seminars and various other projects. Among them, the special exhibit "En no Gyōja and the World of Shugendo" was held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Tokyo and Osaka for a total of 70 days, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors. This success led to further solidarity activities of our three temples, including the 'Three temples joint Dai-Saito-Goma offering' and the En'no Gyoja Symposium.
We also made several proposals directed towards Ominesan-ji (the head temple on Mt. Omine) from the perspective of carrying Omine faith forward into the next century, including one directed at the controversy surrounding its gender-restricted access. There area also plans to rebuild various huts and lodgings in the Omine mountain range, an activity which is contributing towards greater alliance and solidarity within Shugendo. Furthermore, in commemoration with various railway companies, we organised the '39 Shrine-Temple Tour' which will honour the Founder. There are lots of movement within the world of Shugendo which suitably fall under the term 'En no Gyōja Renaissance'.
At Kinpusen-ji temple, we will be holding a great memorial service under the banner of "Gathering in Yoshino: The village of Shugendo revival looking forward in to the new century" (while still maintaining its religious significance). This will deepen alliances and cooperation with local people and communities across Yoshino, Nara and related temples and cultural figures, helping to build networks connected to the Founder and Shugendo. Looking forward into the new century, we will show the world the great potential of Shugendo under the themes of 'coexistence with the earth', 'returning to nature' and healing our hearts, bodies and minds'. The En no Gyoja Renaissance has begun.
These activities however do not constitute the entirety of the 'Renaissance of En no Gyōja', which cannot be limited to Kinpusen-ji or any executive committee. It is a matter which calls for widespread recognition, not only by those involved with Shugendo, but also by the people all over the world. These events will only play a small role in that. I hope that it will be a step towards change and revitalisation; a 'version upgrade' of Shugendo. With such a great mindset, we declare the 'En no Gyōja Renaissance' to the world.
What can Shugendo and En no Gyōja teach us today?
By Riten Tanaka. Translated by Jishō Schroer
What can Shugendo and En no Gyōja teach us today? I would like to answer this questions, summarised under four idioms:
1. Correct cultivation; correct testimony
2. Ecological devastation and our coexistence with the natural world
3. A householder practice
4. A practice for the Bodhisattva era
1. Correct cultivation; correct testimony.
A famous discourse said to have been left by En no Gyōja concerns the teaching that "If sorrow, hardships or suffering bring confusion, distress and disturbance to your heart, this is a testimony to your own path well on the way towards awakening.."
It cannot be overlooked that the history of Shugendo has always been the history of the common people. It is often said that the popularisation of Japanese Buddhism was carried out by Honen, Shinran, Nichiren and other Buddhists after the Kamakura period, but in reality, Shugendo has been flowering at the base-layer of Japanese Buddhism since the beginning. Shugendo has always been active amongst and born out of the common people, providing petitionary prayer and guidance for those practicing 'at home' (in the villages).
Shugendo is said to be a path of wakefulness centered on direct-realisation, practice and training. The essence of the Shugen path is to cultivate the teachings and generate the testimony of the predecessors. Shugendo is said to be a way of training and cultivation which values going deep into the mountains, practicing to the limit of one's body and mind, with the aim of gaining testimony [to wakefulness and the efficacy of one's practice].
This testimony is not only about acquiring personal power and the blessings of the kami and buddhas, but ultimately about developing one's mind in bodhicitta. It could be said that experiencing the teachings through our individual unique bodies, and cultivating adhisthana is a teaching that could be suitable for anybody, and particularly suited to modern society, which is increasingly being emptied of substance.
Modern society is spreading the ideology of a pain-free, comfortable and convenient civilisation. This is the reversal of what En no Gyōja taught, which is disciplining the mind through the use and restraint of the body. As civilisation develops, convenience and comfort increases at a rate without end, and, without knowing it, we are being domesticated into a tame life. Human beings however have the ability to cultivate themselves, and stepping away from this is making a huge mistake. As an antithesis to civilised society which prioritises physical comfort at all costs, the practical training and cultivation of Shugendo may have a big role to play for the survival of future generations.
2. Ecological devastation and our coexistence with the natural world
"To be alive is a dynamic process, to keep regenerating the conditions for life to continue."
Towards the end of the 20th century a highly advanced industrial civilisation, backed by the ideology of modernity, altered existence across the entire globe. With this has come ecological devastation which continues to wither the hearts of humanity. Ecological collapse and mass extinction continues at a rapid pace, putting our very survival into question. Global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion, dioxin pollution, cascading extinctions and so on are all symptoms of the violation of nature. En no Gyōja, the patriarch of Shugendo, observed the natural world as a sanctuary of gratitude and prayer towards kami and buddhas, as a training grounds for practice, and as bodhimaṇḍa; a site of wakefulness. Instead of conquering nature, the practice of Shugendo is found in the spirit of walking and entering into the natural world in a mutual way. Now that ecological devastation is attracting a great deal of attention, the traditions of En no Gyōja and Shugendo can be said to be ahead of the era of the new century, and they bring with them a strong critique of 'civilisation without discomfort'.
From this point of view, I think it is fine to advocate the Dharma of En no Gyōja as a symbol of 'eco' (ecology). Our Founder's practice is truly eco-friendly!
3. A Householder Practice.
The mantra of our founder includes the term 'ubasoku'. An ubasoku is one of four kinds of Buddhist practitioner:
First, a bhikṣu (bikku); monastic male
Second, a bhikṣuṇī (bikkuni); monsastic female.
Third, an upāsaka (ubasoku) which is a 'male householder'.
and fourth, an upāsikā (ubai) which is a 'female householder'.
In other words, the founder was called 'En no Ubasoku' because he was a householder; a practitioner with a lay or non-monastic orientation.
Shugendo is a religion of ancestralism, based on the practices of the founder. The true value of Shugendo lies in finding a way of life that fulfills the practices of Buddhism while preserving a life that is embedded in home-life and community.
4. A Practice for the Bodhisattva Era
The founder, En no Gyōja, received the posthumous title, 'Jinpen Daibosatsu', from Emperor Kokaku in the 11th year of Kansei (the 1000th anniversary of the founder's death). I'd like to briefly look at the meaning of this posthumous name.
Daibosatsu means a great Bodhisattva; a being who aims for a world where one does not separate onself from others and others from oneself. The history of humanity has been one filled with wars and conflict. As long as you hold a self in opposition to others, you will be liable to suffer, and the conditions needed for culture, religion, community, and so on to flourish will decline. Similarly, when we look at environmental problems we must consider our coexistence with nature and the earth as mutually vital. It is obvious that the correct answer cannot be our current one, which holds nature in opposition. As practitioners, we aim for a spirituality which causes us to be kind to ourselves and to other beings.
As civilisation grinds into the next century, these issues are carried along with it, and a value base to overcome these fundamental tensions are a must. There are some key words that have been suggested for the next century, such as 'the era of the heart' and 'the era of symbiosis (with nature)'. I'd like to suggest the 'era of the bodhisattva' as a banner which can challenge the root of these conflicts. The spirit of the bodhisattva must be inherited by the next generation, particularly those practitioners of Shugendo who are the great grandchildren of the 'Miraculous Great Bodhisattva' (jinpen daibosatsu), En no Gyōja'. Lets practice with the awareness that we are the children of our ancestors!
The year 2000 marks the 1300th anniversary of the founder. Instead of thinking about this as a mere coincidence, I'd like to suggest that modern practitioners of Shugendo will have to grapple with articulating the relevance of the founder with the awareness that they are the 'great grandchildren' of the ancestors of the practice. This is the source of the declaration of an 'En no Gyōja Renaissance'.
The Mind of Rebirth: Learning from the teachings of En no Gyōja.
Translated by Jishō Schroer.
In the year 2000, various Shugen groupings celebrated the 1300th anniversary of the founder, En no Gyōja.
The founder was born among the common people in Nara Prefecture, and practiced in Mt. Katsuragi and Omine at an early age. He is said to have subsisted on nuts and grass roots, made friends with birds and animals, honed his mind and body, fulfilled the Dharma and excelled in skillful ability which he brought back to the villages. Later he was given the title 'Jinpen-daibosatsu' by Emperor Kokaku, lifting the persecution he faced during his life time. In the mountains of Shugendo there were no distinctions between monks and ordinary people. These practitioners, yamabushi, were and continue to be ordinary people.
I would like to touch on the heart of Shugendo to address why ordinary people were drawn to the teachings and practices.
The mountains are seen as bodhimaṇḍa, that is, sacred ground and the sites of Buddhahood. The trees, the flow of the valley rivers, the rocks, the birds and animals are understood as the realm of the maṇḍala whereby we experience the appearances of Mahāvairocana Tathāgata. The great elements - earth, water, fire, air and space - are the body of Mahāvairocana. At the same time, the mountain is also a figure of the benevolent mother who gives birth to all in the natural world, as well as embodying the reversal - a strict immovable father energy.
Entering the mountain means entering the world of the buddhas, entering the womb of the mother. Coming down from the mountain means to be born again, and in Shugendo the aim of this regeneration is to emerge with the mind of a Buddha. Contemplating and retaining the non-differentiation between ourselves and the natural world, we reveal the doctrine of sudden-wakefulness.
We bring our aversion, conceit, craving and distraction to the surface. To practice in the mountains over and over again means to return to the womb of the mother many times, to maintain mindfulness of death, to reaffirm the Buddha's heart, and to reveal a pure mind. It must be remembered that this spirit of rebirth is necessary for us today, and that a rich heart is nurtured by the natural world. Nothing beats the natural world, and with the changing providence of the natural world, humans and the rise and fall of human beings is also changing every moment.
The six paramitas are teachings which Sakyamuni gave to the world in order to lead beings from the shore of suffering to the shore of peace (the Buddha's shore). A river of hardships and sorrow flows between this bank. To help us cross, these practices are six ferry-boats to assist us to reach the other side.
These six ferry boats are:
1. A mind that is generously giving to others.
2. A mind which cherishes the precepts laid down by the Buddha.
3. A mind that endures difficulty and restraint.
4. A mind that does not give up.
5. A mind that is composed and observes things clearly, and;
6. A mind that awakens to the buddha-nature which one already intrinsically
possesses.
Learning from Shugendo
Written by Saito Myōdō. Translated by Jishō Schroer
"The mountains, rivers, grasses and trees are completely and totally the true form of Mahāvairocana. The echoes and roaring winds of the mountain-valleys are entirely the preaching of the dharmakāya"
The term 'Dō' (道) in Shugen-do should be understand to mean 'route', 'path' or 'way', that is, the all-pervading, universal route of aspiration to wakefulness which goes beyond the simple idea of confining ourselves to the dogma of 'one sect; one lineage'. This route nurtures and sustains us, transcending the ideas of 'sect' or 'lineage' altogether, instead guiding us to enter directly into the realm of absolute principle-reality.
The insight-wisdom to illuminate this 'path' is to be found in penetrating into an understanding of the phrase 'Shugen'.
Shugen should be understood as an abbreviation for 'shūshō-gentoku', which refers to cultivation and realisation, and arriving at the testimony of wakefulness. Put another way, 'shūshō' refers to following the path of the Buddha's teachings and establishing clarity in practice, and 'gentoku' refers to realising and understanding the efficacy (effect) of one's practice through the body-mind.
Based on the foundational idiom of 'correct practice; correct verification', practitioners find the path to tranquility and peace through opening the ears of the heart-mind to the dialogue which arises from the interfusion between oneself and great-nature (the maṇḍala of the mountain).
It must be understood that ascetic practice and austerities (dhūta) amidst the mountains and forests is not something that can be reduced to mere mountain-climbing or difficulties for the sake of difficulty. Rather, they must be properly understood as the interfusion between the self and suchness (shinnyō); the wakefulness that is the sudden and immediate great realisation of this very body as Mahāvairocana.
The precious scriptures of Shugen tell us, "The pureland is not far away; being diligent and abiding in practice, the place of practice becomes it." In this way, where one engages in practice becomes the pureland and the bodhimaṇḍa; the site of wakefulness. The essence of Shugen lies in gazing inwards to find the buddha within one's own mind, and gazing outside to see this same buddha. Contemplating the buddha outside oneself within one's own heart establishes the peace, tranquility and indescribable wonder encapsulated in the idiom, 'nonduality between ignorance and sagehood '.
"Could it be that perhaps, I, too, am a buddha on this mountain peak, sitting within an assembly amidst the maṇḍala of the mountain?"
