Kaihōgyō (mountain-circumambulation asceticism) is a practice found across the Buddhist world, including Shugendo.
The following article will look at the 'sennichi-kaihōgyō' — the '1000 day circumambulation asceticism' of Mudōji, through the practice of Dai-Ajari Mitsunaga Kakudō [previously known as Tannō Kakudō], who also serves as honorary advisor to Kannonji.
To start with, what is the sennichi-kaihōgyō?
"The kaihōgyō is a practice founded by Sōō (831-918), known posthumously as konryū-daishi, which forms part of the Dharma-transmission practices of Mt. Hiei. In essence, it is a practice of constant walking and circumambulation, taking place over a period of 100-200 days of the year. With this length of time in mind, it can take anywhere between 7-10 years to complete.
After completing the 700th day of practice, a ceremony known as 'entering the hall' (堂入り; dō-iri) is undertaken. Following this practice, the practitioner is given the title of 'teacher who truly fulfils practice' (当行満阿闇梨; tōgyōman-dai-ajari). After 1000 days, the practitioner receives the title of 'great teacher who completely fulfils the practice of the Northern Peak [Hiei]' (北嶺大行満大阿閣梨; hōkurei-dai-gyō-man-dai-ajari). Mt. Hiei is the first peak of the 'Thirty-Six Eastern Mountains'. It is a large mountain rising to an elevation of 848 metres...
Sōō (相應)
The kaihōgyō that Reverend Sakai Yusai performed before me was a practice which had been discontinued for a long time, but which was painstakingly revived in 1975 by Reverend Sakai and his teachers. There are other kinds of kaihōgyō which start from the west pagoda (Enryakuji is comprised of 3 pagodas and 16 valleys). The kaihōgyō that I performed is referred to as the 'Mudō-ji Valley kaihōgyō' (無動寺谷回峰行). In the East Pagoda area of Mt. Hiei, there is a hall called the 'Vidyaraja-hall' (myōō-dō) where Acalanātha Vidyārāja is enshrined as the principal image. The kaihōgyō practices of Hiei all hold Acalanātha as the main-deity.
Mudō-ji's kaihōgyō visits not only shrines and temples, but also the sites of various kami and buddhas, including sacred stones, sacred waters, and sacred trees. Some people today wonder why people visit shrines even though they are practicing Buddhism. However, there is a way of thinking that each plays a role, and until the Meiji era, it was thought that kami and buddha were inseparable."
In the past, Sōō's kaihogyō was referred to as "hokurei no shugen" — the 'Shugen of the Northern Peaks' (of Mt. Hiei and Hira), contrasting it with the "nanzan shugen", the 'Shugen of the Southern Peaks' (of Yoshino, Omine and Kumano) centered on the traditions of En no Gyōja.
"..Sōō Oshō (831-918), the founder of the kaihōgyō of Mt. Hiei, also undertook practice at Omine in his youth. Sōō is also responsible for propagating faith in Acalanātha-Vidyārāja, which came to strongly colour the Tendai sect. From the standpoint of Shugen, Sōō was a Yamabushi who was active in a time where Yamabushi training flourished.." — From a lecture by Riten Tanaka (my translation)
"During the kaihōgyō practitioners wear a unique hat on their head, as well as carrying a sword at their waist, a bag and a lantern. The walking stick is reserved for those undertaking the 1000 day practice (not the 100 day form). Further, the 100 day practitioners undertake the practice barefoot (without tabi). Moreover, in the 100 day practice practitioners are required to carry the special hat rather than wearing it on their head. This is because the hat ultimately represents Acalanātha. When asked, an ascetic told me that the hat is 'for crossing the sanzu river (river styx)'. Although the hat is large, it is very light and has the shape of an unopened lotus flower. When the lotus flower opens, it becomes the lotus base upon which the Buddha sits. Acalanatha has the lotus base on the crown of his head. From this you may understand that the kaihōgyō is a practice to become one with Acalanātha and the Buddha.."
— Words of Masahiro Asada, Professor Emeritus at Ryukoku University (my translation).
About Daigyōman Dai-Ajari, Mitsunaga Kakudō:
Mitsunaga Kakudō Dai-Ajari was born in Yamagata in 1954. After ordaining at Enryaku-ji temple he began the kaihōgyō practice in 1990 and continued on to fulfill his twelve year rozangyō (十二年籠山行) at Mount Hiei. He currently serves as head priest of Nanzenbō (比叡山麓南善坊), a temple located at the foot of Mt. Hiei.
The following interview with Mitsunaga Dai-Ajari was edited and translated to mark his activities during Kannonji temple's 2021 mountain-entry training in Yamagata, Japan.
The original interview aired on NHK in the year 2000. I've also added parts of other interviews he has given and person communications. It will give readers some rare insight into Mitsunaga Dai-Ajari and the practice itself. For more on Mitsunaga, I recommend the documentary, 'Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei'. See also my translation of 'The Wisdom of Practice', an interview with Omine-kaihōgyō practitioner, Yanagisawa Shingō.
Although this has been translated and published with the permission of Mitsunaga Dai-Ajari, any mistakes or oddities are my responsibility alone as editor/translator. Please contact me for further details, feedback, reprinting or comments.
If you feel inclined to support learning opportunities and future public events with Dai-Ajari, please consider donating. Please contact me for further details.
Mitsunaga Dai-Ajari's nenju: A Dharma-gift of encouragement
"Through pracice, one slowly builds an awareness that life is given by all that is around us, doesn't belong to us, that one lives interdependently...this is both the simplest and most difficult teaching to grasp…It is living with the awareness that life is a gift. There are too many people living [as though] on their own. There are few who [live with the awareness that they] are given life. When one realises that life is a gift, one expresses gratitude to all. In particular, gratitude toward the past and towards ancestors is important..” — Mitsunaga Kakudō
