» Kaisan Engi: Xu Fu and En'no Gyoja
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Xu Fu and En'no Gyoja
Written by Ikegama Shoji (池上正治) Originally published in Sangaku Shugen issue 39
This piece will be part of a broader exploration of Taoism's relationship with Shugendo. Today we'll be looking at Xu Fu (徐福; pronounced Jubuku in Japanese) and En'no Gyoja (役行者).
To begin with Xu Fu was a Taoist master who actually existed in China during the 3rd Century BC. En'no Gyoja, who became known as the founder of Shugendo, on the other hand existed during the Asuka Period in the 7th Century.
It is said that in the 3rd Century, during the Qin Dynasty, the Taoist practitioner Xu Fu, set sail for Tokai (東海), the eastern sea of Japan, in search of an elixir of immortality at the behest of the Emperor, Qin Shi Huang (始皇帝). This tradition spread across China, Korea and Japan. Taoism is an ancient school of thought. Laozi (老子; Roushi) is considered to be the founder, and the Jade Emperor (玉皇) is considered to be the ultimate divinity. Taoism was stimulated by Confucianism and Buddhism and contrasts itself to Confucianist approaches.
En'no Gyoja was also a flesh and blood human who existed during the 7th Century. He is said to have lived in the mountains of Katsuragi and practiced magic, ascending to the heavens in 701 in the manner of a Taoist immortal. Ancient beliefs related to mountains became influenced by Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism, which took form in the Heian period as Shugendo. The way of Shugendo is to practice in the mountains and valleys, and to respond to the needs of the village through the power of testament (shirushi). Zao-o Gongen is an exemplary Shugendo divinity said to have been realised by En'no Gyoja. There are no specific scriptures, but rather collections of oral teachings.
Tenjogatake is a mountain located in modern day Minoh, Osaka. En'no Gyoja is said to have ascended into the heavens, sustaining himself on a kind of ambrosia, in the manner of what in the Taoist text 'Baopuzi' calls a 'tensen' (天仙), or 'heavenly-hermit'.
Xu Fu, on his journey for the elixir of immortality, made full use of his knowledge and skills as a Taoist adept and sailed towards the Eastern Sea. En'no Gyoja, who sought the mountain peaks as his training ground utilised his abilities at the request of the people of the villages. Both figures have vitality which expresses itself to this day, and the history of Shugendo and Taoism intertwine in an interesting way.
See also: http://kumano-world.org/english/jofuku.html
