The book about shrine visit which I read a few days ago said that Shugen nurtures bodies, Buddhism nurtures minds, and Shintoism nurtures spirits.
Buddhism and Shinto are pretty familiar to us in our daily lives, but ordinary Japanese don’t know anything about Shugen.
When I searched through Google, I found a very interesting report by a foreign reporter.
So let me introduce this article in 2 series.
Shugen is a very mysterious and deep world!!
Even the local residents look surprised at our attire.
“Aren’t you cold?”
“Aren’t you cold?” asks a windbreaker-clad hiker.
I tighten my happi coat and tuck my leg coverings into my hakama (split-leg trousers) to keep them from flapping in the wind; my multi-layered garb is not only holy but also quite warm.
“It suits you,” says another hiker, pointing at my headdress.
“You look cute.”
“Um, thanks,” I answer, relieved that I’m not alone in being unaware of the outfit’s significance.
Since being dressed in it, I enthused about its novelty and surprising comfort until I discovered the somber meaning behind it: these clothes are designed to resemble robes worn by the dead.
By donning the garments, my group and I have symbolically given up our worldly impurities and are now to traverse the three holy mountains of Dewa, called Dewa Sanzan, in order to be spiritually reborn.
Each mountain symbolizes part of that journey: Mount Haguro, the present; Mount Gassan, the past; and Mount Yudono, the future.
This is the teaching of the yamabushi, the followers of Shugendo, an ancient ascetic religion combining aspects of mountain worship, Buddhism, Shintoism and Taoism.
Critical to their beliefs is the pursuit of enlightenment through convening with nature over long periods as well as feats of endurance such as waterfall bathing and walking over fire.
Dewa Sanzan, in Yamagata Prefecture, has been an important center for yamabushi since the beginnings of Shugendo in the eighth or ninth century, although it didn’t grow in popularity as a pilgrimage route for spiritual rebirth until the Edo Period (1603-1868).
To this day, each yamabushi in good health is required to make the journey.
As practitioners have begun to open up their once-private world to outsiders, an increasing number of nonbelievers are joining them, from businesspeople seeking respite from the stress of modern living to tourists and expats keen to uncover a lesser-known part of Japanese culture.
And some local residents in Yamagata are working to welcome such people to Dewa Sanzan.
Source: http://hagurokanko.jp/miru/hagurosan/zuishinmon.html
We start our journey at the foot of Mount Haguro, the most famous and easily accessible ascent of the three.
After passing through Zuishin-mon (the Gate of Dual Deities), which marks the start of our journey to spiritual rebirth, we descend stone steps to enter a thick forest.
Given the multitude of small and intricately carved wooden shrines, each home to a huge variety of deities, it’s not long before the group fans out to explore.
But our yamabushi master is soon blowing his giant conch, signaling us to gather at a bright-red bridge where we see a waterfall alongside a small shrine expertly blended into the forest.
Soon, we reach the oldest pagoda in Tohoku, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful pagodas in Japan. At 30 meters tall, a single column runs through it, but each of its five individual sections is entirely independent.
According to our guide, this is the reason it became the structure on which Tokyo’s famed Skytree is based.
Invigorated by the sight, we begin to climb, taking the first section of the 2,446-step stone stairway to the summit in our stride.
With few other hikers to disrupt the sound of bird song and the breeze rustling through the 580 cedar trees that line the path, it’s a serene experience.
Passing under the trees gives a sense of the history of this journey.
Most of the cedars are between 300 and 500 years old and, for ultra-perceptive visitors, 33 hand-done engravings can be found in the steps, which are believed to have taken 13 years to build.
We find one that looks like a sake cup.
Such is the beauty of the cedar-lined path that it has been dedicated a significant natural monument and awarded three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.
Halfway up, we stop at a rest station that has been run by the same family for three generations. Undeterred by the challenging location, they all pitch in to carry supplies up the mountain each day. They offer green tea, sweets and a sweeping view, and their cafe is only closed in winter when snow prevents access.
Source: http://www.mokkedano.net/course/17
At the top, we receive our Shinto yamabushi blessing, comprising chanting, bell ringing and paper swaying, at the main shrine building of Sanjin Gosaiden before descending to our lodging in Toge, the town at the foot of the mountain.
For centuries, homes draped with shrine ropes have welcomed pilgrims to the region with accommodation, shōjin-ryōri (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine) and even mountain guides.
（to be continued）
