This is the second shot of Yamabushi report. As a matter of fact, I myself was enthralled by the world of Shugen, and have joined Yamabushi ascetic training for 3 times. So I felt that I reexperienced the training by reading this article. Participants are strictly prohibited from disclosing the contents of training program, but the journalist is telling us the essence of Shugen without violating the prohibition. Please feel the power of nature though this report!!
The second peak of our journey, Mount Gassan, could not be more different than the first.
Though known as “the mountain on which ancestors rest,” it’s noticeably devoid of religious artifacts apart from one shrine at its midpoint and another at its summit. Passing wetlands brimming with insects and alpine plants as we snake slowly up the mountainside, it is clear that nature gets priority here.
Our path consists of two parallel wooden beams that are raised off the ground to protect the delicate ecosystem and encourage the single-file movement of hikers. As the grasses encroach on the sides, it also proves a great way to camouflage the human impact on this almost 2,000-meter peak.
Source : http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/48/
That feeling of being at one with nature appeals to our yamabushi guides.
Their reason for spending so much time on mountains such as this one is to let the force of nature and the natural life force in their bodies drive them forward when they encounter problems in their lives.
“We leave ourselves in nature and make peace in our minds, feeling with our body to realize our senses,” explains Fumihiro Hoshino, a 13th-generation yamabushi master at whose lodging we stayed.
“With a yamabushi mindset, we can restore ourselves and rejuvenate our lives.”
Women, he says, are more gifted at prioritizing feeling over thinking than men, who tend to focus on what they can see.
This, along with the general decline in yamabushi across Japan, prompted Hoshino to welcome women to learn under him.
Of the fresh faces at the outings, more than half are now women, he says. Another trend is the rise in participants from Japan’s biggest cities.
This comes as no surprise to Takeharu Kato, a yamabushi who left his job at marketing giant Hakuhodo to found Megurun Inc., which offers yamabushi experience programs.
“Yamabushi has been used for centuries to provide space for consideration of the challenges of life, an important role in the current age where people are becoming busier and busier and are looking for the chance to revitalize,” he said.
“When we train, we are no longer restricted or distracted — even our watches are removed — and we don’t speak at all. We allow ourselves to be totally open to what the master is trying to show us through the natural world.”
Kato’s assertion that Shugendo has never been so relevant is food for thought as we set off to the last leg of our journey, Mount Yudono, which is so sacred that photography is not permitted past its giant torii.
Source: http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/49/
About 10 minutes’ walk up the path, we reach a small booth where the priest instructs each of us to go barefoot bearing one human-shaped fine paper cutout.
Only after rubbing it over our bodies and casting it into a small stream to rid ourselves of impurities are we allowed to enter a special secluded area.
In its center is a giant reddish-brown rock, which is believed to contain a deity.
Hot spring water spurts out and flows down its side, into which steps have been carved.
Gingerly, we climb up the soaking rock to reach a small shrine overlooking the valley, where our journey of spiritual rebirth becomes complete.
Source: http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/49/
Reflecting afterward in the nearby sacred foot bath, we agree that at the very least we will leave this place feeling energized.
Our journey through Dewa Sanzan, experiencing the tranquility and beauty of the three diverse mountains, and having the privilege of a glimpse at this rare part of Japanese spirituality, has left more of an impression than any of us had expected.
トップ画像／月山の写真・出典元（Top Source）：http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/48/
