Comments on: My Experience with the Shingon Fire Ritual http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/ My life as a father, Buddhist, Japanophile and Koreaphile. Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:46:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Paravi http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4287 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:10:47 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4287 Hi everyone,

I have an affinity with Fudo Myo-o and goma rituals and wonder if someone can tell me which are the most famous temples in Tokyo (and elsewhere in Japan, ie. Kyoto/Osaka) known for the practice of these and other fire rituals. I would like to sponsor some when I visit Tokyo later this month.

Paravi

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4055 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:53:06 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4055 Hi Everyone, great feedback and comments:

Johnl: Thanks again for “dragging me” there. :)

Senshin: Thanks a lot for the videos, I will take a look. I knew it was the mantra, but I wasn’t sure if I heard it correctly or not.

Rory: Thank you for your insights. Some of it sounds familiar, but I like hearing additional perspectives. :)

Marcus: I always wanted to see Narita-san, but it’s hard to get to unless you happen to be near the airport. A nice welcome indeed for you! For the record, my “affinity” statement was to Fudo Myoo specifically, not with esoteric Buddhism.

]]> By: Marcus http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4053 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:42:28 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4053 Hi Doug,

Thank you so much for all your amazing trip reports. You’ve put in so much effort with all the links and so on, thank you so much!

Amazing, but the very first time I ever went to a Japanese temple, just an hour or so after leaving the airport, I took part part in a Fire Ritual in the huge Narita temple! Like you, I have no great affinity to this kind of Buddhism – but who could have wished for a better welcome to the country?!

Anyway, this is just a quick comment to say thanks again for all these amazing reports and to wish you all the best. I will see you in Japan some time soon I am sure of it!

With palms together,

Marcus

]]> By: rory http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4049 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:07:43 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4049 Doug;
when I was training, one of the Tendai priests was from a Fudo Myo temple north of Tokyo, we would rehearse for Juhachi-do another esoteric ceremony.
Anyway after 2 summers of this, I asked the Fudo Myo priest if the whole point of the esoteric ceremony was to cut out discursive thinking, because when you are in it, chanting, incense the whole thing, as you said there is a really still place.
Anyway if that helps Doug on the point of esotercism, it’s not theliteral meaning of the mantra or the mudras or the esoteric placement of the altar…

]]> By: Senshin http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4047 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:52:06 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4047 The mantra you mention is the Fudo Myo-o mantra.
We also chant that in Tendai at Juhachido- and Goma fire ceremonies.
This a Tendai goma ceremoni and a explanation:

Video:

Video 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duERu7OIN54&feature=related
Video 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju1ZmAtnL0k&feature=related
Video 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_6zrASQBHc&feature=related
Video 5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynHH3tlxWBE&feature=related

Gassho,
Senshin.

]]> By: johnl http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/04/26/my-experience-with-the-shingon-fire-ritual/#comment-4046 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:22:46 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=7548#comment-4046 Doug, I am glad I dragged you all the way out there! I didn’t see the goma ceremony the first time I went there. I might not have gone there again if it hadn’t been for your!

This temple is not part of the Koyasan Shingon tradition–there are fewer of those in the Tokyo region. So, I noticed one difference compared to the Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin–Takahata Fudoson Hall of Fudo was quite black with smoke on the inside. In the old days, when everyone had a fire burning in the kitchen, walls were similarly black. Actually, the effect is darkly attractive. At the Tokyo Betsuin, the altars have exhaust hoods over the altars, with decorations to hide their function–they look like the usual elaborate canopies often seen over altars. I noticed that Takahata Fudo had no decorative canopy either–maybe because of all the work necessary to clean off the smoke? I don’t know. So the Tokyo Betsuin temples seem one level brighter, although they also rely heavily on candlelight. The Takahata Fudo gave an overall impression of an older, more primitive way of worship. It is definitely worth a visit.

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