Connecting Spirit with Nature

Firs t Is s ue
Spring 2016

Ninja Master's New Trial

R e turning to T he O ld W ays
T he H e a lth B e n e fits o f M e d ita tio n
SHUGENDO life of a company employee
Information & N ew s

Returning to The Old

W ays

The traditional style of Mountain Training

has been revived after laying dormant for
150 years at Mt. Koshikidake. A report
of this rebirth and a photographic journey.

Connecting Spirit with Nature

Spring 2016

19

T he H ealth Benefits of M editation

We have all heard that meditation is good for health, but w hat benefits can w e
expect and how long w ould w e have to practice to achieve them. In this article
meditation specialist Martin Faulks investigates the scientifically proven
benefits to an ongoing meditation practice.

M iyoshi's V iew

25

Yuji Miyoshi is a professional

photographer and Shugendo practitioner.
His unique point of view helps capture
the deeper side of Japanese life.

31

Oh! Bent-Oh!

Because of the Nature element in Shugendo,

w e often practice w hile fasting, thereby
stressing the importance of healthy eating.
Japanese has a unique food culture. One of its
specialties is the obento. This is a lunch box
full of seasonal delicacies. Dr. Megumi
Miyata is a physician and a w ell regarded
specialist of organic vegetables. She often
introduces her Oh-bento like a box of jew els.

36 Simply Traditional Japanese Recipe

How to make Komatsuna with Seasame Dressing

37 SHUGENDO life of a company employee

3

Many lay people are studying Shugendo. But practitioners such as Mr. Zenyo Kai
are very rare. He has been w orking for a trading company as a representative of
Japan, and at the same time devoting himself to rigorous ascetic practices. His
presence is w ell know n among fellow ascetics. He provides us w ith an example
of how to handle both w ork and practice effortlessly in daily life. Let's see w hat
he can tell us about the w ay of the Shugenja.

Ninja Master's New Trial

Stephen K. Hayes w as the first American w ho introduced ninja self

- defense arts to the w est. Now adays he is pioneering Shugendo
practice in the USA . Stephen takes his follow ers into the
mountains and teaches how to live in harmony w ith the Universe.
This is his new trial, to seek the path of true aw akening. Now you
can read more of his story here.
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41

Information & News

2

Ninja Master's New Trial

Secret Shugendo Training of the Ninja M aster

Black belt hall of famer Stephen K Hayes is one
of the w orlds best know n martial artists. We know
of his training w ith Maasaki Hatsumi in Japan and
of his time w ith the Dalai Lama. How ever, few
people know of his religious background.
Stephen K. Hayes first started practicing Shugendo
w hen he visited Japan in the 1970' s. He had
realized the similarities in the process of practice
betw een
martial arts and Shugendo and
dedicated himself to learning more. For him both
are ascetic practices w hich push practitioners to
their extremes, both physically and mentally.
In 2014, he visited a secret location in the
northeastern part of Japan and trained w ith ascetic
mountain monks. Here he learned the arcane
practice of Shugendo called Hashiramoto Shinpo.
Forming a link betw een the tw o practices, he has
combined his Ninja skill and spiritual
enlightenment into one art form. Many of his
disciples w ere surprised that he w as still trying to
learn and challenge himself. Some of them may
realize that his goal is the harmonization of pow er
and mind. His new trial has attracted many w ho
seek eternal peace beyond pow er.

BY STEPHEN K. HAY ES
PHO TPG RAPHS BY DAVID G LO VER & W AY NE ADAM S
In 2015, there w ere three Shugendo
w eekend w orkshops led by Stephen K.
Hayes. They took place in Los
Angeles,
California,
Boulder,
Colorado, and mountainous w estern
North Carolina.
Each w orkshop drew in over 50
people. All w ere curious Westerners
w ho w ere moved to find out more
about Shugendo. Some of the people
had many years of
meditation
5

practice, and for some it w as their

first time.
In each of the practice sessions,
Stephen K. Hayes taught variations on
tw o standard Shugen meditations.
First w as A- ji Kan meditation, in
various forms. We can imagine our
onsciousness going out to take
responsibility for becoming the entire
universe. We can see healing w hite
light coming in and gray defilements

going out.
We can w ill others to heal, by
visualizing taking on others troubles
and meeting those inside w ith egonullifying force. We can imagine going
into our ow n bodies all the w ay dow n
to microscopic levels, and perfecting
our cellular structure.
Second w as the Fudo mantra prayer
beads meditation, in various forms. In
essence w e merge w ith Fudo Myo-Oh
by visualizing him as our inner
essence and repeating his mantra
hundreds of times. This w as especially
challenging, as most people w ere only

vaguely familiar w ith Fudo Myo- Oh,

and so an exercise in merging w ith and
becoming Fudo w as somew hat of a
risk. Stephen found a w ay nonetheless
to help w esterners adjust to the
practice. Other w alking and seated
meditations w ere offered during the
special programs. In North Carolina, a
raging w aterfall taki-gyo w as featured.
People seemed relaxed and brave,
until they faced the w aterfall and knew
they had to go under. Senior students
coached their juniors in how to
effectively go under the falls, and it
w as a pow erful experience for all.
6

Practitioners of the ninja martial art are

used to w earing black clothing, and so
everyone smiled to see each other dressed
all in w hite for Shugen mountain practice.
For 30 years w e have practiced some of
the various exercises taught by Shugendo. It
is interesting to see how open people are to
this Japanese practice, now that w e are
encouraged by Shokai Koshikidake to make
this practice come to life. Shugendo seems
a perfect fit for the West. People are more
interested in a useable form of spirituality,
rather than an allegiance to one specific
religion. Shugendo focuses on the direct
experience of the practitioner. Each
practitioner brings to Shugendo his or her
ow n specific history, and Shugendo
accepts this personal experience in an
inclusive w ay.
It is also important to Westerners that
Shugendo is a lay phenomena. It is unlikely
that many people in the ninja martial arts
w ill choose to make their living from
spirituality. How ever, they can practice a
spiritual w ay of life. Shugendo gives them
a base for spiritual exploration and
advancement. Stephen K. Hayes notes, I
have from the beginning of my martial arts
teaching w ork, back in the 1960s,
emphasized a moral aspect to the training.
If I am going to teach someone the secrets
for damaging another person, I must also
teach them a morality that helps them to
live w ith their choices. The stronger and
more fierce a person becomes, the more
room he or she has to be compassionate,
even gentle, w ith other people. Shugendo
gives us the base of spirituality. It is like
yin and yang. Perfect balance.
We had very good results in 2015. What
w ill 2016 bring? Will even more people
attend? Shall w e try some other locations
for training? Will more people make a
commitment to advancing their know ledge
and reliance on Shugendo as a spiritual
path?

Returning to the Old W ays

BY SHOKAI KOSHIKIDAKE
PHOTOGRAPHS BY YUTAKA UJII

The G uardian M ountain

There is a mountain called
Koshikidake. It dominates the West
edge of Ou mountains in Yamagata
Prefecture. Koshikidake rises only
2016 m above sea level, but in
antiquity it used to be treated w ith
special admiration. It is positioned
to the North/ East from the
Emperor s Palace in Kyoto w hich
w as traditionally regarded as an
unlucky direction (Kimon). Thanks
to its unfortunate geographic
location our Koshikidake Mountain
had been regarded as a Guardian
Mountain by the Emperors of Japan.
It kept evil spirits aw ay during
peacetime.
But its duty to the Court ceased to
exist soon after the establishment of
the Kamakura Shogunate. They
resented the spiritual pow er of this
mountain. All supporters of the
Emperor' s family had to be
destroyed, even those supernatural
in nature. The mountain ascetic
practices had been buried for
hundreds of years, but they w ere
revived in 2005 by the
Koshikidake family - w ho had
managed, over 72 generations, to
secretly keep up the succession of
the prohibited rituals.

10

Koshikida ke M ounta in ha s re cove re d its spiritua l pow e r.

Now adays practitioners come to participate in Mountain Training not only from
Japan, but from abroad as w ell. They come from all w alks of life, from varying trades
and professions. You could say that they come from different Worlds altogether. The
rituals, during Mountain Training, must be performed as a collaboration of all
participants. Mountain Training is like a chemistry of the combined efforts of the w hole
community.

11

12

Yama ( Mountain) is a threatening stage

for people holding on to their mortal
desires. It is the territory of the divine
spirits w ho curse the unw orthy. A
forbidden land to the greedy. How can w e
enter into such mountains then? There is a
w ay. Koshikidake s ancestors used to
break into God's territory by performing
an ancient custom of placing the dead in a
coffin allow ing their party to safely pass
to the land of spirits. In the present time

13

Yamabushi ( Mountain Monks) offer

prayers to God and Buddha at a small hall
w here the God of Koshikidake Mountain
is w orshipped. This old w ooden hall
becomes their coffin. They shed their
bodies in there and form a funeral
procession in order to cross to infernal
regions. The head practitioner conducts
the matsugo- no- mizu ( w ater of the last
moment) ritual to accept their spiritual
death.

14

Once practitioners
enter the mountains, they
lose their daily routines
and gain spiritual pow er
through a rigorous
pilgrimage.
While chanting they
climb up the steps
tow ards the summit,
betw een the earth and
heaven, w here Gods and
Buddha resides. They
are permitted to pray and
encounter intimately the
holy existence of Kami.
The experience is
beyond
human
understanding at that
moment. Bringing the
participants closer to the
Divine.

15

16

On the w ay dow n, practitioners visit the sacred spring. Water is the source of life.
They submerge into the w aterfall as if w earing the shield of pow er taking aw ay their
exhaustion. Then, at end of this pilgrimage, they are further purified by ritual jumping
over the fire. This symbolizes the entrance to the place w here gods dw ell, as w ell as
initiating real practitioners as the guardian shamans of this sacred mountain.
One w ould think that this is it, but it is just a beginning. Their Mountain Training just
has begun.
~ To be continued in the next issue. ~

17

18

The Health Benefits of Meditation

BY M ARTIN FAULKS

We all know that meditation is good for you, but w hat health benefits can you expect?
How long do you have to practice before you can see the results? And how often is it best
to practice?
Over the last tw o decades there have been over 3,000 scientific studies on the benefits
of meditation including from such respected institutes as Harvard. Many of these studies
are focused on specific types of meditation and show some very particular emotional
effects such as increased aw areness, compassion or social bonding. How ever, recent
research has gone a long w ay to show how altering a persons state of mind can affect the
body on a physical level and the health benefits this can bring.
19

20

Improve d D ige stion

S tud ies ha v e sho w n that tho se w ho p ra ctice me d itatio n hav e far less
incid e nce o f d iges tiv e up se t o r he artb urn. M ed ita tio n has a lso b een s ho w n
to aid p atients suffering fro m irritab le b o w el synd ro me , in ma ny ca s es
p ro v ing b etter than mo st o ther fo rms o f med ic atio n. O ther stud ie s sho w
med ita tio n a s b eneficial in d ealing w ith o the r d iges tiv e p ro b lems
includ ing d ia rrho e a, b lo a ting and co nstip atio n.
Lowers Blood Pressure
A study proved that meditation effectively low ered blood pressure w hen
practiced for a number of w eeks. This appears to w ork by bringing around
calmness and also helping the body to become less responsive to stress hormones.
This is similar to the w ay medication used to low er blood pressure w orks.
Anti-Inflammatory
Meditation has been clinically proven to lessen the symptoms associated w ith
inflammation, arthritis, asthma and some skin conditions such as psoriasis. This
seems to w ork through stress reduction, as all the above problems typically
w orsen w ith increased stress, and so it follow s that by helping reduce stress the
symptoms reduce also.

H ere are the ten b ene fits w hich c o nsis tently shine thro ugh in a ny a uthe ntic
med ita tio n p ra ctice .
C a lmne ss
T he mo st p o w erful e ffect o f a c o nsis tent med itatio n p rac tice is , rathe r
p red ic tab ly, inner c alm. T his s eems to b e c ause d b y the p rac tice o f learning
to allo w tho ughts, no matte r w hat they ma y b e, to p a ss b y w hile in
med ita tio n w itho ut a ttachment o r res p o nse . B y p ractic ing this skill it s eems
to transfer into no rmal, ev eryd ay life and so has the b enefit o f allo w ing
up setting tho ughts to o c cur w itho ut a n o v erly negativ e res p o nse . T his
mea ns tha t negativ ity is d ealt w ith ra ther the n d w elled up o n.
Emotional Balance
On the w hole meditators demonstrate less neurotic behavior and more balanced
individuals. They respond and adapt better to changes in life and to the emotional
pressures these bring. When reading through study after study into meditation, it
soon becomes clear that this could be a w ay to cure unhealthy emotional states
such as anxiety, depression or guilt. During meditation it seems that the mind is
cleansed, bringing about balance and emotional freedom.
Increased Immunity
Meditation has also been proven to boost immunity in recovering cancer
patients. One study show ed that w hen practised daily meditation reduced the risk
of breast cancer recurrence. Further studies have show n that regular practice
boosts w hite blood cells in the elderly, giving them a greater resistance to illness.

21

22

M e dita tion P re ve nts O be sity

S tud ie s s ho w that tho se w ho med itate hav e grea ter imp ulse co ntro l and s o
te nd to eat a mo re b ala nced d iet. T he exa ct rea so n fo r this isn t clea r and
c o uld b e d ue to a numb e r o f facto rs suc h as an imp ro v ed fo cus , a gre ater
a b ility to igno re d isturb a nce s o r c alm inner co nflicts. T his s eems to b e mo st
a p p are nt w he n lo o king a t the p e rso n s eating hab its . T he change in the ir
e ating p atte rn se ems to stem fro m the ir ab ility to p re v ent emo tio na l e ating,
w hic h in turn lead s to an imp ro v ed d ie t a nd p re v ents o b es ity.
M e dita tion ma y he lp you live longe r
It lo o ks like the legend s ma y b e true . S tud ie s sho w tha t an es sential p art o f
huma n ce lls ca lled telo meres, w hich d etermine ho w o ur c ells a ge, are
p ro tecte d b y med itatio n p rac tice. R ese arch is still in the ea rly d ays, b ut there
is d ata sugge sting tha t so me fo rms o f med ita tio n ma y hav e s a luta ry effec ts
o n te lo mere le ngth b y red ucing co gnitiv e stre ss and stres s a ro usal and
incre a sing p o sitiv e s tates o f mind and ho rmo nal fac to rs that ma y p ro mo te
te lo me re ma intenanc e.

S o , a s yo u c an se e med itatio n ha s
grea t b ene fits and must b e o ne o f the
b est things yo u c an d o fo r yo ur health.
S tud ie s sho w that many d iffe re nt typ es
o f me d itatio n ha v e v e ry s imilar effe cts,
b ut that cho o sing a p rac tice that yo u
really like is p ro b ab ly the mo st likely
to hav e the b e st effe ct. M o s t stud ie s
ind ica te that med ita ting fo r a s little as
2 0 minute s a d ay fo r a few w ee ks is
eno ugh to b ring asso ciate d he alth
b ene fits.

Reduces the risk of heart diseases and strokes

Heart diseases is the biggest cause of death in the w orld. Studies show that
meditation is more effective in high risk individuals than a exercise class.. Regular
meditation practice brings about a 48% reduction in heart attack or stroke. This
seems to be caused by low er stress, decreased blood pressure a more healthy
outlook on life.
Increased Fertility
Studies show that w omen are more likely to conceive w hen practicing
meditation due to the calming effect on their mind and body. Likew ise it seems that
the stress reducing effect of meditation may also boost male sperm count and thus
fertility.
23

Fo r m o re info rm atio n re garding s tudie s in the be ne fits o f m e ditatio n ple as e vis it.
https ://e n.wikipe dia.o rg/wiki/R e s e arc h_ o n_ m e ditatio n

24

Miyoshi's View

BY YUJI MIYOSHI

Omiwatari
In the Suwa basin, where I live,
there are two legendary Gods.
They are lovers living at opposite
sides of the Suwa Lake. Once a
year, in early February, the male
god crosses the lake from the South
shore to visit the female god. His
steps leave footprints in the
cracked ice in form of floe lifted
and piled up above the frozen lake.
I was there one time, at midnight,
witnessing his invisible figure
crossing with thunders resonating
all around the mountains. I was
afraid that I might be swallowed
beneath the ice if I moved even a
little bit. The next morning, a
Shinto priest blessed their secret
date and the trace of their love
melted away soon after.
I believe that there must be
someone envious of their love,
because Omiwatari does not occur
in recent years.

25

26

Sakura
Sa Divine lands of Kura,
where the petals of
blossoming trees are misted by
the night dew which reflect the
rays of morning light. Ancient
Japanese meaning of word Sa
is rice crop. Kura means
the residing object of a divine
spirit. It is believed that on a
starry night, the Mountain
Deity descends upon a village
with stellar lights and dwells
in cherry trees. During this
season that deity also becomes
a Guardian God of the rice
fields.
I faced him alone at a shrine
upon a hill.

27

28

Kai Komagatake
Kai Komagatake Mountain
has been considered to be
the spiritual base of Koshin
region. It is one of the main
mountains for a religious
linage called Ontake- Kyo.
Due to the steep mountains
surrounding this region, it
w as closed to the outside
w orld for a millennia. The
villagers used to visualize
the divine beings, living in
the other w orld, beyond
those mysterious mountains.
Now , people here still
have faith in Mountain Gods
and talk to them in prayers.
One day, I talked to
Marishiten dw elling at the
Kai Komagatake Mountain.
His smile w as like a
beautiful rainbow , and said
Kami still live there.

29

30

Oh! Bent-Oh!

BY MEGUMI MIYATA

Food ye ate shed His grace on T hee.

(Thy body is itself that which you eat)
Life for many has become marked by an
unprecedented level of convenience w hereby a
large amount of daily activity and w ork can now
be performed w hile seated.
If w e take for granted the saying ' you are w hat
you eat' w hat impact is this modern lifestyle
having on our bodies?
The hallmarks of this kind of convenience add
up to become the cause of w hat w e now label
lifestyle related diseases.
In times gone before w hen obtaining food
required greater effort carrying ' O bento' w as an
integral part of life.
Now adays food has become standardized,
predictable and efficient. We are able to easily
obtain it w herever w e are w ithout giving any
thought to its preparation or origin.
This convenience is driven by a mindset w hich
seeks to accumulate profit and reduce production
and material costs. The w ay w e have organized
society has had an impact on the nutritional value
of the food w e eat and much of this is damaging to
our health.
Carrying O bento in this situation can be a w ay
to protect our bodies and minds.

31

32

Bamboo ware

Bentwood ware

T he atte ntio n to d e ta il in the w ay the O b ento lunch b o x is a rrange d red uce s

d ama ge to the fo o d w hile o n the mo v e, at the same time keep ing the fo o d
fresh a nd reta ining its taste a nd a ro ma . O b e nto is mad e w ith this image in
mind a nd ca re is ta ken w ith e ach ind iv id ual p o rtio n.
If w e fo cus o n p o rta b ility w e sho uld cho o se a lunc h b o x mad e fro m p lastic
o r allo y.

33

Japanese lacquer ware called Jojoji

If the s e ns i b i l i ti e s o f thi s w a y o f thi nki ng r e s o na te w i th yo u the n yo u

s ho ul d tr y a tr a d i ti o na l l y c r a fte d O b e nto l unc hb o x.
J a p a ne s e tr a d i ti o na l c r a fts c o m e w i th a p r i c e , b ut the y w i l l l a s t the
te s t o f ti m e a nd d e v e l o p c ha r a c te r . T he c o nte nts o f the O b e nto nutur e
o ur b o d y a nd the O b e nto c a n b e r e v e r e d a s a tr a ns p o r te r o f l i fe .

34

As nature aw akens betw een the periods of Winter and Spring, the sun's bright rays
reach our body and mind. At this time, w e take young leaves and shoots into our
body, sending a signal to our body clock.

Komatsuna with Seasame Dressing

K o matsuna is a lso kno w n as
Jap anes e musta rd s p inac h, a leafy
gre en v e geta b le, the o uter lea v es o f
a head fo rming p la nt o f the B ra ssica
rap a v arie ty. T his w a s a ne w v a riety
o f an exis ting v ege tab le c alled
K ukuta china and w as first cultiv ated
in the b eginning o f the E d o p e rio d in
a v illa ge called K o matsugaw a, in
the E d o d istrict o f T o kyo . T he p lace
name K o ma stsu w as giv e n to the
v egetab le as that w as w he re it w a s
p res ente d to Y o s himune S ho gun
d uring a fa lco nry festiv al.
It is mild ta sting and c an b e e a ten
raw o r c o o ke d .
It is also
rec o mmend ed to b e use d in he a lthy
v egetab le juice s.

Early Spring is the season w hen w e should eat buds and stems. Seasonal
asparagus has become more w idely available and makes an excellent ingredient for
Obento because it is easy to prepare and looks appealing.
As plants begin to sprout their beneficial properties are increased. Sprouted
broccoli and soybeans for example have know n anti cancer properties. When
purchasing food from a supermarket it is easy to forget that vegetables have seasons.
As w ith Shugendo, it is important to understand the natural rhythms and cycles of
life.

T he b e lo w rec ip e is fo r the d ish

se e n in the b ento lunc h b o x fe ature d
o n the le ft. T his is a sta p le in the
trad itio na l Ja p ane se d ie t.

lo ng s ectio ns starting fro m the s talks.

T o ma ke the d ress ing, crush the
sesa me se ed s in a s urib a chi ( a
Jap a nese mo rtar) . T o this a d d the
suga r and so y sa uce and s tir.
A d d the d res sing w hile gently
sep a rating the ko ma tsuna and to ss
w ell until co ated .

Ingredients
1 b unch o f K o matsuna o r o the r lea fy
v ege tab le such as sp inach (2 6 0 g)
3 tab le sp o o ns o f ses a me see d s
1 tab le sp o o n (o r less ) o f suga r
2 tab le sp o o ns o f so y sauc e
a p inc h o f sa lt
I'll make Obento with all my love.

Me tho d
F irst w ash the ko mtsuna . B o il w a ter
in a sauc ep an, then ad d a little salt.
A d d the ko ma tsuna still in a b unch,
p lac ing the s talks in first and b o il
lightly fo r 2 - 3 minutes . R inse in co ld
w a ter, d rain, and gently b ut firmly
sq ue eze o ut the w ate r. C ut into 3 c m
35

36

SHUGENDO life of a
company employee
By ZENYO (YOICHI) KAI
January 15, 2016

importance of each cultural background

especially w hen I respond to people
abroad. It is not enough to say lets do it
together - it takes more than that.
I have to explain my background in
Shugendo,
and often clarify my
view point on religion as w ell.
I hope that the follow ing article w ill help
demystify all your concerns about
Shugendo.

introduce this issue to our society:

Honzan-ha sect
Tozan-ha sect
The former is from Tendai- shu sect
) , the latter from Shingon- shu
sect. In this context, Daigo-ji temple kept
holding its traditional succession for
over one thousand years - since the
temple' s founder SHOBORIGEN
DAISHI ) A.D 832
909).
In the scheme of Shob's teaching, we could
say that Daigojis Shugendo is
almost colored with Shingon Esoteric
Buddhism ) . And also, it is
constructed based on the teaching system
called Saisho Ein Samaya-ho(
).
This is because Shobo had great reverence
and affection for KUKAI
KOBODAISHI )(A.D.
774835as well as ENNO-GYOJA
)(A.D. 634701).

2 . Teaching history and background

in my Shugendo
For the Shugendo Kyoshi, I believe I
should have mentioned that I entered
into Dempo Kanjo Dan ).
That is to say, I w as initiated
thoroughly in the Shugendo altar based
on the Esoteric Buddhism dogma at
Sambo-In temple ( in Shingonshu sects Daigo-ji complex.
Historically, people have placed us into
tw o main groups w hen they try to

1 .Introduction
Nine years have passed since I
acquired the title of SHUGENDO
KYOSHI ( ) ( Teacher of
Shugendo) at Daigo-ji Temple (
Kyoto Japan. In this article, I w ill
describe the Shugendo life of a company
employee.
My company name is Mitsubishi
Corporation LT, Inc. ( MCLOGI ) ,
w hich is a total logistics solution
provider for International business. As
you might note, my company is a
subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation
37

Trading
Company called Sogo Shosha ().
Thus, my daily life alw ays involves
communication w ith foreign countries. In
my case, those
Countries include: U. S. A. , Russia,
Estonia, Germany, and Thailand.
Fortunately, since my colleagues know
that our ancestral traditions and culture
provide a key to understanding the
Japanese w ay of thinking, it seems that
they are trying to understand my
SHUGENDO life as w ell. I do hope so
Meanw hile, I feel strongly about the
38

In another background of Shobo s

teaching, w e need to understand that he,
including Kukai s pupils, stayed in Nara
in order to study Mahayana
Buddhism at Todaijitemple and some dominant
temples there. Therefore, in their minds,
there w as alw ays Mikkyo
Esoteric Buddhism as the final stage that
Mahayana Buddhism evolved. They
w ere studying the Mahayana Buddhism
theory and logic there in order to truly
learn Mikkyo Esoteric Buddhism. The
study there, how ever, w as too academic.
There w as a large number of students
w ho w ere unsatisfied even though the
study level w as very high and w as
supported w ith the nation w ide scale.

Frankly, they, as monks, not as students,

could not find out any actual remedy for
people living in our society. At that time,
the students and monks unsatisfied w ith
Nara life w ere adoring Enno-Gyoja as a
legendary presence, and finally w ent into
Yama = Mountain. Their aim w as
very simple. They understood the fact
that Enno- Gyoja could make use of
Genriki divine pow ers in any
w ay he w ished through a psychic ability
he had gained by training in Mountains.
Therefore, there w as an important reason
that Shobo incorporated Shingon
Esoteric
Buddhism into Shugendo faith. Shobo
finally learned the answ er that, as one of
the faithful, he had long been w aiting for.

3 .M y typical weekday schedule

The introduction has become quite long. The follow ing is my typical w eekday
schedule:
03:30
03:40
04:20
04:25
04:45
05:25
06:00
07:25

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Wake up
Show er
Read a Shinto ritual prayer
Do stretching exercise
Religious service
Breakfast
Leave home
Arrive to the office

07:35
12:00
13:00
18:30
19:30
19:40
20:00
21:10

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Work
Lunch
Work
Leave the office
Arrive home
Religious service
Take a bath
Go to bed

4 .G ood ba la nce a mong w ork, fa mily, a nd S HUG E ND O

W he n p e o p l e s e e the a b o v e s c he d ul e , the y o fte n a s k: W he n d o yo u ta l k
w i th yo ur fa m i l y? Is i t a c tua l l y p o s s i b l e to d o s o ?
I c a n s a y, Y e s , I ha v e e no ugh ti m e to ta l k! B ut, I ha v e to c o nfe s s tha t
the r e a r e m a ny c ha l l e nge s tha t a r i s e a s I s tr i v e fo r thi s go a l .
M y w i fe i s e xtr e m e l y i m p o r ta nt i n thi s a r e a , a s no thi ng w o ul d b e
a c c o m p l i s he d w i tho ut he r unw a v e r i ng s up p o r t a nd und e r s ta nd i ng.
F o r thi s , I w a nt to i ntr o d uc e m y S hi s ho s te a c hi ngs
gi v e n to m e . T ha t i s H a ns o H a nzo ku ( ) , H a l f the c l e r gy,
H a l f the l a i ty .
A nd a l s o , m y S hi s ho us e d to s a y, F i r s t w o r k , S e c o nd
tr a i ni ng
, no T hi r d , a nd no F o ur th
In the ne xt e d i ti o n, I w i l l d e s c r i b e ho w I a m ta c kl i ng m y S huge nd o l i fe
m o r e a nd m o r e i nto e v e r y a s p e c t o f d a i l y r o uti ne s a s a c o m p a ny
e m p l o ye e . S ta y tune d
~ T o b e c o nti nue d ~
39

40

FROM EDITOR

NEW S & INFO RM ATIO N

Hangai and H okisen

Shugendo faces serious a situation in Japan. I w ant

you to take a look at tw o photos posted in this article.
Those specific items used to be carried by Shugendo
practitioners in the past. One is a hat called Hangai
( ) made w ith thin cedar board and the other is a
talisman called Hokisen( ) , made w ith tied
bamboo pieces and a peacock feather ( protecting
against evil spirits).

Here are 3 Shugen seminars Stephen

Hayes is offering this year. For some,
it is a bit soon to have detailed
information.
NPMAC for Protector of Strength
Seminar
Newbury Park, California
March 18th20th, 2016
http: / / npmac.com/ events/ stephen- khayes/
Boulder Quest
Boulder, Colorado
June 24-26, 2016
http://www.boulderquest.com/

But now adays, just a couple of craftsmen make

Hangai no more than a few dozen of them are
produced in a year. Hokisen had been discontinued all
together. It cannot be found in any catalogue because
there is no craftsmen left w ho can make it.
As Japan becomes an aging society w ith a falling
birthrate, it is difficult to maintain the supply of
traditional implements. Craftsmen cannot earn their
living because of a lack of successors in Shugendo.
This means w e w ill not be able to perform ritual
ceremony and practice in the near future.
Now Shugendo priests have to realize that they have to
change their w ay of thinking. Shugendo is not their
specialty because Shugenja ( ) w as originally a
practitioner of austerities as half priest and half layman.
They have to open the door of Shugendo for lay people
and foreigners. I believe the harmony w ith nature as the
starting point of Shugendo is a w orldw ide concept. I
hope this magazine w ill give Shugendo a chance to be
save, noticed and practiced, not only in Japan but to
connect like minded practitioners all over the w orld.
S ho kai K o shikid ake

18th Annual Mountain Quest

Blowing Rock, North Carolina
August 12-14, 2016
http://chquestcenter.com/
Stephen K. Hayes
Ohio, USA
Jinpen-Kosha Yamatake Ko (
) is a traditional
practitioners group of Shugendo in
Kyoto belonging to Shogoin Temple
(). We accept foreign
practitioners all from overseas and
teach basic manners of Shugendo. All
welcome. Feel free to join us If you
are interested.
Jiho Ohashi
johashi33@ gmail.com
Kyoto, Japan

Publisher, Hidehiro Yamakoshi

Chief Editor, Shokai Koshikidake
Associte Editor, Esther Waer
Translation & editing, Martin Faulks & Riko Schroer
We appreciate all volunteer staff thank you

Koryu Shugen Honshu (

) holds Mountain Training in May
27- 29 2016. If you are interested,
please contact us by mail. Furthers
details will be provided.
Shokai Koshikidake
shokai@ cronos.ocn.ne.jp
Yamagata, Japan
Contributions or letters to be
considered for inclusion in this
magazine.

41

42

Landscape of Shugendo
By Shokai Koshikidake

The daily drive along the road leading to my w orkplace is like a w arp drive
betw een dimensions. It is the link w hich connects my various roles such as
priest and television reporter. At home I pray. At w ork I report crime and
politics. The drive betw een my home and my w orkplace is necessary for me to
change my mental status.

Freeway to Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture.

I w rote the above on the 5th of January in 2011 w hen I just joined
Facebook. My situation now isn` t that much different. To practice
Shugendo is like this.
43