The secret of the "mountain warriors" yamabushi. Yamabushi-ninja teachers and their practices… Yamabushi and the secret of Shugendo numerology

Formed a free community and initially loosely associated with Buddhist shrines and monasteries.

History

Such ascetics were known in Japan under different names: kenja (jap. 賢者, "sage"), shugenja (jap. 修験者, "mountain hermit"). They were famous for their magical skills, revered as healers and mediums (jap. 神子, miko, "sorcerer"). As already noted, many of the yamabushi were adherents of the Shingon school - one of the branches of Vajrayana Buddhism, in accordance with the tenets of which Awakening can be gained through hermitage, self-contemplation, the study of nature and contemplation of the mandala. The Shingon and Tendai schools alike viewed the mountains as an ideal place for hermitage and contemplation of nature.

Martial arts

However, in their mountain retreats, the yamabushi monks did more than just contemplation. They also studied a number of martial arts, which was originally motivated by the need to protect themselves from mountain robbers. Subsequently, the yamabushi applied their skills by participating in the battles of the daimyo. All this brought yamabushi the glory of magnificent warriors.

Due to the increased reputation of the yamabushi as spiritual teachers and the good organization of their fraternity, many yamabushi spiritual leaders began to receive high spiritual ranks in the palace hierarchy, which, in turn, increased their political influence.

It is also believed that yamabushi practiced ninjutsu, and generally had fairly close ties with ninja, who were even hired to perform special assignments.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing Yamabushi

“We missed a little,” said the batman.
The headquarters was located three miles from Salzenek. Rostov, without going home, took a horse and rode to headquarters. In the village occupied by the headquarters, there was a tavern frequented by officers. Rostov arrived at the tavern; at the porch he saw Telyanin's horse.
In the second room of the tavern the lieutenant was sitting at a dish of sausages and a bottle of wine.
“Ah, and you stopped by, young man,” he said, smiling and raising his eyebrows high.
- Yes, - said Rostov, as if it took a lot of effort to pronounce this word, and sat down at the next table.
Both were silent; two Germans and one Russian officer were sitting in the room. Everyone was silent, and the sounds of knives on plates and the lieutenant's champing could be heard. When Telyanin had finished breakfast, he took a double purse out of his pocket, spread the rings with his little white fingers bent upwards, took out a gold one, and, raising his eyebrows, gave the money to the servant.
“Please hurry,” he said.
Gold was new. Rostov got up and went over to Telyanin.
“Let me see the purse,” he said in a low, barely audible voice.
With shifty eyes, but still raised eyebrows, Telyanin handed over the purse.
"Yes, a pretty purse... Yes... yes..." he said, and suddenly turned pale. “Look, young man,” he added.
Rostov took the wallet in his hands and looked at it, and at the money that was in it, and at Telyanin. The lieutenant looked around, as was his habit, and seemed to suddenly become very cheerful.
“If we’re in Vienna, I’ll leave everything there, and now there’s nowhere to go in these crappy little towns,” he said. - Come on, young man, I'll go.
Rostov was silent.
- What about you? have breakfast too? They are decently fed,” continued Telyanin. - Come on.
He reached out and took hold of the wallet. Rostov released him. Telyanin took the purse and began to put it into the pocket of his breeches, and his eyebrows casually rose, and his mouth opened slightly, as if he were saying: “Yes, yes, I put my purse in my pocket, and it’s very simple, and no one cares about this” .
- Well, what, young man? he said, sighing and looking into Rostov's eyes from under his raised eyebrows. Some kind of light from the eyes, with the speed of an electric spark, ran from Telyanin's eyes to Rostov's eyes and back, back and back, all in an instant.
“Come here,” said Rostov, grabbing Telyanin by the hand. He almost dragged him to the window. - This is Denisov's money, you took it ... - he whispered in his ear.
“What?… What?… How dare you?” What? ... - said Telyanin.
But these words sounded a plaintive, desperate cry and a plea for forgiveness. As soon as Rostov heard this sound of a voice, a huge stone of doubt fell from his soul. He felt joy, and at the same moment he felt sorry for the unfortunate man who stood before him; but it was necessary to complete the work begun.
“The people here, God knows what they might think,” muttered Telyanin, grabbing his cap and heading into a small empty room, “we need to explain ourselves ...
“I know it, and I will prove it,” said Rostov.
- I…
Telyanin's frightened, pale face began to tremble with all its muscles; his eyes still ran, but somewhere below, not rising to Rostov's face, and sobs were heard.
- Count! ... do not ruin the young man ... here is this unfortunate money, take it ... - He threw it on the table. - My father is an old man, my mother! ...
Rostov took the money, avoiding Telyanin's gaze, and, without saying a word, left the room. But at the door he stopped and turned back. “My God,” he said with tears in his eyes, “how could you do this?
“Count,” said Telyanin, approaching the cadet.
“Don’t touch me,” Rostov said, pulling away. If you need it, take this money. He threw his wallet at him and ran out of the inn.

In the evening of the same day, a lively conversation was going on at Denisov's apartment among the officers of the squadron.
“And I’m telling you, Rostov, that you need to apologize to the regimental commander,” said the tall staff captain, with graying hair, huge mustaches and large features of a wrinkled face, addressing the crimson red, agitated Rostov.
The staff captain Kirsten was twice demoted to the soldiers for deeds of honor and twice cured.
"I won't let anyone tell you I'm lying!" cried Rostov. He told me that I was lying, and I told him that he was lying. And so it will remain. They can put me on duty even every day and put me under arrest, but no one will make me apologize, because if he, as a regimental commander, considers himself unworthy of giving me satisfaction, then ...

and non-theatrical performances - as well as in many of their martial practices, a significant influence of the activities of mountain monks can be traced yamabushi, a specific social stratum that existed in Japan almost until the Meiji restoration. The basis of the teachings of yamabushi was shugendo, or "the path of gaining supernatural powers" - a system that allowed its adherents to develop physical and mental abilities to a phenomenal level that is inaccessible to an ordinary person.

It is generally accepted that at the origins of Japanese Shugendo lies liugaimen, or "the teaching of the poor monks" - practical and religious knowledge that came from China, which was created by wandering monks lyugai after the destruction of their monastery (there is a version that it was Shaolin). For survival and self-defense, they had to develop the skills of hand-to-hand combat, possession of weapons, disguise - that is, just what the ninja were later famous for. Once on the fertile Japanese soil, Lugaimen was transformed into Shugendo - a formally religious teaching, but in reality it is deeply practical.

Two schools of Buddhism that are directly related to yamabushi are widely known. This " Tendai"("Majesty of Heaven") and " Shingon"("The True Word"). They emphasized the path to achieving nirvana in different ways and influenced life in the country in various ways (for example, in the tenth century, Tendai was almost the main Buddhist school at the imperial court). But "sleeping in mountains" were actually not too interested in doctrinal differences - they perfected their bodies and spirits, acquiring beliefs and Taoism, and Japanese Shinto.

The creator of Shugendo is considered En no Ozuno, or En no Gyoja("ascetic") who lived in the 7th century (634-703). Myths tell about his incredible deeds - flights, summoning demons, devils and spirits. Even many years after his death, he was so popular that he was subsequently canonized as a great bodhisattvas- the enlightened one who abandoned nirvana for the sake of helping all living beings.

How did the adherents of Shugendo try - shugenja- reach the specified level of development? Their exercises included various types of meditation, the recitation of special sutra prayers, special shamanistic rites, as well as completely exotic practices, such as austerities of water and fire.
An example is the ritual taki-sugyo, or standing under a waterfall - a cliché that is quite hackneyed in American films. In fact, such standing is not a way to relax, since a wall of icy water falling on the crown of the head and shoulders for several hours, or even days, does not at all contribute to a pleasant pastime. Another example is walking on coals ( hivatari matsuri), which is just as different from trampling a tipsy company of sparks spilled from the barbecue, as well as the previous ritual from a warm shower. About daily overcoming a thirty-kilometer distance over rough terrain for several months in a row ( kaihogyo) it doesn't even make sense to write.

Such seemingly unbearable self-torture developed the will and endurance of the shugenja to incredible limits. Daily presence on the border between life and death helped the "mountain sages" survive in those years when shugendo turned out to be banned, and the hunt was declared on the adepts themselves (VII-VIII centuries). Forest chapels " sanrindojo"were subjected to raids by government troops, and the ascetics had to defend themselves. So the image of a yamabushi armed almost to the teeth - with a halberd, sword and other military body kit - became almost canonical for many centuries to come, and the name" sleeping in the mountains"even became erroneously translated as" mountain warriors".

The Yamabushi were a formidable military force. Their skills in hand-to-hand and armed combat, the art of disguise and guerrilla warfare formed the basis of ninja skills, and the image became closely associated with tengu- mountain and forest demons, masters of martial arts. But not military power, but the proximity of the mountain sages to the people (even the upper class) and the benefits they bring as traveling healers, teachers and advisers, practically forced the military and ecclesiastical government to leave the "sleeping in the mountains" alone, and soon the vagrants-yamabushi became a common sight in towns and villages.

It is from practice shugendo, in particular elemental austerities - water and fire - myths were born about the ability of ninjas to breathe fire, freeze water under their feet and do other things incomprehensible to the mind. Today we consider this a fiction, but one thing is for sure - without proper hardening of the body and spirit, the ninja would never have become such a terrible and mysterious force that played a serious role in the development of the Japanese state.

Yamabushi mantra

Bearded gaijins practice rituals misogi And taki-sugyo

"The Way of a Holy Man" is an ancient teaching that emphasizes asceticism, life in the mountains, harmony between Man and Nature for the development of spiritual experience and strength. This doctrine arose in the 7th century, developed in the 12th-14th centuries. En-no-Gyoja or En-no-Ozuna is considered the founder of Shugendo. The center of Shugendo is the Kimpusen-ji Monastery in Yoshino City.

Shugendo venerates the sacred mountains, the most significant of which are Omine and Kumano on the Kii Peninsula and the three mountains of Dewa. Since ancient times, the mountains have been revered as places of origin or residence of the gods - "kami". Legends gradually began to form about the sacred mountains. Seclusion in mountainous areas for the purpose of meditation was widely practiced in the middle of the Heian period (794-1185).

Shugendo followers are divided into two groups - SHUGENJA (修験者 ) - "holy man" and YAMABUSHI (山伏 ), - "warrior-priest".

In Shugendo, the devas of Buddhism were most revered, which included the national Japanese demons, Saito Musashibo Benkei and the White-haired Sojobo - the king of the tengu, who at the same time competed with each other.

According to the teachings, Yamabushi and Shugenja themselves had to become like tengu in order to achieve the goal of improving their bodies. Retiring to the mountains and leading a hermitic life, they acquired some of the skills of the tengu. But they did not remain idle, like the Taoists, but subjected themselves to sophisticated training according to the Wu Xing system - 5 elements, sat for hours under mountain waterfalls, walked on burning coals, etc.

As a result, yamabushi and shugenja became tengu themselves.

However, according to popular belief, after death, only an angry and proud person could turn into a tengu. “Tengu-ni-naru” (You will become Tengu!) - this is what the Japanese said, asking someone to moderate their arrogance.

By the end of the Kamakura era, Tengu becomes the main literary means for criticizing and exposing the sinfulness of the clergy, the defender of Dharma (the laws of Buddhism).

Often in legends, Yamabushi were presented as teachers of future great warriors. Many samurai, the founders of the Ryu schools, claimed to have been miraculously wise with the advice coming from the Tengu. Sometimes it happened in a dream, sometimes during a voluntary departure to the mountains in order to accept the hardships while searching for the “Way” (Do).

Minamoto no Yoshitsune (one of Japan's greatest warriors) learned the art of handling a sword from the tengu king Sojobo in such a way that it allowed him, as a very young youth, to defeat the warrior monk Benkei, who, armed with a naginata, tried to prevent him from crossing the Togo bridge.

« One evening, a strange-looking yamabushi appeared from the darkness and offered to teach the guy the secrets
fencing. The fearless Usivaka-maru cried out; "Let's start right now!" Suddenly throwing himself at the strange monk, he never managed to land a single blow on him. Ushiwaka-maru asked the yamabushi to teach him. Since then, every night the boy took lessons from Master Shojobo and his pack of tengu. By the age of twelve, Usivaka-maru could already fight back even the strongest tengu - now he was ready to leave the mountains».

Tengu is the patron saint of martial arts. He is a skilled warrior and a mischievous prankster, especially inclined to arrange all sorts of dirty tricks for arrogant and boastful Buddhist monks. Punishes those who abuse knowledge and power to gain fame or an influential position in society. In the old days, tengu were also skillful in punishing self-righteous and conceited samurai. They hate braggarts and vicious people.Occasionally, they serve as mentors in the art of war and strategy to people they deem worthy. Also, noble tengu act as protectors of holy people and temples.

The presence of drawings with images of tengu can be found in hundreds of treatises and instructions on kenjutsu, ninjutsu, jujutsu and other traditional Japanese budo schools, which confirms the significant influence of tengu on the martial arts of Japan.

In the myths and legends of Japan, it is mentioned that tengu were descended from the original Japanese deity - Susano-o.

In Chinese mythology, there is a similar creature called Tianhou. According to one version, the Chinese Tianhou got its name as a result of a huge meteorite that once fell on China, the plume from which resembled a hefty tail. Thus arose a legend about a powerful mountain deity, which outwardly resembled a hybrid of a man and a dog with a crow's beak.

Many yamabushi were adherents of the Shingon school, one of the branches of esoteric Buddhism, according to the tenets of which enlightenment can be gained through hermitage, self-contemplation, the study of nature and contemplation of the mandala. The Shingon and Tendai schools alike viewed the mountains as an ideal place for hermitage and contemplation of nature.

Tengu-yamabushi has the appearance of a winged, red-faced creature of enormous stature with a long nose.
Supernatural abilities allow tengu to turn into a human and take on the appearance of various animals, talk to people without opening their mouths, instantly move from one place to another without using their wings for this, and penetrate other people's dreams.Despite the fact that tengu has wings, in fairy tales he flies with the help of a wave of a magic fan.

The magical raccoon "tanuki" and the fox "kitsune" are also manifestations of the tengu's animal nature.

Subsequently, the yamabushi applied their skills by participating in the battles of the daimyo. All this brought the yamabushi the glory of magnificent warriors, many yamabushi spiritual leaders began to receive high spiritual ranks in the palace hierarchy, which, in turn, increased their political influence.

During the Nanboku-cho period, the yamabushi began to organize themselves into special detachments, controlled from the head monasteries of the schools of Buddhism, to which the hermit warriors belonged. They assisted Emperor Go Daigo in his efforts to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate, while demonstrating a martial prowess that could take on a professional samurai army.

During the Sengoku period, yamabushi were present among the advisers at the courts and armies of almost all sovereign Japanese rulers. Some of them joined the Takeda Shingen to help Oda Nobunaga in the fight against Uesuga Kenshin in 1568, while others, including Abbot Sessai Chōro, were advisors to the court of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Many fought against Nobunaga, who defeated the yamabushi, putting an end to the rule of warrior monks.

The Yamabushi were excellent with bows and swords, favoring the naginata.

During the Edo period, it was believed that yamabushi could exorcise demons, cure illnesses, and return stolen items, "A tengu speaks without opening his mouth, a tengu wins by using the magical power that he has in abundance, or due to physical or mental superiority over a person who I dared to challenge him."

Yamabushi were adherents of complete merging with nature, and initially the ninjutsu schools had nothing to do with military organizations, but over time they became more famous and more dangerous than Yamabushi.

For many centuries, it was believed that tengu passed on unclean demonic power and skills to the ninja, who taught their descendants to walk on fire without burning their feet, swim in icy water, sleep in the snow and control the weather. It was believed that ninjas could call on the help of spirits, use their power, and the samurai believed that ninjas fly on clouds, become invisible, read the thoughts of the enemy and stop time.

Karasu (raven) is the most ancient type of tengu and quite often a hieroglyph included in the name of the ninja clan. It was they who were depicted by painters in the form of crow-like creatures, with a human body, with strong teeth capable of biting iron swords and spearheads. It was believed that these tengu guarded the forests in which they lived with special trepidation, and tore apart people engaged in thoughtless cutting down of trees.

Tengu possess the "Divine Fighting Technique" - "Tengu-gaijutsu-ron" and it was this technique that was used by Shugenja, who later became Ninja warriors, wearing black clothes and a mask - Tengu-gi. The mask was used to disguise and intimidate the enemy, giving the appearance of their owners demonic features.

Occasionally, ninja were called by the Chinese term "lin kuei" - "demons of the forest." Ninja represented their dark world, which was personified by forest chapels, mikkyo temples and the cult of darkness. The art of the ninja, their martial prowess and strength were attributed to communication with Miryoku-dark forces, yurei demons, oni demons, and tengu werewolf devils. The shadow warriors themselves supported these superstitions in every possible way, trying to strengthen just such a perception of the ninja in the eyes of the enemy, because the superstition that gives rise to fear became another formidable weapon in their arsenal.

Yamabushi dressed like this less often, wore baggy clothes, grew their hair, preferred the color yellow-orange.

Tengu are not all kind, they are often malicious, mocking creatures, seeking to harm people every time. These are cruel deceivers, causing fires, inciting wars, and also kidnapping small children. The latter is apparently due to the fact that yamabushi, like ninja, lived in clans deep in the forests, and as you know, such schools were accepted in rather strange ways. Any art in Japan should be studied from an early age and it is desirable that this person does not have sympathetic relatives, because the theft of children in many such clans was justified from their point of view.

Belief in the power of the tengu was so strong that even in 1860 the Japanese government sent them an official petition to vacate the provinces through which the shogun passed, and in 1872, Shugendo was banned by Shimbutsu-benri, a law on the separation of Buddhism and Shintoism.

Under the Statute of Religions 1945 (shukyo hojinrei), Shugendo was again allowed, and activity was permitted under one's own name without the cover of Buddhist schools. In particular, the sub-schools of Honzan-ha (Tendai) and Tozan-ha (Shingon) were classified as Shugendo. But, of course, they are no longer the ones that were in the legends.

Unfortunately, the magical secrets of both the yamabushi and the ninja shugenja have remained shrouded in mystery. But they are the most popular characters in historical films and shonen anime. (Here, in particular, in the “Demon-Eyed Kyo” that I am currently viewing, it is about this).

The word "shugendo" is written in three characters. "Shu" (or "osameru") means "to master, improve, exercise, study." "Gen" (or "ken", "shirushi") - "a sign, an obvious manifestation, an effect, a miraculous deed." And “do” (or “miti”) is the “way” (the universal Law of life, the main principle). In general, Shugendo can be interpreted as "the way to acquire supernatural powers and perform miraculous deeds through magical practice."

Shugendo is not meant to be some formalized religion with its own doctrine, but a naturally developed syncretic form of beliefs. Its core was the ancient Shinto (Shinto - "the way of the gods" - the Japanese national religion, which is based on the cult of nature and the spirits of ancestors) beliefs. Later, they were superimposed on the ideas of religious mystical Taoism, esoteric Buddhism, the teachings about the principles of the universe of Yin and Yang (onmyodo).

A special place in Shugendo is occupied by the concept of mountains as sacred objects, "places of power". Since ancient times, mountains have occupied an important place in the religious beliefs of the Japanese. First, they were seen as the dwelling places of the gods, who distributed the water so necessary for agriculture. Secondly, the Japanese believed that the souls of the dead lived in the mountains. Thirdly, among the mountains there are volcanoes that embody colossal energy. Under the influence of Buddhism, the Japanese had an idea about the connection of volcanoes with the valleys of hell.

The Japanese believed that religious practice in the mountains allowed one to gain miraculous magical powers. On this basis, a special doctrine of magical and religious practice in the mountains, Shugendo, developed. Its original purpose, like many similar systems on the globe, is to put the forces of nature at the service of man. This is expressed in the ability to heal diseases, cast out evil spirits, predict fate, give long-term weather forecasts, determine the time of sowing, etc. Somewhat later, under the influence of esoteric Buddhism, the followers of Shugendo began to consider their ascetic practice as a way to realize the essence of the Buddha in "this body."

En-no gyoja - the founder of Shugendo

According to tradition, the founder of Shugendo is En no Ozunu, better known as En no Gyoja - the Hermit En no (634-703). Information about this person is very scarce. The oldest mention of him is in the chronicle "Shoku Nihongi", created in 797, which briefly refers to the exile of En no Ozunu to the distant island of Izu as punishment for the fact that he "seduced people through magic." The collection Nihon Ryoiki (Nihon Gempo Zen'aku Ryoiki), compiled at the turn of the 8th - 9th centuries, tells much more about En-no Gyoja. The Nihon Ryoiki says the following about En no gyoja: "E-no Ubasoku came from the Kamo no Enokimi family. Now [this family] is called Takakamo no Asomi. He was born in the village of Chihara, in the district of Katsuragi no Kami from Yamato Province. From birth, he was wise, was the first in learning and lived with faith in the Three Treasures. He dreamed of flying on a five-color cloud beyond the edge of the immense sky, being called to the palace of mountain hermits, resting in the Garden of Eternity, lying among flowers and breathing life-giving Therefore, when he was already about 50 years old, he settled in a cave, wove clothes from herbs, drank dew from pine needles, bathed in clean springs, washing off the dirt of the world of desires and cast Kujakuo spells. , commanded the spirits and gods.

One day he called the devils to the gods and told them this: "Build a bridge in the province of Yamato between the mountains of Kane and Katsuragi." The gods were saddened, and under the sovereign, who ruled the Celestial Empire from the Fujiwara palace, the god of Mount Katsuragi named Hitokoto Nushi no Okami went crazy and slandered him: "E-no Ubasoku wants to overthrow the sovereign." The sovereign ordered his people to seize him, but he performed a miracle, and they could not catch him in any way. Then they grabbed his mother. In order to let her go, E-no Ubasoku gave himself away. He was exiled to the island of Izu.

One day he walked on the sea as if on dry land. He climbed a mountain ten thousand jo high and flew there like a phoenix. During the day, by the will of the sovereign, he remained on the island, and at night he went to Mount Fuji in Suruga and ascetic there. In order to beg for release from heavy punishment and to be closer to the sovereign, he climbed Mount Fuji along the blade of the sword.

3 sad years have passed since [Ubasoka] was exiled to the island. And then a voice of compassion was heard, and in the 1st moon of the 1st year of the Taiho era, in the 8th year of the Ox, he was able to approach the sovereign. In the end he became a saint and ascended to heaven ... ".

With the spread and intensification of the shugendo movement, En-no gyoja turned into one of the most popular heroes of Japanese folklore, and much later, in 1799, he was canonized as a bodhisattva Jinben-daibosatsu - the Great Bodhisattva, capable of reincarnating in any body.

The followers of En no gyoja, who retired to the mountains for ascetic practice, were called "yamabushi" - "sleeping in the mountains" (other names: "yama no hijiri" - "mountain sages"; "shugenja" - "practicing to acquire magical abilities ”, “shugyosha” - “engaged in ascetic practice”; “gyoja” - “practicing”). Not all of them remained permanently in the mountains, leading the life of hermits in the full sense of the word. The vast majority climbed the mountains only occasionally. The rest of the time they either stayed in shugendo-related temples or wandered, sometimes wandering into the most remote corners of Japan. Gradually, they acquired adherents from among the laity. When the time came to climb the holy mountains, yamabushi served as guides and mentors for them in comprehending the mysteries of mountain hermitage. Such yamabushi became known as "sendatsu".

The influence of the yamabushi was not limited to a narrow circle of adherents. They were welcome guests in any village or peasant family, where they cast spells at the patient’s bed in order to expel the evil spirits that caused the disease from his body, and with spells they helped to bring rain, which is so necessary in the dry season, or, on the contrary, pacify the raging elements. From the lips of the yamabushi, people comprehended the beginnings of Buddhist doctrine, learned about good and bad numbers, favorable and unfavorable directions, and other ideas of Taoism and Buddhism. Yamabushi were healers, sages endowed with supernatural knowledge. And also entertaining storytellers, from whom the peasants learned many interesting legends and stories about miracles, outstanding actors who played a variety of roles during the story. In other words, the yamabushi were close to the common people, and it was this closeness that made them the conductors of the Buddha's teachings wherever they appeared.

Since Shugendo is a type of folk religion, it has never had a unified doctrine and has always been extremely loose in general. Suffice it to say that some yamabushi groups associate themselves with the national Japanese religion of Shinto, others with Buddhism, and still others claim that Shugendo is an independent religion. At the same time, they also break up into separate schools. For example, the two most important branches of "Buddhist" Shugendo are honzan-ha and tozan-ha. The honzan-ha is associated with the Tendai school, and the tozan-ha is associated with Shingon. And yet, speaking of Shugendo, it is worth briefly dwelling on the basics of the doctrine of the Shingon school, since it is precisely this school that is in the best way consistent with the system of psychophysical training that developed in Shugendo, and later passed into ninjutsu.

Doctrine of Esoteric Buddhism Shingon

The Shingon (True Word) school was founded by the monk Kukai in the first half of the 9th century. It belongs to the so-called esoteric, or tantric, Buddhism (jap. Mikkyo - “secret teaching”). What is Esoteric Buddhism? Esoteric Buddhism is the doctrine of the unity of man, nature and the great omnipotent and omniscient Buddha Dainichi. The task of a person is to reveal in himself the true nature of Dainiti - the Great Sun, and then he will be able to break out of the vicious circle of rebirth and suffering and achieve heavenly bliss in nirvana. This can be achieved in different ways, but esoteric Buddhism preaches asceticism, which allows you to reveal the true nature during one life. This asceticism consists in performing various rituals, which constitute the main secret of the “secret teaching”.

Kukai, in his treatise "The Meaning [of the Words] 'To Become a Buddha in This Body'" wrote:

[Between] the six great [elements] there are no barriers
and [they] are forever in yoga.
The four kinds of mandalas are not separated from each other.
If you follow the three "secret" kaji,
The [Three Buddha Bodies] are quickly revealed.
Everything that is in the nets of Indra is called "in this body."

These lines contain the quintessence of the Shingon teachings. But to understand them, you need to get acquainted with the ideas of the "secret doctrine" (mikkyo) about the universe.

In mikkyo, the various bodies that exist in the universe are considered in three aspects - "body", "sign" and "action".

The "body" is the material body as such. If we take a rose flower as an example, then this category refers to the flower itself.

"Sign" is the form, appearance of a thing. Rose flowers come in many shapes, colors and sizes. This is their sign.

“Action” is the actions of material bodies. For example, a rose bud opens, a flower blossoms.

So, in mikkyo, all matter present in the universe is considered from three sides - “body”, “sign” and “action”. And the universe itself also has these three facets.

According to the teachings of mikkyo, the “body”-universe consists of 6 structure-forming components, which are called “six great elements”. These are "earth" (ji), "water" (sui), "fire" (ka), "wind" (fu), "emptiness" (ku) and "consciousness" (shin). "Earth", "water", "fire", "wind" and "emptiness" are called the "five great elements". They constitute material existence. At the same time, "earth" is something solid; "water" - liquid, flowing down; "fire" - burning, rising up; "wind" - that which moves (air); "emptiness" is space.

“Consciousness” or psyche, mental “actions” is added to the 5 great elements. It embodies the spiritual being. Thus, the universe consists not only of matter, but our psyche, consciousness, is initially present in it.

"6 great elements" do not exist on their own, separately, they are, as it were, "fused" into each other.

In order to “become a Buddha in this body”, that is, to realize the highest enlightenment that takes a person beyond the scope of rebirth and earthly suffering, one needs to comprehend this “true body” of the universe, which at the same time is the body of the great Buddha Dainichi.

Further, from the point of view of the “sign”, the universe is considered in 4 hypostases, which are expressed by 4 mandalas. Mandala (jap. mandara) is the most important object of worship for mikkyo Shingon. In fact, this is a schematic representation of the universe, on which buddhas are placed in a certain order with the great Buddha Dainichi in the center.

There are 4 types of mandalas. On the "Great Mandala" the structure of the universe is represented in the images of the buddhas. It includes two mandalas - the “diamond world mandala” (Kongo-kai mandara) and the “womb world mandala” (Taizo-kai mandara). The "Samaya-mandala" depicts the symbols of the Buddhas, swords, jewelry rings, lotus flowers, which are the "signs" of the facets of the universe. The "seed-words" of the buddhas are depicted on the "Dharma-mandala". These are Sanskrit letters that also symbolize the facets of the universe. On the "Karma-mandala" the "deeds" of the buddhas are symbolically depicted.

The true “sign” of the universe is expressed on the mandalas in 4 forms, i.e. the true "sign" of Dainiti). The universe is one, therefore 4 mandalas are called in Shingon "4 inseparable [from each other] mandalas."

So, the universe consists of 6 structural components and has 4 hypostases.

According to Buddhist teachings, our daily actions, our whole life, are actions of the body, language and mind. With the help of the body we move, with the help of the mouth we speak, with the help of the mind we think. This is called "three deeds", and "deed" is karma, i.e. causal relationship of phenomena.

In mikkyo, the "three deeds" are called the "three secrets". "Three mysteries" are "mystery of the body", "mystery of speech", "mystery of thought". Hence the conclusion follows: “If a practitioner of Shingon comprehends the meanings of“ secrets ”, he joins his hands in mudra, pronounces“ true words ”, plunges into samadhi (moving away from empty thoughts, calms and puts his thoughts in order) and, since thanks to“ three secrets" gains support, quickly achieves what he wants. Joining hands in mudras (the “secret of the body”), pronouncing “true words” (“the secret of speech”) and praying with the thought of your “revered” Buddha (“the secret of thought”) is called the kaji of the “three secrets”.

"Wise" (Japanese ketsuin - "connected seal") refers to certain body postures and hand gestures, leg positions, interlacing of fingers, head turns, reproducing the magical gestures of Buddha Dainichi. A special plexus of fingers, according to the traditional version, leads to the closure of energy channels, thanks to which a person gets the opportunity to “connect” to the inexhaustible energy of the universe.

"Mantra" (Jap. jumon - "spell") is a magical verbal formula, usually devoid of any meaning and reproducing a fragment of Dainichi's speech. As a rule, this is a set of different sounds. In mantras, it is not the meaning of the words that is important, but the very pronunciation of sounds that cause special vibrations in the human body, which, according to modern scientists, affect the brain and spinal cord, changing the mental state of a person.

"Prayer with the thought of a revered Buddha" uses the power of consciousness - nenriki, which is truly enormous. It is nenriki that is the most important factor in familiarizing with the true nature of Dainiti. Mudra, mantra and nenriki should always be combined in the ritual action of a follower of Shingon, since they reflect 3 equally inherent aspects of Dainichi.

The word "kaji" literally means "adding and preserving". It expresses a double effort: the effort of Dainichi to enlighten people (ka) and the effort of people to perceive the teachings of Dainichi and keep in themselves (ji). Mudra, mantra and nenriki are called "kaji of the three secrets" in Shingon. This means that in all of them the forces of Dainiti and man are combined.

Through the kaji of the three secrets, the follower of the mikkyo becomes one with the great soul of the universe, which is expressed through the "6 great [elements]" and 4 mandalas and can acquire the ability to work miracles. In mikkyo, the fact that with the help of the kaji of the three secrets one can perform miracles is called the "kaji of the three powers." The three powers are the power of the Buddha's desire to save a person, the power of prayer to save sentient beings, and the power that pervades the universe.

The essence of the kaji of the three forces can be explained in this way: performing the ritual of the kaji of the three secrets, the practitioner connects the three forces mentioned above, and the internal energy that overwhelms us finds the right outlet and splashes out, giving birth to a miracle inaccessible to an ordinary person. Thanks to the three secrets, a person quickly becomes a Buddha in this body, i.e. In this life.

It is important to emphasize that the essence of mikkyo cannot be understood by limiting ourselves to the accumulation of knowledge about it and the study of dogmatics. It can only be comprehended through one's own mystical experience with the help of sincere prayers and practice.

Kukai wrote: “Buddha Dharma (the wisdom of enlightenment) is not somewhere far away, it is close, in the heart. True "suchness" (the principle of enlightenment) is not somewhere outside of us, so why seek it by dropping our body? If we have both delusions and enlightenment, then we will gain enlightenment by awakening thoughts about it in ourselves. Light and dark (light is enlightenment, dark is delusion) is not in someone else, so if you practice, you will immediately gain enlightenment.

Fudo-myo - the main deity of Shugendo

Shugendo followers worship a variety of gods and buddhas. In fact, they seek to draw strength from any available source. True, different associations of yamabushi that have developed around different sacred mountains have their own preferences. But almost all of them worship Fudo-myo.

Fudo-myo, in Sanskrit - Achalanatha, means "fixed king of light" or "fixed protector." The Japanese since ancient times believed in him as a Buddha who works miracles. In the temples of the Shingon school, the statue of Fudo-myo is placed to the left of the statue of Buddha Dainichi, to the right is the image of the Great Teacher Kobo, i.e. Kukaya. Fudo-myo symbolizes the wisdom of Dainichi, and the Great Teacher Kobo symbolizes compassion.

Who is Fudo-myo, what place does he occupy among the numerous buddhas?

Unlike Christianity, where there is only one absolute god, Buddhism has an innumerable number of Buddhas. There are 410 Buddhas on the Womb World mandala, and 1461 Buddhas on the Diamond World mandala. According to Buddhists, the number of sentient beings that the buddhas have to save is unlimited, so the number of buddhas is also unlimited.

In mikkyo, all buddhas are divided into 4 groups.

1) Buddhas themselves (tathagatas; Japanese butsu). These buddhas are called "bodies that turn the Wheel of Dharma by themselves." Because they preach the Buddha Fa to themselves, their teachings are incomprehensible to people.

2) Bodhisattvas (bosatsu). They are called "bodies that turn the Wheel of True Dharma." Bodhisattvas achieve enlightenment, but they do not become Buddhas and preach the True Law of the Buddha to living beings.

3) "Light kings" (myo). They are called "the bodies that turn the Wheel of Dharma at the command." They are messengers who, by order of the tathagatas, are engaged in enlightenment activities. If bodhisattvas have calm facial expressions, then the “bright kings” have a formidable look that will frighten anyone. They show their angry face to the worst living beings who are deaf to the teachings of the bodhisattvas, save them, although they make them tremble with fear. This is a manifestation of the pity of the “bright kings”. This group also includes Fudo-myo.

4) Gods (ten). Initially, these were Brahmin and Hindu deities, but later they entered the mikkyo pantheon. There is no strictly defined place for them on the mandalas, therefore they are said to “turn the Wheel of Dharma freely”, i.e. preach the Buddha Fa whenever they want.

So the Buddhas are divided into 4 groups. Tathagatas occupy a leading position in the hierarchy. Bodhisattvas are saints who lead sentient beings with the power of compassion. "Light kings", being the messengers of the Tathagatas, by force save living beings who are difficult to convert. The gods are senior over people who easily become advisers to people.

Among the tathagatas, Dainiti occupies the main place. Since he turns the "Wheel of Dharma by himself", his teachings are very deep and incomprehensible to people. Therefore, he has messengers who preach the Dharma and save sentient beings. Among the "light kings" his "representative" is Fudo-myo. It is he who "turns the Wheel of Dharma at the behest" of Dainichi. At the same time, he is the "transformed" body of Dainiti. This means that the "true body" of Fudo-myo is the great Buddha Dainichi.

Traditionally, Fudo-myo is depicted sitting on a huge stone, flames behind him, a sword in his right hand, a net in his left, a formidable expression on his face.

Fudo-myo is Dainichi's servant. No matter how dirty work he does, he is always determined to move forward himself and lead sentient beings, which he successfully copes with. He assumes the form of a servant with an angry face in order to lead the worst people to the right path, who cannot be saved by the power of the compassion of a bodhisattva. Fudo-myo slashes delusional enemies with a sharp sword, and “catches” bad people with a net and awakens in them thoughts of faith. Behind Fudo-myo, tongues of fire. This is called "being in the fiery samadhi" (enlightened state). Fire burns all delusions and bad karma. Perhaps this is the fire of hell. And Fudo-myo stands at the entrance to it to prevent living beings from falling into it. Buddhists believe that those who go to hell cannot be saved. Therefore, instead of living beings falling into it, Fudo-myo burns itself in hellfire. Fudo-myo is on a huge stone, and this stone symbolizes what hell is made of, where nothing is born. Buddhas usually sit on lotus flowers. The lotus flower shows its face from the mud and symbolizes enlightenment. But Fudo-myo sits on a stone, and this is a symbol of the fact that, being in hell, it is impossible to become a Buddha, and if a person goes to hell, there is no salvation for him.

Thus, behind the frightening formidable face of Fudo-myo lies the boundless great compassion of Dainichi.

Yamabushi practice

As already mentioned, doctrinal issues for yamabushi were far from being the main thing. Much more important for them was real ascetic practice and its result – miraculous possibilities. And this needs to be discussed in more detail, since, according to some historians of ninjutsu, it was the practice of yamabushi that served as the basis for the ninja training system.

What was the practice of Shugendo? As religious exercises, Shugendo used many techniques of esoteric Buddhism: special types of meditation, reading sutras, prayers to guardian deities, and repetition of magical formulas of dharani. But there were also special, specific forms of Shugendo austerity. The following excerpt from the Heike Monogatari gives some idea of them: “At the age of nineteen, Mongaku took the veil as a monk. moon, he went to a bamboo thicket, at the foot of a nearby mountain. The sun burned mercilessly, not the slightest breath of breeze was felt, the motionless air seemed to freeze. To test himself, Mongaku lay down on the ground and lay motionless. Bees, gadflies, mosquitoes and many other poisonous insects swarmed around him, biting and stinging. But Mongaku did not even move. So he lay for seven days in a row, on the eighth day he got up and asked: "Will you have such patience to become an ascetic and an ascetic?"

- No ascetic could compare with you! - was the answer.

"Then there's nothing to talk about!" Mongaku exclaimed. Confident in his abilities, he set out on a journey through the holy places. He set his feet first in Kumano, deciding to test himself at the famed Nachi Falls. For the first test in the ascetic life, he went down to the foot of the waterfall to bathe in the pond. It was the middle of the twelfth moon. Deep snow covered the ground, icicles of ice downed the trees. The streams in the valleys fell silent, icy whirlwinds blew from the mountain peaks. The light threads of the waterfall froze, turning into clusters of white icicles, everything around was dressed in a white veil, but Mongaku did not hesitate for a moment - he went down to the reservoir, entered the water and, plunging up to his neck, began to pray, calling on the bright god Fudo in the holy Sanskrit language. Thus he remained for four days in a row; but on the fifth day his strength dried up, his consciousness became clouded. The jets of the waterfall with a deafening roar fell from a height of several thousand jo; the current pushed Mongaku and carried him far downstream. His body was tossed from side to side, he stumbled on sharp, like a sword blade, breaks in the cliffs, but suddenly an unearthly youth appeared next to him. Grabbing Mongaku by the arms, he pulled him out of the water. Eyewitnesses, in awe, kindled a fire in order to warm the martyr. And it is clear that Mongaku's hour of death has not yet struck, because he has come to life. As soon as consciousness returned to him, he opened his eyes and, glaring fiercely at those around him, shouted: “I swore to stand twenty-one days under the streams of a waterfall and appeal to the bright god Fudo three hundred thousand times! It's only the fifth day now. Who dared to bring me here?"

At the sound of his angry speeches, people's hair stood on end with fear; amazed, they did not come up with an answer. Mongaku again plunged into the water and continued his vigil. The next day, eight youths-celestials appeared; they tried to pull Mongaku out of the water, but he violently resisted them and refused to move. Yet on the third day his breath stopped again. This time two unearthly youths descended from the top of the waterfall; consecrating the water around Mongaku, they rubbed his body from head to toe with warm, fragrant hands. Breath returned to Mongak, and he asked, as if through a dream:

- You took pity on me ... Who are you?

- Our names are Kongara and Seitaka, "we are the messengers of the bright god Fudo and came here at his command," the young men answered.

- Tell me, where to find the bright god Fudo? Mongaku asked in a loud voice.

“He dwells in the sky of Tusita!” - answered the young men, soared up to the sky and disappeared into the clouds. Mongaku looked up at the heavens and, clasping his hands in prayer, exclaimed:

“Now God Fudo himself knows about my obedience!”

His heart was filled with hope, his soul became light, he again entered the water and continued the test. But now, when the god himself turned his gaze to him, the icy wind no longer chilled his body, and the water falling from above seemed pleasant and warm. So he fulfilled his vow to Mongaku, spending 21 days in prayer. But even after that, he continued to lead the life of an ascetic. He traveled all over the country, climbed Omine Peak three times and Katsuragi twice, visited the peaks of Koya, Kokawa, Kimbusen, Shiroyama and Tateyama, climbed Mount Fuji, visited temples in Hakone and Izu, climbed Togakushi Peak in the province of Shinano and on Mount Haguro in the land of Dewa. When he visited all these holy places, longing for his native land took possession of his soul and he returned to the capital. Now it was a holy monk, undaunted and hard as a well-tempered sword. It was said that his prayer was capable of causing a bird flying in the sky to suddenly fall to the ground.

This passage perfectly expresses the essence of yamabushi training. Each "practice" for them is a challenge to the limits of human strength, will and faith. This is a training on the verge of life and death. Few managed to go this way ... But those who endured became incredible people - with an unbending will, with an indestructible body, with supernatural abilities ...

The basis of the practice of yamabushi was long pilgrimages to the holy mountains. In fact, they made up the whole life of the most orthodox ascetics. During these pilgrimages, the followers of Shugendo visited various places of power: waterfalls, sacred ponds and lakes, bizarre peaks where the gods lived - kami. And they performed various rituals and rituals there, in the hope that the kami and buddhas would endow them with miraculous powers.

A significant place in the "arsenal of exercises" of shugenja was occupied by "practices" with water and fire.

Water austerities - misogi and taki-shugyo

Both of these "exercises" of Shugendō found widespread use in ninjutsu training (and in Japanese martial arts in general), where they were used to improve mental state and develop internal ki energy.

Misogi-harai ritual, which came from Shinto, was intended to purify the body, spirit and soul. Its essence is in a long, many hours of stay in ice water, usually in winter. In order to avoid stiffness, the yamabushi recommended identifying oneself with fire, causing such a heat in the body that steam swirled around the hermit, immersed in water a little above the waist!

It was believed that misogi leads to the rebirth of a person, washes away all the "dirt" from him. And from the point of view of Shugendo, diseases, birth, death, injuries, shed blood - all this is from impurity. This is where the cult of purity originates in Japanese martial arts: taking a shower before and after training, washing the dojo, cleansing the mind with meditation. A special form of misogi is hara-kiri, the meaning of which is to wash away shame with blood.

Another rite associated with water is taki-shugyo, or meditation under a waterfall. The waterfall is considered the home of many deities. A stream of water falling from a height of several meters onto the baihui point on the top of the head activates the movement of ki energy in the body and contributes to the achievement of enlightenment. In addition, the taki-shugyo procedure helped the adept to reveal the structure of the universe. In the mountain-waterfall pair, the rocks rushing upwards embodied Yang (the bright beginning of the universe), and the water rushing from them - Yin (the dark beginning of the universe).

The stream falling down contained another secret: while remaining unchanged in form, it constantly changed internally - the water in it was never the same.

Fire austerities - goma and hivatari matsuri

Fire austerities are the burning of sacred goma fires and the famous walking on hot coals - hivatari.

The Goma ritual came to Shugendo from the Shingon school. This is fire meditation. As a token of admiration for the purifying fire of the Buddha, sacrifices are burned. The tree that feeds the flame of a fire symbolizes human passions that turn into wisdom. When the passions are burned out, the meditator will be able to "dissolve" in the fire and achieve unity with the deity. Merging with the flame is achieved through the sacred sound "ra", the vibration of which allows you to enter into resonance with other vibrations that own the flame. The flame attracts, as it is believed, the power of the spirits of the mountains. And then, having merged with fire and having achieved enlightenment, the adept acquires the ability to walk on embers without harm.

Ikeguchi Ekan, a contemporary follower of Shugendo, tells in detail about his impressions of goma: "The ritual of goma with 8000 tablets is an active action. When it begins, the gyoja does not have time to rest or sleep. In this state, the gyoja stays throughout the ritual.

Gyoja, not eating properly, every day during 3 "sitting" in a loud voice pronounces the "true words" of Fudo, putting his whole soul into them, vigorously brings fire to the planks. In my temple, milkwood planks are 2-3 times larger than those found in other temples. The flame rises so high that it almost scorches the ceiling of the temple and douses the whole body with heat. A person who is not connected with this cannot even imagine how much strength the gyoja expends. When the action ends, I feel that I have aged 10, 30 or even 40 years.

After I finish burning 8000 boards... I lose 4-5 kg of weight.

Summer is truly hell. Beads of sweat pour down on the cassock, making it soaking wet. The students periodically wipe my face, arms and neck with a towel, but it is as if they are pouring water on a hot stone.

Eyes are covered with fog, the body is reduced by endless convulsions. From the ignition of the planks ... the hands lose strength, and you feel how the plank ... in weight becomes like an iron blank.

I thought several times, am I going to die now? In such cases, I ask myself: “Do you really break down, do you really give up?” – and an unusual life energy awakens in me. Thanks to her, I keep going.

The goma ritual with 8,000 tablets is extremely difficult to perform, but I well understood that during the action my sense perceptions gradually become sharper. The reason for this is the activation of previously dormant cells in my body.

After the end of the action, I hear how the hall where the ritual was held is filled with inexpressibly wonderful music. Do I hear heavenly music? Her beauty several times brought me to tears of joy awakened by the Dharma.

At these moments, I smell the food that is cooked in houses located at a distance of 1-2 km from me. I can see people coming to my temple from afar. At such moments, I recognize the pain and suffering of the greatest number of people."

Hiwatari Matsuri - "Celebrating the Crossing of the Fire" - a collective procession of shugenja over burning coals. It has a very deep meaning. In the act of passing over the coals, the yamabushi is given into the hands of the deity. Like water in the misogi rite, fire becomes a purifying agent. For someone who has not reached the desired state of merging with the guarding deities, which is possible only with complete purity of thoughts, this rite can end very badly.

Kaihogyo - "marathon race" yamabushi

The kaihogyo ritual has long been considered one of the most important rituals of the Shugendo movement associated with the Buddhist school of Tendai, as it includes all aspects of spiritual practice - meditation, esoteric practices, worship of nature, devotion to the teachings and deeds in the name of saving all living beings. Its essence is a hundred-day passage through the holy mountains of a distance of about 30 km and the performance of various rituals on this route.

If the gyoja receives permission to take part in this ritual, he is given a secret instruction to be transcribed by hand. It gives general instructions about kaihogyo: what holy places to visit, what prayers and incantations to say, etc.

During the week before the start of the gyōja ritual, the path is cleared of sharp stones, twigs, and foliage that may harbor scorpions. This is done very carefully, as an oversight can lead to death.

On the day the kaihogyo begins, the gyoja puts on an all-white robe, ties a “rope of death” (shide no hime) around his waist, and hangs a knife in a sheath (goma no ken) on it. All this symbolizes the determination of the gyoja to die during the ritual, but not to retreat in the face of difficulties. For the same purpose, a coin is invested in a special hat: if the gyoja dies during kaihogyo, he will need money to pay off the carrier to the other world.

Straw sandals are put on the feet of the gyoja. According to the regulations, exactly 80 of them are required to perform a hundred-day rite. On dry days, they wear out in 3-4 days, and on rainy days, in a few hours. Therefore, gyoja take several spare pairs with them. They usually wear an ancient straw cloak.

On the first day of the “marathon”, the mentor shows the gyoja route, after which he acts on his own.

Gyoja practice begins at midnight. After an hour-long service in the Buddha Hall, the gyoja swallows 1-2 rice balls or drinks miso soup, gets dressed, and at about 1:30 goes on a 30-kilometer "walk" through the holy places. He must visit 255 places of worship - various temples and shrines of almost all the gods of the Vedic, Buddhist, Shinto and Taoist pantheon, the graves of ascetics, statues of Buddhas, sacred mountains, streams, waterfalls, groves, etc. At each “stop”, the gyoja must fold his hands in a certain mudra, utter the desired mantra, which takes from 10 seconds to several minutes. During the entire journey, he can sit down only once - on a stone bench under a giant sacred cedar, where prayers are said for the well-being of the imperial family for 2 minutes. At the same time, the gyoja must overcome several steep climbs and thousands of steps of mountain paths.

Depending on the weather, the gyoja returns to the monastery between 7:30 and 9:30. After an hour of service in the Buddha Hall, he goes to the bathhouse. This is followed by lunch, in which the gyoja eats simple high-calorie foods such as noodles, potatoes, tofu bean curd, miso soup, rice or bread. And then comes the time of common prayer. A service is held at 15:00. At 18:00 - the last meal, and around 20:00 gyoja goes to bed to ... at midnight start all over again!

And so 100 days in a row! It is especially difficult for beginners. To begin with, they must memorize a huge amount of information: descriptions of hundreds of holy places, prayers, mudras, etc. This takes 2-3 weeks. At the same time, the gyoja, who still does not know the route well, often loses his bearings in the night fog and wanders for hours through unfamiliar mountain wilds. Despite the preliminary cleaning of the path, his legs and whole body are wounded, cuts and scrapes become infected, gyoja often experience frostbite, most of them suffer from fever in the first few weeks, suffer from diarrhea and hemorrhoids, from terrible pains in the hips and back. By the third day of practice, the legs and Achilles tendons begin to tremble and swell. Gyoja is especially difficult on rainy or snowy days. Their sandals shatter almost instantly, and the gyoja itself gets wet to the skin. Bad weather slows down the path, and water blurs the road. In especially rainy years, the gyoja clothes do not dry out during the entire ritual.

But by day 30, relief usually sets in, and by day 70, the gyoja acquires a special “marathon runner” bearing: his eyes are concentrated at a point about 33 meters in front of him, his head is vertical, his shoulders are relaxed, his back is straight, his nose and navel are on the same line. He walks easily, in the same rhythm and constantly repeats the Fudo-myo mantra: “Namaku samanda badzaranan sendan makarosyana sovataya untarata kamman.”

Whoever passes this test receives permission for sennichi kaihogyo - a thousand-day kaihogyo. To do this, the gyoja must be free from family ties and have the determination to retire from life for 12 years.

First of all, the gyoja performs a "marathon" for 700 days, and then comes the time of the most difficult and deadly test, called "Doiri" - "Entering the Path".

At 24:00 on the appointed day, the gyoja, along with the higher monks, takes the last meal. At 1:00 a.m., he is escorted to the Myō-do hall, where he first performs 330 prostrations, after which the guests leave, while the gyoja remains for 9 days of uninterrupted prayer.

At 3:00, 10:00 and 17:00, he should recite the Lotus Sutra in front of the altar. At 2:00, the shusui ritual is performed - “getting water”: reading the “Heart Sutra”, gyoja walks a distance of 200 m to a pond with sacred water, picks up a whole bucket and drags it to offer to the image of Fudo-myo. The rest of the time the gyoja spends in the lotus position, continuously repeating the Fudo-myo mantra to himself. In total, it needs to be repeated 100,000 times, and 1000 repetitions require approx. 45 minutes. There are two monks in the hall all the time, who must ensure that the gyoja is awake and follows the rite.

A few weeks before the doiri, the gyoja begins to restrict himself in food, at the farewell dinner he does not eat anything. So he prepares the body for a 9-day complete fast and the rejection of water. The first day usually goes well, but on the 2nd or 3rd day real hunger pangs set in, which, however, gradually cease after the fourth day. By day 5, there is almost no water left in the body of the gyoja, the saliva completely disappears, and he begins to taste blood in his mouth. To prevent constant sticking of the lips, gyoja, starting from the 5th day, is allowed to rinse his mouth, but he must spit out the water, all, to the drop, back into the cup. They say that the amount of liquid in the cup even increases. And the gyoja feels the droplets of water remaining on the tongue as divine nectar. The feces at the gyoja usually disappear on the 3-4th day, and the excretion of urine, although very weak, continues almost until the end of the rite.

The ceremony of "taking water", held at 2:00, when the gyoja leaves a closed, poorly ventilated room where candles are constantly smoking, helps the gyoja to cheer up, clears his head. Gyoja even claim that during this walk to the pond they absorb the moisture of rain and dew with their skin. In the first days, the “walk” back and forth takes about 15 minutes, but later, as the ascetic weakens, it lasts up to an hour.

Doiri - a ritual when gyoja goes without sleep, rest, food and water for 182 hours - is intended to bring gyoja to the brink of life and death. According to legend, in ancient times, the Hiei gyoja went through doiri lasting 10 days, but most of them died, after which the doiri time was somewhat reduced. It has also been found that the wet months of summer, especially August, are the most life threatening for gyoja.

During the doiri, the gyoja develops psychic abilities. He can hear how far branches fall in the forest, what kind of food is cooked at a distance of several kilometers, see the rays of the sun and moon penetrating the darkness of the temple.

On the last, 9th day of the doiri, at 3:00 a.m., the gyoja sets out on his last journey to the sacred pond. He is greeted and escorted by hundreds of monks. After the “walk”, he returns to his hall and bows before the altar, and at this time they read the text of the official certificate of the Enryaku-ji monastery about the end of the doiri and conferring on him the honorary title “Togyoman adjari” - “Holy mentor of severe austerity”.

The Shugendo path was very difficult. There were no textbooks on mystical practices and could not be. Only an experienced teacher could help a student walk the razor's edge between life and death. Not only the methods associated with fire were dangerous, but also meditation on the edge of the abyss, climbing rocks without insurance. And standing under a waterfall was by no means a shower! Hypothermia, coma and death from a brain tumor threatened an unprepared person, since a stream of ice water pouring over the head causes vasoconstriction within 10 seconds due to a large release of hormones.

Austerities of water and fire make a person insensitive to cold and heat, strengthen the will, teach endurance and patience, awaken the reserve forces of the body, reveal extrasensory abilities. Climbing steep mountains at the risk of life, crossing logs across abysses make a person fearless, develop endurance, teach a person to understand nature, help to feel oneness with it, show a source of inexhaustible energy, and most importantly lead to altered states of consciousness, when the impossible becomes possible . All this is of great importance for the ninja. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of these "practices" have entered their training system.

Persecution of yamabushi

The government in the first period of the existence of the Shugendo movement (VII - VIII centuries) treated him extremely disapprovingly. This was due to the fact that Shugendo did not fit into the policy of state Buddhism.

At this time, the state sought to establish control over the spread of Buddhism in the country. The adoption of the monastic rank was allowed only to those who knew the sutras. Only a few people a year were allowed to take the "theology" examinations. All monks had to serve the state: to pray for its well-being, to support the government's political line among the masses.

The activity of the yamabushi objectively opposed this policy. To begin with, yamabushi were mostly people who had not been officially ordained as monks. On doctrinal issues, they, in the vast majority, did not care. In the first place, they put a practice aimed at the personal mastery of supernatural abilities, and the problems of state stability and the authority of the authorities worried them very little. The actions of the yamabushi were spontaneous, unbiased. Some idea of the style of behavior of mountain hermits can be given by later legends about En no Gyoja.

The legend of how En-no Gyoja did not pay tribute

One day, En no Gyoja came down from the mountains to preach his teachings. He came to a village in Yamato Province, and there the following scene appeared before his eyes. A large crowd gathered at the entrance to a nondescript peasant house, which was discussing something animatedly. Coming closer, he saw how three tax collectors severely beat with bamboo sticks a youth dressed in tatters, who fell on his knees, bowed his head to the ground and lamented bitterly. He told how long his father and mother were ill, how he struggled to earn a living for them, how everything turned out to be in vain and they died, and how he did not even have the means to pay for their funeral. Despite the plight until this year, the young man regularly paid the land tax, and only this year, with the death of his parents, he could not do it. Therefore, from the residence of the county manager, tax collectors came to the village, who were ordered to knock out the required amount of rice at all costs. Realizing what was the matter, En-no Gyoja pushed the people aside, went up to the head of the tax collectors and said:

- Well, well, mister official, wait a bit.

Then the guard, who was beating the young man with a stick, went to the hermit and shouted in an angry voice:

- What?! You talking to me? This man is a criminal. He did not pay tribute to the son of heaven. Are you pandering to criminals?

- And what, all those who cannot pay taxes are criminals? Who decided this?

Are you stupid or crazy? All laws in the country are established by the emperor.

“How can an emperor who is neither a kami nor a buddha decide such matters alone?”

- Yes, you are not only a fool, but also insolent! All land in Japan belongs to the emperor. Don't you know this?! And you only borrow all the land from him, and therefore you must pay taxes.

- So this is how it is! And if a person can live not at the expense of the land, how then with the land tax?

- Well, then, of course, you can not pay taxes. Only after all, we are people, and we all walk the earth.

- Good. Let the villagers then be living witnesses to the fact that a person can live without land.

With these words, En-no Gyoja removed a bag containing several precious stones from his shoulder, took out one, took it with both hands and gently rubbed it. Then he closed his eyes, recited a spell to himself and, opening his eyes, flew into the air with a kiai cry. And what a miracle! Hang in the air!

- Well, officer, what do you say?

His voice sounded like thunder, and his eyes began to emit golden rays. The whole village stood with its mouth open, and the tax collectors, frightened to death with all their strength, fled from this place. After that, Gyoja descended to the ground, performed a funeral rite for the parents of the unfortunate young man, and together with him went back to the mountains ...

Of course, this is just a fairy tale. But it doesn't matter to us whether all this was real or not. More importantly, it, like the reports of Shoku Nihongi and Nihon Ryoiki, reflected the rebellious spirit of Shugendo.

Naturally, the authorities made a lot of efforts to combat the Shugendo, officially outlawing this movement. According to Shoku Nihongi and Nihon Ryoiki, the persecution of yamabushi began already at the end of the 7th century. In the decrees of 718 and 729. it was forbidden to build monasteries in the mountains, to preach the law of the Buddha in forest and mountainous areas. The persecution especially intensified during the rise of the monk Dokyo, who enjoyed the favor of Empress Koken. In 765, the post of “monk-minister” was created especially for him, as a result of which he actually usurped power in the country. On his orders, armed detachments hunted yamabushi, arrested them and ravaged the mountain sketes.

It is believed that these persecutions led to the "militaryization" of the yamabushi, who began to master martial arts in self-defense. There were even special groups of warrior monks who were responsible for protecting the forest chapels. Some historians believe that the fact that after the defeat of Fujiwara Nakamaro's rebellion directed against Dokyo, his supporters, among whom there were many first-class warriors, hid in yamabushi monasteries, was also of great importance for the improvement of the martial art of mountain hermits and passed on to them many secrets of military affairs. . As a result, a secret martial art was formed in the shugenja communities, combining the methods of guerrilla warfare and disguise. Modern historians call this art "yamabushi-heiho" - "yamabushi strategy". And many believe that it was it that later served as the basis of ninjutsu.

However, a close examination of the history of Shugendo reveals many weaknesses in this theory. Thus, the persecution of yamabushi continued for a very short time, by historical standards. Almost immediately after the removal of Dokyo from the post of "monk-minister" in 770, almost all restrictions on the activities of yamabushi were lifted. The government suffered a decisive defeat in the fight against the Shugendo. Moreover, even some representatives of the aristocracy and the highest Buddhist clergy joined the movement of mountain hermits. The reconciliation between Shugendo and the central government is also reflected in the above quotation from the Nihon Ryoiki. Remember that En no Gyoja "was able to approach the emperor"?

In the sources of the period of persecution of Shugendo, there is no mention of clashes between government troops and yamabushi groups, and even more so of the content of their military art. And in general, instead of wasting time on polishing hand-to-hand combat techniques, it was much easier for them to go further into the mountain jungle, where no one could get them. After all, then Japan was not at all like the current one ... There were no roads, the mountainous regions were almost unexplored, the government controlled only the central capital district of Kinai, and they didn’t know what was happening in other regions ... So did yamabushi-heiho exist at all, about the secrets of which many “ninjutsu historians” wrote so relish? Yes, there was. Only it took shape several centuries later and under the influence of completely different reasons than the above-mentioned persecutions.

Notes:

20 "Notes on the country of Japan and the wonders of the wondrous recompense of lifetime for good and evil deeds."

21 1 jo = 3.03 m.

22 A Buddhist saint who has attained enlightenment but refuses to go into a state of heavenly non-existence in order to save people.

The yamabushi monks, who are still spoken of with great respect in Japan, are inextricably linked with the image of the Shugendo system. But who are they, who is famous for being unsurpassed healers and magicians, enlightened beings and invincible warriors? Did they make Shugendo legendary or did Shugendo itself make yamabushi legendary?

Who are yamabushi

The followers of the legendary En no Ozuna were called yamabushi, which translates as "sleeping in the mountains." So they were nicknamed for the fact that they performed their severe ascetic practices high in the mountains, secluded there for quite a long time. For the same reason, they were sometimes called "shugenja", which in Japanese means "those who practice to acquire magical abilities."

To identify those who practiced shugendo, there were other names, for example, "shugyosha", which means - "engaged in ascetic practice" or "yama-no-hijiri" - "mountain sages".

But no matter how the yamabushi monks were called, all these names indicated the same thing - the practice of severe austerity carried out in the mountains and leading to the acquisition of incredible magical abilities.

It should be noted that not all practitioners of Shugendo were always in the mountains, some of them returned back, spending most of their time in temples or simply wandering around the country, carrying the news of the amazing teachings of Shugendo to the distant lands of Japan.

Yamabushi practice

The essence of yamabushi practices is a challenge to the impossible, which leads to the complete mobilization of all the physical, mental and spiritual forces of the Shugendo adept. Thanks to this, a quick breakthrough is made in comprehending the truths of the material and spiritual world.

The basis of the practice of yamabsushi was various long pilgrimages to the mountains and holy places and the performance of mystical rituals there, including casting spells, performing mudras, breathing exercises, and so on.

glory yamabushi

The yamabushi monks very quickly found popular fame and love, therefore they were welcome guests in any village or peasant family, because they could heal, with the help of spells and secret rituals they help ordinary people in their difficult life. Moreover, the help of the yamabushi was distributed not only in the field of healing and spiritual instructions, but also in the field of purely magical. For example, yamabushi could cause rain in dry times or, conversely, pacify the raging elements, could drive out evil spirits and attract the blessings of the gods.

Yamabushi also had knowledge of astrology, so they could predict the future and advise when and what to plant in order to get a rich harvest, which was very important in those days, since the life of the peasants directly depended on it.

Yamabushi worldview

Yamabushi in spiritual practice put the realization of the fullness of Buddhahood in the first place, and not just thinking about it. Yamabushi believed that the acquisition of superpowers proves that the adept of Shugendo realized Buddhahood in "this body", that is, they became a true Buddha.

Yamabushi - warriors

Unfortunately, in the 7th-8th centuries, Shugendo and Yamabushi were persecuted. Their forest chapels "sanrindojo" were often raided by government troops. But, as they say, there is no evil without good. Yamabushi, possessing a strong will, magical abilities and superhuman qualities, took up arms. And soon the fame of them as invincible warriors scattered throughout Japan. They were practically unkillable! After all, in addition to physical and spiritual strength, they knew a lot about human nature, anatomy, so their hand-to-hand combat did not know its equals (no wonder the yamabushi system, both in terms of training and battles, formed the basis of ninja schools), but they also knew how to perfectly disguise , conduct guerrilla warfare, set up ambushes and so on.

Under pressure, the yamabushi became, though not numerous, but a very formidable military force, so the government, against its will, had to leave the "mountain hermits" alone.

Yamabushi and Shugendo

Since the yamabushi practiced shugendo, in order to understand their thinking, it is necessary to pay attention to some aspects of the teaching itself, and in particular to what determined their life - sacred numerology, according to which the system of practices and meditation itself were built.

Yamabushi and the mystery of Shugendo numerology

In the "theoretical" part of shugendo, an important place is occupied by the understanding of numerology, since each number has one or another mystical correspondence. So the number 1 personifies the All-Encompassing Unity (Taikioku), 2 - the polar principles of being (in-yo-do), 3 - the paradigm of earth, sky and man (ji-ten-hin), 4 - four manifestations of existence (big Yin and small Yo , big Yo and small Ying), 5 - five primary elements, 6 - six types of coordination, 7 - seven stars of the Big Dipper, 8 - eight trigrams, 9 - the final comprehension of the truth in a combination of its bodily, mental and spiritual components.

Of all the numbers, the most sacred in Shugendo and, of course, among the yamabushi themselves, was considered nine.

The Nine Steps of Shugendo Meditation

In Shugendo, there are nine stages of meditation, or rather nine levels of consciousness, comprehending and passing through which the yamabushi develops an adequate perception of reality and gains enlightenment.

These steps are:

The first stage of Shugendo meditation.

At this stage, the shugendo adept concentrates on the awareness of the frailty of the human body, on what limitations it introduces into life and, of course, on inevitable death.

The second stage of Shugendo meditation.

At this level, the student understands that undeveloped sense organs give us an inadequate perception of reality.

The third stage of Shugendo meditation.

This stage is devoted to reflections on the impermanence and imperfection of the human mind and, as a result, the importance of the ability to concentrate and understand that views and tastes change, therefore it is so important to have an absolute orientation, and not a relative one, that is, not to follow the lead of a chaotic mind.

The fourth stage of Shugendo meditation.

Now the adept of Shugendo comprehends his existence on the scale of the entire universe, within the framework of time and eternity.

The fifth stage of Shugendo meditation.

The level of knowledge of the relationship between spiritual and material, internal and external. The result of this is deliverance from slavish attachment to carnal desires and mental whims.

The sixth stage of Shugendo meditation.

In a sense, this stage of Shugendo meditation is a deeper revelation of the previous level, namely, the student gets rid of excessive dependence on emotions and feelings, both positive and negative.

The seventh stage of Shugendo meditation.

This stage is a reflection on the relationship of cause and effect to get rid of false judgments and conclusions.

The eighth stage of Shugendo meditation.

Now the shugendo adept learns to see the multiplicity of manifestations of the primary elements in the real world and the ability to find relationships between them in order not to fall into their limitations.

The ninth stage of Shugendo meditation.

The final stage, which implies the full realization of all previous levels and the acquisition of full awareness.

As a result, passing through all nine stages of Shugendo meditation, the student became self-sufficient and understood the relativity of the manifestations of human life, so he could penetrate into the essence of things and manage them.