READING TIME: 3 MINUTES.
The Goma Ritual of consecrated fire is unique to Esoteric Buddhism and is the most recognizable ritual of the esoteric Shingon sect in Japan. The ceremony is performed with the purpose of destroying negative energies and detrimental thoughts and desires. In the ceremony, a priest burns wooden sticks in the scared fire. The fire symbolizes the wisdom of the Buddha and the wood sticks symbolize what is to be cleansed and released. The constant beating of the taiko drums and chanting together with the visuals of the ceremony can create a trance-like state and have a deep and profound effect on the participants.
The Shingon lineage is a form of the esoteric Buddhism teachings that originated in India and China and were brought to Japan at the beginning of the 9th century by the monk Kukai. According to the Shingon doctrine, enlightenment is not a distant, foreign reality that can take millennia to achieve but a real possibility within this very life. It recognizes the spiritual potential of every living being, or its Buddha-nature and states that when cultivated, this luminous nature can manifest as innate wisdom. With the help of a genuine teacher and through proper training of the body, speech, and mind, we can reclaim this enlightened capacity for the benefit of ourselves and others.
Mt. Koya, Kongobuji Temple
For centuries the esoteric teachings of Shingon were a closely guarded secret. There were no written texts to follow but the teachings were passed orally from masters to their apprentices. The original monastery of the sect on Mt. Koya in Wakayama prefecture was founded by Kukai himself and through the centuries grew into a huge temple settlement spread over a high mountain plane surrounded by eight peaks. The structure of this town of mystics is based on one of the sect’s sacred mandalas that has a pagoda in its center and is said to cover all of Japan.
Shingon Buddhist monks, Mt. Koya
Mount Koya is one of the holiest places for pilgrimage in Japan. Many of the temples there offer lodgings to pilgrims and in present days are open to visitors who want to experience temple life and the esoteric rituals of Shingon. It is there that the Fire ceremony can be observed, usually very early in the morning. Yesterday however, I was fortunate to witness it without having to go to far away Mt. Koya. The Takahata Fudo temple in Hino, Tokyo is one of the biggest Shingon temples in the area and has the Fire Purification ritual performed 4 times daily. It is an enthralling ritual to observe that is even more powerful if you are a participant. The Youtube link below is to a short video I took so you can hear the drums and the chanting. Enjoy their magic!
* The Spirit of Japan Tours organizes private and group tours to temples and sites where you can experience the richness of Japan’s spirituality and traditions. Please, message us for more information about our future tours.
