The Shugendo Path

[manonthepath]

Greetings,

I'd like to engage in mature dialogue regarding Shugendo practices, such as formal ritual, invocations, lifestyle, meditation techs. Novices are certainly welcome, but the participation of mature, experienced practitioners of all pursuits are strongly encouraged.

[Asurendra]

This is a pretty obscure topic to most in the West and outside Japan. Perhaps you could share a bit more about it and then explore what may be overlays with other magical and esoteric paths.

[Ramscha]

What I found by my small online search sounded rather interesting, would you like to tell us more about it since it seems like a rather rare practitioned art?

Ramscha

[manonthepath]

Thank you for your interest. I'm really not any kind of expert, but I've spent a few years reading about this as a part of the regular development of my metaphysical and martial arts practices. Shugendo is comparable in many ways to other hermetic and shamanistic practices. The goal is personal development of the mind and body. Practices and attitudes regarding control of the body are similar to those of the Roman Stoics in some ways. The belief is that the weaknesses of the body must be overcome as a prerequisite to spiritual enlightenment. This is achieved through austere lifestyle. Shugendo practitioners traditionally live as hermits with as few comforts as they can do without. The spiritual aspect is basically Zen in character. This involves focused meditation to "turn off" the cognitive thought process for extended periods and turning on the passive senses of perception. This dynamic allows an intuitive development of the spirit that facilitates a connection with the collective mind of the cosmos. Some refer to this as the Akashic record. Rather than give you a lengthy discourse on this. I'd rather engage in a dialogue. Perhaps you may have questions that we can all research and share our revelations on?

[manonthepath]

Magari, what are your thoughts on Shugendo?

[Rin]

I'd never heard the term before seeing this thread, but it sounds incredibly similar to the practices of the Daoist sages and mystics, who would often retreat into the mountains to focus on meditation and internal energetic alchemy with the goal of spiritual development and attaining power, ultimately aiming to ascend to spiritual immortality and/or merge with the Dao (the methods and terminology varied greatly with each sect). I had no idea these practices had migrated over to Japan, and in fact for a long time I was surprised that they hadn't - looks like I was wrong.

Any suggested reading on the subject?

[manonthepath]

It can be hard to find material on the specifics of Shugendo translated. Many of the Japanese works are out of print and hard to find. Suggestions I'd give would depend on what you are reading to accomplish. The most easily had work for an understanding of the relationship between Shugendo and Ninjitsu is this thirteen page paper from the University of Tennessee:

http://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit/vol3/iss2/4/

One difinitive work in English is:

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/gurug ... 11287.html

More easily had works:

Ross Heaven: "The Spiritual Practices of the Ninja." This work does a nice job of tying things together in a way easily understood by Westerners.

Steven K. Hayes: "Spirit of the Shadow Warrior." This work explains some meditation techs that are shugendo based.

There are other works, but I don't have a clear idea of what you know. It seems you know quite a bit about many things, so I'm reluctant to suggest something that might be too elementary for you. Sekida's "Zen Training." is a work that takes from Shugendo and has become a very special classic in my library. There are other powerful aspects to Shugendo that I'm reluctant to discuss on the open forum. PM me once you've read these works and we can talk.