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Fire Walking

Trial by Fire! in Miyajima

Worried about fire walking? Understandable, but actually fire walking is practiced around the world, and has been for centuries. The present Guinness world record fire walker marched more than 91 meters over glowing coals in 2006, so your little hop over the embers at Daishoin shouldn't prove too difficult.

Fire walking has been practiced in contexts ranging from ascetic devotions to corporate retreats. At Daishoin, it's done primarily as a healing ritual, and to honor the ‘Three Awesome Forest Deities' believed to inhabit Mt. Misen. The coals are prepared from a fire said to have burned continuously since it was lit 1,200 years ago by the great monk Kobo Daishi, founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

Though this all sounds a bit intimidating, you needn't worry about entering an altered state of consciousness. The trick is simply to keep moving. Your feet are mostly water, and the coals you're crossing have largely died down. A number of other factors are at play as well, but in the interest of sidestepping a lecture on thermodynamics, let's just say that if you walk briskly over the coals you should feel no real discomfort.
And don't forget to make that wish!

■Daishoin Temple
fire walking

Daishoin is one of the most important temples in western Japan for the Shingon lineage of Buddhism. The temple's origins date to 806 AD when Kobo Daishi, Shingon's founder, undertook ascetic practices on Mt. Misen. Kobo Daishi is a fascinating figure. In addition to his religious activity, he is popularly credited with establishing the first public education system in Japan, restoration of a reservoir which survives to the present day, and with the creation of the Japanese kana syllabary. He is also regarded as one of the finest calligraphers the country has ever produced.

In the 12th century, the Emperor Toba established a private prayer hall at Daishoin, and until the 19th century the temple enjoyed a close relationship with the Imperial Family. For centuries, Daishoin had twelve associated temples, and also claimed a special relationship with Itsukushima Shrine, also on Miyajima. A common practice in Japanese Buddhism was the enshrinement of Shinto deities, and temples were frequently built adjacent to or even within the formal precincts of Shinto shrines.

This changed abruptly with the passage of laws enforcing separation of Shinto and the “foreign” religion of Buddhism following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Daishoin and countless other temples lost a great deal of power and influence. Nevertheless, the Emperor Meiji favored Daishoin with a stay in 1885, and because of its unique history the temple managed to retain a certain prominence. In 2006, the temple played host to the Dalai Lama, who offered teachings and rituals that drew Buddhists and scholars from around the world.

For visitors, Daishoin is a treasure trove. With its statues, halls and gardens, many find the temple more interesting and accessible than the much more famous Itsukushima Shrine. Highlights include the eleven-headed of Kannon Bosatsu in the Kannon-do Hall, which in the past was enshrined at Itsukushima Shrine. In the Henjyokutsu Cave, Buddhist icons representing the eighty-eight temples of the famous Shikoku pilgrimage route bestow on visitors the same blessings received by pilgrims. And if you miss the Fire-Walking ritual, it's said that a single wish (but only one!) made before the Ichigan Daishi statue will be granted. Choose carefully.

>>Date&Place
Date:April 11st and November 15th
Place: Daishoin Temple in Miyajima

>>Access
From Hiroshima port, \1,460 will get you on a high speed ferry that reaches Miyajima in twenty minutes. The port can be reached from Hiroshima Station using the Number 5 streetcar, or from downtown Hiroshima using the Number 3.

Alternately, travelers can take the Number 2 streetcar directly from Hiroshima Station to the ferry terminal at Miyajima-guchi. The trip takes 55 minutes, but costs only \270 for the streetcar and \170 for the ferry, a hard price to beat.

Once inside the ferry terminal building at Miyajima, a tourist information booth offers maps and other material in a variety of languages. Daishoin is about twenty minutes walk south of the terminal, and the walk will carry you past most of Miyajima's more accessible offerings, including Itsukushima Shrine itself. Once near the shrine, you should actually be able to see Daishoin on the slopes of Mt. Misen. If not, consult your map or just ask a likely looking person for directions.

>>Map
Miyajima map>>Click here to view.

-Matt Mangham

>>Hotels and Ryokans in Miyajima