Fukuju-san, Jigenji Temple, Head Priest
福聚山 慈眼寺 住職
塩沼亮潤大阿闍梨
History
1987
奈良県吉野の金峯山寺で出家得度
Entered the Buddhist priesthood at Kinpusenji in Yoshino, Nara.
1968
宮城県仙台市に生まれる
Born in Sendai-shi Miyagi, Japan.
1991
大峯千日回峰行 入行
Started the Omine Sennichi Kaihogyo.
1999
大峯千日回峰行 満行
Completed the Omine Sennichi Kaihogyo.
2000
四無行 満行
Completed the Shimugyo (Fourfold Renouncing Practice).
2003
仙台市・秋保に慈眼寺を建立
Built Jigenji Temple at Akiu, Sendai.
2006
八千枚大護摩供 満行
Completed Hassenmai Daigomaku.
Omine Sennichi Kaihogyo
Thousand-day practice that consists of walking 30 miles
a day in the mountains of the Nara Prefecture.
大峯千日回峰行
Omine Sennichi Kaihogyo
「大峯千日回峰行」とは、奈良県吉野山にある金峯山寺蔵王堂から24㎞先にある山上ヶ岳頂上にある大峯山寺本堂まで、標高差1355ｍある山道を往復48㎞、1000日間歩き続ける修行です。毎年5月3日から9月3日まで年間4ヵ月を行の期間と定めるので、9年の歳月がかかります。
行に入ると毎日19時に就寝、23時30分の起床と共に滝行で身を清め、装束を整えて午前0時30分に出発。道中にある118か所の神社や祠で般若心経を唱え、勤行をしながらひたすら歩き続けます。 持参するものはおにぎり2つと500mlの水。これを食べ繋ぎながら山頂到着8時30分。帰山するのは15時30分です。1日16時間歩き続け下山してから掃除洗濯、次の日の用意など身の回りのことを全て行者自身がするため、約4時間半の睡眠で行に臨む生活が続きます。
このような生活が続くと1ヶ月で栄養不足のため爪がぼろぼろと割れ、3ヶ月目に入ると血尿がでるほど衰弱していきます。しかし、どんな状況になっても1度この行に入ると途中でやめることは決して許されません。万が一途中で行をやめざるを得ないと判断したならば、所持している短刀でもって自ら腹を切り、行を終えるという厳しい掟があります。
千日回峰行者の衣装は「死出装束」といい、紐を含め全てが真っ白です。 肉体的にも精神的にも限界に近い非常に追い込まれた極限の中での行は、一瞬一瞬が命がけです。1991年5月3日より述べ4万8000キロを歩き、1999年9月3日に大峯千日回峰行を成満。
“The Omine Thousand Day Circumambulation” is a thousand-day practice that consists of walking 30 miles a day in the mountains of the Nara Prefecture. It consists of hiking from Mount Yoshino to Mount Omine and back again, an elevation that changes nearly four thousand feet. It takes around nine years to complete this practice because it can only be performed during the hiking season. Therefore, once I entered the practice, I went to sleep at 7 PM and woke up at 11:30 PM. Then again, I dressed up and walked towards the mountain at 12:30 AM.
Once I arrived at the mountain, I kept walking with a religious service. There were 118places where I stopped by to recite the prayer called Hannya Shingyou, “the Heart Sutra”. I brought 500 ml of water and two rice balls. After the hike at the mountain, I had to do some cleaning, laundry and I prepared myself for the next day. Therefore, I used to sleep only 4.5 hours at the most.
After doing this, my nails were cracked due to a lack of essential nutrients. After three months, I noticed there was blood in my urine. Even by noticing this, there is one strict rule that must be followed, which is once we enter this practice, we are not allowed to stop or quit. Once we realize that we are not able to make it or to move forward, we must perform a ritual suicidal practice known as “Harakiri” with a short sword to end this practice. The white costume an ascetic monk wear is called Shi-De-Shozoku. Shi-De means “Leave for Death” and Shozoku means “costume”. Every day and in every moment, my life was hanging between life and death under these circumstances.
Starting on May 3rd, 1991, I ended up walking approximately 48,000 km and completed the Omine Thousand Day Circumambulation on September 3rd, 1999.
Shimugyo
“Fourfold Renouncing Practice” which does not allow the person
to sleep, eat, drink or lie down for nine days.
四無行
Shimugyo
「四無行」とは、断食、断水、不眠、不臥を九日間続ける修行です。 これは、食べず、飲まず、寝ず、横にならずこの4つがないということで四無行といいます。 四無行は大変危険な行で、無事生きて行を終える確率が50%といわれています。それ故、行に入る前に浄斎の儀という通称生き葬式を行い、縁のある人達と最後の食事を共にし、今生の別れを告げます。その際、行者は実際には食さず、食べる動作のみ行います。
行に入ると、食べない、飲まない、寝ない、横にならないだけでなく、毎日午前2時に仏さまにお供えするお水を片道200メートルほど先の閼伽井戸まで汲みに行きます。そして一日3回、本尊様の前で密教を修法し読経します。その他の時間は、不動明王のご真言を10万遍、さらに蔵王権現のご真言を10万遍、計20万遍のご真言を数珠と石を使い数えながら唱え続けます。
入堂して三日目過ぎぐらいから、行者の足は紫色になり身体から死臭が漂いはじめます。見えるはずのない離れたところにいる人の体臭を感じたり、線香の灰が落ちる微かな音も鮮明に聴こえ、灰が落ちる瞬間はスローモーションのように見えるほど五感が研ぎ澄まされます。 五日目からは一日1回のうがいが許されますが、決して飲んではいけません。1つにはなみなみと水が入り、もう１つは何も入っていない同じ大きさの天目茶碗が2つ用意されます。口に含みうがいをして空の茶碗に吐き出します。うがいが終わった後、何も入っていなかった茶碗に最初と同じ量の水が入っていないとそこで行は失敗とみなされるため慎重に行われます。 行中、体重は毎日1キロずつ減り、水分不足のため血液がどろどろになります。脈拍は坐っているだけで90を超え、少し歩くと120ぐらいに脈を打ち動悸が激しくなります。身心共に危険な状態の中、行は九日間続きます。
四無行が始まってから九日目の午前2時に出堂を迎えます。本堂に移り、本尊様が祀られている大きな壇の周りを三遍回り、その次に「朴の湯」という朴の葉のお茶を飲む儀式を終えてから、法要を行い出堂作法となります。最後に天満宮の天満社というお宮さんの前に筵を敷き松明を置いて、食事をする儀式をします。しかしこの時も食べる動作のみです。 大峯千日回峰行を成満した翌年の2000年9月28日から10月6日にかけて四無行を成満。
“Shimugyo” is a practice known as “Fourfold Renouncing Practice” which does not allow the person to sleep, eat, drink or lie down for nine days. “Shimugyo” is an extremely dangerous practice due to its low survival rate. It has been said that only 50% can complete this practice. That is why we need to have an “IKI-SOUSHIKI” or “Alive Funeral” along with close people before entering this practice.
Once I entered this practice, not only I was not eating, drinking, or sleeping and on top of that not lying down but also, I walked 200 meters to draw water from a well which was served to the Buddha. Likewise, I read Mikkyo that is the Japanese word for Esoteric Buddhism, which is often translated as Secret Teachings three times a day in front of Honzon that is the enshrined main image in Japanese Buddhism. In addition to these practices, I continued chanting 200,000 bodies of mantras for nine days with Juzu and stones.
After three days, both of my feet gained a purple color and my body started releasing a disgusting odor like a dead body’s odor. My five senses were alert enough to sense the smell of a person who is far apart, and I could even hear ash falling off from an incense stick. In my eyes, I even seemed to experience everything in slow-motion. After five days, I could rinse my mouth, but I was still not allowed to drink any liquids. With my mouth I was able to transfer the water from the full bowl to the empty one, which was allowed only once a day.
Every day I lost 1 kg and my blood became very dense due to the lack of water intake. My heart rate rose to 90 beats per minute while sitting down or at rest. Moreover, it quickly reached 120 while taking a walk. This practice lasted nine days under extremely dangerous conditions. After nine days, I moved to the main temple and went around Honzon three times. Then, after drinking “Hou no Yu” or a tea from Magnolia leaves, I performed a Buddhist memorial service in order to leave the temple at 2 AM. At the end, I put a torch in front of Tenmangu Shrine, and I had a formal meal ceremony. I completed “Shimugyo” or “Fourfold Renouncing Practice” on October 6th, 2000.
Hassenmai Daigomaku
A practice of burning 8,000 talismans for 24 hours without eating, sleeping or lying down after the preliminary practice of abstaining from five types of grains and salt.
八千枚大護摩供
Hassenmai Daigomaku
八千枚大護供とは、100日間五穀(米、大麦、小麦、小豆、大豆)と塩を断つ前行の後、24時間一昼夜飲まず、食べず、寝ず、横にならずで八千枚の護摩を焚き続ける行です。2006年3月15日に成満。
HASSENMAI DAIGOMAKU is a practice of burning 8,000 talismans for 24 hours without eating, sleeping or lying down after the preliminary practice of abstaining from five types of grains (Rice, Barley, Wheat, Red bean and Soybean) and salt for 100 days. I also completed this practice on March 15th, 2006.