The 8,000-Stick Goma Ritual.

This is performed not only in the Shingon sect, but also in the Tendai and Shugendo traditions.
In any sect, this is an extremely arduous ascetic practice.

I was fortunate enough to encounter this rare opportunity and assist with it.

At the temple in the 'Star Town' where the Star Festival was held in August,
the 8,000-stick Goma ritual was performed on the 7th.

This is based on the belief that before Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, he underwent 8,000 cycles of life and death,
accumulating spiritual practice and good deeds,
so by burning 8,000 sticks of wood, one seeks to emulate the merit of Shakyamuni's practice.
This is the purpose of the ritual.

I arrived at the temple amidst the morning mist.
The forecast until the previous day had predicted rain,
but it seemed the weather was going to clear up.

I visited the local guardian deity to pray once more for the successful completion of today's ritual without obstacles.

All of these will be burned away.

People gradually gathered, and preparations were made with great care.
The practitioner also performed final checks.
Since he had entered a vow of silence, it became a guessing game where we all tried to infer what he wanted to say by watching his gestures.
We shared a little laughter to ease the tension.

Everything was ready. The flowers were also beautifully arranged.

We entered the hall at 8:00 AM.
Fortunately, the blue sky was spreading out, but the air was cold,
making it perfect weather for a Goma ritual.
The sound of the conch shell echoed through the autumn sky.

Those who could not fit inside or were sensitive to the heat could also pray from outside.
Some watched the assistants arranging the ritual wood.
The weather was nice, and it was quite comfortable there.

The drums were played continuously, with people taking turns.
The assistant practitioners also took turns helping with the ritual.
However, the main practitioner continued to burn the wood alone.

Once 6,000 sticks had been burned, the flames rose high,
and both the monks and the worshippers continued to chant the mantra of Fudo Myoo without pause,
building up an intensity that went beyond just the heat of the Goma fire.

The heat causes the candles in front of the principal image to bend,
and the wood of the altar also becomes hot, so the attendant occasionally wipes it
with a wet towel.

While those around him can take turns, the practitioner is alone.
The heat of the fire is intense.
The attendant occasionally wipes his face and neck with a chilled wet towel.
The practitioner can occasionally rinse his mouth, but since he is observing a water-fast, he spits it out.

He also abstains from salt during this time, as it is said that consuming salt increases the salinity of sweat,
which can cause burns from the heat of the Goma fire.

Once the count exceeds 7,000 sheets, the practitioner and those around him
inevitably slow down in their movements due to fatigue and heat.

From time to time, a conch shell is blown to stir up the spirit.

Because he maintains the same posture for so long, he occasionally moves his body,
and the assistant helps by performing a slight stretching-like adjustment.
Even so, toward the end, his movements become sluggish due to the heat and exhaustion.

Since it would be dangerous if he were to fall from the ritual platform at this point, the assistant
sits back-to-back with the practitioner, supporting his posture while chanting mantras.

The climax is quite spectacular.

By the time the 8,000 sheets have been burned and the final offerings begin,
the assistant also shows significant fatigue from the heat.

The mantras chanted by those around him also gain more intensity.

Then, after safely completing the concluding rites and chanting hymns praising Fudo Myoo,
the long session comes to an end.

Immediately after the completion of the vow, the practitioner, having become Fudo Myoo,
performs blessings for all those in attendance.

The ritual master reports the successful completion of the vow and gives a sermon on behalf of the practitioner, who is observing a vow of silence.
Even then, the fire still had strength, casting lingering flames.

However, the arduous practice was successfully completed.
I feel truly grateful and relieved that it was performed safely.

A commemorative photo with the practitioner who has become an incarnation of Fudo Myoo.

We can now relax and chat.
The atmosphere has softened, and a smile appears on the practitioner's face.

The Jizo statue also breathes a sigh of relief.
Starting at 8:00 AM, it finished around 4:00 PM.
It was truly a long session of about eight hours.
Thank you for the day!

After leaving the hall, I was given a wet towel, and when I wiped my head, it was covered in soot.
The fushi (a mask-like covering made of Japanese paper) I was wearing was also pitch black.

The whole time I was on the train, I kept hearing what sounded like auditory hallucinations of the Fudo Myoo mantra,
and it was hard to let go of the lingering feeling.