Buddhist Fire Ritual in Japan - PDII â LIPI
Buddhist Fire Ritual in Japan - PDII â LIPI
Buddhist Fire Ritual in Japan - PDII â LIPI
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Senri Ethnological Reports<br />
105<br />
<strong>Buddhist</strong> <strong>Fire</strong> <strong>Ritual</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Japan</strong><br />
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Madhavi Kolhatkar<br />
Musashi Tachikawa<br />
,<br />
National Museum of Ethnology<br />
Osaka<br />
2012
I Preface I<br />
Preface<br />
Madhavi Kolhatkar<br />
Musashi Tachikawa<br />
This is an attempt not to present the <strong>Japan</strong>ese <strong>Fire</strong> <strong>Ritual</strong> <strong>in</strong> general but only that<br />
which is performed accord<strong>in</strong>g to Chisan branch of the Sh<strong>in</strong>gon sect. In 1980, the late<br />
Professor Rev.YUsh6 Miyasaka laid the foundation stone of this project, when<br />
accept<strong>in</strong>g the request of Musashi Tachikawa, he performed the <strong>Buddhist</strong> Sh<strong>in</strong>gon <strong>Fire</strong><br />
<strong>Ritual</strong> or Gama as it is called <strong>in</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese. At that time, all the Mudras, an important<br />
feature of the Tantric ritual were done under the robe. Hence for better understand<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
he made them separately after the performance was over. On 29th October 1982, aga<strong>in</strong><br />
honour<strong>in</strong>g the request of Tachikawa, he performed the ritual of the <strong>Fire</strong> Offer<strong>in</strong>gs to the<br />
God Fudo Myoo 'Acala Vidyaraja', this time mak<strong>in</strong>g the Mudras openly. This<br />
performance could be filmed by the able team of National Museum of Ethnology,<br />
Osaka, <strong>Japan</strong> (,Kokuritsu M<strong>in</strong>zokugaku Hakubutsukan' <strong>in</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese and popularly<br />
more well known as M<strong>in</strong>paku), s<strong>in</strong>ce Musashi Tachikawa was a Co-appo<strong>in</strong>ted<br />
Professor (Kyaku<strong>in</strong> Kyoju) at M<strong>in</strong>paku. A monograph on Goma with 92 photographs,<br />
their explanation <strong>in</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese language and a brief <strong>in</strong>troduction to the ritual was<br />
published by Tachikawa, E. Kuwamura and A. Yamade under the title "Hude Gama no<br />
Kiroku" pp. 48, <strong>in</strong> Sa,!,bha,ii 8, the Nagoya University Journal, November1986.<br />
The seed of this present venture was sown when Madhavi Kolhatkar was <strong>in</strong>vited<br />
by Musashi Tachikawa to M<strong>in</strong>paku for three months (from 21st January to 29th April<br />
2003). It was at that time that Mrs. Mari Hattori very meticulously translated the brief<br />
<strong>Japan</strong>ese annotations to the 92 photographs published <strong>in</strong> the 48 pages monograph <strong>in</strong><br />
Sa,!,bhii,ii, 1986. Further, the book THE TANTRIC RITUAL OF JAPAN (FEEDING<br />
THE GODS: THE SHINGON FIRE RITUAL) by Richard Payne became like the Old<br />
Testament to liS. He has described, <strong>in</strong> it, the ritual <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>ute details and <strong>in</strong> a very clear<br />
and picturesque way and has expla<strong>in</strong>ed even the difficult topics like Mudra:; <strong>in</strong> a very<br />
simple, easy and lucid style. It is due to his work that our task became far less difficult.<br />
At times, there were differences <strong>in</strong> the traditions which gave rise to various doubts <strong>in</strong><br />
our m<strong>in</strong>d. At such times we were immensely fortunate to avail of the able guidance of<br />
Rev. Ylik6 Miyasaka, a son of the late Rev. Ylish6 Miyasaka. Also, he was gracious to<br />
allow us to take additional photographs of some of the Mudras <strong>in</strong> 2011.<br />
In the process of tak<strong>in</strong>g photos, mak<strong>in</strong>g a film, f<strong>in</strong>aliz<strong>in</strong>g and complet<strong>in</strong>g the text<br />
and br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g it to the book fOnTI, valuable help was volunteered and offered by the<br />
students of the Nagoya University, the staff of M<strong>in</strong>paku office, computer division and<br />
library, Mrs. Satoko Suzuki, Mr. Takeshi Kameyama, Mrs. Chieko Kameyama an,d Ms.<br />
Junko Koguchi. The credit from the <strong>in</strong>ception to the completion of this project goes to<br />
all these.
The project would not have taken this f<strong>in</strong>al shape and seen the light of the day,<br />
without the expedit<strong>in</strong>g leadership of Dr. Yasuhiko Nagano, Professor Emeritus of<br />
M<strong>in</strong>paku, and moreover, a friend and solace of Tachikawa. It was his <strong>in</strong>vitation to<br />
Kolhatkar to M<strong>in</strong>paku for a year (from 1st August 2010 to 30th July 2011), which made<br />
possible for her to come to <strong>Japan</strong> and his <strong>in</strong>comparable adm<strong>in</strong>istrative competence<br />
which empowered us to complete this project. He has been immensely helpful <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Kalastidhyaya of this Goma.<br />
We are <strong>in</strong>debted to all these and also all others who were of help to us <strong>in</strong><br />
complet<strong>in</strong>g this work. We will always cherish the memories of their valuable role with<br />
deep sense of gratitude.<br />
ii
CONTENTS<br />
Preface<br />
i<br />
Introduction 1<br />
List of Figures 17<br />
Chapter I The Environment, the Paraphernalia and the Priests 25<br />
Chapter II The Preparatory Rites of the Fud6 Goma 51<br />
Chapter III Ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>Ritual</strong><br />
III<br />
Bibliography 175<br />
Index of the Mantras 177<br />
Word Index 187