Observations placeholder
Shingon Buddhism - The Kiyomori Festival - Firewalking 02
Identifier
021372
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
The Kiyomori Festival including a ritual in which participants walk barefoot on fire. The "Hiwatari-shiki" is sponsored by the Daisho-in Temple. It is a religious rite performed by the Shingon Sect of Buddhism.
The ceremony begins with a purification offering to the alter, and chanting of Buddhist sutras. This is followed by two Buddhist monks circling the area with swords and then shooting 7 arrows into the air which the worshippers struggle to retrieve.
Lastly, while mountain priests blow their conch shells the arrangement of cypress branches is ignited.
After the fire burns down and only red coals remain, the head Buddhist monk, followed by the mountain monks and worshippers, walk barefoot across the coals chanting a prayer for good health and fortune.
The source of the experience
Shingon BuddhismConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Symbols
Fire walkingScience Items
Attraction and repulsion, laws ofActivities and commonsteps
Activities
Suppressions
Believing in the spiritual worldEnacting ritual and ceremony
Listening to beating sounds
Commonsteps
References
