Takao-san Hiwatari Matsuri: Fire walk with me

There is a special tradition in Shingon Buddhism called Goma (known as Homa outside of Japan) -- an esoteric ritual meant to burn away bad luck and misfortune. Goma relies on the simple belief that fire has the power to cleanse. Buddhist temples carry out Goma rituals within their walls throughout the year, but for those interested in seeing it on a larger scale -- and even getting the chance to participate -- there is no better way than by paying a visit to Mount Takao on the second Sunday of March when the Shugenja, practitioners of the religion of Shugendo, hold their annual Hiwatari-matsuri ("Firewalking Festival"). For 2010, the event happened on March 14.

The monks set the stage before getting blazed

When attending the Goma, the rapid chanting of Buddhist sutras can be heard even from a distance. The bleating of a conch-shell horn echoes through the air while the Shugenja descend from their alpine monastery on Mount Takao.

Near the base of the mountain, just a short walk from the Takaosan-Guchi train station, a sacred pyre has been prepared for their arrival. It is large, easily six or seven meters square, covered in aromatic pine boughs. I await their arrival in the midst of hundreds of other spectators clustered around rope barriers erected around the temporary holy ground.

Moments after they reach the pyre, the ceremony begins. One Shugenja sparks flints to symbolically strike impurities from the now-sanctified area. Another uses a sword to symbolically cut the ties of wickedness from it. While yet another fires arrows in the cardinal directions to create a 'barrier' against evil spirits. Meanwhile, another Shugenja whips a branch of bamboo that has been soaked in boiling water over his own naked upper torso.

Lighting up and walking across

The pyre is lit, and the sound of the Buddhist "Heart Sutra" fills the air. The conflagration grows, throwing tendrils of fire into the sky. You can feel the heat emanating from the pyre in almost physical waves. As it begins burning down a good twenty minutes later, the Shugenja begin tossing goma-gi, or prayer sticks, into the blaze, each inscribed with the personal hopes and wishes of those who have paid for them. Good news for foreign visitors: Goma-gi are now available in English, Korean and Chinese as well as the original Japanese.

When the fire has reduced itself to smoking ashes, the walk begins. Once the Shugenja cross, the coals are opened for any who care to journey across them -- and hundreds line up for the privilege, removing their socks and shoes in anticipation of the venture. (Don't worry: A safe path is cleared so that you're basically walking on cooled ash instead of embers -- but you might want to bring along some wet wipes to clean off your soles, which will be stained soot black after the short journey across.) At the end of the path awaits a statue of Izuna-Daigongen, the god of the mountain. Buddhist or not, if you take the walk, you're a part of the ritual. Put your hands together, bow your head and offer your respects to the diety for some good luck all year round.

Postscript: I may not have burned my feet, but my jacket didn't fare as well. A stray spark must have landed on my hood while I was watching the ceremony unfold. A word to the wise: Watch from a distance if you're worried about clothing being damaged. But then again, they say the sparks bring good fortune.

A conch horn is de rigeur for Shugenja.

Shugenja preparing for the ceremony.

Arrows fired into the pyre ensure the spiritual purity of the area.

The pyre blazes up.

The pyre at its peak.

Goma-gi being heaped on the pyre.

For more information:

Takao-zan Hiwatari Matsuri -- www.takaosan.or.jp/hiwatari

Hiwatari Matsuri Program -- www.takaosan.or.jp/hiwatari/program.html