Our mystical journey takes us into the temples, shrines and sacred mountains of Japan for a hands-on experience and encounter with the island’s deeply pertinent folk beliefs, myths and its martial and esoteric spiritual knowledge, wisdom and philosophy. 

Japan is one of the few remaining spiritual cultures, alive and well today, that is not grounded in religious dogma or doctrine, but in the belief of the divine—the divinity of the land and the spirit of the people. Their religion of spirituality is today called Shinto (from the Chinese shen meaning divinity and tao meaning way or path).

There is also another form of religion in Japan that is extremely close to the hearts and minds of many: Shingon (True Word) Esoteric Buddhism. Esoteric Buddhism is based on the belief that Buddhahood or one’s divinity may be attained in this body, this life and this world. The founder of Shingon, Kūkai (774-835) believed in the divine human or Buddha human. The sacred mountain, Koyasan, was and still is his home.

When we combine, Shinto, Shingon, Onmyodo magic and folk shamanism, we discover Shugendo (the way of mountain asceticism). Shugendo is the way (do) of mastery (shu) of extraordinary religious power (gen). Shugendo traces its origin to a legendary ascetic called En No Gyoja who lived near Kyoto during the Nara Period in the late 7th century. It teaches ascetic practices that are to be conducted upon certain mountains and leads to magic religious powers including spirit possession, exorcism and spiritual healing.

Each of these ways, different but similar, of magic and spiritual power will be explored directly as we immerse ourselves into the scared world of mystical Japan. This journey is not based on a pre-set itinerary. It is a true pilgrimage that leaves the beaten path of the package tours and takes us into the spiritual and martial power of rural backcountry Japan. We will explore Kyoto, Yoshino, Koyasan and the Kumano area of the Kii Peninsula as well as the mystical and sacred mountains of Kurama and Hakusan.

Hakusan is one of the nihon sanmeizan, or Japan's 3 most famous mountains, famous because they are the 3 most significant and holiest Buddhist mountains in Japan. The other two are Fujisan in Yamanashi, and Tateyama in Toyama. The site of Hakusan was regarded as sacred from very early times. Hakusan is celebrated in the Man’youshu, which was compiled in the eight century, and Taicho, the founder of the cult, received the first oracle from the deity of Hakusan in 719. The cult of asceticism mountain power developed in the Heian period and the mountain's religion was a form of Shinto/ Buddhist syncretism.

We honor our dojo’s namesake, Hakusan, with this pilgrimage as well as honoring Dr. Husfelt’s 40 years in the martial and spiritual arts.

We begin our pilgrimage in Kyoto, a jewel of Japanese culture and an experience not to be missed. Our days in Kyoto are flexible, giving us freedom to pursue our own interests and make our own discoveries. Over the years, I have discovered many of Kyoto’s gems from mystical-based woodblock prints, tucked away within the alleyways and corners of Kyoto, to ‘sword play’ with one of the Samurai actors at the Toei Uzumasa Movieland.

Leaving Kyoto our mountainous adventure begins with a stop at Yoshino. We room at the Chikurin-in, a villa that was built by the famous tea master Sen-no-rikyu who was forced to commit ritual suicide for preventing the shogun Hideyoshi from taking his daughter as a concubine. This is a land of cherry blossoms and beauty as best displayed by the garden, not to be missed, behind our ryokan. It is here on Yoshino that we will learn more about the mountain wizardry, mystical training and knowledge of these Shinto-Buddhist Onmyodo Shamans, their guardian Myoo, Fudo Myo-o, and legendary founder En-no-gyoja as we experience the goma fire ceremony of the yamabushi at Nōten Ōkami.

On Koyasan our accommodations are at the Fukuchi-in. Koyasan, the sacred land and space of Kūkai, posthumously known as Kōbō Daishi (great teacher of Buddhist teachings), is also home to 120 temples and the national cemetery of Okunoin. Our temple lodgings are some of the most exquisite in Japan that includes the joy of the ofuro (hot bath) and the vegetarian cuisine prepared by the Fukuchi-in priests. We will immerse ourselves in the legend and lore of Kōbō Daishi and Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, visit Kongobu-ji Temple (Temple of the Diamond Mountain) and conclude with a midnight excursion through Okunoin to the Lantern Hall and the Mausoleum of Kūkai where my Descending Spirit Exorcism occurred in 1987. This is optional and not for the faint of heart.

Over the next several days, we explore Kumano, the general name given to the southern part of the Kii Peninsula Almost of all Kumano is mountainous, and is formed from steep and complicated peaks and gorges. For a long time, interaction with the outside world was very limited and, because of this relative isolation, the area attained an air of divinity. Since ancient times, Kumano has been one of the most prominent religious sanctuaries for the people of Japan.  Known as the Otherworld, it is the realm of dragons, hot springs and the Shugen-ja. We will visit the Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine as well as the sacred Nachi Falls called Ichi-no-taki. Over 48 waterfalls exist in this sacred land. 

Kukishin Ryu was developed in Kumano province and there is still a document, the Amatsu Tatarahibun, preserved in a temple, which relates to it. The Bugei Ryuha Daijiten, the official record of martial schools and their founders, lists Yakushimaru Ryushin as the founder of the Kukishin Ryu. During the life of the school it was employed by Japanese seamen to help protect them against pirates. This greatly influenced the school's techniques and weapons. 

After having learned Shugendo from his father Doyu, Ryushin went to Kyoto, where he learned esoteric Buddhism from a Buddhist monk Jokai at Sanmakin temple. He also put himself in martial arts training at Mt. Kurama. He was said to be a master of Kuji-hiho and Onmyo-do.

Our next stop is the same mountain, Mt. Kurama. Tucked away among the cedar forests of Kyoto's northern hills lies the tiny village of Kurama. Famed for centuries for its Buddhist temple and legendary Tengu goblin, it has also become known in more recent years for its mineral springs and traditional Japanese inn. Easily accessible from Kyoto, but seemingly remote from the modern world, the visitor can enjoy hiking over holy Mt. Kurama before indulging in a luxurious soak in the gorgeous rotemburo outdoor baths. Reclining in these beautiful cypress wood baths while gazing at the surrounding mountains and breathing in the fresh mountain air will be one of the finest ways to relax after the many days that we have spent in training and pilgrimage.

In between ‘baths,’ we will seek out the Tengu, the mythical creatures said to live on the peak of Mount Kurama. Credited with supernatural powers, a mischievous sense of humor and extraordinary fighting skills, tengus feature in numerous old tales and legends. One of the most famous of these tells how the King of the Tengu, the ancient, white-haired Sojobo, trained the great 12th century hero Minamoto Yoshitsune in swordsmanship, the martial arts and military strategy.

The first part of our pilgrimage completes on Mt. Kurama. For the second part of our journey for the ones that would like to continue and not head back to the states, we head northeast to the sacred mountain and our dojo’s namesake—Hakusan. For information on this part of the pilgrimage, please see the Dragon Goddess of Hakusan, the Hakusan Dojo.

We will spend about four days in the Hakusan region before returning to Kyoto where our pilgrimage ends.

The training fee for the first part of the pilgrimage is $950. The pilgrimage begins in Kyoto on Thursday evening September 23^rd, 2004 and completes on Sunday October 3^rd, 2004.

The second part of our pilgrimage to Mt. Hakusan occurs from Sunday October 3^rd to Thursday October 7^th, 2004. The training fee for this part of the journey is $295.This is a limited pilgrimage, for more information on details, please Contact Us or e-mail us at – spirit@divinehumanity.com