Around Tokyo
Enlightenment in a Holy Mountain in Japan in 1995
In 1995, a middle-aged mountain ascetic died in a notable holy mountain in Japan while he was practicing fasting to be continued for 60 days; he died of fatigue and breakdown at the 55th day of his fasting. But, he wrote in his diary that he surely got enlightenment on the 37th day, namely August 31, 1995, although he died 5 days before planned completion.
Such a mountain ascetic in Japan is usually called a practitioner of Shugen-do. Practitioners of Shugen-do go into holy mountains and practice ascetic training alone for days while practicing rituals with prayer to great spirits of Japanese Buddhism or shintoism.
This mountain ascetic had already made 40-day fasting by 1995. He wanted to further train himself to get enlightenment, so that he could save all the mankind like the Buddha or Christ Jesus. Many supporters came to the place of the training almost everyday, namely a small wooden hall in the mountain, carrying bottles or cases of water for him. They took pictures and made a record on him, but could not save him from death. After this accidental death in ascetic training, the supporters privately made a book on him.
According to his diary made public in the book, the mountain ascetic wrote that he found enlightenment meant realizing and understanding spiritual power, rather than getting spiritual sight, as he had been so told in his mind by great spirits of Buddhism and shintoism at the 37th day of fasting.
But at the time he was extremely broken up and debilitated. But, he continued his fasting and even climbed to the top of the holy mountain. He got sick and died at the 55th day of fasting.
It is a tragedy; a man in ascetic training dies in a holy mountain, especially in Japan in 1990s. But, his diary gave a precious record about what he thought and felt in the training.
According to his diary written by the mountain ascetic everyday during the fasting, he surely heard voices of great spirits of Buddhism and shintoism who told him that they had given him spiritual power that would lead him to enlightenment. And, he believed in those words. He found that power is enlightenment. He thought that he would live till 100 years of his age with this power. But, after hearing these words, he died 18 days later while continuing his fasting.
Probably after hearing these words, he should have asked his supporters to carry him to a base of the mountain. But he attached his mind to his original plan to complete the 60-day fasting.
None has criticized the man; this tragedy has not been widely published in Japan. But, we had better know this fact to know that there was a Japanese who tried to get enlightenment even risking his life in ascetic training at the end of the 20th century.
In my opinion, reading the Bible and the Gospels 60 times from the first page to the last page must be also effective in getting enlightenment. But, anyway, when a man dies and enters the spirit world, he would be surely given enlightenment by the God, if he so wishes.
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John 9
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.