The stories of Kumano - Kumano Nachi Sankei Miya Mandala
The popularity of the Kumano Sanzan (Three
Grand Shrines) as a pilgrimage destination in ancient times is
due largely to the efforts of the 
Kumano missionaries (Bikuni)
who traveled all over Japan explaining, to whoever they met, the
stories told depicted in the various Kumano mandalas. The efforts of the
Kumano Bikuni (nuns) are particularly notable since their goal
was primarily to lead women into Kumano in order to experience
the power of the Kumano Gongen (Avatar/Deity). By using the
Kumano mandalas the Bikuni taught that Kumano was a land of
divinity whose gods accepted all people rich or poor, pure or
sinful, man or woman, without conditions. They used the Kumano
Jukkai Mandala to teach that every thought, word, and action has
an effect in this life and in the next, and that grace could be
achieved in this life, while peace would be achieved in the next.
The Sankei Miya Mandala, on the other hand, taught Japanese
people about the kind of ceremonies and practices in Kumano which
were leading people to an awakening to the true meaning of life
and death.
- Sankei Mandala-Healing
Pilgrimages
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The Sankei
Miya Mandala was used to teach people about Kumano during
the 12th-17th centuries AD. Through
the mandala many legends and stories were told about the
many pilgrims who came to Kumano for physical and
spiritual healing. The stories were chanted by Kumano
Bikuni while showing the mandalas.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Fudaraku Tokai
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The picture on the right is of the Fudaraku
temple. Fudaraku is one of the Pure Lands of Buddhism. It
was the custom at one time that when a monk reached sixty
years of age he would set out on his last voyage across
the sea hoping to arrive at the Pure Land of Fudaraku. 
The picture on the left depicts one such
departure. The boat has a Shinto Torii (gate) and is
fenced on all four sides. The monk brought food and
supplies for 30 days and set out for Fudaraku when the
wind began to blow in from the west around the month of
November. From the year 868 to 1722, twenty-one monks set
out on this voyage.
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- Sankei Mandala-Ninose bashi
-
This is a
picture of Ninose Bridge. Before entering the sacred
grounds of Nachi, pilgrims would purify themselves in the
waters near this bridge and would then be physically and
spiritually purified through a ceremony performed by the
Kumano Bikuni (nuns). You can see the Bikuni in the
picture clothed in red robes with a white cape over their
head.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Furikase bashi
-
Here
Furikase Bridge is depicted. It is said that this bridge
derives it name from the belief that by way of this
bridge one would leave the mundane and enter into the
world of immortality and sacred existence. The child
riding the dragon is a manifestation of the Nachi deity.
The deity is there to assist the monk on the bridge in
achieving his purpose.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Daimonzaka
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'Daimonzaka' is one approach to Kumano Nachi
Grand Shrine and Seigantoji Temple, the final destination
of the Kumano Pilgrimage (see Sankei Miya Mandala). This
is one of the few sections of the Kumano Kodo Old Road
that still remain fully intact. As you walk up this path,
you will catch your first glimpse of the Nachi Waterfall.
It was customary that before entering the Shrine
precincts one would report in at a checkpoint which used
to be along this section of the path. This part of the
path is called Daimonzaka because at one time there used
to be a large Gate called NioMon, where a guardian spirit
of the Nachi Shrine resided. The gate was later moved to
Seigantoji Temple.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Nachi Waterfall
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After walking down and to the right of the
Niomon Gate on the Daimonzaka Path, you will come to the
Nachi Waterfall. In this photo you can see the Senjyu
Kannon Do Building. The waterfall is an historic location
for the training of Mountain Buddhist monks seeking
self-knowledge. Turn right after Niomon Gate, and you
will soon reach 'Hiryu Gongen' and the Nachi Waterfall.
The big building with the tiled roof is the Senjyu Do
Building where Senjyu Kannon, the Buddhist version of
'Hiryu Gongen' is deified.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-The Story of
Mongaku
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This picture tells the story of Mongaku, a man
who renounced his life as a samurai guard at the Imperial
residence in Kyoto after accidentally killing the woman
he loved in an attempt to murder her husband. After this
experience he renounced the world as an illusion and put
himself through severe training to purify himself. This
picture depicts the time when he almost died during
takigyo (waterfall purification). Two monks are seen
assisting him. He carried out his training for 21 days
under the protection of a local deity.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Offerings of
Labour and Ceremony
Nachi Dengaku and Okibiki
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Kumano Bikuni
travelled all over Japan in order to spread the teachings
of the Kumano Gongen while raising funds to restore and
maintain the shrines of the Kumano Gongen tradition. This
picture is drawn based on the stories people heard about
Kumano. In Okibiki (pulling logs) devotees from all over
Japan gather logs for the renovation of the shrine
building and three story tower built by Emperor
Shirakawa. Dengaku is a music and dance event held to
celebrate and provide an offering to the gods. After
climbing up the path from Daimonzaka you will come the
Jinguji Temple of Nachi Gongen. Next to the temple is a
three story tower which is said to have been built by
Emperor Shirakawa. In front of the tower is the square
where Okibiki, the practice of gathering logs for
renovating the shrine building is taking place. The
Dengaku Hoshi are dancing the Nachi Dengaku to Japanese
flute music. Behind the three story tower is a 'torii'
(gate), a cedar, and a stone. The cedar is a sacred tree,
and the stone is called Kudari Ishi, one of the 'seven
stones' of Nachi.
to the top - Sankei Mandala-Pilgrimage of
Emperor Goshirakawa
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This picture
shows the Emperor Goshirakawa praying in front of the
main building of the Nachi Kumano Gongen. It was his 34th
time to make the pilgrimage to Kumano. It was told that
those who made the pilgrimage to Kumano would live a long
and healthy life. In fact, many famous pilgrims who came
to Kumano at that time lived until their sixties and
seventies in a time when the average life span was around
forty to fifty years. The rock seen near the priest is
called Karasu Ishi. There is a legend which says that a
three-legged crow serving as a messenger for the Kumano
Gongen guided the Emperor Jimmu to Yamato and then later
hid itself behind this rock.
to the top - Nachi Sankei Miya
Mandala-Myohozan Mountain
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This is
Amidaji Temple in Mt. Myoho, which is also known as the
Koyasan for females. Koyasan was founded by Kobodaishi
and was restricted to male trainees only. The person
praying in front of this temple is a pilgrimage guide.
The mountain behind the temple is called Shikimiyama
Mountain where a mountain path for the dead is said to be
found. When a person dies, he becomes a ghost and visits
Amidaji Temple. There he rings a bell once with a branch
of 'shikimi' in his hand before a meal for the dead is
ready, then he drops the branch in the mountain behind
the temple. Hence the mountain behind the temple is
called Shikimi Mountain. A Bikuni nun explains to the
women that since the devotees were led here by their
guide, they can go to Kannon Jodo (the Pure Land of
Kannon) without having to become ghosts.
to the top - Nachi Sankei Miya Mandala-Ojo
Shonin
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Beside the temple you can see a pagoda dedicated
to Ojo Shonin, a Chinese monk who came to Kumano, chanted
daily eating only pine needles, and later burned himself
praying while facing to the west. By practicing this
method of discarding the body it was considered to be an
act of purification. This photo is of the place where his
final practice was held.
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