Abstract
From the late 1970s rising interrelated interests in Japanese mountain asceticism, Esoteric Buddhism and “New Age” spirituality and healing were spurred by oil shocks and concerns about the fragility of human and ecological health during a time of unprecedented economic prosperity. When the bubble economy burst in the 1990s, certain individuals shifted focus to inner rather than outer wealth and to greater quality of life over income. They found a growing body of print, audio-visual and on-line media produced by charismatic Shugendō priests Tanaka Riten and Tateishi Kōshō, who condensed and abbreviated traditional ascetic mountain initiation rituals of Shugendō (literally “The Way of Acquiring Power”). They adapted these practices to suit the needs and work schedules of busy urban lay participants. In 2007 filmmaker Jean-Marc Abela and I traveled to Yoshino and Shingu (south of Kyoto) to create a participatory documentary film, Shugendō Now. By disseminating research about the experiences of Shugendō priests and lay practitioners in an accessible documentary and Ph.D. thesis, we have sought to contribute to a new understanding of how a mountain ascetic tradition is being creatively reinvented in the 21st Century. Bringing a camera and professional filmmaker into the field and seeking direction and feedback from research co-participants enabled unanticipated discoveries and my most productive and collaborative fieldwork experiences to date.
Published Version
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