The Way to Gyō: Priestly Asceticism on the Shikoku Henro

The Shikoku henro is arguably the most literary pilgrimage of the contemporary world. An unprecedented publication boom during the Heisei Era (1989-present) is centered especially on personal accounts of walking the 1,200 kilometer journey. A major theme among the more than 140 henro diaries that ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Shultz, John A. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Nanzan Institute 2016
In: Japanese journal of religious studies
Year: 2016, Volume: 43, Issue: 2, Pages: 275-305
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Shikoku hachijū hakkasho / Pilgrimage account / Asceticism / Hiking / Spirituality
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AG Religious life; material religion
BL Buddhism
KBM Asia
KCD Hagiography; saints
NCB Personal ethics
Further subjects:B Terminology
B Zen Buddhism
B Narratives
B Enlightenment
B Religious Studies
B Pilgrimages
B Priests
B Asceticism
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Summary:The Shikoku henro is arguably the most literary pilgrimage of the contemporary world. An unprecedented publication boom during the Heisei Era (1989-present) is centered especially on personal accounts of walking the 1,200 kilometer journey. A major theme among the more than 140 henro diaries that have been published in this era, and especially those of pilgrim priests, is that of asceticism. In this analysis I consider the narratives of several Buddhist clergy to highlight various interpretations of pilgrimage austerities. I use this data to analyze theoretical assertions concerning Japanese asceticism. I argue that asceticism is best viewed as a family grouping of phenomena that exists across a wide spectrum. As such, the concept is poorly served by a bounded definition contingent on some universal essence or formulaic set of rules.
Contains:Enthalten in: Japanese journal of religious studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.18874/jjrs.43.2.2016.275–305