Masters Yamabushi Training on Gassan last month.
Last month, on our Masters Training, the forecast was for rain, thunder, and strong wind. In Toge, the village at the foot of the mountains, torrential rain had all but washed away any chance of a dry day. The plan for climbing Gassan was to call it at the Eighth Station. But by the time the group got there, the thunder was already distant, becoming more so by the minute. Still, a thick fog shrouded the path, and the rain wasn’t letting up. Gassan was living up to its reputation as the mountain of the dead. When the group reached the summit, they were wet from head to toe, but they had made it. And, as always, they prayed for a peaceful rest for the souls of those who have passed.
Mountains are training grounds for dealing with the unfamiliar.
We know things can change at the drop of a hat because we've experienced it before. The more time we spend in the mountains, the more familiar we become with them. But mountains are part of nature, and nature is forever changing. So rather than becoming more familiar with the mountains, when we go out into nature, we become more familiar with the unfamiliar.
Take Master Hoshino and his night walks, for example. He has a pretty intimate knowledge of the paths and shrines around Daishobo pilgrim lodge. He knows before he goes out at night the options available to him. However, he doesn’t know which path he will actually take until he is taking it. The actual path taken is entirely dependent on the situation, and the feeling in that precise moment.
As Sendatsu, master yamabushi, we prepare as much as is reasonable. We have knowledge of the paths we wish to take, as well as alternatives should they become necessary. In the end, however, we leave the actual judgement of the path to the moment on the mountain. Has it been raining recently? Will the path be slippery? Are our guests tired from yesterday? Will they have the energy to make it that far? We have a general direction we would like to go. But more than that we have the flexibility to go with what the mountain dictates. The more time we spend on the mountains, the stronger this intuition grows. Yet mountains are unpredictable, so we know it’s never enough.
Two of the people on last month's Masters Training had been before. They didn't come back for the same training. They came back to train the part of themselves that copes when it isn't the same.
Then, at the Naorai feast after the training, Master Hoshino said he never decides in advance what he will talk about. He lets the people in the room draw it out of him. Just like his night walks, and just as on Gassan, the path is decided in the moment.
P.S. Our 2027 dates are now open: Basic Training June 13–17, and Masters Training July 1–7 and September 11–17. A note on fees: participation fees change on November 1. If your deposit reaches us by October 31, you'll train at this year's rate.
