Class Field Trip to Sakata
In my Japanese Society course, we studied Buddhists who went through a self-mummification process that took years of what would seem like torture. The method used for self-preservation was pretty sophisticated, which included consuming pine tree bark (because of its preserving properties for which it was used in lacquer) and arsenic, to rid the body of any bacteria that would decompose the internal organs. This was done in order to stay completely intact after death. Well, that's the basic of it, if my memory is correct... here's an article if you want to know more - it's really fascinating!
A description of the ones we visited:
Having successfully attained Buddahood, the mummies were usually taken to a particular temple, where generations of monks such as Ato-san tended for them. In the hilltop Kaikoji Temple in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, we found two very well preserved sokushinbutsu, Chukai and Enmyokai, who are enshrined side by side in their quiet suburban temple. The two gods today sit in the same position in which they were lowered into the ground to die, in 1755 and 1822 respectively, and face the three holy mountains of Dewa Sanzan where they undertook their rites. (From http://cjmathews.com/sokushinbutsu.html)
Here's photos of the temple, however, there was no photography of the mummies allowed (but there's a video here).
We also visited the local art museum...
And a sake museum!
With sampling, even!!
A description of the ones we visited:
Having successfully attained Buddahood, the mummies were usually taken to a particular temple, where generations of monks such as Ato-san tended for them. In the hilltop Kaikoji Temple in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, we found two very well preserved sokushinbutsu, Chukai and Enmyokai, who are enshrined side by side in their quiet suburban temple. The two gods today sit in the same position in which they were lowered into the ground to die, in 1755 and 1822 respectively, and face the three holy mountains of Dewa Sanzan where they undertook their rites. (From http://cjmathews.com/sokushinbutsu.html)
Here's photos of the temple, however, there was no photography of the mummies allowed (but there's a video here).
We also visited the local art museum...
And a sake museum!
With sampling, even!!