A chill bit the tip of my nose as the shadows lengthened, the late afternoon sunlight bathing the red leaves of Mt. Koya in sublime gold. Dressed in the black robe and orange nyoho-e I'd put on at my ordination and stained with sweat during Shido Kegyo training, I was now standing at the threshold of Hoju-in , the venue for Dembo Kanjo .  The big event was set for the next day; today all the participants would draw water from a sacred well for use in the ceremony.  Kanjo , in

Konji-ji's Saito Goma fire ceremony The Gyoja Mondo , or “Practitioner Questions and Answers,” are performed at the start of Saito Goma fire rituals. Now as in the past, these rituals are performed by Shugen practitioners as a way of sharing the merits cultivated in the mountains with communities. In the past, any authentic initiate of Shugendo was welcome to participate, as their presence was believed to enhance the potency of the ritual. As a free lunch and a share of the