The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-09-03
Fire Walking Practiced by An
cient Religious Sect.
Believed in Japan Ceremony Antedates
Herman Family, the Gods Having
Observed It in Their Progress
Toward "Perfect Purity"

claim is Indigenous TO Japan. buuuhisH
was imported from India via CHINA
and Korea. The nation is not divided
into two distinct sections, however, as
the teachings are so thoroughly inter-
fused that the number belonging ex-
clusively to either is comparatively
small Every Japanese child at birth
is placed by it's parents under the pro-
lection of a Shinto deity. The Shlnto
religion is a compound of ancestor
worship and nature-worship, and does
not give any ethical teachings beyond
''obeying the decree of the emperor
and following the natural impulse OF
right" ...
"Shinto" is Chinese word mean
ing the "way of the gods" There are
gods and goddesses innumerable:
Goddess of the sun, and god of the
moon, god of the wind, fire and food,
of the ocean, mountains, rivers, trees
and temples. The rite of fire walking
is believed to antedate the human fam
| lily, the gods having observed it In
their progress toward perfect purity,
which is the fulfillment of life. 1t is
observed twice annually, and was wit
messed by the writer on a recent visit
| to Japan at the Temple Of Ontak,
| Kudan.
On two sides of the temple court a
| platform was raised overlooking the
| court and seats reserved for the en-
| bassies and visitors to witness this
most ancient and interesting ceremony.
| In the court. which is holy ground,
| the pyre was built on strictly pre-
scribed lines and of purest material.
First a layer of straw which was COW
cred with sand from the seashore care
| fully screened to insure purity, then
| logs or sticks of pine, and this was
covered with charcoal about twenty
inches deep.
The bed was about seven feet wide
and eighteen feet long. This was light
| ed in the early morning and was
| famed continually with long-handled
| fans and whipped with thin boards un-
| til it was a glowing mass of live coal.
| The ceremony begins at dusk and is a
| prolonged affair. The temple priests
dressed in white march around and
around tanning the ash always to the
| center, and casting handfuls Of salt,
| which they take in passing from a
large bowl placed conveniently near.
At each end of the pyre a canvas
mat is spread covered thickly with
salt, on which the priests rub their
bare feet They breathe incantations
with a peculiar swishing sound so for
eign to our ears, and stop at frequent
| intervals to gesticulate, twist their fin
| gers and spread their hands out over
| the fire, urging the evil spirits to de-
part. 1t was weird scene, and one
| which claimed our closest attention.
| Finally the chief priest entered
dressed in long loose robe with flow
ing sleeves and fastened at the wrist
with a girdle. He walked devoutly to
the end of the pyre and, bowling his
head low over his unclasped hands,
dedicated the pyre to the god and
prayed him to descend on the bed. A
| prolonged pause ensued; then priest
struck a spark from flint on steel, and
it was supposed the invitation was &C.
cepted.
| The chief priest walked with calm
dignity across the bed, followed by the
other priests, apparently oblivious of
the tremendous heat which seemed un-
bearable to the spectators 80 feet
| he ri
and participated, old and young, chill
dren- being carried or led by their par
ents and the very aged carried on the
| shoulders of young men. 1t was GER
| tainly most impressive ceremony, as
they all seemed possessed with a GER
tain religious fervor that made them
unconscious of burns.
| AS they walked so calmly, occasion
ally one would pick up his foot and
hop along; then he would seem to re-
member it was an acknowledgment of
| impurity and he would place his foot
firmly down and walk on. If they are
pure in spirit, they are immune and
| can traverse the bed with perfect safe
| ty; and this rite Is the test of perfect
| purity.
While the procession was in progress
| the travelling companion of the writer,
an American girl. slipped away un-
noticed and appeared in the arena.
| Gathering her clothes closely about
| her, she walked on the bed of Goals
| fearlessly and absolutely without burn
ing. When the audience realized it
was a foreigner making the test they
| gave her tremendous ovation. On
| inquiry if she found it hot, she replied
that she did not linger long enough to
| test the degree of heat.
The Japanese theory is that the
spirit of water descends from the moon
and drives the spirit of fire from the
Goals; and the lesson taught by the
rite is that evil may be driven from
the heart Of man and only good sur
vive The only explanation Of their
being able to walk without burning to
the normal mind is that the salt cools
| the surface of the bed. After the cere-
mony is over every priest prods it with
| long poles, stirring up the live Goals
from the bottom and dismissing the
spirits of fire if any fingered through
| the ceremony.
Leaving a Rich Field.
| "yVhat ara Won laughing at 2" aSked