The Sōhei

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## Sōhei

The **Sōhei** (僧兵, "warrior monks") are a group of Buddhist warrior monks who are allied with the Battotai in their efforts to rid Japan of its Oni crisis. Existing alongside the Battotai's predecessors, the samurai, for nearly a thousand years, the Sōhei are a loose organization that lacks a formal internal structure and an all-encompassing hierarchy. Instead, it is a collective term to describe the hundred or so warrior monks that persist to the present day, roaming across Japan and assisting people wherever possible. Many of the Sōhei have found themselves settled in the **Shikoku** region which holds a rich history for its Shinto-Buddhist temples, traditions, and associations via the 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

## History

Present and significant in Japanese history, the Sōhei were powerful in early feudal Japan for their religious and military influence, thus dictating the tide of politics in any region they were located. The Sōhei as an organization emerged during the Heian period in early feudal Japan. Despite their noble-sounding background, the Sōhei during this time were far more political and militaristic than their modern counterparts, seizing territory and laying waste to rival Buddhist sects throughout the Kamakura period. During this time, the Sōhei operated as formal organizations, fighting collectively as armies would. Famous Sōhei temples included the Enryaku-ji Monastery by Kyoto on Mount Hiei, and the Kofuku-ji Temple in the city of Nara. Throughout this period, Sōhei warriors dedicated themselves to the hunting of Oni alongside their samurai counterparts.

Many powerful Sōhei orders were based in the **Kansai** region, specifically the temples of Nara and Kyoto. Wielding immense power and influence, feudal lords often sought the allegiance of the Sōhei in their petty conflicts against one another. This level of authority was not without precedent however, as Sōhei warriors were well known for their legendary martial arts and combat skills. By the end of the 12th century when Japan experienced the Genpei War, the Sōhei reached their peak in recognition and military power, having a significant role in the conflict that played out. Following this war, the introduction of Zen Buddhist values would temper the Sōhei's aggression.

By the beginning of the Meiji era, the Sōhei were but a shadow of their former glory. With the Oni population at a historical low between the Meiji era and the Second World War, they grew to be more sedentary and settled themselves within the **Shikoku** region. These Sōhei warriors would become the basis for the Shikoku Battotai where they are still present to this day, maintaining a strong relationship with their Buddhist roots compared to the Battotai of other regions such as Kansai or Kanto.

## Functions and Purpose

Formally, the Sōhei are not an official organization like the Battotai. Instead, it is a collective term to describe the order that these monks consider themselves to be a part of. With a vast majority of the traditional Sōhei considering themselves as official members of the Shikoku Battotai, only a few dozen Sōhei warrior monks roam throughout Japan to render aid to those who would need it most. Their acts of compassion and charity is distributed between the innocent, the temples, and can be seen in ways besides slaughtering Oni. The Battotai often refers to these Sōhei warriors as "consultants" for purification of major battle-sites, and for sealing away powerful Oni. Alas, some Sōhei prefer to retain their nomadic independence and disapprove of their Shikoku brethren, believing that a nomadic and thus, "detached" life, is necessary for true enlightenment.

These nomadic Sōhei hold no formal allegiance to the Battotai's command structure. However, a mutual relationship of respect and trust is shared between these monks and the Battotai due to a common purpose: the destruction of Oni and the protection of their communities.