What School of Buddhism is This?

[Mr. G]

The description of the video states it's a Zen monk, but that doesn't seem right. Shingon? Tendai? I'm guessing because of the bell:

[Chaz]

The description of the video states it's a Zen monk, but that doesn't seem right. Shingon? Tendai? I'm guessing because of the bell:

Boy that's a GOOD question!

The bell looks like a Kagyu-style handbell (5 prongs), but that could be meaningless relative to the monk's lineage. Anyone can obtain a bell like that - you don't have to be Kagyu.

[Tatsuo]

Judging from the robe he looks like a Nichirenshū monk (who wear grey and yellow). The bell and Juzu (prayer beads) are most probably Shingon. So I guess he is a Shingon monk.

Edit:
The Kanji on the bag of the monk seem to be 高野山, which is Kōyasan, the head temple of Shingonshū. So it's almost certain, that the monks belongs to the Kōyasan Shingonshū. Although I've never seen a Shingon monk wearing such a robe.

[tktru]

Or perhaps its a "monk" who decided one day to throw on whatever Buddhist looking article of clothing he could find and go out and "beg"...

No Shingon monk wears gray robes from my understanding...

[Dexing]

Actor?

[alasdairyee]

Haha, yeah thats an actor who wore whatever clothing he could get his hands on to look like a monk.

[ground]

Great video!

school, non-school, actor, non-actor doesn't really matter.

Kind regards

[Tatsuo]

It seems, that there are in fact monks from Kōyasan Shingonshū, who do wear grey or white, though I think only lower ranks wear grey, but I cannot prove that. See here (from the official website of the Kōyasan Shingonshū) and here (an article about Takuhatsu [alms-begging] of Shingon monks).

The bell looks like a Kagyu-style handbell (5 prongs), but that could be meaningless relative to the monk's lineage. Anyone can obtain a bell like that - you don't have to be Kagyu.

Every school, that practices Vajrayana/Esoteric Buddhism uses such bells. But the Japanese Ghanta is slightly different to Tibetan/Central Asian Ghantas.

[Mr. G]

It seems, that there are in fact monks from Kōyasan Shingonshū, who do wear grey or white, though I think only lower ranks wear grey, but I cannot prove that. See here (from the official website of the Kōyasan Shingonshū) and here (an article about Takuhatsu [alms-begging] of Shingon monks).

The bell looks like a Kagyu-style handbell (5 prongs), but that could be meaningless relative to the monk's lineage. Anyone can obtain a bell like that - you don't have to be Kagyu.

Every school, that practices Vajrayana/Esoteric Buddhism uses such bells. But the Japanese Ghanta is slightly different to Tibetan/Central Asian Ghantas.

Thanks Tasuo!

[Mr. G]

Another one I found:

[Mr. G]

Is this monk chanting the nembutsu? The sound quality leaves alot to be desired:

[Tatsuo]

Yes - that's the nenbutsu. Great videos, mr. gordo

[Hanzze]

Thanks for sharing, the whole film (Baraka) is real great!

[Tatsuo]

Another great video of Shingonshū (Buzanha - the drums are their speciality). It's a recitation of the Heart Sutra/hannya shin gyō:

[Chaz]

Every school, that practices Vajrayana/Esoteric Buddhism uses such bells. But the Japanese Ghanta is slightly different to Tibetan/Central Asian Ghantas.

Thanx. Good info. The Ghante is a lot like Tibetan handbells - simpler and more elegant looking. Beautiful.

It does seem quite similar to a Kagyu bell with 5 "prongs" in the hanle as opposed to the Nyingma style with 9.

Where do you find those for sale?

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[Tatsuo]

Those items are rarely sold at E-Bay and sometimes in Japanese Buddhist equipment shops, which almost never send items overseas. You can also get them at Yahoo auctions Japan, but the sellers generally do not send items overseas, too.

[Mr. G]

Another great video of Shingonshū (Buzanha - the drums are their speciality). It's a recitation of the Heart Sutra/hannya shin gyō:

This was very cool.

[Chaz]

Another great video of Shingonshū (Buzanha - the drums are their speciality). It's a recitation of the Heart Sutra/hannya shin gyō:

This was very cool.

Yes very cool indeed.

Some Kagyu groups use a drum for heart Sutra as well, but not as "decoratively" as these Shingonpas do it. It seems to be that the cadence of the Kagyu druming is more straightforward - 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 and so on. We also use a drum for protector chants. I wonder if Shingon is similar in that regard.

I like drumming in general. That Jodo Shinshu temple near my office sponsors a Taiko group of some reknown: Denver Taiko.

http://www.denvertaiko.org/

[Mr. G]

Is this a Jodo Shinshu priest?

[Dodatsu]

Is this a Jodo Shinshu priest?

No, judging from the kesa and insignia on it, most likely Soto Zen.