special ascetic practices

[VolkerK]

i know there seem to be some special ascetic practices in tendai like sennichi kaihogyo with doiri and others. a few years ago i read a website where there are other such very strenuous practices were described, for example the practice where the monk is locked in a room and has to walk around the room for days reciting a mantra of canon or amida. according to the report i read at the time, this practice is even more strenuous than kaihogyo and far fewer monks have completed this practice. does anyone know the name of the practice and perhaps others?

[Nicholas2727]

Are you thinking of the four samadhi practice? 90 days of sitting, walking, both, neither. The pure land practice you are referring to seems like the walking practice in the four samadhis, but it is possible that it is a different practice that I am unfamiliar with.

[Sādhaka]

Tendai is said to do nine-day dry-fasts all the while doing Amitabha-prostrations and pilgrimage in the mountains, with no sleep.

The former three aspects are not so far-fetched, in themselves; however also with no sleep…? From an ordinary perspective, that’s pretty hardcore

[VolkerK]

Hallo Queequeg,
thank you for your message and help. yes i have been thinking of the 4 samadhi techniques shishuzanmai (the four kinds of sanmai). there are probably other exercises as well, as i have now found out.

Shishuzanmai (the four kinds of Sanmai) based on Makashikan (the Mahayana practice of shikan) are categorized into four, as shown below.

Joza Zanmai (Ichigyo Zanmai) (a meditation of Tendai sect to sit in meditation for a period of ninety days without engaging in any other practices)
Continue to sit for 90 days.
Jogyo Zanmai (Butsuryu Zanmai) (Constantly Walking Samadhi in Tendai sect)
Repeat the name of Buddha for 90 days while going round Amitabha.
Hangyo Hanza Zanmai (both seated and ambulatory meditation)
Conduct the practice of going around the principal image, alternated with that of sitting.
Hodo Zanmai (Vaipulya meditation)
To be practiced for seven days based on the "Daihodo-darani-Kyo" (Sutra Dharani).
Hokke Sanmai (Dharma-Lotus Samadhi)
To be practiced either for 37 days or 21 days based on "the Hokekyo Sutra" (Lotus Sutra).
Higyo hiza Zanmai (Zuijii Zanmai) (meditation on reality in an unspecified posture for an unspecified period of times)
https://www.japanese-wiki-corpus.org/Bu ... anmai.html


on a german website i also read that there are 2 or 3 training variants in tendai:
一二年籠山行(juninenrozangyo) and三年籠山行(sannenrozangyo). You can do the first one only after you have felt, during the training, the existence of Buddha (That is 好相行(kousougyo)). The first education lasts for 12 years. There are only 14 monks after World War 2 who have completed the first. The second, namely sannenrozangyo (三年籠山行) lasts 3 years. When you become a monk of the temple Enryaku-ji, and who wants to do voluntarily, make the Second. Then there is supposed to be another 2 year training, which most monks do.
http://www.yukai-japan.de/2017/10/18/di ... %E5%AF%BA/