Have you heard of Goma or Homa? Both mean fire rituals that you can see at Shingon and Tendai sects of Japanese esoteric Buddhism. Originally, it is one of their ascetic trainings so it is not usually open to the public. But nowadays, the rituals became open in some temples and you can see them easily in webpages. In Kumamoto, you can see the ritual right in front of you at Rengein Tanjoji Okunoin temple (蓮華院誕生寺　奥之院) in Tamana City, the northern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. In this article, you will learn about the origins of Goma fire ritual and how it is performed at Okunoin temple. Okunoin itself is a very attractive sanctuary to walk around in the middle of Mt. Shodai. The temple was designed under the concept of “a Buddhist sanctuary like a park where the general public can visit at ease and enjoy the time”. It is a temple with large sanctuary area and some attractive monuments and landscape.
Check out the new article below and I hope you will visit them and explore the world of Buddhism through Goma fire ritual.