psychic Enno Ozunu
Enno Ozunu flew in the sky, walked on the sea, and had demons as his disciples.
Enno Ozunu, known as Enno Gyoja, was born in 634 in present-day Nara Prefecture.
While pregnant with Ozunu, his mother dreamed. A golden Buddha image fell from the sky and entered her mouth.
The newborn Ozunu was more eerie than cute. His mother abandoned him in the forest. But, it never wilts. The rain and the rainy season keep it dry. Animals and birds watch over it.
The mother takes him home and begins fostering him again. And that was the beginning of Oznu's life of being loved by the mountains and nature.
Oznu wrote old Indian scripts that he was not taught at an early age. At 17, Oznu was invited by his mother's cousin, a monk, to practice Buddhism.
One of the monks saw Ozunu's talent and gave him the "Peacock Spell. The Peacock Spell is a spell to protect against poisonous snakes in the mountains.
In the spring of his 22nd year, Ozunu was at a waterfall. There, he went to the Pure Land, the land of God. A great, ancient Indian monk gave him the secrets of esoteric Buddhism.
Esoteric Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism from China. Ozunu spread his teachings to other practitioners.
He also learned about herbal medicine, magic, and how to hunt mines. He converted those who had done wrong and made them his allies.
One day, Oznu found a couple of evil demons.
He used a spell to persuade the demons to stop their wicked ways. He then turned them into humans and made them his disciples. He named them Zenki and Goki.
Oznu wanted to build a bridge between the mountains. So, he gathered the gods and had them work day and night. A god named Hitokotonusi wanted to work only at night to hide his ugly form.
Oznu became angry and cast Hitokotonusi into the valley with a spell.
Hitokotonushi got angry. He told everyone that Ozunu was plotting against the Court. The Court tried to capture him, but he flew into the sky and could not be caught.
So they captured Ozunu's mother. Exiled. Hearing this, Ozunu had to be captured. On May 24, 699, he was to Izu Oshima.
However, Ozunu is said to have flown at night. He trained in the Izu Mountains. Every night, he walked over the sea to climb Mt. Fuji.
After Ozunu was exiled to Izu Oshima, strange weather began.
The emperor then had a dream. It foretold that he had sinned against the saint. Ozunu soon returned to his homeland. He is said to have died at 68 on June 7, 701.
It is said that he ascended to heaven on a cloud of five colors.
Enno Ozunu's mountain beliefs had a significant impact on later generations.
In the Nara period (710-794), they were linked to esoteric Buddhism. This branch of Buddhism opposed secularized Buddhism.
In the 8th and 9th centuries, esoteric Buddhism spread. It was due to Kukai and Saicho.
They trained in the Tang Dynasty. Their goal was to benefit the world and cure various illnesses.
Shugendo is a mix of esoteric Buddhism and mountain worship. It became more organized.
Mountain priests appeared across the land, and the faith spread fast. Japan's land has many mountain forests. So, mountain-based faith has spread.
En no Gyōja:Wmpearl, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En_no_Gy%C5%8Dja,_Kamakura_period,_polychromed_wood.JPG
In the Heian period (794-1185), Enno Ozunu was called "En no Gyoja." In 1799, over 1,000 years later, he was named "Jimbendai Bosatsu" (Great Goddess of Mercy) for his virtues.
Enno Ozunu is said to have flown to Enoshima with his flying skills. Legend says Enno Ozunu was the first to train at Enoshima Iwaya. A statue of him at the Eshima Shrine is said to be his creation.
There are many theories about the legend of Enno Oznu.
We do not know if he had these supernatural powers, but he was real.
Isn't the legend of Enno Oznu romantic?