Monks of the Jigen Temple practice the ascetic ritual of cleaning their bodies in freezing water /Yokosuka

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1201150017/

January 15, 2012

Monks engaged in the discipline of covering themselves in cold water.

On the 15th, an event was held by the Nichiren denomination of Sawara, Yokosuka city. While chanting a sūtra and covered in a single fundoshi, participants of the ritual had to clean themselves in freezing water.

Previously, the monks endured a harser version of this practice in asceticism. For a period of 100 days, dressed entirely in white, they dumped the water on themselves, slurping only on rice gruel, day and night.

Before the event started, two monks chanted a sūtra, which seemed to increase their fervour. Covering themselves in dozens of buckets of friged water, an amature cameraman in the crowd took this energetic shot.


Original text:
冷水かぶり身を清め、慈眼院で修行僧が水行/横須賀
2012年1月15日

冷水をかぶる修行僧

横須賀市佐原の日蓮宗「慈眼院」で15日、経文を唱えながら締め込み一つで冷水をかぶり、身を清める水行が実施された。

水行した僧侶は以前、１００日間、白装束をまとい冷水をかぶり、朝晩に粥（かゆ）をすするだけの苦行に耐えた修行僧。

水行場の前で、２人の修行僧が気勢を上げるかのように経文を唱え、冷水を数十杯かぶると、訪れたアマチュアカメラマンらは盛んにシャッターを切っていた。