Discover Top Posts Tagged with #mountain warrior

City Lights From the Top of the Hill

Гора Тарки-Тау, Махачкала – Россия

#night view #mountains #city lights #view on top of hill #camp side #citysightseeing #archieve #mine #dagestan #mountain warrior #khabib nurmagomedov #firecamp #muslim brotherhood #memories #travel photo diary #muslim traveler #musafir #hijrah

Warrior Monk by David Benzal

#warrior monk #mountain warrior #yamabushi #samurai #bushi #bushido #japan #feudal japan #japan art

Since ancient times, Yamabushi were believed to acquire supernatural powers through the practice of rigorous mountain ascetics. In the 16th century, Christian missionaries to Japan regarded them with hostility, as "sorcerers in the service of the devil." Our spiritual explorers Andrea and Mandy seek to understand the spirituality of Yamabushi through a three-day ascetic program.

Yamabushi literally means Mountain (Yama) Warrior (Bushi). They are mountain hermits with a long tradition, endowed with supernatural powers in traditional Japanese mysticism that there are even legends of them killing demons, so you could say they were the original Demon Slayers. They were also among the first few to climb Mount Fuji, which pretty much tells you how fearsome they were being able to climb such a mountain without the technology of modern hiking.

Join the two hosts as they embark on a 3 days journey in becoming a Yamabushi and discovers that it’s not as easy as it seems. Trying to harness the power of nature and be one with it, is both physically and mentally challenging. And watching the the two, feels like you’re watching a real life anime.

Physical endurance is one thing but mental endurance is another.

Although Andrea managed to complete the training but not Mandy, I still respect her for her bravery in actually trying and it takes great courage to admit your own weakness than pretending to be fine for fear of being judged by others. I mean, how many of us can actually confront ourselves with the hard truth?

And it’s not about conquering the mountains but more appreciating it’s raw power and absorbing it, making you feel as if you are a part of it. It’s when you no longer feel tired when climbing or cold when you endure under the freezing waterfall that feels like sharp needles hitting your body that you know you’ve absorbed the power of nature and being one with it.

#yamabushi #mountain warrior #mountain priest #japan #nhk world japan #spiritual explorers #spiritual japan #nature of japan

A Japanese Love Tale

Listen to this song and read the story below for full effect.

Once upon a time in Feudal Japan, there were two lovers from different clans. A proud Samurai and a high-born lady. These two neighboring clans were close allies that fought many battles against common enemies that it’s almost impossible to defeat one of them without involving the other, so over time, the enemies learned at their own peril to leave them alone and they were at peace for many years. So the lovers were set to get married to strengthen the ties between the two clans. However, jealousy shattered their marriage when a war broke out due to treachery, one clan believing the other to be causing it, when in fact, it was orchestrated by one man who resented the idea of his crush marrying his rival. The two lovers got separated by the war, each making a promise they would re-unite one day when it’s all over but the Samurai died in battle and the high-born lady, overcame with grief, killed herself wanting to be with him in the after life. By the time the two clans realized who was the mastermind, it was too late. It is said that the two souls could not find peace and found each other in the after life but got resurrected as a demon, full of anger and hatred, that it kills every newly wed couples it encounters in the village.

Over time, weddings became more bloodier than the battlefield that people began to wed in secrecy for fear of being killed by the demon. They were several attempts to kill the demon but none had succeeded. It seems almost impossible that it could even be killed. The killings spread beyond the village to the surrounding region and caught the attention of a traveling warrior monk or Yamabushi. He went to the investigate and hunt down the demon across the mountains, forests and villages, until he finally found it and tried to reason with the demon to ask why but failed as it only hungers for blood. But strangely enough, when the Yamabushi looked deep into its eyes, there was only sorrow. But seeing that the demon had kill many innocent people and with the villagers wanting it dead, the Yamabushi had no choice but to kill it as he was the only one who could kill it as the demon fears warrior monks. The villagers rejoiced after the demon was killed and wished to reward the Yamabushi but he refused. So the villagers asked, why would he went out of his way to hunt down this demon without any desire for rewards, is it because he’s a monk? Because even monks need money for the temple. The Yamabushi smiled tiredly and said, no, it’s because the demon killed his wife on the first night of his marriage, along with his whole family who tried to protect her. He thought he was dead but only to awake in a mountain monastery where a traveling monk had found him.

So in a bid to get rid of his heart from pain and sorrow over the loss of his loved ones, he became a monk to let go of his past and his worldly desires which will only bring him pain. He too was a Samurai before he became a monk like the one who found him in the blood bath of his home years ago. Although he was a Samurai, the training to be a mountain warrior monk is not as easy as it’s difficult in its own way and the burden of his tragic past pulling him down makes it all the more difficult to endure that he contemplated committing suicide to reunite with his loved ones but he endured and pushed on to move forward. After many years, he finally overcome the obstacles and found inner peace. He began his pilgrimage as a traveling monk across the lands to learn new knowledge when he stumble upon the rumors of a demon killing newly wed couples which triggered his past memories and was consumed with vengeance that he feels he is not worthy of receiving any rewards from the villagers he helped saved because he not only did it out of the goodness of his heart but mainly because he wanted to avenge his loved ones. The villagers were stunned to silence and cried, knowing what he feels as they too lost their loved ones but assured him that he is more than worthy for saving them. The Yamabushi finally bid them farewell and went on his way along the lonely road.

The Yamabushi had always wondered why the Gods kept him alive while the rest of his family were taken away from him but now he found his answer. He continued down the lonely path until he disappears in the fog to the mountains.

#japan #japanese tale #japanese folklore #japanese folktales #tales of japan #love tragedy #samurai #yamabushi #mountain warrior #warrior monk #feudal japan

"MOONLIGHT ON THE DREAM WORLD" - Beautiful Emotional Piano Music (Part 2)

Such a beautiful but sad song which reminds me of a tragic love story I read somewhere about Japanese folklores. They are so many tales that I could not remember which but I remember the main points of the story.

Play this song and read...

Once upon a time in Feudal Japan, there were two lovers from different clans. A proud Samurai and a high-born lady. These two neighboring clans were close allies that fought many battles against common enemies that it’s almost impossible to defeat one of them without involving the other, so over time, the enemies learned at their own peril to leave them alone and they were at peace for many years. So the lovers were set to get married to strengthen the ties between the two clans. However, jealousy shattered their marriage when a war broke out due to treachery, one clan believing the other to be causing it, when in fact, it was orchestrated by one man who resented the idea of his crush marrying his rival. The two lovers got separated by the war, each making a promise they would re-unite one day when it’s all over but the Samurai died in battle and the high-born lady, overcame with grief, killed herself wanting to be with him in the after life. By the time the two clans realized who was the mastermind, it was too late. It is said that the two souls could not find peace and found each other in the after life but got resurrected as a demon, full of anger and hatred, that it kills every newly wed couples it encounters in the village.

Over time, weddings became more bloodier than the battlefield that people began to wed in secrecy for fear of being killed by the demon. They were several attempts to kill the demon but none had succeeded. It seems almost impossible that it could even be killed. The killings spread beyond the village to the surrounding region and caught the attention of a traveling warrior monk or Yamabushi. He went to the investigate and hunt down the demon across the mountains, forests and villages, until he finally found it and tried to reason with the demon to ask why but failed as it only hungers for blood. But strangely enough, when the Yamabushi looked deep into its eyes, there was only sorrow. But seeing that the demon had kill many innocent people and with the villagers wanting it dead, the Yamabushi had no choice but to kill it as he was the only one who could kill it as the demon fears warrior monks. The villagers rejoiced after the demon was killed and wished to reward the Yamabushi but he refused. So the villagers asked, why would he went out of his way to hunt down this demon without any desire for rewards, is it because he’s a monk? Because even monks need money for the temple. The Yamabushi smiled tiredly and said, no, it’s because the demon killed his wife on the first night of his marriage, along with his whole family who tried to protect her. He thought he was dead but only to awake in a mountain monastery where a traveling monk had found him.

So in a bid to get rid of his heart from pain and sorrow over the loss of his loved ones, he became a monk to let go of his past and his worldly desires which will only bring him pain. He too was a Samurai before he became a monk like the one who found him in the blood bath of his home years ago. Although he was a Samurai, the training to be a mountain warrior monk is not as easy as it’s difficult in its own way and the burden of his tragic past pulling him down makes it all the more difficult to endure that he contemplated committing suicide to reunite with his loved ones but he endured and pushed on to move forward. After many years, he finally overcome the obstacles and found inner peace. He began his pilgrimage as a traveling monk across the lands to learn new knowledge when he stumble upon the rumors of a demon killing newly wed couples which triggered his past memories and was consumed with vengeance that he feels he is not worthy of receiving any rewards from the villagers he helped saved because he not only did it out of the goodness of his heart but mainly because he wanted to avenge his loved ones. The villagers were stunned to silence and cried, knowing what he feels as they too lost their loved ones but assured him that he is more than worthy for saving them. The Yamabushi finally bid them farewell and went on his way along the lonely road.

The Yamabushi had always wondered why the Gods kept him alive while the rest of his family were taken away from him but now he found his answer. He continued down the lonely path until he disappears in the fog to the mountains.