MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- A pyre burns in the center of the temple courtyard. Its flames seem to gleam and dance with life as its smoking tendrils grasp further into the afternoon sky. This is the scene of the Hiwatari Shinji, also known as the Buddhist firewalking ritual.
The ritual starts with monks walking through the courtyard, passing out leaflets with the ceremony name written on them. They then make their way to one of the temples inside the Daisho-in, a historic Japanese temple located on Miyajima, followed by those attending the ceremony.
The monks take their place at the helm of the temple, while the pilgrims gather on the wooden floor, many with pamphlets in their hands, which contain the almost hymn-like chants they will soon echo throughout all of the Daisho-in.
After the hymns are sung, the head monk leads a procession for the pilgrims.
The monks then return to the courtyard and begin preparation for the ceremony.
After each monk walks past the ritual altar, adorned with candles, flowers and offerings, they take up positions surrounding the unlit pyre.
Select monks then return to the altar after retrieving several items. The first monk blesses a bowl of salt, then walks to the four corners of the ritual ground, chanting and tossing the salt into the crowd. This act is mimicked by the following monks, each with a different ceremonial item, such as tree branches, a stave, an axe and a bow. Once the blessings are complete, the pyre is lit and the monks encircle the growing smoke, running around the thickening smoke with prayer beads.
After the haze clears, the monks then pass out sticks of wood with prayers written by those attending inscribed on them. Handfuls of prayer sticks are thrown into the blaze, releasing the wishes of the pilgrims and granting good luck.
Once the prayer sticks have all been burned, and the pyre left as only charred logs and cinders, the monks then reach out to the audience, who hand over their bags, wallets, and whatever else they wish to be blessed, by the religious figures.
The head monk then performs the final blessings over the coal path before stomping through the trail of smoking ash and embers.
After the head monk, all the other monks follow his path, then everyone else is allowed the privilege.
A line of hundreds, stretching to the entrance of the Daisho-in, is formed, and the slow process of having all the pilgrims walk through the ash is carried out.
The monks stand by the sides of the coal path, chanting and blessing all who walk through.
The Hiwatari Shinji occurs twice a year, once in spring and again in autumn.