- Monk Sogaku Taguchi begins 12-year solitary confinement in Japan.
- No external contact, rigorous ascetic practices at Nanzambo Temple
- Aims to become Jishin, following ancient Tendai Buddhist tradition.
Amid the rapid rise of technology and artificial intelligence replacing human roles across various sectors, a compelling event has drawn attention in Japan. Sogaku Taguchi, a 31-year-old Buddhist monk at the Nanzambo Temple on Mount Hiei in Otsu, has entered a strict 12-year period of solitary confinement, during which he will refrain from any contact with the outside world.
The rigorous training had started on September 11 and will continue until September 11, 2038. The chief monk in the temple said that he will not leave the premises, have any contact with the outside world or communicate with any person during the 12-year period.
Srict routine to be followed
Dring the restricted time period, Taguchi will stay within the complex’s Jodo-in hall dedicated to Saicho, the founder of the Tendai Buddhist sect that has its headquarters at the Otsu complex. The 31-year-old monk will clean the hall and cook meals for himself; he’ll then serve the food before the tomb. The harsh routine would involve performing ascetic rituals during the winter months. In the past, several monks have died while performing the routine.
Becoming A Jishin
Taguchi is the 118th Jishin since 1699, according to Enryakuji Temple, and the eighth since the end of World War II. To become a Jishin, one must perform a practice, called “Kosogyo”. The practice is intensive, involving offering incense to each of the 3,000 Buddhas 3,000 times a day, chanting their names and repeatedly prostrating. The exhaustion of the practice purportedly leads the monk to see a vivid figure of the Buddha. Taguchi had been practising Kosogyo since the same time last year.
After completing the practice of Kosogyo, Taguchi attended a "Jisei Jukai" (self-avowed ordination) ceremony at the Kaidan-in hall. Before beginning his life in seclusion, he spoke to reporters and said he was "overflowing with joy to stand at its starting line."
“A desire to live according to the teachings of Dengyodaishi, [a title bestowed by the then emperor], has grown in my heart, and I have walked the path of a monk with that as my goal,” he said.
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