Special Summer Prayer in SANNOIN

Today is May 1 on lunar calendar. On lunar May 1st and the 2nd, Special
Summer Prayer is held at SANNOIN, the present worship hall for MIYASHIRO,
the shrine at GARAN. The NAMIKIRI-FUDO Deity which used to be the main
deity of SANNOIN returns to its old home for 2 days. The NAMIKIRI-FUDO has
been a main deity and the secret deity at NAN-IN temple in Koyasan since the
11th century. The NAMIKIRI-FUDO is said to be sculpted by KOBO DAISHI on
his way back from China. The party had a terrible storm in the ocean and
that NAMIKIRI-FUDO cut the furious ocean and let KOBO DAISHI's sailboat go
safely. This NAMIKIRI-FUDO later left his Garuda Flame, (you usually see a
flame of fire on FUDO deity's back) at Kyushu to protect the country from
the invasion from southwest where it was once attacked by Mongolian invaders
and was saved by many Japanese KAMI, the Deities, as well as NAMIKIRI-FUDO.
And NAMIKIRI-FUDO also left his original sword to Nagoya to protect the
country from the invasion from northeast. Later his new sword was given by
the emperor in the 12th century.
Anyway, this ritual used to be one of the seasonal rituals but today, only
the summer one last and has been kept one of Koyasan's traditional ritual to
pray for world peace, happiness and rich harvest. It tells that summer is
coming soon to Koyasan in a cool breeze.

Traditional Thank-you Card by Buddhist Priest

At MIYASHIRO, the Shinto Shrine, the first religious building constructed at GARAN, on Koyasan where enshrines NYUTSUHIME and KARIBAMYOJIN, they have 2 wooden stands. One stands to hold EMA, a votive picture tablet for Shinto Shrine and the other (which is not commonly seen any other places but Koyasan) stands to nail the wooden tablets by Buddhist priests. Of course, those wooden tablets work as votive picture tablets for Buddhist prosperity but they rather work as a kind of thank-you cards. It is one of custom for Koyasan priests who coompleted their hard practice period, they make themselves these wooden tablet and visit their local KAMI, Shinto Deities to appreciate for their successful completion. They are also offered to their masters' temples as well as their parents. So Buddhist priests write themselves and show their sincerest thanks to KAMI and people who support them.
Today, I saw a young priest nailing his tablet to MIYASHIRO, sincerely offered his chanting to KAMI and left Koyasan.