Study of Kakurenenbutsu Belief at the Foot of MT. Kirishima

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Members of KAKURENENBUTSU community in ARAKEDA and HIRABARU call themselves "SHINTO" (believer in KAKURENENBUTSU) opposed to "BUDDO" (believer in the other religions). They try to hide themselves not only from "BUDDO" but also from "non-SHINTO" among "SHINTO". KAKURENENBUTSU has been observed in 3 sects in ARAKEDA and 10 sects in HIRABAUR, which keep secrets and different practice from one another. KAKURENENBUTSU holds triple strata of opposition.Every member each "SHINTO" family cannot be "SHINTO", but only the older married couple representing each "SHINTO" family can be a faith cell in terms of which KAKURENENBUTSU has been propagated. When a married couple (in the age group between 40 and 50) applies to KAKURENANBUTSU, they are forced to form a ritual kinship of parent and child ("OYAKONARI") with a senior married couple of "SHINTO". Whether or not he can be a "SHINTO" is to be judged by the surface state of "BUSSHO" (boiled rice for a offering to God)."TERAMATO" or "OYA" is a religious leader of KAKURENENBUTSU, who take the responsibility of performing the funeral ceremony for all the "SHINTOs"."OZA" (religious assembly of every "SHINTO"), which is believed to be a striking index for extinguishing "SHINTO" from "BUDDO", is classified into four : (1) "OZA" for curing illnesses or petitions ; (2) "OZA" for annual functions ; (3) "OZA" for baptism ; (4) "OZA" for religious service for the deceased within 7 days after his death. At the fourth "OZA", a shaman enter into a possession with the aid of the soul of the dead , so that he is in a position to conduct spiritual communion between the dead person and the living. Deep social belief in possession has existed in the base and core of KAKURENENBUTSU.