![]() Being devoted to their faith and trained in the arts of war, the Sohei monks became formidable fighters that many would come to fear on the battlefield. These new warrior monks had a special code of conduct, and went through long and rigorous training. In 970 AD, the feud between Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine and the monastery of Enryaku-ji led to the first establishment of a standing army of warrior monks, by Enryaku-ji. Many of the conflicts arose from disputes between the major monasteries and the temples associated with them. It was becoming clear that the monks were vocal about their issues, and did not hesitate to fight for their rights. Throughout most of the 10th century, such protests were common, and would often erupt into huge brawls where many were killed or injured. The tensions rose and came to a head in 949 AD, when a force of 56 armed monks began a protest over a conflict with a Kyoto official. And when those monks took up weapons, it was clear that a major threat for the government and the emperor appeared. It had many temples and thousands of devoted monks. (Left: Wiiii / CC BY SA 3.0 Right: Public Domain ) Sohei Warrior Monks: Sacred Battlesīuddhism was a major religious movement in medieval Japan. Right: Five-story pagoda and Tōkondō at Kōfuku-ji, from 1426, although the site dates to 669 AD. Left: Tōdai-ji Kon-dō Temple, at Nara Japan was a central point of conflict in the Heian period. Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s Throbbing Heart of Japanese Buddhism.For roughly four centuries in the Heian period, Japan saw a lot of fighting and political feuding, which was focused on four most important Buddhist temples at Kyoto, Omi, and Nara: Kōfuku-ji, Mii-dera, Enryaku-ji and Tōdai-ji. These feuds spilled into armed conflict, which meant that even simple monks had to don armor and bear weapons of war. There were many divisions and feuds between rival temples, Buddhist sects, and the appointment of top Buddhist leaders. This was a turbulent era for Japan’s religious movements. The Sohei movement appeared in the early medieval period, during the so-called Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185 AD. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ( beibaoke / Adobe Stock) The Amazing Ascent of the Japanese Shoguns from 1192 to 1867Įnryaku-ji Temple in Otsu, Shiga, Japan.The Heian Era: Golden Age of Japan’s Imperial Court.One of the most powerful of these Sohei monasteries was situated on Mount Hiei near Kyoto it was known as Enryaku-ji and would later be the center point of a major 15th century conflict. We could consider the Sohei as monastic clans even, a single Sohei order might have had hundreds of temples and monasteries connected to it, which made it into a powerful political and military force. We can safely say that the Japanese Sohei warrior monks were part of a large monastic order, rather than solitary warriors or protectors of a certain temple. The Sohei can certainly be likened to such European warrior monks. Similar were the Knights Templar, devoted Christians who were dedicated to a life of war and prayer. For example, we had the Teutonic Order in Europe, the warrior monks of the Holy Roman Empire that grew into a potent fighting force. In fact, it was somewhat widespread during that tumultuous period. The concept of warrior monks was not all that strange in medieval cultures of the world. Over time, the Sohei heroes were firmly woven into the vibrant fiber of Japanese folk tales and legends, where their exploits are still recounted today. In fact, these warrior monks were quite powerful at their height - so much so that they were feared by the government. The Sohei monks of medieval Japan were a powerful movement of warrior monks, Buddhists that were men of the cloth and skilled warriors at the same time. ![]() Modern Buddhist monks are devoted to spreading the message of peace and love, but it was not always so. When we think of Buddhism today, we think of pacifism, being at one with the world, love for one’s neighbor and nature, and other aspects of peaceful living.
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