Ein Kanjo (恵印灌頂)
Ein Kanjo means the system of teachings of Daigo-ji Temple Sanpo-in, a temple of the Tozan school of Shugendo (Japanese mountain asceticism-shamanism incorporating Shinto and Buddhism concepts), or a ritual conducted in the manner of Ein Horyu (ritual of the Ein school). Specifically, its official name is Saisho Ein Sanma Yaho (Dainichi Nyorai's most secret teachings), and one of its Kegyo (ascetic practices) is Kanjo (ceremony to be the successor).
Shugenja (a Buddhist ascetic monk), generally called yamabushi, originated from the mountain worship that had been passed down from the ancient era of Japan. Early in the Heian period, En no Ozunu (also called En no Gyoja) mastered Juho (magic) of Kujaku Myoo by practicing mountain worship and responded, with Mt. Katsuragi in Nara as his base, to the religious needs of people who were uneasy about the development of the Ritsuryo system (a system of centralized government based on the Ritsuryo code). This is the origin of Shugendo. Shugendo is a uniquely Japanese religion that united, with Japanese traditional mountain worship at its core, the Shinto religion, Buddhism, Taoism and Onmyodo (occult divination system based on the Taoist theory of the five elements).
The origin of Ein Horyu dates back to 895, when Shobo Rigen Daishi, the founder of Daigo-ji Temple Sanpo-in, was brought to Mt. Omine by En no Ozunu who had incarnated himself in Kongo Zao Bosatsu at Kinpusen (Mt. Omine), restored it after long period of interruption since En no Ozunu's death, and received instruction from Ryuju Bosatsu through "Reii Sojo" (succession of wonder).
Shobo defined Mt. Omine as the sacred mountain of Ichijo-shinjitsu (the mountain of absolute doctrine that only one teaching, the Lotus Sutra, can lead to enlightenment), not a mountain of Nijo/sanjo hoben (the mountain of tentative teachings aiming to entice people into real teachings). This is called 'the sacred mountain of Ichijo Bodai Seito' (the mountain of the doctrine that only one Bodhi has a legitimacy to lead to enlightenment), and the name of the Tozan school (or Tozanho) is derived from it.
Monzeki (a chief priest who is a member of the Imperial Family) of Daigo-ji Temple Sanpo-in was supposed to succeed the traditional bloodline, and the core of succession is 'Ein Horyu,' namely 'Saisho Ein Sanmaya Ho.'
Of the Chinese characters comprising 'Saisho Ein Sanmaya Ho' (最勝恵印三昧耶法), 'Saisho' (最勝) is another name of Dainichi Nyorai, 'E' (恵) means wisdom, one of the sangaku (three kinds of practices: precept, rule and wisdom), 'in' (印) means a kind of symbol made by the combination of fingers that represents absolute decision, and 'Sanmaya' (三昧耶) means equality, respectively.
Early in the Meiji period, even the existence of Daigo-ji Temple was threatened due to the Ordinance for Distinguishing Shinto and Buddhism coupled with the Ordinance for the Secularization of Monzeki, Haibutsu-kishaku Movement (a movement to abolish Buddhism) and the Ordinance for Banning Shugendo. Despite such circumstances, the Einko school and Ein lecture class were held by the temple's monks and practitioners of shugendo. Thanks to the above efforts, 'Ein Kanjo,' which is traced back to the founder Shobo (Daigo-ji Konpon-Sojo, Rigen Daishi) and had been suspended for a long time, was revived in the autumn of 1910. Since then, however, only a few monks have successfully completed it.
Currently, Ein horyu (ritual of the Ein school) is conducted at Daigo-ji Temple in the manner of ascetic practices such as Shichidanho (the very highest levels of training for Buddhists), Kanjoho (training in the way of the Esoteric Buddhist ritual of pouring water over the top of a monk's head), Saitogomaho (training in the way of the Buddhist ritual of cedar-stick burning) and Issonbo (single deity practice). Further, 'Ein Hoyo' (Buddhist service) is conducted as the core event that summarizes these practices and prayers.