Entering training — Nyudan (入壇)

What Nyudan means

Nyudan (入壇) is the act of entering training. In practice, it begins at the point you apply for tokudo (得度) — novice ordination. It is not enrollment in a course you attend at a distance; it is stepping into a living tradition of esoteric transmission.

Open to those who come seriously

We do not ask which school or denomination you come from, nor where you were born. What we ask is seriousness of intent. The commitment this path requires is comparable to attending university — sustained, demanding, and not undertaken lightly.

The course of training

You will be taught the structured transmission curriculum of Mikkyo — the formal course of esoteric Buddhist instruction. Entering training (Nyudan, 入壇) begins when you apply for ordination; the preliminary path then runs:

1. Tokudo (得度) — novice ordination.
2. Shido kegyo (四度加行) — the four-fold preliminary training.

Completed without interruption, this preliminary path takes a minimum of approximately 120 days.

On language

Communication through translation tools is possible, and we will meet you where you are. But the teachings of Mikkyo, including their technical vocabulary, are transmitted in Japanese — so the more Japanese you understand, the more directly and smoothly your training will proceed. Working ability in Japanese is strongly encouraged.

On visas and length of stay

Because the preliminary path requires a sustained period in Japan, please confirm visa requirements and permitted length of stay with the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. These matters fall outside what the temple is able to advise on.

Your first step

There is no application form to compete through. The path begins with a conversation.