Know that within the natural world there exist spirits, fierce divine entities, and other inconceivable powers beyond the reach of the five senses, whose actions may be either benevolent or harmful. Know also that reifu chiefly teaches a method for resolving harmful influences from these forces, and that no more excellent means exists for overcoming afflictions of this kind.
- from Chintaku Shinsen Reifu Hiyōshō
ABOUT REIFU
Reifu are sacred talismans of the Japanese Buddhist tradition, prepared for protection, blessing, and spiritual benefit. They are not ornaments or spiritual curiosities, but objects of a living ritual lineage.
Each reifu is prepared in response to a particular need. After consultation, each is brushed by hand on paper using inks containing precious substances such as cinnabar and gold. It is then empowered through esoteric Shingon Buddhist ritual centered on Chintaku Reifu-son, a manifestation of the bodhisattva Myoken, revered for the mysterious efficacy of reifu.
Tradition says reifu were transmitted to Japan in the 7th century; historically, they likely arrived from China in the middle ages. The seventy-two Chintaku ("Home-pacifying") reifu are perhaps the best-known collection, spreading widely in the Edo period. The practice we have inherited preserves those together with a much larger body of reifu, totaling nearly 400, for many needs and circumstances.
Reifu may be sought in matters of illness, spiritual obstruction, misfortune, unsettling phenomena, family difficulty, prosperity, harmony of relationships, protection, and related concerns.
HOW TO REQUEST REIFU
Please click below for details, and to learn about how your reifu will be made.
Reifu are brushed by the abbot of Korinji, a Buddhist monastery in the United States. Reifu donations support the monastery's dharma activity.
To learn more, see About Us.
