Shugendo (修験道) is a Japanese old way of searching and knowing better what the Man and Nature are. Shugendo literally means "the path of training and testing." It centers around an ascetic, mountain-dwelling lifestyle and incorporates teachings from other eastern philosophies. The focus or goal of Shugendo is the development of spiritual experience and power. Some of the Japanese martial Arts derived from the profound knowledge of Shugendo.

History

Shugendo evolved as a sort of amalgamation between state-sponsored Buddhism and several other religious influences in Japan around the 7th century, including, but by no means limited to, Taoism and Shinto. Shugendo nowadays is less practiced (only by Yoshino Yamabushi and Ishiyama-dera Shingon sect), but certainly retains an influence on modern Japanese religion and culture.

Followers

Those who practice(d) Shugendo are referred in two ways. One term, shugenja (修験者), is derived from the term "Shugendo" much as "Buddhist" describes a follower of Buddha or Christian a follower of Christ, though the term centers around an idea as opposed to a person.

The other term, yamabushi (山伏), has been rendered in different ways: "mountain warriors," "mountain hermits," "warrior monks," and so on. It literally refers to people that sleep in the mountains. Yamabushi often worked their way into Japanese myth, as is evident in the demon Saito Musashibo Benkei and the deity Sojobo tengu Master. En-no-Gyōja is often considered the founder of shugendo. Shugendo and Yamabushi have been frequently associated in Japanese folklore with the tengu.

Shugendo is nearly related to the ancient and traditional ninjutsu (not the one that you can find nowadays).

Texts

An important text, "Sutra on the Unlimited Life of the Threefold Body" is available (translated) here.

External links

• A Useful Shugendo Index
• A Concise Explanation of Shugendo
• A Look at Japanese Ascetic Practice
• A useful Overview of Shugendo