Shugend

Shugendō, also known as shugend or shugendō, is a traditional Japanese spiritual practice that blends elements of Shinto, Buddhism, and mountain worship. It centers on ascetic training in nature, undertaken by practitioners known as yamabushi, in order to gain spiritual insight, purification, healing power, and protection. The tradition is not a single unified church but a collection of lineages and temples that share certain practices and goals.

Origins and history

Shugendō developed over several centuries, with roots in early mountain cults and Buddhist influence. A semi-legendary figure often associated with its founding is En no Gyōja (En no Ozunu), who is said to have established mountain ascetic practices in the 7th–8th centuries. By the Heian and medieval periods, shugendō had become a distinct path that incorporated Shinto kami, Buddhist deities, and local folk beliefs. It persisted through various political and religious shifts, including the Meiji era’s separation of Shinto and Buddhism, which transformed but did not extinguish its practices.

Beliefs and practices

Shugendō followers pursue spiritual power through rigorous, nature-centered training in remote mountains, combining ritual, discipline, and endurance. Common practices include misogi (water purification), kuji-in (ritual hand gestures and chants for protection and focus), fasting, and long pilgrimages. Practitioners typically wear distinctive attire and undertake ordeals in sacred landscapes, such as mountain routes, caves, and shrines. The tradition honors a pantheon drawn from Shinto, Buddhist, and local mountain deities and emphasizes personal transformation, resilience, and harmony with the natural world.

Geography and legacy

Important centers and pilgrimage regions include the three mountains of Dewa (Yamagata Prefecture) and Mount Ōmine in Nara Prefecture, along with various mountain routes and temples nationwide. Today, shugendō remains a living tradition in Japan, represented by multiple lineages and communities that preserve its ascetic practices within broader religious and cultural contexts.