Shugendo Roles

The practitioner role of Shugendo, the Japanese ascetic mountain-worship tradition blending Buddhist, Shinto and folk elements, traditionally founded by the ascetic En no Gyoja. Yamabushi, literally one who prostrates on the mountain, also called shugenja, undertake structured retreats into sacred mountains such as Kinpusen-ji and Dewa Sanzan, wearing a distinctive dress and performing austerities held to confer supernatural power on the practitioner.