Yamabushi

Short description: Japanese mountain ascetic hermits

Yamabushi (山伏, one who prostrates himself on the mountain) are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits.^[1] They are generally part of the syncretic shugendō religion, which includes Tantric Buddhist, Shinto, and Japanese Taoist elements.^[2]

Their origins can be traced back to the solitary Yama-bito and some hijiri (聖) (saints or holy persons) of the eighth and ninth centuries.^[3]

According to American writer Frederik L. Schodt:

These positively medieval-looking nature worshipers carry metal staves and conch shells and wear straw sandals and sometimes a hemp cloth over-robe with the Heart Sutra written on it. They follow a mixture of esoteric or tantric Buddhism mixed with Shinto, the native animistic religion of Japan.^[4]

Clothing and items

Appearance of Yamabushi. They wear yuigesa, kyahan, and tokin. They hold a shakujō in their hands, and they blow the horagai to prevent evil spirits

Yamabushi usually wear and bring the following clothes and items with them:^[5]^[6]^[7]

Yuigesa (結袈裟), a harness or sash adorned with pom-poms
Kyahan (脚絆), sandals made from straw
Tokin (頭巾) which is a small hat-like adornment worn at the front of the head
Shakujō (錫杖), a metal rod, held in their hands
Oi (笈), backpack
Horagai (法螺貝), a conch shell, which they blow like a horn to bind evil spirits

References

↑ Nelson, Andrew Nathaniel (1995). The Original Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Classic ed.). Rutland, Vermont: C. E. Tuttle Co.. pp. 134, 346. ISBN 9780804819657.
↑ "Exoteric Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism, and Shugendo - 顕教・密教・修験道". Tendaijimon Sect. http://www.tendai-jimon.jp/trainee/index.html. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
↑ Blacker, Carmen (1999). The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan (3rd ed.). Richmond, Virginia: Japan Library. pp. 165–167. ISBN 1873410859.
↑ Schodt, Frederik L. (2020). My Heart Sutra. Berkeley (Ca): Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-61172-062-4.
↑ 小項目事典,世界大百科事典内言及, 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ),百科事典マイペディア,旺文社日本史事典三訂版,デジタル大辞泉,事典・日本の観光資源,世界大百科事典第２版,ブリタニカ国際大百科事典. "山伏(やまぶし)とは？意味や使い方" (in ja). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B1%B1%E4%BC%8F-144308.
↑ Cabello, Steve John Powell & Angeles Marin. "Japan's mountain ascetic hermits" (in en). https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210511-japans-mountain-ascetic-hermits.
↑ (in en) Yamabushi Ascetic Monk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zKJWR-V3GI, retrieved 2023-06-02

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[Nelson-1] Nelson, Andrew Nathaniel (1995). The Original Modern Reader's Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Classic ed.). Rutland, Vermont: C. E. Tuttle Co.. pp. 134, 346. ISBN 9780804819657.

[jimon-2] "Exoteric Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism, and Shugendo - 顕教・密教・修験道". Tendaijimon Sect. http://www.tendai-jimon.jp/trainee/index.html. Retrieved 31 January 2021.

[3] Blacker, Carmen (1999). The Catalpa Bow: A Study of Shamanistic Practices in Japan (3rd ed.). Richmond, Virginia: Japan Library. pp. 165–167. ISBN 1873410859.

[4] Schodt, Frederik L. (2020). My Heart Sutra. Berkeley (Ca): Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-61172-062-4.

[5] 小項目事典,世界大百科事典内言及, 日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ),百科事典マイペディア,旺文社日本史事典三訂版,デジタル大辞泉,事典・日本の観光資源,世界大百科事典第２版,ブリタニカ国際大百科事典. "山伏(やまぶし)とは？意味や使い方" (in ja). https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B1%B1%E4%BC%8F-144308.

[6] Cabello, Steve John Powell & Angeles Marin. "Japan's mountain ascetic hermits" (in en). https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210511-japans-mountain-ascetic-hermits.

[7] (in en) Yamabushi Ascetic Monk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zKJWR-V3GI, retrieved 2023-06-02

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Yamabushi

Topic: Unsolved

Contents

Clothing and items

See also

Further reading

References