Yamabushi are those who enter the mountains which symbolize the absolute nature of the Law, where they conquer the enemy, blind desire. Shugendo is the Way which shows how to perform ascetic practices and reap the benefits from these austerities.
Click here to view the PDF.
Click this link for some up-to-date information and recent pictures of the pilgrimage. There is also at least one dedicated documentary; click here to watch the trailer.
For a general page with useful links to all things Shugendo, follow this link.
Originally published in the journal Inter-Religio, by the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. Republished here with thanks.
