Shugendo
Shugendo, the spiritual path of the yamabushi, is a 1,500-year-old Japanese religious tradition rooted in mountain practice, Mikkyo ritual, and reverence for nature as a the very body of Buddha.
Combining esoteric Buddhist ritual and outdoor asceticism such as mountain pilgrimage and immersion in waterfalls, Shugendo is an intensely embodied path of awakening. In Shugendo, mountains and the natural world themselves become the mandala of spiritual practice. Shugendo is truly a way to be reborn in nature.
Korinji houses Korinji Shugen Dojo, a center for Shugendo practice. Our abbot is a Shugendo ajari, having received denbo kanjo and lineage transmission of Ein Horyu, the major Shingon stream of Shugendo practice. At Korinji, Shugendo is practiced using these trasmitted forms and under strict guidance, not as casual outdoor spirituality or self-directed asceticism.
Because of our work, natural areas, waterfalls, and caves near Korinji, as well as elsewhere in North America and Europe, have been recognized as gyoba, Shugendo training fields. It is also possible to receive Shugendo tokudo, ordination, and undergo kegyo, intensive post-ordination training, at Korinji.
We conduct frequent Shugendo training events at Korinji and in Europe, including formal Nyubu Shugyo, Mountain Training. Please see the Calendar. If you are specifically interested in the path of Shugendo training, please also see the website of the International Shugendo Association, an organization for which our abbot serves as a training leader.