山伏
や
ま
ぶ
し
Meanings
1
yamabushi; Shugendō practitioner
A mountain ascetic who practices Shugendō, a syncretic tradition combining elements of Buddhism, Shinto, and folk religion. Often depicted wearing distinctive attire and blowing a conch shell.
See also: 修験道
A yamabushi is walking along the mountain path.
Shugendō yamabushi undergo rigorous training.
2
itinerant Buddhist monk
A broader, less technical term for a wandering Buddhist monk, sometimes used interchangeably with yamabushi in historical or literary contexts.
Long ago, itinerant monks traveled from village to village offering prayers.