young ascetic of the Himalayas; one of the Buddha's past lives
Buddhist term referring to a previous incarnation of the Buddha as a young ascetic in the Himalayas, often appearing in Jataka tales.
See also: 釈迦
Sessen Dōji is one of the Buddha's previous lives that appears in Buddhist narratives.
釈迦 refers to the historical Buddha, while 雪山童子 is a specific past-life identity of the Buddha.
From 雪山 (snowy mountain, Himalayas) and 童子 (young boy, ascetic). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is a Buddhist proper noun.