[Buddha-l] Query--forest tradition monks in Japan today?

[Kate Marshall]

Hi Joanna,

Last year, a friend, who practised as a Yamabushi for some time, mentioned
that there were still various forms of Yamabushi in Japan.  Unless anything
has happened since then, no doubt they are still there.

While sometimes stemming from or being connected to Shingon and Tendai, many
forms of Yamabushi possess their own distinct lineages of teachers and
teaching.  Other groups are purely Shinto.  Also there are individual
Yamabushi who do not belong to any of the main sects.  Plus there are 'part
timers' who live in the mountains for purposes of meditation or as a shugyo
(ritual purification) practice.  Some of the Buddhist Yamabushi act as
healers or prophets.  Apparently, Yamabushi are known as Khutarsi in
Sanskrit and Shan Hsien in Chinese, though I don't have any more information
on this.

Regards
Tenshin


> Being a fan of but not an expert on Japan, I write to ask if anyone can
tell
> me if today there are still wandering forest monks in Japan, of any
Buddhist
> tradition, not just Zen. My impression has been that the forest tradition
> sort of died out there. But perhaps that's a misapprehension.