Shugendo: Japan's Mysterious Spiritual Tradition

Shugendo is an ancient spiritual tradition in Japan, that is distinct from, but also entwined with Buddhism and Shinto. To find out more, I travel to the rarely seen temple of Tanukidanisan Fudo-in, where the practitioners, known as Yamabushi, carry out feats of endurance in the mountains around Kyoto. Here at this scenic temple, I take a deep-dive into the cultural practice of Shugendo. Numerous aspects of the practice are explained, including what Shugendo practice involves, the social nature of the pracice, and the fire ceremony as a process of letting go of attachment. Shugendo is a dwindling tradition, of which not many practitioners remain, and in this video I seek to explain what keeps this spiritual tradition alive.