Yamabushi - Yamabushi

A religious leader of Shugendo. A religious person who practices in the mountains and acquires supernatural powers, and uses those powers to engage in religious activities such as magic. He was called Yamabushi because he practiced in the mountains. He can also be written as Yamaga. He is also called Shugenja, meaning one who has mastered the arts, and guest monk, because he visits various mountains regardless of his sect or school. In terms of doctrine, the character for "yama" in Yamabushi means that the three bodies of reward body, law body, and response body are one and the same, and "fuku" combines the characters for man and dog, so it is said to represent ignorance (dog), law nature (man), and non-dual (funi). These two characters explain that Yamabushi have the same characteristics as Dainichi Nyorai, and are beings who can attain Buddhahood.

Yamabushi priests wear a unique style of attire consisting of a bell-like robe, a knotted kesaya, a spotted cap and hood on their head, a shell strap and a hisshiki (sitting gear) around their waist, gaiters on their feet, eight-toed straw sandals, a backpack and a tobacco box on their back, a rosary with many beads wrapped around their arm, a kongo staff or shakujo in their hand, and a conch shell. According to doctrine, the bell and ketsukesaya represent the Vajrayana and Taizokai realms, the hood represents Dainichi Nyorai, the rosary, conch, shakujo, hakama and gaiters represent the ascetic's process of attaining enlightenment, and the spotted lid, backpack, shoulder box and shell cord represent the ascetic's rebirth as a Buddha. It is explained that by wearing these costumes, the yamabushi becomes the same as Dainichi Nyorai and the mandala of the Golden Womb and can attain enlightenment. Yamabushi were most active in the Middle Ages, when they would travel to places such as Yoshino (Nara), Kumano (Wakayama), Hakusan (Ishikawa and Gifu), Mount Haguro (Yamagata), and Mount Hiko (Fukuoka) to practice asceticism, perform religious services and subjugate the dead, and act as military prayer leaders and spies during times of war. However, from the early modern period onwards, they were prohibited from traveling, and settled in towns and villages, becoming like street prayer leaders.

[Miyaike Jun]

"Wakamori Taro, 'Study on the History of Shugendo' (1972, Heibonsha)" ▽ "Miyake Jun, 'Yamabushi - Their Actions and Organization' (1973, Hyoronsha)" ▽ "Gorai Shigeru, 'Introduction to Shugendo' (1980, Kadokawa Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

修験道(しゅげんどう)の宗教的指導者。山岳で修行することによって超自然的な力を体得し、その力を用いて呪術(じゅじゅつ)宗教的な活動を行う宗教者で、山に伏して修行することから山伏といわれた。山臥とも書く。また験を修めた者という意味で修験者、一宗一派によらず諸山を歴訪することから客僧ともいわれる。教義的には、山伏の山の字は報身・法身(ほっしん)・応身の三身即一、伏は人と犬の2字を組み合わせるゆえ、無明(むみょう)（犬）法性(ほっしょう)（人）不二(ふに)を示すとされている。この2字によって山伏が大日如来(だいにちにょらい)と同一の性格をもち、成仏しうる存在であることを説明しているのである。

　山伏は鈴懸(すずかけ)を着、結袈裟(ゆいげさ)をかけ、頭に斑蓋(はんがい)と頭巾(ときん)、腰に貝の緒(お)と引敷(ひっしき)（坐具(ざぐ)）、足に脚絆(きゃはん)を着けて八つ目の草鞋(わらじ)を履き、笈(おい)と肩箱(かたばこ)を背負い、腕に最多角(いらたか)の数珠(じゅず)を巻き、手に金剛杖(こんごうづえ)か錫杖(しゃくじょう)を持って法螺(ほら)を吹くという独自の服装をしている。教義上では、鈴懸や結袈裟は金剛界と胎蔵界、頭巾は大日如来、数珠・法螺・錫杖・引敷・脚絆は修験者の成仏過程、斑蓋・笈・肩箱・貝の緒は修験者の仏としての再生というように、この衣装の着用によって、山伏が大日如来や金胎の曼荼羅(まんだら)と同じものとなり成仏しうることを示すと説明されている。山伏がもっとも活躍したのは中世期で、吉野(よしの)（奈良）、熊野(くまの)（和歌山）、白山(はくさん)（石川・岐阜）、羽黒(はぐろ)山（山形）、英彦(ひこ)山（福岡）などを跋渉(ばっしょう)して修行、加持祈祷(かじきとう)や調伏(ちょうぶく)などの活動を行い、戦乱などの際は従軍祈祷師や間諜(かんちょう)として活躍した。しかし近世以降は遊行(ゆぎょう)を禁止され、町や村に定着して巷(ちまた)の祈祷師的存在になっていった。

［宮家　準］

『和歌森太郎著『修験道史研究』（1972・平凡社）』▽『宮家準著『山伏――その行動と組織』（1973・評論社）』▽『五来重著『修験道入門』（1980・角川書店）』

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