A Beautiful Documentary About the Yamabushi Monks in Japan Who Immerse Themselves In Nature
In the short documentary “Mountain Monks”, filmmaker Fritz Schumann has captured the quiet beauty of the ancient religion and the monks who climb mountains and traverse waterfalls in northern Japan, often without shoes on their feet in a meaningful ritual that symbolizes death and rebirth.
This once-forbidden ancient faith they follow is a combination of Shinto, Buddhism, Animism, Taoism, and mountain religions, and its mission is to help others strip away the excesses of modern life and regain their strength in nature. Schumann reveals the rarely seen side of the Yamabushi through personal interviews and gorgeous footage. While their tradition is at risk of disappearing, it offers a way for those seeking a different path in Japan‘s society.
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“my imagination is a monastery and I am its monk.”
-john keats
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credits: lori dorn, laughing squid, fritz schumann, youtube
I didn't have my glasses on.... 