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13th Century Wood and Lacquer Sculpture of En No Ozunu

Aka, The Hermit, with attending spirits. En No Ozunu was the Aka, The Hermit, founder of Shugendo, a mystical religion that took root in the Heian period (794 - 1185) based on meditation and physical austerities as a path to enlightenment, and spiritual reverence of mountains. Ozunu was born in 634, in the Katsuragi mountains in Nara Prefecture. He spent most of his life meditating in the mountains. Details of his death are conflicting.