Shugendō school ［修験道］ ( Shugen-dō): Also, Shugen school. A Buddhist school in Japan that teaches ascetic practices in the mountains aimed at obtaining supernatural powers. The founding of this school is attributed to En no Ozunu, a semi-legendary ascetic of the seventh century. The Shugendō school developed in the middle or late Heian period (794–1185) as a combination of indigenous beliefs such as mountain worship, and elements of Esoteric Buddhism, Taoism, and other religious influences. Adherents engage in the recitation of magic spells and the practice of ascetic disciplines on mountains they deem to be sacred.