Japanese religious tradition combining folk beliefs with Shintō , Buddhism , and elements of Daoism .
The practitioner engages in spiritual and physical disciplines to attain power against evil spirits. Shugen-dō flourished in the Heian period and allied itself with the esoteric schools of Buddhism, Tendai (Chinese Tiantai ), and Shingon . Many Buddhist priests belonging to esoteric traditions regularly developed Shugen-dō techniques, and Shugen-dō practitioners often served as Shintō priests. The government abolished Shugen-dō in 1872. After 1945, with the establishment of religious freedom, some Shugen-dō groups attempted a revival, but the tradition's membership and influence remain greatly diminished.