ll ables . ▁The ▁mant ras ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁k u ji ▁( 九 字 ), ▁which ▁literally ▁transl ates ▁as ▁nine ▁characters ▁ ▁The ▁sy ll ables ▁used ▁in ▁k u ji ▁are ▁numerous , ▁especially ▁within ▁Japanese ▁es oter ic ▁Mik ky ō . ▁▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁stated ▁that ▁k u ji ▁is ▁of ▁T ao ist ▁origin , ▁not ▁Buddh ist . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁k u ji ▁in ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ing on ▁or ▁T end ai ▁records ▁that ▁were ▁brought ▁back ▁from ▁China . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁k u ji ▁is ▁largely ▁a ▁lay man ’ s ▁practice , ▁and ▁is ▁un common ▁in ▁many ▁orth odox ▁Buddh ist ▁trad itions . ▁It ▁is ▁however , ▁found ▁extens ively ▁in ▁Sh ug end ō , ▁the ▁asc etic ▁mountain ▁tradition ▁of ▁Japan , ▁and ▁Ry ō bu ▁Sh int ō , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁bl ending ▁Sh ing on ▁Buddh ism ▁and ▁Sh into . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁k u ji ▁are ▁first ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁B à op ǔ z ǐ ▁( ), ▁a ▁Chinese ▁T ao ist ▁text ▁written ▁by ▁Gé ▁H ó ng ▁c . 2 8 0 – 3 4 0 ▁CE ). ▁He ▁introdu ces ▁the ▁k u ji ▁in ▁chapter ▁ 1 7 , ▁entitled ▁D ē ng sh è ▁( 登 <0xE6> <0xB6> <0x89> ; ▁lit . ▁" C lim bing ▁[ mount ains ] ▁and ▁crossing ▁[ ri vers ]), ▁as