Angya is a term used in Zen Buddhism in reference to the traditional pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...

 a monk or nun makes from monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

 to monastery, literally translated as "to go on foot." The term also applies to the modern practice in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 of an unsui

Unsui

Unsui , or kōun ryūsui in full, is a term specific to Zen Buddhism which denotes a postulant awaiting acceptance into a monastery or a novice monk who has undertaken Zen training. Sometimes they will travel from monastery to monastery on a pilgrimage to find the appropriate Zen master to study with...

 (novice monk) journeying to seek admittance into a monastery for the first time. These unsui traditionally wear and/or carry a kasa, white cotton leggings

Leggings

Leggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....

, straw sandals

Sandal (footwear)

Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle...

, a kesa

KESA

Kesa Electricals plc is a major British-based French multinational consumer electronics and household appliance retailing group. It is the third largest electrical group in Europe. It is dual-listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext and is a member of the FTSE 250 index.-History:The...

, a satchel

Satchel (bag)

A satchel is a bag, often with a strap. The strap is often worn so that it diagonally crosses the body, with the bag hanging on the opposite hip, rather than hanging directly down from the shoulder. They are tradionally used for carrying books....

, razor

Razor

A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of unwanted body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, disposable razors and electric razors....

, begging bowls (hachi) and straw raincoat

Raincoat

A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant coat worn to protect the body from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats that are waist length. A rain jacket may be combined with a pair of rain pants to make a rain suit.Modern raincoats are often constructed of...

. When arriving the novice typically proffers an introductory letter and then must wait for acceptance for a period of days called tangaryo. Upon admittance he undergoes a probationary period known as tanga zume. Considered an aspect of the early monk's training, angya had in ancient times lasted for many years for some. For instance, Bankei Yotaku

Bankei Yotaku

was a well-known Rinzai Zen Buddhist master, and the abbot of the Ryomon-ji and Nyoho-ji. Bankei is best known for his talks on the Unborn as he called it...

 undertook a four year angya upon leaving Zuio-ji

Zuio-ji

is a Sōtō Zen monastery in Niihama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.-See also:*Buddhism in Japan* For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese Buddhism....

in 1641.