www.manaraa.com
29
Kūkai even
provided a technique
88
for the
a-ji kan that was not included in the
Dainichi-kyō:
“Within your breast is the moon disk. It is like the moon on a clear autumn night. Within it is
the A-syllable…visualize the moon as one chū [a forearm’s length] in size,
then gradually
expand it to fill the three thousand worlds and the palace of the Dharma realm.”
89
Early texts do
not detail the rite,
90
but in examining the primary texts related to the
a-ji kan (the
Dainichi-kyō
and Kūkai’s works) the importance of the Sanskrit character is evident. Through these texts one
can
see that the Sanskrit A signifies the ultimate goal of a Buddhist—freedom from ignorance.
As Kūkai wrote, that single letter A signifies the enlightened mind. The
Dainichi-kyō, too,
emphasizes the character’s ability to “illuminate living beings.”
91
Additionally, the sutra passage
refers to
another aspect of the Sanskrit character that was also addressed in Kūkai’s teachings:
the Sanskrit A as the embodiment of the Dainichi Buddha (in
shūji form).
Shūji, or seed syllables, are Sanskrit characters associated with Buddhist divinities. They
are derived from
mantra,
or
dharani.
92
Etymologically,
the root of the word dharani, “dhr,”
means “to hold.”
93
While a
dharani is a formula imbued with a sort of magical power, it is also a
formula that stores (holds) meaning. Thus, when one attains an
understanding of a dharani then
one holds the knowledge stored within it. An instance of the
dharani’s use in
storing meaning is
88
This is known as the expansion-contraction technique associated after Kūkai’s time with the Diamond World
lineage.
89
Bogel,
With a Single Glance, p. 200.
90
As Bogel states, it is typical of early texts to not provide many details on rites. When one considers this in
reference to the type of education and guidance received by Shingon monks (which, as we know from Kūkai’s own
experience with Huiguo, is largely an oral passing of knowledge), this is understandable. Bogel,
With a Single
Glance, p. 199. This practice is listed in the Mikkyō Jiten Hensankai (Japan), Mikkyō Daijiten Saikan Iinkai, and
Mikkyō Gakkai.
Mikkyō daijiten. Kyōto-shi: Hōzōkan, 1931. Reprint 1969, vol. 1; however, there is little to no
mention of it in many other texts on Mikkyō such as (to name a few): Takagi, Shingen.
Kūkai shisō no shoshiteki
kenkyū. Kyōto-shi: Hōzōkan, 1990; Toganoo, Shōun.
Himitsu Bukkyō shi. Wakayama-ken Kōyasan: Kōyasan
Daigaku Shuppanbu, 1933.
91
Bogel,
With a Single Glance, 2009, p. 199 who cites a translation by Taikō Yamasaki (
Shingon: Japanese Esoteric
Buddhism. Boston: Shambhala, 1988) of the
Taishō shinshū Daizōkyō. 18:21.
92
Abe discusses the difference between these two terms, reflecting that Kūkai and Huiguodeemed
dharani to be a
broader term that encompassed
mantra as a variation. Abe,
Weaving, p. 264.
93
Gyatso, Janet.
In the Mirror of Memory: Reflections on Mindfulness and Remembrance in Indian and Tibetan
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