Shingon Texts

This volume includes five texts by Kukai (On the Differences between the Exoteric and Esoteric Teachings; The Meaning of Becoming a Buddha in This Very Body; The Meanings of Sound, Sign, and Reality; The Meanings of the Word Hum; The Precious Key to the Secret Treasury), and two by Kakuban (The Illuminating Secret Commentary on the Five Cakras and the Nine Syllables; The Mitsugonin Confession). On the Differences between the Exoteric and Esoteric Teachings aims to highlight the differences between Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism and explain why the latter is superior to the former. The Meaning of Becoming a Buddha in This Very Body is a collection of discussions and remarks on the possibility of attaining enlightenment in ones lifetime. The Meanings of Sound, Sign, and Reality concerns the problem of expressing ultimate reality through language. It extends the connotations of language to embrace all phenomena. The Meanings of the Word Hum demonstrates how the entire teachings of Buddhism can be encapsulated in a single word or syllable. The Precious Key to the Secret Treasury is an abridged version of the teachings of the Shingon school. It discusses the ten stages of Buddhism and how each successive stage overcomes the limitations of previous stages. The Mitsugonin Confession is a text recited in the daily services of Shingi-Shingon temples throughout Japan and reflects the actual conditions of monastic life on Koyasan during its founder Kakuban's lifetime. The Illuminating Secret Commentary on the Five Cakras and the Nine Syllables is a work assimilating the Shingon and Pure Land schools from the standpoint of the Shingon teachings established by Kukai. It argues that attaining enlightenment in one's present body through esoteric practices is the same ultimately as being born in the Western Paradise through chanting Amitabha's name.