Interchange between the One and the Many
I believe that the success of Shingon Buddhism to this date not only lies in the books and sutras of the sacred teachings but also in the Esoteric practices used with actual Buddhist statues and mandalas that were created and passed along from teacher to ascetic one by one. This has been the case with Huiguo, Shingon’s 7th patriarch in China, when he taught the practice to Kobo Daishi, its 8th patriarch. This was also the case with the high priests that followed Kobo Daishi in Japan. When the Shingon teachings are explained in such a clear manner, then we can possibly assume an analogy as to the role borne by the mandala.
A mandala is a model (a miniature) that relates the cosmos with nature and the secular world, in order to express Esoteric Buddhist teachings. Contained in this mandala is the Absolute One (the Mahavairocana, which is the cosmos) and the many (from the Five Buddhas, the 5 Dhyani Buddhas, and the five Great Wisdom Kings to the secular world), which can be thought of existing as if in a variety of different-sized revolving circles. Also contained in the mandala is a rhythm (the expression and the inspiration) that could even be thought of as the living breath of the cosmos. By meditating on universal coming and going, which is the interchange between the One and the many, the ascetic is able to finally understand the cosmos. This is why I was able to sense the strong Ki (energy) emanating from the Katsuma Mandala at Toji.
Mr. Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, has left us the following phrase, “I am the universe.” In Aikido as well, one is to position oneself in the universe feeling the gravitation of the earth, and while moving in a circle we are asked to unite and capture the opponent in a martial form. I feel that it can be said that Aikido practices and Esoteric Yoga practices may have things in common.
Following our observations above, what will then be the message today from the Katsuma Mandala of Kobo Daishi? If Kobo Daishi were to speak in front of business people, what would he tell us today?
In the Shoujijissogi, Kobo Daishi tells us the following (referred also from Dr. Yuukei Matsunaga’s Japanese book Mikkyo. English translation is conducted at Globis.):
“If just a little of the inside and the outside of the Ki of the wind blows, it will without fail reverberate and have a name and become a voice. A sound definitely comes from a voice. A voice, in other words, becomes the origin of sound. A voice raised is not empty but will invariably distinguish itself, and become a name and a written character. A name without fail invites a body. This is how names are formed and brought into reality.”
Let us, as business people engaged in management, use our voices to create a bright future from the very bottom of our hearts. Our thoughts and voices (of managers) surely would have an impact to move business and society towards our intentions and eventually would lead to form reality.
If we, the many business people engaged in management, recognize ourselves as an existence that can go beyond time and space, and shift our visions back and forth between the present and the future, as well as between ourselves/our company and others/our society, I am certain that 2010 will be a great year for all.
Let us create a bright 2010 together! To see this wish come true, I write this wish on wood and place it into the flame of homa (the Sanskrit letter meaning “to burn”). The wish is said to come true if we put the wish into the flame of homa.
Best wishes,
January 2010
※The English translation of Vol 4 and Vol 5 are forthcoming. We have made a decision to publish the English Vol 6 first, because this column deals with a New Year wish for the year 2010. Thank you for your understanding.
A mandala is a model (a miniature) that relates the cosmos with nature and the secular world, in order to express Esoteric Buddhist teachings. Contained in this mandala is the Absolute One (the Mahavairocana, which is the cosmos) and the many (from the Five Buddhas, the 5 Dhyani Buddhas, and the five Great Wisdom Kings to the secular world), which can be thought of existing as if in a variety of different-sized revolving circles. Also contained in the mandala is a rhythm (the expression and the inspiration) that could even be thought of as the living breath of the cosmos. By meditating on universal coming and going, which is the interchange between the One and the many, the ascetic is able to finally understand the cosmos. This is why I was able to sense the strong Ki (energy) emanating from the Katsuma Mandala at Toji.
Mr. Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, has left us the following phrase, “I am the universe.” In Aikido as well, one is to position oneself in the universe feeling the gravitation of the earth, and while moving in a circle we are asked to unite and capture the opponent in a martial form. I feel that it can be said that Aikido practices and Esoteric Yoga practices may have things in common.
Following our observations above, what will then be the message today from the Katsuma Mandala of Kobo Daishi? If Kobo Daishi were to speak in front of business people, what would he tell us today?
In the Shoujijissogi, Kobo Daishi tells us the following (referred also from Dr. Yuukei Matsunaga’s Japanese book Mikkyo. English translation is conducted at Globis.):
“If just a little of the inside and the outside of the Ki of the wind blows, it will without fail reverberate and have a name and become a voice. A sound definitely comes from a voice. A voice, in other words, becomes the origin of sound. A voice raised is not empty but will invariably distinguish itself, and become a name and a written character. A name without fail invites a body. This is how names are formed and brought into reality.”
Let us, as business people engaged in management, use our voices to create a bright future from the very bottom of our hearts. Our thoughts and voices (of managers) surely would have an impact to move business and society towards our intentions and eventually would lead to form reality.
If we, the many business people engaged in management, recognize ourselves as an existence that can go beyond time and space, and shift our visions back and forth between the present and the future, as well as between ourselves/our company and others/our society, I am certain that 2010 will be a great year for all.
Let us create a bright 2010 together! To see this wish come true, I write this wish on wood and place it into the flame of homa (the Sanskrit letter meaning “to burn”). The wish is said to come true if we put the wish into the flame of homa.
Best wishes,
January 2010
※The English translation of Vol 4 and Vol 5 are forthcoming. We have made a decision to publish the English Vol 6 first, because this column deals with a New Year wish for the year 2010. Thank you for your understanding.
Tomoya Nakamura
