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91-715: Ishiyama-dera ( 石山寺 , "Stony Mountain Temple") is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan 's Shiga Prefecture . This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage . It was constructed around 747 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben . The temple contains a number of cultural assets. The temple possesses two fragments of manuscripts of the Records of the Grand Historian ( Shiji 史記) ,

182-584: A mantra into its design. It is considered to represent the abode of the deity. Each yantra is unique and calls the deity into the presence of the practitioner through the elaborate symbolic geometric designs. According to one scholar, "Yantras function as revelatory symbols of cosmic truths and as instructional charts of the spiritual aspect of human experience" Many situate yantras as central focus points for Hindu tantric practice. Yantras are not representations, but are lived, experiential, nondual realities. As Khanna describes: Despite its cosmic meanings

273-602: A silk tapestry from the Yuan dynasty that serves as a diagram of the Tibetan cosmology, which was given to China from Nepal and Tibet. In the mandala, the outer circle of fire usually symbolises wisdom. The ring of eight charnel grounds represents the Buddhist exhortation to be always mindful of death, and the impermanence with which samsara is suffused: "such locations were utilized in order to confront and to realize

364-555: A yantra is a reality lived. Because of the relationship that exists in the Tantras between the outer world (the macrocosm) and man's inner world (the microcosm), every symbol in a yantra is ambivalently resonant in inner–outer synthesis, and is associated with the subtle body and aspects of human consciousness. The term 'mandala' appears in the Rigveda as the name of the sections of the work, and Vedic rituals use mandalas such as

455-459: A clear and vivid visualized image. With every mandala comes what Tucci calls "its associated liturgy ... contained in texts known as tantras ", instructing practitioners on how the mandala should be drawn, built and visualised, and indicating the mantras to be recited during its ritual use. By visualizing "pure lands", one learns to understand experience itself as pure, and as the abode of enlightenment. The protection that we need, in this view,

546-457: A major center for pilgrimage for all Japanese. The Shingon monk Kakuban (1095–1143) was one Shingon scholar who responded to the rise in Pure Land devotionalism. He studied Shingon along with Tendai and also incorporated Pure Land practice into his Shingon system, as well as promoting an esoteric interpretation of nembutsu and Pure Land. Unlike other Pure Land schools, Kakuban held that

637-542: A monastery. These sand mandalas are made to be destroyed to symbolize impermanence, the Buddhist belief that death is not the end, and that one's essence will always return to the elements. It is also related to the belief that one should not become attached to anything. To create these mandalas, the monks first create a sketch, then take colorful sand traditionally made from powdered stones and gems into copper funnels called Cornetts and gently tap sand out of them to create

728-409: A new school of esoteric Buddhism centered around Jingo-ji and wrote some key works which outlined the main teachings of Shingon. In 818, Kūkai asked emperor Saga to grant him Mount Kōya ( 高野山 Kōyasan ) , in present-day Wakayama province, so that he could establish a true monastic center away from the disturbances of the capital and this was soon granted. Kūkai and his disciples soon began to build

819-459: A notebook a small circular drawing, [...] which seemed to correspond to my inner situation at the time. [...] Only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is: [...] the Self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious. When I began drawing the mandalas, however, I saw that everything, all the paths I had been following, all the steps I had taken, were leading back to

910-527: A single point—namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the center. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the center, to individuation....I saw that here the goal had been revealed. One could not go beyond the center. The center is the goal, and everything is directed toward that center. Through this dream I understood that the self is the principle and archetype of orientation and meaning. Therein lies its healing function. For me, this insight signified an approach to

1001-625: A territorially defined state with fixed borders and a bureaucratic apparatus, but they diverged considerably in the opposite direction: the polity was defined by its centre rather than its boundaries, and it could be composed of numerous other tributary polities without undergoing administrative integration. Empires such as Bagan , Ayutthaya , Champa , Khmer , Srivijaya and Majapahit are known as "mandala" in this sense. Fashion designer Mandali Mendrilla designed an interactive art installation called Mandala of Desires (Blue Lotus Wish Tree) made in peace silk and eco friendly textile ink, displayed at

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1092-615: A way to create easily accessible objects of reverence for the lower-classes of Japanese society. Shinran designed a mandala using a hanging scroll, and the words of the nembutsu ( 念仏 ) written vertically. This style of mandala is still used by some Jodo Shinshu Buddhists in home altars, or butsudan . Bodhimaṇḍala is a term in Buddhism that means "circle of awakening ". Sand mandalas are colorful mandalas made from sand that are ritualistically destroyed. They originated in India in

1183-473: Is Vajrabhairava mandala a silk tapestry woven with gilded paper depicting lavish elements like crowns and jewelry, which gives a three-dimensional effect to the piece. A mandala can also represent the entire universe, which is traditionally depicted with Mount Meru as the axis mundi in the center, surrounded by the continents. One example is the Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru ,

1274-407: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Japanese religious building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Shingon New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : Shingon ( 真言宗 , Shingon-shū , "True Word / Mantra School")

1365-400: Is a symbolic offering of the entire universe. Every intricate detail of these mandalas is fixed in the tradition and has specific symbolic meanings, often on more than one level. Whereas the above mandala represents the pure surroundings of a Buddha, this mandala represents the universe. This type of mandala is used for the mandala-offerings, during which one symbolically offers the universe to

1456-403: Is from our own minds, as much as from external sources of confusion. In many tantric mandalas, this aspect of separation and protection from the outer samsaric world is depicted by "the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle". The ring of vajras forms a connected fence-like arrangement running around the perimeter of

1547-486: Is now protected and announced as historical monument and site by the government of Manipur in the same year. The site is situated 12 km aerial distance from Kangla with the GPS coordinates of 24° 48' N and 93° 49' E. It covers a total area of around 224,161.45 square meters. This square mandala has four similar protruding rectangular ‘gates’ in the cardinal directions guarded each by similar but smaller rectangular ‘gates’ on

1638-936: Is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism . It is sometimes also called Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, or Eastern Esotericism ( Dōngmì , 東密). The word shingon is the Japanese reading of the Chinese word 真言 ( zhēnyán ), which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra . The Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (c. 7th–8th centuries) by Indian vajrācāryas (esoteric masters) like Śubhakarasiṃha , Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra . These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under

1729-499: Is one, yet can be many". Mandala In Hinduism, a basic mandala, also called a yantra , takes the form of a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point . Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often have radial balance . A yantra is similar to a mandala, usually smaller and using a more limited colour palette. It may be a two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used in sadhanas , puja or meditative rituals, and may incorporate

1820-715: Is the Taima mandala , dated to about 763 CE. The Taima mandala is based on the Contemplation Sutra , but other similar mandalas have been made subsequently. Unlike mandalas used in Vajrayana Buddhism, it is not used as an object of meditation or for esoteric ritual. Instead, it provides a visual representation of the Pure Land texts, and is used as a teaching aid. Also in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, Shinran and his descendant, Rennyo , sought

1911-699: Is the 9th century Borobudur in Central Java, Indonesia. It is built as a large stupa surrounded by smaller ones arranged on terraces formed as a stepped pyramid , and when viewed from above, takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. Other temples from the same period that also have mandala plans include Sewu , Plaosan and Prambanan . Similar mandala designs are also observable in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Circular diagrams are often used in phylogenetics , especially for

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2002-514: Is the possibility of "becoming Buddha in this very embodied existence" (sokushin jōbutsu) , even for the most depraved persons. All beings thus have the potential to become Buddhas through their own effort and through the power / grace ( adhisthana ) of the Buddha. Kūkai thus rejected the idea we lived in an age of Dharma decline and that therefore one had to be reborn in a pure land to attain enlightenment. This also informs his positive view of

2093-659: Is used extensively in Shingon as part of daily recitation and ritual practice. The full Sanskrit title is Mahāsukhavajra-amoghasamaya-sūtra (Ch. Dale jingang bukong zhenshi sanmohe jing , Sutra of the Vow of Fulfilling the Great Perpetual Enjoyment and Benefiting All Sentient Beings Without Exception ). Another important source for the Shingon school is the Awakening of Faith and a commentary on it called

2184-467: Is “the original ground dharmakāya .” (薄伽梵即毘盧遮那本地法身, at Taisho no. 1796:39.580). According to Hakeda, Kūkai identified the Dharmakaya with "the eternal Dharma, the uncreated, imperishable, beginningless, and endless Truth". This ultimate reality does not exist independently of all things, but is immanent in them. Dainichi is worshipped as the supreme Buddha and also appears as the central figure of

2275-722: The Mahāvairocana Sūtra ( 大日経 , Dainichi-kyō ) , the Vajraśekhara Sūtra ( 金剛頂経 , Kongōchō-kyō ) , and the Susiddhikara Sūtra ( 蘇悉地経 , Soshitsuji-kyō ) . Important Mahayana sutras in Shingon include the Lotus Sutra , the Brahmajāla Sūtra and Heart Sutra . Kūkai wrote commentaries on all three. Shingon derives form the early period of Indian Vajrayana (then known as Mantrayana,

2366-487: The Five Wisdom Buddhas . Hakeda also writes that in Shingon, Dainichi is "at the center of a multitude of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and powers; He is the source of enlightenment and the unity underlying all variety. To attain enlightenment means to realize Mahāvairocana, the implication being that Mahāvairocana is originally within man." According to Kūkai, the Buddha's light illuminates and pervades all, like

2457-591: The Five Wisdom Kings , this forms the Mandala of the Two Realms . Mandalas are commonly used by tantric Buddhists as an aid to meditation. The mandala is "a support for the meditating person", something to be repeatedly contemplated to the point of saturation, such that the image of the mandala becomes fully internalised in even the minutest detail and can then be summoned and contemplated at will as

2548-601: The Mandala of the Womb Realm and the Mandala of the Diamond Realm . These two mandalas are engaged in the abhiseka initiation rituals for new Shingon students, more commonly known as the Kechien Kanjō ( 結縁灌頂 ). A common feature of this ritual is to blindfold the new initiate and to have them throw a flower upon either mandala. Where the flower lands assists in the determination of which tutelary deity

2639-517: The Navagraha mandala to this day. In Vajrayana Buddhism, mandalas have been developed also into sandpainting . They are also a key part of Anuttarayoga Tantra meditation practices. The man mandala can be shown to represent in visual form the core essence of the Vajrayana teachings. The mandala represents the nature of the Pure Land, Enlightened mind. An example of this type of mandala

2730-578: The On the Interpretation of Mahāyāna ( Shi Moheyan lun 釈摩訶衍論, Japanese: Shakumakaen-ron , Taisho no. 1668), which was traditionally attributed to Nagarjuna (though it is likely an East Asian composition). Finally, the works of Kūkai are key sources in Shingon Buddhism, including his various commentaries on the key esoteric texts of Shingon as well as original works like his magnum opus,

2821-481: The Tendai school. During the late Heian, Pure Land Buddhism was becoming very popular and Shingon was also influenced by this popular devotional trend. Mount Kōya soon became the center for groups of wandering holy men called Kōya Hijiri , who merged Pure Land practices focused on Amida Buddha with devotion to Kūkai and were also involved in raising funds for the rebuilding of many temples. Kōya-san soon became

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2912-604: The invocation that believers chant, are written down the center of all Nichiren-sect Gohonzons , whose appearance may otherwise vary depending on the particular school and other factors. Mandalas have sometimes been used in Pure Land Buddhism to graphically represent Pure Lands , based on descriptions found in the Larger Sutra and the Contemplation Sutra . The most famous mandala in Japan

3003-592: The nembutsu along with the popularization and use of the Mantra of Light . During the Heian period, the adoption of Shinto deities into Buddhism became popular, something that became known as Shinbutsu-shūgō (神仏習合, "syncretism of kami and buddhas"). This movement saw local Japanese deities as manifestations of the Buddhas. For example Amaterasu was seen as an emanation of Vairocana in Shingon. This emanation theory

3094-468: The ritual repertoire of Japanese Zen , including Soto Zen (through the figure of Keizan ). Shingon Buddhism also influenced broader Japanese culture , including medieval Japanese aesthetics, art , and craftsmanship . Shingon Buddhism was founded in the Heian period (794–1185) by a Japanese Buddhist monk named Kūkai (774–835 CE) who traveled to China in 804 to study Esoteric Buddhist practices in

3185-486: The "Five Buddhas", archetypal Buddha forms embodying various aspects of enlightenment. Such Buddhas are depicted depending on the school of Buddhism , and even the specific purpose of the mandala. A common mandala of this type is that of the Five Wisdom Buddhas (a.k.a. Five Jinas ), the Buddhas Vairocana , Aksobhya , Ratnasambhava , Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi . When paired with another mandala depicting

3276-426: The "three mysteries" (Jp: sanmi 三密) of mudra , mantra and mandala . Another influential doctrine introduced by Shingon was the idea that all beings are originally enlightened, a doctrine that was known as hongaku . The Shingon school's teachings and rituals had an influence on other Japanese traditions, especially those of the Tendai school, as well as Shugendo and Shinto . Its teachings also influenced

3367-542: The 8th–12th century but are now practiced in Tibetan Buddhism. Each mandala is dedicated to specific deities. In Buddhism Deities represent states of the mind to be obtained on the path to enlightenment, the mandala itself is representative of the deity's palace which also represents the mind of the deity. Each mandala is a pictorial representation of a tantra . for the process of making Sand mandalas they are created by monks who have trained for three–five years in

3458-622: The Buddhas or to one's teacher. Within Vajrayana practice, 100,000 of these mandala offerings (to create merit) can be part of the preliminary practices before a student even begins actual tantric practices. This mandala is generally structured according to the model of the universe as taught in a Buddhist classic text the Abhidharma-kośa , with Mount Meru at the centre, surrounded by the continents, oceans and mountains, etc. Various Mandalas are described in many Pali Buddhist texts . Some of

3549-880: The Chinŏn (眞言) and the Jingak Order (眞 覺), both of which are largely based on Shingon teachings. During the 20th century, Shingon Buddhism also spread to the West, especially to the United States (a move led by the Japanese Diaspora ). There are now various temples on the West Coast and Hawaii like Hawaii Shingon Mission (built 1915–1918) and Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin ( Los Angeles , founded 1912). The teachings of Shingon are based on Mahayana texts, and early Buddhist tantras . The key esoteric sources are

3640-505: The Meiji era anti-buddhist persecutions known as haibutsu kishaku (abolish Buddhism and destroy Shākyamuni). Some Shingon temples that were affiliated with Shintō shrines were converted into shrines. Some Shinto monks left the Buddhist priesthood to become Shintō priests, or they returned to secular life. The government enforced the confiscation of temple land and this led to the closure of many Shingon temples. Those who survived had to turn to

3731-529: The Propagation of Dharma ) or Odaishi-sama ( お大師様 , The Great Master ) , the posthumous name given to him years after his death by Emperor Daigo . Kūkai was born to a family of the aristocratic Saeki clan in Shikoku and received a classical Confucian education at Kyoto's college (daigaku). He converted to Buddhism in his 20s and was inspired to practice asceticism in the mountains and wander

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3822-549: The Pure Land exists in this very world and he also taught that Vairocana is Amida. Kakuban, and his faction of priests centered at the Denbō-in ( 伝法院 ) soon came into conflict with the leadership at Kongōbu-ji , the head temple at Mount Kōya . Through his connections with high-ranking nobles in Kyoto, Kakuban was appointed abbot of Mount Kōya. The leadership at Kongōbu-ji opposed him and after several conflicts (some of which involved

3913-687: The Shingon school in 1615, incorporating it into its administrative temple system. Under this new peace, Shingon study was revived in the various temples. Hase-dera became a major center for the broad study of all of Buddhism and also of secular topics. Meanwhile in Kōyasan, the Ji sect hiriji were allowed to return and were incorporated into the Shingon school, though this would lead to conflict later on. During this period, monks like Jōgen and Onkō (1718–1804) focused on studying and promoting Buddhist precepts and monastic discipline. This renewed interest in precepts study

4004-431: The Shingon schools continued to develop, some under the support of elite families or even emperors, like Go-Uda (1267–1324), who entered the priesthood at Tō-ji and helped revitalize the temple as well as Daikaku-ji . Meanwhile, on Kōyasan, Yūkai (1345–1416) was responsible for revitalizing Shingon doctrinal study and also for driving away all of the nembutsu hiriji (now mostly following the Ji sect) who had been living on

4095-610: The Vehicle of Mantras). Unlike Tibetan Buddhism , which focuses on the Anuttarayoga Tantras , which are tantras that arose at a later date of Indian Buddhism , Shingon bases itself on earlier works like the Mahavairocana which generally lack the antinomian uses of sexual yoga , taboo substances and charnel ground imagery found in the later tantras. Nevertheless, the concept of "great bliss" (tairaku) and

4186-575: The auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai ( 空海 , 774–835), who traveled to Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805). Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture ), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Shingon Buddhism. The practice of the Shingon school stresses that one is able to attain "buddhahood in this very body" (sokushin jōbutsu) through its practices, especially those which make use of

4277-664: The burning down of temples of Kakuban's faction), Kakuban's group left the mountain for Mount Negoro to the northwest, where they constructed a new temple complex now known as Negoro-ji ( 根来寺 ) . After the death of Kakuban in 1143, attempts to make peace were unsuccessful and after further conflicts, the Negoro faction (led by Raiyu) founded the new Shingi Shingon School based on Kakuban's teachings. As such, Shingon became divided into two major sub-schools, Kogi Shingon ( 古義真言宗 , Ancient Shingon school ) , and Shingi Shingon ( 新義真言宗 , Reformed Shingon school ) . Over time,

4368-445: The center and therefore to the goal. Jung claimed that the urge to make mandalas emerges during moments of intense personal growth. He further hypothesized their appearance indicated a "profound re-balancing process" is underway in the psyche; the result of the process would be a more complex and better integrated personality. The mandala serves a conservative purpose – namely, to restore a previously existing order. But it also serves

4459-498: The city of Xi'an ( 西安 ), then called Chang-an, at Azure Dragon Temple ( 青龍寺 ) under Huiguo , a student of the Indian esoteric master Amoghavajra . Kūkai returned to Japan with the teachings and scriptures of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and founded a new tradition of Japanese Buddhism that became immediately influential with the island's elites. Shingon followers usually refer to Kūkai as Kōbō-Daishi ( 弘法大師 , Great Master of

4550-462: The common appearance of a circle motif across religions and cultures. He hypothesized that the circle drawings reflected the mind's inner state at the moment of creation and were a kind of symbolic archetype in the collective unconscious. Familiarity with the philosophical writings of India prompted Jung to adopt the word "mandala" to describe these drawings created by himself and his patients. In his autobiography, Jung wrote: I sketched every morning in

4641-495: The countryside as an ascetic hermit (though he also visited cities to study texts). During this time his main meditation was the mantra of bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha found in the Kokūzō-gumonji no hō ( Ākāśagarbha Memory-Retention Practice , Taisho no.1145). While he was practicing in the mountains, he had a vision of the bodhisattva flying at him. During this early period of intense study, prayer and practice, Kūkai sought

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4732-481: The creative purpose of giving expression and form to something that does not yet exist, something new and unique. [...] The process is that of the ascending spiral, which grows upward while simultaneously returning again and again to the same point. American art therapist Joan Kellogg later created the MARI card test, a free response measure , based on Jung's work. Transpersonal psychologist David Fontana proposed that

4823-587: The examples of the Theravada Buddhist Mandalas are: In Sigālovāda Sutta , Buddha describes the relationships of a common lay persons in Mandala style. One Japanese branch of Mahayana Buddhism – Shingon Buddhism – makes frequent use of mandalas in its rituals as well, though the actual mandalas differ. When Shingon's founder, Kūkai , returned from his training in China, he brought back two mandalas that became central to Shingon ritual:

4914-502: The first of China's 24 dynastic histories, which are the only known extant fragments that pre-date the Tang dynasty (618–907). According to literature available at the temple complex, the guardian carvings at Sanmon/Todaimon are by Tankei and Unkei . Allegedly, Murasaki Shikibu began writing The Tale of Genji at Ishiyama-dera during a full moon night in August 1004. In commemoration,

5005-519: The form of the mandala, the sacred enclosure consisting of concentric squares and circles drawn on the ground and representing that adamant plane of being on which the aspirant to Buddha hood wishes to establish himself. The unfolding of the tantric ritual depends on the mandala; and where a material mandala is not employed, the adept proceeds to construct one mentally in the course of his meditation." A "mandala offering" in Tibetan Buddhism

5096-421: The founder of this branch of Japanese Buddhism , during the late 13th Century. The Gohonzon is the primary object of veneration in some Nichiren schools and the only one in others, which consider it to be the supreme object of worship as the embodiment of the supreme Dharma and Nichiren's inner enlightenment. The seven characters Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō , considered to be the name of the supreme Dharma, as well as

5187-523: The graphical representation of phylogenetic relationships. Evolutionary trees often encompass numerous species that are conveniently shown on a circular tree, with images of the species shown on the periphery of a tree. Such diagrams have been called phylogenetic mandalas. Mandala as an art form first appeared in Buddhist art that were produced in India during the first century B.C.E. These can also be seen in Rangoli designs in Indian households. One of

5278-416: The head temple of Shingon. Mount Kōya experienced a period of decline afterwards, until it recovered in the 11th century through the support of Fujiwara clan nobles like Fujiwara no Michinaga . Shingon Buddhism enjoyed immense popularity during the Heian period ( 平安時代 ), particularly among the nobility, and contributed greatly to the art and literature of the time, influencing other communities such as

5369-591: The highest truth to be found in Buddhism. One day he dreamt of a man telling him to seek out the Mahavairocana Sutra . He was able to obtain a copy in Chinese (and Sanskrit) but large portions of the text were undecipherable to him and thus he decided to go to China to find someone who could explain it to him. In 804, Kūkai set sail on a fleet of four ships to China. The future Tendai founder Saichō

5460-621: The imperial court for permission to establish a new Buddhist school and waited three years for a response in Kyushu . In 809 Kūkai was allowed to reside at a temple near Kyoto known as Takaosanji (now Jingo-ji ). This temple would become his major center of operations near the capital. Kūkai's fortunes rose steadily when Emperor Saga became his patron and Kūkai was appointed as the head of Todai-ji in 810. Kūkai began to give esoteric initiations (abhiseka) at this time, including to elite laymen and to Saicho and his students. He also began to organize

5551-536: The initiate should follow. The mandala in Nichiren Buddhism is a moji-mandala ( 文字曼陀羅 ), which is a paper hanging scroll or wooden tablet whose inscription consists of Chinese characters and medieval-Sanskrit script representing elements of the Buddha's enlightenment , protective Buddhist deities, and certain Buddhist concepts. Called the Gohonzon , it was originally inscribed by Nichiren ,

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5642-455: The king's state. In historical, social and political sense, the term "mandala" is also employed to denote traditional Southeast Asian political formations (such as federation of kingdoms or vassalized states). It was adopted by 20th century Western historians from ancient Indian political discourse as a means of avoiding the term 'state' in the conventional sense. Not only did Southeast Asian polities not conform to Chinese and European views of

5733-438: The left and right. Within the square there is an eight petalled flower or rayed-star, recently called as Maklang ‘Star fort’ by the locals, in the centre covering a total area of around 50,836.66 square meters. The discovery of other five giant mandalas in the valley of Manipur is also made with Google Earth. The five giant mandalas, viz., Sekmai mandala, Heikakmapal mandala, Phurju twin mandalas and Sangolmang mandala are located on

5824-456: The light of the sun (hence his name). The immanent presence also means that every being already has "original enlightenment" ( hongaku ) within. This is also known as the "enligthened mind" ( bodhicitta ) and the Buddha nature . As Kūkai writes: "Where is the Dharmakaya? It is not far away; it is in our body. The source of wisdom? In our mind; indeed, it is close to us!" Because of this, there

5915-630: The most intense archaeological discoveries in recent years that could redefine the history of eastern thought and tradition of mandala is the discovery of five giant mandalas in the valley of Manipur , India, made with Google Earth imagery. Located in the paddy field in the west of Imphal , the capital of Manipur, the Maklang geoglyph is perhaps the world's largest mandala built entirely of mud. The site wasn't discovered until 2013 as its whole structure could only be visible via Google Earth satellite imagery. The whole paddy field, locally known as Bihu Loukon ,

6006-411: The mountain. He also purged the tradition of all traces of the heterodox Tachikawa school (even burning their texts). The Tachikawa school was known for teaching a mixed form of esotericism which made use of Daoist and sexual practices. During the war torn Sengoku period (1467 to 1615), all the Shingon temples in or near the capital were destroyed or stripped of all lands, while the Shingon centers in

6097-418: The mountains like Kōya and Negoro were forced to raise militaries for self defense, though sometimes they used these forces to attempt to expand the lands holdings of their temples. Mount Negoro, the center of Shingi Shingon, was sacked by the daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi ( 豊臣秀吉 ) in 1585. After this show of force, Kōyasan, the last major Shingon temple left standing at this time, submitted to Hideyoshi, and

6188-766: The natural world, as well as of the arts, all of which he saw as manifestations of the Buddha. Dainichi is the ultimate source of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and of the entire cosmos. The centrality of Dainichi is seen in the fact that he appears at the centre of both the Diamond Realm and the Womb Realm mandalas. According to Kūkai, Mahāvairocana is also the Universal Principle which underlies all Buddhist teachings. Thus, other Buddhist deities can be thought of as manifestations of Dainichi, each with their own attributes. As Kūkai writes, "the great Self

6279-418: The new monastic complex, which they imagined and modeled on the two mandalas, the womb and vajra. This mountain center soon became the key center for Shingon study and practice. In his later life, Kūkai continued to actively promote the efficacy of Shingon ritual among the elite even while also working to build Kōyasan into a major center. Kūkai eventually achieved control of Tō-ji for the Shingon school, which

6370-532: The number of Shingon followers at ten million and the number of priests at sixteen thousand in around eleven thousand temples (in his 1988 book). In Japan, there are also several new Shingon influenced groups classified as 'New Religions'. Some of these new movements include Shinnyo-en , Agon-shu and Gedatsu-kai. Another recent modern development is the phenomenon of Chinese students reviving Chinese Esoteric Buddhism through studying Japanese Shingon. This “tantric revival movement” (mijiao fuxing yundong 密教復興運動)

6461-570: The outer mandala circle. As a meditation on impermanence (a central teaching of Buddhism ), after days or weeks of creating the intricate pattern of a sand mandala , the sand is brushed together into a pile and spilled into a body of running water to spread the blessings of the mandala. Kværne in his extended discussion of sahaja , discusses the relationship of sadhana interiority and exteriority in relation to mandala thus: ...external ritual and internal sadhana form an indistinguishable whole, and this unity finds its most pregnant expression in

6552-590: The oversight of Kōyasan Shingon-shū or Shingon-shu Buzan-ha and minister as Chinese branches of Japanese Shingon, but others have chosen to create independent and distinct schools. Today, these revivalist lineages exist in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Though they draw mainly from Shingon teachings, they have also adopted some Tibetan Buddhist elements. A similar phenomenon has occurred in South Korea , where two recent esoteric schools have been founded,

6643-462: The regular population for support. During the Meiji period, the government also adopted the "one sect, one leader" rule which forced all Shingon schools to merge under a single leader which was called a "Chōja" (Superintendent). This led to some internal political conflict among the various sub-schools of Shingon, some of which attempted to form their own separate official sects. Some of these eventually succeeded in attaining independence and eventually

6734-426: The sand mandala. Each color represents attributes of deities. While making the mandalas the monks will pray and meditate, each grain of sand represents a blessing. Monks will travel to demonstrate this art form to people, often in museums. The re-introduction of mandalas into modern Western thought is largely credited to psychologist Carl Gustav Jung . In his exploration of the unconscious through art, Jung observed

6825-452: The symbolic nature of a mandala may help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises." Buddhist architecture often applied mandala as the blueprint or plan to design Buddhist structures, including temple complex and stupas. A notable example of mandala in architecture

6916-619: The temple maintains a Genji room featuring a life-size figure of Lady Murasaki and displays a statue in her honor. The temple features as "The Autumn Moon at Ishiyama" ( 石山の秋月 Ishiyama no Shūgetsu ) in the Eight Views of Ōmi thematic series in art and literature; examples include ukiyo-e prints by Harunobu in the 18th century and Hiroshige in the 19th century. 34°57′37.51″N 135°54′20.25″E  /  34.9604194°N 135.9056250°E  / 34.9604194; 135.9056250 This Shiga Prefecture location article

7007-585: The ten volume Jūjū shinron (Treatise on Ten Levels of Mind) and the shorter summary Hizō hōyaku (Precious Key to the Secret Treasury) . In Shingon, the Buddha Mahāvairocana (Sanskrit for "Great Illuminator"), also known as Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, "Great Sun Tathagata ") is the universal primordial ( honji-shin ) Buddha that is the basis of all phenomena. Śubhakarasiṃha's Darijing shu (大日經疏‎, J. Dainichikyōsho ) states that Mahāvairocana

7098-555: The transformation of desire (and other defilements) into wisdom is found in Shingon. Another important sutra in Shingon is the Prajñāpāramitānaya-sūtra (Jp. Hannyarishukyō , Taishō vol. 8, no. 243). This is a late "tantric" Prajñaparamita sutra in 150 lines which was translated by Amoghavajra and which contains various verses and seed syllables which encapsulate the Prajñaparamita teaching. The Hannyarishukyō

7189-412: The transient nature of life". Described elsewhere: "within a flaming rainbow nimbus and encircled by a black ring of dorjes , the major outer ring depicts the eight great charnel grounds, to emphasize the dangerous nature of human life". Inside these rings lie the walls of the mandala palace itself, specifically a place populated by deities and Buddhas . One well-known type of mandala is the mandala of

7280-827: The two Shingon sub-schools also diverged doctrinally on such issues as the attainment of buddhahood through a single mantra and the theory of how the Dharmakāya teaches the Dharma. Following in Kakuban's footsteps, the Koyasan monk Dōhan 道範 (1179–1252) has been seen as a key figure in the promotion of what has been called an “esoteric Pure Land culture”, a Shingon variety of Pure Land Buddhism that became very popular during this period and influenced other figures and schools like Eison of Saidaiji's Shingon Risshu. This esoteric pure land culture included esoteric uses and interpretations of

7371-562: The unified Shingon sect split into various sub-sects again. In March 1941, under the government's religious policy, Shingon schools were forcibly merged to form the 'Dai-Shingon' sect. During the second world war , prayers for the surrender of enemy nations were frequently held at various temples. After the war, both Ko-Gyō and Shin-Gyō schools continued to separate, and some established their own unique doctrines and traditions. There are now around eighteen major Shingon schools with their own headquarter temples (honzan) in Japan. Yamasaki estimated

7462-660: The western bank of the Iril River. Another two fairly large mandala shaped geoglyph at Nongren and Keinou are also reported from Manipur valley, India, in 2019. They are named as Nongren mandala and Keinou mandala. The Rajamandala (or Raja-mandala ; circle of states) was formulated by the Indian author Kautilya in his work on politics, the Arthashastra (written between 4th century BCE and 2nd century BCE). It describes circles of friendly and enemy states surrounding

7553-455: Was Shinnen (804–891) and already at this time there was some conflict between Tō-ji and Kōyasan. Some Shingon monks also followed in Kūkai's footsteps and visited China to receive more teachings and texts. Likewise, several Tendai monks also visited China and brought back esoteric teachings, making Tendai esotericism a major competitor to Shingon. Under Kangen (853–925), Tō-ji temple rose to become

7644-567: Was a major temple within the capital. His final request before his death in 832 was to construct a Shingon hall in Imperial palace grounds in order to accommodate the practice of the seven day ritual of chanting the Sutra of Golden Light. His request was eventually granted, a year after his death . After Kūkai, the main Shingon temples were taken over by key disciples like Jitsue, Shinzen, Shinzai, Eon and Shōhō. The main leadership after his death

7735-465: Was called honji suijaku by Buddhists. Major Shingon centers participated in this development, with key deities like Hachiman being worshipped at temples like Tō-ji for example. Also during the Heian period, the syncretic religion of Shugendō started to develop and the influence of Shingon was one major element in its development. Shingon was especially influential on the Tōzan branch of Shugendō. which

7826-477: Was centered on Mount Kinbu. The Kamakura period (1185 to 1333) saw the rise of another new Shingon tradition, the Shingon-risshū school. This new tradition stressed the importance of keeping the monastic Vinaya, along with esoteric practice. It was promoted by figures like Shunjō (1166–1227) and Eison (叡尊 1201–1290) and centered around Saidai-ji . Ninshō carried on the work of this tradition, which

7917-506: Was known for its many public works projects, including building hospitals, hostels for the poor and animal sanctuaries. Also during this period, many followers of the Ji sect founded by Ippen (1234–1289) made Kōya-san their home, joining with the Kōya hiriji groups, and many halls for Amida centered Pure Land practice were built on the mountain. During the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573),

8008-542: Was likely a response to Confucian critiques of Buddhism at the time. Onkō was also a well known scholar of Sanskrit. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), the state forced a separation of Shinto and Buddhism ( shinbutsu bunri ) and abolished the Chokusai Hōe (Imperial Rituals). The Shingon school was significantly affected by these changes (since it was closely connected with many Shinto shrines), as well as by

8099-496: Was mainly propagated by Chinese Buddhists who traveled to Japan to be trained, initiated, and receive dharma transmission as acharyas in the Shingon tradition and who then return home to establish the tradition. Some important figures of this revival include Wang Hongyuan 王弘願 (1876–1937), and Guru Wuguang (悟光上師 (1918–2000), both trained in Shingon and went on to spread Shingon teachings in the Chinese speaking world. Some of these Chinese acharyas have chosen to officially remain under

8190-668: Was on the same fleet. When Kūkai first met Huiguo (a student of Amoghavajra ) on the fifth month of 805, Huiguo was sixty and on the verge of death. Huiguo exclaimed to Kūkai that he had been waiting for him and immediately initiated him into the esoteric mandalas. In the short space of three months, Huiguo initiated and taught Kūkai everything he knew on the doctrines and practices of esoteric Buddhism. During this time Kūkai also learned Sanskrit from some Indian masters living in China. Kūkai returned to Japan after Huiguo's death in 806. He brought back numerous Buddhist texts, mandalas, ritual items and other books. After returning, Kūkai asked

8281-754: Was spared destruction. During the Edo period (1603–1868), the Shingi Shingon monks from Mount Negoro had escaped and took their lineages elsewere, eventually founding new schools at Hase-dera (the Buzan school) and at Chishaku (the Chisan-ha school). In the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate implemented new religious control measures for the Buddhist community. Tokugawa Ieyasu issued regulations for

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