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nyoronyoro
17th October 2004, 20:35
Good evening (GMT +1h here),
first of all please excuse me for my poor english. My question is simple but some previous explainations are needed. On the internet and occasionally in bad books, one can find a list of jumon Žô•¶ (or lets just say mantras here) allegedly associated with the nine hand signs which together consitutes the main part of the ritual known as kujiin ‹ãŽšˆó. In most cases, it seems to me that they are merely quoted from an original and possibly serious source. To be more precise, i am referring to the list which has "on bai shira man da ya sowaka" for the first sign (dokkoin) and "on a ra ba sha no-o sowaka" for the last one. Of course there are some problems with the apparently odd transliteration and discrepancies with formulas used in more orthodox mikkyou rituals, but I would like to ask if anyone here is aware of what the source of these list could be. MAs are not exactely my field of interests but I know that the book "The Deity and the Sword" by Otake Risuke, often considered as a koryuu classic, has some explainations about the kujiin and could be a candidate. Could anyone verify this?

Thanks in advance!

Giorgio Barzi

Daniel Lee
18th October 2004, 02:12
Giorgio,

I think a good place to start reading about the kuji goshinpo as a method of training would be a general book on Mikkyo esoteric Buddhism. Specific training given by particular bujutsu ryuha does differ from ryuha to ryuha, although I'm sure you'll find Otake-sensei's three-volume work, "The Deity and the Sword", a useful treatise in reading more about the kuji goshinpo as used by practitioners of that school.

Joshua Lerner
18th October 2004, 06:01
Hi Giorgio,

You might also want to find a copy of David A. Hall's doctoral dissertation, Marishiten: Buddhism and the Warrior Goddess. It has a large amount of information on various aspects of esoteric Buddhism as it relates to the koryu, including sections on the kujiho. It is available from UMI Dissertation Express (http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb). Search for order #9103711. An abbreviated version of the dissertation shows up as a short essay in one of Diane Skoss' books on koryu bujutsu, but I don't think the shorter version has the information you are looking for.

Josh

nyoronyoro
18th October 2004, 13:18
Daniel,

I am not interested in kuji goshinbou as a method of training since it is not my intention to fight in a medieval battle or to hide my body with the secret seal of marishi-ten, at least at the moment. However, your advice is more than welcome. I have already some background in sinojapanese mikkyou studies, but apotropaic methods like ‹ãŽšŒì?g–@ are mainly apocryphal in nature, like most shuuha shintou and shugen shuu ritual systems, so I was asking for specific informations about one of them. To Joshua: thank you very much, I did not know that work, i'll see if I can get hold of a copy! By the way, my initial question was a little more simple. I don't own the three books of "The Deity and the Sword" and i'm not planning to buy them very soon so could anyone kindly verify if the jumon given in this essay look even nearly like those i have suggested? Alternatively, could anyone point me a possible original source of that list?

Many thanks!

Daniel Lee
18th October 2004, 14:08
Georgio,

I see where you are coming from more clearly now. Otake-sensei treats the kuji goshinpou as used by the Katori Shinto-ryu in the third volume of his three-book series, including both jumon you mentioned, although the ketsu-in/inkei is somewhat different (houbyou-no-in).

Best wishes with your research,

allan
18th October 2004, 16:56
The International Hoplological Society has published a monograph written by Donn Draeger "Esoteric Buddhism in Japanese Warriorship." Please visit this webpage if you are interested:

http://www.hoplology.com/shop.htm

I have not read this yet, but someone here may know if this resource will be useful to you.

Regards,

nyoronyoro
19th October 2004, 01:14
Thank you very much Daniel! That was the info I was looking for. So, apart from an unusual spelling of the jumon they should be authentic, at least in the TSKS Ryuu “`Žö denju of this ritual. ›?•r‚̈ó is considered as an altrenative name for the same ‰BŒ`‚̈ó by some sources, but I know that positions of the fingers seems to vary slightly in different accounts.

Thanks again!

roninseb
19th October 2004, 15:44
Hi Giorgio

Her is some info on what you are searching for and books you will be able to get more in depth info on exactly what you are looking for.

The first kuji you mentioned is the one for calling Bishamonten (Om bai shiramandaya sowaka).

The last one you listed seems to be a deformation of the Monju bosatsu mantra.

Anyhow here are some very complete books on all the mudras and the mantras coming with them.


Mudras of of Japan ISBN 81-7936-000-8
Esoteric mudras of Japan ISBN 81-86471-56-1

Both books totalize nearly 1000 pages of amntras mudra expplanation in English with Japanese, Chinese and Sanskrit pronounciation. I believe those 2 books should keep you going for quite a while.

they are both available at

https://www.vedamsbooks.com/


If you want more good books on mikkyo let me know I have a few others up my sleeve


Hope this helps

Truly yours

Sebastien Cyr

nyoronyoro
19th October 2004, 18:50
Originally posted by roninseb
The first kuji you mentioned is the one for calling Bishamonten (Om bai shiramandaya sowaka).

Yes, it is the kind of shingon in which the sanskrit original is more evidently recognisable.


The last one you listed seems to be a deformation of the Monju bosatsu mantra.

Yes. Actually the arapacana dharani has a longer history, but it was eventually associated with Monju Bosatsu. Deformation is the norm when you deal with modern japanese speaking people reading transcription in Tang era's chinese of sanskrit mantras taught by indian buddhist masters.



Mudras of of Japan ISBN 81-7936-000-8
Esoteric mudras of Japan ISBN 81-86471-56-1


Thanks, I have both. They are not exactly scholarly studies but they come very handy as they are good catalogues from original sources.

Thank you Sebastien!