Anapanasati 16 steps

Anapanasati 16 steps

Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu within this training, having gone into the forest, to the base of a tree or to an empty dwelling, having sat cross-legged with his body erect, securely maintains mindfulness (sati). Ever mindful, that bhikkhu breathes in; ever mindful, he breathes out.

1. Breathing in long, know breathing in long.
Breathing out long, know breathing out long.

2. Breathing in short, know breathing in short.
Breathing out short, know breathing out short.

3. Breathing in, experience the whole body (sabba kaya).
Breathing out, experience the whole body.

4. Breathing in, calm the body-conditioned breath (kaya sankhaara).
Breathing out, calm the body-conditioned breath.

5. Breathing in, experience joy.
Breathing out, experience joy.

6. Breathing in, experience happiness.
Breathing out, experience happiness.

7. Breathing in, experience the mind-conditioner (the feeling present now).
Breathing out, experience the mind-conditioner.

8. Breathing in, calm the feeling present now.
Breathing out, calm the feeling present now.

9. Breathing in, be aware of the mental activity present now.
Breathing out, be aware of the mental activity present now.

10. Breathing in, gladden the mind.
Breathing out, gladden the mind.

11. Breathing in, concentrate the mind.
Breathing out, concentrate the mind.

12. Breathing in, liberate the mind from attachment.
Breathing out, liberate the mind from attachment.

13. Breathing in, observe impermanence.
Breathing out, observe impermanence.

14. Breathing in, observe attachment fading away.
Breathing out, observe attachment fading away.

15. Breathing in, observe no craving.
Breathing out, observe no craving.

16. Breathing in, observe giving back.
Breathing out, observe giving back.

A passage from the Culavedalla Sutta, MN 44 defines the awkward phrase "bodily formation (kaya sankhaara)" which actually means the breath:
13: "Lady (Dhammadinna, a bhikkhuni praised by the Buddha for great wisdom), how many formations are there?"
"There are these three formations, friend Visakha (a layman asking Dhammadinna to define some concepts): the bodily formation, the verbal formation, and the mental formation."
14. "But, lady, what is the bodily formation? What is the verbal formation? What is the mental formation?"
"In-breathing and out-breathing, friend Visakha, are the bodily formation; applied thought and sustained thought are the verbal formation; perception and feeling are the mental formation."
15. "But, lady, why are in-breathing and out-breathing the bodily formation? ...
"Friend Visakha, in-breathing and out-breathing are bodily, these are states bound up with the body..."

In a footnote to this, Bhikkhu Bodhi quotes a comment in the MA (Majjhima Nikaya Atthakatha Papancasudani ),the fifth-century classical commentary by Buddhaghosa, not available in English [correction: see Bhikkhu Nanamoli's book listed above]. MN footnote #466 says, "MA explains further that the bodily formation and the mental formations are said to be formations "bound up" with the body and the mind in the sense that they are formed by the body and by the mind, while the verbal formation is a formation in the sense that it forms speech." Therefore, if true, this implies that the flesh-body conditions the breath-body, which is reasonable. However sankhaara can mean either conditioned or conditioner, depending on context, therefore another interpretation is that the breath-body conditions the flesh-body. The phrase sabbakaaya means literally all-body, which could mean all the bodies, or the whole of the flesh-body which includes the breath-body, or the whole of the breath-body from beginning to end. Actually neither breath nor body can exist independently of the other, like two sides of the same coin. Similarly a soul can not exist independently of a body according to the Buddhist view, in fact a soul or person does not exist at all except as an idea. Whether consciousness can exist without a body is not clear. There are said to be formless realms of existence without a body. Perhaps the difference between a soul and pure consciousness is the false idea of personal identity. However, down on our mundane level, the "breath" clearly depends on a body. Buddhist thought is permeated by this concept of conditionality. Fabricated things (sankhaara) can not exist independently.

Another clarifying passage found in the Anapanasati Sutta MN 118:24
[The Buddha explains with reference to "contemplating the body as a body"]: "I say this is a certain body among the bodies, namely in-breathing and out-breathing." Further, the MA commentary by Buddhaghosa explains that in-and-out is to be counted as the air element among the four elements making up the body.

The relevance of this is that the flesh-body is one of the four main objects of contemplation ("foundations of mindfulness"), therefore contemplating breathing falls under the satipatthana MN:10 category of contemplating the body, among the four foundations of body, feelings, mind and noble truths. In other words, to put this in perspective, the anapanasati practice is a special application within the four grand foundations of mindfulness.

For the past few weeks I have been worrying about a passage in the Anapanasati Sutta which has been translated differently by various authors. These are the third and fourth steps in the first tetrad. These are important steps because they occur early in the sequence of sixteen steps, even though not all of the steps are necessarily practiced in sequence. Nevertheless, after decades of observing the in-breath and out-breath, eventually one wants to move on to the other steps.

To my present understanding, after weighing the various translations, and after some correspondence with Bhikkhu Bodhi (although I am not sure we see eye to eye on this), my present best guess [see further updates below] for step number three is "Experience all bodies" (that is, experience both the flesh-body and the breath-body, and the intimate relationship between them), and four: "Calm the body-conditioned breath".

It seems to me that both bodies are so intimately connected that they can not exist separately except in a nominal sense. I believe that Ajahn Buddhadasa's description of the breath as "body conditioner" at least represents an attempt to highlight a conditional relationship between breath-body and flesh-body. Even if the conditional direction may have been stated in the reverse sense, at least the existence of a conditional relationship is expressed. Whereas, translating step four as "calm the bodily formation" implies calming a formation which has a body in some unclear sense. This requires a footnote because the intended meaning is "calm the breath, a formation conditioned by the body".

So why doesn't the ancient sutta just simply state "breath" instead of using the circumlocution "kaya sankhaara"? There surely exists a word for breath in Pail; it figures in "anapanasati" where "anapana" means in-and-out breath, related to the Sanskrit word prana. Probably "kaya sankhaara" was used in order to convey an important defining characteristic of the breath, namely its dependent condition on the body. Therefore a good translation should preserve this defining feature.

This complexity of the human body has an important consequence for the practice of anapanasati, step 3. The issue is whether the object of concentration, called "sabba kaya" in the original Pali, should be understood as the whole body (of breath), or the whole body (of flesh-and-blood), or both of them together.

The reason why this detail may be important is a risk that meditation might not bear fruit if the practice is not done right, hence the importance of an experienced teacher if one has the good fortune to meet one, which was not my experience. While I received the eight precepts from Ven. Thanissaro, I did not feel that he welcomed conversation with me. In my personal history, I was 62 years old before I discovered that my understanding of anapanasati was flawed.

I came across Buddhadasa's book in the Bangkok train station which contained a translation of the sutta. It was the first time I learned that there are 16 steps, much more than just watching the long-breath and short-breath, steps 1 and 2. How and where the breath is watched can make an difference in results. Never having experienced reports of joy and happiness in the meditative states (the jhanas), I believe it my practice may not have been focused correctly. For example, for years my attention followed the movement of the breath into and out of the body, moving along with it, instead of holding a fixed position at the nostrils. For years I was unsure about which sabbakaaya should be calmed.

Yesterday Nanamoli's translation of Buddhaghosa's fifth century commentary on anapanasati reached me. According to Buddhaghosa, the object of the third step should be calming the whole body of in-breath and out-breath, not the whole body of flesh-and-blood. This sounds plausible, considering that if attention is diverted to the vast desert wilderness of the gross body with multiple sensory contacts clamoring for attention at any given moment, then the mind may not settle down to a calm state of samadhi.

If the attention strays from the calm oasis of the breath out into the trackless wilderness of the body, it may get lost there in manifold distractions.

From the Anapanasati Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 118

References:
1. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, Mindfulness with Breathing, tr. Santikaro Bhikkhu,
Silkworm Books, Thai edition 2001, silkworm@csloxinfo.co.th
In U.S. available from wisdompubs.org
2. Thich Nhat Hanh, Breathe! You Are Alive
3. Larry Rosenberg: Breath by Breath
4. Majjhima Nikaya , tr. by Bhikkhu Bodhi (price as of 21 Feb 2010: $39.96 + free shipping at wisdompubs.com,
or $40.95 + free shipping amazon.com).
5. Mindfulness of Breathing: Buddhist Texts from the Pali Canon and Commentaries, tr. by Bhikkhu Nanamoli,
including the commentary by Buddhaghosa
6. See discussion of interpretations and more links

Samatha Bavana and Vipassana Bavana

Introduction

Most Myanmar people are Buddhists and understand charity (dana), morality (sila) and meditation (bhavana). Every one knows charity and performs it traditionally; dana is a traditional custom in every part of Myanmar. Morality is also popularly performed by Myanmar Buddhists; taking five-fold precept and eightfold precept are traditional practices and even young boys and girls understand them. Some are even in the habit of observing the ninefold precept. Meditation (bhavana) is also known by people and practised in rural and urban areas; there are many meditators in Myanmar.

What is Bhavana?

Bhavana means, developing, scrutinizing, meditating or the task of repeated contemplation. It is a sort of mental task by means of repeated recitation, repeated contemplation and repeated scrutinizing. There are two kinds, Samatha Bhavana and Vipassana Bhavana. (Bhavetabbati Bhavana).

Samatha Bhavanais sometimes called Samatha Kammatthana because it is directed towards one-pointedness of concentration (Samadhi) on one-specific object only; Vipassana Bhavana is also called Vipassana Kammatthana because it aims at the achievement of enlightenment after having contemplated on the objects. There often arises a question; "What should be started first?" The answer is, "you can start with whatever you like. If you have a chance of meeting with a well-experienced meditation teacher, you may start with whatever you like." The Venerable Sayadaws in days of yore taught their disciples to practise the Samatha first; only when the disciples had been well-equipped with forceful one-pointedness of concentration, they were taught the Vipassana.

At present, there are many who are experienced in the task of Meditation, but they can not differentiate between Samatha and Vipassana. They came to me to find the solution and I have often helped them. So, here I will explain what the difference between Samatha and Vipassana is.

Three Types of Vipassana

Vipassana denotes, Vi=by different ways and means; passana=looking at, scrutinizing, examining, i.e. scrutinizing and realizing natural phenomena as they really are.

(1) Anicca Vipassana:- You have to scrutinize impermanence; you should realize that all is impermanent if you realize it, you really penetrate the characteristics of impermanence. "What is impermanent?", You may ask. The answer is, everything is impermanent; there is no permanent thing. Note that the world is impermanent; every being is impermanent; everything is impermanent; there is nothing permanent; therefore, the world of being, the world of form and world of location (satta loka, sankhara loka and okasa loka) are all impermanent.

Human beings and animals are impermanent; buildings and plants are impermanent; everything animate or inanimate is impermanent; it should be noted that once you have come to realize how impermanent they are, Anicca Vipassana can be clearly realized!

(2) Dukkha Vipassana: - It is the way to see the truth of suffering; you have to examine it so as to know about the manner of suffering; if you see it, it may be said that you can clearly realize the characteristics of Dukkha Vipassana. What is suffering? There is no real peace and happiness in the whole human world. Search for what is really happy and peaceful; you will not find anything. Does it make you happy to eat? You have to eat something because it is impossible for you to live without eating. Just like people drive motor cars by using fuel, so they feed themselves in order to live long one day after another. Really, it is not peace and happiness.

Does it make you happy to sleep? Occasionally, you may seem to be happy when you take rest after a long journey and fall asleep with fatigue, but you can see how insufferable and painful it is to stay in bed a long time when you are sick. You will be more weary of sleeping if you stay on the hospital-bed for long. Therefore, you should realize that sleeping is not enjoyable and pleasurable. In the same way, be watchful of every movement of your body: - walking, standing, sitting, working, etc. It is not enjoyable or pleasurable. The more you endeavour to be watchful, the more you will realize how sufferable and painful it is. When you see it as it really is, you have to understand that you penetrate and fully realize the true nature of Dukkha Vipassana.

(3) Anatta Vipassana: It means penetrating and realizing the true nature of having no 'self' or 'soul'. When you have penetrated and fully realized this true nature, you can see the characteristics of Anatta Vipassana. What is without 'self'? Everything is without 'self' and therefore uncontrollable. There is nothing controllable in this world; we cannot control even ourselves, i.e, we are unable to master the existence of our body and mind; they are always subject to change.

Forty Samatha Kammatthanas

Samatha means calmness; so, the Dhammas which are the root causes of calmness may be called samatha. There are forty types of Samatha. Ten kinds of whole (kasina), Ten kinds of recollection (Anussati), Ten kinds of loathesomeness( Asubha), Four Sublime States (Brahmavihara); four kinds of Non-Materiality (Arupa); one perception of loathsomeness of nutrition (Aharepatikulasanna) and One Analysis of four elements (Catudhatuvavatthana). All these forty kinds are called Samatha Kammatthana. In order to fulfil the wishes of different kinds of people (Puggalijjhasaya), the Buddha taught the ways of meditation in different kinds.

I have heard some criticize its value contemptuously. The Buddha-to-be have fulfilled ten kinds of Parami (perfections) by means of practising Samatha Kammatthanas in their past rebirths through their Samsaric Circle. Passing through the earth and flying in space, and some different kinds of miraculous powers are the outcomes of practising Samatha Kammatthana. Therefore, you should regard it as a vitally important one, and should not look down upon it:

Meditation on Breath in Breath out (Anapana)

Today most meditation centres in Myanmar use the method of Breath-in and Breath-out; they specialize this method.

Anapananussati, one of the ten kinds of Recollection, is a task of concentrating on breath-in and breath-out through the tip of nose; it is a means of concentration and is easy to do. If you maintain the object in your one-pointed concentration, it means that you possess concentration; you have to see it in your mind with closed eyes; this is the true method. If you know the method, you can do the work easily; you may gradually become interested in your work when you have repeatedly practised it. You will be happy to concentrate on the breath-in and breath-out with mindfulness. Anapana in simple meaning is a sort of contemplation on the concentration of breath-in and breath-out, with stable mind, not letting it go towards any other object. In Pali it is called, "Assasa-passasa Kammatthana".

The Light Produced by Anapana.

It is usual that the objects of meditation arises while meditating, weather he contemplates on Ten kasinas or Ten Asubhas or Four Brahmaviharas. Whichever it is, the very first object of meditation in mind is called Parikammanimitta. Note that you reach at the stage of Uggahanimitta when you can release the very first object of meditation (Parikammanimitta) from your minds' eye and easily take another object of meditation and retain it again in your mind: the attainment of Jhana completely depending on the Uggahanimitta.

While you are contemplating on the process of breath-in and breath-out with stable one-pointedness of concentration, you may be mindful of it like a small strand of smoke through your nose. Moreover, when you can master your object of meditation, light may appear around your body: the colour of the light is white and it will be as bright as the power of your concentration; and sometimes the light may fill the room or even pass through the roof of monastery into the sky.

The predecessor-Sayadaws who were expert in the Pitaka Texts and the meditation tasks as well, urged devotees to maintain the object of meditation - They said that by doing so they had been able make it clearer and clearer according to their will and obtained Jhana trance. Therefore, these learned and well-experienced Sayadaws never faltered in their study of the object of meditation arisen out of contemplation. But some meditation teachers of this age who do not encourage the attainment of Jhana, but recognize only Vipassana as the correct way prevent their devotees from following the path of Samatha meditation. My own view is that if one can master and control the object of meditation and his concentration is very forceful, I don't want to hinder him from doing so because he can understand the root-cause of Jhana and obtain miraculous powers. Therefore, I would like to instruct that it may be a right way toward Jhana if the object of meditation, the light produced by Anapana, is maintained.

From Samatha to Vipassana

It is easy to apply the method of changing from Samatha to Vipassana if meditation instructor can instruct the right way. Note that it is very easy to change the forty subjects of Kammatthana to Vipassana. Here is the method of changing the meditation of samatha Kammatthana to that of Vipassana Kammatthana. I have said the Vipassana is the contemplation on Anicca, Impermanency or transiency. If you contemplate on the breath-in only with mindfulness, it is samatha; if you comtemplate on the breath-out only with mindfulness, it is Vipassana; if you contemplate as both of breath-in and breath-out with mindfulness it is Samatha.

Change the method of contemplation of this kind; Contemplate on the nature of impermanency-Anicca, meditating that the breath-in passes away in abdomen and it is impermanent; then, such a kind may be called, Anicca Vipassana. So do the cases of the breath-out, and breath-in and breath-out. Contemplate on the impermanency of the breath-out, meditating on the fact that when it comes out of the tip of nose, it passes away. And you can master the two cases: breath-in, breath-in and and breath- out. If you want to practise Dukkha Vipassana, please meditate on the fact that the effort of breath-in and breath-out causes much suffering. If you want to practise Anatta Vipassana, please meditate on the fact that the effort of breath-in is beyond control, the effort of breath-out is beyond control and the effort of breath-in and breath-out is beyond control; and also meditate that all these movement are naturally arising and passing away.

Threefold Mode of Training

I will tell you in brief of the way to be free from the suffering of the Samsaric Circle. It is not difficult to follow. Sasana means Adhisila, Adhicitta, and Adhipanna. This threefold mode of Training is also called the Noble Eightfold path leading to the Nibbanic Peace. First of all, you have to observe Precepts- Sila Sikkha and you should be heedful to abstain from the threefold bodily immoral deeds and fourfold verbal immoral speech. Now, understand that you are equipped with the virtue of Adhisila. You will become happy and peaceful. Note that you have. passed the first stage.

Nibbana within your reach

Now, you have to know about the third stage. Understand that your body is materiality and your mind is mentality. When your concentrative mind becomes more stable and powerful in due course, please be watchful of the arising and passing away of materiality and mentality. You will penetrate and realize the real nature of material and mental phenomena. This realization is called Adhipanna. You will, automatically step by step, realize the true nature of material and mental phenomena in future, Such a kind of realization is called, "The process of Enlightenment." It cannot be compared with the worldly knowledge simply because it can only be attained by means of practising Vipassana Bhavana. It is very noble and great. Note that the Nibbanic Peace is within your reach, now.

Self-refuge

In the Dhammapada, the Buddha taught that:- One indeed is one's own refuge; how could anyone else be one's refuge? - Atta hi attano natho ko hi natho paro siva. It means that in order to be free from the suffering of the Samsaric Circle, one should rely on one's own effort. Venerate the Buddha; believe the Buddha; take refuge in the Buddha; believe in the teaching of the Buddha; regard it with deep respect; make every effort to practise the Dhamma only; understand that only the Dhamma is your refuge. This is the straight and right way towards the Nibbanic Bliss.

I can only point out the road; it is up to you to tread the road rightfully. As to going on your Samsaric journey, you cannot rely on others; everyone has to tread on the way of Kamma, whether towards the Nibbanic bliss or the Worldly pleasure. You cannot rely on your kinsmen, such as sons, daughters, husbands, wives, etc. You have to fully understand that there is no one to help you apart from yourself.

The Meaning of Nibbana in Brief

The greatly pure attitude of these Noble Ones can never be understood by the sense of ordinary worldlings. They are very peaceful and noble so that no one can believe in their mental attitude. This is the true attainment of Blissful Nibbanic Peace in this present existence. If the final stage, Arahatship, is attained and the existence of his life terminates, there will be no next existence to go on any further.

For example, when a flame of a candle is extinguished, it does not exist in air, nor on the candle, nor in any other place. In the similar way, the burden of suffering, i. e, the aggregate of mentality and materiality which has been wandering about in several ways due to the Kammic powers created oneself, totally terminates and the regeneration of kammic force completely ceases too. When there is no cause, no effects arise. Therefore, the passing away of Arahantas is called, Parinibbana-Noble Demise. In fact, it is a final release from all suffering. This is Nibbana, the final Goal which every Buddhist longs for. It is very profound and subtle. The mechanism of the Samsaric Circle, wandering about and being born and reborn in one existence after another in different abodes, ceases at the gate of Nibbanic Realm. The meaning of Nibbana can never be understood by mere knowledge, but it can only be fully realized by practical endeavour.

Conclution

There are what is Vipassana, three types of Vipassana, forty Samatha Kammatthanas, Meditation breath in and breath out etc. In the Samatha to Vipassana, I had explained It is easy to apply the method of changing from Samatha to Vipassana if meditation instructor can instruct the right way. This is what I wrote about Meditation subject to submitted.

A Short History of Esoteric Buddhism

Introduction

Shingon Buddhism ( Shingon shū?) is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in India from the third to fourth century C.E that originally spread to China and Korea. The esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai, who traveled to Tang Dynasty China to acquire and request transmission of the esoteric teachings. For that reason, it is often called "Japanese Esoteric Buddhism", or "Orthodox Esoteric Buddhism". The word Shingon is the Japanese reading of the Kanji for the Chinese word Zhēnyán, literally meaning "True Words", which in turn is the Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word Mantra.

History

Shingon Buddhist doctrine and teachings arose during the Heian period (794-1185) when a Buddhist monk named Kūkai traveled to China in 804 to study Esoteric Buddhist practices in the city of Xi'an (then called Chang-an) under the Chinese Esoteric Buddhist master Huiguo, a favorite student of the legendary Amoghavajra and returned to Japan as his lineage and Dharma successor. Shingon followers usually address Kūkai as Kōbō-Daishi( lit. "Great Master of the Propagation of Dharma") or Odaishisama ( "The Great Master"), the posthumous name given to him years after his death by Emperor Daigo. Before he went to China, Kūkai had been an independent Buddhist monk in Japan for over a decade. He was extremely well versed in classical Chinese prose, calligraphy and Buddhist sutras. Esoteric Buddhism was not considered to be a different sect or school yet at that time. Huiguo was the first person to gather the still scattered elements of Indian and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism into a cohesive system. A Japanese monk named Gonsō had brought back to Japan an esoteric mantra of Akasagarbha known as the Kokuzō-gumonjiho (lit. Akasagarbha Memory Sadhana) that was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by Buddhist patriarch Subhakarasimha (Zenmui-Sanzo ). This mantra has the effect of greatly strengthening one's memory and concentration when practiced diligently. When Kūkai was 22, he learnt this from Gonsō and would go into the forests of Shikoku regularly to practice this mantra for long periods of time. He persevered in this mantra practice for seven years and mastered it, gaining siddhis of superhuman memory retention and learning ability. His respect for the Bodhisattva Akasagarbha was so great that he would regard him as his Honzon or main deity, the single most important divinity to him, for the rest of his life. It was also during this period of intense mantra practice that he dreamt of a man telling him to seek out the Mahavairocana Tantra for the doctrine that he sought. The Mahavairocana Tantra was only recently made available in Japan. He was able to obtain a copy in Chinese but large portions were in Siddham Sanskrit which he did not know and even the Chinese portions were too cryptic and "esoteric" in the truest sense of the word for him to understand. He knew that this teaching was a door to the truth he sought but he was unable to fully comprehend it and there was no one else in Japan who could help him with it. Thus, he made his resolve to travel to China to spend the time necessary to fully understand the Mahavairocana Tantra.

When Kūkai reached China and first met Huiguo on the fifth month of 805, Huiguo was age sixty and on the verge of death from a long spate of illness. Huiguo exclaimed to Kūkai in Chinese, "At last, you have come! I have been waiting for you! Quickly, prepare yourself for intiation into the mandalas!" or something to that effect. Huiguo had foreseen that Esoteric Buddhism would not survive in India and China in the near future and that it was Kukai's destiny to see it continue in Japan. In the short space of three months, Huiguo initiated and taught Kūkai everything he knew on the doctrines and practices of the Mandalas of the Two Realms as well as mastery of Siddham Sanskrit and (presumably to be able to communicate with Master Huiguo) Chinese language. Huiguo declared Kūkai to be his final disciple and proclaimed him to be his Dharma successor, and was given the lineage name Henjō-Kongō ( biànzhào jīngāng), meaning "illuminating adamantine vajra". In the twelfth month of the same year, Huiguo died and was appropriately buried next to his master Amoghavajra.

More than one thousand of his disciples gathered for his funeral. The honor of writing his funerary inscription on their behalf was given to Kūkai. Kukai returned to Japan after Huiguo's death. If he had not, Esoteric Buddhism might not have survived because thirty-five years after Huiguo's death in the year 840, the infamous Emperor Wuzong of Tang assumed the throne. An avid Taoist, the new emperor despised Buddhism and thought of monks as useless tax-evaders. In 845 he ordered the destruction of 4,600 Buddhist monasteries and 40,000 temples. Around 250,000 Buddhist monks and nuns had to give up their monastic lives. Wuzong cited that Buddhism was an alien religion and promoted indigenous Taoism zealously. Shortly, he was assassinated by his own inner circle but the damage had been done. After returning to Japan, Kūkai collated and systemized all that he had learnt from Huiguo into a cohesive doctrine of pure esoteric Buddhism that would become the basis for the Shingon school. Originally, he did not establish his doctrine as a separate school and did not specifically name it "Shingon-Shū" as it is known now. It would be the Emperor Junna, who favored Kūkai and Esoteric Buddhism who would coin the term "Shingon-Shū" ("The Mantra School") in his imperial decree which officially declared Tō-ji Temple in Kyoto as a purely Shingon temple that would perform official rites for the state.

Kūkai's first established monastery was in Kōyasan ( "Mount Kōya"), which has since become the base and a place of spiritual retreat for Shingon practitioners. Shingon enjoyed immense popularity during the Heian Period , particularly among the Heian nobility, and contributed greatly to the art and literature of the time, as well as influencing other communities, such as the Tendai School on Mount Hiei (Hiei-zan ). Also, Shingon's emphasis on ritual found support in the Kyoto nobility, particularly the Fujiwara clan . This favor allotted Shingon several politically powerful temples in the capital, where rituals for the Imperial Family and nation were regularly performed. Many of these temples such as Tō-ji and Daigo-ji in the South of Kyōto and Jingo-ji and Ninna-ji in the Northwest became ritual centers establishing their own particular ritual lineages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingon_Buddhism, WikipediA, Shingon Buddhism,

1. Caiger, Mason. A History of Japan, Revised Ed.

2. "Jusan Butsu - The Thirteen Buddhas of the Shingon School ". Retrieved 5 July 2007.

History of Vajrayana

There are differing views as to where in the Indian sub-continent Vajrayana began. Some believe it originated in Bengal,[50] now divided between the Republic of India and Bangladesh, with others claiming it began in Uddiyana, located by some scholars in the modern day Swat Valley in Pakistan, or in South India. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it is claimed that the historical Shakyamuni Buddha taught tantra, but that since these are 'secret' teachings, confined to the guru/disciple relationship, they were generally written down long after the Buddha's other teachings, the Pali Canon and the Mahayana sutras.

The earliest texts appeared around the early 4th century. Nalanda University in eastern India became a center for the development of Vajrayana theory, although it is likely that the university followed, rather than led, the early Tantric movement. India would continue as the source of leading-edge Vajrayana practices up until the 11th century producing many renowned Mahasiddha.

(Vajrayana) Buddhism had mostly died out in India by the 13th century, and tantric religions of Buddhism and Hinduism were also experiencing pressure from invading Islamic armies. By that time, the vast majority of the practices were also available in Tibet, where they were preserved until recently. In the second half of the 20th century a sizable number of Tibetan exiles fled the oppressive, anti-religious rule of the Communist Chinese to establish Tibetan Buddhist communities in northern India, particularly around Dharamsala.

Newar Buddhism

Newar Buddhism is practiced by Newars in Nepal. This is the only form of Vajrayana Buddhism in which the scriptures are written in Sanskrit. Its priests do not follow celibacy and are called Vajracharyas.

Vajracharya

A Bajracharya or Vajracharya is a Vajrayana Buddhist priest among the Newar communities of Nepal. Vajracharya means 'vajra holding priest'. They are also commonly called Guru-ju or Gu-bhaju (a short form for Guru Bhaju) which are Nepali terms related to the Sanskrit term guru, and translate as 'teacher' or 'priest'. The Bajracharya is the highest ranking of the Newar castes that are born Buddhist.[1] To become a professional Guruju, a person of the bajracharya caste must go through a number of rituals. The bajracharya boy goes through a ritualistic process of initiation known as Bajravishekha[2], including shaving off the head as the buddha and asking for alms, at a minimum of seven houses a day in different places, in the tradition of monks since the time of Gautama Buddha. Sometimes tantric Newar Buddhism is referred to as 'Vajracharya Buddhism'. The writers of Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-century Nepal explore the unusual relationship of the Vajracharyas and their assistant Shakyas with Buddhist monasticism:

Unlike Vajracharyas, Shakya men may not be priests for others, but together with Vajracharya men they are the members of the traditional Newar Buddhist monasteries, known honorifically as vihara and colloquially as baha or bahi. In so far as Shakya and Vajracharya men filled their roles in the monastery, they were monks. In effect, they were married, part-time monks. [3]

Conclution

Shingon Buddhist doctrine and teachings arose during the Heian period (794-1185) when a Buddhist monk named Kūkai traveled to China in 804 to study Esoteric Buddhist practices in the city of Xi'an (then called Chang-an) under the Chinese Esoteric Buddhist master Huiguo, a favorite student of the legendary Amoghavajra and returned to Japan as his lineage and Dharma successor. A Bajracharya or Vajracharya is a Vajrayana Buddhist priest among the Newar communities of Nepal. Vajracharya means 'vajra holding priest'.

References

1. ^ Hattaway, Paul (2004). Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer Diary. William Carey Library. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OzEOKNPsv2EC&dq=Bajracharya+Buddhist&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0.

2. ^ "A Brief Introduction of Distinctive Features of Nepalese Buddhism". 2002. http://www.bajracharya.org/nepalibuddhism.htm.

3. ^ Rebuilding Buddhism: The Theravada Movement in Twentieth-century Nepal. Harvard University Press. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=e9C1iF3MAYgC&.