Japanese esoteric ways
Shikigami, Onmyōdō and the living tradition behind the stories
You may have met them in Jujutsu Kaisen, Onmyoji or Noragami: spirit helpers, hand signs, protective seals. Behind the anime there is a real tradition, and parts of it are still practiced today.
Onmyōdō and Abe no Seimei
Onmyōdō, the "way of yin and yang", was the art of the court diviners and ritualists of Heian Japan. Its most famous master, Abe no Seimei, was said to command shikigami, spirits in his service. Where does the legend end and the practice begin?
Mikkyō: Japan's esoteric Buddhism
Shingon, the esoteric Buddhism brought to Japan by Kūkai, works with mudras, mantras and mandalas. Its roots reach into Shugendō, Shintō and shamanic Daoism as well. One of its most beloved figures is the Medicine Buddha, Yakushi Nyorai.
From my practice
[Eileen: your experience with the Yakushi mantra or in a Japanese temple.]
In this section
- What is a shikigami?
- Onmyōdō: the way of yin and yang
- Abe no Seimei: the man behind the legend
- The Medicine Buddha and his mantra in the Shingon tradition
- Mudras: the meaning of the hand signs
- Kūkai and the roots of Shingon
Looking for Kuji Kiri, the nine hand signs? Japanese Grimoire goes into the original texts.