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Name:
Shingon Buddhism
"True Word"
"School of True Words"
Chinese: chen-yen
Sanskrit: mantra, mantrayana
Founded:
Founder: Kukai
Date: c. 806
Profile:
Shingon Buddhism is a type of esoteric Buddhism which was founded by Kukai and which has
come to play an important role in the development of Buddhism in Japan. Esoteric Buddhism
is a type of Buddhist thought which focuses upon the idea that can achieve actual
Buddhahood in their physical body. Today there are more than 10,000 Shingon Buddhist
temples throughout Japan and it is itself divided into six principle branches.
According to Shingon Buddhism, there are "secrets" of the body, speech, and mind which a person must explore and understand in order to achieve their buddha-nature. These secrets cannot be written down or taught to large groups; instead, they must be passed directly from master to student on an individual basis. An important means by which these secrets were transmitted was through representations or mandalas because even words often were inadequate to the task.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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