Heian Buddhism (794-1185) Kūkai s Two Kinds of Knowing as Paradigm for Japanese Religious Thought Thomas P. Kasulis The Ohio State University ASDP NEH Institute EWC, 09June2015
Heian Buddhist Thought Saichō 最澄 (767 822) & Kūkai 空海 (774 835) Heian Buddhism as Response to Nara Spirituality Spirituality of Nara period (710-94) tensions Chinese vs. Japanese language Theory vs. praxis Chinese-style scholarship vs. native naturalistic animism City vs. mountains
Aspects of Ancient (Pre-Heian) Spirituality I Ancient spirituality (proto-shintō) Animism; no spirit/matter dichotomy Kami worship; human-natural-divine as interlinked Example: early 8 th c. poem by Yamanoue no Okura Elegy to a Dead Wife
Aspects of Ancient (Pre-Heian) Spirituality II Chinese-derived philosophical ideas Confucianism: ethics as human relations; social harmony Buddhism: introspection, discipline of inner self; ritual power; soteriological theories The Buddhist Six Nara Study Centers Character and purpose Not often source of creative doctrinal development
Aspects of Ancient (Pre-Heian) Spirituality III City temples: sites of study, public ritual Personal praxis often in retreats away from the capital Mountain forests, caves, etc. Practices often mix of Daoist, Buddhist, proto-shinto, folk Little or no systemization or justification (no metapraxis)
Heian Buddhist Contribution Saichō 最澄 (767 822) & Kūkai 空海 (774 835) Saichō: founder of Japanese Tendai Buddhism based in Chinese Tiantai tradition but added esoteric elements Kūkai: founder of Japanese Shingon Buddhism based on Chinese Zhenyan ( truth word or mantra ) tradition strictly esoteric (vajrayāna, mantrayana) form of Buddhism Joint Impact of Saichō and Kūkai Creative development of Buddhist thought and praxis Full adaptation of Buddhism to its Japanese context Both Tendai and Shingon built comprehensive monastic centers in mountains Interactions with state politics as intellectual center of nation
Heian Buddhist Contributions Saichō 最澄 (767 822) & Kūkai 空海 (774 835) Saichō s contribution: mainly important for institutional development As important for his lineage of students as for his own accomplishments Kūkai s contribution: established comprehensive, often innovative, system of theory and praxis Made esotericism a dominant force in future Japanese intellectual development Rest of today s session will focus on Kūkai s philosophical vision (Next time: Tendai developments as lead into Kamakura religions)
Two Kinds of Knowing Japanese Philosophy as a Riff on Kukai s Philosophy of Engagement
Approaching the Esoteric What kind of knowledge is involved in: Speaking your native language? Moving your legs and keeping your balance when you walk? Singing on-key?
Two Ways of Knowing Who better knows clay? (a) A geologist or (b) a potter? Who better knows words? (a) A philologist or (b) a poet? Who better knows flowers? (a) A botanist or (b) a Japanese flower arranger? Who better knows breath? (a) A pulmonologist or (b) a meditator?
Henri Bergson (1859-1941) [P]hilosophers, in spite of their apparent divergencies, agree in distinguishing two profoundly different ways of knowing a thing. The first implies that we move round the object; the second that we enter into it (1906)
Henri Bergson: On Knowing a Moving Object I am attributing to the moving object an interior and, so to speak, states of mind; I also imply that I am in sympathy with those states, and that I insert myself in them by an effort of imagination.
Two Kinds of Knowing Integrity of knower and known Detached Knowing Intimacy between knower and known Engaged Knowing Each implies a different model of relationship External vs. internal
External & Internal Relations
Philosophizing Assuming External Relations The Integrity Model of Detached Knowing
Detached Knowing Reality exists out there I (or my mind) exists over here Knowledge bridges the gap between the two The known: unchanged by becoming known The knower: unchanged by knowing process
Philosophizing Assuming Internal Relations The Intimacy Model of Engaged Knowing
Engaged Knowing Knowledge as overlap of knower and known For example: Clay and potter work together to make pottery Each is transformed in the process Metaphor for detached knowing -- mirror Metaphor for engaged knowing -- resonance
The Resonance of Attunement
Lack of Attunement
Dissonance with Not-attunement
Recurrent Theme in Japanese Religious Philosophy Recognition of two kinds of knowing Detached knowing: cognitive, intellectual, mental Separation of knower and known in external relation Acquisition of facts what is the case Engaged knowing: involves whole bodymind system; Knower and known overlap in internal relation Attunement/participation in resonance Integrity of knower/known vs. intimacy between knower/known
Kūkai: The Man, the Legend & His Project 空海 Kūkai (774-835) [Kōbō Daishi] 弘法大師
The Man: His Background Aristocratic family from Shikoku Sent to Nagaoka to train in Chinese classics & get govt post Leaves daigaku 大学 and city of Nara to do spiritual training in remote areas Encounters esoteric Buddhist teachings and goes to China to study under Huiguo 惠果 (746-805) Returns as patriarch of Shingon 真言 Buddhism
Kūkai s Lengendary Status in Japan Japan s first (and perhaps greatest) systematic philosopher Founded Japanese Shingon: trained in China by Huiguo 惠果 Accomplished in the cultural arts: calligraphy, sculpture Poetry and poetic treatises recognized even in China Encyclopedic knowledge of all East Asian philosophies Legendary thaumaturgical powers
In cave on coast of Shikoku Late 8 th century College drop-out in cave, chanting one million times mantra to Bodhisattva Kokūzō
Two great ambitions Kūkai s Personality Desire to understand everything Hope to unite Chinese learning and Japanese animism; unite mountain praxis and urban systematic study centers Purpose of practice in cave Ability to understand every passage in every Buddhist text Why ritual praxis instead of studying in urban educational centers? To understand everything, need to understand basis of everything need a metaphysical vision of reality
Reality as a Field of Resonance: Analogy for Kūkai s Worldview
Basics of Shingon ( 真言 )Buddhism Shingon = Truth Word or Mantra
Japanese Shingon Buddhism Fundamental assumption: Enlightenment through ritual engagement with cosmos Came to Japan from India via China (where Kūkai studied it) Akin to tantric traditions of India & Tibet Shingon: Esoteric 密教 (mikkyō) over Exoteric 顕教 (kengyō) Intimate engagement w/ reality, not detached objectivity Esoteric (mitsu) implies intimacy, minutely detailed Exoteric (ken) implies manifest, surface level Exoteric refers to reality; Esoteric confers with reality Such conference involves body, speech, and mind
Experiment I: Expressing w/ the Computer Imagine/enact typing sentence: Think outside the box! Mind: Thinking the sentence Speech: Saying it in your head Body: Fingers typing it } Single unified event
Three Dimensions of Shingon Ritual--Mudrā Body Formulaic Gestures (usually of hands & fingers) PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT
Three Dimensions of Shingon Ritual--Mantra Speech Chanted Expression of Basic Sounds Truth Words VOICED WORDS = RESONANCES FORMING ELEMENTS OF REALITY Six seed mantras A Earth (chi 土 ) Va water (sui 水 ) Ra fire (ka 火 ) Ha wind (fū 風 ) Kha space (kū 空 ) Hūṃ consciousness (shiki 識 )
Three Dimensions of Shingon Ritual--Mandala Mind Mandala MAP OF STRUCTURE Womb (Matrix) Mandala Diamond Mandala
Kūkai: the legend Combination of Merlin and Thomas Aquinas: Wizard and Systematic Religious Thinker Thaumaturgist: miraculous powers of wonder-working Systematic Religious thinker: writer of Himitsu mandara jūjūshinron 秘密曼荼羅十住心論 : comprehensive study of mindsets behind all philosophical theories known in Japan at time
Kūkai: His Project Personal: to understand everything Spiritual: Integrate doctrine & practice Cultural: Chinese learning and Japanese animistic sensitivity Way to understand everything is to know through praxis of ritual By letting go of everyday patterns, one become responsive, flexible Responsive flexibility allows one to synchronize w/ resonance of cosmos
Responsiveness/Flexibility Leads to Synchronization
Kūkai s Proprioceptive Cosmos Kūkai s essay The Meaning of Attaining Buddha with This Very Body Deviates from Dainichi Sūtra & his own earlier writings From five to six elements earth, water, fire, wind, space + consciousness what kind of consciousness; why not mind? Cosmos as self-aware w/o thinking about it
Engaging the Proprioceptive Experiment II: Touching your fingers For Kūkai: cosmos is self-aware Able to respond to itself Invisible but active consciousness
Foundational Assumption of Kūkai s Metaphysics The cosmos itself is a person, the Buddha Dainichi 大日
Kūkai s correlations 3 Karmic functions of person 3 constituents of reality 3 ritual practices Focus of practices 3 intimacies 三密 Thoughts(& Images) Structure Mandala Mind 心 or 意 Words Vibration/ Mantra Voiced Speech Resonance formulaic 口 響 phrases Deeds Patterns of Change Mudra 印 Body 身
The intimacy of speech: Buddha entering me 入我 cosmic microcosmic macrocosmic Dainichi s Words (six seed mantras ) Vibration/Resonance 響 (kyō) The Elements Compounded Elements as Our World
The intimacy of speech: I entering the Buddha 我入 macrocosmic microcosmic cosmic Ritual chanting (mantra) Vibrations/resonances of chant Words of Buddha
[The Buddha] Entering me; I entering [the Buddha] 入我我入 (nyūga ganyū) By engaging in mantra practice, I and universe resonate together (like tuning forks) Engaged knowing through attuned resonance Both I and cosmos are transformed through that attunement If out of tune, unharmonious dissonance Result: sickness, natural disasters, political instability But how can sound lead to harmonious structure of cosmos? How are resonance and mandala related?
Cymatics: Study of waves, sonic resonances
Cymatics & Mandalas
Cymatics & Mandalas
Cymatics & Mandalas II
Kūkai s Riff for Japanese Philosophy