Kukais Initiation

Diese Seite zitieren:

Bernhard Scheid, „Kukais Initiation“ (Stand: 2013-01-19). In: ders. (Hg.), Religion-in-Japan: Ein Web-Handbuch (Universität Wien, seit 2001). URL: http://www.univie.ac.at/rel_jap/an/Geschichte:Kukai/Kukais_Initiation?oldid=33072

Der berühmte „nordwärtsgewandte Kōbō Daishi“ (Hokumen Daishi) mit Vajra und Rosenkranz.
Holzstatue, Kamakura-Zeit.

In einem Bericht an den Tenno beschreibt Kūkai (Kūkai 空海 — Gründer des Shingon Buddhismus, 774–835 …mehr ⇒) die mystischen Erlebnisse seiner Initiation unter seinem chinesischen Meister Huiguo (Huiguo 惠果 (chin.) — (746–806) ältere Schreibung Hui-kuo; chin. Lehrer Kūkais …mehr ⇒) folgendermaßen:

One day, in the course of my calls on eminent Buddhist teachers of the capital, I happened by chance to meet the abbot of the East Pagoda Hall of the Green Dragon Temple. This great priest, whose Buddhist name was Hui-kuo, was the chosen disciple of the Indian master Amoghavajra. His virtue aroused the reverence of his age; his teachings were lofty enough to guide emperors. Three sovereigns revered him as their master and were ordained by him. The four classes of believers looked up to him for instruction in the esoteric teachings.

I called on the abbot in the company of five or six monks from the Hsi-ming Temple. As soon as he saw me he smiled with pleasure, and he joyfully said, 'I knew that you would come! I have been waiting for such a long time. What pleasure it gives me to look on you today at last! My life is drawing to an end, and until you came there was no one to whom I could transmit the teachings. Go without delay to the ordination altar with incense and a flower.' I returned to the temple where I had been staying and got the things which were necessary for the ceremony. It was early in the sixth moon, then, that I entered the ordination chamber. I stood in front of the Womb Mandala (मण्डलmaṇḍala (skt., n.) — „Kreis“, schematische Darstellung der kosmischen Ordnung …mehr ⇒) [Garbha Mandala] and cast my flower in the prescribed manner. By chance it fell on the body of the Buddha (बुद्धBuddha (skt., m.) — „Der Erleuchtete“ …mehr ⇒) Vairocana (वैरोचनVairocana (skt., m.) — „Sonne, sonnenhaft“, Buddha-Name …mehr ⇒) in the centre. The master exclaimed in delight, 'How amazing! How perfectly amazing!' He repeated this three or four times in joy and wonder. I was then given the fivefold baptism and received the instruction in the Three Mysteries that bring divine intercession. Next I was taught the Sanskrit formulas for the Womb Mandala, and learned the yoga contemplation on all the Honoured Ones.

Early in the seventh moon I entered the ordination chamber of the Diamond [vajra (वज्रvajra (skt., m.) — „Donnerkeil“, Ritualinstrument und Symbol des tantristischen/esoterischen Buddhismus …mehr ⇒) ] Mandala for a second baptism. When I cast my flower it fell on Vairocana again, and the abbot marvelled as he had before. I also received ordination as an acharya early in the following month.