Buddhahood in this Body : Japanese Esoteric Buddhism (Shin-gon) in Context Book

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Principles of Shin-gon Buddhism. 2. Explanation of the appellation of the sect. 3. The transmission of the present sect. 4. The division (Of all Buddhist teachings) from the stand-point of this sect. 5. The two parts of the thunderbolt and the matrix. 6. The harmony of the six elements. 7. The four types of Dharma-kaya. 8. The Lords of the exoteric and esoteric teachings. 9. Conclusion. Appendix. Index.

"Shin-gon is Japanese Tantrism, sect of True Word (Mantranaya). The main body of this work consists of a translation of a 13 c. Japanese work written by a Japanese Buddhist teacher, Gyonen and entitled Hasahu-koyo-kogi. The language and style are archaic and not easy to translate. This is the first ever English translation conducted by the author at the University of Tokyo. This translation is lucid and easy to understand which is a rare feat to achieve. It is followed by explanatory notes. 

But the book’s other aspect is the introduction which is the original contribution of the translator. In the introduction she had tried to relate the basic principles of Shin-gon to Indian and Tibetan Tantrism which are not different. She draws the conclusion that the Shin gon no way differs from Indian Tantrism in which it is rooted as the Sarva-tathagata-tattvasamgraha and Mahavairocana-sutra are the Indian texts in which it is based. Also the main tenet of the Buddha viz. achieving the Buddhahood in this very life, is upheld by the founder of Shin gon, Kukai or Kobo Daishi, and is the continuation of the Buddha’s teaching.

Although Vajrayana or Mantranaya, which is an aspect of the former, was a later school of Buddhism, it would be wrong to think that it did away with the primary philosophical and practical teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha’s teachings continued to be preached and practised, to which were added a concretization of Buddhist meditative practices through mantra, mudra, Mandala etc. The basic tenets of Buddhism which continued through all the schools of Buddhism, are the context for the philosophical and practical developments.

The book will be welcomed by the Buddhist readership all over the world." (jacket)