Shingon Buddhism (??, ?? "
true words") is a major school of
Japanese Buddhism, It is often called "Japanese Esoteric Buddhism", or "Orthodox Esoteric Buddhism". The word
shingon is the
Japanese reading of the
kanji for the Chinese word
zhenyán, literally meaning "true words", which in turn is the Chinese translation of the
Sanskrit word
mantra.
Shingon Buddhism arose in Japan's Heian period (794-1185) when the monk Kukai went to China in 804 and studied tantric practices in the city of Xian under Hui Ko and returned with many texts and art works. In time, he developed his own synthesis of esoteric practice and doctrine, centered on the universal Buddha Vairocana (or, more accurately, Mahavairocana Tathagata). He established a monastery on Mount Koya, which became the head of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
Shingon enjoyed immense popularity during the Heian Period, particularly among the Heian nobility, and contributed greatly to the art and literature of the time, as well as influencing other communities, such as the Tendai sect on Mt. Hiei.[1]
Also, Shingon's emphasis on ritual found support in the Kyoto nobility, particularly the Fujiwara clan. This favor allotted Shingon several politically powerful temples in the capital, where rituals for the imperial family and nation were regularly performed. Many of these temples such as Toji and Daigoji in the South of Kyoto and Jingoji and Ninnaji in the Northwest became ritual centers establishing their own particular ritual lineages.
