KUJI-IN
It
is from the Mikkyo traditions that the healing art of Tenchi Seiki
Te-Ate has received its more esoteric or mystical disciplines,
including practices involving the use of shingon / jumon
(mantras), nenriki (visualisation of symbols, mandalas,
etc) and in-zou / ketsu-in (mudras - mystical 'finger-weavings'
- special ritual gestures formed by knotting the fingers is various
complex patterns)
The
triple-discipline of shingon, nenriki and in-zou
is generally referred to as: sammitsu [or: san-himitsu]
meaning: "The Three Secrets" or "The Three Mysteries",
and it is through the study and practice of this discipline that
adherents of 'mainstream' Japanese Mikkyo Buddhism seek to awaken
direct experience of Enlightenment.
However, in the hands of more 'avant-garde', shamanic-like, ascetic
practitioners of Mikkyo - various groups such as the Senin,
Gyoja, and Shugenja / Yamabushi mountain
ascetics - sammitsu evolved into a synergistic discipline
of wideranging and profound practical and mystical application.
The discipline became not just a path to enlightenment, but also
a means of developing, focussing and empowering 'special' abilities
- from enhanced physical co-ordination, to control of pain, to
powers of exorcism and healing, to increased intuitive and psychic
sensitivity, to the induction of shamanic-like visionary states.
Possibly
the most famous outgrowth of sammitsu is the kuji-in
[or:kuji-no-in], also referred to as kuji goshin ho:
"spiritual protection by the nine syllables of power",
and sometimes as ju jutsu, or jujitsu (no relation
to the martial art of that name - except in the meaning of the
words: soft techniques).
The kuji-in is a method of focusing the mind, the
will & the subtle energies to specific intent, and a means
of temporarily 'powering-up' the practitioner's 'psychic' senses.
In
its complete form, the kuji-in involves the fukushu
(recitation or repitition) of the sacred nine-word shingon:
"Rin-Pyo-To-Sha-Kai-Jin-Retsu-Zai-Zen" (Lin-Byou-Dou-Sha-Kai-Jin-Lets'-Zai-Zen)
combined with the performance of nine accompanying in-zou,
and relevant nenriki visualisation; however, each of the
nine component 'segments' of kuji-in has its own specific
attributes and function and acts as a triggering mechanism for
a very specific given intention.
When practiced with the proper breathing patterns and in the proper
meditative state, the kuji-in is considered a very potent
technique & has traditionally been used by mystics, warriors,
priests, healers and shamanic practitioners alike; in fact it
is at the very core of Japanese Mystical, Magical, and Shamanic
practice.
While
there are said to be in total 81 different ways of intertwining
the fingers, the use of kuji-in within the art of Tenchi
Seiki Te-Ate (as is the case with most other practitioners of
this focussing technique) is generally limited to the core sequence
of nine signs mentioned above, formed in smooth-flowing succession
- the number nine being considered a highly potent number in Japanese
mystical thought. There are however a further five ketsu-in
used in Tenchi Seiki Te-Ate (as distinct from the formal kuji-in
sequence) - each of which, along with specific name, attribute,
shingon, and imagery, has a special shuji or 'seed'
character which enhances the vibratory power of the particular
finger sign.
In
Tenchi Seiki Te-Ate the kuji-in is used primarily in developmental
meditative and energy-strengthening & grounding practices.
It is held that certain of the body's energy channels come to
highly sensitive points of focus or tsubo in both the hands
and feet; and on one level, the use of the various ketsu-in
provides a means of at least temporarily recalibrating and directing
seiki by manipulating these tsubo through a combination
of pressure, breathing, and the gesture/sound/imagery triggering
mechanism as mentioned above.
KUJI
KIRI
Inextricably
linked with the kuji-in is the technique of kuji-kiri
('the cutting of the nine signs/lines' - kiri meaning to
cut) - and the two techniques are frequently confused by the less
well -informed
Whereas
the kuji-in employs the fingers to focus, the kuji-kiri
method employs a grid of nine lines: five horizontal and four
vertical - each representing one of the 9 finger signs and their
attributes.
In
the art of Tenchi Seiki Te-Ate, this cross-hatched symbol is used
as a means of focussing therapeutic influence. It is drawn (in
the air, on the hand, or on a specific area of the body) with
a special 'energy-gesturing' hand-form, known as the 'sword fingers'
and is sometimes preceded by the performance of either the formal
kuji-in or one of the other aditional ketsu-in mentioned
in a previous section.
For
the kuji-kiri to be effective the lines must be drawn in
the correct order, with the proper focus of seiki, for
the 'intent' to work, and to complete or seal the specific healing
intent of the energy focus a practice known as the 'placing of
the tenth character' is used. This involves drawing one of a series
of special symbols or characters onto the centre of the now empowered
grid.
In
the past, though it is a less common practice in modern Tenchi
Seiki Te-Ate the kuji-kiri would be drawn in red ink on
special slowburning paper which was then folded into a fan and
lit - the fumes being wafted over the patient - particularily
around the area of any specific ailment (much akin to the practice
of 'smudging'.)
