Shingon

Status: MODERATED

Grade Level: High School

Objective

The student will know two facts about Shingon Buddhism

Materials

• Worksheet (Attachment below)

• Mandala Samples

• Mandala Template

• Plain Black Paper

• Shingon Buddhism video

Preparation

• Make sufficient copies of the Worksheet and Blank Mandala

• Queue up the video

• Get Plain Black Paper for every student

Method

1. Gassho

2. Review

   1. All forms eventually move to all countries

   2. Theravada

   3. Early Mahayana (India/Kushan/Ghandara)

   4. Tibetan

   5. Chinese

      1. Pure Land

      2. Ch’an

   6. Korean

   7. Early Japanese

3. History of Shingon Buddhism

   1. In late 804, monk Kukai went to China to bring back Esoteric Buddhism from China (where it would soon die out in the Anti-Buddhist purges by the Emperor Wuzong).

   2. He was the “last” disciple of Huiguo at the Qinglong Temple in Xian

   3. Super human feats thru practice

   4. Video: Kukai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-nnU-fHRY&t=3s Stop at 10 minutes.

4. Practicing 

   1. Visualization

      1. Stare at the circle mandala for count of 30. Now look at the black paper. They should see a white circle. Alternatively, they can close their eyes.

      2. Repeat with the buddha figure

   2. Personal Mandala

      1. Create a Personal Mandala (high contrast) of something in Buddhism that is important to you.

      2. Test to see if you can visualize this with your eyes closed

   3. Group Mandala

      1. Create a Group Mandala (high contrast, geometric) of something in Buddhism.

      2. Afterwards, test to see if you can visualize

      3. Present to class 

5. Review

6. Gassho

Evaluation

Ask for what was memorable during the Review. Make sure that all the major points are mentioned.

Note

This could be made into a multi-day lesson

Author

Mas Nishimura, nish221.at.gmail.dot.com, San Jose Betsuin, 2018