In the wake of my initiation into the Kuji-In and Kuji-Kiri (see the Tuesday, March 10, 2009 post below), I'm continuing with three personal projects. First, of course, is my progression through the nine aspects of the Kuji-In. I'm wrapping up RETSU right now, projecting another week or two spent with this aspect. Then I'm onto ZAI and then finishing up with ZEN.
As I do this, I have added the "cutting of the grid," cutting the Kuji-Kiri, to my daily practice. Now that I've been able to have someone skilled in the art show me how to begin doing this, I certainly don't want to lose any momentum; I want to build on it and take it to another level.
After I finish with my initial exploration of ZEN, I will move onto the Five Elements practice: Void, Wind, Water, Fire and Earth. And from there, I plan on empowering various symbols that I will then incorporate into my grid-cutting.
Somewhere along the way, I want to empower my mala, with a) the nine aspects and b) the five elements. Once I get through all of this -- this initial level of exploration -- my plan is to return to the nine aspects and the five elements with a higher level of empowerment.
Of course, I plan to continue cutting the grid all the while.
My second project is to come up with some explicit personal practice-rituals, perhaps involving some gathas and chanting and prayers. I've already begun this somewhat, but have yet to really kind of cement it or formalize it in a systematic way. I have three English translations of at least two Japanese Kuji manuals (I believe from the Ninpo Mykkyo Shugendo tradition), and I plan to incorporate some of their elements with some of the tpes of practices I've gained via my years of Zen experience.
Initially, I hope to develop a daily iteration of rituals, for use from Sunday through Friday, as well as a separate, more elaborate form, a "weekly service" type of thing, for use on Saturday. (I'm usually in the dojo on Sunday morning, so I don't usually make an extra hour available Sunday morning for a full-fledged Kuji service. But Saturday is my "free day" schedule-wise, and I can easily set aside a good hour or so for a more in-depth plunge into the Kuji waters.)
My third project involves the creation of a comprehensive Kuji practice manual, mostly just as a good learning aid for my own practice. If others would be interested, we could discuss sharing certain aspects of it. As a journalist by profession, I certainly want to make sure I respect the copyrights of authors whose work on the subject I have come across and otherwise gained access to, and which continue to guide and inspire me in my pursuit. Perhaps a good compromise would be for me to share a limited bibliography of recommended readings.
Well, as you can imagine, that's plenty to keep me busy, considering I have a demanding work load that regularly has me working at home some nights/weekends, along with my dojo training three times a week -- and my desire to start getting into regular yoga practice.
Hey, Bodhidharma is reputed to have said, "Life and death are important. Do not suffer them in vain." I intend not to.
Or as Sam Elliott's character in the movie Road House said, I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead. ;-)
As always, readers of the Kuji Blog are invited to share their comments.
Until the next time,
May all beings be blessed.
-T.N.O.-
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1 comment:
Hi,
Would you mind expanding on the English translations you have on the kuji manuals you mentioned? Who are the translators, and where did you acquire them? Thank you.
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