Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

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Dharmasherab
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Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by Dharmasherab »

I am making this thread more on behalf of my friends rather than myself.

The questions is how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist in one’s practice prior to ordaining in the Shingon school of Buddhism?

It is about collecting all types of ideas on how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist before making the decision of ordaining as a monastic in Shingon with a view to making that a lifetime commitment (and not a trial). It is also about how to optimise one’s practice as a Buddhist before making the decision to ordain in Shingon.

I hope to share these ideas with my friends because we are a group looking for all types of advice and suggestions for ordination and the way to prepare for Shingon ordination will be of great benefit. But even otherwise people who are are thinking of ordaining in Shingon in this forum might find the comment helpful.

I am aware there could be Shingon monastics who are highly aware of the difference between the lay life and monastic life and I will be very thankful for their advice. I can also appreciate there could be lay Shingon Buddhists who are already optimising themselves before ordination and I will be thankful for their tips and suggestions too.

Names of books, documents, websites, links to web articles and videos will be highly appreciated (as long as their within the boundaries of ToS).

Thank you.
“When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing.” - Ajahn Chah
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by GDPR_Anonymized001 »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:51 pm I am making this thread more on behalf of my friends rather than myself.

The questions is how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist in one’s practice prior to ordaining in the Shingon school of Buddhism?

It is about collecting all types of ideas on how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist before making the decision of ordaining as a monastic in Shingon with a view to making that a lifetime commitment (and not a trial). It is also about how to optimise one’s practice as a Buddhist before making the decision to ordain in Shingon.

I hope to share these ideas with my friends because we are a group looking for all types of advice and suggestions for ordination and the way to prepare for Shingon ordination will be of great benefit. But even otherwise people who are are thinking of ordaining in Shingon in this forum might find the comment helpful.

I am aware there could be Shingon monastics who are highly aware of the difference between the lay life and monastic life and I will be very thankful for their advice. I can also appreciate there could be lay Shingon Buddhists who are already optimising themselves before ordination and I will be thankful for their tips and suggestions too.

Names of books, documents, websites, links to web articles and videos will be highly appreciated (as long as their within the boundaries of ToS).

Thank you.
Hi Dharmasherab,

I see you've posted several versions of this question in a few other sub-forums here at DW. I can only imagine the advice is going to be nearly identical.

First, can you please explain what you mean by "monastic" with regard to Shingon?

Also, I can only assume your friends don't currently study Shingon with a teacher as this is typically a question only your teacher can answer. Or so I've been led to believe.

Jake
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kirtu
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by kirtu »

Start by moving to Hawai'i or Mt. Koya and receive direct teaching. There are also temples in other places though so perhaps the best thing is to move close to one of them and begin practicing there. Shingon practice is otherwise pretty closed off.

http://www.shingonbuddhism.org/links/sh ... mples.html

http://www.shingon.org/sbii/training/Tokudo.html

http://www.shingon.org/sbii/training/Training.html
Discipleship and Training for the Shingon Priesthood


TENCHIJI TEMPLE, Fresno, California (Rev. Eidson and Rev. Harada) has been authorized by Koyasan, Japan to take on Disciples. The following process outlines the steps required by Disciples to become a Licensed Koyasan Shingon Minister.

Generally, a person interested in becoming a Disciple is to have experience reciting Sutras and experience in meditative practices such as the A-syllable meditation (Jp. Aji-kan), the moon disk meditation (Jp. Gatchirin-kan) and breathing techniques (Jp. Susoku-kan.)

The following are the major steps to becoming a Koyasan Chuin-ryu Shingon Priest:

Ordination
Receiving the Ten Precepts
Ritual Training
Study Course at Koyasan, Japan
Abhiseka
Testing, Licensing and Further Training


Interested parties please contact Rev. Eijun Bill Eidson for further information.
Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Nyedrag Yeshe
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by Nyedrag Yeshe »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:51 pm I am making this thread more on behalf of my friends rather than myself.

The questions is how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist in one’s practice prior to ordaining in the Shingon school of Buddhism?

It is about collecting all types of ideas on how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist before making the decision of ordaining as a monastic in Shingon with a view to making that a lifetime commitment (and not a trial). It is also about how to optimise one’s practice as a Buddhist before making the decision to ordain in Shingon.

I hope to share these ideas with my friends because we are a group looking for all types of advice and suggestions for ordination and the way to prepare for Shingon ordination will be of great benefit. But even otherwise people who are are thinking of ordaining in Shingon in this forum might find the comment helpful.

I am aware there could be Shingon monastics who are highly aware of the difference between the lay life and monastic life and I will be very thankful for their advice. I can also appreciate there could be lay Shingon Buddhists who are already optimising themselves before ordination and I will be thankful for their tips and suggestions too.

Names of books, documents, websites, links to web articles and videos will be highly appreciated (as long as their within the boundaries of ToS).

Thank you.
The Fresno Temple in California offers training! I must contct Rev. Eijun Bill Eidson on [email protected] . If you want, Tendai also offers ordination, and Rev. Ryuei Tyler may help you, she also has skype meetings for people interested in practicing Tendai Buddhism! https://www.tendai-usa.org/
“Whatever has to happen, let it happen!”
“Whatever the situation is, it’s fine!”
“I really don’t need anything!
~Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161-1211)
ओं पद्मोष्णीष विमले हूँ फट । ओं हनुफशभरहृदय स्वाहा॥
འ༔ ཨ༔ ཧ༔ ཤ༔ ས༔ མ༔ ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ།
DGA
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by DGA »

Nyedrag Yeshe wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 5:20 pmThe Fresno Temple in California offers training! I must contct Rev. Eijun Bill Eidson on [email protected] . If you want, Tendai also offers ordination, and Rev. Ryuei Tyler may help you, she also has skype meetings for people interested in practicing Tendai Buddhism! https://www.tendai-usa.org/
You have recommended these teachers. Do you know them well? On what basis do you recommend them?
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by DGA »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 1:51 pm I am making this thread more on behalf of my friends rather than myself.

The questions is how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist in one’s practice prior to ordaining in the Shingon school of Buddhism?

It is about collecting all types of ideas on how to best prepare as a lay Buddhist before making the decision of ordaining as a monastic in Shingon with a view to making that a lifetime commitment (and not a trial). It is also about how to optimise one’s practice as a Buddhist before making the decision to ordain in Shingon.

I hope to share these ideas with my friends because we are a group looking for all types of advice and suggestions for ordination and the way to prepare for Shingon ordination will be of great benefit. But even otherwise people who are are thinking of ordaining in Shingon in this forum might find the comment helpful.

I am aware there could be Shingon monastics who are highly aware of the difference between the lay life and monastic life and I will be very thankful for their advice. I can also appreciate there could be lay Shingon Buddhists who are already optimising themselves before ordination and I will be thankful for their tips and suggestions too.

Names of books, documents, websites, links to web articles and videos will be highly appreciated (as long as their within the boundaries of ToS).

Thank you.
How's your Japanese?
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Dharmasherab
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by Dharmasherab »

jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmFirst, can you please explain what you mean by "monastic" with regard to Shingon?


Actually I should have been clearer. I was going to say monastic as well as non-monastic forms of ordination in Shingon because I am uncertain whether Shingon also includes non-monastic forms of ordination where some individuals ordain as priests as opposed to monks. What I mean by monastic is the type of ordination where the ordained individual stays full time as a resident within the temple premises. Whereas non-monastic ordination is where people ordain as priests and perform their functions in the temple/monastery but later retire to their homes and live life as lay people.
jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmAlso, I can only assume your friends don't currently study Shingon with a teacher as this is typically a question only your teacher can answer. Or so I've been led to believe.
None of my friends have come across Shingon. But we started a group where members who want advise on ordination and how to prepare within their lay life for ordination. This would mean we have to put up the advice for as many schools/sects of Buddhism as possible. For this reason I will be asking these questions in the different Buddhist school sub-forums because I guess I can get the best possible answers and advise.

Ideally I lie to come up with a list of guidelines/pathway or even a set of milestones which are generic to prepare as lay people for ordination as well as specific to each and individual school.
“When one does not understand death, life can be very confusing.” - Ajahn Chah
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kirtu
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by kirtu »

This topic has come up before here: Shingon Monasticism


We had a contributor who is a Shingon priest, Rev. Eijo, but I haven't seen him post for a while.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
DGA
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by DGA »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:53 pm
jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmFirst, can you please explain what you mean by "monastic" with regard to Shingon?


Actually I should have been clearer. I was going to say monastic as well as non-monastic forms of ordination in Shingon because I am uncertain whether Shingon also includes non-monastic forms of ordination where some individuals ordain as priests as opposed to monks. What I mean by monastic is the type of ordination where the ordained individual stays full time as a resident within the temple premises. Whereas non-monastic ordination is where people ordain as priests and perform their functions in the temple/monastery but later retire to their homes and live life as lay people.
jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmAlso, I can only assume your friends don't currently study Shingon with a teacher as this is typically a question only your teacher can answer. Or so I've been led to believe.
None of my friends have come across Shingon. But we started a group where members who want advise on ordination and how to prepare within their lay life for ordination. This would mean we have to put up the advice for as many schools/sects of Buddhism as possible. For this reason I will be asking these questions in the different Buddhist school sub-forums because I guess I can get the best possible answers and advise.

Ideally I lie to come up with a list of guidelines/pathway or even a set of milestones which are generic to prepare as lay people for ordination as well as specific to each and individual school.
Ordination is a serious commitment. This is not an area for dilettantes.

You are asking about ordaining in a tradition that you and your party acknowledge you have very little knowledge of.

Do you see the problem?

As I mentioned in a different thread, you are best advised to learn as much Dharma as you can (this starts with finding a competent teacher and contemplating his or her instructions with care), and only after that start making a shopping list of which tradition you might want to ordain in, or not.
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kirtu
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by kirtu »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:53 pm None of my friends have come across Shingon.
Shingon, meaning "True Word" or mantra, is a form of Japanese Vajrayana that was brought from China to Japan by Kobo Daishi Kukai around 800 AD. Vajrayana is briefly a teaching to attain Buddhahood very quickly rather than requiring eons of time. It has been mostly inaccessible to non-Japanese until just before or just after WW 2 (depending on circumstances - you could encounter it in Hawaii or Taiwan before WW 2 but it was still inaccessible to most people if they didn't have Japanese ancestry). Since the 1980's Shingon has become more accessible to Westerners esp. on the US West Coast.

Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Nyedrag Yeshe
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by Nyedrag Yeshe »

Dharmasherab wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:53 pm
jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmFirst, can you please explain what you mean by "monastic" with regard to Shingon?


Actually I should have been clearer. I was going to say monastic as well as non-monastic forms of ordination in Shingon because I am uncertain whether Shingon also includes non-monastic forms of ordination where some individuals ordain as priests as opposed to monks. What I mean by monastic is the type of ordination where the ordained individual stays full time as a resident within the temple premises. Whereas non-monastic ordination is where people ordain as priests and perform their functions in the temple/monastery but later retire to their homes and live life as lay people.
jake wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:04 pmAlso, I can only assume your friends don't currently study Shingon with a teacher as this is typically a question only your teacher can answer. Or so I've been led to believe.
None of my friends have come across Shingon. But we started a group where members who want advise on ordination and how to prepare within their lay life for ordination. This would mean we have to put up the advice for as many schools/sects of Buddhism as possible. For this reason I will be asking these questions in the different Buddhist school sub-forums because I guess I can get the best possible answers and advise.

Ideally I lie to come up with a list of guidelines/pathway or even a set of milestones which are generic to prepare as lay people for ordination as well as specific to each and individual school.
That is correct, both ordination and empowerments are absolute requirements, along with the long retreat periods. As Matylda points out, it is possible to return to lay life afterward and continue the practice.
viewtopic.php?t=14565
“Whatever has to happen, let it happen!”
“Whatever the situation is, it’s fine!”
“I really don’t need anything!
~Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161-1211)
ओं पद्मोष्णीष विमले हूँ फट । ओं हनुफशभरहृदय स्वाहा॥
འ༔ ཨ༔ ཧ༔ ཤ༔ ས༔ མ༔ ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ།
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by crazy-man »

If you are going to Koyasan, You will find the univers
If you are going to Koyasan, You will find cosmic energy
When you standing on Koyasan, You will find who you are
When you standing on Koyasan, You will find Kukai in your soul
Free and easy Koya
Shikisokuzeku Kusokuzeshiki
Kukai in your soul
;-)

http://blog.livedoor.jp/vandy-littlewoo ... 06259.html
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by kirtu »

Shingon Lay Practitioner Daily Practice

Shingon, Tendai and Zen (in all it's forms) are excellent Mahayana training if you are serious about Buddhism. After training for a while in Mahayana Buddhism your path will claify itself and it may lead you to other forms of Buddhism but the training is an excellent investment.

Kirt
Kirt's Tibetan Translation Notes

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche

"Most all-knowing Mañjuśrī, ...
Please illuminate the radiant wisdom spirit
Of my precious Buddha nature."
HH Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
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Zhen Li
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Re: Preparing for Ordination in Shingon

Post by Zhen Li »

I noticed that the Koyasan University website has some good information regarding ordination in Shingon: https://www.koyasan-u.ac.jp/eng

You can ordain through the facilities they offer there in addition to pursuing a degree. One needs to pass the JLPT in order to enter. I think in order to fully appreciate a tradition, one really should know the primary language of that tradition, so I think it would be worthwhile spending time beforehand to focus on studying Japanese.

I'm not sure about north America, but while the thread is open, I might incidentally mention that if you know Chinese, another option is Wuzhishan in South Taiwan. Their tradition is a Chinese language shingon.
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