The Sword and Zen are One

The esoteric formula  - The Sword and Zen are One. These are the kanji characters. This is the sealing portion of the larger Dai Kongou sigil device.
I had worked with the device in 2014 with different formulations to moderate result. It was not successful or unsuccessful. In my own opinion the sealing formula needs to be something personally derived.

Although the sword portion of the sealing phrase has a martial sound, in a more esoteric sense it is an elegant comparative to zen. The base metal ores are dug from the earth, separated, forged in fire, folded, hammered, shaped, polished and sharpened to create the katana or wakizashi. This is the analogy for practice, learning the priniciples, koans, sutras etc. of zen.
The best sword however must be wielded skillfully - of course - this would be the analogy for praxis or actual use of the priniciples within kendo and of course zen. There is a secondary connection to the phrase Fu-gen which means non-attachment. Fugen is not used as the common word. It is the esoteric representation of nonattachment.The sword is a symbol of cutting away the ropes and chains of illusion. The kanji is the representation of a rope, turned once on itself, with its ends cut loose.

The translation of the phrase is:
Ken to zen wa ichi desu.
When using as a mantra, use a minor tone, low bass or baritone. When repeated it has rather an appealing ancient Shinto chant sound to it.
A drum could of course be used as a meter. Listening to a Shinto chant or the ten verse Kannon chant will give a good idea of the pace, metering and inflection. As a chant, to make it more smooth you can drop the "wa" and pronounce ken-to-zen-ichi-desu.



The formula as a sigillic form is drawn with the calligraphy pen or brush - at once. It is best to have an example, look at it as an example - and then steadily draw each character. In this - there is no practice just the action. Whatever results, is what it is. Now, one may certainly warm up.
Within shodo you have to prepare the inkblock and the brush to get the ink to the desired texture and viscosity.

Of course in shodo, there are specific stroke orders. Vertical lines are always drawn before horizontal lines. Of course, there are many more rules, but that is one of the more important ones. If you do not have a brush and inkstone, I suggest using a pointed calligraphy pen, which is easily obtainable. Shodo or the practice of calligraphy itself  is a meditative art. As a drawing medium or substrate, rice paper would be the best, of course any decent paper will do such as parchment. What you need however is something that the ink will not bleed out too much with such as a rag fibered paper.

Bokuseki, means "ink trace" is another term for shodo. The form was developed by Zen monks.
Bokuseki is often characterized by bold, assertive, and often abstract brush strokes meant to demonstrate the calligrapher’s pure state of mind. The aim in making Bokuseki is to represent ones single-moment awareness by brushing each word or passage with a single breath, with the goal of realizing zen and manifesting ones zazen practice into physical and artistic action. This again, would sugue into the overall formula of the sword and zen, and practice becoming praxis.
In short however unless you have experience with shodo and the inkstone and brush, I suggest purchase of a Japanese style calligraphy pen.


Within Zen, incense is used to time meditations within the zendo, or place of practice. For this a decent temple incense such as agarwood or quality sandalwood is suggested. Koden is the offering of incense.
The idea to all of this is to do something - in a relaxed, yet focused manner. Neither too fast or slow. Life in the West is fast paced, impatient.

The point of ritualizing this is to empower the sigil, as a slow and willed, focused action.
The accompanying element to mantras are mudras. Mudras are particular ways of forming the hands and fingers. This is called the Jade Gate - or Sword mudra. The other that would be appropriate is the Vajra mudra. And one could also utilize the zen mudra shown here.



Of course it could be done in a casual manner, but this would be the more formalized method.
Prepare the materials. Ink and brush or calligraphy pen, and a low cushion or zabuton to set on, with an eye to being comfortable. Add any other aesthetics desired.



Ring bell 9 times. A small Tibetan bowl bell is good. A deep temple bell is excellent. You can get sound files and phone apps for this. Ideally the bell would be rang 108 times, representing clearing the 108 negative energies but 9 will suffice. Any personal banishing rituals would be appropriate here.

The next part is the critical portion - doing the calligraphy drawing or bokuseki. This is also a meditative practice with the art of shodo as well. There are numerous ways to create the right state of mind. You can silently meditate but I suggest something more active. Here is one possible set of steps.



Light the incense. Listen to some relaxing music - shakuhachi or a raga perhaps, for 5 minutes.
After that, recite "ken-to-zen-ichi-desu" as a chant with the Jade Gate mudra for 4 to 5 minutes.
The point is do not let it become tiresome.You want to be relaxed, but awake and not drowsy or sleepy.

The exact jumping off "point" at which to start is hard to define as it is subtly different for each person.
It is characterized as "no-mindedness" but I choose to think of it as "neutral mind". All that should be in mind is - the pen and ink, the paper and the characters you are going to trace. That is it. It is all that exists at least in that temporal and temporary moment in space and time. You do not consider their meaning but are drawing direct shapes - as they are and as you perceive them.

You assertively start without hesitation or stopping and make the first character. There is no practice run. Withdraw the pen or brush when the character is complete, re-ink if needed, and then do the next characters in the same way. Resist the urge to critique each character after you draw it. It is - what it is. Perhaps it is imperfect or not as good as you imagined or hoped it would look but that is irrelevant.

Now one charges the completed sigil. You would set it where you can look at it easily. If you know how to use tratakam or fixed gazing you will use that technique. One adopts the mudra of the Jade Gate or the Vajra, and repeats the phrase -  "ken-to-zen-ichi-desu" - for one mala, or 108 repetitions, while looking directly at the symbol. Try not to blink or move your gaze from it. This can be a little tricky. Usually, mala beads are used to count the repetitions, but since a mudra is being held this would exclude use of the mala beads. Unless you know or can keep in mind how many repetitions you have done, I suggest use of a timer. Assuming you can do 20 repetitions of the mantra in a minute, 6 minutes of continuous repetition would easily yield over 108 repetitions or one mala.

To end, let the sigil dry, and then roll it up and put it away carefully. It may be charged, and should be subsequently charged for 9 malas ideally.
Do any banishing operations and then relax. Some schools would actually dedicate a whole subsequent session to charging the device as a group working. To do so you pretty much repeat the last portion of the operation above - fixing the sigil in your vision and repeating the mantra while holding the mudra.

Kuji Mudras

The Three Jewels

The Vajra - an analysis monograph

This is a brief historical and comparative overview, of the vajra artifact - part one, of the monograph. Part two describes in more depth the background and esoteric ritual uses of the object.

The vajra represents an important ritual implement of Vajrayana Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the word vajra is defined as something hard or mighty, as in a diamond. It symbolizes an impenetrable, immovable and indestructible state of knowledge and enlightenment.
Knowledge of the vajra goes back to deep antiquity. Ancient texts indicate that the vajra was not always a symbol of peace - but something very different.

It is first associated with the Vedic god Indra, the King of the Devas. According the Hindu Puranas, the Asuras, Namuchi and Vritra removed all of the light and moisture from the earth. It made the land inhospitable to living beings. Indra battled the demon gods unsuccessfully and as a last resort called upon their supreme god Vishnu for help. Vishnu informed him that only a weapon that was neither solid nor liquid could kill Namuchi and Vritra.
Vishnu had the divine carpenter Tvashta fashion Indra a marvelous weapon he could use to vanquish the dreadful demonic Asuras.

This new weapon, the vajra, emitted thunderbolts. With it, Indra annihilated Namuchi and Vritra and returned the much needed light and moisture back to the earth. The Rigveda describes the conflict that ensued with Indra and the Asuras.

"Now I describe the glorious deeds of Indra, who holds Vajra. He killed the serpent and made waters flow. He broke the hearts of mountains. He killed the serpent, which was taking refuge in mountain. Tvashta made the Vajra for him. Like the cows making sounds, flowing waters reached the sea. Mighty Indra chose Soma, and drank from three containers. Generous Indra held Vajra in his hand, and killed first born among the serpents."
Rigveda 1.32

The vajra's effect was described thus:
“As a hurled weapon the indestructible thunderbolt blazed like a meteoric fireball across the heavens, in a maelstrom of thunder, fire and lightning.”

Traditional images of the vajra depict it as metal shaft with three, five or nine prongs that emanate from lotus blossoms on either end. Originally, according to the ancient Indian text the Rigveda, when Indra used his vajra it had open prongs.
Buddhist legend suggests that Shakyamuni himself, seized the vajra from Indra and forced its prongs closed, thus transforming it from a destructive weapon into a peaceful scepter.

Historical Connections -

Most mainstream historians and scholars contend and assert that there is no direct or real relationship between Indian, Greek, Australian, Norse and the cosmology of the Americas. They submit that each civilization conceived of their gods independently and that a deeper, older, universal tradition does not exist.  Of course if this were the case - then the foundation of these societies - their myths, traditions, beliefs and iconography should be localized and unique to the cultures, their location and their history. The tales of war, intrigue and conquest that come out of American history are vastly different from those of England, France, India and China.  Customs, traditions and symbols that represent the nation. 
Yet when we look at a wide range of ancient and indigenous groups a curious pattern of commonality exists. Myths and symbols found in Indian readily appear in the oral and written descriptions of other cultures. They also appear in their artistic images. These representations seem to transcend time and location.

The symbol of thunder or a thunderbolt as a tool of destruction, is for example, present in many ancient civilizations. Mythology unfailingly associates lightning with a sky god, the god of thunder, who uses it as a weapon.

In the West, the thunderbolt is most readily associated with the Greek sky god Zeus.  With it, he defeated the Titans and took control of the Greek pantheon. Greek myth tells us, that Zeus freed the Cyclopes, the master builders, who were imprisoned in the depths of the underworld – Tartarus.
In gratitude for their release, they gave him a marvelous weapon, the thunderbolt. In another story, Zeus used his formidable weapon to battle the largest and most fearsome creatures in all of Greek mythology, the hundred-headed serpent Typhon.
Early images of Zeus depict show him holding a rod like thunderbolt while others show this deadly weapon with its ends splayed into three prongs.

A vajra-like weapon also appears in Sumerian cosmology. Its use is recorded in the Bablyonian Epic of Creation, the Enuma Elish. A battle between the sky god Marduk (Bel) and serpent Tiamat is detailed on the fourth tablet of this ancient document. The evil and powerful Tiamat, according to the Enuma Elish, was devising treacherous plans against Ea and the other reigning gods. The gods were afraid to invoke her evil wrath and search for a solution. Ea attempts to confront Tiamat, but instead of fighting backs down. Marduk, his son, steps forward and volunteers to fight the enraged serpent, on one condition… If he is successful, he will have dominion over the entire universe. The gods agree and provide Marduk mighty weapons including a bow, a mace and a net to use in his battle against Tiamat. Images of this epic scene show Marduk holding a three tipped scepter in his hand.  Subsequent images clearly depict this same deadly three-pronged weapon.

"They gave him the unrivalled weapon, the destroyer of the enemy [saying]: “Go, cut off the life of Tiâmat. “Let the wind carry her blood into the depth [under the earth].” The gods, his fathers, issued the decree for the god Bel. They set him on the road which leadeth to peace and adoration."
Enuma Elish

Alternate forms of the Vajra -

The Rigveda also offers an alternative description of the vajra. Some texts represent it as a notched metal club with thousands of prongs.
This form of the vajra is found in many other diverse cultures.
The most common stories that may describe the vajra in its club-like form - come from Norse cosmology.
They are associated with the sky god Thor. The hammer Mjölnir was the most fearsome weapon in Norse mythology.  Images of the thunder god Thor traditionally show him carrying  Mjölnir. Some texts describe Mjölnir as a hammer, while others refer to it as an ax or club.
The dwarfs, in the depths of the earth, fashioned Mjölnir. The Norse Skáldskaparmál, which can be found in the Snorri’s Edda describes Mjölnir as a hammer which would not fail. As a weapon, it could level mountains. It goes on to state that if aimed it at anything; it would never miss its target. It informs us that in addition to never missing its target, it would always find its way back to the hand of its owner.
Thor used his mighty hammer to battle his deadliest foe, the giant serpent Jörmungandr. In these tales, the Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr is not killed. It would not be until near the end of the world in the apocalyptic battle of Ragnarök, that Thor will clash with Jörmungandr the final time.

In Slavic mythology we learn of the evil serpent Veles who ascends from the underworld and steals something of value to the sky god Perun. Perun, using lightning bolts, would vanquish Veles back to his underground realm annually. His deadly axe, like Thor’s mighty hammer was used to subdue evil and overcome the iniquitous serpent Veles.  It too would return to his hand after being thrown.

In Irish mythology, the magical weapon of the hero of Ulster Cúchulainn is the Gae Bolga or lightning spear. Cúchulainn fights and kills his childhood friend and foster brother, Ferdia with this magical weapon. The Gae Bolga is described as a dart or spear, which separates into multiple barbs when entering the body, causing fatal wounds. It was next to impossible to withdraw once it had impaled the body. The Irish Book of Leinster describes the devastating effects of the Gae Bolga as such:

"It entered a man’s body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man’s body."
Book of Leinster

In China, the legend of Hua-hu Tiao Devours Yang Chien describes a magical spike carried by Huang T’ien Hua which sounds remarkably similar to Indra’s vajra.

"The Chin-kang, deprived of their magical weapons, began to lose heart. To complete their discomfiture, Huang T’ien Hua brought to the attack a matchless magical weapon. This was a spike 7 1/2 inches long, enclosed in a silk sheath, and called ‘Heart-piercer. It projected so strong a ray of light that eyes were blinded by it. Huang T’ien Hua, hard pressed by Mo-li Ch’ing, drew the mysterious spike from its sheath, and hurled it at his adversary. It entered his neck, and with a deep groan the giant fell dead."

Finding myths, with similar storylines, and their corresponding images in relatively close geographic areas, while interesting, does not fully support the universality of the gods. When we uncover similar narratives and corresponding imagery, in remote regions of the world, this concept takes on a more serious tone. Myths of a vajra-like weapon are found all over the world.

In Australia, the sky gods, the Wati Kutjara brothers, wield a magical boomerang, Wo-mur-rang or club. Boomerangs are known for their ability, once thrown, to return to their owner. Legend states that their father Kidili attempted to rape some of the first women. Throwing their wo-mur-rang, they castrated their father where he disappeared into a water hole.

Vajra Weapons In the New World -

In the new world we encounter a similar deadly lightning weapon used by the sky gods. In the Aztec culture there is the god Huitzilopochtli. Huitzilopochtli, with his weapon Xiuhcoatl, “the fire serpent”, killed his sister Coyolxauhqui soon after he was born.
The Mayan rain deity Chaac and the later Aztec Tlaloc are both are depicted carrying their lightning axe. Sometimes they are depicted holding snakes, which represent lightning bolts, which they would hurl from the mountaintops where they made their retreat.

In Peru, we find the god Illapa who is described as a man wielding a club in his left hand and a sling in his right.

One variation of the lightning motif is the concept of the thunderstone. It is believed that thunderstones fall from the sky when the gods are battling each other. This idea is widely held throughout Africa.  The Yoruba of southwestern Nigera, for example, believe their axe carrying storm god Shange creates thunder and lightning and casts “thunderstones” down to earth. The elders of this culture would search wherever lightning struck for these magical stones.

The thunder-producing weapon, the vajra, is only one example of the enormous number of commonalities found in myth, legend, culture and iconography around the world.  Similarities exist throughout Greek, Sumerian, Norse, Aztec and Australian and American cosmology.  These parallels include the gods, their lives and their amazing weapons. They also include the laws and customs that govern our lives – the very fabric of society.
The universality of symbolism found around the world implies something else. Weapons, like the vajra, were not born from the imagination of man.  They did not come into being as part of a cultures evolution. They were real. They possess a tangible nature.

Someone somewhere in our remote past saw it and documented it. It is only through an actual encounter with a marvelous weapon that emitted thunder that a clear and specific portrayal of it could be made. Likewise, if tools like the vajra are genuine then we are forced to accept that the gods who wielded these weapons were factual individuals as well. This newfound knowledge would open the door to a revolutionary new understanding of who we are.

Fast and furious Acalanatha

Updates

I have posted here in an on and off fashion. I am on no schedule though and post to please myself mostly. So no real apologies there. I plan on doing a bit more here. Facebook, is tedious and I get tired of the constant dramatics.