The book is finally ready for release, available via me through this website or via amazon. A colour version via amazon is available here and a black and white version (more easily available outside the US) can be found here. This has been a multi-year project stemming back to before the pandemic, accomplished through the joint efforts of Shōkai Koshikidake, Dr. Gaynor (Jikun) Sekimori and myself, though the book owes its gratitude far and wide, in particular to Daisendatsu Kōkai Shimazu. Dr. Sekimori has also announced that she will be attending mountain-training and the abhiṣeka of karmic connection (kechien kanjō) happening in Japan later this month. This project could not have happened without her, as well as the support of many others who encouraged (pushed!) Shōkai to put his rather unorthodox story onto paper. I'd like to personally extend a special thanks to Jihō Ohashi, Chie Kumagai, Bonshin Iguchi and Jōshō Kawamura for their ongoing support, and to friends and family who kindly offered feedback and technical help. I hope that this project will serve to honour Koshikidake's original manuscript and his life's work (as well my hours upon hours of incessant questioning). See this post for some of the background to this project. For those interested, please read the foreword by Gaynor (Jikun) Sekimori here. I will update this blog with links as it becomes available online. For now, I will have physical copies available at the events taking place at the head-temple later this month. I will also have copies of Introducing the Dharma-Gate of Shugen: A Basic Foundation in Buddhism. If you would like to order a book through me via donation please feel free to get in contact. All proceeds go towards producing future publications, supporting local activities, supporting Mitsunaga Dai-Ajari's 2024 activities, and the construction of the new goma hall at the head temple.
Following the events in May, I'll be putting on a local launch & discussion night in Meanjin (Brisbane) which will include an exhibition of my teacher's prints from late 80s/early 90sHaguro and a screening of The Autumn Peak (mentioned in the book). With this project done, I will return to working on practitioner texts and commentaries.
I received a question asking what the strange symbol seen on the front cover means. For those interested, this is known as the 'Seal of Śākyamuni' (shakain):
The top shape represents the crown protuberance (uṣṇisa) of the Tathāgata.
Next the half-moon shapes symbolise the quietude of nirvāṇa. The three-fold stacking symbolises the trikāya. First (from the top), the dharmakāya. Second, the saṃbhogakāya. Third, the nirmāṇakāya.
The bottom section of the seal (the 'U' shape which extends from the left hand side and finishes in a swirl on the right) symbolises the seed-syllable Oṃ (Aun).
The five shapes in total symbolise the five great elements, the five element stupa, the five wisdoms and the five buddhas.
What appears as a kind of leaf shape symbolises the first six consciousnesses (of the 9).
The small dot in the middle is great emptiness from which all form and the self proliferate.'
The two dots next to each other symbolise the Garbhakōśa and Vajradhātu.
The shape towards the bottom with the two swirls symbolises 'the preaching of the Dharma for the benefit of all beings'.
