The great Buddhist priest Kukai (774-835) is credited with the introduction and establishment of tantric -or esoteric -Buddhism in early ninth-century Japan. In Ryuichi Abe examines this important religious figure -neglected in modern academic literature -and his profound influence on Japanese culture. Offering a radically new approach to the study of early religious history -combining historical research, discourse analysis, literary criticism, and semiology -Abe contends that the importance of Kukai's transmission of esoteric Buddhism to Japan lay not in the foundation of a new sect but in his creation of a general theory of language grounded in the ritual speech of mantra. embeds Kukai within the fabric of political and social life in ninth-century Japan and explains how esoteric Buddhism played a crucial role in many societal changes in Japan -from the growth of monasteries into major feudal powers to the formation of the native phonetic alphabet, kana. As Abe illustrates, Kukai's writings and the new type of discourse they spawned also marked Japan's transition from the ancient order to the medieval world, replacing Confucianism as the ideology of the state. Abe begins by placing Kukai's life in the historical context of medieval Japan and the Ritsuryo state, then explores his interaction with the Nara Buddhist intelligentsia, which was seminal to the introduction of esoteric Buddhism. The author discusses Kukai's magnum opus, () and introduces a number of Japanese and Chinese primary-source texts previously unknown by Western-language scholars. Instead of tracing Kukai's thought through literal readings, explores the rhetorical strategies Kukai employed in his works, shedding valuable light on what his texts meant to his readers and what his goals were in creating a discourse that ultimately transformed Japanese culture. The great Buddhist priest Kukai (774-835) is credited with the introduction and establishment of tantric-or esoteric-Buddhism in early ninth-century Japan. In The Weaving of Mantra, Ryuichi Abe examines this important religious figure-neglected in modern academic literature-and his profound influence on Japanese culture. Offering a radically new approach to the study of early religious history-combining historical research, discourse analysis, literary criticism, and semiology-Abe contends that the importance of Kukai's transmission of esoteric Buddhism to Japan lay not in the foundation of a new sect but in his creation of a general theory of language grounded in the ritual speech of mantra. The Weaving of Mantra embeds Kukai within the fabric of political and social life in ninth-century Japan and explains how esoteric Buddhism played a crucial role in many societal changes in Japan-from the growth of monasteries into major feudal powers to the formation of the native phonetic alphabet, kana. As Abe illustrates, Kukai's writings and the new type of discourse they spawned also marked Japan's transition from the ancient order to the medieval world, replacing Confucianism as the ideology of the state. Abe begins by placing Kukai's life in the historical context of medieval Japan and the Ritsuryo state, then explores his interaction with the Nara Buddhist intelligentsia, which was seminal to the introduction of esoteric Buddhism. The author discusses Kukai's magnum opus, Ten Abiding Stages on the Secret Mandalas (Himitsu mandara jujushinron) and introduces a number of Japanese and Chinese primary-source texts previously unknown by Western-language scholars. Instead of tracing Kukai's thought through literal readings, The Weaving of Mantra explores the rhetorical strategies Kukai employed in his works, shedding valuable light on what his texts meant to his readers and what his goals were in creating a discourse that ultimately transformed Japanese culture.

"Whenever I have questions on Mahayana Buddhist doctrine, I return to this text and Professor Hakeda's interpretation of it. I wonder if I will ever encounter a work that is at once more profound, attractive, and mysterious than the "Awakening of Faith,"" -- Ryuichi AbA(c), from the introduction

First published in 1967, Yoshito S. Hakeda's critical interpretation of the "Awakening of Faith" has become a classic. This edition, which includes a new introduction by Ryuichi AbA(c), presents a beautiful and accessible translation of one of the most influential works in Mahayana Buddhism. The "Awakening of Faith" explores the path leading to enlightenment and teaches the principles and methods of meditation. However, the text does not advocate a passive retreat into the quietude of meditation; instead it calls for dynamic social engagement based on compassion and wisdom. Philosophical and religious in its approach, the "Awakening of Faith" provides a comprehensive summary of the essentials of Mahayana Buddhism.

The "Awakening of Faith," commonly attributed to Asvaghosha, has been read and studied for more than a thousand years. Hakeda's interpretive comments, which have influenced a generation of scholars and readers, illuminate and explain the work and its more esoteric elements. Ryuichi AbA(c)'s introduction examines the importance of Hakeda's translation as well as the place of the "Awakening of Faith" within Buddhism. In this reprint edition, Chinese terms are rendered in Pinyin romanization. Also new to this edition are a Chinese character glossary and a vastly expanded index, which identify and cross-reference both major and minor theoretical terms and concepts throughout thework.

Taigu Ryokan (1759-1831) remains one of the most popular figures in Japanese Buddhist history. Despite his religious and artistic sophistication, Ryokan referred to himself as "Great Fool" and refused to place himself within the cultural elite of his age. In contrast to the typical Zen master of his time, who presided over a large monastery, trained students, and produced recondite religious treatises, Ryokan followed a life of mendicancy in the countryside. Instead of delivering sermons, he expressed himself through kanshi (poems composed in classical Chinese) and waka and could typically be found playing with the village children in the course of his daily rounds of begging. Great Fool is the first study in a Western language to offer a comprehensive picture of the legendary poet-monk and his oeuvre. It includes not only an extensive collection of the master's kanshi, topically arranged to facilitate an appreciation of Ryokan's colorful world, but selections of his waka, essays, and letters. The volume also presents for the first time in English the Ryokan zenji kiwa (Curious Accounts of the Zen Master Ryokan), a firsthand source composed by a former student less than sixteen years after Ryokan's death. Although it lacks chronological order, the Curious Account is invaluable for showing how Ryokan was understood and remembered by his contemporaries. It consists of colorful anecdotes and episodes, sketches from Ryokan's everyday life. To further assist the reader, three introductory essays approach Ryokan from the diverse perspectives of his personal history and literary work.