If you wish to read and learn more about Shingon Mikkyo Buddhism, see the bottom of this page for a list of recommended books in English, and visit the links page for other useful sites. Thank you for visiting! Gassho!

About the Site
The "Dharma Treasury" is a Croatian language site edited and maintained by Hokai D. Sobol. We advocate a non-sectarian approach to the study and practice of Dharma and it's many forms. Although emphasising the Shingon school and its founder Kukai, we also provide an Introductory course covering the basic Dharma principles, common to all schools and traditions of Buddhism. Furthermore, we seek to re-formulate the language of the doctrine so as to fit the emerging needs of spiritual seekers in the 21st century. In this regard we uphold an integralist approach. In addition to an array of Buddhist issues, like meditation training and practice of spiritual principles in everyday life, we look at advances made in the process of Western adaptation, as well as present profound perspectives in the modern arena through writings of competent authors. In such way, we hope to be of assistance to the emergence of a renewed spiritual awareness, beyond the distinctions of traditional and modern, East and West, Buddhistic and un-Buddhistic. For more about "Dharma Treasury" click here please.

MANDALA SOCIETY AND SHINGON CENTER
Mandala Society and the Shingon Center of Rijeka, Croatia, are devoted to the dissemination and practice of Buddhist spiritual culture, principally through teachings of the great master and saint Kobo Daishi Kukai, the founder of Japanese Shingon tradition of Esoteric Buddhism. Traditionally Shingon has been regarded in Japan as the integration and culmination of Buddhism. However, in Mandala we honour all different Dharma-traditions, schools and lineages, considering them all as manifestations of the Buddha's compassion - the different teachings being appropriate for the specific needs of individuals, groups and societies in different times and plasces. Their underlying purpose and goal of all the teachings is the same - ultimate liberation and the spiritual awakening of all sentient beings in universe. In the same vein, we respect all religions and spiritual traditions which express and cultivate basic human goodness and understanding in their different ways.



Acarya Jomyo Tanaka


The founder of the International Mandala Association, based in Chiba, Japan, is Venerable Acarya Jomyo Tanaka, Japanese priest and master of Shingon meditation, trained in Daikakuji and Zentsuji temples, and a gifted calligrapher and poet. Actively teaching in the West for over 20 years. Venerable Tanaka employs a no-nonsense approach in transmitting the practices of Shingon Mikkyo Buddhism. He is very aware of the difficulties involved in introducing the subtle spiritual teachings of Shingon to Western students, who are obviously unfamiliar with the Japanese cultural context in which Shingon developed. With his thoroughness, patience and spontaneity, and his many years experience of teaching in the West, Ven. Tanaka is an excellent guide through this process of 'cultural transition'. He divides his time and life between Chiba (Japan), Vermont (US) and Europe, where he teaches several seminars and workshops each year.

President of the Croatian Mandala Society and director of the Shingon Centre in Rijeka is koshi Hokai D. Sobol, a senior student of Acarya Tanaka. As well as lecturing on the Dharma and teaching basic Shingon meditation, he is active in translating and publishing books and essays on Buddhism, and is particularly interested in the integral approach to spiritual culture in everyday life. He actively works on making the Shingon principles available to Western views and contemporary lifestyles.

Due to the objective position of Buddhism in Croatia (and Europe in general), the activity of our Society is somewhat focused on introducing fundamental Buddhist teachings and cultivation of basic meditation practice, however we maintain a broader outlook to work in three major fields:
(1) The practice and spread of Buddha Dharma based on the principles of Shingon mandala,
(2) The development of dharmic culture and art in Western forms,
(3) The cultivation of profound spiritual awareness within our natural surroundings.
The basis of our work is a threefold orientation: spirituality, art and nature. To this end we organise a range of activities open to the public, including courses on:
- the Buddhist teachings
- Buddhist meditation and spiritual development
as well as conducting various retreats and workshops. We also promote the Dharma through various publishing ventures. And we try to encourage humane and compassionate relationships towards people, animals, plants and the natural environment.

The Mandala Centre currently has very few resources, and we are looking for ways to make our programmes more widely available. Our goal is to start a residential centre where participants could combine spiritual practice, various arts, work and community life. However - due to lack of funds - this project is dependent upon finding interested sponsors. In the meantime most of our programs at the Centre are conducted free of charge, but most members and friends make a monthly contribution. The Society is maintained by annual memberships, whilst individual projects are funded through donations or sponsorship. If you are interested in attending any of our programs - either here in Croatia or elsewhere - simply e-mail us or write to the address below.


PROGRAM OF THE CENTER
Activities are maintained on two mutually complementing levels.

Basic practice offers foundation methods for developing awareness, compassion and clarity, while lectures and studies introduce pivotal Buddhist teachings on the nature of life and principles of spiritual path and practice. This level brings teachings on impermanence, intrinsic value of human existence, karma, rebirth, morality and the Triple Jewel of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This serves also as a support for individual daily practice, and it's integral aspect is cultivation of a healthy body through proper diet and movement, harmonious relationships and livelihood through ethics and compassion, and intelectual clarity through investigation of wise views.

Shingon practice is in principle available after observable positive experience with introductory teachings. It goes with introducing further Mahayana principles, as well as proper Shingon methods of meditative ritual, structured around symbolic postures and gestures (mudra), mystical syllables and phrases (mantra) and various methods of contemplative visualisation (mandala). These usually include, for example, the Goshinbo method of protection and purification, the recitation practice of Bodhisattva Cintamani Cakra Avalokiteshvara, meditations such as Gachirin-kan, Gojigenshin-kan, Aji-kan, the Gyodo walking meditation, and other methods. Teachings become more direct, psychologically more challenging and needing deeper personal commitment. Due to their profound nature, traditionally these teachings were not entirely public, even when they exhibited widespread influence.

The Shingon tradition recognizes two aspects in Dharma, the conventional or exoteric (kengyo), and the mystical or esoteric (mikkyo). Shingon proper is in the latter of course. A similar division is found in Tibetan Buddhism, where we find the two classes of sutra and tantra. Direct entry into mystical or vajrayana teachings is preceeded by a prolonged period of practice and study of more basic Buddhist teachings, while the passage itself is marked by several empowerments and initiations through intensive ritual and contemplative practices. Some passages are of formal nature, of course, but the essence of initiation is an intimate experience reached directly through personal practice, coupled by strong spiritual connection with the teacher, a sort of "merging of minds". In Mandala we hold in high esteem both aspects of teaching, though surely a thorough preparation and purification in basic practices is the single most important part of spiritual training. Furthermore, even in beginning practices we observe the principles of Shingon, essential of which is the non-dual perspective i.e. that every spiritual level of development is a manifestation of ultimate reality, and that this cognition may be expressed and emulated in various beneficial ways.

Our schedule - For beginners we maintain an Introductory course and a series of meditation workshops. The basic group - open to all interested - meets for meditation and lecture or discussion group, and monthly holds a 1-day practice. The senior group holds periodically 3-day, 7-day and 10-day intensive practices.



Bodhisattva Akašagarbha




Regular schedule 2009: koshi Hokai is consulting individually, based on personal situation and profile of practice. Daylongs, weekends and 10-day meditation seminars are held regularly.

Upcoming events
The next Shingon kegyo will be held on the last weekend of May 2009, led by koshi Hokai Sobol. Limited number of applicants. Please contact for further info.



Contact
MANDALA SOCIETY
Sodici 41, 51221 Kostrena, Croatia
phone/fax +385 51 289 375
e-mail: mailbox(.)mandala.hr

Donors and sponsors:
Croatia Banka d.d. Zagreb
Kvaternikov trg 9
10 000 Zagreb, Croatia

Mandala Society
account 700100-1474316
swift CROAHR2X

or contact and ask for details



Recommended reading in English
Ryuichi Abe, "The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse"
Yoshito Hakeda, "Kukai: Major Works"
Adrian Snodgrass, "The Matrix and Diamond World Mandalas in Shingon Buddhism"
Chikyo Yamamoto (trans.), "Mahavairocana Sutra"
Ryuko Oda, "Kaji: Empowerment and Healing in Esoteric Buddhism"
Taiko Yamasaki, "Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism"
Minoru Kiyota, "Shingon: Theory and Practice"
Morgan Gibson and Hiroshi Murakami (trans.), "Tantric Poetry of Kukai"
Hisatoyo Ishida, "Esoteric Buddhist Painting"
Pierre Rambach, "The Art of Japanese Tantrism"
Richard K. Payne "The Tantric ritual of Japan: feeding the gods, the Shingon fire ritual"



Riznica Dharme | www.mandala.hr | Dharma Treasury