"In most Buddhist schools only one gate is presented to the practitioner through speech (Nembutsu) i.e., the practice of reciting the name of the Buddha Amitabha and being reborn in the Pure West Earth, or meditation (Zen) as a practice of awakening within oneself the mind of a Buddha. In most Chan Buddhist schools meditation is combined with Nembutsu, so a practitioner has access to two gates: mind and speech. In Esoteric Shingon Buddhism we use Three Gates simultaneously: Body (mudras), Speech (mantras) and Mind (Visualization or Contemplation), this is called Sanmitsu or Three Mysteries which will take the practitioner through the Sanmon (Gate) contained in the Mandalas. So, can you imagine a grand cathedral whose entrance has three doors. If you open only one of them, you may see a little inside, if you open two, you will see a little more, but then if you open three, you may see the inner sanctuary entirely. How do we open the Three Gates at Once? Through the practice of Sanmitsu (the Three Mysteries), in Shingon Buddhism we learn to practice the mudras, mantras and meditations (visual contemplations). As you progress through these practices they slowly become an experiential habit. What we mean by this is that the practitioner begins to realize and understand that the entire universe is in essence present in Sanmitsu and that our negative actions begin to transform into positive actions of mind, body and speech.
“The three secrets (mysteries) of the Body of Dharma are not confined to even the finest particles, and they do not dissolve even by filling the whole space. They are present in stones, plants and trees without discrimination. They present in humans, gods, demons and animals alike. They extend to everywhere too. There's nothing they won't act through. ”
(Kobo Daishi in his work "The meaning of the syllable Hum")
This is the beginning to enter through the Gates at once. So how can you practice this at a basic level?
Body:
The body practice can be done in many ways, so much that a person can do it in any suitable space (e.g. a park, living room, meditation room, altar room, sanctuary or even a place where the Sangha meets, etc) put your hands together at chest height, bends deep, clap twice, bend again and clap one more time. (This is an opening and closing gesture that can be seen in Japan when people enter areas of Shingon or Tendai Buddhism or Shinto Shrines). Sit properly in an upright position on the floor or in a chair, and from the beginning to the end of the meditation or contemplation session, keep your hands intertwined on your lap.
Speak:
This is probably one of the easiest parts of Sanmitsu for Westerners to understand. It could be prayer, mudras or the sound Ah pronounced in different lengths or tones. The second part actually the most important part is the breathing. Breathing should be slow, calm and deep, but natural. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, your abdominal expands as you breathe in and contracts as you exhale. Breathing helps the voice (proper breathing allows for proper speech), it also helps to relax the body and calms the mind, allowing proper meditation and contemplation to happen.
Mind:
Our minds, from the beginning, are full of garbage and worries in which our own ego feeds and creates more (suffering). The purpose of meditation and contemplation is to clear out all that junk so that we can reveal that diamond in the coal mountain. The diamond is called our "mind of compassion" (Original Mind or Buddha Mind). Through visual meditations, such as Ajikan Meditation, we can identify with this diamond, just like a metal detector finds a coin on the beach, and by doing so we can then unearth it and release it.
These are the basic aspects that are learned and practiced in the Shingon lifestyle. Many schools of Buddhism and also organized religions teach a progressive way out of suffering. Whether through illumination or heaven, they teach that we will get there after death. However, the historical Buddha and the founder of Shingon Buddhism, Master Kobo Daishi (Kukai) believed and achieved this in their lives with their own bodies. The way to become a Buddha in this life is to walk through the Three Gates through Sanmitsu practice. Through these practices we begin to emanate the Octuple Path, we create the Pure Earth or Heaven here and now. The Buddha(s), God or as you conceive it as a Supreme Entity, does not exist in some quantum universe, he is in each of us. When we pray for something in our world and life that we want to get better or change positively, we are praying to ourselves, calling ourselves to action. Once we cross the Three Gates, every particle within us slowly begins to assume Sanmitsu until our lives, words, actions, and thoughts become their pure natural practice. "
(Extracted from the studies of Mikkyo texts of Venerable Vijay Maitri Avalokita OBS/SKH)
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