{Shikoku Hachijūhachikasho Meguri}
--BOOKS & PAPERS ABOUT THE PILGRIMAGE--
-BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ABOUT KŪKAI / KŌBŌ DAISHI-
"Attaining Enlightenment with this Body": Primacy of Practice in Shingon Buddhism at Mount Koya, Japan
. Buichiro WATANABE's dissertation for his PhD in Anthropology at SUNY, Stony Brook. In preparation for writing this, Watanabe spent time on Mt. Kōya going through the same initiation and training program that novice Shingon monks must go through. The result is this study of the concept of
sokushin jōbutsu
(attaining enlightenment with this body) and a comparative look at the relationship in Shingon Buddhism between practice and the study of Buddhist theory.
UMI Dissertation Services, 1999
Kōbō Daishi and Shingon Buddhism
. This is Joseph KITAGAWA's PhD dissertation and the work that got him started in the field of the history of Japanese religions. Very good information and well worth the effort of tying to get a copy. A bit pricey, though, if you have to buy it from UMI.
UMI Dissertation Services, 1951
Kūkai: Major Works
. A well written book by HAKEDA Yoshito, this is the standard when it comes to books about Kūkai. It explains Kūkai's life, upbringing, education, and teachings. More than half of the book is dedicated to translations of Kūkai's major writings. A necessary read if you want to understand his teachings and Shingon Buddhism, and a wonderful primer for the trip.
Columbia University Press, 1972
Kūkai The Universal: Scenes form His Life
. Ryotaro SHIBA. An English translation of Shiba's 1978 biograqphy of the life of Daishi-sama. Well researched and easy to read. Recommended.
ICG Muse, Inc, 2003
Saichō and Kūkai: A Conflict of Interpretation
. Ryūichi ABÉ. A study of the relationship between the founders of Tendai and Shingon Buddhism and of their different interpretations of esoteric Buddhism in genreal.
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1995
Vol. 22/1-2
Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume I
. Edited by Wm. Theodorede BARY, this anthology has been around for a long time and is the earliest book that i have found which contains chapters with both commentary and translations of original works on Kūkai, Saichō, (a brief mention of) Kūya, and Esoteric Buddhism.
Columbia University Press, 1958
Tantric Poetry of Kukai, Japan's Buddhist Saint
. Morgan Gibson and Hiroshi Murakami. A very small 76 page book containing information on Kūkai and Shingon, followed by 10 of his poems and excerpts form the Dainichikyō.
White Pine Press, 1987
The Founder Reinterpreted: Kūkai And Vraisemblant Narrative
. The 2003 thesis of William MATSUDA for his Masters Degree at The University of Hawaii. Matsuda looks at the historical writings by and about Kōbō Daishi and analyses how they changed over time as both the Daishi and others tried to define who he was.
Online Document
The Weaving of Mantra: Kūkai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse
. Ryūichi ABÉ While highly theoretical, this is an extremely well written and detailed look into Kūkai's life, thoughts, writings, and interactions with the government's ritsuryō system and the Buddhist sects of Nara. As the back of the dust jacket says, it "... offers valuable insights into the linguist and ritual dimensions of esoteric Buddhism and traces the development of Kūkai's thought and its role in the creation of a new social order." For those wanting to truely understand Kūkai, what he thought, and what he believed, this is a must read.
Columbia University Press, 1999
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