Vermilion World 3

Kukai’s Hidden Code

Kukai, the enigmatic founder of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. In the previous article I examined the broader picture from the perspective that shifts in political dynamics between Japan’s ancient clans and its rising immigrant clans had a powerful influence on his sudden ascent at the dawn of the Heian period. Looking at outcomes alone, Kukai’s meteoric rise was synchronized with the establishment of Heian-kyo from 794 onward. By 804 he had received the extraordinary appointment of being dispatched to Tang China alongside Saicho, already one of the most prominent monks of the age. After crossing the sea and studying together in China, the two brought the motif of esoteric Buddhism back to Japan through Tang intermediation. Saicho became the founder of the Tendai school on Mount Hiei, while Kukai would later establish the Shingon school on Mount Koya, each developing esoteric Buddhism along his own distinct path.

Saicho, however, had already been a figure of renown and had existing connections to the court. Kukai was an obscure monk born into a provincial gentry family in Shikoku. The mystery of why such a man was selected for a state-sponsored mission abroad has never been resolved. And to bring this back to the pilgrimage, after entering Tang China Kukai received the full transmission of esoteric teachings from the master Huiguo in a remarkably short span of time and returned to Japan ahead of schedule. The founding of the Shikoku pilgrimage attributed to him is said to have occurred afterward, in 815.

The Shikoku pilgrimage remains enormously famous to this day, yet not a single clear fact about its origins has been established. The popular image of the route as a sacred training ground for ascetic practice belongs to a later period, and it is unclear how faithfully it reflects the reality of Kukai’s era. The question of whether Kukai truly built the Shikoku pilgrimage during this time is one that no one can actually answer. I personally believe a shift in perspective is called for. The Shikoku pilgrimage traces its origins to Kukai in terms of Buddhist practice, but the underlying prototype of the route itself was most likely established by unknown predecessors long before him. Kukai’s role was to follow the traces left by these nameless forebears and reinterpret them through the lens of Buddhist training and devotion. But the history stretching from the pilgrimage’s true origins to Kukai’s involvement was in fact unrelated to esoteric practice as it is understood today.

With the recent articles on Kukai’s circumstances as background, I want to explore a different angle in this piece. The key context to keep in mind during this shift in perspective is the frantic sequence of capital relocations from Heijo-kyo to Nagaoka-kyo to Heian-kyo. Understanding that background connects directly to what Kukai was doing in Shikoku. I believe it was the hidden circumstances within that history that were deeply linked to his extraordinary rise.