Meiso = Meditation

Kiko always begins and ends with Meiso. We translate Meiso as Meditation.
We use seiza or correct sitting in kiko for meditation.
Seiza is sitting in a kneeling position with our knees bent and our heels tucked under our buttocks.
Our nose must be vertical, and our eyes horizontal.
Our breathing is natural, full, and complete.
Our whole-self sits quiet and still.

Ningenkeisei = To Become Human

Ningenkeisei = To Become Human
Ningenkeisei means to become a human being. Does this imply that we may not already be human? More likely that we do not completely realize or true humanness, or what it is to be truly human, and therefore appear to be more just animal than complete humans.

In kiko the process of Ningenkeisei is called Sho(u)Do(u). In kiko we translate Shodo as the upright path. Of course we begin with the buddhist HaShoDo or the 8 Upright Paths.
1. Sho(u)Ken = Upright View
2. Sho(u)ShiYui = Upright Thought/Thinking/Reflection/Resolve
3. Sho(u)Go = Upright Speech/Sound
4. Sho(u)Go(u) = Upright Action/Activity
5. Sho(u)Myo = Upright Livelihood/Way of living
6. Sho(u)ShoJin = Upright Effort/Striving/Exertion/Diligence
7. Sho(u)Nen = Upright Understanding
8. Sho(u)Jyo = Upright Contemplation

When we call this, 'Sho(u) Shin no Do(u)': The Upright and True Way, we add more practices.
Sho(u)Gaku, for instance, is Upright Study.
Sho(u)Setsu is Upright Exposition.
Sho(u)Kan is Upright Meditation.
Sho(u)Chi is Upright Wisdom/Knowing Reality.

When we call this Ho(u)Do(u), the Way of the Law/Teaching/ the methods increase to 10,000 (or infinity if you like).
Chu(u) Do(u) for instance is the all important middle path from which we often begin and then stretch this path from the middle to include everything; just as we find the middle of ourselves (Tanden) that connects us to our birth, the cosmos and everything else; then as we stretch ourselves from this center to find the depths and heights of our practice to include all that is.

When we naturally follow all 10,000 paths with one step, we call this NinGenKanSei.

Nagaiki = Longevity

Nagaiki = Longevity:
The exoteric portion of kiko often is done for Nagaiki, or longevity; to increase the length of our lives. Of course, our practice must both increase the length and the quality of our lives to be worthwhile. In the Buddhist aspect this is done only so that we can either realize our true selves and/or to help others do the same.

In Kiko we teach 5 life style practices for Nagaiki.
1. Mokuteki = Purpose
To have a purpose in our lives; to live for others, not just ourselves; to have a reason to live).
2. Tekido = Moderation
(to live moderately, modestly, and appropriately).
3. Hohoemi & Warai = Smile & Laugh
(take time to have a good time, and not take ourselves too seriously).
4. Osore wo Kaiho suru = Release Fear
(To have courage in all circumstances, in kiko we have no room for fear).
5. Ochitsuita & Odayakana = Be Calm & Serene
(To remain Calm in all situations, helps us see clearly and live clearly).

Have a Purpose;
Live Moderately;
Smile & Laugh;
Release Fear;
Be Calm & Serene;

We teach that these 5 things will lead to a long and healthy life.

Inzo - positions / postures / seals

Kiko deals with GoDai the 5 Elements of Shingon: Chi = Earth; Mizu = Water; Hi = Fire; Kaze = Wind; and Ku = Emptiness. We use the GoDai when we create Inzo. Inzo are postures and movements that seal the spells and invest our intent with energy. When we create the Inzo (seals/postions) with our hands, each digit represents one of the elements. In the esoteric teaching: The thumb is Ku; The index/pointing finger is wind; The middle finger is Fire; The ring finger is Water; and the little finger is earth. In the exoteric tradition they are reversed, how confusing is that? When we continue the Inzo with our bodies... Ku is the centered in crown of the head; from the third eye up to infinity and throughout the cosmos. Kaze includes the nose mouth and throat. Hi is from the bottom of the neck to the solar plexus and centered in the Heart. Mizu is the stomach including the solar plexus and the tanden Chi is the whole lower half of the body also including the tanden and tail/root/sacred bone. Each of these Inzo can be combined to represent different energies. Each energy has it's own sets of sounds and meanings that correspond with eachother and interact. In our tradition there are currently 1664 + 2 = 1666 different combinations being used; But it is said there are 18,400 of them. Or sometimes we just say 10,000 which can mean infinite; since ultimately everything we think, say, and do is Kiko.

Environment - Cause and Effect (3)

The main task then, as a group leader in Kiko, is to participate in creating an environment that is conducive to the realization of everyone of this conjoined reality.

Once everyone makes this realization we all walk a path, with a burning desire to live this way every moment of everyday.

We continue to polish the path, by walking the path as it as been revealed.

Environment - Cause and Effect (2)

To continue on this idea of Environment... When we do any kiko we must be aware of our center, we call this Tanzen (or in the more common pronunciation tanden). From there we use the air to fill ourselves up which aligns the bones. This bone alignment creates the environment to relax without collapsing. With the bone alignment in place we can continue to expand without fear.

For the external spaces... we clean from the center first, the entrance next, and then the exit and find a place for the refuse. I like it when different aspects carry the same principles (there are always exceptions of course but basically they match up).

So we begin within ourselves (the very center or our universe) and then while always keeping our center work our way out to include everything and then bring everything back to us to find that we were all conjoined to start with. How cool is that?

Environment - Cause and Effect

For a certain effect to occur we need certain conditions. In our tradition, one of the most important awareness we develop is of the environment beging created.

Everything we think, say, and do interacts with everything and everyone else. This interaction creates an environment. The environment is either conducive to or not conducive to certain conditions.

We always begin with an inside out approach. So the first environment is our own internal one, and using this to settle the root of our practice. But since it's not really separate, is it? So we extend this awareness out as far as our current consciousness will go to include the entire cosmos. We call this Ten-Jin-Chi or Heaven-Person-Earth; with the person being in the middle and the link between the other two (that's not two, of course).

The center of the space is next. Sometimes this refers to the actual physical center and other times it refers to the Sacred Center; and these are often the same place too.

Next is the entrance and the approach to that entrance. We like this to be varied and meandering, so the energy proceeds in a nice mellow manner... ebbing and flowing like a gentle breeze that drifts along picking up a few dried leaves as it goes.

There needs to be an exit. Where this exit is, and how it is used, is very important. Of course a place for the refuse is needed to.

Then we take care of everything thing else we can find, searching for the last place of awareness, anything we may have missed.

Eventually time runs out and we begin again...

Natural Kiko of Jizo Bosatsu

There are 'natural' kiko that everyone knows. Holding up an empty hand to say hello for instance. This movement says 'have no fear... my hand is empty... I'm not carrying any weapons.'

Another natural one is to hold out our open hand to offer someone something.

Walking is a natural kiko. Walking upright or being able to maintain a completely upright posture is a human practice... one of the movements that both demonstrates our humanness and promotes it as well.

The combination of these three, by holding up our right hand and offering with our left while standing slightly on one foot (the right one, in this case) as if walking, is the inzo (seal) for Jizo Bosatsu (a saint of Daijozen-shu). When combined with the chant 'ka ka kabi sam ma ei sowa ka' we can address the conditions of traveling both through this life, and any life, in any time or space. To Repeat the ritual 7, 49, or 4900 times has quite an amazing effect.

As with all rituals our intent is very important. How often we perform it... how many times we repeat it... The consciousness, mindfulness, and passion we have when preparing, performing, and cleaning up after really begins to interact with ourselves and our environment.

There are 1000's of these kiko, and there are over 1600 of these combinations currently used in our tradition. Each one includes an inzo, like this one; which attaches to a saint or ancient master (or two); a root sound ('ka' in the case of Jizo Bostasu); this root sound becomes a short phrase (like the one mentioned above); then there may be a paragraph sized incantation; plus usually a longer chant and/or story associated with the saint.

Universal Law

Kiko is based on Universal Laws (HoDo). Hodo is made up of two kanji. The first, Ho(u), refers to many things depending on how it is used. But in this case we mean Universal Law or Natural Law. The Do(u) is the same as any Japanese Art; do(u) refers to the Chinese Tao and tells us that this is a way, method, or path to balance our world's energies known as InYo or Shadow Sunshine.

In Shingon this idea of InYo 'Shadow Sunshine', like HoDo, also has many meanings depending on how it is used (this happens a lot when there are both (kenkyo)exoteric and (mikkyo) esoteric interpretations and practices. Also different lineages passed down different aspects, depending on what was needed and what was understood by those involved). But for kiko we are primarily talking about the interplay between opposites. In the movements we combine up down, left right, front back, in out, etc.
FuSui or wind water comes in to play, as well. FuSui deals with the flow of energy in the world and how we interact with our environment. Even we, as human beings are mostly made of air and water, we are very porous creatures. In the exoteric practice of FuSui it can be a kind of geomancy, which tells us where to place things in our homes and yards. In it's esoteric form it begins from within the very core of the 'central' individual and grows outward to include the entire cosmos.

FuSui deals with the 5 elements of Shingon (the exoteric school uses 5, the esoteric teaching has a 6th)(these include: Earth, Water, Fire, & Wind; the other two vary again according to how they are being used, but they deal with the relationship between humans, our thoughts, and Heaven / Spirit / other than man and earth stuff) that doesn't fit into an English translation (or words at all for that matter) very well. FuSui also deals with the cardinal directions, and it also works with the Sun, Moons, Stars and Planets.

Sokushin Jobutsu

Kiko is based on the basic premise of Shingon Buddhism.
Shingon-shu is the school of the true sound/word.
The basic premise of this school is Sokushin Jo(u)butsu.
Sokushin Jobutsu = Attaining Buddhahood in this very life/body.
This is done through San-Mitsu.
San-Mitsu = The Practice of the 3 Mysteries.
First is the Body. We form the inzo(u) or seals with our hands and bodies, these are our positions. With our breath we move between these seals from one to another.
The second is speech/sound. It refers to our breath, and the 'shingon' or true words we read, chant, and speak.
The third is the mind, and refers to our meditation. We dwell in a meditative state throughout every heartbeat and breath.

Shugyo - Austere Training

Shugyo is another interesting word. Usually translated now as Acetic Discipline or Austere Training.

Shu = To Conduct Oneself Well.
Gyo = Going or Action
This is a refined action of mutual polishing, where the practice polishes the person and the person's action polishes the practice.

In our teaching the word is translated as 'Sweeping the dust balls from the corner.' It refers to the idea of training to find the last little bits of... 'something.' We use Kiko Renshu to polish and knead our practice which, through awareness, finds the dust balls in the corner and cleans... 'something.'

Renshu = to practice

Renshu is an interesting word we use in Kiko. In modern Japanese the word renshu is most often translated as 'practice'. In Kiko we're taught that Ren = Polish or Knead, and Shu = to Learn or Study. Together they were meant to denote a repetitive ritual, a practice we repeat the same way over and over, kneading and polishing our lives as a way to learn. The repetition itself is the practice.

Exoteric and Esoteric

In the teaching passed to me, there are both Exoteric (kenkyo) and Esoteric (mikkyo) teachings. The two together create The Teaching.

The exoteric are those that we can see and talk about. The esoteric are those we don't see and only try to talk about.

Kiko exercises of position, movement, and sound bring the esoteric to the exoteric, and join them as one. By doing kiko we bring the invisible into sight, and join them as one.

Only the exoteric portion is taught, the esoteric is 'stolen' from an adept by being in their presence. Being in an adept's presence, simply, one day we understand and this understanding is recognized. The exoteric teaching says this takes 20 years, the esoteric teaching says it takes one heartbeat, both are true.

I'm beginning to see again, why this teaching is done face to face instead of on the internet; at one point I wondered if this were the case because The Teaching was being passed well before the written word, but now I think that here we can't practice the exoteric part of the exercises and movements, even describing them is difficult. We can't talk about The Teaching, because the esoteric portion once put into words no longer really makes sense, it begins to go in circles trying to include everything; everything includes even opposites, so it makes no logical sense to call two opposites true; but in terms of The Teaching, everything must be included; the most important part of 'everything' may even be 'nothing.'

Face to Face Transmission

Kiko is part of Mikkyo training inside Esoteric Buddhism. It includes over 1600 body / hand positions; each position has a root sound, a phrase, an incantation, and a chant; and each of these is attached to a Buddha or Bodhisattva and has a variety of meanings depending on how small details are performed.

Also I've been instructed to only share it face to face and in secret. Here, on the internet, I can only share the words anyhow; and it has nothing to do with the words. Kiko is really not taught but simply passed in the presence of an adept. But it should be fun to try, don't you think?

Definition

Kiko(u) = Energy Working.
Kido(u) = The Way of (vital) Energy.

The arts of Japan have roots that predate influence from the mainland. At the sametime almost everything in Japan has been infused with multiple influences from the mainland, as well.

Kiko is no different. It's roots stretch back to the dawn of humans on the archipeglio. But what we see in in the parks in Japan today mimics Chinese Chi Gong almost exactly. but Kiko in Japanese Mikkyo retained much of what went on before as well; mixing and merging ancient Japanese practices with what was brought from the mainland as well.

Japanese Culture is both what was before and what was brought. This is seen strongly in Zen. Zen is the what was created in Japan with the ancient matured in Japan through the influence of Chinese Confusionism, Buddhism, & Taoism.

Introduction

Kiko is a Japanese Mikkyo practice of movement, postures, and sounds to bring one into alignment with all that is.

Kiko is said to be an indigenous practice from the Japanese Archipelago. And I believe this is true; there are many exercises in it that I have not seen anywhere else. But I think that it is equally true that much of what is done has traveled to Japan with many practices obviously coming from Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. In fact, today in the exoteric schools of Kiko, what I see looks just like what I think Qi Gong looks like. In our esoteric practice, however, there are many more 'older' and 'natural' pieces, that I do not see in Qi Gong, Tai Chi, or Yoga.