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- Essence Dharani or the Highest Dharani of Secret
Buddhism - At this stage, the person becomes the true nature of
various virtues: endurance, peace, and detachment from the body
and mind. In this sense, Dharani has become Nirvana.
The Mantra Dharani and the Essence Dharani are the tools
of the Secret Buddhism, while the Literature and Meaningful
Dharani belong to the Hinayana Buddhism.
The followers of Secret Buddhism recite the powerful
mantras transmitted by the tantric Adept, Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas. The Shingon sect (True Words sect) pays special
importance to the magical force of mantras, which are the
summary and the essentials of magical formulas.
Dharani originated in India and was handed down over
thousands of years in Sanskrit. It was not translated to native
language for fear of losing its power. The mantra represents the
miraculous and active energies in the cosmos condensed into one
sentence.
Being completely proficient, the masters arduously gather
and re-arrange these powerful energies to give to the disciples.
Magic formulas are also symbols representing the promises of
Buddha and other divinities to save anyone devoted to walk on
the Virtue Path. This is the Power of the Vow that the Buddhas
left behind before they departed this world. Anyone who recites
the magic formula and commits to practicing Buddhas’ virtues
will have this supernatural force. We recite the mantra to ask
Buddha and the saints to support and protect us, and to
respectfully invite divinities to come to our assistance.