770 lucia dolce and shinya mano
mondōshō (Abbreviated Discussion on
the Meaning of Bodhicitta according to the Womb and Diamond
[Realities]; hereafter, Bodaishingishō) in five fascicles, offer extensive
evidence of his efforts to establish a “true” esoteric Buddhist school
that would encompass sectarian divisions. Indeed, because of their
breadth, these two treatises would come to be regarded by Edo-period
Tendai scholiasts such as Keikō (1740–1795) as comparable to
Zhiyi’s Fahua xuanyi , the great compendium of Chinese
Tiantai.
Annen’s inclusive attitude toward the study of esoteric Buddhism is
also shown in the compilation of the Shoajari shingon mikkyō burui
sōroku (a.k.a. Hakka hiroku ,
Secret Records of the Eight Masters), a comprehensive catalogue of
esoteric material imported by all eight Japanese tantric masters who
traveled to China in the early Heian period: Saichō (767–822),
Kūkai, Ennin, Engyō (799–852), Eun (798–869), Jōgyō
(?–866), Enchin, and Shūei (809–884).
As well as playing a crucial role in the formulation of esoteric doc-
trines, Annen greatly contributed to the systematization of contem-
porary esoteric rituals. Several of his major writings present Taimitsu
ritual practice: the Yugikyōsho (Commentary on the Yuqi-
jing), the Kanchūin senjō jigōkanjō gusoku shibun
in ten fascicles, the Dainichikyō kuyō jishō fudō
in seven fascicles, the Taizōkai taihō taijuki
(Records of the Transmission of the Great Ritual of
the Womb Realm) in seven fascicles, the Kongōkai taihō taijuki
(Records of the Transmission of the Great Ritual of
the Diamond Realm) in eight fascicles, and the Soshitsuji taijuki
(Records on the Transmission of the Accomplishment
[Ritual]) in one fascicle.^4 The Taizōkai taihō taijuki and the Kongōkai
taihō taijuki in particular are extensive compilations of great value
beyond Taimitsu.
A Hermeneutics of Totality: The Kyōjigi
The Kyōjigi, written between 876 and 885, the period in which most of
Annen’s important works were compiled, is a comprehensive survey
(^4) The authorship of these two works has been debated, but scholars today agree that
they share most of their elements with genuine works (Mizukami 2008c).