PREFACE

78

Keikna

Vajrapani had transmitted to Nagarjuna, and so on down to me. I

noticed that you deserve to receive the Dharma, so I transmit it t o

you so you can save the people in your country.” In the year 806

AD, Kukai went back to Japan. With the encouragement of the

King, he established a monastery at Koyasan and preached the

Shingon doctrine. He was very active in preaching and in

helping people and became

eminently popular. In 835 AD,

knowing that his religious mission

had been fulfilled, Kukai sat in

meditation and passed away.

Today in Japan, Shingon has

more than 10,000 monasteries, and

thousands of followers most of

whom belong to the upper

intellectual classes. The associate

branches of this sect, including

Taimisu, have two universities and

two high schools. Every year they

organize hundreds of charityworks and promote donations. I n

Japan, the upper intellectual classes practiced Esoteric Buddhism.

IV. SECRET BUDDHISM IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Ceylon, Siam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Thailand belong to the Theravada or Southern Buddhism.
The Buddhist scriptures recorded that Buddhism from India
had already spread to Ceylon during the dynasty of King Ashoka.
Ashoka organized a series of missions to the kingdoms of south
Ceylon, Syria, Egypt, Macedonia and Burma. The King's son,
Prince Mahendra led the mission to Ceylon. He brought three