. zen and esoteric buddhism 933
Menzan’s revised ambrosia gate ritual largely follows the format
of the Shi zhu egui yinshi ji shui fa (Dharma
for Providing Hungry Ghosts with Food, Drink, and Water; T. 1315)
attributed to Amoghavajra (Bukong , 705–774).^17 Menzan’s ver-
sion consists of thirteen sections, all but the first two consisting of
dhāraṇī.^18 Each dhāraṇī serves a well-defined purpose: summoning the
hungry ghosts, preparing them, soliciting the blessings of the buddhas
and bodhisattvas, and delivering the deceased from suffering (Sakauchi
1981, 223–25, 272–73). By adopting these esoteric procedures, Menzan
gave Zen temples a coherent ritual for the Ghost Festival, one that
focuses from beginning to end on relieving the suffering of the dead,
has clear scriptural foundations, and avoids any hint of Pure Land
Buddhism (Sugimoto 1982b, 2). Moreover, Menzan’s ritual is to be
performed with proper hand gestures (mudrās) and visualizations, the
knowledge of which is attained through secret initiations.
Secret Initiations in Zen
Japanese Zen teachers usually certify the attainment of their students
in a formal ritual known as Dharma transmission (shihō ; Bodi-
ford 1991; 2000; 2007). In many Zen lineages this ritual involves a
series of secret initiations in which students gain access to esoteric
(^17) For Menzan’s ritual, see the Segaki hō , reprinted in Zoku Sōtōshū zen-
sho 18 (Zoku Sōtōshū Zensho Kankōkai, ed. 1974–1977, 2: 509–16, “Shingi” ).
It begins with an invitation to the three jewels (bushō sanbō ), repeated
three times, and a verse to invoke the vow to awaken (chōshō hotsugan ). Its
eleven dhāraṇī consist of: 1) gathering all hungry ghosts ( fushū gaki shingon
), repeated seven times; 2) breaking the gates of hells and opening throats ( ha
jigoku mon kai inkō darani ), repeated seven times; 3) sancti-
fying the food and drink with the unimpeded radiance of innumerable virtues (muryō
itoku jizai kōmyō kaji onjiki darani ), repeated
seven times; 4) bestowing the ambrosia dharma taste (mō kanrobō mi darani
), repeated seven times; 5) universal offering for all hungry ghosts ( fuse
issai gaki darani ), repeated twenty-one times; 6) inviting the
five tathāgatas by their jeweled names (go nyorai hōgō chōshō darani
), repeated three times for each tathāgata along with their Sanskrit names; 7)
arousing the mind of bodhi (hotsu bodai shin darani ), repeated three
times; 8) bestowing bodhisattva samaya precepts (ju bosatsu sanmaya kai darani
), repeated three times; 9) secret fundamental dhāraṇī of the
great jeweled pavilion of well abiding (daihō rōkaku zenjū himitsu konpon darani
), repeated three times; 10) consecration dhāraṇī for the
radiant light of all buddhas true words (shobutsu kōmyō shingon kanchō darani
), repeated three times; and 11) bequeathing liberation dhāraṇī
(hakken gedatsu darani ), repeated seven times.