The original Buddhist mantras used in Kuji-In were in Sanskrit. The mantras were thought orally for quite a while, until they were written down using the Sanskrit alphabet. At this point, nothing else would have been expected.

In time, Buddhism went from India to China and from China to Japan. Once in Japan, the Japanese Buddhists wrote the mantras using their own alphabet. The Japanese alphabet is composed of symbols that are called “kanji”. Each kanji represent an idea, and is spoken by a simple syllable. But these kanji syllable do not cover all the possibilities of vowel and consonant combinations. For example, in Japanese, the letter R and the letter L are the same, and it is pronounced as a hybrid of the two, like quick R followed by a mute L. It could be written in English as “rL” but would not be clear enough for us. In the same manner, there is no B or V, but a crossing of both, like a percussive V, or a blown B.

When the Japanese Buddhists wanted to write the Sanskrit mantra “Om vajramaanatayaa swaha”, they used the Japanese kanji that were closest to the Sanskrit pronunciation. To start with, the “Om” became “On”, since the Japanese M and the N are the same. Then, the “Vajra” became “Bai Shira”, crossing the B and the V, and crossing the J and the Sh. And so on. We ended up with the mantra “On bai shira man taya sowaka”. After quite a while, the Japanese kanji were used “as is” for the mantras pronunciations. It did not mean that the mantras were lost, but a modification had occurred.

The most important part of Kuji-In is the contemplation of the philosophy behind the ritual practice. When mantras are used repeatedly according to a traditional use, the brain invokes an amount of energy corresponding to the implication of the practitioner in this tradition. Thus, all the monks, priests and martial artists that have been using the Japanese kanji did not lose their time. They simply used another set of beliefs to invest themselves in their personal development.

After centuries, the mantras were even slightly modified from one master to another, according to their own experience of Kuji-In. When they were translated back to Sanskrit, using only the study of corresponding pronunciation as a reference, they might have gone thru yet another level of modification. The beauty of it all is that the sense of the practice did not alter, and the Sanskrit mantras we use today are profoundly linked to the entire practice and philosophy of each of the Kuji-In.

The Japanese mantras tend to be used in martial arts and mind training, while Sanskrit mantras tend to be used in devotional and spiritual practices. The first mantras that are thought should be the Japanese kanji version. They are mentally as efficient, and trigger the same attributes from the brain when combined with the philosophical contemplation. Once a seeker has shown some level of interest in the practice, clearly leading beyond mere curiosity, the Sanskrit mantras can be revealed and explained without fear of lacking respect in the sacredness of these mantras. The personal growth involved in the advanced Kuji-In teachings is a great filter to block out the superficial student. The mind training can be enough for them; they have no use with the sacred wisdom.

Some say that the Sanskrit mantras are more powerful than the Japanese mantras. We could say that the Sanskrit mantras are usually reserved to those who have faith in a spiritual universal concept. Those who do not have such a faith should not bother with the Sanskrit mantras. If there are no greater universal force at all, be it God or another concept, then in an atheist’s mind, only the psychosomatic effect of the mantras would count, thus the Japanese mantras are all indicated. Only those who thrive to develop a deep faith should bother with the Sanskrit mantras, since they are the mantras that open to the spiritual aspect of the Kuji-In practice. Starting with the Japanese kanji pronunciation is not a waste of time, but a good preparation. The Sanskrit mantras will add depth to the practice when they are learned. Nevertheless, without faith, the Sanskrit mantras are useless. Therefore we should keep these mantras sacred and deliver the mentally efficient Japanese kanji mantras to the general public.

Further in the books, each of the nine mantras will be written, using our alphabet, in the Japanese kanji pronunciation, followed by the Sanskrit pronunciation, followed by an attempt in English translation. Then, they will be explained with details about their relation with different applications, religions, and traditions.

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