What do you think?
Rate this book
Kukai: Major Works, Translated, with an Account of His Life and a Study of His Thought, By Yoshito S. Hakeda
English, Chinese (translation)
Hardcover
First published October 15, 1972
14 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 15, 2017
In any truly sentient being, there is a desire to find God. How this can be accomplished depends upon His Grace and the ability of the individual to recognize this longing. The Holy Spirit encourages this quest.
Kukai was of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism – what I consider to be a reformed reaction to both the altruism of spreading Christianity and the selfish individualism of Theravada Buddhism. He espoused the Golden Rule as necessary to attain Nirvana and taught salvation – enlightenment – can be attained in this very existence, NOT as Theravada (original dogma of Buddha) espouses that can only be accomplished over many reincarnations. He brought the Esoteric Mahayana to Japan.
He was brilliant but it is a pity that he had not been exposed to either Plato or Aristotle. Logic is not one of his strong suits. If no one has ever attained Enlightenment, then how can it be taught? If all is the One and there is no distinction between matter and nothingness, then how does an individual recognize the structure Kukai espouses to attain nothingness? The Three Mysteries of Manifestations, The Four Noble Truths, The Four Mandalas, The Five Great Elements, The Fivefold Wisdoms… One needs a program – it’s like being trapped in a busy city’s subway system without a map or schedule.
His efforts are worthy but are unnecessarily confusing. God embraces all. It’s not difficult to find Him. It’s just difficult for us to focus.
Kukai was of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism – what I consider to be a reformed reaction to both the altruism of spreading Christianity and the selfish individualism of Theravada Buddhism. He espoused the Golden Rule as necessary to attain Nirvana and taught salvation – enlightenment – can be attained in this very existence, NOT as Theravada (original dogma of Buddha) espouses that can only be accomplished over many reincarnations. He brought the Esoteric Mahayana to Japan.
He was brilliant but it is a pity that he had not been exposed to either Plato or Aristotle. Logic is not one of his strong suits. If no one has ever attained Enlightenment, then how can it be taught? If all is the One and there is no distinction between matter and nothingness, then how does an individual recognize the structure Kukai espouses to attain nothingness? The Three Mysteries of Manifestations, The Four Noble Truths, The Four Mandalas, The Five Great Elements, The Fivefold Wisdoms… One needs a program – it’s like being trapped in a busy city’s subway system without a map or schedule.
His efforts are worthy but are unnecessarily confusing. God embraces all. It’s not difficult to find Him. It’s just difficult for us to focus.
April 6, 2008
This is the standard work on English on Kūkai otherwise known as Kōbōdaishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. Hakeda is a reliable translator who has, it seems to me, conveyed the spirit of Kūkai's thinking clearly and accurately. Most of the important texts are rendered into good English - this is not the case with other translations - and technical terms are well explained. This latter being essential to Kūkai's work for anyone coming from other forms of Buddhism.
One minor complaint is that the history and biography are almost entirely lacking in the myths that enrich the story of Kūkai. He is presented in rather bland faux objective terms. Reading Oliver Statler's "Japanese Pilgrimage" can help to fill out the picture.
One minor complaint is that the history and biography are almost entirely lacking in the myths that enrich the story of Kūkai. He is presented in rather bland faux objective terms. Reading Oliver Statler's "Japanese Pilgrimage" can help to fill out the picture.
February 11, 2010
If you are reading this review (and who isn't?), you might stop reading now.
Still here?
OK, Kukai is the THE dude in Shingon. (Yes, aside from Dainichi Nyorai.)
STILL reading??
What, you crazy?!
If you are interested in understanding Shingon, maybe start with Yamasaki's book rather than Hakeda's. If you are practicing Shingon, then maybe start with Hakeda.
Still here?
OK, Kukai is the THE dude in Shingon. (Yes, aside from Dainichi Nyorai.)
STILL reading??
What, you crazy?!
If you are interested in understanding Shingon, maybe start with Yamasaki's book rather than Hakeda's. If you are practicing Shingon, then maybe start with Hakeda.
October 10, 2012
Hard to comprehend for me, but there's some useful stuff in there, if you're into Buddhism and Japanese history and whatnot.
February 3, 2024
did i read all of this? no. does it count as a book i read this year? absolutely. i do not understand esoteric buddhism but that’s okay.
February 2, 2025
Excellent biography and selection of texts. Highly valuable
October 31, 2013
A rather emotionless treatment of the life of Kobodaishi / Kukai, Shingon Buddhisms founder. Although this is primarily a translation of some of Kukai's work - the lead up chapters that deal with his life and thought, are not very extensive and lack emphasis on the importance of his life and work.
I expected the actual writings of Kukai to be heavy going, and that is certainly so, especially with a severe lack of reference or footnotes. What is given, tends to assume that the reader is already well versed in Taoist and Confucian writings and thought. I found myself constantly searching through other texts to gain some more information on terms and references, that could have been provided by the author - if he had been a bit more dedicated to writing a in depth study of the subject.
Most disappointing is the lead in chapters that give an account of Kukai's life and his philosophical thought. It is adequate from the point of view of a novice researcher of Shingon, but why such a person would be reading the full texts of Kukai's writings is a mystery. I feel that Kukai's life is of far more importance than is given - and the style of writing there, seemed even more heavy going than the actual text of Kukai's "esoteric" writings.
On the positive side, a student of Shingon needs to eventually read the full words and works of it's founder - and even for native English speakers who have acquired some mastery of Japanese, are going to need an English translation. So I do not regret purchasing this book - but will seek and recommend other publications to compliment an understanding of this subject.
I expected the actual writings of Kukai to be heavy going, and that is certainly so, especially with a severe lack of reference or footnotes. What is given, tends to assume that the reader is already well versed in Taoist and Confucian writings and thought. I found myself constantly searching through other texts to gain some more information on terms and references, that could have been provided by the author - if he had been a bit more dedicated to writing a in depth study of the subject.
Most disappointing is the lead in chapters that give an account of Kukai's life and his philosophical thought. It is adequate from the point of view of a novice researcher of Shingon, but why such a person would be reading the full texts of Kukai's writings is a mystery. I feel that Kukai's life is of far more importance than is given - and the style of writing there, seemed even more heavy going than the actual text of Kukai's "esoteric" writings.
On the positive side, a student of Shingon needs to eventually read the full words and works of it's founder - and even for native English speakers who have acquired some mastery of Japanese, are going to need an English translation. So I do not regret purchasing this book - but will seek and recommend other publications to compliment an understanding of this subject.
January 26, 2019
150315: too many distracting references to work not read, footnotes on footnotes, assumed Buddhist knowledge. exactly the opposite of 'direct pointing to reality', to communication of dharma without sutras, without words... but then this is my lack, not the text, so will read it again... sometime...
Read
April 17, 2022797 indication of goals
July 17, 2017
Personally enjoyed this book as it gives a feeling of the trials and tribulations of Buddhism spreading in Japan. His perspective is a very traditional Vedic understanding of the purpose of meditation.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews