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Glite Dictionary
Shingon

Shingon

1 9.9
A Japanese Buddhist school that uses repeated prayers, hand gestures, and rituals to reach a deep spiritual truth
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɪŋɡɒn/
: Shingon
  • Many followers practice Shingon Buddhism as a way to seek enlightenment through meditation and ritual.

Examples

  • His Tendai School, alongside Kukai's Shingon School, are to this day the most popular schools in modern Japan.

  • Since the introduction of Tendai and Shingon sects to Japan, esoteric Buddhists who enjoyed living in close contact with nature built their monasteries in natural surroundings.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Shingon is a major school of Japanese Buddhism that emphasizes Shingon practices and the ritual use of mantras.

  • At the heart of Shingon teachings is the belief in an ultimate truth that transcends ordinary expression.

Surface Forms

Shingon singular
Shingons plural

Etymology

Shingon comes from Japanese parts shin 'true' and gon 'word', so it literally means 'true word' or 'mantra'. That helps to remember the school: it uses special words and hand gestures in rituals to reach a deeper truth beyond normal speech.