Pamela D. Winfield is an assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC.
關鍵詞
kaji; mikkyo; Esoteric Buddhism; Medicine; Oda Ryuko; Ikeguchi Ekan
摘要
The Shingon practice of kaji is generally understood to be a mutual empowerment of self and Buddha that occurs in esoteric interpenetration visualizations. This doctrinal definition however, neglects the important role that kaji has historically played as a hands-on healing technique. This paper examines some of the theoretical, practical, and historical dimensions of kaji, while also considering some of the modern-day claims of kaji practitioners and patients in contemporary Japan. Such an investigation not only expands our understanding of Japan’s religio-medical history, but also prompts our re-evaluation of the dominant discourses related to Chinese kanpō, Neo-Confucian, and Western European medicine.
