Master Kukai (774-835), posthumously known as Kobo Daishi, is the eighth patriarch of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism (Tangmi) and the founder of Japanese Shingon Buddhism. He is an outstanding figure of cultural exchange between China and Japan. Kukai travelled to China during the Tang dynasty, where he studied under Master Huiguo, the seventh patriarch of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. Later, Kukai succeeded Huiguo and was ordained as the eighth patriarch. After Kukai returned to Japan, he widely spreaded the religion in the country. Kukai established the Japanese Shingon Buddhism, built Bodhimandas in Mount Koya, and brought benefits to the country and its people. Kukai is also a founding figure of Japanese culture – he invented Kana characters, initiated the earliest Japanese civilian education schools, and introduced advanced technologies from Tang.
The symphony “Kukai” uses the lifetime story of Master Kukai as a chief source of inspiration. It celebrates the esoteric Buddhism lineage and the special bonding between Huiguo and Kukai. The music served as a bridge to bring the audience back to 1250 years ago to reconnect with Master Kukai’s spirit.
The music is composed of six parts:
- Born with the Great Vow and Practising Asceticism with Aspirations
- Pursuing Study in Tang China and Sustaining the Dharma Lineage
- Spreading Esoteric Teaching in Japan and Turning the Dharma Wheel
- Dwelling in Vairocana Pure Land and Having Great Compassion for All Living Beings
- Widely Spreading Esoteric Teaching and Benefitting Sentient Beings
- Abiding in Esoteric School and Accomplishing the Mission of Buddha