Takes the reader on a pilgrimage to Mount Kōya, the holy Buddhist mountain in Japan.

This volume includes five texts by Kukai (On the Differences between the Exoteric and Esoteric Teachings; The Meaning of Becoming a Buddha in This Very Body; The Meanings of Sound, Sign, and Reality; The Meanings of the Word Hum; The Precious Key to the Secret Treasury), and two by Kakuban (The Illuminating Secret Commentary on the Five Cakras and the Nine Syllables; The Mitsugonin Confession). On the Differences between the Exoteric and Esoteric Teachings aims to highlight the differences between Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism and explain why the latter is superior to the former. The Meaning of Becoming a Buddha in This Very Body is a collection of discussions and remarks on the possibility of attaining enlightenment in ones lifetime. The Meanings of Sound, Sign, and Reality concerns the problem of expressing ultimate reality through language. It extends the connotations of "language" to embrace all phenomena. The Meanings of the Word Hum demonstrates how the entire teachings of Buddhism can be encapsulated in a single word or syllable. The Precious Key to the Secret Treasury is an abridged version of the teachings of the Shingon school. It discusses the ten stages of Buddhism and how each successive stage overcomes the limitations of previous stages. The Mitsugonin Confession is a text recited in the daily services of Shingi-Shingon temples throughout Japan and reflects the actual conditions of monastic life on Koyasan during its founder Kakuban's lifetime. The Illuminating Secret Commentary on the Five Cakras and the Nine Syllables is a work assimilating the Shingon and Pure Land schools from the standpoint of the Shingon teachings established by Kukai. It argues that attaining enlightenment in one's present body through esoteric practices is the same ultimately as being born in the Western Paradise through chanting Amitabha's name.

Jizo, one of the most beloved Buddhist deities in Japan, is known primarily as the guardian of children and travelers. In coastal areas, fishermen and swimmers also look to him for protection. Soon after their arrival in the late 1800s, issei (first-generation Japanese) shoreline fishermen began casting for ulua on Hawai‘i’s treacherous sea cliffs, where they risked being swept off the rocky ledges. In response to numerous drownings, Jizo statues were erected near dangerous fishing and swimming sites, including popular Bamboo Ridge, near the Blowhole in Hawai‘i Kai; Kawaihapai Bay in Mokule‘ia; and Kawailoa Beach in Hale‘iwa. Guardian of the Sea tells the story of a compassionate group of men who raised these statues as a service to their communities. Written by an authority on Hawai‘i’s beaches and water safety, Guardian of the Sea shines a light on a little-known facet of Hawai‘i’s past. It incorporates valuable firsthand accounts taken from interviews with nisei (second-generation) fishermen and residents and articles from Japanese language newspapers dating as far back as the early 1900s. In addition to background information on Jizo as a guardian deity and historical details on Jizo statues in Hawai‘i, the author discusses shorecasting techniques and organizations, which once played a key role in the lives of local Japanese. Although shorecasting today is done more for sport than subsistence, it remains an important ocean activity in the Islands. In examining Jizo and the lives of issei, Guardian of the Sea makes a significant contribution to our understanding of recent Hawai‘i history.