Shingon ajikan, goma fire rite and the Three Mysteries

Domain XIII · Contemplative & religious disciplines · Kūkai · Japan

What it is

Three linked elements of Shingon practice that a client may bring to therapy:

Format

• No source gives a session count or format for psychotherapy alongside Shingon practice; the phases below are a working structure, not a protocol.
• Core idea of change, as the tradition states it. Delusion and afflictions (煩悩 bonnō) are the "firewood" that the Buddha's wisdom-fire burns away; by aligning body, speech and mind with those of Dainichi Nyorai, the small, ego-bound self is understood to open into identity with the whole. Goma is…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Core idea of change, as the tradition states it. Delusion and afflictions (煩悩 bonnō) are the "firewood" that the Buddha's wisdom-fire burns away; by aligning body, speech and mind with those of Dainichi Nyorai, the small, ego-bound self is understood to open into identity with the whole. Goma is…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Distress the child cannot voice in front of parents. Working if the child's own view is heard.
• Pressure from family or temple for contact the client does not want. Working if advice from both sides is consistent.
• Over-identification with, or quiet contempt for, the client's tradition. Working if the client feels respected and roles stay clear.
• Labelling a legitimate tradition as harmful, or missing exploitation within it. Working if the client can name and act on their own choices.
• Complicated grief; self-blame over ritual "mistakes" (see 4.9). Working if the client can hold both grief and their relationship to the practice.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.