Aji-kan or Gachirin-kan is one of meditation methods in Shingon Mykkyo, Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. It leads you to unity of yourself and the universe. I will explain how to meditate briefly as there is much that goes along with this form of meditation, but this will give a brief example of Shingon's basic meditation practice.

You meditate in front of an Aji-kan or a Gachirin-kan Honzon. Photo No.1 and No.2 are Aji-kan Honzons and Photo No.3 is a Gachirin-kan Honzon. First of all, you sit down at a quiet place, erect your figure, and breathe in and out slowly. You concentrate consciousness and keep the pattern of the Honzon in your mind. Next, you try to make the pattern larger and larger in your mind. Finally the pattern will become immeasurable vast universe. In this process, you can look at yourself and feel the Buddha. This form of meditation is best done under the guidence of a qualified instuctor, but if you are a meditator and follow this simple instructions at very least you may gain a little insight into your own Buddha nature. Aji is the Sanskrit leter 'A' pronounced 'AH' and is a representation of the entire universe or in Shingon Shu, Mahavairocana Buddha - the universal Buddha.

                                                              No.1                                     No.2                                   No.3