USUI-DO
USUI-DO

Usui's symbols and Kuramadera

The current Kuramadera deities have the following associations and are part of the Acala Mandala:

Kurama Deity
Sanskrit name
bija
bija image
Entity
symbol
Bishamon Ten
Vaisravana
Vai
vai
SUN
light
Senju Kannon
Yamantaka
Hrih
hrih
MOON
love
Mao-son
Vajrayaksa
Hum
hum
EARTH
power

In the innermost chamber of the Acala Mandala lie the five Great Vajra Kings. In the Centre is Acala (Fudo Myou). To the North of  Fudo Myou lies Vajrayaksa (also known as Kongoyasha Myou). Immediately to the West of  Fudo Myou is Yamantaka (Daitori Myou).
Bishamon Ten is the guardian of the north portal of the mandala and is one of twelve such guardians..

The 'symbols' used in Usui's system have roots in Taoism and Chinese Buddhism. They map far better on to a group of three Buddhist deities known as the "Amida Sanzon":

Deity
Sanskrit name
bija
bija image
Usui symbol
Entity
symbol
Amida
Amitabha
Hrih
Harmony
SUN
light
Kannon
Avalokitesvara
Sa
Connection
MOON
love
Seishi
Sthamaprapta
Sah
Focus
EARTH
power

Sanzon means "three exalted ones". It is a group of three related aspects of the Buddha. The Amida Sanzon is only one such group; there is also the Kannon Sanzon (Kannon, Jizo and Fudo), the Nyorai Sanzon (Dainichi, Amida and Ashaku) and the Shaka Sanzon (Shaka, Fugen and Monju.

The Four Symbols used by Usui in his system do not themselves represent the Sun, Moon and Earth. It should be noted that this is simply a mapping. Further, it does not explain the relationship of the first three symbols with the fourth symbol.

The symbols themselves did not change during the period in which they were in use by Usui although during the migration of the system to the West the pronunciations of the kotodamas have ben slightly changed. What HAS changed is the purpose for which the symbols are used. Later versions of Usui's system (from 1926) do not use symbols at all and it seems that after Usui's death there was a tendency to represent Usui as a "reiki" or enlightened form of energy emanating from Kurama through its deities. Thus Usui himself can become a deity (a kami perhaps) resulting in the system becoming a form of healing religion based on this.