The Cultivation of the Three Mysteries. When we speak of practicing the Buddha?s teaching, we are speaking of three things. 1.When we do gassho or put our hands together in front of an image or picture of a Buddha, this is called "the mystery of our bodies? action" (Shin-mitsu). 2.When we recite Mantras, this is called "the mystery of one?s speech" (Ku-mitsu) 3.When we meditate or think about the Buddhas, this is called "the mystery of the mind" (I mitsu). These three mysteries together are called (Sanmitsu), and it is our task to make these "Three Mysteries" real in our lives. What does it mean to make these "Three Mysteries" real in our daily lives? This means that we should act in a manner so that we do not do any bad actions which harm, or even inconvenience anyone else. It means that we should not use harmful speech or spread gossip and rumors, and it means that we should not have wrong views. This means that we should realize that all of our actions that we do from the moment that we wake up in the morning until we fall asleep at night, are all actions of the Buddha himself. All of the words that we speak to other people are the words of the Buddha himself, and the very thoughts that we have both day and night, are the very thoughts of the Buddha himself. If we are able to perfectly possess in ourselves these Three Mysteries, then we shall possess in our very own lives, all of the qualities of a Buddha. When we are able to discover and to realize, in a perfect manner, we have all of the qualities of a Buddha in our lives. This condition is called "attaining Buddhahood in this very life" (Sokushin Jobutsu) in the Shingon Tradition. ©1998,1999 Shingon Buddhist International Institute