Origin Of AUN 阿吽

Fudasho Hannyasan Hosho-ji Temple

After an enriching travel to Japan, I offer you this text which talks about the origin of the Aun 阿吽.
As I was carrying on my research, I found in a book about Daito Ryu, this text of very rich content, that I’m pleased to offer for those who are interested in the subject.

阿吽  A-Un


地天、水天、火天、風天により四方を取り囲まれた宇宙が、人間の内観宇宙を形造り、それが一つの
小宇宙を成している。大宇宙と小宇宙は同じ要素から構築され、ここには力を用いる場合、金剛力士が
存在する。金剛力士は宇宙力の化身で、一体だけの時は執金剛神で、両極(東西)に各々の神が現れた
場合、金剛力士となる。

Jiten, Suiten, Katen and Fuuten are the four deities surrouding the universe in all directions. The introspection universe of the humain being is shaped by them, and constitutes a single microcosm. The microcosm and the macrocosm are constituted by the same element. When a force is exercised, Kongō-rikishi manifests himself.

Kongō-rikishi is the manifestation of the power of the universe. He is then Shukongōshin. It is when the gods of the East and West ends appear that he becomes Kongo-rikishi.

流動するあらゆる現象は、相互に矛盾するモチーフの陰と陽を持ち、双方が互いに反発する時、同じものはたちまち二体に分かれ、仁王を造り出す。これが「阿」「吽」であり、「阿」が勝者となり、「吽」が敗者となった時、仁王が出現するのである。従って阿吽の二者は元々一体であり、各々が単独では存在する意味を失うのである。

All of these phenomenons that happen, contain reciprocal and contradictory representations of the Yin and the Yang. These two, when they repel each other, separate to instantly create Niō. It is the A-Un : when A is victorious and when Un loses. then Niō appears. At last, these last two things that are one by nature, once separated, lose the meaning of their existence.

The A-Un is a phonetic character from Indian sanskrit which uses the Chinese reading Kan-on, A is the origin of the expansion of all things and designates the return of all things to their original substance. Un is the moment of conclusion that we would see starting from the development of all things. If we look at it from the point of origin it starts the same way the Yin does.

「阿」は口を開き、呼気を行なって「吐」とし、「吽」は口を閉じ吸気を行なって「納」とする。

A is the fact of opening the mouth and exhaling air, Un is that of closing and inhaling, it then becomes « Nō ».


阿吽は古来より呪法に用いられ、この二文字を以て一切の文字やその音声の根源としたのである。またそれは宇宙の天地が開け始めた時、大極の「太初」となり、帰着点に向かい閉じてしまうことを「太終」とした。

A-Un has been used for incantations since Ancient times, these two words are the source of all the other words as well as  their sonority. When the extreme sides of the universe started to spread, it became the Taisho of the Taiji to arrive at its opposite point of conclusion, which is called Taishu.

宇宙には東に青龍、西に白虎、南に朱雀、北に玄武が鎮座し、またそれは時計回りによって、春夏秋冬を表す四季でもある。

Seiryū can be found at East, Byakko at West, Suzaku at South and Genbu at North, sanctified in the universe. Similar to the movement of a clock, they also express the rythm of the four seasons.