Ryōbu Shintō hinges on two core esoteric sutras from Shingon Buddhism, weaving them tightly into the veneration of Amaterasu as Dainichi Nyōrai:

• Mahāvairocana Sūtra (Dainichikyō)
– Portrays the cosmic Buddha Mahāvairocana (Dainichi) as the universal source of all phenomena. Rituals borrowed from this text offer mantra recitations and mudrā gestures that mirror Shintō rites at Ise Shrine, where Amaterasu’s inner light is celebrated much like Dainichi’s radiant wisdom.

• Vajrasekhara Sūtra (Kongōkyō)
– Emphasizes the Vajra Crown Realm, a celestial assembly of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Its mandalas and tantric ceremonies were adapted into shrine architecture and festival processions, lending Ryōbu Shintō its signature blend of Shintō shrine ritual and esoteric Buddhist cosmology.

Beyond these pillars, Ryōbu Shintō occasionally draws on broader Mahāyāna texts—especially the Heart Sūtra’s teachings on emptiness and the Lotus Sūtra’s “one vehicle” ideal—to reinforce the unity of kami and buddhas. Modern Shintō-Buddhist festivals still echo these influences: at Mt. Kōya, for instance, esoteric priests chant segments of the Mahāvairocana Sūtra alongside traditional kagura dances, reminding everyone that ancient Japan’s spiritual syncretism remains alive today.

By marrying the esoteric sutras’ tantric rituals with indigenous shrine customs, Ryōbu Shintō created a uniquely Japanese roadmap to enlightenment—where the boundary between kami and buddhas often dissolves into a single, luminous path.