Shiken Haramitsu Daikoumyo ( Daikōmyō ) (詞韻 波羅密 大光明)

Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo "In every moment is the opportunity for enlightenment"

Shiken Haramitsu Daikoumyo is a sacred 'nine-syllable' Buddhist mantra in Japanese.  (My  Calligraphy.)
 Thus, we could translate “Shikin Haramitsu Daikōmyō” as “A moment of true interaction between body and mind can bring forth enlightenment”…

The kanji which represents this is: 四拳 波羅蜜 大光明

• shi-ken: 四拳 = (shi|four)-(ken|heart/fist)
• ha-ra-mitsu: 波羅蜜 = (nami/ha|wave)-(ra|gauze)-(mitsu|nectar)
• dai-kou-myo: 大光明 = (dai|big/great)-(hikari/kou|light)-(akarui/mei/myo|bright)

shiken represents four perspectives:

• Merciful heart: expresses love for everything.
• Sincere heart: follows what is right.
• Attuned heart: follows the natural order of things.
• Dedicated heart: holds to the chosen pursuit.

In summary, it is the sensation and the harmony perceived by the sense of hearing and heart.
Haramitsu means paramita or Buddha's Satori.  Or to reach Buddhahood from our worlds which fill up with many messy things in our minds.
波 means waves in the ocean and metaphors of something like waves, for example "kanojyo wa nami ga aru" which means "she has waves in her mind", which means sometimes she is stable but sometimes she is unstable. What makes her unstable is her worrying, fears of something like that makes her confused, messy.
羅 means gauze - textured style of fabrics which crosses each other in many ways so the waves metaphors the messy, confused, uneasiness in our minds which makes you unstable like a wave and those cross in our minds in many ways.
蜜 means nectar - sweet liquid - which may mean the sweet bliss that you reach after untangling the mess of your mind. Haramitsu seems to be saying that if you free your mind from life's clutter you will reach enlightenment.
大光明 daikoumyo means great koumyo and 光明 (koumyo) means the 'bright light' of illumination - the light of your heart - the radiance of a deity. The manifest expression of the light of wisdom: the means by which illumination "dawns on us". A brilliant, enlightened aura.
光明 also literally means bright future, or hope.
So, as a whole, shiken haramitsu daikoumyo seems have a meaning of "to seek a bright future of enlightenment by loving, being true and natural and persevering with dedication".
According to the old ninjutsu as taught by Masaaki Hatsumi, the meaning of this is: there is a lesson to be learnt from everything that is happening, good or bad.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shiken Haramitsu Daikomyo

 

At the start of the lesson, when lines are called, a short opening ceremony is performed.  The class kneels in grade order and face the front of the dojo (or kamiza if there is one) and the class instructor does the same.
The Palms are raised above the head and the head and brought down together in front.  There will be a quiet moment of contemplation, and then the instructor will say "Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo", which is then repeated by the class.
The whole class then claps their hands twice and bow. Coming up, the hands are raised again and clapped (only once this time) and the bow repeated.
The instructor turns to face the class, and the highest ranking student says "Sensei ni rei".  The class bows as it says "onegaishimasu" (please instruct me).
Any special instructions for the day are then given, and the class starts.
The ceremony is repeated at the end of class, except the final phrase is changed to "Domo Arigato Gozaimasu" (thank you very much).

What does this mean?  Shiken Haramitsu Daikomyo can be translated, "Every encounter is sacred and could present the one potential key to the perfection of the great universal enlightenment we seek".  The ceremony has no religious meaning, but is a way to honor our teacher, and each other, and remind us (in a very Japanese way) to pay attention. http://starbuck.virtualave.net/main/ninpo/bow_in.htm