- in ▁( 九 字 <0xE5> <0x8D> <0xB0> ), ▁" N ine ▁Hand ▁Se als ," ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁mud ra ▁( hand ▁se als / gest ures ) ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁nine ▁sy ll ables ▁themselves . ▁Where as , ▁k u ji - ho ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁rit ual ▁of ▁k u ji ▁and ▁en comp ass es ▁the ▁mud ra , ▁mant ra ▁and ▁med itation . ▁Ku ji - kan ▁( n ine ▁sy ll able ▁visual ization ), ▁is ▁a ▁special ized ▁form ▁of ▁Buddh ist ▁med itation . ▁Techn ically ▁the ▁word ▁" K u ji ▁no ▁in " ▁refers ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁hand ▁post ures ▁( m ud ra ), ▁whereas ▁“ ku ji ▁no ▁sh ing on ” ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁related ▁inc ant ations ▁( m ant ra ). There ▁are ▁hundreds ▁of ▁mud ras ▁in ▁Sh ing on ▁alone . ▁Sh ug end ō ▁itself ▁has ▁hundreds ▁of ▁mud ras , ▁as ▁does ▁T ao ism . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁mud ras ▁are ▁shared , ▁however , ▁many ▁are ▁not . ▁To ▁further ▁comp licate ▁this ▁fact , ▁there ▁are ▁also ▁un t old ▁numbers ▁of ▁variations ▁on ▁a ▁given ▁mud ra , ▁and ▁many ▁mud ras ▁are ▁associated ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁de ity ▁or ▁idea . ▁Furthermore , ▁a ▁mud ra ▁may ▁have ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁name , ▁or ▁one ▁association ▁depending ▁on ▁its ▁purpose . ▁Pract ition ers ’ ▁would ▁be ▁wise ▁to ▁keep ▁this ▁mind ▁when ▁pract icing