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Finding Home

By Kevin Becker

Growing up in a quiet area of West Virginia, my parents raised me Catholic but weren’t really religious. I followed Christianity as best as I could, thinking my salvation depended on it.

In my teens, cracks began to appear in what I thought was a solid wall of faith. Beginning to accept my own sexuality, I questioned what I learned and felt something was wrong, stirring anxiety and doubt. People around me degraded homosexuality, making me feel like an outsider and excluded. Even my so-called “God” didn’t seem to accept me. Continue reading “Finding Home”

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Doubting Wisdom

By Rev. Noriaki Fujimori

When I was minister of Waimea Higashi Hongwanji temple in Hawaii, I’d often visit members in the hospital. I’d visit almost every day, sometimes going to the Intensive Care Unit.

The temple had few members, but over those 20 years in Kauai whenever anyone was hospitalized, I’d visit. It felt like visiting people lying in hospital beds was part of my daily routine. Sometimes, I’d be by their side until the moment they passed away. Continue reading “Doubting Wisdom”

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Memories of War and Aftermath

(Rev. Nobuo Matsumoto was minister of Berkeley Higashi Honganji Temple in California from 1941 to 1947 during a critical time during World War II, the temple’s closure, and returning at war’s end. He wrote about his experience for the temple’s 50th Anniversary in 1976, which recently was translated to English from Japanese for the temple’s 100th Anniversary this year.)

Just before the start of World War II in August 1941, I was transferred from the Los Angeles temple to Berkeley Higashi Honganji. Compared to the restrictive life of working under others, I was now in charge of my own temple and I felt greatly uplifted and encouraged. In addition, temple members treated me with great kindness, and I wanted to devote all my energy towards spreading the Dharma. Continue reading “Memories of War and Aftermath”

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Precepts, Visualization and Sutra Study in Jodo Shinshu

Genza

By Rev. Miki Nakura

In Buddhism, following precepts is a common practice, especially for monks and nuns. Even lay followers strive to follow basic precepts not to kill, steal, lie and others. Someone asked me about Jodo Shinshu’s perspective.

“Does Jōdo Shinshū disregard precepts? I never hear about them outside of general Mahayana Buddhism. And what about visualization practice and sutra study? They also don’t seem important in Shinshū.”

These kinds of questions naturally arise when learning about Jōdo Shinshū. Therefore, I’d like to express my views.

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